Chapter 271 Extra 3: (Yan Xiu) Longing (Part 1)
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The first time Xia Chengxiu met Yan He was at a spring banquet outing with her cousin.
Although it was called a spring banquet outing, it was actually just an opportunity for eligible noble young men and women to see each other. At that time, Xia Chengxiu was only sixteen years old. In the capital city, although there were young ladies of this age who were already married, Lord Xia, eager to dote on his daughter, had no intention of marrying Xia Chengxiu off early.
So, Xia Chengxiu just came out to have fun with her cousin.
It was mid-April, spring was in full bloom, and the grass was lush along the bank of the Si River. Xia Chengxiu got off the carriage with her cousin Xia Qianqian, and some familiar young ladies were already flying kites.
Seeing this, Xia Qianqian immediately had her servant take out the prepared kites and went to join her friends.
Xia Qianqian, who was eighteen years old this year, stood out among the group of young ladies with her particularly outstanding appearance, exceptionally sweet and charming. She was well aware of her own beauty, dressed in a crimson thin embroidered narrow-collared long skirt, outlining her graceful figure. She could be easily spotted in the crowd.
Her family background was also the most superior among this group of young ladies. In just a short while, she was surrounded by people, showering her with compliments.
At that time, Xia Chengxiu was just a sixteen-year-old girl, at most, she could be considered delicate and pretty. There was no need to compare her with her cousin Xia Qianqian. Lord Xia was usually referred to as a bookworm, so Xia Chengxiu was secretly called a little bookworm by others. She adhered to etiquette, which made her seem somewhat reserved and taciturn among her peers or sisters, not quite likable enough.
The relationship between Xia Qianqian and Xia Chengxiu was not particularly close, just ordinary cousins. However, with Xia Chengxiu, the boring and uninteresting bookworm, by her side, Xia Qianqian appeared even more charming, lively, and intelligent.
Xia Chengxiu didn’t think much of it. Seeing her cousin chatting with her friends enthusiastically, she picked up a book and sat aside to read. Xia Qianqian couldn’t be bothered to care about her. After a while, everyone started setting up long tables by the Si River, with various snacks and delicacies brought from their homes placed on them. They would have their meal here at noon.
After some time passed, Xia Chengxiu heard the young ladies beside her discussing the beautiful rouge color of a newly launched product, which then turned into “Young Master Yan from the Yan Family is also coming today.”
“The Yan Family Young Master” referred to Yan Nanguang, the current commander of the Left and Right Vanguard Battalion. He was only eighteen years old this year, and it was said that he was brave and skilled in battle, as well as being exceptionally talented. At a young age, his future was limitless. Xia Qianqian’s father intended to form an alliance with the Yan Family. Today’s outing was also an implicit understanding between Xia Qianqian’s father and Madam Yan from the Yan Family, to see if there was any fate between the two young people.
Xia Chengxiu had heard about this, but it was her cousin’s business. She just came out today to be a foil for her cousin and enjoy the sun while reading a book.
Just as she was thinking about it, someone suddenly whispered beside her, “They’re here!”
Xia Chengxiu looked up and saw a group of young men walking towards the Si River from afar. The leading young man was dressed in a silver robe, which was quite eye-catching. However, he was handsome and tall, so it didn’t seem strange at all. His hair was tied up high into a ponytail, giving off an unruly and restless vibe, as if he was somewhat impatient. But this made him stand out among the group of young men, appearing different.
People always said that there were three beauties in Shuojing City: the eldest son of the Xiao family was as gentle as spring breeze, the second son of the Xiao family was as deep as autumn water, and the fourth son of the Chu family was as elegant as orchids. This young man, however, seemed like a silver spear, somewhat exaggerated and overly splendid, but also carried a sense of straightforwardness and impulsiveness.
The handsome young man who walked out on this spring day looked exceptionally beautiful. Despite Xia Chengxiu not being particularly interested in such matters, she couldn’t help but glance at him a few more times, thinking that with his looks, he could actually be considered the fourth beauty.
Just as she was thinking this, the young lady sitting beside Xia Qianqian pushed her and whispered, “Qianqian, this is Young Master Yan. You two look really compatible together!”
Xia Qianqian blushed inexplicably.
Before coming here, although she had heard of Yan He’s name, she had never seen him in person and didn’t know what he looked like. Today, upon seeing him for the first time, she realized how handsome he was. For a moment, she felt a bit moved.
The group of young men didn’t approach, but from a distance, several of them started taking out their prepared kites and began playing with them in the east wind, laughing and joking around.
In the sky above the Si River, many kites flew at once, paper swallows, magpies, two dragons playing with a pearl… The young man in the silver robe was surrounded and pushed around by people, and finally, with an impatient look on his face, he grabbed a “Black King Kong” kite handed to him.
The “Black King Kong” kite flew very fast, and this young man was very skilled at flying kites. The girls watched from afar, unable to help but secretly cheer. However, they couldn’t decide whether they were cheering for the kite that flew the highest or for the young man flying the kite.
As Xia Qianqian watched, she suddenly stood up and said with a smile, “Let’s go fly kites too.”
In fact, the young ladies had already been flying kites for a while before this, but these wealthy young ladies were weak in physical strength. After flying kites for a while, they would sit down to rest, leaving the rest to the servants. Xia Qianqian stood up, walked to the maid who was holding her “Hundred Butterfly” kite, and said, “Let me do it.”
The young ladies sitting by the long table immediately laughed, and someone whispered, “It seems that Qianqian is fond of him.”
Xia Chengxiu didn’t understand what they meant, but she didn’t say anything. She was not a talkative person to begin with. She just watched as Xia Qianqian pulled the kite string and walked towards the riverbank, and as she saw the two kites in the sky getting closer and closer, she hesitated whether to speak up to remind her. But the next moment, she heard her cousin exclaim, “Oh my!” in surprise. The strings of her “Hundred Butterfly” kite and the “Black King Kong” kite got tangled together, and they collided and fell into the forest on the other side.
The noblewomen beside her laughed even louder, accompanied by whispered discussions, “Qianqian is quite skillful.”
Xia Qianqian still held the tangled kite strings in her hand, looking confused and at a loss, but there was a hint of satisfaction in her eyes.
She was very confident in her appearance. If she wanted to capture a young man’s heart, it shouldn’t be difficult. She had applied her rouge beautifully today, and her dress was also very pretty. She glanced back at the silver-robed young man who was frowning and staring at the tangled kites, then turned around and ran towards the forest where the kites had fallen.
At the same time, Xia Chengxiu, who was sitting aside, also put down her book and stood up.
The noblewoman beside her asked, “Miss Chengxiu, what are you going to do?”
“Older Sister’s kite fell down, so I’m going to help.” Xia Chengxiu replied.
“You’re going to help? You’ll only make matters worse.” The noblewoman laughed, covering her mouth, looking at her as if she were a fool, with a hint of complex sourness in her eyes. “Qianqian doesn’t need your help right now.”
Xia Chengxiu pursed her lips, feeling uneasy about leaving Xia Qianqian alone, so she lifted her skirt and ran after her.
The noblewomen called her a few times, but seeing that she ignored them, they let it go.
The forest where the kite fell was not far from the riverbank, but it was overgrown with bushes. Girls had to be careful of thorny branches tearing their skirts as they walked through. Xia Chengxiu struggled to push aside the vegetation and saw a glimpse of her cousin’s crimson dress not far away. Relieved, she was about to walk over when she suddenly heard Xia Qianqian speak, “Young Master Yan.”
Xia Chengxiu froze in her tracks, only then noticing another person standing in front of Xia Qianqian—today’s focal point, Young Master Yan.
Xia Qianqian’s voice was gentle and sweet, tinged with a hint of anxiety and apology. “Young Master Yan, I’m sorry, it wasn’t intentional.”
Yan He just frowned at her.
His gaze was bright and sharp, making Xia Qianqian inexplicably nervous. Anxiously, she grasped her dress and said, “Young Master Yan, now the kites are tangled together. What should we do?”
Xia Qianqian’s eyes were shy, her voice sweet. Xia Chengxiu finally realized that her cousin was probably trying to “seduce” this Young Master Yan. However, she couldn’t leave now, afraid of disturbing the two in front of her. She could only reluctantly watch the scene unfold, thinking to herself that the next thing Young Master Yan would probably say would be “It’s okay” or “It’s not your fault”, words of comfort, then he would escort Xia Qianqian home, and the engagement would be settled… it should be like that, right?
“It’s okay.” Just as she was thinking this, the voice of the young man came from ahead. Xia Chengxiu thought as expected. Looking up, she saw Yan He suddenly smile carelessly, then casually drew a small blade from his waist and decisively cut the entangled threads between the two kites.
Xia Chengxiu was dumbfounded.
She wasn’t the only one shocked; Xia Qianqian was also stunned for a moment before asking, “What are you doing?”
“This way they’re separated.” Yan He put away the blade. “Don’t worry, I’m a broad-minded person. I won’t hold it against you for intentionally damaging my kite.”
Xia Qianqian, who had always been praised, had never been spoken to like this before. For a moment, a sense of shame surged in her heart, and with a hint of a sob in her voice, she cried out, “Who intentionally damaged your kite!” She slapped Yan He and ran away, holding up her skirt and crying.
Xia Chengxiu was so scared that she didn’t dare to breathe. She thought to herself that this Young Master Yan was really unexpected…
“Hey,” someone’s impatient voice sounded, “you, the one peeking over there, seen enough?”
Xia Chengxiu was taken aback. Had she been discovered?
The next moment, the person was already in front of her.
Instinctively, Xia Chengxiu took a step back.
Looking closely, this young man named Yan He was indeed very handsome, but he always seemed condescending when looking at others. Seeing Xia Chengxiu, Yan He was also surprised and frowned, saying, “It’s you.”
Among the group of noblewomen at the long table, he had noticed Xia Chengxiu a long time ago. She didn’t chat or laugh with those noblewomen, nor did she fly kites. She just sat next to Xia Qianqian and read like a decoration.
“That one just now,” he asked, “who are you to her?”
“Her cousin,” Xia Chengxiu replied.
Yan He snorted disdainfully. “Putting on airs.” He pushed Xia Chengxiu aside and walked ahead.
Xia Chengxiu hadn’t expected Yan He to suddenly push her. As a delicate young lady who couldn’t even lift a hand or shoulder, being pushed like this made her take a few steps back. She wasn’t paying attention and brushed against a thorny branch, leaving a red mark on her hand.
The new red mark on her fair skin was very conspicuous. Yan He was also stunned, not expecting these delicate young ladies to be so fragile that they would get injured with just a slight touch. Feeling a bit annoyed but unable to ignore it, he took a step forward to check her injury. Unexpectedly, Xia Chengxiu immediately took a step back.
“You’re injured,” Yan He said.
“I know,” Xia Chengxiu said calmly, seeming unbothered by the wound on her hand, her tone flat. “But it’s inappropriate for men and women to touch each other.”
Yan He was a bit puzzled. The girl in front of him was far from as striking as Xia Qianqian. She wore a light yellow dress, had no makeup on, and looked like she was still too young to understand matters of love. So how could she talk about “not touching”?
He said, “Little girl, you’re quite old-fashioned for your age.”
Xia Chengxiu just sidestepped him, saying, “I’m broad-minded. I won’t hold it against Young Master Yan for intentionally pushing me.”
Yan He was dumbfounded.
After Xia Chengxiu said this, she turned and walked away. Yan He rubbed his chin, wondering if this girl was seeking revenge for her cousin. It was the first time he had been rebuked by a woman like this. She seemed refined, but apparently, she wasn’t one to be trifled with.
After Xia Chengxiu left the woods, the noblewomen at the long table had also dispersed. Presumably, Xia Qianqian had been upset with Yan He, crying and insisting on returning home by carriage, so Xia Chengxiu had to hurriedly follow suit. By the time Yan He came out, the group of noblewomen had already boarded their carriages.
In the grass by the long table, there was still a book lying there. Yan He remembered that only Xia Chengxiu had been sitting here reading when they arrived. This book was probably hers, forgotten in her haste to leave. He bent down to pick it up and flipped it open. It was a travelogue, with someone’s annotations written elegantly and gracefully. It reminded him of the girl who had quietly rebuked him in the woods.
Yan He sneered, muttering under his breath, “Bookworm.” Yet, inexplicably, he tucked the travelogue into his pocket.
…
The mutual attraction between Xia Qianqian and He Yan naturally came to an end. Xia Qianqian’s parents even had a period of coldness towards Commandant Yan, prompting Commandant Yan to scold Yan He harshly. Yan He himself didn’t think much of it.
But this “engagement” had no follow-up.
Time flew by, and another year passed. Xia Chengxiu turned seventeen, and Xia’s parents began to consider finding a suitable young talent for her in the capital.
When Yan He returned home, he overheard his own mother discussing with his aunt about arranging his cousin for Xia Chengxiu.
“Xia Chengxiu?” Yan He stopped in his tracks on his way inside and turned to ask, “The Miss from the household of the Sacrificial Official of the Imperial Academy?”
“How did you know?” Yan’s mother asked in confusion. “Aren’t you the one who always forgets the names of these young ladies?”
Yan He didn’t answer his mother’s question. He just furrowed his brow and asked, “Cousin is two years older than me, but isn’t Miss Xia younger? In terms of age, wouldn’t I be more suitable?”
Commandant Yan scolded him, “Miss Xia is from a scholarly family, knowledgeable and sensible. Didn’t you always say you dislike those who are bookish? Didn’t you always say you dislike bookworms? Are you willing to be matched with her?”
Yan He remained silent. Returning to his room, he stared blankly out the window at the pond for half the day, then took out a book from the bottom drawer of his desk.
It was a travelogue.
Late one night, when everyone in the Yan Mansion was asleep, Yan He knocked on his parents’ bedroom door while wearing his outer robe.
“Yan Nanguang, you’re scaring people in the middle of the night. What do you want?” Commandant Yan was furious.
Yan He said, “I’m willing.”
…
After that came the long days of pursuit.
Yan He spared no effort to win the heart of the beauty. Lord Xia was stern and old-fashioned, and Yan He was always a bit scared whenever he saw him. But what was even scarier than Lord Xia was Xia Chengxiu. She seemed like a powerless little bookworm, but every time she just looked at him with those calm eyes, Yan He didn’t know what to do.
Commandant Yan scolded him at home, “Usually you’re like a fighting cock, but why can’t you even pursue a girl properly? Why can’t you figure out why she doesn’t like you? Can’t you think about it properly?”
Yan He couldn’t figure it out. He thought he was quite good, with handsome looks, agile skills, and a respectable family background. Among the young talents in Shuojing City, he could be considered one of the best. So why didn’t Xia Chengxiu like him? It must be because that little bookworm didn’t know how to appreciate a man’s worth, completely missing the point. But he didn’t dare to say this in front of Xia Chengxiu.
Seeing her son preoccupied all day, Madam Yan felt both gratified and helpless. She could only indirectly advise him, “Since you like her, you should treat her better. Care for her more, and Miss Xia will eventually see your merits.”
Yan He felt his mother had a point. However, he didn’t know how to be good to someone. The jewelry and fabrics he sent were all returned, and the love poems he wrote ended up back in the hands of his servants the next day. Sometimes he felt regretful. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been so rude and arrogant when he first met Xia Chengxiu. It would have been better than desperately trying to make amends now, with little success.
A proud and arrogant man, Yan He finally felt the unease and restlessness of love.
Regardless of how he treated Xia Chengxiu, she remained indifferent to him from start to finish. So when Commandant Yan went to the Xia residence to propose marriage, Yan He initially went with a sense of defeat. But he was about to lead his troops into battle. Life and death were uncertain on the battlefield. If he didn’t propose now, he feared he would never get another chance. Disappointment after trying was better than regretting without trying.
That’s what he thought. But he didn’t expect that the Yan family’s proposal of marriage would actually be accepted by Lord Xia.
He couldn’t believe it.
This was supposed to be a joyous occasion, but as it approached, Yan He himself began to hesitate. If he died on this expedition, the two of them, who were betrothed, would Xia Chengxiu would bear the blame for losing her husband before even marrying him.
With a heavy heart, he left the Xia household. As he was about to leave, someone called out to him from behind, “Young Master Yan.”
Yan He turned around and saw Xia Chengxiu standing behind him, quietly gazing at him.
“I…” Yan He was at a loss for words.
“Young Master Yan.” This usually quiet and reserved girl smiled at him for the first time, gentle and graceful like the willows by the Si River, exuding warmth.
“Come back soon,” she said.
He was stunned for a moment, inexplicably blushing. He stared at the girl under the sunlight until the maidservants beside Xia Chengxiu took out brooms to chase him away. Only then did he cough lightly and whisper, “I will.”
After taking a few steps, he turned back and added nonchalantly, “Wait for me.”
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