Chapter 28: Born and Never Parted (1)

  In the second year of Yongye, on August 16th, sunlight shone through the window frame into my room. I woke up with a headache and opened my eyes to find that Fei Bai was nowhere to be seen beside me. What flashed into my mind was a series of absurd experiences from yesterday, filled with incredulity - it felt like I had just dreamed a whole episode of "58 Doors".

  But propping up my left arm, the throbbing pain reminded me that yesterday was not a dream. Today is my and Jinxiu's birthday, I perked up my spirits, stretched my waist, decided to clean myself up properly, waiting for Jinxiu to come over and celebrate our birthday together.

  At this time, San Niang's loud voice came from outside the house: "Miss, are you awake? Can I come in to help Miss wash and dress?"

  I responded, and San Niang, with a face full of wind, came in. The two cold-faced guards behind her carried in a large bucket of hot water: "Miss, take a bath." I asked strangely: "San Niang, why do you want me to take a bath so early in the morning?"

  Third Sister smiled and said, "After all, you're still a child. Since Third Master stayed at your place yesterday, he must have gotten dirty. He specifically instructed me today to take good care of you since you were injured yesterday."

  I was covered in bruises all over, and San Niang continued to say: "San Ye is really something, although everyone in the village knows that Mu Niang will eventually become San Ye's person, but you should also prepare a new wedding dress for her. You were injured yesterday, it's really... how about it, did Master not hurt Miss yesterday?"

  I opened my mouth, but before I could respond, Third Mother had already helped me into the large bathtub: "Don't mind this, miss. I've been by Third Master's side since he was born, and I can see that he's becoming more and more inseparable from you. This morning, before going to the Purple Garden to wake up the old master and mistress, Third Master stood dazedly in front of your door for a while! Before leaving, Third Master said that after spending the night here yesterday, he realized that this west wing is too cold and damp, not good for your health. From now on, you should move to the east wing's Xiangxin Pavilion, where you can be with Third Master and have someone to take care of you."

  The three girls carefully placed my hand on the edge of the tub, gently wiping my body, and seeing me with a downcast face, she said again: "Don't worry, miss, although Master San is from a noble family, he is not an ordinary young master. He is the most emotional and intentional child I have ever seen, so I can assure you that following him will be a lifelong reliance. Besides, now Jin girl is also favored, who knows, when you get pregnant... maybe you can become the legitimate wife."

  I really couldn't take it anymore, and suddenly slid into the bucket. San Niang's chubby face was above me, shouting in surprise, while I lay at the bottom of the bucket, laughing silently.

  After finishing breakfast, San Niang insisted on making me sit in front of the dressing mirror to dress me up. Just doing my hair took an hour, and she styled a fashionable double-ring bun for me, with long sideburns, and inserted the Dongling jade hairpin that Yuan Fei gave me and a step-by-step hairpin. I wanted to change into a new lotus-colored skirt, but San Niang said it was too plain, so she made me wear a silver-red brocade jacket with white silk shoulder pads, and a moon-white skirt with water-patterned silk and woven gold edges, which was very beautiful. She also applied lipstick and rouge to my face, and put on some light makeup. After finishing dressing up, I looked in the copper mirror, and it was a new look that I had never had before. However, I couldn't help but think that the more I looked, the more I looked like those actresses in TV dramas.

  At this time, Su Hui rushed in with a mud jar in her hand: "Mu Yaotou, look at my General Changsheng..." Seeing me, she was stunned for a moment, and exclaimed: "Ah, Mu Niang, you are indeed three points of talent, and need seven points to dress up..."

  He hadn't finished speaking when he punched San Niang: "You rascal, you're talking nonsense again. Mu Gu Niang was originally pretty, and now you're playing with insects, aren't you making a big enough fuss about the locust disaster?"

  Three people were laughing and making a noise when the guard came back with a curtain, saying that Miss Jin had sent Chuhua from the Zi Garden to deliver something to me.

  I hastily had the guard invite Chunhua in, and after a long time of not seeing her, she was even more beautiful than before. I originally wanted to warmly hold her hand and talk, but unexpectedly she dodged, politely curtsied to me, and respectfully addressed me as Mu Niangzi.

  She looked at me with a hint of fear in her eyes: "Mu'ge, today Jin'ge was originally going to invite you to celebrate her birthday together, but she didn't expect that Houye had already set up a birthday banquet for her in the Purple Garden. So I came to inform you that she'll come over again tonight. Houye had wanted to invite you over to join in the fun with Jin'ge, but yesterday he saw that your old illness had relapsed and was afraid that you wouldn't be able to withstand the crowd."

  I was stunned: "How could Master Yu see that my old symptoms had relapsed yesterday......" I exclaimed, could it be that the green-shirted Mr. Yuan from yesterday was actually Yuan Qingjiang?

  She looked at me with a puzzled expression, handed me an inlaid red sandalwood makeup box: "Miss, haven't you seen Master Hou before? This is the eight-treasures red sandalwood makeup box he gave you. He said that since they didn't prepare a gift for their first meeting yesterday, he would give it to you on your birthday instead. Inside are some pearls and jewelry that the late Madame Xie used to wear, and Master Hou personally added some precious medicinal herbs as well. He instructed you to accept them and take good care of yourself while recovering from illness."

  At first, I was stunned and didn't know where I was. I was a bit disoriented, and it wasn't until someone called out to me several times that I came back to my senses. Just then, Third Sister-in-law arrived, saw the eight-treasured dressing case, and let out a series of startled cries: "Isn't this... isn't this Mrs. Xie's old dressing case?"

  She opened the makeup box, and the brilliance of the jewelry reflected our faces. She said excitedly: "This makeup box was specially given to Madame by Master Hou when he welcomed Madame Xie. After Madame's passing, this makeup box couldn't be found anywhere. It turned out that Yuanni had kept it well all along, and not a single piece of jewelry inside was missing."

  Chu's eyes were dim, and she was about to return to the Zi Garden. I held her back and handed her a silver mirror wrapped in oilcloth, which was a birthday gift I had specially made for Jinxiu by Ruyuan. I asked Chu to bring it to Jinxiu, and secretly handed her a pair of pearl amber earrings: "Chu, this is what I picked out for you at the Qixi market last time. I've been thinking about when I could give them to you, fortunately, I met you today, take them quickly."

  I helped Chuhua put it on, and she looked at me with some emotion: "Good...," She glanced at San Niang beside her and stopped speaking. "Thank you for the earrings, take good care of yourself, Chuhua is leaving."

  I gazed at the distant figure of Chunhua, wondering what she wanted to tell me. And why did I coincidentally meet Yuan Houye last night... by the side of Mochou Lake...

  No, could it be that from Xilin to Yubei Zhai, and then to Mochou Lake, I was being followed all the way? Then wouldn't he have known about my conversation with the Qi brothers and seen me peeking at Yuan Fei...

  I was covered in cold sweat, while San Niang was still there carefully holding each piece of jewelry, tears streaming down her face, excitedly telling me the story behind each one.

  "Congratulations, Miss. Since Master Hou has given you this makeup box, he must have taken you as his daughter-in-law." She suddenly blurted out a sentence, and I felt a chill run down my spine. This original Qingjiang indeed saw me peeking at Yuan Fei yesterday. Thank you, Mrs. Xie is famous for her virtue and loyalty, and giving me this makeup box is also telling me that I should be a proper and obedient pillow companion to him, and can no longer have any romantic thoughts about Yuan Fei.

  I slumped down in my seat, and San Niang saw that I didn't look well, thinking it was the changing of the seasons bringing back an old illness, so she hastily sent me back to my room for a nap. Since I hadn't slept well the night before, I soon fell asleep again, but I had a very strange dream.

  In a dream, under a slender wood sorrel tree, a handsome androgynous deity leaned against the trunk, one hand supporting his forehead, quietly resting. Black jade silk flowed down his waist and legs, long eyelashes covered his eyes, and an inexplicable calmness surrounded him. Was that face really Zixiao?

  I became frightened and thought about how I had entered such a dream, just as I was desperately trying to wake up, the purple float opened its eyes and turned its head towards me.

  I was so scared that every single hair on my body stood up, his purple pupils were shining with an otherworldly light, but the holy and gentle aura surrounding him made me feel calm again. He smiled warmly at me, and that smile was exactly the same as the inexplicable one he gave me in the underworld. He slightly opened his red lips and said to me in a warm tone: "You're here."

  As I was lost in thought, he appeared before me. He was even more tall and robust than I had imagined. He still smiled at me, his hand gently touching my cheek...

  I let out a loud "ah!" and woke up with a start, only to find a red-haired youth gently stroking my cheek. To my surprise, it was Fei Wuji.

  "Not...!" I had barely opened my mouth when he covered it: "Shh, Muxin, I slipped out from your birthday banquet in the Zi Garden. Quick, come with me."

  He pulled me out of Xifeng Garden, familiar with the road, and came to the opposite bank of Mochou Lake. We also came under that big elm tree, which was where I vomited blood yesterday.

  He looked around cautiously, making sure no one was there, then turned back and hugged the big elm tree, whispering: "Wooden girl, I've missed you to death." I poked his waist with my finger and coughed a few times in embarrassment: "Fei Ge, I'm over here."

  "Ah?" He turned his head back and forth between me and the elm tree for a while, finally choosing to hug me: "Wooden girl, are you okay? I've been thinking about you until I'm dead."

  My hands were on his robust and broad back, tears slowly filled my eyes, and I trembled with voice: "Fei Ge, I miss you too! How did you come back."

  "I, I, the Empress Dowager had me familiar with the palace, so I was delayed, don't be angry!" He held my face and said painfully: "I heard that your old wound relapsed again and almost didn't make it through autumn, are you better now?"

  I nodded with tears in my eyes, forcing a smile: "It's much better now, Fei Jue, you look completely different now."

  I pulled Fei Ge to sit on the Taihu stone, took out a silk handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead: "Have you practiced your tearless Jing Gong well? Can you see me now?"

  "My Wu Lei divine skill has been practiced well, but my eyes and brain are still sometimes good, sometimes chaotic. It will take about half a year to recover to the state of a normal person. So, I'm still thinking of you... He said in a softer voice: "But don't worry, Mu Ya Tou, don't be anxious. Although I'm thinking of you, I can recognize you. You have a special fragrance on your body, just like the rose of Kunlun God, it bewilders me. No matter where I go, I won't forget you." He tightly held my hand and said foolishly.

  He pulled out a silver chain from his bosom: "This was given to me by an old fortune teller when I sneaked out of the palace and strolled through the market one day. He said it's a rare treasure, and if I hang it on my lover's body, no matter where she goes or how much she changes, I'll be able to recognize her at a glance. Here, take it, consider it a birthday gift from me."

  He carefully put it around my neck, I took a look, it was an ordinary silver chain, and the pendant was a rose made of red agate inlaid on an elliptical silver plate, the workmanship was very rough, barely recognizable as a rose, I thought that old man must have poor eyesight, deliberately cheating him.

  I didn't say anything, I just took it with joy: "Fei Ge, this chain is great, you must have spent a lot of money again."

  "It's okay, I only gave him fifty gold coins, and he was immediately delighted. But Amir and the others insisted that this treasure is a fake, saying that I was cheated. If you don't like it either, then forget it." He let out a cold snort, his face slightly hurt, and turned his head away.

  "Not expensive, I really like this chain," At that moment, the sorrow and joy in my heart suddenly turned into gentle rain pouring into my heart. I held the cheap silver chain with both hands, as if holding the most precious treasure in the world. I smiled sweetly at him, and he finally turned his head around, with a hint of happiness and shyness on his face, saying softly: "As long as you like it."

  He wrapped me in his arms, I leaned gently on Naike's ape-like arm, quietly enjoying this warm moment. I asked Naike: "Naike, do you know that every day I dream of your appearance."

  Fei Ge nodded seriously, his weak eyes looking at me as he said with deep emotion: "Mu Ya, do you know that every day I dream of your appearance." I took his hand and slowly stroked my face: "Fei Ge, then take a good 'look' at my face."

  He stroked my face, a childlike, innocent and curious smile on his lips. His palms, roughened by years of martial arts training, lightly touched my skin, sending a tingling sensation throughout my body.

  And I'm in front of him, just a palm away, my eyes locked onto his crimson pupils and red hair, I gaze at him dazedly, wishing time would stop at this moment, and I'd be willing to spend my entire life engraving his current appearance into my heart.

  Suddenly, an idea popped into my mind, which even scared me myself, but I still opened my mouth: "Since today is my birthday, then..." I grasped Fei Jue's hand on my face and looked at his happy smile, blurting out: "You... you just give yourself to me as a gift!"

  As soon as I spoke, my face flushed, and Fei also withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted. He took a step back and stood up.

  His handsome face was flushed, but his weak and shortsighted eyes shone with a strange light. He stared at me steadily, without the panic I had imagined, but instead, a faint smile spread from the corner of his mouth, silly and foolish.

  Good grief! You little rascal, I think you actually wanted me to say that all along.

  I don't know if I can live to be thirty or what tomorrow's life will be like. Since forever is such a luxury for me, can I touch what I once had?

  Wen gathered his courage and stood up, taking a step forward, while he unexpectedly took a step back.

  Huh? He still had that silly smile on his face, chuckling to himself, and his face turned even redder. I puffed out my chest and flung myself into his arms, and he finally didn't back away, only tightly wrapping his arms around my waist. I tilted my head up, my heart racing wildly, and it seemed like Nonoka had grown taller again. He looked at me with such warmth and affection, how handsome!

  I hung my hands around his neck and gently pulled his head down: "Fei Ge, I want you to remember me forever......"

  I murmured to myself, drowning in the first kiss I gave him, gently nibbling on his lips, he opened his mouth in astonishment, I slid into his mouth, his mouth still lingering with the taste of grape wine from the family banquet, sweet and mellow, I greedily sucked his flavor...

  Fēi gǔ, fēi gǔ, nǐ kě zhī dào, zì cóng wǒ dì yī cì jiàn dào nǐ, wǒ biàn chè dǐ chén zuì yú nǐ zhè shuāng shēn qíng de jiǔ tóng le……

  Suddenly, Fei Jue yelled and left me, covering his mouth with a wronged expression: "Mu Ya, why did you bite me?"

  A gust of autumn wind blew by, a green frog croaked weakly several times and jumped into the Lake of No Sorrow... I stood there with my eyes wide open, has he started to lose his mind again?

  All I saw was him sobbing and saying: "If you want it, I'll give it to you, why bite me? Look, it's all bloody."

  You said, why can't you be clear-headed at this time? Are you intentionally ruining my "good fortune"? Am I really not fated to be with you in this life?

  I was about to erupt in anger, loudly scolding him, but seeing him there like a child, wounded and crying, my heart melted like ice thawing in the wind. Slowly, amidst the bitter sorrow, a wave of love and pity surged up - after all, isn't he just another foolish child like me? The only difference between us is that he bears the weight of national hatred and family feuds, and has become obsessed with mastering unparalleled martial arts, while I am foolishly devoted to pursuing someone who can be with me through thick and thin, sharing a lifetime together!

  I let out a sigh and walked over, pulling his hand, speaking in a low and gentle tone: "Sorry, Fen Jue, don't be mad at me, I won't bite you like this again... okay?"

  Later, I'm afraid there won't be a chance to bite "you" again. I thought gloomily in my heart, sadly watching him nodding over there, sobbing a few times, and stopping the crying sound.

  I pulled him to sit shoulder by shoulder under the big elm tree, one hand pulling over his arm around me: "Fei Ge, do you still remember? We first met under this elm tree."

  Fei Ge thought for a moment, and a smile spread across her tear-stained face: "Right, I remember the taste of this tree. Mu Ya Tou, back then you were catching Jin Bu Li, weren't you? And until now, you still haven't told me what you were doing when you caught that Jin Bu Li?"

  Then we started talking about the scene of our first meeting, slowly telling each other about the gradual change in our feelings for each other, constantly deepening, with endless longing and thoughts that cannot be expressed.