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Finest Servant Chapter 631
🕑 Added 2023-11-07 09:16:34 +0000 UTCChapter 631 Confession
"What do you mean?" Upon seeing Qingxuan's eyes twinkle with an ambiguous smile, his heart pounded fiercely. He stuttered, struggling to find a response.
Qingxuan snorted softly, chiding, "Still pretending to be confused? The tales of your adventures with Golden Blade Khan, the little sister Yueya’er are widely known throughout the lands of Great Hua. Even the storytellers in the tea houses describe them in vivid detail, yet it seems only your own household is kept in the dark. Won't you share the story with us?!"
Lin Wanrong cast a stealthy glance at Xu Zhiqing, the female military strategist whose cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, unable to meet his gaze. It was clear she had recounted the events to Xiao Qingxuan in great detail. In a hurry, he forced a chuckle and sat by Qingxuan's bedside, tightly grasping her hand, "It's not that I don't want to tell you; it's because you're in your confinement period, a crucial time for nurturing your health. Discussing such matters is hardly appropriate. You are my dearest wife; how could I be so thoughtless of your well-being and feelings? Would I even be human then?"
He spoke with sincerity, his voice tender, causing Qingxuan's heart to soften. She whispered, "If you truly care for me, then tell me everything about you and Yujia without leaving a single detail out!"
"Oh, that? Hasn't Miss Xu already told you?" he deflected.
"I forced Sister Xu to tell me, and she, caring for you, only picked out the good parts," Qingxuan retorted with a frown. "Now, I want to hear it from you to be certain!"
The saga with Yueya'er was well-known, and there was little point in hiding it any longer. He recounted honestly, from their fateful meeting in Xingqing, the thrilling intellectual battles while she was in captivity on the grasslands, to the life-and-death moments atop the Death Sea and the peaks of the Tianshan Mountains, right up to the loss of her memory and the earth-shattering arrow that end the bloody battle at the royal court...
In the presence of Qingxuan and the ladies in the inner chamber, he was too modest to speak highly of himself, and his unembellished tale somehow touched their hearts even more deeply. When they heard of the snow in June, the hair that turned grey, the room fell into a hushed stillness.
"What a passionately devoted woman!" exclaimed the Eldest Miss, her eyes brimming with tears as she hurriedly supported his arm. "What happened after that? How did it end?!"
"I stand here before you; do you need to ask what happened next?" Lin Wanrong shook his head in resignation and proceeded to narrate the rest of the events, which left everyone deeply moved.
"How could you have the heart to leave such a lovestruck woman alone on the grasslands?!" Qingxuan sighed softly, her gaze tinged with annoyance as she looked at him.
All eyes turned to him, clearly sharing Qingxuan's sentiment. Lin Wanrong opened his mouth, faltering with his words, unsure of what to say.
Luo Ning couldn't bear it and quickly came to his defense, "This Golden Blade Khan is a foreign woman; Big Brother feared that Sister would misunderstand, which is why he dared not bring her home. Isn't that right, Big Brother?"
Ning'er kept making meaningful glances at him, which Qingxuan did not miss. Her face turned red as she protested, "What do you mean 'dared not bring her home'? Am I such an unreasonable person? Before you left, I only reminded you to avoid frivolous affairs so that things wouldn't become unmanageable in the future. But this Miss Yujia is beautiful, intelligent, charming, and as the Golden Blade Khan, her love for you is so deep that it astonishes the heavens and shocks the world. Such a brave foreign woman, and yet you, you fool, why do you become so timid? Where has all your usual bravery gone—your courage in dealing with my Master, on any regular day?"
Qingxuan was genuinely touched by Yujia's sincerity and gently chided in a soft voice, her heart tilting a bit in defense of the foreign lady.
Lin Wanrong, though reprimanded, felt a comfort in his heart, knowing that Qingxuan's scolding was a sign of her care for Yueya'er, which was undeniably delightful. Bowing his head, he murmured, "It's not that I lacked courage. When it was time to part ways, I did try to persuade her to stay. But her mind was set on repaying her debts to her people on the steppe. Had I forced her to stay against her will, I feared she would never find happiness."
"Foolish husband," Xiao Qingxuan smiled sweetly, her voice laced with affectionate exasperation. "Haven't you considered that she would have done anything for you? How could she refuse a life together? Isn’t she just destroying her own happiness? What woman in the world would be so foolish? You couldn't bring her back because your heart wasn't sincere enough."
Lin Wanrong sighed deeply, falling into a contemplative silence.
The Eldest Miss was evidently moved by Yujia's devotion and whispered, "I am quite curious to meet this legendary Yueya'er. Why don’t we visit the Turkic royal court?"
"Oh yes, let's do that!" Luo Ning, Yushuang, and Xian'er clapped their hands excitedly in unison, clearly sharing the same thought as the Eldest Miss.
Lin Wanrong paled with fright, hastily gesturing with his hands, "No, no! The two nations have just ended a war, and the roads are not safe. If you precious ladies embark on such a journey, it would spell the end for me!"
Luo Ning chuckled and clapped her hands, "Isn't that easy to solve? We can have the Khan send troops to escort us, I'm sure she would welcome it! I've never met a female Khan myself; Yueya'er has really brought pride to us women!"
"I haven't seen one either!" Even the demure Qiaoqiao was filled with longing, her eyes shining with anticipation, "I also want to visit the steppe!"
The tide of opinion was turning, and from sympathizing with Yueya'er, the ladies' admiration was becoming personal. Such was the repute of the Khan, renowned across the steppes, skilled in both arts and arms, and as cunning as a fox. Even he struggled to handle her, Lin Wanrong thought, what place would there be for him at home if Luo Ning and the others grew close to Yueya'er?
"Let's not stir up trouble," Lin Wanrong shook his head with a long sigh. "Consider her situation: a woman alone, without support, trying to establish herself on the steppe, facing countless men as fierce as wolves, trying to command and unite them—do you think it's easy?"
Indeed, it was not easy! His words quelled the enthusiasm of the ladies, and they dared not speak further. Seeing Qiaoqiao's disappointed eyes, he couldn't bear it and gently took the young girl's hand, reassuringly saying, "Rest assured, when the steppes are peaceful, and our nations are on good terms, we will visit the steppe. We'll go to Tianshan, to Lake Uvs, wherever is most beautiful, that’s where we'll go!"
Women are easily coaxed with promises, even if they're just lofty ones. At his words, the ladies were immediately abuzz with excitement, grabbing hold of Xu Zhiqing and chattering nonstop, as if they were setting off for the steppe the next day.
Finally, he had appeased them all, nodding proudly to himself. Xiao Qingxuan pinched his arm and said in a hushed tone, "We sisters might be content for now, but have you thought about your Yueya'er? The greatest sorrow in the world is yearning for someone. She's all alone, perhaps hiding somewhere this very moment, secretly wiping away her tears."
Qingxuan, having once endured the torment of yearning, could empathize with Yujia's emotions.
Lin Wanrong's lips trembled slightly as the image of a graceful figure surfaced in his mind, making his heart sting as if pricked by needles.
Qingxuan held his hand, her voice soft, "My husband, you are a hero with a clear sense of love and hate. No matter the difficulties, you would never fail others! Go to her soon. Bring her back. Don't betray her expectations!"
"My wife, you are so kind!" Lin Wanrong felt a sourness in his nose, holding Qingxuan's hand tightly, overwhelmed with emotion.
"Am I? You speak too soon!" Qingxuan looked at him and smiled faintly, "Now that Yujia's matter has come to a close, let's put that aside. I want to ask you, is there anything else you're hiding from me?"
"Anything else—ah, I remember now," he said as he pulled out a wooden box and a deed from his bosom, laying them before Qingxuan with a sheepish expression. "That foreigner just now gave me many gifts. Diamonds, real estate, and, also, two little French beauties! I'm handing them all over, everything!"
Looking at the array of colorful items before her, Qingxuan felt a sudden pang of sorrow, "Even French beauties have been sent to you. These Westerners really do understand you!"
Lin Wanrong chuckled dryly and said earnestly, "It's the Westerners who are filthy; I've never entertained such thoughts. French beauties mean nothing to me. Which of the ladies in my household isn't as beautiful as a celestial fairy? Why would I need those flaxen-haired Western women? My wife, you know it's true, right?"
Qingxuan huffed and motioned for Luo Ning to take away these things, adding them to the household. Luo Ning, with the deed that suggested the presence of beauties tucked between her fingers, gave a mischievous smile to her big brother, her meaning unclear.
Once Luo Ning had everything in order, Qingxuan looked at him calmly and asked, "Husband, is there anything else you need to tell me?"
Xian'er pouted in annoyance, and along with the other ladies, they embraced the twins and slowly left the room, leaving only him and Qingxuan behind.
Miss Xiao's expression was a mix of love and resentment, complex and unreadable, making Lin Wanrong's heart race, "There's... there's nothing else—"
Qingxuan silently turned her head away, speaking in a low voice, "If you don't tell me, I won't ask. But if you ever want to speak of it again, I won't listen."
It was an ultimatum. Knowing Qingxuan's character, she would do as she said. Lin Wanrong felt a tingling on his scalp, and after hesitating, he whispered, "I, with Sister An—"
Qingxuan let out a soft snort, clutching the brocade blanket tightly, "You and Martial Aunt An, what happened?"
Lin Wanrong's lips quivered, "It's just, just like this with you!"
"What?!"
"Ah, no, no, don't misunderstand. We haven't been intimate, only, our feelings are mutual, just mutual feelings!"
Qingxuan's chest heaved with agitation, and she said with barely contained anger, "Martial Aunt An is Xian'er's master, you, how could you—with her—does sister know?!"
He dared not lift his head, mumbling ambiguously, "Xian'er? She might not know, or perhaps she suspects!"
"You—" Qingxuan bit her lip, staring at him, and said deliberately, "Besides this, is there anything else?"
Lin Wanrong's heart clashed tumultuously inside him, as if beating drums so fiercely that he dared not even breathe aloud, "There's also, also about Fairy Sister—"
"My Master? What about her?!" she demanded.
Lin Wanrong's head hung so low it could almost touch the ground. "I and Fairy Sister, that is, we have—mutual affection," he mumbled.
Boom— The pillows and blankets on the bed were flung furiously at him. Qingxuan trembled like a leaf, her eyes brimming with glistening tears as she spat out bitterly, "Get out, just get out!"
"Qingxuan," he exclaimed, startled into jumping up, hastily covering her with the blanket, "You're still in confinement; you mustn't get upset. I didn't want to tell you this now, I was afraid it would agitate you!"
Xiao Qingxuan pushed him away with all her might, her face ashen, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Leave, I want you to leave, I don't want to see you!"
In her anger, she twisted the bedding into a lump, ready to throw it at him again. Seeing her fragile body clad only in a thin nightgown, Lin Wanrong turned pale with fear, hastily gesturing with his hands, "Cover yourself with the blanket, don’t catch a cold! Qingxuan, please don’t be angry—don’t throw, don’t throw it—okay, okay, I’ll go out first!"
Qingxuan's eyes widened as her tears fell like rain; she'd already kicked all the bedding off the bed, not giving him the slightest chance to explain.
Even the usually gentle Qingxuan could become so enraged; this matter was truly blown out of proportion! With no other choice, Lin Wanrong, crestfallen, slowly walked towards the door. Just as he was about to open the latch, he stopped.
"Actually, I didn’t want this either—" His nose tingled, he shook his head with a soft sigh, but found himself choked up, unable to finish his sentence. With a clang, he pushed the door open and disappeared silently into the night.
Hearing the sound of the door closing, Xiao Qingxuan suddenly turned her head, looking at the fluttering curtains, and suddenly she covered her face, crying silently.
A warm little hand took hers, "Sister, what should we do?! Your husband was really frightened by you!"
"I don’t care about him at all!" Qingxuan huffed angrily.
Qin Xian'er said softly, "It's no wonder you don't care about him. He’s truly rotten to the core! Not to mention our Holy Sect lineage, just consider our Master and Martial Aunt—such noble souls, yet all falling into his palms! How did he manage that?"
"It’s what he traded his life for!" Xiao Qingxuan said.
Qin Xian'er was taken aback, suddenly feeling that Qingxuan's words had truly hit the mark.
"Xian'er, where has he gone?" Qingxuan murmured, gazing out into the deep night.
Miss Qin's eyes reddened, "He went downstairs by himself, completely out of spirits. Qiaoqiao is talking to him now!"
Qingxuan's eyes flickered with intense concern as she tenderly shook her head and softly said, "This fool! He seems clever but is actually quite single-minded and prone to rashness. After this commotion, I fear he won’t be able to eat a bite! He was already thin from his time at the border, and with his injury, it’s essential he eats. Could you have Xuan'er and Zheng'er spend more time playing with him? Let Ning'er and Yuruo keep a close eye on him, engage him in conversation, coax him to eat well! His arrow wound may look healed on the outside, but it requires nourishment; he needs daily soaks in medicinal herbs and warm soup baths! I've prepared all the herbs, they’re in Ning'er’s room. He loves the pastries made by Qiaoqiao, serve those warm to him. Cold and raw foods are bad for the spleen and stomach, they can harm his health, so don’t indulge his whims—"
Qin Xian'er let out a laugh, "This is even more meticulous than caring for someone in confinement! Sister, didn’t you say you didn’t want to see him anymore? Why the concern for him?"
Blushing, Xiao Qingxuan quickly turned her head away, "Who's concerned about him? I'm just worried that if he gets hungry or falls ill, it will trouble all of you!"
