Flowers Reflecting The Sky

FRS: Chapter 25 – Unknown Love (7) [End]

Translator: Momoe Pom

Editor:  Me3, Isalee

Quality Check: Isalee

First Published on Ainushi. 

As soon as he untied the outer robe, Hua HuaiXiu felt pain in his eyes.

The scorching red kept spreading across the white undergarment. Even looking at it like this made his chest tight, not to mention much pain Fan JiJing was in right now.

He reached over and very slowly lifted the undergarment.

Fan JiJing drew a deep breath. He lowered his eyes and saw Hua HuaiXiu"s hands trembling slightly, as if the more nervous he was, the harder it was for him to control himself.

"It doesn"t hurt." Fan JiJing comforted him.

Hua HuaiXiu composed himself, and his hands finally stabilized. He gritted his teeth. "Shut up." The undergarment was finally pulled open, revealing the hideous wound underneath. Blood was seeping out of it little by little, with no signs of stopping. While biting his lips, he calmly sprinkled the medical powders over it, then tore off a strip from his innermost undergarment to bind it up.

Because the wound was on the lower abdomen, the length of the cloth strip was only enough to circle his waist once. Therefore Hua HuaiXiu had to tear down a couple more strips.

Fan JiJing laughed, "Won"t you be cold?"

Hua HuaiXiu raised his head and glared at him in a bad mood, but he discovered that Fan JiJing"s lips were turning pale; his face was blue as if he was about to faint at any moment. Hua HuaiXiu hurriedly asked, "Are you okay?"

Fan JiJing"s mouth twitched. He should in fact blame himself for not foreseeing that it would take Hua HuaiXiu this long to bind up his wound. If he had known earlier, he would not have used his inner qi to make the blood run faster. But since this was already the case, he definitely should not waste this opportunity as he confessed, "As long as Cousin is fine, everything I do is worth it."

Hua HuaiXiu blushed slightly. If this sentence was said by anyone else, he would have a fall out with that person without any hesitation. But because this person was Fan JiJing, although he felt it was cheesy, he was still happy inside.

"Cousin," Fan JiJing took a heavy breath, "Did you forgive me?"

Hua HuaiXiu"s body stiffened.

The impact he experienced when he found out the truth was still lingering in his body. It had precipitated and had turned into a big knot during the month he was being chased after. How could it be untied by a mere explanation of a few words?

It was easy to harm, but it was hard to forget the pain. Just like the wound on Fan JiJing"s lower abdomen — it seemed like a matter of one cut, but no one knew how many days it would take for it to heal completely.

Fan JiJing sighed in a low voice, "Cousin should hate me."

Hate?

Hua HuaiXiu went blank for a second, then bursted out, "How could I hate you?" If he hated him, why would he feel more worried and why would his heart ache more than anyone else when seeing Fan JiJing injured? If he hated him, why would he still firmly go on with him despite the fact that he was clearly afraid of being deceived again?

He didn"t hate him.

Hua HuaiXiu reached a conclusion: he was just afraid.

The Fan JiJing before was dull and slow, but Hua HuaiXiu believed that he could grab the other person"s thoughts tightly in his palms. This feeling was called "relief".

Now Fan JiJing had become smarter and more shrewd, but he jumped out of Hua HuaiXiu"s palms; in return he grabbed Hua HuaiXiu in his palms. This feeling was called "vexation".

Although the heart was the same one, the different feelings were millions of miles apart.

"Is it that hard to trust me one more time?" Fan JiJing looked at him with an almost petty and lowly gaze as if he was begging him.

Hua HuaiXiu felt so stifled inside that he couldn"t even speak. After quite a while, he finally said, "Isn"t it because you"ve deceived me before?"

"I had no other choice." Fan JiJing seemed to envision the quivering pillar called "resolute" in Hua HuaiXiu"s chest.

Hua HuaiXiu asked, "Why don"t you tell my father?" The father he was referring to was Hua YunHai.

Fan JiJing lowered his eyelids and laughed at himself, "Maybe because I was young and aggressive?"

"You"re lying," Hua HuaiXiu said in a suddenly cold tone.

Fan JiJing"s heart palpitated as he lifted his eyes.

Hua HuaiXiu said coldly, "Even an idiot will become smarter after being deceived so many times."

Fan JiJing"s face became even paler. He smiled bitterly, "You won"t believe even one word from me now?"

Hua HuaXiu didn"t answer. Sometimes, the simpler the sentence, the harder it was to say it. The reason a lot of people made lengthy speeches was not because they felt confident and justified. On the contrary, it was because they were neither confident nor justified enough that they had to use more words to cover up their diffident.

Sometimes, the truth only took one sentence, or even one word.

Fan JiJing said, "I"ve said that from now on, I will only listen to you."

Hua HuaiXiu looked at him, his eyes fixed.

Fan JiJing did not avoid it.

"Anything?" As if Hua HuaiXiu had thought of something, a hint of astuteness flashed through his eyes.

"Yes." Fan JiJing answered without any hesitation.

"Even if it"s…" Hua HuaiXiu paused a moment. His cheeks flushed red. There were glimmers flickering in his eyes as he stared at Fan JiJing full in his face. "…asking you to give yourself to me?" The last four words were spoken extremely softly that they were almost held inside his mouth.

"What?" Fan JiJing leaned forward as if he didn"t hear it clearly, but then he immediately let out a soft groan, "Ah!"

"Don"t move around!" Hua HuaiXiu nervously examined the wound. "We better invite a doctor to take a look. Judging by the condition of your injury, I think you need to stay in Luoyang at least for a while."

Fan JiJing raised his hand and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead. "I can"t. There"s a place I have to go to."

"Where?" Hua HuaiXiu stared him, begging to differ.

"Jiangnan."

Hua HuaiXiu"s eye twitched.

Sure enough, the words Fan JiJing said were "The Hua Family."　　

Not far from the a.s.sa.s.sin Sect, a group of black-robed people were tied into a pile.

Zhong Yu threw away the deerskin sack in his hand with disgust. "Using pig blood is banned in the future."

"…" The disciples from the Huihuang Sect all looked at each other. Do they have to use human blood the next time? No, that"s not right. Would there even be a next time?

One of the disciples asked, "Zhong Tangzhu [1], please instruct us. What should we do with the rest of the people?"

"Let the a.s.sa.s.sin Sect"s leader finish the last order, then hand him over to the local authorities." The extremely violent and wicked ones had already been killed by Fan JiJing, and these leftover ones just needed some good reform…except for their leader.

The disciple asked puzzledly, "The last order?"

"The a.s.sistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites." Zhong Yu glanced at a certain person among the black-robed men. "He knows."

"Yes."

Zhong Yu turned around and left.

"Tangzhu, where are you going? The sub-altar is this way."

"Going home." Before his voice fell quiet, the person had already disappeared.

Hua HuaiXiu had persuaded Fan JiJing to go back to the Hua Family several times in the past. On one hand, it was because he knew Fan JiJing wasn"t having an easy life in the Jiuhua Sect. If he returned to the Hua Family, then he at least would still have the status of a young master [2]. The Hua Family was always sensitive about looking good in other people"s eyes, so they would not treat him unfairly for sure. On the other hand, he could also see him all day, so he didn"t need to find reasons to go out each time.

But times had changed. The Hua Family had always attached great importance to its family morals. His action of escaping from the marriage arrangement was equal to falling out with the Hua Family. Now, he was the one who could not go back. So when he heard that Fan JiJing was going back to the Hua Family, he immediately became restless inside.

For a moment, he was worried that Fan JiJing would form an alliance with the Hua Family; while in another moment, he was worrying about how the Hua Family would treat him.

He had been worrying for three days in a row. Fan JiJing finally couldn"t bear the scene anymore. He pulled him over and laughed, "I"m just going to the Hua Family to meet your father. After all, he had paid his respects to my parents" tombs before."

Hua HuaiXiu"s eyes began to tear up. Judging by this sentence, he could imagine how cold and poor Fan JiJing"s childhood had been that even paying respects to his parents" tombs became an excuse for him to repay the kindness.

"I asked the a.s.sa.s.sin Sect"s leader to kill the a.s.sistant Minister of Ministry of Rites. Regardless of whether he succeeds or not, I won"t let you go back to the Hua Family again." Fan JiJing tightened his grip on Hua HuaiXiu"s hand as he promised, "Maybe the Jiuhua Sect today is not as powerful as the Hua Family, but there will be one day that it will become a power which no one will dare to take lightly."

Hua HuaiXiu blinked.

Sect and power were two different concepts. A sect that no one dared to take lightly would be a giant sect like Shaolin or Wudang, which held a certain position in the world of martial arts with virtuous, famous zhangmens and countless disciples. But a power was much more complicated. The most typical examples were the Huihuang Sect and the Demonic Sect. What Fan JiJing said sounded like he actually preferred the latter kind. Yet the former kind was probably only suitable to that dull and slow Fan JiJing.

Hua HuaiXiu surprisingly found out that he could even think of problems from the standpoint of this Fan JiJing before his eyes and even calmly accept it.

"But it is impossible for me to achieve all of this by myself." Fan JiJing grabbed his hand and put it in front of his own chest. "I need you."

Hua HuaiXiu wanted to take it back, but Fan JiJing tightened his fingers and simply wouldn"t let him go. He had no choice but to reply helplessly, "Where did you get the idea that I like free meals? As long as the Jiuhua Sect is willing to set foot in the business world, of course I will use my way to bring it to a higher level."

Fan JiJing laughed in spite of himself, "Cousin thinks far."

"Isn"t that what you mean?" Hua HuaiXiu looked at him suspiciously.

Fan JiJing answered softly, "It is enough for me as long as Cousin stays by my side."

"Humph, as your servant?" Hua HuaiXiu turned his head aside to look out from the window. The corner of his mouth couldn"t stop rising upwards.

The scenery outside the carriage was picturesque, and it was the same in his heart.

This was the first time Hua HuaiXiu clearly outlined a beautiful and intoxicating future in his mind.

In that future there were two people, both laughing happily.

Even though they arrived at the entrance of the Hua Family, Fan JiJing had no intentions of entering their door. Instead, he hired a person to deliver a letter to the Hua Family, inviting them to meet in an inn within the city.

Hua YunHai came very quickly.

Right after he saw Hua HuaiXiu as he stepped through the door, he was unable to restrain himself from shouting, "My son!"

The familiar and amiable shout immediately pacified Hua HuaiXiu"s restless mind. He stood up. Just as he was about to bend his knees and kneel down before Hua YunHai, Fan JiJing threw his arm around his waist and pulled him back onto his seat at once.

Hua YunHai stared at the hand on his son"s waist, and his eyes narrowed.

"Uncle, please have a seat." Fan JiJing stood up, politely making a gesture for "please".

Hua YunHai closed the door behind him before he slowly took his seat. "Fan zhangmen is too courteous." His att.i.tude was distant and polite. If one were to savor it carefully, they could even sense some dissatisfaction in it.

Hua HuaiXiu lowered his head. Running away from home secretly was one thing, and openly returning home to challenge his father was another thing.

Fan JiJing said, "JiJing has to thank uncle for your encouragement in those years, and because of that I am able to have this life now."

A bit of uneasiness suddenly appeared on Hua YunHai"s originally serious face.

Hua HuaiXiu recognized the implication in his words. He couldn"t help but ask, "What do you mean?"

Fan JiJing said, "Back then, it was Uncle who taught me the principle that one had to take revenge by himself. So of course, I can"t thank him enough." The smile on the corners of his mouth didn"t reach his eyes.

Hua HuaiXiu looked at Hua YunHai in shock. Judging from Fan JiJing"s words, he had requested help from Hua YunHai before, but it was just that he was rejected?

Hua YunHai had been struggling in the business world for many years after all. Within the time period of that brief sentence just now, he had already adjusted his mood, replying indifferently, "You were still young back then, and you didn"t have any evidence. Even though I was the head of the Hua Family, I could not make enemies with the Jiuhua Sect just because of one sentence you said."

"But…" Anger rushed all the way up to Hua HuaiXiu"s head. Just as he was about to retort, Fan JiJing pulled him by his arms and said, "What Uncle said is right. This is exactly the reason why I said that I have to thank Uncle for the life I have today."

Hua YunHai replied coldly, "You called me here today just to talk about this?"

"No, I came here today only to pay respects to my father-in-law." Fan JiJing stood up as he said it. He poured a cup of tea himself, then knelt down in front of Hua YunHai with both knees, holding the cup above his head respectfully.

Hua YunHai looked at him with disbelief. Then he looked at Hua HuaiXiu, his chest heaving rapidly. After a long time, he finally asked Hua HuaiXiu with a stern voice, "So this is the reason you left home?"

Hua HuaiXiu was also at a loss from Fan JiJing"s sudden action, but he was able to react quickly, kneeling down together with Fan JiJing at once. He added with a low voice, "I beg Father to grant us our wish."

"Ridiculous!" Hua YunHai swept the teacups with his sleeve.

Fan JiJing didn"t even blink. He pushed Hua YunHai’s sleeve back with only a flick of his little finger on the hand that was holding the teacup.

The impact of his inner qi made Hua YunHai shiver. After a long time, he finally replied, "Sect Leader Fan"s martial arts are good."

"Father-in-law, please have some tea." Fan JiJing"s expression didn"t change.

Hua YunHai"s sharp gaze turned from Fan JiJing"s face to Hua HuaiXiu"s. He asked, "Have you thought it through?"

Hua HuaiXiu forced himself to answer, "Yes." The matter had already developed to the point beyond his control, which did not allow him to say "No" anymore.

The corner of Hua YunHai"s mouth twitched out of anger. He slapped the table as he stood up. "Good, very good." He glared at Fan JiJing. "I will not drink your tea, but neither will I discipline my son anymore in the future!"

Hua HuaiXiu had already predicted such a result a long time ago. Ever since he ran out of the Hua Family, he had never thought that they would forgive him. But personally experiencing it was completely different from what he expected. All of his strength was completely drained just now by that one sentence.

Fan JiJing was not moved at all. He replied, "Father-in-law, take care. Cousin and I will definitely visit you again after we settle down."

Hua YunHai"s mouth twitched. He was about to say there was no need, but he stopped himself when he noticed Hua HuaiXiu kneeling on the ground in a daze out of the corner of his eye. He took a deep breath and said, "You two are on your own then!"

Hearing him slam the door and leave, Hua HuaiXiu"s body went numb, falling right into Fan JiJing arms which had promptly reached over.

"You did it on purpose."

Regarding his accusation, Fan JiJing replied with a smile, "There will be one day that your father will forgive us." He had to admit that Hua HuaiXiu"s relationship with the Hua Family was a sore point in his heart. Hua HuaiXiu was different from him. He was the genuine direct descendent of the Hua Family. As long as he agreed to go back, the Hua Family would surely open its gates and welcome him. Therefore he had to bind him onto his boat. Unless the boat sank one day, he would never let him go.

Hua HuaiXiu turned his head and looked at him.

Fan JiJing stared at him with fixed eyes, not hiding his desire to possess him at all.

Maybe because he had expressed it too straightforwardly, it made Hua HuaiXiu turn away his head, saying, "You"re always so selfish, acting as you like."

"It seems like there are still lots of things I need to change." Fan JiJing slowly moved his head close to the curve of Hua HuaiXiu"s neck. "But at least I didn"t deceive you this time."

He really wasn"t deceiving him anymore.

Despite what happened during those years or today"s objective.

"But this is not what I want." Hua HuaiXiu raised his hand and pushed away his head.

Fan JiJing blinked, asking, "Then what do you want?"

"I want…" Hua HuaiXiu glanced at his underbelly. "Has your wound recovered yet?"

Fan JiJing answered obediently. "Yes."

"Good." Hua HuaiXiu"s face turned serious as he said, "You once said that you would only listen to me in the future."

"Right." Fan JiJing nodded without the slightest hesitation.

"Then I want you…" Hua HuaiXiu opened his mouth but found himself unable to make any sound.

Fan JiJing slowly took back his finger from the mute acupoint, looking at Hua HuaiXiu in a humble manner. "Cousin, what did you say?"

Hua HuaiXiu glowered at him. The anger in his eyes could almost set his hair on fire.

"Cousin, are you not feeling well?" Fan JiJing asked as he picked him up and put him on the bed.

Hua HuaiXiu was biting his lips out of regret.

Fan JiJing lowered his head, striving to thrust his tongue in between his lips and teeth.

Hua HuaiXiu took a bite without any hesitation. A b.l.o.o.d.y taste expanded out inside his mouth.

Fan JiJing didn"t move. He simply let Hua HuaiXiu bite it, as if that was not his tongue.

In the end, Hua HuaiXiu still let it go.

"Is it enough?" Fan JiJing licked the blood on his lips and teeth softly with his injured tongue.

Hua HuaiXiu did not speak. In fact, he was unable to speak.

"I"ll continue then." Fan JiJing took out a bottle from his sleeve with excitement. "I"ve prepared for a long time." Because he had written a letter to Ji WuDi asking about it, he was even interrogated by the other person for a long time.

Seeing his fingers nimbly taking off his clothes, Hua HuaiXiu"s eyes immediately widened till they were almost round.

When it came to lovemaking, Fan JiJing was a novice. Luckily, Ji WuDi was not stingy at all. In fact, it could even be said that he had taught Fan JiJing a lot enthusiastically, resulting in the latter"s extremely powerful grasp on the theoretical techniques. Hua HuaiXiu"s acupoint was already unlocked halfway through it, but because he was feeling too good from all the teasing, he couldn"t think of fighting back at all. After Fan JiJing finished capturing his territory and both of them had quietened down from the fervent battlefield, he finally remembered to settle accounts with him. "Who said they would only listen to me henceforth?"

"Me." Fan JiJing answered extremely briefly since there was too much pain on his tongue.

"Then why…" Hua HuaiXiu stopped in the middle of the sentence. He remembered where the problem was. Just now, Fan JiJing didn"t even give him the chance to speak. "You"re not allowed to hit my acupoint next time."

"Okay." Fan JiJing didn"t haggle over it at all. He gently caressed Hua HuaiXiu"s smooth and naked back with his fingers, going all the way down to his b.u.t.t. His desire once again raised its head.

Hua HuaiXiu"s back tightened. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Fan JiJing suddenly press down, covering his mouth tightly. By the time he had realized it, the second round of attack had already started…

Actually, strategy was not important.

As long as they were Fan JiJing and Hua HuaiXiu, there were things that would never change.

Ever.

Translator’s Notes:

[1] Leader of a hall (division) in a sect. [back]

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So this is the last chapter of the main story, everyone! After about half a year, I am finally able to complete my first project as a translator /o/. I hope everyone has enjoyed this short cute story. It’s not very long, and not a lot thing happened, but I hope it will be a short light read for most of you! There are still two extras which I’m going to put out soon. They happened after the main storyline, so after FJJ and HHX got together. A lot of the characters from the author’s other books appeared in the side stories.

You’re all welcomed to check out my other two projects and as well as the other wonder series on Ainushi! With this project finishing, I’ll be able to focus more on the other projects now, but unfortunately my school work is also catching up, making it hard for me to find time translating. I promise to try my best finishing any project that I pick up, but it would be nice sometimes to see a little more comment so that I know at least some of you are reading it and enjoyed it~ I started to translate hoping to improve my English as well as sharing some of my favorite works with the others. I’ll continue to translate as long as my time and energy permits, and as long as there is at least one person enjoying it, I would feel my work worth it. Though it is a little lonely sometimes without seeing many comments down there ;w; But that just means I need to improve my skills more perhaps~

Thank you to all of my translation checkers, editors, and quality checkers for working alongside me throughout this time!

And we have to thank the author Su You Bing (酥油饼) the most for bringing us this lovely story!

See you all!