-虞襄(yú xiāng)- Yu Xiang, the female lead
-虞品言(yú pǐn yán)- Yu Pin Yan, the male lead
-虞妙琪 ( Yu Miao Qi) – the novel original FL and YPY’s biological sister
-桃紅 (táo hóng)- Female lead’s main maidservant
-柳綠 (liǔ lǜ)- Female lead’s main maidservant
-宝生 (Bǎo Shēng) – Shen Miao Qi / Yu Miao Qi’s main maidservant
Yu Xiang struggled out of her brother’s arms. Originally, she wanted to stand up and take a couple of graceful steps, but her knees were numb from kneeling for so long that she failed to do so after several tries. She had no choice but to sit on the other putuan; her slender legs overlapping one another with one hand propped up on the ground, and the other lazily resting on his knee. It was in an extremely seductive sitting posture.
“Look at me.” She said as she raised her hand and fiddled with the sideburns that were like clouds clumped together. With a haughty expression, she spoke again, “My appearance could be said to be capable of causing the downfall of a city or state,[1] and it is of one that can surpass the masses. I possess a well proportioned figure that is not fat nor skinny. It is no more no less.”
The tips of her finger slid down the side of her cheeks, then neck and to her shoulders, moving aside her blouse to reveal half of her snow-white, smooth and round shoulders. She continued, “My legs were broken, but they are healed now. Soon, I will be able to walk gracefully. Tell me, who wouldn’t want to marry a wonderful person like me? What makes you think I will wait for you? If you don’t return in two years, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to marry someone else.”
After saying these words, she narrowed her eyes and snuck a glance at her brother’s expression.
Yu Pin Yan was not unaware of her shortcoming of saying one thing but meaning something else. However, her words ‘marry someone else’ jabbed at his heart. He suddenly bit down on her annoying red lips with a sullen face.
The two quickly became entwined. A breeze blew by, swaying the bright candle flame and casting their indistinguishable figures against the snow-white walls. After the passionate kiss, Yu Xiang felt the sensation returning to her numb knees. She pushed her brother, who was pressing against her, away from her. She sat astride on his belly, picked up the copper coin on the putuan and stuffed it into the inner pocket of his undergarment. Then, dictating word for word, “Make sure you come back alive, or I won’t wait for you.”
The dim candlelight illuminated her eyes brimming with tears, as well as the fear and sadness swimming in them made Yu Pin Yan unable to breathe. He pressed his sister into his arms, and only after a long moment did he reply in a raspy voice, “Yes, I will return safely.” After a pause, he continued, “If something is difficult to resolve, you can look for Shen Yuan Qi, he will take care of you.”
Yu Xiang did not answer, but only rubbed her cheek against his warm chest.
The two of them embraced each other quietly for a few moments, and opened to come out when they heard the nightwatcher’s gongs and drums. Yu Pin Yan stooped down intending to carry his sister, but she refused, “Save your strength for the army, I’m afraid you won’t be able to sleep tonight.” She then sat down in her wheelchair and ordered Tao Hong and Liu Lu to come and push her.
Yu Pin Yan had no choice but to walk alongside her. As they were approaching Jing Fu’s courtyard, Yu Xiang suddenly took his hand, tilted her head up and whispered, “Elder Brother, I was actually lying to you. If you don’t come back, I will die here. You said it, I was born as a member of the Yu family and will die as a ghost of the Yu family, I’m not going anywhere.”
Her eyes were filled with crystal-like tears, but she stubbornly held her head high and refused to lower them, her dark pupils churning with love and determination. In this moment, the moon hanging in the sky dimmed, the breeze around him stood still, the noises from frogs and insects in the grass abruptly ceased … The only thing left in heaven and earth was the young girl in front of him, who was so beautiful that she made his heart enchanted.
He was once again deeply aware that she was a presence that he could not afford to disappoint. He opened his mouth to give a response, but found that his throat was so choked up that he could not utter a word. He could only lean down and press her against the back of the wheelchair in a frenzied kiss, his hands cupping her cheeks, not allowing her red lips to retreat for a moment.
Tao Hong and Liu Lu hastily covered their mouths to block their exclamations from escaping their throats, then turned their backs and furtively looked around for fear of being seen by others. Fortunately, it was already forty-five minutes past choushi (1.45 a.m.) and everyone had already fallen asleep. Only the trees were left standing loftily and calmly in the garden.
The two of them kissed each other intimately and were unwilling to separate. After a long while, they stopped and breathed heavily. Yu Pin Yan cupped his sister’s face and pecked her on the forehead, the tip of her nose and the side of her cheek before picking her up and striding back. Tao Hong and Liu Lu hurriedly followed, pushing their wheelchairs.
Only after the group was gone did a thin figure emerge from the cave. The moonlight reflected upon her deathly pale face. It was Yu Miao Qi’s maidservant, Bao Sheng.
“Young Miss, Young Miss, quickly open the door, Young Miss!” She knocked rapidly on the door of the room.
“What’s all the fuss in the middle of the night?” The maidservant on night watch opened the door to her room and draped a smock over Yu Miao Qi, who was half sitting up.
“What’s the matter with you?” Yu Miao Qi propped up her forehead, her face filled with impatience.
Bao Sheng glanced at the maidservant. Yu Miao Qi understood and dismissed her, then hurriedly said, “If you have something to say, do it quickly. Can’t you even see what time it is now?”
“Young Miss, I was so hungry in the middle of the night that I thought I would go to the kitchen to get something to eat.” She pulled out a cold, hard steamed bun from her pocket to prove that what she said was true, and continued. “But I didn’t expect to run into the Marquis and Third Young Miss on the way. Do you know what they were doing?”
“What?” Yu Miao Qi’s impatient expression instantly disappeared as she leaned forward slightly, staring intently at Bao Sheng’s mouth as it opened and closed.
“They are… They are actually… that…” Baosheng gestured to her lips, her face flushed with shame.
“What?” Yu Miao Qi’s nerves were tense and she had a vague suspicion.
“They were kissing on their lips and it caused a ‘tut-tut’ sound.” Bao Sheng finished in one breath, dropping her head to cover her face. The scene was so passionate that she felt ashamed at the mere thought of it.
Yu Miao Qi was stunned, and it was only after a long time that she laughed, her voice shaking with excitement, “Great! I thought that Yu Pin Yan was so fond of that bastard, but it turned out that they were engaging in a love affair. This time I will make sure that bastard to be consigned to eternal damnation!”
[1] 倾国倾城(qīngguóqīngchéng)- lit. capable of causing the downfall of a city or state (idiom)/ Fig (of a woman) devastatingly beautiful.