Union

Chapter 124-123 Accepting Fate

The study was warm and quiet, but outside it was bleak and rainy.

With raging winds and torrential rain, even half a day of such weather feels unbearable, let alone the uncertainty of how many days it might last.

Yunying was so worried that her brows furrowed into a knot.

She was worried herself, and seeing the sleeping Second Master, she was even more worried for him.

Since taking office in Yungui County, Second Master has excelled in both civil administration and military affairs. He has truly devoted himself to Yungui County, using all his abilities to eradicate evil and help the people increase production and income.

Unfortunately, just when it seemed like they were about to reap the rewards, a hurricane came and wiped out all of Second Master's efforts.

Then came the clanging and banging sounds from outside, along with the cracking sound of tree branches breaking.

The wind is so strong, it's like some kind of evil spirit is at work.

The wind swirled and suddenly rushed towards the tightly closed courtyard gate. With a loud "bang," the gate, which had been firmly shut, was blown off.

The commotion was so loud that the maids in her room not far away all screamed in fear.

But such exclamations were quickly drowned out by the sound of wind and rain, and gradually faded away.

As a faint light began to appear outside, Yunying turned her gaze from outside to the Second Master lying on the couch.

Perhaps the Second Master was awakened by the commotion outside, for he opened his eyes again.

Yunying quickly patted him twice more, "Go to sleep, it's nothing serious, it's just that the wind was a bit strong and blew away the tiles and the gate."

The second uncle said in a hoarse voice, "I'm afraid that after this disaster, not even one in ten houses will remain."

"What can we do then? We've tried everything we can think of and done everything we can. Now all we can do is leave it to fate. If God still has some mercy, this hurricane will pass quickly. Otherwise... it's all just material possessions. As long as we're safe and sound, whatever we've lost, we can always make it back."

"Second Master, don't think so much. You should get some sleep. Maybe when you wake up again, this hurricane will be over."

The second master said, "If the rain lessens, wake me up."

"I've got it. You should go to sleep now, Second Master."

Second Master had indeed fallen asleep again, but he was preoccupied with something. At the slightest sound outside, his eyelashes would flutter. Then, he might open his eyes to take a look, or, with Yunying's gentle patting, he would drift back to sleep.

This day was so unbearable that it made Yunying anxious.

But the miracles of nature are beyond her control. No matter how anxious or helpless she was, she could only watch everything outside, and she didn't even dare to go out and take a look.

The wind was so strong it could blow the door away, let alone her.

Before she could even step outside, a strong wind would blast open the door and send her flying into the sky—that would be fatal.

Lost in thought, the dark clouds outside gradually dissipated.

The sky brightened again, but it was of no use.

The rain was still falling, and the bright sunlight made it easy to see the outside world, which only intensified the fear in people's hearts.

The outer wall was half collapsed, some trees were uprooted, and others had their branches broken.

There were countless broken tiles and bricks on the ground, and the water outside was up to people's knees.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through, making the entire study shake, as if the house itself was about to be blown away.

This rampaging hurricane was like a gaping maw, ready to devour everything and everyone it saw.

Too scared.

That's terrifying.

Yunying dared not look outside anymore; for the first time, she felt that death was so close to her.

Even when Ruizhu pushed her out, exposing her to the thugs' swords, she closed her eyes in fear, thinking she was going to die, but that fear only lasted a moment.

She was later rescued by the Second Master, and the fear gradually subsided, and she calmed down.

In contrast to then, the fear now is constant, and as time goes on, that fear gradually festers until it threatens to devour her.

She didn't know when the hurricane would stop, or if the current torment had already exhausted its full power. The fear gnawed at her heart, and she couldn't help but clutch at the Second Master's clothes.

When the second master opened his eyes again, he saw her sitting blankly beside him, her expression still showing signs of shock.

The second master's voice was hoarse and deep as he asked her, "Were you terrified?"

Yunying shuddered, her body jolting involuntarily. When she realized that the Second Master had spoken, she quickly looked over.

It was already evening, and due to the hurricane, the sky had darkened early. There were no lights inside, and it was pitch black outside as well. If she hadn't been sitting inside and had long since adjusted to the light, she would have almost not been able to see the Second Master's open eyes.

Yunying quickly stood up. "Wait a moment, I'll go light the candles."

But the second master grabbed her wrist again, "You sit down, I'll go."

"I……"

"Sit down. You don't even know where the things are. Let me do it."

And so, the Second Master got out of bed, put on his shoes, and went to his desk.

He produced a tinderbox from somewhere and lit the candles. One by one, the candles were lit, and the study, which had been dark, was now bright.

Seeing that the room had become bright, the second master sat back down on the soft couch.

Seeing that the Second Master looked sleepy and listless, Yunying said, "You didn't sleep well this afternoon; you woke up several times."

"Yeah, I can't sleep well when I have something on my mind."

Yunying was aware of this situation. Second Master had probably done everything he could; the rest was up to fate.

She said, "You've done what you were supposed to do, and you have a clear conscience. As for the disasters that will occur after the hurricane, there's nothing that can be avoided. Even if you don't sleep now, the problems that are bound to happen will still occur. You'd better get some rest and recharge so you'll have more energy to deal with what comes next."

Second Master laughed, "I understand the道理 (principles/reasons), but I can't control myself, just like you."

"What's wrong with me?"

"You did what you were supposed to do, but you're also afraid that once this hurricane is over, things won't be able to recover."

Yunying fell silent and stopped speaking.

The Second Master had read her mind perfectly; their hearts were in sync at that moment, and it seemed that saying anything more would be superfluous.

The rain outside the window was pouring down relentlessly, as if it never knew when to stop.

Yunying suddenly remembered something, "Second Master, have you eaten today?"

"No."

"Did you skip lunch, or have you not eaten all day?"

"It's useless all day."

Yunying sighed, "You didn't even tell me? Don't you know you're hungry?"

Second Master's hoarse voice carried a hint of amusement, "I really don't feel hungry." "That's true, all those messy things have filled your mind, how could you have time to think about whether you're hungry or not?"

"You're right."

Are you hungry now?

Second Master touched his flat belly and raised his eyebrows. "He must be a little hungry."

Yunying smiled upon hearing this. She was about to say, "Then please wait inside for a moment, and I will go out and have someone bring you food."

Before she could even speak, there was another knock on the door, and then Sui Yu pushed the door open and walked in.

"Hehe, Second Master, why are you awake so early? Would you like dinner now? The food has been prepared for you. Would you like to eat now or wait a bit?"

Both Second Master and Yunying looked at the food box in Suiyu's hand. Suiyu quickly held the food box up in front of her. "I prepared this for you before, but my elder brother said you were asleep and didn't want us to come and disturb you. I saw the light in the study was on and thought you should be awake, so I came to bring you some food."

"Second Master, you haven't eaten all day, please eat something. It's going to rain, and Mother is getting married; we can't stop her even if we wanted to. In my opinion, you should rest and eat well for a couple of days. You'll be busy once this hurricane passes." Sui Yu raised the food box again. "So, Second Master, would you like to eat now?"

"Use it." Second Master said, pointing to the doorway. "You can go out now. Seeing you gives me a headache."

"Hey, what are you saying? I may not be as likable as Miss Yunying, but I'm not exactly annoying either. What have I done to you, Second Master, that you dislike me so much now?"

"You talk too much and have absolutely no tact." The Second Master took the food box from his hand and shooed him away again, "Aren't you going to leave? Do you want me to invite you to stay for a meal?"

Sui Yu laughed, "Second Master, everyone else treats brothers like limbs and women like clothes, but you completely reverse it. Second Master, you really are... Alright, alright, I won't say anymore, I'll get out of here and won't bother you anymore."

Holding an umbrella, he disappeared into the rain in a few steps.

Yunying watched the figure disappear with the rain, her lips slightly upturned.

As the second master closed the door, he looked at Yunying and said, "What are you laughing at? Come and have your meal."

"Me? I guess I won't stay with you, I..."

"Do you think they brought all this food just for me alone?"

Second Master opened the food box and took out two pairs of bowls and chopsticks.

There were two pairs of bowls and chopsticks, which shows that when Suiyu prepared the meal, she also prepared Yunying's portion.

Second Master called her again, "Come and have your meal. After you finish eating, massage my head; I have a bit of a headache."

"Do you really have a headache? Is it because Suiyu is bothering you?"

"He's not that capable," the second master said. "He's probably been too stressed these past few days, and then he got soaked in the rain for half a day."

"What should we do then? My massage skills are not up to par. I think you should take some medicine, just in case."

"Give me a massage first, then take your medicine before bed."

"also."

The two dined in the Second Master's study.

Beside the soft couch in the study was a low table. Usually, when the Second Master leaned back on the couch to read, there would always be a pot of tea and a teacup on this low table. Now, the low table was vacated, and it was filled with dishes.

Yunying never imagined that one day she would dine with the Second Master in his study.

After all, the Second Master had very strict rules. He received Confucian education from a young age and believed in the classics. His study was an extremely sacred place for him, and all food and playthings should be kept far away from it.

But at this moment, perhaps because they were worried about the strong wind and rain outside and the trouble of going back and forth; or perhaps because they thought that they would stay in the study for a while after the meal, and there was no need to go to the flower hall for the meal. So, the meal was placed in the study, and the two of them sat by the low table and made do with their dinner.

Yunying ate very little throughout the entire trip because she wasn't very hungry.

She was busy taking care of the second master, peeling shrimp for him from time to time, and serving him food and rice from time to time.

But in reality, although Second Master had been hungry all day, he ate less than usual. He simply finished one bowl of rice and then put down his chopsticks.

Seeing this, Yunying advised him, "Please eat some more. One bowl of rice a day is too little."

"Never mind, I'm not hungry anymore. Besides, it's almost time to rest, and eating too much will make me feel unwell."

Whether it was worrying about eating too much or about the hurricane passing through, Yunying knew perfectly well.

But since the Second Master didn't want to say more, she didn't bring it up either.

Yunying cleared away the dishes and put everything back into the food box.

The study was filled with the aroma of food. In the past, Yunying would have opened the windows to ventilate the room, but not now.

If you open the window, the table inside might be overturned by a strong wind.

The two sat quietly and talked for a while. After they had both digested their food, Yunying helped the Second Master lie down on the soft couch. She rubbed her fingers together to warm them and began to massage the acupoints on his head.

Yunying had learned some massage techniques, which she did at the estate of the Marquis of Chang'an.

She's learned the basics to a certain extent, but she hasn't had any real practice yet. So, to truly assess her skill, we'll have to wait for Second Master to try it out.

Because she hadn't given massages much before, Yunying was a little cautious when she started.

She kept adjusting the force, only daring to actually strike when the Second Master felt the force was just right.

With the acupoints on her head that her nanny had taught her before in mind, Yunying's movements gradually became smoother from the initial awkwardness.

Yunying also kept a close eye on the Second Master's expression, but unfortunately, the Second Master's face remained calm, and she couldn't tell whether her skills were good or bad, or whether the strength she used satisfied the Second Master.

Yunying's gaze lingered on the Second Master's face for a long time, and the Second Master suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her.

Yunying was startled and suddenly loosened her grip.

Second Master said, "Did I scare you?"

"Yes, a little. I wasn't prepared when you suddenly opened your eyes."

"I only looked at you because you were looking at me the whole time."

This sounded a bit convoluted, but Yunying quickly realized what the Second Master meant. She couldn't help but laugh, "I'm a novice, and I'm afraid you might feel uncomfortable and not be able to say so, so I can only observe more and see if you can enjoy my massage."

"So, have you reached a conclusion?"

Yunying nodded with a smile, "You should have benefited from it overall. However, if I make some improvements, I believe you will benefit from it even more."

The second master chuckled, "It's much better now; my headaches have eased considerably."

"Second Master is lying to me again. This isn't some kind of magic pill; it's impossible for it to work so quickly."

"It really works, I'm not kidding."

"Alright, if Second Master says it works, then it works. Second Master, please close your eyes and rest for a while, and I'll massage you for a bit longer."

"it is good."

This week I've only been updating once a day. Waaaaah, I'll reflect on it and try to update twice next week. I just can't keep going anymore, staying up all night every day, my eyes are so dark and I can barely see the words. Please, my little baby, give me some energy so my mom can get a good night's sleep next week and be well-rested so I can update more! ε＝ε＝ε＝(#>д<)

(End of this chapter)