Chapter 35 [VIP] The Jianghu Saga (16)

Chapter 35 [VIP] The Jianghu Saga (16)

Xiao Guanxue finally brought back the antidote, saving the lives of the entire village and those dying villagers in the righteous manor.

This included Xie Yu, who was unconscious halfway up the mountain.

When Xie Yu awoke, his head still ached. He looked around the familiar, simple room, momentarily lost in thought, his mind involuntarily recalling the times he spent with Nanyan.

He sat up and glanced around. A bowl of herbal medicine on the table still had some white vapor rising from it, seemingly just delivered.

This reminded him of the times he fell ill in the past, always reluctant to drink the bitter medicine, dawdling and refusing to take it.

At those times, little Nanyan would lean close to his ear by the bedside, coaxing him over and over in a gentle, soft voice, calling him 'Brother Yu'...

His heart filled with joy, his eyes softening, a smile he couldn't suppress forming on his lips, yet he'd put on a troubled, impatient facade. Finally, he would graciously down the medicine in one gulp, as a display of his manliness.

Whenever this happened, little Nanyan would laugh and pull out sweet candied fruit from the small pouch tied to her waist, feeding them to him one by one, filling his handsome face until it was puffed up, leaving his mouth full of sweetness...

Yet he had no way of resisting her.

In truth, he knew. It wasn't that he found the bitterness of the medicine hard to swallow; he just wanted to hear her coax him, calling him 'Brother Yu'. When she coaxed, he listened.

The affections of youth are always so direct and unashamed. Back then, he thought, he just wanted little Nanyan to coax him, no matter how pitiful it seemed. After all, he was going to marry her. She was his future wife, so what’s wrong with her coaxing her future husband?

Let others laugh if they will… They haven’t had the chance to be coaxed by someone.

Countless times later, when he woke up from injuries sustained during sparring with his brothers, the first thing he'd always see was a dark, fluffy head beside his bed, waiting for him to wake up to her joyful yet sorrowful expression.

Joyful because he was safe, sorrowful because of the new scars on his body.

Sometimes, when the injuries were severe, he didn't think much of it, but the young girl would see his beaten and swollen face and cry uncontrollably.

He used to naively find it troublesome, wondering why such a girlish thing cried so easily. In martial arts, who doesn’t get hurt?

It wasn’t a big deal; he didn’t even mind the pain, so why did she cry so much?

But now she's gone.

When he wakes up, the first thing he sees is the empty, cold room, no longer having that person constantly comforting and taking care of him, causing a panic in his heart.

He now realizes how wonderful it is to be cared for. But what can he do?

It seems he has lost his little Nanyan. Xie Yu feels a pang of sorrow, as if he’s about to lose the most important treasure in his life.

Xie Yu struggled to get out of bed, his body still weak.

Xie Yu could no longer hold back; he desperately wanted to see Nanyan, to confirm something, to fully express his feelings to her.

He knew he was wrong, filled with immense regret. His love was for her, not merely the possessiveness of a brother towards a sister. It was admiration for a beloved and jealousy towards others. He loved Nanyan, always had.

So, could she... forgive him once more?

This time he would cherish her properly. He planned to take her to Mingyue Villa to apologize to Uncle Gu. He wouldn't call off the engagement; he would take full responsibility for everything. Regardless of the punishment from Uncle Gu or the beatings from his brothers, he would not evade them...

He wouldn't cause her sadness or pain again. He would protect her, pamper her, and from now on, be only her Brother Yu.

Clutching his chest, Xie Yu stumbled to the door. As he was about to lift the curtain, he unexpectedly heard two familiar voices in the courtyard—

"Don’t be reckless, Nanyan. Silver needles are not toys, and since you don’t know acupuncture, you might hurt yourself."

"When have I ever been reckless? Have you forgotten, Xiao Guanxue? There was a time when you mercilessly stabbed the back of my hand with a silver needle. Look at how long this needle is! It hurt so much that I cried. And now you scold me? Xiao Guanxue, do you even care about me at all...?"

The young lady's knack for holding grudges and turning things around was at its peak, her words painfully accusatory and guilt-inducing.

Hearing this, Xiao Guanxue's eyes indeed showed guilt and regret. At that time, he was so fixated on Su Mo that he thought everything Nanyan did was wrong, even viewing her with a biased eye.

She was entirely blameless, yet he, because of Su Mo, saw her as a scheming and malicious woman, often mocking and looking down on her.

Even when he detoxified her, he harbored thoughts of letting the young lady suffer a bit.

Now, he realized how petty he had been, opposing such a frail girl. The thought of his past actions filled him with immense regret.

People are selfish, and Xiao Guanxue didn't consider himself an exception. The more he disliked Nanyan when he loved Su Mo, the more regret and pain he felt now that he loved her.

But those things couldn’t be blamed on anyone else; it was his own fault.

Deep down, he had always been worried. His past treatment of Nanyan hadn’t been good, and for this reason, he feared she would bring up old grievances and leave him. Perhaps such fear of loss only grips you when you truly fall for someone.

And that feeling of tightness in the chest, perhaps only those who have truly experienced it would understand.

Xiao Guanxue watched his beloved, smiling like a blooming flower, waving a slender silver needle in front of him, knowing she was just trying to tease him.

But he couldn’t completely forget those past incidents; a knot remained in his heart, causing regret and discomfort every time he remembered.

So, he reached out and grabbed Nanyan's hand, applying a bit of pressure, and the needle pierced into the back of his own hand.

Once wasn't enough; he pulled it out and continued, repeating several times. Soon, his fair and smooth hand was dotted with beads of blood, turning crimson.

"What are you doing?"

Nanyan was startled by his actions, her eyes showing shock and hurt. Once she regained her composure, she immediately pried his hand open and tossed the needle away.

"Have you gone mad, Xiao Guanxue? I was just talking, why would you do that to yourself? Doesn’t it hurt?"

"You and your wooden head, can't we talk things out? Why resort to such methods to upset me?"

Nanyan hurriedly stopped him, holding his hand to prevent further recklessness, while the other hand quickly pulled out a clean handkerchief to tend to his wound.

Nanyan thought to herself that he was really merciless to himself, perhaps because he stabbed too deeply, especially near the veins, causing the handkerchief to quickly turn red with blood.

Facing such a sight, Nanyan's eyes reddened again, her voice tense and upset, "Are you okay, does it still hurt?"

"You fool, have you forgotten you’re a doctor? Your hand is needed for acupuncture. You were already injured enough on the cliff, and now you’re being reckless. Do you not want this hand anymore?"

She reached into his embrace, searching for some anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medicine. Just as she touched something, she was firmly stopped.

Xiao Guanxue turned his face away, his cheeks slightly flushed, and he gently coaxed in a low voice, "Don't… touch, Nanyan, this isn’t right, let's… go back to the room."

Nanyan was initially startled, then, seeing his flushed face, she also understood and blushed deeply. Yet, being a lady who never liked to lose, she pinched a soft spot on his chest hard.

Embarrassed and annoyed, she exclaimed, “You scoundrel, what are you thinking about? I was just looking for medicine, not... what you’re thinking.”

Nanyan's face turned even redder as she withdrew her hand, inadvertently pulling out a delicately crafted small pouch. The pouch, falling onto his robe, made the fabric seem even more faded.

The pouch was intricately embroidered with realistic flowers and cranes, with a “Xiao” character in the corner. The embroidery was very fine, obviously a labor of love.

Looking at its faded edges, she wondered how long he had kept it so close to him?

Picking up the pouch, Nanyan examined it closely, then her cheeks flushed with anger, and she glared at him, her voice filled with stifled anger and complaint.

“So, Xiao Guanxue, whose keepsake is this? A token of love from some young lady, cherished so carefully? Not only do you carry it every day, but you also keep it close to your heart.”

The more she spoke, the more suffocated she felt, her eyes turning red, looking pitiful yet still pointing at the pouch with disdain.

“Do you like this pouch so much? The embroidery isn’t even that good. What kind of odd-looking duck is this? The colors are all wrong, and the neck is too long. It’s ugly. I can embroider better than this.”

Her tone was almost breaking with resentment.

Xiao Guanxue was stunned; he had never seen Nanyan like this before.

As he remained silent, Nanyan mistook it for guilt, fueling her anger, her eyes quickly moistening.

She turned her face away, refusing to let the tears fall, but her voice betrayed a sob, “Xiao, you better explain yourself. Why are you keeping another girl’s pouch? Are you like those unfaithful men in the stories, saying one thing but liking someone else in your heart?”

By the end, she even accused him of being a heartless man.

"Xiao Guanxue knew she was acting out of jealousy, feeling a strange sense of satisfaction and a sweet emotion spreading in his chest."

"Even the cry of 'heartless man' didn't bother him anymore."

"He couldn't help but laugh, his fingers gently tapping the forehead of his beloved, wondering how she could talk so much."

"He wondered what was going on in her mind, how she could hastily accuse him without hearing any explanations."

"'What nonsense are you talking about?'"

"But Nan Yan was not ready to let it go. She looked up at him, her eyes misty and filled with hurt, 'Why did you tap my head? Is it because I hit the nail on the head, and you feel guilty?'"

"'Of course not.'"

"Xiao Guanxue took a small pouch from her hand, untied it, and pulled out a translucent, circular jade pendant, its quality and luster indicating it was no ordinary item."

"'This pouch was left to me by my mother.'"

"Nan Yan then realized she had misunderstood, feeling a bit uncomfortable. She had stayed in the Medicine King Valley for some time but had never seen his mother."

"'You still have a mother…' She stopped mid-sentence, realizing her words might be inappropriate, feeling a bit regretful, 'That's not what I meant.'"

"Xiao Guanxue, without a second thought, tapped her forehead again, 'You speak without thinking! I'm not someone who just sprang out of a crack in a rock, of course, I have a mother.'"

"'But I've never met her. My master found me outside the valley and said this jade pendant is the only thing my mother left me.'"

"He said this with a laugh, then handed her the jade pendant, explaining unhurriedly, 'This is not some lady’s token of love, as you wrongly accused. I didn’t have time to explain, and you are so imperiously unyielding, not even giving me a chance to clarify. You almost wronged me.'"

"Nan Yan, realizing her mistake when he mentioned it was a keepsake from his mother, still kept up her annoyed facade."

"'It's your fault for not telling me beforehand. How was I to know it's your mother's keepsake? Now I see, the embroidery of that motley duck… is indeed lifelike, much better than mine.'"

"Xiao Guanxue was taken aback by her words and then burst into laughter. After he stopped laughing, he put the jade pendant back in her hand, whispering, 'In that case, you should embroider a pouch for me as an apology. In exchange, I’ll give you this jade pendant as a token of love, how about that?'"

"Nan Yan was momentarily taken aback, looking at the valuable white jade pendant in her palm, then up at him. Seeing his sincere gaze, she decided to tease him and threw the pendant back into his hand."

"Her cheeks flushed, she scolded, 'Shameless, who wants to be involved with you privately?'"

"Seeing her refusal, Xiao Guanxue felt a surge of emotions, as if his heart had plummeted. He asked dryly, 'You... don’t like it?'"

"Nan Yan, seeing his stunned look, suddenly couldn’t hold back a laugh."

"She scolded playfully, 'You fool, why are you giving this to me now? Naturally, you should bring it to Mingyue Mountain Villa when you come to propose…'"

"Before she could finish, they suddenly heard a loud 'bang', as the wooden door behind them was kicked open."

"The two, who had been joking, stopped talking instantly and looked towards the source of the noise at the same time."

"Xie Yu stood at the door, his face extremely pale, fists clenched, eyes filled with incredulous pain and urgency."

"Xiao Guanxue, seeing him awake, instinctively looked at Nan Yan beside him. Seeing her face show delight, but no other movement, he felt somewhat relieved."

"'Xie Yu, you're finally awake. But are you in such a hurry to find Sumo? She’s in the next room, still asleep.'"

"In Xiao Guanxue’s view, Xie Yu had always had special feelings for Sumo, and his feelings for Nan Yan were merely fraternal."

"Xiao Guanxue, without hesitation, tapped her forehead again and said, 'You're so rash! I'm not someone who just emerged out of nowhere, of course, I have a mother.'"

"'I've never seen her, though. My master found me outside the valley and told me this jade pendant was the only thing she left me.'"

"He chuckled and handed the pendant to her, then calmly clarified, 'This isn’t a token of love from some lady. You accused me wrongly earlier, and I didn’t have time to explain. You're quite domineering, not even giving me a chance to explain, almost leading to my wrongful accusation.'"

His gaze shifted to Nan Yan at his side, his lips moved slightly, and after a long while, he called out, "Yan Yan..."

Nan Yan instinctively looked up, but she didn't move, just quietly watched him.

Xiao Guanxue seemed to sense something odd as well. He had always felt that Xie Yu's look at Nan Yan was obscure and complex, not like the gaze one would give a sister. His possessiveness was too strong, and now this feeling intensified.

He wasn't a fool, nor was he ignorant. The situation in front of him made him vaguely understand that perhaps Xie Yu's feelings for Nan Yan were more than just fraternal...

Xiao Guanxue's expression subtly changed, and thinking back to Nan Yan's past feelings for Xie Yu, he instinctively grasped Nan Yan's hand resting on the table.

Feeling his grip, Nan Yan gradually came back to her senses, her gaze circled around him, she shook her head and then showed a relieved smile, signaling him to be at ease.

Then she nodded to Xie Yu, calling out in a polite yet distant manner, "Brother Yu, you're awake." It was just a simple word of concern.

Like friends who hadn't seen each other for many years, there was only estrangement left between them. She still smiled at him, but her smile was different from before.

In the past, when she looked at him, her eyes gleamed with light, filled with fondness and dependence. But now, that fondness in her eyes was directed at someone else.

This realization made Xie Yu's complexion visibly pale, especially seeing Yan Yan's calm and gentle gaze, he felt as if he was truly about to lose her.

A great panic surged in his heart in an instant, and he had to use all his strength to suppress the intense nervousness and trembling in his heart, as if it were a cocoon tightly wrapped around him.

Why is it like this?

Why does Yan Yan look at him with such a calm and distant gaze? It shouldn't be like this, it should be him that Yan Yan likes. They grew up together since childhood; she liked him so much, the childhood promise was still there, she should like him!

Xie Yu instinctively took a step forward.

But when he saw Yan Yan reaching out to hold Xiao Guanxue's hand, playfully poking the back of his hand under his sleeve, their hands moving back and forth, their attitude intimate as if they were lovers.

In that instant, his chest felt as if it was pierced by a searing blade, a heart-wrenching pain spreading throughout his body.

The pain washed over him like waves, incessant and overwhelming, and just looking at the two of them made it increasingly unbearable.

It shouldn't be like this.

Yan Yan should be his.

She should love him!

The spreading pain and suffocation made him want to cry out, overwhelmed with jealousy, anger, and a sense of betrayal... and endless regret.

Xie Yu felt an unprecedented surge of jealousy and pain, an urge to separate them uncontrollably rising within him. She was his, only his...

It was like a treasured possession he'd kept since childhood, stolen one day from his home. He regretted not hiding her away, more so for having lost her.

Xie Yu clutched at his chest, coughing violently, watching Nan Yan's smile as she teased Xiao Guanxue, feeling a sweet bitterness in his throat. If not for his stiff legs, he might have collapsed on the spot.

So this is how it feels, the way he flaunted his closeness with Su Mo in front of her, this must have been how she felt...