"Lian 'er, let's go ride a horse!"
A huge reddish-brown horse rushed into the Zhu family's courtyard like an arrow. The person on the horse happily rode the horse towards the person standing in the flowers, but he did not stop the horse. He bent down and scooped the person onto the horse. He swept up a lot of yellow dust and left like the wind. The entire courtyard was like a storm that had passed through, and the flowers withered.
Staring at the flowers that were originally growing well, but now they had become flower mud in the hoof prints, a few people shook their heads and sighed, and a few people hugged their heads and wailed. The people who sighed felt sorry for the flower scene, and the people who hugged their heads and wailed were the gardeners who had to plant flowers again.
Xi Xiangyuan bit her lip and immediately rushed to the stable to choose a snow-white horse to follow.
She would not admit defeat just like that. It had been five days since she married into the Zhu family and Lian 'er moved into the Zhu family, and her husband had not even looked at her. However, she still realized that Zhu Yutang would occasionally look at her, whether it was during meals or when they met. His gaze was warm and affectionate, not cold and unintentional.
It could be seen that he still had her in his heart, but because he had not gotten tired of Lian 'er, he did not care about her.
Lian 'er noticed the horses following behind her and also noticed Zhu Yutang's dazed expression when he saw the horses.
Yutang had always been a man of affection and righteousness. Of course, he would not be so heartless to his wife. The reason why he had not spoken to Xi Xiangyuan these past few days was actually because he felt guilty. He felt guilty for abandoning her on the day of their wedding to come to his side.
"Wait for her!" She tugged at his sleeve, feeling a little disgusted with herself for saying this. In his heart, he selfishly hoped that Zhu Yutang would only care about him, but he could not bear to see his guilty expression. He knew that he should be the one left behind.
Zhu Yutang frowned and pulled the reins to slow down the horse's pace. He felt a little uncomfortable that Lian 'er had seen through his thoughts. It felt like betrayal…
That's right, it was like betrayal, like betraying Lian 'er's feelings. Why did he have such a strange feeling? Xiang 'er was his wife, and Lian' er was his pet. No matter what, he should feel that the target of betrayal should be Xiang 'er.
He didn't like this feeling. It was a kind of uneasiness. He had never felt uneasy, whether it was when his father passed away or when his mother asked him to take over the Zhu family business. He had never felt uneasy. His heart was filled with confidence in himself.
He knew that he sometimes gave people the impression that he was too arrogant, but he had the right to be arrogant. Although he was not a member of the royal family, the Zhu family was deeply taken care of by the court because his aunt and cousin were the favored concubines of the current Emperor and the Crown Prince respectively. He was born in a prestigious family since he was young, and when he grew up, he knew that his intelligence was better than most people. Moreover, he could use it well and never waste his innate talent. How could he not be proud? How could he not be confident in himself?
Then why did he still feel uneasy?
"What's wrong?" Realizing that he had a lot on his mind, Lian 'er was a little worried. The thoughts in his eyes gave him an ominous feeling, as if the future was in his hands.
"I'm fine." Zhu Yutang shook his head hard, trying to shake off that inexplicable feeling.
At this time, Xi Xiangyuan had already caught up, her flushed cheeks were extremely charming. "Can I ride with you?”
Under her gaze, Lian 'er slowly moved her body away from Zhu Yutang's embrace, and her hands around her waist relaxed a lot.
"You should have changed your clothes before coming over.”That elegant palace dress was not suitable for riding a horse. It would not be good if he accidentally fell off the horse.
Xi Xiangyuan blushed. "I forgot. I'll definitely remember to change next time.”He was concerned about her! Not only did Yu Tang not stop her from traveling with them, but he was also concerned about her safety. What a delicate and gentle heart was hidden under that rough and handsome appearance. She could not help but fall in love with him!
Zhu Yutang subconsciously tightened his hands around his waist, his body used to the tight embrace. "Can you keep up?"
"Of course!" Xi Xiangyuan raised her small face proudly. "My horsemanship is top-notch!"
She looked really cute. Not only did Zhu Yutang laugh out loud, but even Lian 'er smiled.
What a cute girl, innocent, gentle, and full of vitality. She was very suitable for Yutang.
"That's good. Follow me!" With a firm grip of his legs, the horse beneath him galloped away. The snow-white horse beside him did not lose out in any way and followed suit. Two horses galloped along the grassland in the suburbs, flying over hills and forests one after another. Just as they were about to reach the end, two happy laughter burst out.
One voice was Zhu Yutang's, and the other was Xi Xiangyuan's. Lian 'er didn't laugh. She quietly listened to their laughter and felt the wind blowing across her face. It was harmonious and painful.
They stopped on a high hill where they could look down into the distance. "Lian 'er, next time I'll teach you how to ride a horse.”It had been a long time since he had galloped to his heart's content like this. He was a little impressed by Xi Xiangyuan, who was also panting beside him. He did not expect her riding skills to be as good as she had said. Almost no girl could keep up with him.
Lian 'er only smiled and didn't reply. She took out a handkerchief and handed it to him. In front of her, he could not wipe away the sweat for Yutang as naturally as he had in the past. Before this, he had always used a handkerchief to gently wipe off the beads of sweat on his face. He liked the boldness of the sweat on his face and the warmth of the sweat dripping on his cheeks. When they were making love, she would occasionally unconsciously taste that salty taste…Was it the water droplets that fell from his forehead or from his hair?
"Doesn't Lian 'er know how to ride a horse?" Xi Xiangyuan asked curiously. There was no mockery or discrimination in his tone. It was just that he was a little embarrassed when he called Lian 'er by her name. It was difficult for a male pet who called her husband so intimately to maintain a normal heart.
"That's right! In the past, there were very few opportunities to ride horses in the south.”Moreover, he was a minor official. With such an identity, there would be problems just going out. How could he have the opportunity to learn how to ride a horse?
After receiving the answer, the two of them returned to silence. Their statuses were opposite each other, and it was strange for the two of them to speak. However, her curiosity was still there. Xi Xiangyuan wanted to know why he was willing to be a man's boy toy. He did not look like a shameless man, nor was he as seductive as his mother-in-law and servants said. She had been paying attention to him for the past few days. No matter how she looked at him, she felt that he was very clean.
It reminded her of the purity of the white chrysanthemums in her maiden family's autumn, the holiness of the white lotus in the Buddhist temple, the vastness of the winter sky, and the thinness of seeing the human world. It was as if she could only see the good points in him, but these good points were not qualities that a woman could have. He had a woman's face and a woman's gentleness, but he hid the temperament that a man should have.
This…was so strange, so contradictory…
"Do you still want to run?" Lian 'er raised her head and asked. She was asking Zhu Yutang and Xi Xiangyuan. For some reason, in his heart, there were no longer three people.
Zhu Yutang smiled at Xi Xiangyuan. "Do you want it? Do you have the strength to run again?"
She smiled too. She smiled for his smile and for her own ability. "Of course, two more rounds won't be a problem.”This time, she flashed a provocative smile at Zhu Yutang, just like how she had done to her father and brother at home. Without even saying a word, she whipped her horse and crossed her legs. Her snow-white shadow took the lead and galloped away.
Zhu Yutang laughed loudly and galloped on his horse without admitting defeat, as if he had forgotten that there was someone watching in his arms.
Lian 'er smiled bitterly. The hand on his waist was still relaxed. This time, he forgot to help him tighten his hand. A small negligence was a common thing, but he still noticed his narrow-mindedness. He secretly blamed himself for it. He really hated himself like this.
As she thought about it, she buried her face in his arms and listened to the wind. She didn't notice how long they had been galloping. It wasn't until the two of them cried out at the same time that she realized that the arms that were originally loosely wrapped around his waist were suddenly empty. She wanted to grab the warmth that she could have felt, but she fell off the horse that hadn't stopped steadily.
It was very painful, very painful. When he fell off the horse, he happened to be on yellow soil covered with gravel. A sharp stone slashed across the top of his ankle, and the burning pain immediately spread throughout his body. However, the most painful thing was what he saw. It turned out that the cry of surprise just now was because a white rabbit appeared in front of Xi Xiangyuan. The galloping horse was frightened and the person on it fell off. In order to save people, Zhu Yutang had abandoned him to save Xi Xiangyuan who was almost stepped on by the horse's hooves.
The other side was indeed more important, and he knew it very well. So he stood up as if nothing had happened, forgetting the severe pain in his feet, and watched Zhu Yutang check if Xi Xiangyuan had suffered any serious injuries.
"How is it? Does it hurt anywhere?" The appearance of the rabbit just now was really too sudden. Even he did not notice it and was shocked.
"It's alright." With his help, she stood up. Xi Xiangyuan realized that this was the first time they had such intimate contact since they got married. His hand was tightly holding hers.
Holding your hand, growing old with you…He was holding her hand! It was a dream that she had been having for a long time…
"What's wrong? Does it hurt anywhere?" Zhu Yutang hurriedly rolled up his sleeves to wipe away the tears that rolled down his face. He was really afraid of seeing people cry.
" My ankle hurts..." Afraid that he would laugh at her delusions, Xi Xiangyuan quickly stepped on her left foot lightly. She had just noticed that her left foot was a little sprained and would hurt when she stepped on the ground.
"Let me see." She crouched down and lifted a corner of her skirt, realizing that her slender ankle was indeed a little swollen. "How about this, I'll ride you back to the residence.”Turning back to look at Lian 'er who was still standing beside the horse, Zhu Yutang was glad that this place was not far from the capital. Otherwise, he would take Xiang' er back on horseback. Lian 'er did not know how to ride a horse, so he could not bear to let her walk too far home.
"Lian 'er, it's hard on you. Can you walk back slowly?”After asking, he felt that something was wrong. He really couldn't bear to let Lian 'er go alone. He would rather go with him and let Xiang' er ride alone.
But before he could say anything, Lian 'er had already given him a faint smile.
"Okay, don't ride too fast. I'm afraid I can't keep up.”She rode too fast and her feet hurt. She didn't want him to find out that his carelessness had caused her to fall and get injured. She knew that he would blame himself. He had always taken care of her so carefully. Every time she accidentally got sick or injured, he would be sad for a long time.
He looked at Lian 'er, then at Xi Xiangyuan, and decided not to change his decision, lest he hurt Xiang' er's heart. After all, she was his wife, the person he would spend the rest of his life with.
She was the wife that his mother had chosen for him. Now, he realized that she was really a very good girl. She was not arrogant and sensible. She could even ride a horse like a boy. It seemed that it was not difficult to spend a lifetime with such a wife.
"Then walk slowly. Remember to tell me when you're tired.”
Lian 'er nodded. She saw Zhu Yutang carrying Xi Xiangyuan onto the horse. His familiar firm waist was no longer wrapped around her own arm. This feeling was so foreign that it was suffocating.
"I remember. I'll definitely tell you when I'm tired.”If you find out.
Mrs. Zhu was smiling. She saw her son riding back with his wife in his arms, while the vixen walked beside him with a pale face.
In her heart, that paleness was because she had fallen out of favor. There could not be any other reason.
"What's wrong? Why did you come back so late?”
"Xiang 'er accidentally sprained her ankle. Go and get a doctor to take a look at her!”After carrying Xi Xiangyuan off the horse, Zhu Yutang noticed that something was wrong with Lian 'er. He quickly turned around and reached out to touch his forehead. "Lian 'er, why is your face so pale? Your body is so cold.”
She had long noticed that the hem of her clothes was stained with blood, so she moved her body closer to Zhu Yutang so that he would not have a chance to notice. Such an action naturally became a kind of ingratiating foxy charm in the eyes of others.
"I'm fine. I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine after resting for a while. You should go and see your wife.”Lian 'er pushed his body, wanting him to go to Xi Xiangyuan's side.
"I understand. Rest well. Your body is weak. Don't tire yourself out and stand by the window in the wind again. Don't forget that you just…"
"I know. Everyone is watching. You're losing face like this. Who knew that the Zhu family's head wasn't serious at all and was as talkative as an old mother.”
"I care about you! Others don't have it." He actually said that he was being long-winded?
Lian 'er smiled and made a face at him before quickly running back to her courtyard. Seeing him run away, Zhu Yutang felt that something was wrong, but he could not say it. His mother had been watching from the side, so he could only give up.
"Let me carry you back to your room! It was better not to walk when you hurt your foot. You should wait until your injury healed a little before walking.”
Xi Xiangyuan nodded meekly. His appearance was somewhat similar to Lian 'er's, so Zhu Yutang also habitually revealed a gentle smile. She smiled until her face turned red. She was also in his arms, so she could only shrink her head into his arms. At the same time, she found that his embrace was very warm and reassuring.
How she wished that he could do this. It was not just for this moment. In the future, as long as she wanted it, she hoped that he could hug her like this.
Was that even possible? Or was it just an extravagant hope?
"Lian 'er, what happened to your leg?”Once Lian 'er entered her courtyard, Yan Ting, who was in a daze in the courtyard, immediately noticed that something was wrong with her.
He had endured it for too long. The pain and blood loss made him lose the strength to even speak. Lian 'er shook her head strenuously. It was already her limit to be able to walk here like nothing had happened. The moment Yan Ting came up to him, he collapsed on top of him.
Although Yan Ting was not as tall as Zhu Yutang, it was not difficult for him to carry the light Lian 'er. He immediately carried her to the bed and let her lie down. He lifted the hem of his robe and found that blood had already stained most of the material.
"The injury is very serious. I'll call the doctor to take a look.”Tearing his robe, he realized that the wound was right on his bloodline. In addition, his ankle was originally slender, so he was afraid that his bones might have been injured.
"There's no need. Just apply some medicine and bandage it. I don't want Yutang to know.”
Previously, he only felt that the wound was very painful. He did not expect it to be so deep. Fortunately, he did not see it clearly before. Otherwise, he would not have been able to last until he came back. However, it seemed that he was really more unfortunate. They had both fallen off the horse. Xi Xiangyuan had fallen off in the middle of the galloping, while he had fallen off the moment the horse was about to stop. In the end, the person who was more serious was him. It was really inexplicable to the extreme. Even the heavens liked to joke with him in such a small place.
"Why not let him know?"
"I don't want him to think that I was injured because he didn't protect me well enough.”
"In other words, it was indeed because he didn't protect you well that you were injured, right?”
Lian 'er smiled bitterly. Although Yan Ting was a man of few words, he was more sensitive than anyone else. It was as if he could see through everything and could not hide anything.
"He has no obligation to protect me, Yanting.”
"He said that he wanted to protect you, so he should keep his promise. He should do it no matter when and where.”She took off his shoes, cut open the hem of his pants, and poured a basin of water to carefully wash his wound. Her beautiful face was focused and serious, telling everyone that what he said just now was definitely from the bottom of his heart and that he did not think it was naive or ridiculous.
" Yanting..." He didn't know what to say. If he agreed, he would be accusing Zhu Yutang of not fulfilling his responsibilities. If he denied it, he would also think that the so-called promise should be fulfilled no matter when.
"You know that promises are often…or perhaps I should say that no promise is perfect.”There was no perfect promise in this world, and it was difficult to keep a promise in mind all the time. Just like how one had to think of one at all times, but if one really did not forget one at all times, wouldn't that be staying in one place in a daze? After all, no one could think of the same person and thing all their life.
Yan Ting didn't say anything. He knew that he was asking a little too much of Zhu Yutang, but wasn't that what he should do? Lian 'er had given him everything!
"It's best to get a doctor to take a look at the wound. It's a little deep and long.”This pavilion skillfully applied medicine and bandaged his wound. In the past, there were often people who were beaten half to death by the nannies of Love Sleeves Lane, so it was not difficult for them to treat their wounds. However, they were not doctors after all, so they could not prescribe a prescription that was suitable for the body.
"It's okay. I still remember the ingredients for a few of the medicines. You know that I have a fever easily. If I have a fever again tonight, don't let Yutang know.”
"I won't go against your words, but I want you to know that I don't like doing this.”Zhu Yutang was his benefactor, but he was not the person he valued the most. The most important people to him were Lian 'er and Hong Yu.
" I know. Thank you, Yanting…" He wanted to say something, but the figure outside the door stopped him. He didn't have time to cover up the injury on his foot. That pair of eyes that always carried contempt and disgust met his eyes.
"Are you hurt?" It was not a caring word. At this time, Mrs. Zhu's thoughts were no longer difficult to guess, and her shrewdness in the business world was no longer visible. All that was revealed was that she was a mother who schemed for her son.
Lian 'er didn't want to deal with her at this time. It was too tiring and unnecessary. "If you're just here to take a look, I can answer you: Yes, I'm injured. If you're here to kick me when I'm down, I can tell you that Yutang doesn't know about my injury. Don't think too much about other people's thoughts. It's not that Yutang doesn't care about me, so you don't have to tell me to leave Yutang. I'm a small official that your son bought. Only he can decide whether I leave or not. If he doesn't personally ask me to leave or tell me that he doesn't want me, then I won't leave just because of a word from you.”Was this answer enough?
He felt powerless against such schemes, especially when the other party was Yutang's mother. It did not feel good to struggle between emotions. It was better to make everything clear and explain what should be done. No matter if she was angry or despised him, he only cared about Yutang's thoughts. Even his mother could not change it.
Mrs. Zhu was speechless. She was indeed here to ridicule this man. In the past, even when she was at a disadvantage in the business world and defeated her opponent again, she never thought of putting on such a despicable attitude. However, when facing this man, it seemed that as long as she obtained a slight advantage, she could not help but want to put on a high stance.
Why? It was because even though this man's status was low, his temperament was higher than others!
He felt an inexplicable disgust from the bottom of his heart. He was clearly a cheap male pet. The food, clothes, and accommodation were all things that belonged to the Zhu family, but his bearing was not humble at all.
"I didn't think that you'd be so shameless and ignorant of the times to this extent. You still have the face to stay here even when the Zhu family clearly doesn't welcome you.”After what Lian 'er had said just now, these words seemed weak, but she just couldn't take it.
Lian 'er rubbed her forehead. "Whatever you say." He did not want to say anything more. "I'm tired and want to rest for a while. I hope I won't offend you.”With that, he closed his eyes.
Yan Ting silently covered him with a thin blanket, a cold smile hanging on his lips. When he passed by Mrs. Zhu, he said indifferently,""Respect is not won by status. If you want to win the respect you deserve, you should use your own ability to win. Standing here and saying harsh words will only show your sadness. Our status is low, but it doesn't mean that we are inferior.”He pointed at his chest, his smile full of sternness.
He should have long been used to the looks of discrimination from outsiders, but the constant coercion still made him angry. The one who provoked Lian 'er was Zhu Yutang, and the one who brought them to the north was also Zhu Yutang. Why did they have to be the ones to suffer all the harsh treatment? Just because of their identities? They admitted that their status was indeed lower than others, but so what? That was not what they wanted!
" You guys…" Whether it was that vixen or this lowly official, they were all the same.
A suffocating cold light flashed across her sharp eyes. Mrs. Zhu straightened her back and walked away from the place that made it difficult for her to even breathe. She would definitely think of a way to chase them away. She would definitely have a way to deal with them. She had to chase them away from the Zhu family in the shortest time possible. Otherwise, she did not know how long she could endure.
After the doctor left, Zhu Yutang's first thought was to check if Lian 'er's body was better. He really couldn't feel at ease with Lian' er's pale appearance.
"Don't go, okay?" Xi Xiangyuan tugged at his sleeve, and it took a lot of effort for him to voice out the hope hidden in his heart.
Zhu Yutang was silent. The unsmiling face of Teacher Xi Xiangyuan almost gave up. The hand that was pulling the cuff also quietly withdrew under the blanket.
"Is there anything else?" He finally spoke.
She shook her head. She only hoped that he could accompany her, even if it was just sitting and not saying anything. "I'm fine. Do you…want to see him? I mean…Lian 'er."
Seeing that she wanted to ask for something but was unwilling to make things difficult for him, and that she was jealous but did not know why, his heart throbbed a little. She was his wife, and accompanying her was a matter of course. He should not make her so hesitant and fearful.
"It's okay. If you want me to stay here with you, then I'll stay here with you.”After they got married, she was his responsibility. He had always remembered his promise to protect Lian 'er for the rest of his life, but he had forgotten that protecting his wife was also a promise that a husband should give.
Xi Xiangyuan was surprised, her almond-shaped eyes wide open. She only hoped, only hoped that he could accompany her, but she did not really think that he would agree to his request. "Are you really willing to stay and accompany me?”
It seemed that he had given her too little. Even such a small promise had surprised her. "Of course, you're my wife, aren't you? It was only right for a husband to care about his wife.”
Really? Did he really treat her as his wife, so he was willing to stay with her, or did he treat their relationship as a responsibility and stay with her to fulfill his duty?
She hoped it was the former! If she could have a little status in his heart, she would be satisfied. As long as she had a little weight, she could give everything to him without worry. This way, her gifts would not be in vain. A little weight was enough to make him notice what she had done for him and what she could do for him.
" Thank you..." She was almost in tears.
Zhu Yutang's heart softened. He thought of the two of them. They had only bowed to heaven and earth and drank wine. Their relationship as husband and wife only had these memories. It was ridiculously poor.
"I'm sorry." However, in his heart, Lian 'er was still more important. Even though he was sitting here with her, half of his thoughts were still thinking about him on the other side. Was he blowing the wind by the window again?
His gentle words emboldened her. She reached out her hand again and tried to touch the face that she should have touched a long time ago.
Her hand was slightly bigger than Lian 'er's and softer. Her soft palm was warm, slightly different from Lian' er's slightly cold palm, but both were very comfortable.
"Can I?" she asked, looking shy.
She did not need to say much, but Zhu Yutang knew what she meant.
He leaned over and kissed her warm little mouth. He did not like the fragrance of rouge, but after getting used to it, he did not find it unbearable.
She was his wife. Once again, he told his heart that she was his wife, so he should give her everything she deserved.
The sky gradually darkened, and no servant dared to go in and light the red candles in the room for them. The ambiguous sound dyed the servant girl's cheeks red, and the rumors passed from mouth to ear, giving Mrs. Zhu a happy look.
That day, Lian 'er had a fever because of the injury on her foot. Her whole body was burning up, and drops of sweat rolled down her skin. However, the heat only trapped his delicate body, but it did not burn his brain. He knew that he did not have to worry that Zhu Yutang would find out about his concealment, because that night, he did not come to his courtyard like usual. He did not use gentle words to blame him for his bad habit of blowing the wind by the window, nor did he carefully hug him and enter the dream with him.# Review: hch471000 Time:1029201811:59AM#
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