Grabbing Your Hand, Dragging you Away

Chapter Thirteen

People always say, how great it would be, to have one person that knows you well. But sometimes, once someone completely knows all your likes, and hence, is good at using this to catch you, that feeling really is……extremely uncomfortable.

Undoubtedly, Yuwen Rui is that person that makes my teeth itch.

He has always known what I need, what I don’t need, what I love to eat, what I don’t like to eat, what I like, what I hate. He knows me so well, that I sometimes get the illusion that the one he knows is actually the real me, and the me that I know, is not me at all.

Eh, how did I suddenly become all scholarly, talking about what- ‘the me that he know knows me’, no matter how I put it, in the end, are they not all me? Sure enough, I have been stimulated by him. Based on what rights ah, what right does his subordinates have to snatch other people’s rice bowl (job that feeds them), is he not even going to let the commoners live now, as a person, one must at least be honest and kind, the most important point being……

Are their cooking skills any good?

……

“Ah-Lan, are you going over or not, we’ve already skipped a few places.” Ying Lu doubtfully pokes at my arm as she asks.

I glance at Ling Zhi who is gracefully frying the pancakes black. Go? It’d be shocking if I do go, do you not see the few men in the corner, with black crumbs around their mouth from eating, yet the corners of their lips still carrying senseless smiles, what is this called, this is called: death under the peony flower, needs not be pitied. (Ah-Lan twists the original phrase of ‘dying under the peony flower, remain dissolute as a ghost’ which refers to men that will die with no regrets before a beautiful woman, even if it means dying at the beauty’s hands)

I draw back my line of sight and look at Ying Lu, keeping a composed expression, “Young Lady.”

Ying Lu reaches up to play with her own hair, “Speak ah.”

I say in a very sincere tone: “Have you noticed?”

Ying Lu blinks, “What? Notice what?”

I sincerely plus honestly continue, “Could it be you haven’t noticed, the few places I took you to, all have one thing in common?”

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“Eh, let me think.” Ying Lu rolls her eyes around, “Seems to be all places for eating.”

“Young Lady is correct.” I pat her shoulders, “Young Lady, the few places I took you to just now, you remember them all, must never ever go to them in future. My mother has taught me since I was young, ladies must not be greedy for food.” Although this phrase is not something I keep in mind, but Ying Lu is the young lady of an esteemed family, and so, she can listen to these words if she likes.

“Ah?” Ying Lu is a little confused by these words, after a little thinking, she then seems to find it rather reasonable, “That is quite true, in the end, the things outside are not completely safe to eat. Shall we go take a stroll over there then?”

I flatly say: “My mother has also said.”

“Also said what?”

“Ladies takes pleasure in their own appearance.”

“So?”

I pull her hand, “Young Lady, let us go to the rouge store.”

At a spot, not far from the rouge store, Ying Lu and I come to a stop, Ying Lu’s eyes settling at the entrance of the rouge store, and mine stops at the second floor of that restaurant across the road from it. That restaurant cannot be considered an elegant place, those that go there are all commoner families with their children, but I just happen to see a certain familiar figure, and my heart is hit with slight laments.

Light blue satin robes, black hair half held up in a green jade crown, a lofty and handsome face, the slanted fox eyes, gentle yet faintly estranged orbs, lightly pursed thin lips……

If that person isn’t Yuwen Rui, who else could it be?

Counting the days, it should be twenty odd days since I’ve last seen him, which also means I haven’t eaten grapes for twenty odd days? Mm, no wonder why I have this sense of longing when I see that pretentiously refined and cultured face of his, turns out I miss my dear grapes.

I raise my head to look at him, having not seen him for so long, he is still the exact same as before, just that his usual fake gentle smile is a few points fainter, his overall look appears a lot more colder. I find this a little strange, knowing him for so long, this is but the second time I have seen him look like this. As for the first time……

I draw back my line of sight smiling, that time, surely gave me a ‘deep impression’.

“Ah-Lan.” Ying Lu suddenly reaches over to tug at my sleeve, her tone carrying suspicion as she speaks: “Is that Liu Ru Xu you see?”

I follow her eyes and look over, the first thing to enter my sight is Liu Ru Xu in a body of duck-yellow chiffon dress, her beautifully bright face filled with coldness. I answer: “Young Lady, it is.”

“Then……” Ying Lu was still very doubtful, “On her right is San-er, right?”

I’m wondering if she is suddenly hit with blindness? “Young Lady, it is.”

Ying Lu releases her hold, her fine finger tapping her own forehead, “I also think it is them, but……who is that man on her left?”

I glance over that man a few times, approximately around twenty years of age, delicate appearance with a slight scholar image, he is currently staring at Liu Ru Xu, mouth opening and closing, not knowing what he is saying, looking pleased yet also a little nervous. Then looking at Liu Ru Xu, a pretty face with no show of emotion, just the occasional nod to go along with the conversation. Deep inside I can only shrug my shoulder, who is this man? Who else can it be. In the ancient times these people are called admirers, in modern times they are suitors.

I speak up saying: “Young Lady, that isn’t Young Master.”

Ying Lu, with an extreme lack of elegance, rolls her eyes at me, “Of course I know that isn’t Brother-” she suddenly stops, eyes instantly sparkling, as she excitedly says: “Oh yeah, that isn’t Brother, Liu Ru Xu is actually being intimate with a man in the middle of the streets, truly, truly too inappropriate!”

In fact, even a bicycle can ride between the distance of those two people.

But I still play along with her words and meaningfully saying: “That’s right ah, how inappropriate, she is but Young Master’s wife-to-be.”

Ying Lu instantly snaps back, “Who told you she’s Brother’s wife-to-be?”

“Ah?” I blankly look at her, “Is she not?”

“Of course not!” Ying Lu rebuts with utmost firmness.

“Oh, not Young Master’s wife-to-be.” I repeat.

This time, Ying Lu’s worked up emotions finally fades, she speaks with lack of interest: “Oh that’s right, she has no relation to Brother, nor does she have any relation with me, why should I care about what she does?” With a flip of her hand, she pulls me along, “Let’s go let’s go, how boring, let us get going to see the interesting goods at Pei Yu Court.”

I nod, just as we were prepared to turn around, a sudden situation over there halts our movement.

Over there, Liu Ru Xu was originally walking fine, but just now, a man in tattered clothing fiercely sprang out from the crowd, aiming at the space between Liu Ru Xu and the young man as he charges forward, violently knocking into Liu Xu Ru’s shoulder as he rushes past, Liu Ru Xu’s body is originally delicately slim, being violently knocked into like that, her entire person drops to the side, the young man next to her had intended to reach out to catch hold of her body, but in the moment he almost reached her, his actions comes to a hesitant halt as he slightly turns his body aside, and it was in his moment of hesitance that a horse hectically comes charging up to them as well, the rapid running giving rise to a cloud of dust. The person on the horse seems to be very impatient, not taking control of the horse’s crazy rush and simply leaving it to bolt down the road, appearing to just about to run into the fallen Liu Ru Xu……

Everyone is watching this scene in horror, of course, this does not include me. Even Liu Ru Xu who has always been cold faced, is looking absolutely terrified, that beautiful face showing a little change, whereas I, am not worried that this little beauty will be returning to the heavens in the very next second, only because I see that above, Yuwen Rui has already stood up.

Just when that huge and mighty horse lift its front legs preparing to stomp down on the beauty, its neck was struck by something, and in the very next moment, its entire body falls to the side, the person on the horse jumps down upon seeing this situation, simply leaving that horse to fall to the ground as it lets out a sad cry. The crowd that witnesses such a turnaround from the high peaks, immediately issues a burst of cheers, just that this sound of cheering made the man who unmounted the horse to feel even more unhappy. That person takes a look at the horse breathing its last on the ground, and then looks at the Liu Ru Xu who is currently unable to stand, suddenly pulling out a long black whip from his waist side, raising his hand, wanting to lash out at Liu Ru Xu!

The crowd once again collectively sucks in a breath, I purse my lips, at a glance, this person is evidently not from Yun Mi, not at all aware of how to show tenderness towards a fragrant and jade-like maiden. The men of our Yun Mi Kingdom would protect fragile ladies and save damsels in distress, see, just as it is about to play out now.

The handsome man with unrestrained figure ––– Yuwen Rui had unknowingly made an appearance amongst the sight of the crowd, he stands between the man and Liu Ru Xu, casually extending his right hand to seize the man’s whip, yet his attitude shows not a trace of abnormality, he faintly smiles as he looks at the man lashing out his whip, not saying a word.

That man attempts to pull back his whip but his effects were of no use, he angrily glares at the person who stopped his whip, voice filled with rage as he opens his mouth: “Let go!”

Yuwen Rui only narrows his long and fine fox eyes upon hearing this, his smile elegantly gentle, “I’m afraid this gentleman isn’t from Yun Mi, right?”

The man coldly sounds a “heng”, showing an attitude of arrogance as he says: “Of course I’m not from Yun Mi, before, I have always heard people say Yun Mi is not a presentable kingdom, today I finally see why.”

Yuwen’s face remains unchanging, smile turning increasingly gentle and polite, “Gentleman is from Yun Zhan?”

The man appears proud, “Guess you have considerably good eyes.”

“Of course, of course.” Yuwen Rui’s words are strangely compliant, “A few days ago, I have heard the people of Yun Zhan are all courageous and fierce warriors, great men that stands upright between the earth and skies, today I see, indeed……the reputation is but an ‘understatement’ in reality.”

That person lowers his highly raised arm, “Our Yun Zhan people’s reputation is known throughout the world, as if we need you to bootlick us!”

Yuwen Rui’s eyes slightly flashes, thin lips hooking up into a deeper curve, “Our ancestors have said Yun Zhan people knows not a single character (uneducated), sure enough that is correct.”

That person slightly widens his eyes, seeming surprised by his sudden verbal abuse, “What?”

Yuwen Rui lightly sounds a chuckle, his face still gentle and refined like jade, but inexplicably makes people feel a wave of icy coldness, “The ‘understatement’ I spoke off is not ‘positive’, but I believe that even if I explain it to you, you would not understand, this is also the meaning of playing the zither to a cow. We Yun Mi people do not belittle boorish men, gentleman can fully rest assured.”

That person can finally be able to tell that he is mocking him, immediately flushing an angry red, “You actually dare to call me boorish!”

Yuwen Rui is like a pool of lake water, cold and placid, “Gentleman admitting to being the boorish man I speak of is also considered a type of bold attitude of ‘daring to stand up to what one dared to do’, I admire this very much, Yun Zhan people are indeed refreshingly direct.”

“You-” That person is rendered speechless by his calm expression and sharp satirising words, once again raising his arm, ready to solve this with the whip, but in this very moment, a mellow voice is heard.

“Jia Suo, stop.” Such mellow-wine-like voice says only three words, but immediately stops the action of the one named Jia Suo. Jia Suo’s movement comes to a stop as told to, and then all that is heard, is that person say: “Come back.”

Jia Suo seems to listen to that person very well, even if he is greatly indignant, he could only hatefully glare at Yuwen Rui, angrily turning to leave.

I see him not even caring about his own horse, directly walking towards a horse carriage that had stopped by the roadside god knows when, hopping onto the front of the carriage and taking control of the horse as he leaves with that other person. I observe that horse carriage, it is only an extremely ordinary four wheeled carriage, frowning, I just seem to be getting a weird feeling. Is it due to Yuwen Rui saying he is a Yun Zhan person before? Or is it due to that extremely bold and mellow man’s voice just now?

“Ah-Lan, Ah-Lan, Ah-Lan!” Ying Lu’s excited voice enters my ears, she tugs at my sleeve, saying: “Look, look, Liu Ru Xu, Liu Ru Xu, Liu Ru Xu and that man!”

I pull back from my thoughts and look towards the site of the incident, only to see Yuwen Rui lower his head as he faintly smiles at Liu Ru Xu, “Is Lady able to get up?”

Yet Liu Ru Xu could only stare at him, that cold and arrogant face showing a rare sight of a dazed look.

I look at that pair of handsome male and beautiful lady with interest.

……en? What situation is this?