Chapter 190: Secret
“Still laughable, borrowing tonight’s drunkenness, for the sake of an old friend!”
Yan He grasped the wine jar loosely, his face flushed red, his speech already slurred. Hua Youxian smiled and said, “General Yan is drunk.”
A small jar of Bifang wine had been emptied, the sound of the zither still lingering, yet everyone had already fallen into drunken stupor, leaning this way and that. Yan He and Lin Shuanghe were the most intoxicated. Lin Shuanghe was waving his fan, arguing fiercely with Yan He. “What’s so great about having a wife? How could someone with a wife understand the preciousness of freedom?”
“You don’t know shit!” Yan He cursed drunkenly. “You’re just… sour grapes…”
Yang Mingzhi had a low tolerance for alcohol; even a little made him dizzy. He didn’t go wild, though, merely sitting with restraint, lost in thought, his gaze somewhat unfocused.
He Yan’s tolerance for alcohol was even worse than Yang Mingzhi’s. Though the rose dew was light and sweet, it still contained wine. After a few cups, drowsiness washed over her, and before she knew it, her head felt heavy and her feet light. She slumped onto the table, sleeping soundly.
Among the group, only Chu Zhao and Xiao Jue remained sober.
“There are empty rooms upstairs,” Cailian said. “Why not take them upstairs to rest for a while? I’ll have the girls brew some hangover soup to keep warm. They can drink it when they wake up.”
Xiao Jue nodded.
Leaving aside the others, just Yan He and Lin Shuanghe in their current state would undoubtedly cause trouble if left on the streets. Cailian ordered people to help Lin Shuanghe and Yan He upstairs.
Yang Mingzhi swayed as he stood up, barely maintaining his composure. He smiled and said, “I don’t need to stay. My carriage is still outside. I’ll go back to rest.” Without waiting for a reply, he walked out on his own.
Hua Youxian looked worried. “This…”
Xiao Jue said, “Let him be.”
After Yang Mingzhi left, Chu Zhao turned to look at He Yan. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Xiao Jue walk over to He Yan, pat her back, and call out, “He Yan.”
He Yan, half-asleep, instinctively swatted Xiao Jue’s hand away and continued sleeping soundly. Xiao Jue paused for a moment, then bent down and picked He Yan up.
The girl still playing the zither nearby was startled, her fingers slipping, producing a strange note from the instrument. Hua Youxian, however, lowered her head and smiled, saying to Xiao Jue, “Please follow me, Young Master Xiao.”
Seeing Xiao Jue take He Yan away, Cailian looked at the remaining Chu Zhao. “Young Master Chu…”
The young man smiled gently and elegantly at her. “My apologies for the trouble.”
…
The room was in the farthest corner upstairs, far from where Lin Shuanghe and the others were. At the end of the corridor was a loft, looking out as if onto a fairyland pavilion. Hua Youxian stood at the doorway, smiling. “No one has ever stayed in this room, but it’s cleaned every few days. Please make yourself at home, Young Master Xiao.”
Xiao Jue said, “Thank you,” and carried He Yan into the room.
Hua Youxian withdrew.
Xiao Jue was tall, while He Yan was slender and petite. Carrying her felt effortless, not like holding a young woman but more like cradling a cat—light and delicate. The bed in the room was low, likely because no one usually stayed here, giving it a somewhat desolate feel. Xiao Jue bent down, placed He Yan on the bed, then half-knelt beside it, leaning against the headboard as he tucked the blanket around her.
The moonlight was hazy like misty scenery. The gentle summer breeze drifted in through the window, seemingly stirring the lingering effects of the wine. The young man lowered his head to look at the girl sleeping on the bed, the words Yan He had spoken earlier seeming to echo in his ears."Having lived this long, I'm afraid you haven't even held a girl's hand, and your first kiss is still saved."
His eyelashes lowered, his gaze fixed on the person on the bed as he murmured softly, "Not exactly."
During the Jiyang naval battle, He Yan had nearly suffocated underwater. In the urgency to save her, he had also shared breath with her... That should have been his first kiss... if that could even be considered a kiss.
But it seemed this person still didn't know.
This was somewhat displeasing. The young man curled his fingers, as if unable to resist the urge to tap her as a reprimand, yet stopped just before reaching He Yan's forehead. Then, the tapping turned into a gentle caress as Xiao Jue brushed the stray hair from her face behind her ear.
Before setting out, Lin Shuanghe's words surfaced in his mind once more.
"Huai Jin, oh Huai Jin, if you like Sister He, you should naturally go after her. Even if she likes Chu Zilan, you know it's impossible between them, and Chu Zilan isn't a suitable match. With your looks and family background, how could you fear not measuring up to Chu Zilan? I don't know what Sister He has been through before, but if you treat her a little better and don't act so aloof, it should be easy for her to fall for you."
"Do you know that in Sister He's heart, she has never considered herself someone who deserves to be 'favored'?"
The young man stared at the girl on the bed, his gaze gradually deepening. Even without Lin Shuanghe saying it, he had sensed this. Yet it made no sense—according to Luan Ying's reports, He Sui doted on his daughter, so it shouldn't have led her to belittle herself.
The free-spirited confidence on the Martial Arts Field, amid flashing blades, contrasted sharply with the humble caution she showed in ordinary social interactions and worldly affairs. This was a contradictory person, and it was precisely this contradiction that made her particularly captivating.
Xiao Jue lowered his gaze to look at her, reaching out as if to touch her cheek. Just as his fingers were about to make contact, he suddenly snapped awake, immediately withdrew his hand, and stood up.
After a pause, he closed the window, shut the door, and went back out.
...
The breeze outside was cool, and the moonlight was gentle. In the pavilion of the loft, it seemed like a scene from the past.
The young man walked slowly, his expression calm. He wore a black brocade robe, its hem embroidered with a magnificent and dangerous golden serpent. From afar, it cast a dazzling shadow in the night.
On the long bench in the pavilion, someone had already taken the lead, leaning against the carved railing and drinking.
Xiao Jue walked over, and the person stood up, bowing gracefully to him. "Young Master Xiao."
It was Hua Youxian.
"The young masters have all been escorted back to their rooms to rest," Hua Youxian said with a playful smile. "Young Master Xiao, rest assured, the girls didn't dare enter the rooms—only attendants were there to serve."
These young masters were either wealthy or noble, and they hadn't come to the Yunlou for pleasure. In Hua Youxian's heart, she had never treated them like patrons. She simply regarded them as friends visiting for a temporary stay.
Xiao Jue remained silent.
Hua Youxian rested her hands on the pavilion's railing, gazing into the distance. The bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow everywhere. She said, "I never thought I'd meet the young masters again after all these years. Today, I am truly happy. If Mother Ding were still here, she would be just as happy."
"Why did you divorce?" Xiao Jue asked.
Hua Youxian was taken aback.The young man did not look at her, his gaze fixed on the faint, scattered lights flickering along the street below the pavilion, as he asked casually.
After a moment, Hua Youxian laughed softly. "Why else? Naturally, because what one gains is not what one desires," she sighed. "Young masters, in my youth, I was just like you, thinking that driving away the wicked would lead to a happy reunion. Little did I know that the world is filled with all kinds of hardships and obstacles, and the meddling of villains is merely the simplest of them all."
Back then, after everyone helped Hua Youxian drive away Tong Qiushi and retrieve her deed of indenture, she followed Wang Sheng to Yangzhou. Though Mother Ding and the sisters at Ruyun Tower were deeply reluctant to part with her, they still hoped that Hua Youxian would find happiness and spend her life with her beloved.
Indeed, Hua Youxian and Wang Sheng enjoyed a period of loving harmony—but that was before they arrived in Yangzhou.
Once they reached Yangzhou, trials and tribulations came one after another.
Although the Wang family were merchants, they were also a prominent and wealthy household in Yangzhou. Upon hearing that their eldest son had brought back a woman with no name or status, they were already displeased. When they learned that this woman had originally come from a brothel, they vehemently opposed the match. It was only then that Hua Youxian discovered that Wang Sheng had never told Madam Wang or Master Wang about their relationship.
If their son were to marry a woman from a brothel, it would surely become a laughingstock in Yangzhou. Knowing her lowly status, Hua Youxian did not want to cause trouble for Wang Sheng. Seeing the family's firm opposition, she felt both humiliated and heartbroken, and suggested to Wang Sheng that perhaps they should part ways.
Wang Sheng refused.
How could he let the happiness he had fought so hard for be destroyed by his own parents? In a fit of anger, Wang Sheng went on a hunger strike, declaring to his parents that if he could not marry Hua Youxian, he would leave home and never return to Yangzhou for the rest of his life.
No parent in the world can truly stand against their child. Madam Wang, heartbroken for her son, eventually relented and agreed to let Hua Youxian enter the household. However, they were not to reveal Hua Youxian's true identity to outsiders, instead claiming she was a distant cousin who had come to seek refuge. The neighbors in Yangzhou, unaware of the twists and turns, took it as truth. And so, Hua Youxian entered the Wang family.
Thinking that the hardships were finally over and that there would be no more suffering, she soon realized this was only the beginning.
Madam Wang held a prejudice against Hua Youxian. From the moment she entered the household, she deliberately sought to discipline her, imposing strict rules for morning and evening greetings, forbidding her from leaving the estate, and burdening her with all manner of chores. Whenever Hua Youxian made the slightest mistake, Madam Wang would remark sarcastically, "Well, it's no wonder, after all..."
This alone might have been bearable. After Madam Wang had tormented Hua Youxian, Wang Sheng would comfort his wife in private, apologizing on his mother's behalf. Hua Youxian also held onto the hope that time would reveal one's true character—perhaps, given enough time, Madam Wang would see her sincerity and her misunderstandings would naturally fade.
Though both of them knew this was merely self-deception.
Back in her days at Ruyun Tower, Hua Youxian had been renowned far and wide for her beauty and charm. After marrying into the Wang family in Yangzhou, though she rarely left the inner quarters, she still had to appear to entertain guests during the family's occasional banquets. Anyone who caught a glimpse of her face was invariably struck by her stunning appearance. Over time, rumors spread throughout Yangzhou that the eldest son of the merchant Wang family had taken a wife, and that the new Madam Wang was a woman of unparalleled beauty, captivating enough to topple cities and kingdoms.The rumors spread wider and wider, even to the point where some idle young masters from Yangzhou City secretly climbed over the wall into the Wang residence just to catch a glimpse of the legendary, stunningly beautiful Madam Wang.
Lady Wang grew even angrier, frequently scolding Hua Youxian for being unchaste and attracting unwanted attention. Hua Youxian was also aggrieved—she had never used her beauty to do anything improper. How could all the sin and absurdity born from her beauty be blamed entirely on her?
At the same time, Wang Sheng’s attitude toward Hua Youxian began to change. Over time, his infatuation with her gradually gave way to the frustrations brought on by the various trivial matters in the household. During one of Lady Wang’s complaints, Wang Sheng even harbored the thought, "If only I hadn’t married Hua Youxian in the first place."
He was startled by this thought and forced himself not to dwell on it. Unfortunately, once such thoughts arose, they became increasingly frequent, until even his sense of guilt was worn away.
The final straw that broke the camel’s back finally arrived.
One day, a nephew from Lady Wang’s distant family came to Yangzhou as a guest and stayed temporarily at the Wang residence. This man was idle and unambitious, and upon seeing Hua Youxian, he was struck by her heavenly beauty. Learning from Lady Wang that Hua Youxian was a former courtesan who had turned over a new leaf, he developed improper intentions. Hua Youxian’s status in the Wang family was already low, so the nephew thought he could take advantage of the situation and force himself upon her.
Unfortunately, Hua Youxian was not as willing to degrade herself as others assumed. She sternly rejected his advances. Unwilling to accept this, the nephew went to Lady Wang and claimed that Hua Youxian had seduced him. Furious, Lady Wang ordered Hua Youxian to be locked in the woodshed as punishment.
At that point, Hua Youxian still held a sliver of hope. If only Wang Sheng believed her, perhaps she could endure a little longer. Unfortunately, unconditional trust in this world was rare. Not only did Wang Sheng not stand by her side, but he was also swayed by Lady Wang’s words.
Lady Wang said, "She was originally a courtesan, shared by countless men. How could she ever settle down and live a proper life with you? Given the chance, she would seduce any man. My son, do you want to wear a cuckold’s hat and still feel proud? Do you want our Wang family to become the laughingstock of Yangzhou?"
"Divorce her!"
Wang Sheng wrote the letter of divorce. Hua Youxian looked at the man she had once deeply loved and spoke coldly, "If you want to divorce me, I dare to tell all of Yangzhou that I come from the Ruyun House in Jinling City, and that your Wang family married a courtesan as your bride."
"You!" Wang Sheng was furious. "Do you intend to cling to me?"
"You think too much, Young Master Wang," Hua Youxian smiled faintly, though the affection that once shone in her phoenix eyes was gone. "What I mean is, let us part amicably."
The Wang family valued their reputation above all else and were eager to rid themselves of Hua Youxian, this "stain." The amicable separation proceeded smoothly. However, when Wang Sheng received the separation agreement and Hua Youxian left the residence, he recalled their past and was overwhelmed with regret, attempting to persuade her to stay.
Hua Youxian looked at him and said, "Young Master Wang, when I married you, I hoped you would fulfill my childhood dream of traveling to famous mountains and great rivers together. Yet, since I married you, I have never stepped outside the Wang residence. Now that our grievances are settled, you are not the right person for me. From this day forward, may we never meet again, no matter how far the mountains and rivers stretch."
She left with remarkable composure.When she left the Cloud-Entry Pavilion back then, Mother Ding had told her: "Youxian, have you ever seen a moth flying into the flame? What good outcome does it ever have?"
She was young at the time and merely smiled in response: "Even if there's only a moment of light and warmth, an instant is enough."
The woman gently brushed her fingers over the corners of her eyes. She was still beautiful, but not quite as she had been in the past. The fearless girl of her youth had never imagined that love could truly be so fleeting, making the struggles and persistence of those years seem especially laughable.
"Enough about me," Hua Youxian smiled, changing the subject. "And the young master, this young lady by your side—is she the same little girl from back then?"
At these words, Xiao Jue abruptly lifted his gaze. "What did you say?"
The governor's worldview shattered into pieces...
And, Sister Hua is the one who truly holds the script ε=(′ο｀*)))
(End of Chapter)
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