Chapter 37
Xiu Xiu Mountains
The sun hides and then reappears from behind the passing clouds. It's the perfect day to ride Yanbei's mighty horses across its beautiful sloping hills, rich grasslands, and flower fields glittering in the sunlight. It feels like the best of earth and the bliss of the world.
Two people arrived at the matchless, incomparable view, like a dream, like a promise forgotten in time and now fulfilled. They stood at the feet of the dainty woman and handsome man, riding their two prime, beautiful horses.
"Heee!"
Yan Xun looked at Chu Qiao riding beside him, his eyes so handsome, squinting slightly. This was the moment to tell her: "A'Chu, if you've forgotten everything, let me remind you of what we once were."
Chu Qiao, catching the scent of the grass and captivated by the mountain hills and green valleys, threw a sparkling glance at Yan Xun and replied: "Remind me of everything we once were?"
Her voice was soft, wondering what exactly Yan Xun meant by "everything." She had to admit, the man beside her was hard to resist. Those eyes, those smiles, those sweet little gestures were already cracking her shell.
Yan Xun hushed softly and said, "Yes."
Chu Qiao heard his voice, and though she couldn't understand why, she found herself beginning to like it.
With every passing moment, being with this prince felt better. She felt special. Even though they had only met yesterday, she was to be married in a few months. Yet, this man treated her as though they were a couple, even though they were not.
Chu Qiao answered swiftly: "Like this?"
Yan Xun frequently flashed a smile at her, his eyes unable to resist looking at her lovely face. He was clearly flirting, and Chu Qiao seemed to receive it innocently.
Yan Xun continued in a gentle tone: "Yes, I promised you this..."
Chu Qiao teased: "Why can't I remember?"
She looked at the breathtaking view, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath.
Yan Xun, in the same playful manner, replied: "Maybe someone made you forget?"
Holding his breath, he watched Chu Qiao as she exhaled, her side profile catching the sunlight. Her lips were tempting, and Yan Xun nearly leaned in for a kiss. But instead, he sighed, inhaled deeply, and shook his head with a smile.
Noticing the gesture, Chu Qiao asked: "Why are you shaking your head and smiling? Is that proper behavior?"
Yan Xun replied: "Nothing..."
Chu Qiao pressed: "Really?"
"I just missed you." Yan Xun couldn't hide it anymore. He flashed a flirty smile, tapped his horse, and rode down the sloping, grassy hill.
Left at the top of the hill, Chu Qiao whispered to herself: "What just happened?"
Waving her hands, she shouted to the runaway prince: "Hey! Are you just going to leave me here? What did I do?"
Yan Xun shouted back, his voice happy: "Come over! We've got more sightseeing to do."
Still clueless about Chu Qiao's forgotten memories, Yan Xun pretended as though she had forgotten everything, determined to remind her of what they once were.
Those sweet moments and unspoken emotions, those cold nights they slept together, just holding hands, or embracing when one was sick. Waiting for each other late into the night before going to sleep. Serving each other food first. Sometimes playfully feeding one another, running through fields, learning and practicing martial arts together.
Yan Xun had trained her in combat, and during close encounters, they nearly kissed. But he always brushed it off, leaving Chu Qiao blushing, though she hid her feelings well. They had shared so much together that it didn't seem fair for Chu Qiao to forget it all, returning today as if they were strangers.
For Yan Xun, those times held the potential to blossom from solid friendship into a budding love, ending with her at his marriage bed.
Yet, Yan Xun hadn't wanted that at first. Perhaps because he felt sure that while Chu Qiao was so close to him, they had already shared more than anyone else ever could. The only thing missing was for him to propose and make her his for a lifetime.
As Yan Xun enjoyed his time with Chu Qiao, he became overconfident, believing their shared memories and his presence alone would surpass those of his best friend, Yuwen Yue.
He seized the opportunity when Chu Qiao, consumed by her anger toward the Yuwen household, let it fester in her heart.
Yan Xun never imagined that Chu Qiao, after their strong friendship, could still be vulnerable.
But when the truth finally surfaced and settled like an icy lake, he remembered her words: "If Yuwen Yue dies in Yanbei, I will never forgive you."
After riding for a few hours, Yan Xun finally reached a small nearby community. He dismounted and handed his horse to a young boy before returning to Chu Qiao, who was riding her horse in circles.
"Are we going to stay here for a while?" she asked.
Yan Xun smiled, opened his palm, and said: "Come down here, A'Chu. Trust me, just like before."
Chu Qiao heard that voice again, and it gave her a sense of relief. She placed her hand in his open palm, and Yan Xun held it warmly. Her hands were cold, and the touch sent an electric charge through his body.
Yan Xun swallowed and Chu Qiao asked, "Is something wrong?"
He smiled calmly and replied, "Nothing at all, my little fox."
Chu Qiao laughed and mocked him, "Little fox? Did you just call me a little fox?"
Yan Xun smiled slightly and said, "Yes, you are my little fox. You deceive me with your clever moves, but I always make sure I win in the end."
"You even said, 'If I can beat you, I can outsmart anyone else.'"
Chu Qiao looked up and said, "God of memories, help me out here."
Yan Xun laughed heartily and said, "As we speak, the God of memories has already replied and told you this: 'The man in front of you is your first love.'"
Annoyed, Chu Qiao's ears felt like they were going to burst. She slapped Yan Xun on the nape.
Despite her frustration, Chu Qiao began to question, "Is it really him?" she thought to herself.
Yan Xun was about to continue teasing her, as if they were children, when a rugged old woman approached and greeted the Prince of Yanbei. "Ahem, ahem, Your Grace, you've arrived. How can we serve Your Highness?"
Just then, the clouds darkened, signaling an impending thunderstorm, and raindrops began to fall.
Without warning, Yan Xun pulled Chu Qiao to his side, hugging her tightly, trying to shield her from the rain. But it was too late, the raindrops turned into a downpour, soaking them both. Their purple robes were drenched by the heavy rain.
Chu Qiao, feeling the intensity of the moment, pushed Yan Xun away and shot him a disapproving look.
Yan Xun, unrelenting, teased her with a flirty smile and said to the old woman, "I'll have the usual."
Chu Qiao's ears perked up in surprise. "I'll have the usual? What's this?" she exclaimed.
The old woman, understanding her confusion, explained that the prince usually came alone. Today, however, he had brought someone with him. They had never imagined it would be a young woman, as lovely as the heavens and as breathtaking as the view of the grasslands. But they couldn't see her face, which was hidden behind a full metal mask.
Yan Xun, somewhat anxious but enjoying the moment, said, "Why? Are you going to be jealous if you find out you're not the only one I've brought here?"
Chu Qiao couldn't handle his teasing anymore and shot him a sharp look. Yan Xun secretly felt victorious; he knew her well and could tell when she was upset with him.
The Prince of Yanbei, acting like a child, continued playing in the rain, soaking his expensive clothes. He called out, "Old woman, tell her the truth!"
The old woman turned to Chu Qiao and spoke gently. "Your Grace, you are the first person the prince has ever brought here. We've never seen him with anyone else before. But you... you and Your Grace seem happy, which is something we haven't seen since…"
She trailed off, glancing at the prince, who was playing joyfully in the rain, before continuing, "Your Grace has never brought anyone else here until now."
Chu Qiao couldn't help but feel a sense of entitlement after hearing the old woman's words. Her heart suddenly felt secretly overjoyed.
She asked herself, "Is this really affecting me? Why do I feel this sudden joy, knowing no one else has come to this paradise with the Prince of Yanbei except me?"
The old woman spoke again, "I will prepare a place for you to stay. Please, ask Your Highness to stop playing in the rain and come inside."
With that, the old woman left them alone.
From a distance, Chu Qiao watched Yan Xun, soaked in his wet clothes, smiling and playing like a child. She couldn't help but laugh.
She called out to him: "Yan Xun!"
Long and loud… Chu Qiao suddenly surprised herself by calling the Prince of Yanbei by his name.
Yan Xun, finally catching her attention, transformed from a playful boy into a serious, handsome man as he walked slowly toward where she stood.
Chu Qiao, feeling the weight of every step he took, felt her heart racing.
She looked at him, unafraid, when suddenly a flash of lightning struck the sky, but neither of them shifted their gaze.
From a grassy field to a rainy afternoon and a flash of lightning, Chu Qiao and Yan Xun stood close, neither blinking. Yan Xun softly asked, "Little fox, what did you call me?"
Chu Qiao, feeling soaked in her clothes and her feet sticking to the ground, stammered, "I... I..."
Yan Xun, drenched from head to toe, stared at her with unblinking eyes, the intensity of his gaze hard to resist.
As his eyes seemed to signal an intent to kiss her in the rain, Chu Qiao snapped back to reality and, grasping for an excuse, ruined the moment. "Aw... aw... aw... I think I can't move my feet."
"Spoiler!" Yan Xun teased, snapping back to the present moment, only to realize the situation was more serious.
Yan Xun's face turned from playful to anxious. "What? Your feet, take my hand, quick!" he ordered.
"Help!" Chu Qiao cried desperately.
Without hesitation, Yan Xun drew his sword, nailed it into the ground, and used all his strength to pull Chu Qiao out of the quicksand. After a few tense minutes, he managed to free her completely.
Exhausted, Yan Xun collapsed onto the ground beside his sword.
Chu Qiao, equally tired, lay down next to him, her hands sore and swollen from the struggle. She was on the verge of laughing and crying at the same time.
Yan Xun, breathing heavily and letting out tired but amused noises, still managed to say, "That was close! But here we are... what a rush!" He gasped for air between words.
Chu Qiao, also catching her breath, finally let out the laughter she had been holding back. "Oh, I thought I saw lightning flash, and maybe a clap of thunder should add to the drama! And what if you had let go of me?!"
"Oh, that would never happen," Yan Xun replied playfully. "Let the thunder come, it would only make the moment perfect."
In a happy tone, he added, "Let the thunder and the world be one with the stars."
"But if a star fell, like what happened on the frozen lake, do you know who would be the first to die?"
Yan Xun paused, his poetic nature surfacing as he dropped something that tugged at Chu Qiao's heart.
"It's the world."
His voice, now hushed, was filled with sadness and misery as he revealed his feelings.
Chu Qiao, staring at the black sky, asked, devoid of emotion, "A star fell into the icy lake? Why?"
Yan Xun answered casually, as if it were a trivial conversation, "She fell because she no longer wanted to live with the world and chose to go with the master of ice."
A heavy silence followed.
A soft rumble of thunder echoed through the air, but the two remained lying on their backs, staring at the dark sky. Yan Xun waited for her to respond, but none came, only the alternating sounds of thunder and lightning resounded across the open field.
Chu Qiao didn't answer. Instead, she kept the childlike stories in her mind. She closed her eyes when suddenly a flash of memory surfaced.
A woman was screaming at the top of her lungs, "Yuwen Yue!" Loud and clear, she jumped into a lake, swimming as fast as she could until she reached the man. She saw his face... that face. Chu Qiao focused on it as she drew closer to kiss his forehead. The man was gravely injured, but with all his remaining strength, he pushed her away. She looked at him as he mouthed silent words. She thought she heard him say "Live well" three times before he was swallowed by the depths of the lake.
The rain had slowed to a light drizzle when Yan Xun moved to wake Chu Qiao. She seemed to have fallen asleep, but as she opened her eyes, all of Yan Xun's worries disappeared.
"Come on, let's head to the cabin," he said softly.
They both stood, walking side by side. Yan Xun held her close, their bodies shaking, drenched and cold, their lips and skin pale from the chill.
Darkness descended over the mountain hills, and the grasslands, now glistening from the rain, seemed to welcome the moonlight. The rain stopped, making way for the stars, which twinkled in the serene landscape of Yanbei. It was an unspeakable moment of peace and beauty.
Earlier, everything had moved so fast. Now, the Prince of Yanbei walked alone outside his cabin, gazing at the light still flickering in Chu Qiao's cabin. He had chosen not to share a cabin with her, even though the thought of doing so lingered.
In this quiet, precious moment, he distanced himself from his duties and the weight of his responsibilities to Yanbei and its people, all for the sake of his heart's desire. Yet, he chose to remain apart from her, as in the past, when they had shared his room, his bed, and their roles as protectors of one another.
Aside from A'Chu, there was no one else who filled his heart. This alone made the Prince of Yanbei love her, though he kept himself in control, waiting for the right moment.
But is this the right time?
Yan Xun remembered the time when he was dying in the Imperial Garrison, when the last of his strength was slipping away.
Chu Qiao had given him bitter advice, urging him to hold on, to cling to the blade of revenge.
It had been the only way. There could be no other, for at that time, he had no hope. He couldn't even recognize the honor of his Yan family name.
He had become a nobody, useless, dying, and soon to be forgotten, covered by the ashes of oblivion.
Yet, over and over again, he heard A'Chu's voice saying, "Even if you live like a dog, live it!"
A'Chu's advice became the lifeline Yan Xun clung to, pulling him through the darkest moments.
Even if it meant cutting off his last finger for her sake, even if it meant turning away from marriage and breaking a princess's heart, executing his most trusted friend, and destroying his childhood companions, he would do it. Even if it meant luring Yuwen Yue, his sworn brother by blood, into a trap, using his feelings for Xing'er.
He showed no mercy when he ended Yuwen Yue's life at the frozen lake. Was it all to secure Yan's future with A'Chu?
These decisions made Yanbei rise from the ashes, more powerful than ever, but not Yan Xun's heart. He couldn't simply untangle the rope that bound him now.
Not when he had gained so much power and the trust of Yan's citizens, not when he was on the verge of conquering Changan City, the very city where he had spent his childhood, a place that had stolen his youth away from Yanbei.
Yan Xun's deep thoughts churned: "If I were to follow my heart, I could go to the cabin now and ask her to run away with me."
He paused and thought again: "But if I follow my mind, I'll turn my back on her during the day, make her suffer, and then call her to my side by night."
Is this the fate he wants for A'Chu?
A'Chu, once his trusted military strategist, would be confined to the palace walls, tending to their children instead of shaping the future of Yanbei.
Why not? Yan Xun wondered, Is this why I came here tonight?
If she becomes his wife and the Queen of Yanbei, would that bring him the peace his heart longs for?
But what about the blood of Yan? His blade has not yet fully served justice for the slaughter of the Yan Royal family. What would he leave for his children and grandchildren if justice for his people remained unfulfilled during his reign as king?
Yan Xun knew that if he followed his heart, all his plans would fall apart. The Prince of Yanbei would embrace comfort, open himself to softness, and sink into the sweetness of love. What good could come from that?
What would he teach his children? Love, yes, but also the failure to seek justice?
Would he repeat the history of his Yan family?
Would he rather win A'Chu's heart or be remembered in history as the King of Yanbei who avenged his family?
Which one was the better legacy? Which one would balance the scales of vengeance?
This was the third night he had spent with her, but it felt like an eternity. His leave from the throne granted him only seven days, seven days before he had to return to his duties or forsake the citizens of Yanbei. "I hope this moment never ends..." Yan Xun whispered to himself as he began to play the Yanbei warble flute, the melancholic melody drifting through the air, hoping it would reach distant ears.
Meanwhile, Chu Qiao lay in bed, trying to sleep. But her memories kept flashing back, visions of a girl with a bow and arrow, a sword called Poe Yue Jian, a frozen lake, and a man named Yuwen Yue. She also recalled the name Xing'er. "Who is Xing'er?" she asked herself. "Is she the star that Prince Yan Xun mentioned earlier?"
He calls me A'Chu, but who is Xing'er?
Chu Qiao tried to rest, but the familiar, haunting melody of the flute tugged at her heart. It was so sorrowful that she felt the urge to go outside and see who was playing. But she was too tired to move.
Suddenly, the sad melody stopped.
Why did it end? Chu Qiao wondered, struggling to stay awake. But exhaustion finally overtook her, and she drifted into a deep sleep.
Yan Xun, having finished playing the flute, walked a few steps to Chu Qiao's cabin, just as he had done so many times in the Yanbei military camp. She didn't seem to know, but the servants had noticed him walking and thinking deeply near General Chu's quarters. Whenever they saw him, he would gesture to them to keep quiet, raising a finger to his lips.
The night was cold, the bright stars twinkling in the vast skies above the Xiu Xiu mountains, a paradise of grasslands, untouched and beautiful. The night was both serene and unforgettable.
No comments:
Post a Comment