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Side Story 2
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
The spring of Tianjing year 14 came particularly early. As soon as it entered the second month, the trees and flowers in the Wen’an Marquis Manor already successively started growing tender new leaves and tiny little flower buds. The fresh fragrance of the vegetation carried over following the gentle spring breeze, delightful to the point of intoxicating.
However, in this kind of delightful weather, the Wen’an Marquis’s little heir instead had a gloomy look, sitting in the lakeside pavilion inside his own home, holding a cup of already cold tea, and letting out a sigh.
After another moment of silence, he sighed again.
“Older cousin, you being like this, especially like……..” The young girl sitting together with him glanced at him, suddenly laughing.
“Like my father?” The expression on the young boy’s handsome face didn’t change in the slightest, his gaze still calm, even gloomily gazing into the distance.
“Tsk, you’re not like second biao-uncle[1].” The young girl contemptuously snorted, “This dead look of yours, further like fourth biao-uncle, carrying a heavy look, pretending to be bothered over nothing. Prior to getting beaten up by fourth biao aunt-in-law, he’s precisely just like this.”
The little heir this time finally had a change in expression, entirely choking up. Turning his face, he looked towards the little girl in front of him, very much having the impulse to wave his fist to intimidate her. However, recalling her mother’s fighting prowess, he immediately inwardly recited to himself a hundred times——-I’m a gentleman.
A gentleman is lenient and benevolent; a gentleman has self-control; a gentleman knows to adapt to circumstances; a gentleman knows who to not offend; a gentleman cherishes one’s life………
“So, what’s wrong with you? Didn’t you go out with your father and mother to Jingfu Temple to play for a whole day yesterday? How come just this dead look after coming back?” The little girl asked again.
The little gentleman that cherished his life was too lazy to even turn his head again this time, also not wanting to say more. Recalling the situation in Jingfu Temple yesterday, his entire heart was filled with melancholy.
His parents always say that right now, he still doesn’t need to worry about his future marriage arrangement. Studying literature and practicing martial arts were more important. But, the two of them keep openly showing off their loving relationship everyday!
Saying something like taking him out to play, but in reality, bringing him along, wasn’t it just for the sake of letting him look after his younger siblings?
That couple, as soon as they reached the back mountain, just disappeared without a trace, what parents!
Just as he was thinking this, the little ones that made him headache even more came running over, “Big, big brother, big brother! Mother and father…….mother and father are fighting!”
“Ah?” The little girl blanked, “Second biao-uncle and second biao aunt-in-law would even fight?”
The little heir however was very composed, “No need to bother. Perhaps, it’s just using an argument as an excuse to have the little ones thrown over to me———See how Aunt Bai Guo and the others are following behind them?”
“Uhh——right.”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Hmph, what great father and mother.” The little heir’s face became even gloomier. And the originally peaceful and quiet lakeside pavilion very quickly filled with the little ones noisy sounds…………
However, at the same time, in Qingyu Pavilion’s main room, there really was a serious conversation that exceeded the little heir and the others’ expectations being carried out.
“Xun Shenzhi, have you had enough!” Yu Lingxin tightly furrowed her brows, her voice also a bit higher than usual, scaring the servant girls and attendants outside the door, who originally had already retreated two steps, to immediately retreat a few more steps outwards.
However, for Xun Che who has now presided over the Central Secretariat for many years, as his official post grew higher, his face also grew thicker. In addition to frequently practicing archery and horseback riding with the little ones recently, his vigor increasingly didn’t lose to his younger days. As if completely not understanding his wife’s words, he directly went forward a step to hold her hand, “What are you raising your voice this high for? Little Chi said that you need to replenish your energy these days, come, come, come, sit and talk.”
Yu Lingxin rolled her eyes at him, “Alright, we’ll sit and talk. You’re always this restless. Just now, the children were still here, how can you be like that!”
Xun Che smilingly had her pulled closer, directly taking her into his arms, “Alright, alright, it was all my fault. Next time, I’ll kick the children out first, then say it, just like now. Haven’t I been busy for several days in a row recently, so particularly miss you.”
“You’re being shameless again! Are you not embarrassed?” Yu Lingxin contemptuously rolled her eyes. Ever since the day they reunited, Xun Shenzhi, this shameless guy, if not getting injured, then it was just getting tired out, acting pitiful in front of her from day to night, shamelessly insisting on letting her take pity on him. Has he never gotten fed up with this trick before?
“His Majesty wants to change the military system. The inner cabinet has been endlessly debating. As the vice minister of the inner cabinet, I inevitably will need to mediate back and forth in between. These days, I’ve truly been very exhausted.” Xun Che just stared at Yu Lingxin with a smile, “My break time is just yesterday and today, these two days free, so want to talk with you more.”
“Then just talk!” Yu Lingxin turned her hand and pressed down a certain someone’s restless hand that wanted to secretly slide in while talking, “Let go, always touching around like this for what?!”
Xun Che also put on a serious expression, “Touching around while talking, it’s not just me. Back then, when I was still a memorial tablet, didn’t you often touch me too?”
“Saying this again!” Yu Lingxin couldn’t help but spit at him, “It’s already in the past. Besides, in the past, didn’t I just wipe a little everyday………peh peh peh, what are you still mentioning those things for?”
Xun Che smiled, softly whispering a few words by her ear. Yu Lingxin’s face burned with embarrassment, while also having a bit of astonishment, “Could it be that……..you’re talking about that…….”
Xun Che loved seeing this kind of light blush on his wife’s cheeks the most, immediately smiling at once, directly having her picked up horizontally, and headed towards the bedroom, “Of course it’s true. That’s why, right now, it’s only fair.”
“But……..” Yu Lingxin could only embrace his neck, but thinking over those words, she still felt it was unbelievable, “But, in the past, didn’t you say……….”
“In the past, I was afraid of scaring you, but now, it’s better to explain clearly, having all the times you touched me redeemed back.” As he said this, Xun Che just lowered his head for a kiss.
This hard to come by day of rest inevitably needed to be sprinkled with a bit of spring radiance.
Just, soon after, as they napped in an embrace, amidst the haziness, he seemingly dreamed of that blurry and intoxicating old dream again———-
Exactly how many days there were, Xun Che also didn’t know, seemingly very long, yet also seemingly very short. Whether it was a dream or not, even he who believed himself to be talented and wise once wasn’t able to distinguish clearly either.
And the feeling at the time, exactly whether it was sadness, melancholy, or a bit of rejoice, or even a bit of amusement, he also wasn’t able to say clearly.
But, now, he was certain, those days really did exist before.
Those days where he was a memorial tablet.
At first, Xun Che thought that it was just a chaotic long dream. In the dream, he first saw his own family’s ancestral shrine, the blue smoke continuously swirling around. The surroundings also filled with the faint white sandalwood scent that he was familiar with. His body no longer had any pain or suffering from the illness, just he wasn’t able to move or talk either. In fact, his line of sight wasn’t able to turn either, only able to see the faint blue smoke in front, as well as the ancestral hall’s door frame.
Of course, there was also Yu Lingxin who would come over everyday to pray.
He saw the raw silk white flower in her hair. She was fully covered in mourning clothes, her beautiful and gentle face increasingly thin. Her tearful face choked with emotions, telling him, everything at home was all well, she will properly take care of mother and Xun Cong, and also raise the adopted heir, hoping that in heaven, he can be free from illness and pain, having no disaster and hardships.
He really wanted to reach out to hold her. That feeling was just like those three years when he was still on the sickbed. He really wanted to have her taken into his arms. Just, he felt that in this ‘dream’, he was even more powerless than when on the sickbed, unable to even reach out to stroke her hair like in the past.
However, very soon, this ‘dream’ suddenly became awkward.
Because, unknown as to how long had passed, the scenery he saw suddenly changed, no longer the solemn and desolate ancestral hall, but instead Qingyu Pavilion’s bedroom.
His feelings were very strange, just like opening up a hole from the south wall, and afterwards, stick his head in to look at this room.
This part of the ‘dream’ was just even more blurry and confusing. Xun Che felt as if he’d returned to his bedridden days again. Although there wasn’t the torment from the pain, his consciousness was nevertheless discontinuous. Sometimes, he seemingly could feel Yu Lingxin’s hand gently caressing him.
Sometimes, he even felt that he was like a child, getting completely held by Yu Lingxin. Her fragrance and softness, her gentle breath, scalding tears, her endless loneliness and sorrow, each and every sensation were all that distinct, distinct to the point where every time recalling, Xun Che would all immerse in it.
And what made him actually realize that this might not be a dream was when one night, after Yu Lingxin returned from bathing, her sash was loosely tied. The moment it slid open, he actually saw a faint birthmark near Yu Lingxin’s navel.
Of course, he also saw other things……..
However, towards this bit, Xun Che, who’d suddenly woken up, after pondering for a moment, felt that it was best to not tell his wife who was currently sound asleep next to him.
He temporarily still didn’t want to turn into a memorial tablet again.
[1] Biao-uncle, biao meaning cousin, basically an uncle who’s cousins with one’s parent. I believe the relationship in english is first cousin once removed.
T/N: The next chapter will be continuing where chapter 160 left off.
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it’s very interesting to me to put what is essentially a happily ever after extra in the middle of the dramatic story. the author also wants to get to the happy extras quicker!!