Chapter 110.2
Yue Li, who was only slightly tipsy, accidentally kissed Wei Zhan's ear, suddenly feeling too embarrassed to lift her head.
Resting on his shoulder, she realized that if she opened her eyes now, they would both be facing each other in a very awkward situation. Should she pretend to be drunk instead?
Inwardly conflicted, she furrowed her brows tightly, cursing herself for foolishly trying to grab the wine from his hand under the influence.
Wei Zhan, supporting Yue Li's shoulder, felt a surge of complex emotions. Holding the girl he cared for should have been a beautiful moment, but knowing she was already betrothed added a hint of moral judgment to the mix.
His heart was about to leap out of his chest, and he looked down at her sleeping form, letting out a long sigh.
Forget it, morality be damned.
After all, it would just be this one time. He had brought her to the fireworks display to create some wonderful memories of her maiden years.
There was no need to disturb her lovely dream.
Yue Li was puzzled why Wei Zhan hadn't pushed her away yet. He stayed still, causing her to be even more reluctant to wake up. She thought to herself that she must be truly drunk, silently planning what to prepare for winter after returning the next day: food, clothes, charcoal, and rearranging the livestock pens at home.
Lost in her thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.
Wei Zhan saw her sleeping soundly, her breathing becoming more even, so he sat there motionless, letting her lean on his shoulder.
It wasn't until the next morning, when the sunlight broke through the clouds and shone on Yue Li's eyelids, that she finally woke up.
After a night of dreaming, she opened her eyes in a slightly drunken confusion, seeing Wei Zhan's face close by, smelling the scent of alcohol around them, and only then remembered what had happened the night before.
She hesitated before speaking, but Wei Zhan rubbed his eyes and woke up as well.
Wei Zhan saw her pause for a moment, then scratch her head awkwardly and say, "I got drunk last night and fell asleep here."
Yue Li nodded vaguely, avoiding eye contact with him as she straightened out the wrinkles on her clothes. "Me too."
"Let's go, I'll take you to find Ah Heng." Wei Zhan quickly got up, grabbed the cloak from the table, and didn't look at her again.
He couldn't look at her anymore, it really couldn't continue anymore.
Last night, he had convinced himself for a long time. Continuing like this would only bring more trouble for her.
It had to stop here.
No more progress, no more glances.
Yue Li didn't notice his subtle changes. She fixed her hair and followed him downstairs.
Huai Street in the early morning wasn't as busy, with only a few pedestrians passing by. The gentle autumn breeze brushed against their faces with a cool dampness.
In the misty morning, Yue Li walked beside Wei Zhan in silence, which was unusual. This young general displayed a sense of authority in front of his subordinates, but was very talkative in private.
Having known him for some time, she had a good understanding of his personality, and it was rare to see him so quiet.
"Wait for me." Wei Zhan finally spoke to her.
Yue Li watched him walk into another alley and soon emerged with a yellow oil-paper package in his hand.
"These are Duan Ji's buns, they're delicious." He handed the bun to Yue Li.
She opened the package, and the steaming bun warmed her cold face, filling it with a sense of warmth. She took a bite and savored the rich meaty flavor.
Turning her head, the young general couldn't hide his smile, leaning towards her and teasing, "Is it good?"
Yue Li smiled and handed him a bun.
As she handed it over, she caught a glimpse of her hand, rough and calloused from years of labor. Thinking of the groomed maids in the An family, she felt a bit embarrassed and almost withdrew her hand.
Wei Zhan, in a moment of confusion, lowered his head to her hand and took a bite of the bun.
Yue Li was taken aback by his unexpected action and was momentarily stunned before pulling her hand back.
Wei Zhan, realizing his mistake, straightened up and fell silent, leading her towards the An family once again.
This time, he didn't speak a word until he dropped her off at the entrance of the An family, where the maids of Zhao Heng's courtyard came to escort her. He said, "You're here, goodbye."
Yue Li was surprised, "Aren't you coming in?"
"I won't." He shook his head, looked at the plaque of the An family, and said, "I have to go on duty in the palace."
Yue Li looked at his tired eyes, was he still on duty today?
Would his drunken state from last night when he took her to the fireworks event impede his duties?
Wei Zhan seemed to sense her thoughts and smiled slightly, "I'm on duty this afternoon, I can take a nap now and it won't affect anything."
"Good to hear." Yue Li smiled, "I won't keep you, go on."
Wei Zhan nodded slightly at Yue Li and walked towards the direction of the palace with his cloak in hand.
It wasn't until his figure disappeared that she withdrew her gaze and followed her attendants towards Qingyuan.
Zhao Heng had been eagerly anticipating Yue Li's visit, so when she saw her outside the carved window, she couldn't wait to rush out.
"Sister Ah Li!"
Yue Li looked at the petite girl before her, touched her head, and frowned. "You should eat well even if you're feeling down, how did you become so thin?"
"I do eat well!" Zhao Heng rubbed her cheeks, "I fell sick in Yingzhou, and I've been out in the sun every day, that's why I look like this."
Yue Li glanced at her dark complexion and wondered, "Really? I heard that you were getting thin because you were worried about whether to enter the palace with the Crown Prince and weren't eating properly."
"How could that be?" Zhao Heng widened her eyes, "I promised Brother Shulang, wherever he goes, I'll go. If he goes to the palace, of course, I'll go with him."
Yue Li's doubts deepened when she heard this. The young general had clearly said something different last night.
Could she have misheard?
*
Li Wenjian had been back in the capital for several days but hadn't run into Wei Zhan.
Finally, during the dispersal of court, he stopped someone in front of the palace gates. The newly-appointed young general showed no joy on his face, responding indifferently to the congratulations of his colleagues.
"Why so downcast?" Li Wenjian walked down the white jade steps, eyeing the young man languidly.
"There's nothing worth celebrating." Wei Zhan walked lightly.
That shouldn't be the case.
"Aren't you sad because Yue Li is getting married?" Li Wenjian joked as he walked, but took notice of the despondency on the young man's face.
The young man turned his clear and cold gaze towards him, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "How did you know?"
Wei Zhan, riding high in court due to his merits in slaying the tyrannical emperor; Yue Li's hadn't experienced the slaughter under the tyrant's rule. Therefore, there shouldn't be anything troubling him. If there was, it could only be because Yue Li was getting married.
"Really getting married?" Li Wenjian shook his head in disbelief. How could this situation occur?
"Not really," Wei Zhan replied calmly, "but it's almost there. Her father has found a match for her."
"So she's not married yet?" Li Wenjian accepted his cloak handed by a palace guard and continued walking with the young man beside him.
"What's the difference?" Wei Zhan sighed, feeling defeated.
"Is the person her heart's desire?" The autumn wind billowed their robes as they walked.
Wei Zhan lowered his eyelids and shook his head, "No, she hasn't even met the person, only her father has."
"Then it's settled." Li Wenjian said lightly.
Wei Zhan suddenly stopped and looked at the handsome young man before him. "Are you suggesting that I elope?"
"What elope?" Li Wenjian smiled, "If it's not confirmed, it's not considered an engagement. Even if it is, and she doesn't love the match, what's the difference if it's you? If you want something, you have to go after it yourself."
A hint of radiance returned to the young man's face that had been cold for days.
"What's with the bell?" Li Wenjian squinted at Wei Zhan, noticing a small brass bell peeking out from under his robe.
Wei Zhan casually took off the bell and handed it to him.
Li Wenjian examined the bell and asked, "Where is this from?"
Wei Zhan smirked, a glint of mischief in his eyes, "It's Ah Li's donkey bell. She left it in my tent last time and forgot to take it back."
Li Wenjian quickly stuffed the bell back into his hand and brushed his fingers on his cloak, frowning. "Nonsense."
As Li Wenjian walked away without looking back, Wei Zhan couldn't help but smile, saying, "Then I'll be off."
Li Wenjian was irritated by his teasing and walked away without turning back.
*
Yue Li took advantage of the good weather to dry a lot of preserved vegetables, preparing for the winter ahead.
Just as she was spreading oil paper on the ground, she heard the sound of hooves approaching from outside. She stood up and looked out, only to see Wei Zhan galloping towards her on his horse.
She thought she must be still half-asleep and seeing things, but he was still there. "Major General?" She wiped the dried vegetable crumbs from her hands and went out to meet him.
Wei Zhan dismounted and patted his horse's rear, gesturing for it to go play somewhere. The horse raised its head proudly and pranced off to the grassy field behind the house.
"Did something happen to my father and the others?" Yue Li asked nervously as she saw Wei Zhan, her heart racing.
"No, they're fine," Wei Zhan replied, looking suddenly uncomfortable, a stark contrast to his usual composure even on the battlefield.
Yue Li gave him a puzzled look, cocking her head to the side, but before she could ask more, she faintly heard the agitated voice of Jingzhe's mother, and she tiptoed a bit to look in the distance. She indeed saw Jingzhe's mother stomping towards her house, cursing under her breath.
Many people along the way heard the commotion and followed, eager to witness the drama.
"What's going on?" Wei Zhan furrowed his brow.
Seeing Aunt Zhao's hostile approach, Yue Li pushed Wei Zhan inside the house, "It's nothing, wait for me inside."
Wei Zhan knew how gossip circulated in the village, and he wasn't sure what accusations might be thrown at Yue Li in his presence, so he obediently retreated into the house.
Yue Li closed the door behind her with a hollow sound and then stepped out again to confront the situation.
Upon hearing Aunt Zhao's scolding and taunting words, Yue Li frowned and asked, "What's going on?"
Seeing Yue Li come out, Jingzhe's mother charged at her and slapped her across the face. "You little vixen, why are you always after our Jingzhe?"
The slap left Yue Li stunned, and she pushed her away.
"Even after the betrothal was called off, why are you still so maliciously attached to him? Do you want to harm him?" Jingzhe's mother wailed, with Aunt Zhao coming over to support her, wiping her tears.
What had happened to Jingzhe?
Suppressing her humiliation, Yue Li tried to sound calm as she asked, "What happened to Jingzhe?"
"You're asking what happened? It's all because you instigated our Jingzhe to join the military," Jingzhe's mother cried, almost in hysterics. She struggled to strike Yue Li again, but Yue Li grabbed her wrist and pushed her away forcefully.
"You're talking nonsense, I had no idea about this," Yue Li insisted.
"You're pretending now?" Jingzhe's mother screamed, "Just a few days after the argument with you, Jingzhe suddenly joined the army. You definitely influenced him."
"A few days ago, Zhao shi saw you two arguing in the woods until dark," she continued accusingly.
"What did you do to him to make him risk his life and go to war? He has no power or influence, going there would be like sacrificing himself!" Jingzhe's mother accusations grew more vehement.
Yue Li had no clue about Jingzhe joining the military. She explained, "I didn't do anything. That day, Jingzhe secretly brought me a jar of honey, I returned it to him and told him I was already betrothed, asking him not to think about me anymore."
"If you had nothing between you, why would Jingzhe give you honey? Honey is quite expensive nowadays," Aunt Zhao eyed her suspiciously. "Ah Li, this is your fault. Even after the betrothal was called off, why are you hovering around Jingzhe, being so ambiguous and unclear?"
"I didn't," Yue Li's face turned pale.
As more people gathered around to join the commotion, they started criticizing Yue Li. The gossip was spreading like wildfire, with some even suggesting that Yue Li's engagement with the Xue family was broken because of her improper conduct, implying involvement with Jingzhe.
"I already said I didn't," Yue Li trembled all over, glaring at them with hatred. "In the two years since Jingzhe called off our engagement, he has only come to see me twice. Once was a few days ago when I returned from Chunfeng Ridge, and he asked me if I had encountered any bandits. The second time was the day I returned his honey. Apart from that, we haven't spoken a single word."
Jingzhe's mother hysterically cried out, "Why didn't you come to return the honey at his doorstep? Why sneakily call him away and go to the small woods? It's clear you saw his potential and purposely tried to lure him in! Were you planning to go to the town with him? I see through your intentions clearly."
"I didn't!"
"You shameless woman, still trying to argue your way out of it. You've caused the death of your mother, driven away your father, and now you want to harm my Jingzhe!" Jingzhe's mother sat on the ground, crying in agony. "Give me back my son!"
Yue Li stared at Jingzhe's mother, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity towards her. Amidst the absurdity of the situation, hearing her slander her parents, Yue Li found herself strangely calm, contemplating Jingzhe's mother infuriating behavior.
"If you're looking for your son, you shouldn't have come to my house." Yue Li took a deep breath, her voice slow and firm. "Please leave now."
Jingzhe's mother suddenly rushed towards Yue Li.
Wei Zhan, watching from behind the door crack, instinctively wanted to rush out, but hesitated when his hand rested on the latch.
The crowd outside was heatedly condemning Ah Li's behavior. If he went out now, he would only reinforce their accusations, confirming Ah Li as the loose woman they described her as.
He could help her in any other situation, but in this, going out would only add chaos.
His hand clenched the latch tightly, leaving deep indents on the hard wood.
He continued to peer through the crack in the door, watching the commotion outside.
Jingzhe's mother pointed a finger at Yue Li and spitefully said, "If you don't return my son today, I won't leave. I'll make sure everyone in the surrounding villages knows what kind of fox spirit you are."
Yue Li gave her a cold glare, then turned and walked back into the house. As she pushed the door, Wei Zhan instinctively moved to the side, pressing tightly against the wall.
As Yue Li passed by, she glanced at him sideways. He saw the traces of tears in her eyes, a haze of redness.
In that brief moment of eye contact, she looked away, grabbed her bow and arrow hanging on the wall, and swiftly headed back outside.
She strung her bow and arrow, aiming at Jingzhe's mother who was sitting on the ground, and asked, "Will you leave or not?"
Jingzhe's mother sneered and replied harshly, "I'm not leaving, do you dare to kill me?"
With a whoosh, a cold arrow whizzed towards Jingzhe's mother amidst the shrieks of the onlookers. The sharp arrow pierced through her hair, scattering it messily across her face.
Caught off guard by the arrow, Jingzhe's mother gasped and raised a hand to touch her disheveled hair.
In the midst of the action, Yue Li had already prepared a second arrow. She coldly asked, "Will you leave or not?"
Jingzhe's mother face paled, and before she could speak, Yue Li shot another arrow, piercing through her clothes and embedding in the mud.
"You're insane!" Jingzhe's mother screamed, scrambling to get up from the ground.
"If you keep bothering me, I will send you to accompany my mother. Weren't you two close before?" Yue Li gripped the bow tightly and turned back to walk into the house.
The spectators dispersed, leaving Jingzhe's mother behind.
Yue Li returned to the house, hung the bow back on the wall, and as she turned, she met a pair of deep eyes. Overwhelmed by the embarrassment of the situation, she felt ashamed and couldn't lift her head. She lowered her gaze, picking at her nails with her hands.
"That woman's quite vicious." Wei Zhan took out a bottle and handed it to her, lowering his head to inspect the marks on her face.
Yue Li turned her head to avoid his gaze, but her chin was suddenly gripped, forcing her to look up at him.
Luckily, there was no trace of contempt or disdain in his eyes. He was just looking at her injuries, asking, "Can you tend to them yourself? Do you need me to help?"
Yue Li cried.
Tears flowed uncontrollably, one after another, forming a long streak that dripped and pattered on Wei Zhan's hand.
As if he had anticipated it, he had a handkerchief ready and pressed it directly against her eyes, covering her reddened eyes.
Yue Li covered her face with the handkerchief to hide her swollen eyes when she cried. She tried hard to restrain herself, but the tears just wouldn't listen, falling incessantly.
Wei Zhan suddenly thought of Wei Wanyu. When she cried, it was always a wailing, wanting everyone to know so they could console her.
In any case, she would never cry as restrained as Yue Li did.
"I didn't," she choked out.
Wei Zhan hesitated for a moment, realizing she was refuting the accusations they had made against her. He said, "I know."
"Do you believe me?" Yue Li sniffed, finally lowering the handkerchief covering her face and turning to look at Wei Zhan.
"I do," Wei Zhan said.
"But she doesn't believe me, she insists on accusing me unjustly."
Wei Zhan looked at her tear-filled eyes and his heart ached. "There are some people in this world who are just unreasonable. No matter what you say, they won't believe you."
"Yes, Jingzhe told me the same." Yue Li wiped the water stains from her face. "He told me not to pay attention to their words, just live my life to the fullest."
She sat on the doorstep, gazing at the floating clouds in the sky, and began to share the story of her and Jingzhe with him.
They had grown up together, and Jingzhe always listened to her, helping her in every way. If not for that unpredictable natural disaster, they would have been married next year. They were the closest people in the world, not like now, where even a few whispered words in private would label her as a fox spirit.
The autumn light spilled from the eaves, casting a soft glow on her slightly flushed face, like a rain-washed crabapple flower, saturated with water.
Wei Zhan felt a twinge of sadness.
"Do you miss him a lot?" he blurted out, not sure why he said such a poignant thing.
"Not really," Yue Li's hand rested on her cheek, her voice mumbled. "I just miss the old times, when my mother was here, and Jingzhe's parents cared for me. I had no worries every day."
They were truly poor, but their happiness was genuine.
"I don't know how it turned out like this," Yue Li murmured.
Wei Zhan looked at her deeply desolate expression, his heart tightening momentarily.
She suddenly looked up. "Will you keep your word from before? About teaching you archery."
"Of course," Wei Zhan replied quickly.
Wei Zhan hesitated and asked, "Are you not going to marry now?"
"I'm not," Yue Li smiled gently. "If they don't want me, that's fine. I don't need to get married. If they want me to suffer, I'll just live well to show them."
Wei Zhan nodded approvingly, a deep smile on his lips. "As my tutor, I promise you riches and luxuries from now on. Let them envy you."
Yue Li blushed, her eyelashes fluttering with tears, and she said softly, "You don't have to do that."
Wei Zhan uttered a satisfied "Mm" and turned to look at her longbow.
It was a good bow, and her archery skills were truly exceptional.
The room fell into a quiet tranquility.
Lost in his thoughts, Yue Li looked up and asked him, "By the way, what did you need me for?"
Wei Zhan was taken aback, momentarily frozen, then he fumbled in his sleeve and pulled out a rough, large bell, handing it to her solemnly.
"Listen to this bell, it was left in my tent last time," Wei Zhan said, his eyes blinking incessantly.
"So it was with you, I searched for it for so long."
The young girl wiped away her tears, her eyes full of joy as she held the bell in her hands, producing a clear and crisp sound that reverberated through the empty room.