in2ebook Chapter 49 He wanted to stand with her, to stand under this clear blue sky.
Chapter 49 He wanted to stand with her, to stand under this clear blue sky.
Wang Xianrong cried for a long time, until her eyes were swollen, but in the end she didn't get a single definite answer.
Cheng Yan had never been patient with her before, and when he got annoyed by her, he simply had someone ask her to leave.
"How could the Marquis be so heartless?" As she sat in front of her dressing table, the maid behind her couldn't help but feel sorry for her, looking at her red and swollen eyes from crying.
Wang Xianrong was born into a noble family and possessed both beauty and virtue. Before she was married, countless people regarded her as a fairy and were willing to be her devoted followers.
Yet, this person humbled herself to the point of dust for him, and cried so pitifully, her face streaked with tears, and he remained unmoved.
He's absolutely heartless.
Wang Xianrong looked at herself in the mirror, reached out and touched her face, her voice somewhat cold: "He's not heartless, he just gave all his affection to others. As for me, even if I cried, or even died in front of him, I would probably only get a 'bury me' from him."
The maid was filled with resentment and indignation: "How could the Marquis treat the young lady like this? Young Master Xie is much better. In this world, only Young Master Xie is truly sincere to the young lady."
"Shut up!" Wang Xianrong's expression changed drastically, and her face in the mirror became somewhat distorted.
"Don't mention him again! What does he have to do with me? If he truly cared about me and wanted me to be well, he wouldn't have said these things to the Marquis, making the Marquis unable to tolerate me!"
Wang Xianrong hated Xie Qu intensely. Those past events had ended back then, and he was about to die, yet he still talked about these things with Cheng Yan, putting her in such an awkward situation.
He was clearly taking revenge on her; he couldn't stand to see her doing well!
"He's a bastard! A bastard! Don't mention him!"
Wang Xianrong was furious and swept everything in front of the dressing table to the ground.
Gold and silver hairpins fell to the ground, and pearls and jade of all sizes fell to the ground, making a clattering sound.
.
After Wang Xianrong left, Cheng Yan was in a bad mood and gave up the idea of going to the inner courtyard to disturb Qin Yizhen. He had the lights turned off and went to sleep fully clothed.
In a state between sleep and wakefulness, he seemed to dream of Xie Qu again.
In his youth, Xie Qu was full of vigor and ambition; even the rising sun could not match his radiant spirit.
I still remember our first meeting. Xie Qu invited him to drink together from a high building: "I, Xie Wenqu, ask him, how do you obtain such purity..."
Today, after many years, Xie Qu reunites with his old friend, but he finds himself sitting in a dark and damp prison cell.
He asked him about his dreams and aspirations when he was young, and whether he knew how many people had died in this war.
At that moment, Xie Qu was agitated, and the chains binding his hands and feet jingled as he hysterically shouted, "I am Xie Qu, not Xie Wenqu. Xie Wenqu died the day I left the Xie family."
"There will never be another Xie Wenqu in this world who could say, 'How can the canal be so clear?' I am just Xie Wenqu, I am that ditch! A sewer!"
The voice still echoes in my ears, every word piercing my heart.
My old friends from my youth, who used to ride horses with me through the spring breeze, seem to have changed beyond recognition and are no longer the same as they used to be.
When Cheng Yan opened his eyes, his heart felt heavy, and he could no longer fall asleep.
He stood up in the courtyard for a while. The bright moon in the sky shone down on the earth, year after year, seemingly unchanging.
The night breeze was a bit chilly, seeping into his bones little by little, giving him a sense of the vastness of the world and the insignificance of man. There were many things he couldn't control, including life and emotions.
He stood there for a long time, feeling increasingly empty inside. Suddenly, he missed Qin Yizhen very much, so he went back inside to put on another coat and then turned and walked towards the inner courtyard.
It was past midnight, and Qin Yizhen had already gone to sleep. The night breeze blew through the corridor, and the lanterns, which were quietly emitting light, swayed slightly.
The maid on night watch opened the door for him, her gaze somewhat bewildered and uneasy, probably because it was the first time she had encountered such a situation and she didn't know how to handle it.
"Has the princess gone to sleep?" he asked.
"Your Excellency, the princess has already gone to sleep."
Cheng Yan nodded, then gestured for them to leave, and walked into the house himself.
He had said long ago that if he wanted to come to her courtyard, no one could stop him or dare to stop him.
The two maids looked at each other, unsure of what to do as he walked toward the main room.
"Should we keep him to serve us?"
"How about we ask Sister Lüqiao? Or Granny Jin or Granny Gui?"
After discussing it, the two decided that one of them would stay behind to guard the courtyard, while the other would go and ask Lü Qiao and the others how to handle the matter.
After entering the main room, Cheng Yan walked easily to the bedroom on the left.
The lights in the dormitory were all off, except for a lamp burning quietly on the lamp stand next to the bed, emitting a dim and soft yellow light.
A night breeze blew in from outside the window, causing the gauze curtains to flutter and the beaded curtains to clink together.
There seemed to be calming incense burning in the room, its faint fragrance permeating the air. The scent seemed to blend with the other scents in the room, just like the subtle fragrance emanating from her.
He slowed his pace and walked over, lifting the bed curtains to take a look.
At that moment, she was lying facing outwards, with half of her face buried in the soft pillow. She seemed to be sleeping restlessly, her brows were slightly furrowed, and her long eyelashes trembled from time to time.
Today he asked Xie Qu why Xie Qu had become like this.
Xie Qu, however, asked him in return why he had become like this, adding that the Cheng Yan of the past was not like this.
Cheng Yan used to be selfish, indifferent, and ruthless, always only caring about himself, but now he's talking to him about the common people and how many people died in the war.
Cheng Yan is indeed not a noble person.
He had an unfortunate childhood, suffering much humiliation and torment. Even his mother was murdered, and no one stood up for him. So, he had no sense of justice or the world.
The world was in turmoil, and all sorts of demons and monsters had little to do with him.
He stood up to protect the country for the sake of Empress Dowager Cheng and Emperor Jing'an, but his heart remained cold; he only wanted to protect what he had left in his life.
But then he met her.
She was so gentle, considerate, kind, and compassionate. She was the most understanding and considerate of his hardships. He was afraid that she would fear him and distance herself from him. He wanted to stand with her, under the bright sun.
So he diligently fulfilled his duties as the Imperial Son-in-Law, the Emperor's Brother-in-Law, the Marquis of Pingxi, and the Vice Minister of War...
He desperately wanted to grasp this glimmer of light, to bring some warmth to his cold and numb body and soul.
And so he gradually became the person he is today.
His life was bright and promising, filled with many people who cared about him and whom he cared about. Now, he was just one step away from achieving his dream: to have her turn around and look at him.
However, judging from the current situation, that day seems to be just around the corner.
As Cheng Yan thought of this, a warm current seemed to flow through his heart, and his previously empty and restless heart seemed to have found its home.
A thought struck him, so he took off his outer robe and hung it aside, then got into bed and reached out to pull her into his arms.
......