No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 734: Return to Life [Please give me a monthly ticket! ]

Drinking ice.

The two girls, one inside and one outside, were quiet for a while.

Changing the hairpin made Zhao Qingxiu feel much calmer.

It seemed that the sound of the ice-white jade hairpin pendant being blown by the wind in the early morning was too loud, so it was put away. Instead, it was replaced by this mandarin duck jade hairpin. Ye Weilai also had it, which was given to her by Tan Lang.

Soon, under Ye Weilai's gaze, Zhao Qingxiu resumed his movements.

She turned around, groped her way to the door, and welcomed Ye Weilai in.

[Wei Lai, are you hungry? Do you want to eat something? I’ll make it.]

Ye Weilai said directly:

"It doesn't matter whether you eat or not. I'll go with you."

Zhao Qingxiu nodded and wrote:

[Okay, let's go to the kitchen together. I'll make some for you. Wei Lai, where's Tan Lang?]

Ye Weilai pursed her lips:
"Tan Lang is out and hasn't come back yet. He might be out of town in the morning and won't be home."

Zhao Qingxiu nodded and went to the kitchen.

Ye Weilai followed.

Quarter of an hour later, in the kitchen where the servants had left, Zhao Qingxiu, blindfolded with a ribbon, fumbled with the process, and skillfully made noodles.

Ye Weilai stood at the door, looking at her, as if waiting, but did not reach out to her.

Zhao Qingxiu had no complaints and quickly prepared a bowl of noodles and brought it over.

Ye Weilai lowered her eyes and looked at the noodles. She did not take it immediately and said softly:
"Thank you, Sister Xiu Niang, but I won't leave after we finish eating. I have nothing to do today, so I'll accompany you."

Zhao Qingxiu tilted her head silently. Ye Weilai felt that the blind-mute girl seemed to look at her. After a moment, she took her hand and wrote:
[Sister, you don’t need to follow me. Go and do your own thing. I may have to go back to Xingzifang in the morning to get all the luggage from that yard. Madam Pei will accompany me, so don’t worry.]

Ye Weilai looked at her and repeated:
"You can go. I'll go with you. Also, I'll send a maid to inform Tan Lang that we can't run around without permission."

Zhao Qingxiu looked at her.

Continue to hand out hot bowls of noodles.

After Ye Weilai took it, Zhao Qingxiu didn't answer and turned to walk towards the master bedroom. Ye Weilai held the noodles and followed Zhao Qingxiu, as if she would go wherever Zhao Qingxiu went.

Back in the master bedroom, Zhao Qingxiu tidied up, got dressed, took out a long cloth bag, and held it in his arms, as if he was preparing to go out.

At the table, Ye Weilai had only eaten half of her noodles when she immediately stood up and followed.

Zhao Qingxiu slowly stopped, turned around, and grabbed Ye Weilai's clenched fist.

Ye Weilai was prepared, so she unclenched her fists and let her write.

At the same time, the silver-haired girl took a deep breath, and a look of stubborn persistence appeared on her face, as if she was waiting for her excuse or refusal.

But after a while, Ye Weilai was slightly stunned when she noticed the words Zhao Qingxiu wrote on her palm:
[Okay, let’s go together. You can also send someone to inform Tan Lang... But after we get there, Wei Lai, listen to your sister and wait for me in the carriage outside. I want to go in alone and get used to cleaning up in silence by myself.]

After Zhao Qingxiu finished writing this line, he pulled up her hand, lowered his head and tilted his face, pressing her palm tightly against his cheek, as if trying to please her.

Ye Weilai hesitated for a moment and nodded.

……

It was not yet morning.

Outside the quiet courtyard, a luxurious carriage returned and parked at the gate.

There seemed to be three female figures in the car. Judging from the vague silhouettes on the curtains, they were a graceful woman and two slender girls.

The cart stopped by the roadside and did not move away.

Zhao Qingxiu got off the car alone without looking back at the waiting carriage and the two girls. She walked forward calmly, came to the quiet courtyard, and pushed the door open as usual.

"My Lord, you are back."

The Fang sisters were guarding in the yard. Fang Shengnan was in a daze with her chin supported by her hands. When she saw Zhao Qingxiu, she subconsciously called out.

Fang Juxiu turned around and looked outside the door for the first time.

Zhao Qingxiu turned around and closed the door, blocking the latter's sight.

She waved gently at the Fang sisters, as if to say hello, or as if to give an order. Fang Juxiu immediately became quiet and didn't ask any more questions.

Zhao Qingxiu was holding a long cloth bag in her arms and a lacquered food box in her hand. She raised the food box a little, smiled faintly at the two sisters and gestured.

Fang Juxiu and Fang Shengnan looked at each other, and Fang Shengnan's expression was a little moved:
"Thank you, my Lord."

After leaving a portion of pastry, Zhao Qingxiu picked up the lunch box again, left the two sisters behind, and walked towards the lobby.

Maybe it was because of the presence of a certain lady in white, or maybe it was because of the long period of house arrest caused by the incident with Ouyang Lianghan last time, the usually carefree and outgoing Ms. Fang, like her sister, remained quiet, staying in the outer courtyard to taste cakes, being honest and dutiful, and not looking at or listening to the lobby behind her.

Zhao Qingxiu walked into the lobby.

I saw a lady in white sitting sideways beside the Eight Immortals Table, looking up at the blue sky outside the yard, watching the clouds rise and fall.

Zhao Qingxiu came over and placed the food box on the table in front of Second Senior Sister. After opening it, she took out some delicious handmade pastries.

Yu Nianyuan didn't turn around and asked softly:

"Seventh Junior Sister, are you satisfied now and have no regrets?"

Zhao Qingxiu nodded slightly.

Yu Nianyuan sighed softly:
"The thoughts still remain. After you go back, you will miss yesterday's memories more and more. Why bother?"

Zhao Qingxiu said nothing.

Hearing the sound of Seventh Junior Sister writing, Yu Nianyuan turned around to look.

The former dipped his finger in water and wrote on the table:
[Is the noodles enough? Second Sister, do you want me to make some more?]

"..."

Yu Nianyuan couldn't keep a straight face.

After a while, she frowned. "Let's not talk about noodles today. Let's be serious." After a pause, she added, "At least not here. We can't stay here for long. Let's talk business first."

Zhao Qingxiu seemed not to hear and walked towards the kitchen.

Yu Nianyuan frowned slightly:
"I'm really not hungry. Seventh Junior Sister, don't bother, unless you are hungry and want to eat. However, come here first, I will tell you about the arrangements for returning to Jianze. The person who is picking you up has arrived, you don't have to stay, Xunyang City will be handed over to us. I still said it yesterday, don't get involved..."

Zhao Qingxiu shook her head. Without the crisp sound of the icy white jade hairpin, she became quiet.

Yu Nianyuan paused and asked slowly, "What do you mean?"

Zhao Qingxiu walked over and wrote:
[I'm not going back. Second Senior Sister, please have a bowl of noodles before leaving.]

Yu Nianyuan's originally lazy and gentle temperament suddenly changed, like a sharp sword leaving its gentle and thick scabbard.

"What did you say?"

Zhao Qingxiu continued:

[Other matters, if there is anything you need from me, please let me know, Second Senior Sister]

Yu Nianyuan took a deep breath.

She looked around at the empty lobby and couldn't help but review it in her mind. Suddenly, she felt that Seventh Junior Sister's negotiation skills seemed to be top-notch.

From yesterday until now, Seventh Junior Sister has really broken through her psychological bottom line step by step, just like bargaining... She is also a master of negotiation, right?
This time, Yu Nianyuan decided to take a clear stance.

She waved her hand decisively, interrupting Zhao Qingxiu's writing:

"No, absolutely not."

Yu Nianyuan placed his hand on Zhao Qingxiu's shoulder and said seriously:
"Seventh Junior Sister, let me remind you again that you only have two choices now. One of them is the best result I can get for you. Please choose carefully.

“The first way, you just have to be obedient and go back to Jianze now.

"In Xunyang City, Senior Sister will not let you have any worries and will not hurt Ouyang Lianghan. Also, there is a new condition that I did not tell you yesterday. Please listen carefully."

Yu Nianyuan said gently:
"If you go back now, I will try my best to persuade Senior Sister that the Big Buddha is the credit that Ouyang Lianghan wants. I can help Ouyang Lianghan and let him hide first. When it comes to the end, we will cooperate with him before we leave and let him get a share of the credit for retaking Xunyang City. It is better to have this credit than to be blamed and held accountable by the court. Maybe he can even be promoted.

"You should know that in Xunyang City today, although he is still the nominal governor of Jiangzhou, it is no longer his turn to make decisions. He is just a scholar and cannot control the current situation."

"Ah..." Zhao Qingxiu was a little absent-minded and opened her mouth slightly. Yu Nianyuan did not give her a chance to write and continued to speak, but her voice was a little heavier:
"The second option is that you don't have to go back. I don't blame you, Senior Sister. I even understand you a little bit. But it will be hard for me to report to the boss after I go back. I don't care, but I can't control what Senior Sister will do next.

"Maybe today, I don't have time to take care of you, but once the matter of the Buddha is resolved, I will have plenty of time. By then, as long as you are not running away from home or wandering around the world, as long as you are still in Jiangzhou, I will come to find you. Besides, even if I turn a blind eye and let you run, can you really get away? I have almost never failed to catch anyone I want to catch."

Yu Nianyuan spoke with great earnestness, as if she was thinking of someone who had made Xue Zhongzhu feel humiliated. She slightly changed her words midway, but the sense of oppression still remained.

Zhao Qingxiu stood in front of the door with a frail body, and the second senior sister's heavy palm pressed on her thin shoulders like a hammer.

She couldn't see and everything was black before her eyes.

I can't speak, and thousands of words are stuck in my mouth.

The slender body was shaking slightly.

She seemed to be shaking her head.

Yu Nianyuan felt distressed and pity when he saw this scene. He loosened his grip a little, but then hardened his heart again.

Said bluntly:
"Looking ahead, there are only these two paths. Think carefully and don't make a mistake that will cause you eternal regret. You know the temper of the senior sister. If the superiors take action at that time..."

She advised earnestly:
"Seventh Junior Sister, many irreparable things in this world are caused by both sides not giving in. I am very worried about seeing your relationship with Senior Sister being torn apart because of a man down the mountain. I really don't want to see that.

"That's why I'm doing my best to help you fight for it and take care of Ouyang Lianghan for you. I can even add a little more. I'll give him a Yunmeng Order in private. From now on, he will be considered as someone protected by Jianze. As long as he hides it well, it won't affect his career in the Pseudo-Zhou Dynasty...

"Seventh Junior Sister, don't be willful. Make your choice rationally."

Yu Nianyuan cast a sincere look towards Zhao Qingxiu.

Zhao Qingxiu suddenly raised her hand and grabbed Yu Nianyuan's hand on her shoulder. She lowered her head and wrote. Yu Nianyuan had never seen this gentle and soft-hearted junior sister be so strong and resolute:

【No reply】

Yu Nianyuan stared at Zhao Qingxiu for a while, and suddenly asked:

"You want to violate the rules of the Patriarch Hall and betray Jianze?"

Zhao Qingxiu also shook his head firmly:
[As for responsibility, I will not let down my senior sister or my master. I cannot let my senior sister bear the burden left by my master alone. I cannot leave my senior sister alone to face the abyss. This is unfair.]

"Then why do you still insist on doing this?"

Zhao Qingxiu bravely wrote:
[The two are not in conflict. I will handle these and face them. Second Senior Sister, please ask the Senior Senior Sister to come over. I will try to get her to accept Tan Lang.]

[I will not betray the sect. I will take on the responsibilities that Yue Chuzi should bear, and do my best to share the worries for you and Senior Sister. Yue Chuzi was the first to bear the brunt of the matter of the Abyss. Over the years, we were young, and Senior Sister has always been at the forefront and has suffered the most. I have always known in my heart that I will not let Senior Sister down, but...]

[Second Senior Sister, I am very greedy and want them all. I will not let Jianze down, nor will I let him down.]

[But I will not marry, and will not violate the rules of the Zushitang. I was a divorced child bride, and I am still one now. However, Tan Lang and I are married, and I really want to stay together for a long time, although I know it will be difficult.]

[Second Senior Sister, when I still had my eyes, I saw an old saying in a book: Try to love the spring flowers, and don't forget the happy times. If you live, you will come back, and if you die, you will miss you forever.]

[I am the same. I cherish the happy time I lived with him in this courtyard and will never forget this period of time. As long as I am lucky enough to be alive, I will definitely return to him. If I unfortunately die, I will miss him forever.]

The more Yu Nianyuan listened, the more his brows furrowed.

"Don't mention life and death. How could we and the sect let you die? But Junior Sister, do you think it's realistic to want to have both? Sometimes, when it comes to love, it's not enough for you to just say 'I am willing'. It requires both parties to work together.

"So, are you sure that your husband is willing to face the responsibility with you? Are you sure that he won't back down out of weakness at some point?
"Moreover, what if he wants something that you rejected outright? Have you ever thought about it? Why do you decide for him? Are you sure that he will always make the same choice as you? I don't think so. These are all unknowns. But Seventh Junior Sister, you have made a decision just because of an impulse and have gone down a path of no return. Isn't it too risky? Your courage is commendable, but it is very reckless.

"Senior Sister never meant to break up a couple, but to make it good for you, him, and everyone else. These choices were made based on the many things Senior Sister and I have seen and the advice she gave. The reason why you are willful is because you will regret it in the end. When you look back at that time, it can be summed up in two words: willful."

Zhao Qingxiu was quiet for a moment, then she shook her head firmly:
[No, Tan Lang is braver than me]

Yu Nianyuan stared at her for a while, then suddenly waved his hand to interrupt Zhao Qingxiu's writing:

"Don't jump to conclusions yet. When you go back, you can confess our identities to Ouyang Lianghan, or you can just tell him that I'm here. You can tell him both ways, or you can tell his elders at home and let them choose. In the current situation, let's see which way they choose.

"This can prevent you from being wishful thinking. What if they have some ideas of their own? Of all the choices, you have always been determined to choose him, but can you be sure that he and his family will resolutely choose you? It doesn't mean that he will let you down. Well, maybe he likes you very much and is reluctant to let you go. But if he is more mature and rational, if he thinks that the other path is good for both of you, and both sides can maximize their interests, except that they can't be together, both of you will have a bright future. Why not part ways in peace?"

Yu Nianyuan asked in a meaningful tone:

"When you look back at the present Jue Ran, will you feel a sense of desolation and absurdity, Seventh Junior Sister?"

There was silence inside and outside the lobby.

(End of this chapter)