This was
their first family meal.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng sat in the seat of honour, watching Xia Fen sucking in the thick soup,
while Xia Ling Mei was busy picking up dishes of food for the father and son,
his mind then cleared up completely.
The cold
desolation and loneliness had already over the years seeped into his bones, the
current comforting liveliness was the complete opposite of the two, it was
bitter sweet, a lump rose in his throat, he couldn’t control himself for a very
long time.
“What’s
wrong?” Xia Ling Mei peeled opened a drunken prawn putting it in his bowl, “Are
you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“No.” w.a.n.g
Yun Feng drank a mouthful of soup, waiting for the hot soup to go down his
throat, melting the glacier in his heart, before picking up his chopsticks
taking the fish eyes and placing
them in her bowl, gently saying: “I remember you like eating this.”
Xia Ling
Mei paused for a while, covering up her appearance, several times before
picking up the food and placing it in her mouth, already speechless.
Xia Fen drank
the soup, without hesitation as well he picked up a chicken b.u.t.t putting it in
his mother’s bowl: “Adoptive mother, quickly eat.”
It was
undoubtedly a nothing out of the ordinary meal, apart from the incessant
smacking of Xia Fen’s lips, the other two adults did not speak. w.a.n.g Yun Feng scrupulously
abided by the rigorous upbringing of not talking when eating, Xia Ling Mei on
the other hand didn’t have so many rules, she was preoccupied to eat with her
emotions raging, she could only continuously give the two father and son food,
she herself didn’t eat much.
Having
finished the meal, just as Xia Fen had wanted to run off to find Zhuang Sheng
as usual, but w.a.n.g Yun Feng called him to a stop: “You’re already six, don’t
cause disorder everywhere without cause, if you have free time read more books
and practice writing.”
Xia Fen
panted with rage: “I want to practice martial arts”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng did not care for this: “You finished eating just now, bouncing around
won’t be good for your digestive system. What studying have you done before,
how many characters can you write? Bring me your usual homework to look at.”
Xia Fen sucked
his teeth: “As if this young master would learn such bookish and sour writings,
if you have the ability don’t pointlessly blather at me, our fists can be the
judge.”
Hearing
this, w.a.n.g Yun Feng also guessed Xia Fen definitely chose to walk the path of
martial arts, like Xia Ling Mei when she was younger. But Xia Ling Mei back
then also studied quite a lot, ranking not in the top five amongst the girls at
Bai Lu academy, but capable of being in the top ten. w.a.n.g Yun Feng was a
well-known figure in the same academy, apart from the few princes, he was one
of the best people of the influential families. As his son, even if his martial
arts improved if he couldn’t write, he would only be able to kneel in the
ancestral hall.
Immediately,
his expression froze, with the slight loftiness of his stern imperial censor
face in the imperial court. Eyebrows joined together, his lips pursed together,
arrogant and in disdain his expression even sharper than a knife, the speed his
expression changed was so quick, instantly scaring Xia Fen into taking two
steps back. Xia Fen also was not to be reckoned with, he’s killed on the
battlefield before, but he was scared of a G.o.dd.a.m.n scholar. After returning to
his senses, he parted his legs, placing a single hand in front of his stomach
to protect it, his other hand placed on the knife at his waist, his body
bending in half, his position allowing him to charge and break through enemy
lines, anytime and everywhere beheading people.
The two
people was quiet and unmoving, one sat, one stood, facing off against their
adversaries.
Xia Ling
Mei lifted her eyes: “Chicken…”
Rustling,
Xia Fen shadow could already no longer be seen.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng made a somewhat meaningful glance, in one short meal he knew the failing
of Xia Fen. At that moment he wasn’t worried, he stood up using a lot of
effort: “Spoiling him so much isn’t the way. His future prospects cannot be
limited, without the slightest education how can he have a footing in the
imperial court.”
Xia Ling
Mei opened her mouth, really wanting to say: Xia Fen’s position has already
long ago been decided, it cannot be changed. On the verge of saying what was on
her mind she again swallowed it down, the two of them had just let bygones be
bygones, it really wasn’t good for them to start arguing again because of the
child.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng had eaten his fill, his mind was a lot better, he started walking a few
steps with the support of Xia Ling Mei, when he had walked to the courtyard he
could already walk by himself. He intended to spend time alone with Xia Ling
Mei, pulling her slowly to the edge of the small stream to walk around to aid
digestion.
Attentively
asking about Xia Fen’s life for the past few years, again asking who his
martial arts master was, how much studying he had done.
“He is already six years old. The children of the Xia family all attend academy at the
age of five, he’s a year late it can’t be dragged on any more. After the
holidays, he will be sent to Bai Lu academy.”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng thought about it: “I still haven’t completed the matter the emperor
instructed me. If he was still young, I can keep him by my side and teach him
from the top, sadly it’s too late now.”
Xia Ling
Mei did not utter a word.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng felt guilty, he couldn’t help but grasp her hand tightly: “I’ve let you
mother and child down, I’ve let you suffer so much.”
Xia Ling
Mei forced a smile, emotions flashed through her eyes: “w.a.n.g Yun Feng, are you
trying to feel me out!”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng was stumped for words: “What am I feeling you out for?”
Xia Ling
Mei puffed out: “You’re making me feel deliberately guilty.”
She
certainly had suffered a lot, part of which was because she was proud and
arrogant, not allowing anyone to sympathise with her at all, so she wasn’t
willing to remain at the Xia family residence at ease, and chose to play a part
in the battlefield fighting; the other part was her heartless determination,
undoubtedly every year she returned home for the new year, every year w.a.n.g Yun
Feng would think of a way to find her at the Xia family residence, even if he
saw her by chance, she would deliberately not have a tear in her eyes or a
single word of grievance, what more the matter of the child was concealed
watertight. Her unscrupulous behaviour rejoiced in w.a.n.g Yun Feng’s pain, she
watched his self-torment, no matter how he tracked her down and found her those
years, most of the time she puffed herself up as strong in battle, excluding
everything about him outside of her high walls.
On the
surface she was exceedingly strong, the weaker she was in the inside. She was
afraid she couldn’t resist his sweet and honeyed words, she couldn’t withstand
his tenderness and affection, and the stress on the expectation of seeing him
after and giving him all her attention.
Speaking of
her short twenty years, the first twenty years she had given him pain, the
latter seven years he had exerted pressure on her with love and hate.
It was
already impossible to distinguish who had wronged who.
He could
criticise her coldness, question why she hid herself, without the slightest
hesitation hit and crush her fort. Ask her if she knew how he has lived alone
by himself these few years, ask her if she knows what it’s like to be alone
without a father, mother, wife or children, ask her when facing the public
attacks and backstabbing of the imperial court, the fear and hesitation in his
heart…to the extent that, he could even reproachfully ask her, that if he died
in the struggle for power, would she allow Xia Fen to recognise his ancestors?
Would she, offer an incense stick for him as his widow!
This crafty
person, he could clearly use his sharp imperial censor teeth to break her
everything, press on at every step using thunderous means, make her back down.
Deliberately, he didn’t. All his sharpness completely vanished in front of her,
only leaving behind gentleness and forgiveness, just like the gentleness when
younger which attracted her, seducing her a little bit into his trap, making
her automatically give up resisting, making her discover the good things about
him, discover his sincerity.
Make her
feel deficit, wanting to repay him.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng couldn’t help hold her, laughing: “This is called retreat in order to
advance.”
Xia Ling
Mei lowered her head snorting, reaching out her own hands to hug his waist, the
bottom of her heart swelling, an unspeakable emotion.
The two
people casually touched each other like this, Xia Fen who had run out of the
door did not find Zhuang Sheng, he also could not see Jiu Fang Xi’s silhouette,
panting with rage he found the visitors of the manor practicing martial arts
moves. The people there knew he was a distant relative of the former martial
arts leader Han Yi Fan, naturally they didn’t lightly offend him, talking about
competing in martial arts, however many actually picked at his martial arts.
After two
hours, he ran back covered all over in body odour. Originally he had thought
w.a.n.g Yun Feng should have left, even if he hadn’t left he wouldn’t be living in
his mother’s courtyard! Hurriedly he ran back, just by chance he saw Ying s.h.i.+
calling for people to prepare a hot water bath, and w.a.n.g Yun Feng calmly
holding paper and writing brush at the table in front of the window writing
something.
He rushed
in, loudly asking: “Why have you still not left.”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng did not lift up his head: “You mother and son are here, why would I
leave.”
Xia Fen
loudly shouted: “This is our room.”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng said: “Men and women do not sleep in the same bed after seven years old,
you’re already six years old, how can you still sleep with your parents. I’ll
get someone to prepare another room for you, it’s just next door.” The other
meaning behind this, if it’s not important then the baby can just stay on one
side.
Xia Fen could
not beat him with words, again afraid Xia Ling Mei would get angry, bulging out
his cheeks he watched people get the bathing stuff ready, not saying anything
further, wearing his clothes he went round the screen, jumping with a plop into
the tub: “I’m going to stay here, no one can chase me away.”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng just finished writing one letter, after carefully examining it before
sealing it and giving it to Juan Shu, then did he find the time to look at the
child in the tub: “Are you was.h.i.+ng yourself or your clothes? Take off your
clothes, I’m worried you’ll catch a cold.”
Xia Fen was
determined to act against him, shaking his b.u.t.t at the other person twice: “I’m
not going to take them off, you can’t control me.” As he spoke, he even exerted
all his strength to slap the water, drenching the floor with a large puddle.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng picked up an ink slab walking over to the bath tub, saying: “If you don’t
take off your clothes, I will throw this in there, make you take an ink bath.”
Xia Fen was
unable to restrain his anger: “You dare!”
What did
w.a.n.g Yun Feng not dare to do, he lifted his hand and dropped the ink slab into
the tub, scaring Xia Fen into a flurry wanting to catch it. Moving forward
quickly, out of nowhere a long whip appeared, flinging the ink slab far away.
Xia Ling
Mei with her hands on her hips glared at the father and son: “What are you
doing?”
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng smiled, with great concern he glanced at Xia Fen: “I’m just preparing to
help Xia Fen wash, I didn’t notice the ink slab up my sleeve, I nearly ruined
the just recently prepared bath.” Turning to speak to Xia Ling Mei, “When you
leave close the door, don’t let Fen Er catch a cold.”
Xia Fen
with great alarm: “I, I definitely don’t need you to help me was.h.!.+ I can wash
by myself.” He stopped talking, quickly stripping off his clothes, smoothly he
rolled around inside the tub, waiting until Xia Ling Mei closed the door, he
laid in the tub stealing a glance, he could only see w.a.n.g Yun Feng smiling yet
not smiling.
Scoundrel!
Xia Fen really hated him.
Xia Fen
will stay in the main house no matter what, w.a.n.g Yun Feng can roll up his
letter and other stuff and go next door. Xia Ling Mei personally prepared the
medicine bring it in, only seeing him bent over his desk swiftly writing, with
a concentrated and solemn face.
Compared to
before, he certainly had lost a lot of weight, his mind also wasn’t great,
looking for some time she knew he was purely leaning on the air of haughtiness
fighting to support himself, not knowing when he wouldn’t be able to carry on
and he’d collapse, watching him Xia Ling Mei’s heart clenched.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng finished his pressing business, then did he find Xia Ling Mei standing not
too far behind him, stilly watching him.
“What is
it, are you not tired of standing there blankly?” He walked over pulling her to
sit down, he picked up the medicine himself and drank it clean.
Juan Shu
with keen eyes, immediately gathered up all the notebooks, letters and other
things again picking up the bowl and leaving. Taking a furtive look at the two
people intimately talking, he noiselessly arranged for people to pour hot water
into the bath tub prepared earlier on, then did he close all the doors and
windows, withdrawing cleanly.
w.a.n.g Yun
Feng rubbed Xia Ling Mei’s lips, quietly saying: “Tonight we’ll sleep
together.”
Xia Ling
Mei thought about it: “Fen Er…” before she finished speaking, the other
person’s tongue nimbly entered hers.