Finest Servant-Chapter 633

Chapter 633 Thawing of Ice

At that voice reaching her ears, Xiao Qingshuan stood petrified, frozen in place.

Her delicate body trembled violently as she dazedly turned around to see a person sitting beside her. With a square face, thick eyebrows, and a tanned countenance breaking into a smile, although he was laughing heartily, his face bore an indescribable gentleness.

"You, you—" Qingxuan, both shocked and overjoyed, stared straight at him, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks.

Lin Wanrong, with affection, pulled her into his embrace, gently wiping the tears from her face, and tenderly said, "Silly girl, my home, my wife, my sons—all are here. You are the treasures in the palm of my hand. How could I bear to leave?"

Qingxuan let out a whimper and burrowed fiercely into his arms. Her fists pounded on his chest like raindrops as she cried out loud, "For deceiving me, for deceiving me! You heartless thief, why didn't you just kill me?!"

Heartbroken yet suddenly overwhelmed with joy, all the grievances and happiness surged up simultaneously. Qingxuan could no longer maintain her strong woman demeanor. She lay in his arms, sobbing uncontrollably, her sobs coming in waves, nearly crying her eyes dry.

Lin Wanrong's nose tingled with emotion as he whispered in her ear, "I didn't mean to deceive you. At that time, you were too angry to listen to any explanations. I was afraid for your health, so I—"

He gave a sheepish chuckle, too embarrassed to continue.

Qingxuan, flushed with shame and annoyance, twisted the flesh of his arm fiercely, crying out, "You're close with my Master, and I can't even get angry about it? What kind of logic is that? Was it you who was wronged? I thought to give you a few days to cool off, to learn a lesson, yet you came to torment my heart. My dear husband, are you my nemesis from a past life, destined to torment me life after life?"

Qingxuan said these words but again buried herself in his chest, crying out loud, as if to release all her grievances.

Lin Wanrong was filled with shame. Indeed, as Qingshuan had said, his love affair with Fairy Ning was shocking and unconventional, leaving Qingxuan in a difficult position. Her reaction was already extremely restrained.

He sighed softly and said nothing further, "Actually, Fairy Ning and I—"

"I'm not blaming you for being in love with my Master—" Qingxuan covered his mouth, tears silently falling, "I blame you for keeping it from me! My Dear, I am your wife, after all. How could you keep such a significant matter secret? If I hadn't brought it up, when would you have told me?"

"I didn't intend to keep it from you!" He looked helplessly, "I thought after returning from the North, if I was still alive, I'd tell you. But it just so happened that our sons were born and you were in confinement. How could I bring it up at such a time?"

"So, without you saying anything, I wouldn't know?" Qingxuan said with annoyance, unable to stop herself from pinching his arm fiercely a few times, leaving it bruised, before she angrily ceased, "I knew all about you and Master long ago!"

"What?!" Lin Wanrong was astonished, "How did you know?!"

Qingxuan felt a bitter sweetness in her heart, helplessly shaking her head, "Back when you were captured by Master on the Thousand-Forsake Peak, and I, along with Sister Xu and the others, came to rescue you, I had brought along a Western telescope with me. The scenes on that peak—huh, tell me, what don't I know!" ℝἈΝốΒËṧ

Lin Wanrong uttered a sound of realization, his mouth suddenly gaping wide. If it were true, he was surely the most foolish man under the heavens. The matters he had circled around, not daring to voice, had actually been within Qingxuan’s grasp all along. What a miscalculation, a grave one indeed!

He laughed awkwardly twice, stealing glances at Qingxuan. In a soft voice, he said, "What you see through a spyglass is always magnified, especially the... intimate actions. Please, my wife, don’t take it too seriously. Since you knew all along, why have you never asked me about it?"

Qingxuan gave him a fierce glare, "I wanted to see when you would finally be honest with me! Who knew you, heartless as you are, would keep this from me? How could you be fair to my Master, to me?" With that, Qingxuan burst into whimpers and sobs.

At her crying, Lin Wanrong felt a tingling in his scalp, realizing the truth. Qingxuan was right; the Fairy was not at fault. It was he who ended up like Zhu Bajie looking at himself in the mirror, not quite human anymore!

Seeing Qingxuan's fragile appearance and remembering her kindness to him, Lin Wanrong’s heart softened. He quickly wrapped his arms around her, gently consoling, "My wife, I was wrong this time, I apologize for keeping this from you. But you must understand, my love. With my cunning and despicable skills, why wouldn’t I dare to tell you about it? It's because I respect and love you, and that's why I went from a fierce tiger to a timid mouse! This, precisely, is the testament to our love as deep as the sea! Isn’t it, my wife?"

With his eloquence, he turned a tale of philandering into a testament of deep affection. Qingxuan, swayed by his sweet nothings, felt joy but dared not show it, merely snorting in response, "Are you really a timid mouse? How did such a powerful Fairy fall into your hands? Such a 'timid mouse' is rare in this world!"

Hearing her slightly lessened anger in her complaints, Lin Wanrong joyfully nodded, "Don't worry, my clever wife, I will never hide anything from you again—"

"Again?!" Qingxuan’s eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, there will be no next time," he chuckled stealthily, "I mean, hypothetically, if something similar happens again, I’ll inform you immediately!"

His words always had an irreverent air, leaving Qingxuan with no recourse but to feebly punch his chest, sighing deeply, "I knew you were the bane of women, but even my Master has fallen for your tricks! On the treacherous journey north, amidst swords and spears blind to allegiance, she accompanied you through thick and thin. How many in the world possess such sentiment? This is truly devotion! Tell me, when will you go to bring my Master down from the mountain?"

"Qingxuan, you mean—" He opened his eyes wide, his heart leaping, yet he dared not show a hint of joy.

"Do I need to say it again?" Qingxuan said helplessly. "With how Master has treated you, if you were to fail her, it would be unconscionable!"

The bliss was too sudden, like a dream, and he was so overwhelmed that he could only stare at Qingxuan, wordless.

Qingxuan tapped his forehead lightly with a smile tinged with bitterness, "It’s not that I am naturally magnanimous. Being born into the royal family, such things have not been uncommon throughout history. It's nothing unusual!"

It's no wonder, really. His petty affairs, set within the high walls of the imperial palace, would appear as pure as snowflakes! With this revelation, his spirits lifted, a mix of delight and concern crossed his mind. "Fairy Sister said that only if you consent would I be allowed to ascend the mountain to find her! But given her character, I fear she might not so easily come down from the mountain."

Fairy Ning's temperament was something Qingxuan was quite familiar with. She nodded gently, giving him a few exasperated glances, "Master's heart is pure and untainted—if not for having met you, she would never have contemplated these worldly matters. Her reluctance to descend is understandable. After a few days pass, I will accompany you to entreat her."

If Qingxuan were to ask, having Fairy grant her an audience would be fortunate enough. To bring the Fairy down from the mountain? That would be nothing short of a miracle.

He shook his head in distress, which Qingxuan understood all too well, letting out a chuckle, "I know well enough that Master would definitely not wish to come down!"

"What should we do then?" He grew anxious at once.

"Falling from the heavens to the dust of the earth is no easy feat! Besides, there's the complicated relationship between her and me," Qingxuan glanced at him, sighing softly. "In my view, if Master is unwilling to descend, do not press her. You two should just wed on the mountain! If all goes as expected, she will eventually have her day to come down."

Marrying on the mountain, now that was quite a creative idea! Lin Wanrong thought for a moment, his eyes suddenly widening, "Qingxuan, are you suggesting... once Fairy has children—ha-ha, I see, I see. She will surely come down then! Wife, you're truly clever!"

Qingxuan's eyes welled with a thin layer of mist, shaking her head sadly, "To have me scheme against my own Master, you nemesis of mine, you've truly made me miserable!" freeweɓnøvel.com

Indeed, he felt somewhat guilty towards Qingxuan, so he bowed his head in earnest silence.

It was rare to see him so subdued; Qingxuan could not bear to scold him further. Taking his hand, she said gently, "And there's the matter with Martial Aunt An, do you think Xian’er is a fool? My sister understands it all too well in her heart! Do not try to be too clever in the future!"

"Yes, yes!" Lin Wanrong listened to his wife's instructions with sincere devotion. As for Xian’er, he had plenty of schemes, and after all, Sister An was no pushover—she would surely have a way to handle it!

Now that Qingxuan knew everything, he had no desire to keep secrets. He frankly shared the details of his arrangements with Sister An in the Miao village, and also recounted the episode of Yujia's poisoning.

Qingxuan spoke lightly, "I've heard about the Miao village affair from XIan’er. Martial Aunt An, despite her reckless facade, is cautious and pure at heart. Her plotting against Yueya'er must have a purpose. Since this matter pertains to the life and death of the Golden Blade Khan, and Yujia holds deep affection and loyalty towards you, it would be best to seek out Martial Aunt An sooner rather than later."

Lin Wanrong hummed in agreement but before he could speak further, he felt a sharp pain in his arm. Looking up, he saw Qingxuan's eyes brimming with tears, twisting his arm fiercely, "My entire family has been bullied by you, it's absolutely infuriating!"

"Where, where," he leaped up, laughing it off, "There's still Xiangjun, Xiangjun is still free, isn't she?"

"What?" Qingxuan's eyebrows shot up in anger, "You even dare to entertain thoughts about junior sister? If you bully her, Master will surely not spare you!"

"It seems my reputation is not of the flattering kind!" He laughed nervously, "What are you talking about? Do you think I'm that sort of man? Huh, now that you mention it, it's been quite a few days since I've returned, and I haven't seen Xiangjun!"

"Nor would you dare!" Xiao Qingxuan chided softly, tenderly massaging his arm, "My Junior Sister, besides practicing her swordsmanship, she enjoys poetry and all manner of curious arts, so I've sent her to the academy to study. It's not far from where Yushuang is. She has been residing on the mountain, and just a few days ago when she came down to see me, she asked about you. You were busy with guests, so she didn't see you, that's all."

"So, the girl also loves to study," Lin Wanrong acknowledged with a smile.

"My Dear," Qingxuan hesitated, "There's something I'm not sure if I should mention. A few days ago, when Junior Sister came down, she told me that there's a Young Master Hou at the academy, with outstanding literary talent, always hovering around her with eagerness!"

"Young Master Hou?" Lin Wanrong almost leaped up, "Hou what?!"

Xiao Qingxuan shook her head, "It seems his name was Hou something or other; I didn't quite catch it. But when I heard his surname was Hou, I remembered what you told me!"

‘Damn it, so someone like that really exists,’ Lin Wanrong chuckled, "How does Junior Sister feel about him? Is she enchanted by his charm?"

"They say he's both handsome and talented, always circling around Xiangjun, but from what I've observed of Xiangjun, she doesn't seem particularly infatuated," Qingxuan laughed, "You don't understand my Junior Sister. If she likes someone, she'd keep it to herself and never speak a word of it. Those she talks about are likely those she doesn't fancy!"

The fact that Young Master Hou was handsome and a poet could pose a significant attraction to young girls, and even if Junior Sister didn't fancy him now, spending time together could be risky in the long run. Lin Wanrong sighed silently, "Qingxuan, if you truly care for Xiangjun's well-being, heed my advice and tell her to stay away from this Young Master Hou. Don't ask why, and don't doubt my motives. To tell you the truth, my conscience has never been as clear as it is today!"

"Mm!" Xiao Qingxuan smiled sweetly, leaning silently into his embrace, "Husband, although you are cunning, deceitful, flirtatious, and lascivious, your heart is the kindest in the world, never one to bully the good."

‘My wife's assessment is indeed apt,’ he laughed heartily as he dived into the covers, holding her tight. Qingxuan curled up in his arms, listening to his strong heartbeat, gently touching the wound on his chest when suddenly, tears began to fall.

"What's the matter?" Lin Wanrong quickly wiped away the tears on her face.

"My Dear, let's never part again, okay?" Qingxuan clung to him, her voice a gentle murmur.

"Yes!" Lin Wanrong replied resolutely, "Once I've dealt with a few pressing matters, I won't wander aimlessly anymore. I'll devote myself to you, and we will age together, slowly."

Xiao Qingxuan was overjoyed, commanding yet gentle, she hummed, "Tonight, you are forbidden from visiting anyone else's room; you are to stay here holding me."

He chuckled, softly agreeing, "Just tonight is not enough. I plan to hold you for a lifetime."

Qingxuan cried with joy, drifting to sleep in a daze, feeling for the first time a profound sense of peace.

Upon awakening the next morning, he felt refreshed, as if the quandaries that had trapped his heart were dissolved by Qingxuan, leaving him with a sense of relief that washed over his being. Descending the stairs, he glimpsed into the garden where Qiaoqiao was patiently educating Salmu about the petals of flowers.

"This is a locust flower; it blooms in the summer," the young girl said, pointing to the fallen petals around the garden, "and that one is osmanthus, which flourishes around mid-August. The bright red over there is mulberry, very sweet—give it a try!"

Salmu tasted it with delight and asked, "Sister Qiaoqiao, the pastry you made last night for Brother Lin, did it contain locust, osmanthus, and mulberry?"

"Salmu, you're so clever!" Lin Wanrong approached with laughter, his steps light and amused.

Since the army had returned to the capital, Salmu had taken up residence in the Lin Family Mansion. The boy was robust and endearing, and upon learning he was Yujia's brother, he became the object of considerable affection from the ladies of the house. Luo Ning taught him poetry, Xian'er instructed him in music, and the Eldest Miss tutored him in strategy and calculation. Even Old Gao joined in the fun, teaching the Young Khan some basic swordplay techniques. In a matter of days, Salmu had grown quite familiar with everyone.

"Big Brother," Qiaoqiao said joyfully, grasping his hand, "how is Sister doing?"

Lin Wanrong nodded with a smile, "Qingxuan is doing very well, she sends her thanks! Little darling, your tears last night almost broke my heart. It didn't seem like acting at all!"

"It wasn't acting!" the young girl said bashfully, "I thought if you truly left me, I couldn't live anymore."

Before Big Brother could fully revel in the emotion, Salmu stood up with a clap of his hands, "Sister Qiaoqiao, he's dreadfully dull. Your fondness for him is like casting pearls into the dark!"

Lin Wanrong chuckled, "And why am I considered dull?"

Salmu huffed, "Reciting poetry? You can't match Sister Luo Ning. Playing the lute? Sister Xian'er surpasses you. Your swordsmanship is a mess, not even a match for Old Gao! And don't get me started on horseback riding and archery. Tell me, where is the fun in you?"

Suppressing her laughter, Qiaoqiao remarked, "Big Brother is not to be compared with others in those matters. He uses his mind! How can years of toiling over poetry and martial arts compare to a single moment of his thoughtfulness?"

Salmu was momentarily taken aback, his expression dimming, "My sister said the same thing to me! Brother Lin, do you miss my sister? Why don't you go see her?"

How could he not miss her? Lin Wanrong sighed softly, "I will go, certainly! Salmu, my greatest wish in this life is to see you grow up quickly."

The Young Khan looked up at him, a mixture of understanding and confusion in his eyes. Qiaoqiao held tightly to her Big Brother's hand, feeling the tremble within his palm.

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