Edited by Lord Immortal
"I have something to tell you, Geng Zhishan," said Xie Mengxuan in a low and soft voice after taking a deep breath.
Having an ominous presentiment, Geng Zhishan gradually let go of his grasp and sat straight on the side.
Xie Mengxuan reached out to smooth her hair. "Thanks for taking good care of me over these days, Zhishan."
"It"s my responsibility. There is no need for thanks." Geng Zhishan said, raising his eyebrows.
Xie Mengxuan could not help giving out a sigh. "Since we met by chance like patches of drifting duckweed, I"m grateful to you for offering me shelter with a lie."
"If so, why not marry me? I love you so much that I"ll bestow all my favor on you and keep you from suffering any harm if you become my wife." Geng Zhishan chimed in.
Xie Mengxuan shook her head with a faint smile. "You"re a good guy. I believe that the girl who will marry you is bound to live a happy life, but sadly, that girl is not me."
Upon hearing "good guy", the face of Geng Zhishan turned as black as the bottom of a frying pan. When she gave a negative response, he pressed near her. "Why? Everyone in the Zhoujia Village knows that you"re my wife. Are you blaming me for not taking good care of you or not saving you in time?"
He got flurried and stammered over the words. "I… I have my own difficulties. They… They were pressing upon me and kept me down. Upon getting rid of them, I went to look for you straight away."
While patting him, Xie Mengxuan shook her head and appeased him with a gentle voice. "No. I"ve witnessed your performance that day. Although I was aware of your anxiety, there was no other solution when you were so hopelessly outnumbered."
Looking up at her, Geng Zhishan gradually calmed down. Xie Mengxuan asked him in a soft voice, "Do you know who I am, Zhishan?"
She lowered her voice in case the man became frightened. Suspicious though she had been of his ident.i.ty, considering the fact that she met Gu Yusheng, she would not take a skeptical att.i.tude towards him to figure out his true intentions.
Geng Zhishan insisted in a low but firm tone, "I don"t care who you are. In my eyes, you are just my wife."
Xie Mengxuan pursed her lips and explained in great details, "Listen, what you know is that my surname is Xie, and I"m called Xie Mengxuan. Among other things, I, the legal wife"s eldest daughter, come from the Xie family of the imperial capital. I"m burdened with the honor and disgrace of the whole family since there"s a close connection between us. Instead of following my heart, my marriage—of great use—is destined to be the stepping-stone of the Xie Family."
This was her first time talking with a solemn look. Geng Zhishan frowned his eyebrows in confusion.
She fixed her long hair behind her ear and continued, "I"ll always owe the debt of my life to you. However, as to your request for being your wife, I cannot accept it because I have no right to do so. I"m sorry that I"ve failed to give you a flat refusal over these days and kept you on the hook, which brought you trouble. I hope it"s not too late for me to make it clear and cut off our relationship."
They lapsed into total silence. Staring at Xie Mengxuan, Geng Zhishan clenched his fist hard. What else could he say? Now that what Xie Mengxuan said seemed to be so reasonable, even if he denied it, she would pay no heed.
After a long while, he said in a low and humble voice, "Darling, am I being rejected due to my ident.i.ty of a peasant, not as promising as others?"
Xie Mengxuan nodded with a faint smile. "It"s not true that a peasant will not have a promising future. Besides, I never disliked you. During these days, I"ve kept in mind your care and code of conduct. When I"m back home, I will not only entrust my father with your marriage but also take you to the imperial capital. You"re not going to suffer any wrong, I promise."
She made a promise as if it was as easy as turning her hand.
However, it was obvious that Geng Zhishan was not satisfied since he turned his head in a fit of pique.
Xie Mengxuan was aware that he had no intention to listen to her, but she still had something to say. She pulled up the quilt. "As the man in the woods is of great importance to me, I"m going to look for him."
Geng Zhishan"s switch of anger finally flipped which he had been trying hard to suppress. He stood up suddenly and threw the chair. "It"s still because of that man!" yelled he.
He sounded like a husband who was scolding his wife for failing to keep the female virtues. Xie Mengxuan frowned as she had made it clear, but the peasant still refused to accept the harsh reality.
However, whether he put up with it or not would not change her mind. She was the young lady of the Xie family, not only a girl named Xie Mengxuan.
Without getting along with him during these days, how could Xie Mengxuan show such a good temper and stomach his yelling?
"I won"t let you look for him! Never! You"re my wife, and no one can change that!" Standing at the bedside, Geng Zhishan said with roaring anger.
Having finished speaking, Geng Zhishan turned to run out. Before long, there came a bang when the door of the yard was closed. Looking out, Xie Mengxuan gave out a sigh. Sitting on the bed, she was low-spirited, for which she failed to find out a reason.
In any case, it was she who had made a mistake. The man had indeed fallen in love with her. Although she didn"t know why, she could discern his true love from all his lies.
"Xuan"er, may I come in?"
When she was in a daze, from the outside came the voice of Gu Yusheng. He sounded a little weak but full of vigor.
Xie Mengxuan looked up and gave a quick response. "Sure. Brother Sheng… You"re back from the woods?"
A little surprised, she leaned forward. Before Gu Yusheng answered her question, she thought to herself, "It"s wrong of me to put the blame on him. Why did he go out?"
When she was confused, Gu Yusheng entered the room and sat on a chair. "Xuan, how are you?" he asked out of care.
"I"m fine. Brother Sheng, since you have not fully recovered from your injuries yet, why not take a good rest?" Xie Mengxuan shook her head.
Gu Yusheng cleared his throat. "I heard your quarrel with him in the hut. As I"m worried about you, I come to have a look. By the way, yesterday, he met my master with whose help he brought us back."
"Your master? Brother Sheng, can you tell me what happened over these years?"
"Okay, but there were a lot of things. Hope you won"t get bored with listening to me?"
How could Gu Yusheng say no to the request of Xie Mengxuan? He asked with a smile while looking out.
In a daze, Xie Mengxuan looked out as well. She said with uncertainty, "He was born here. He also knows it"s inconvenient for me to walk around with my injured leg and I think he will come back later."
However, her uncertain tone showed her firm trust in that man. She was aware of what should be prioritized. After taking a deep breath, she settled her mind. "Brother Sheng, please tell me. I"m listening to you."
"Okay." Thinking for a while, Gu Yusheng continued, "In the fifth year of Tian You (the reign t.i.tle of an emperor), I was nine years old. My biological mother died early. After my father got married to my stepmother, my situation at home went from bad to worse. As the legal wife"s eldest son, I had to put up with a number of requests from my stepmother. On that year…"
Along with the words of Gu Yusheng, Xie Mengxuan seemed to return to the fifth year of Tian You.