204.2 – I Don’t Want to Understand
“Our Qi’er must have been up all night, waiting for me to return…”
Gong Jing was taken aback, but then snapped out of it quickly.
“Temple Master Qi is a good young lady.”
“Right? However, she is a little oblique.”
Xue Qilin’s face outlined a helpless smile. Gong Jing, in turn, nodded with some understanding.
“After all, she’s only sixteen.”
“She’s already this beautiful at sixteen. I wonder about the future…”
Xue Qilin put on a worried expression.
“This old one heard that the number of people who proposed marriage to Temple Master Qi is already enough to destroy the gate of the Merak Temple.”
Xue Qilin, who was just joking before, didn’t expect to get such an answer. She blinked her eyes.
“There was such a thing?”
“Of course. Temple Master Qi, as the master of the Merak Temple, not only has a high status, but is also devastatingly beautiful. Temple Master Qi has countless admirers. Not only the talented people of the Jianghu, but also the noble sons of the imperial capital have begun to stir.”
There was actually such a thing! Xue Qilin had a sense of crisis.
When she thought that Qi Qiqi would marry someone one day, she suddenly became dejected. She categorized this feeling as “a father’s upset when his daughter gets married”.
To marry Little Qi, you have go through me first! Xue Qilin humphed twice.
Talking about marriage, Xue Qilin suddenly had a doubt.
Men from prestigious families, don’t they have three wives and four concubines? She sat down again and voiced her doubt.
“With your Gong Clan’s prestige and status, why are there only Little Qing and Gong Tianyang –”
As she spoke, Xue Qilin realized that it’s not proper and quickly closed her mouth. However, this half of a sentence was enough for Gong Jing understand her doubt.
“This old one’s son loves his dead wife so much that he is determined not to marry again.”
That’s really deep dedication — Xue Qilin thought to herself.
Gong Jing walked to the window and looked up into the distance.
After a brief moment of silence, he came back to his senses and said, “What’s more, when this old one’s son followed this old one to the army in his early years, he was heavily wounded by the Northern Kingdom’s Grandmaster. He was not only unable to go to the battlefield again, but his fertility was also…”
The expression on Gong Jing’s face is a mixture of many emotions, it is as complex as paste, making it impossible for Xue Qilin to tell whether it is guilt for not protecting his son or blame for the Heaven’s injustice that lies at the bottom of it.
Maybe it’s both.
But in any case, Xue Qilin realized that the Gong Clan has sacrificed quite a bit for the Hua Dynasty. Perhaps Gong Tianqing’s tendency to sacrifice herself was inherited from the Gong Clan.
“Well, I shouldn’t have asked.”
“It doesn’t matter. After all, it is a well known fact.”
Nevertheless, Xue Qilin still cast Gong Jing an apologetic look.
Not long after, she stood up and sighed mischievously.
“To stay in the same place as a bachelor will have a negative impact on my reputation…”
“Indeed. This old one will arrange a carriage to take Lady Xue back.”
“No, flying will be faster. As long as you don’t let people shoot me down like some giant bird, I will be perfectly satisfied.
Xue Qilin’s humorous remark prompted Gong Jing to laugh out twice.
“This old one promises that such a thing won’t happen.”
“Oh, that’s good then.”
After rolling her eyes, Xue Qilin walked to the door. Gong Jing, who arrived first, opened the door for her and made an inviting gesture.
“Oh, by the way, I kicked your son a few times, with some strength, you don’t mind, right?”
Xue Qilin had just stepped out of the study, when she suddenly stopped and asked.
“Although this old one is a little dissatisfied, but this old one has to admit that it was well deserved.”
Gong Jing has a rather helpless expression on his face.
“Hey, if we’re talking about deserts… then I’ll have to kick you, too. Oh, just a few light kicks at most, that is.”
“There is no reason not to.”
Gong Jing stroked his beard and replied with a smile.
“Well, if you say it like that, then I’m no longer in the mood to kick you.”
Xue Qilin just spread her hands.
Next, a breeze swept Xue Qilin by her feet. Propped up by the wind, she rose gently into the air.
“If you have any news, don’t forget to notify me. I’m staying in the inn the Flowing Water Garden Villa in the western district.”
Gong Jing replied with an “okay”.
After looking back at Gong Jing, Xue Qilin soared into the sky and sped up. She soon melted into the gray sky and disappeared.
Gong Jing mumbled while looking blankly in the direction Xue Qilin disappeared
“‘Natural Disaster’…? Didn’t expect her to be such an interesting character…”
His words quickly dissipated in the air. Thereupon, Gong Jing returned to the study.
＊
Probably because of Shui Yun’er’s morning training, it is much more humid in the rented courtyard house than it is outside.
Under Shui Yun’er’s guidance, several streams of water wandering in the sky above the courtyard house constantly changed their direction. However, Shui Yun’er appears to be absent-minded. Not only hid she not notice Xue Qilin, who just stepped into the courtyard house, but even the streams of water have lost their usual smoothness. They are clearly a bit stiff.
Is she worried about Little Qing? Xue Qilin guessed.
“Little Yun, you’re training?”
Xue Qilin called Shui Yun’er gently.
As a result, Shui Yun’er trembled abruptly.
The streams of water outlining beautiful trajectories in the air suddenly went out of control and burst into countless droplets that scattered on the ground. Caught off guard, she was wetted by the water.
Xue Qilin, who witnessed the whole process, felt a little guilty.
At first, she was going to walk past quietly, as not to disturb Shui Yun’er. However, she is a little scared of facing Qi Qiqi. She doesn’t know how to explain Little Qing’s situation to her.
I said that I would bring Little Qing back. But in the end, I let the Shadow Gate abduct her. Xue Qilin can imagine what kind of expression Qi Qiqi will make when she gets this news.
— naked disappointment, followed by crying alone at night.
Xue Qilin doesn’t want to see Qi Qiqi like this. She prefers her angry appearance. Every teardrop of Qi Qiqi is like a blade that mercilessly cuts Xue Qilin in the heart.
The girl’s tears give the lass a heartache.
Although she knows that she’s procrastinating, but Xue Qilin still doesn’t dare to step into the room with Qi Qiqi.
“Young –”
Shui Yun’er wanted to cry out, but then quickly swallows back the cry and peeked at the closed door. It appears that she doesn’t want to disturb Qi Qiqi.
When she found that there are no movements in the room, Shui Yun’er sighed in relief. Then, she walked towards Xue Qilin with hurried steps.
“Young Teacher, you are back?”
“Yes. I’m really tired after being out all night. I’ll have a good sleep later.”
Xue Qilin wrinkled her nose and replied discontentedly.
Shui Yun’er looked around as if searching for something.
“Young Teacher, where is Little Sister Gong?”
Shui Yun’er was indeed looking for Gong Tianqing.
Since she can’t see Gong Tianqing, she frowned, puzzled. In the next moment, as if she discovered something, she opened her eyes wide.
“Young Teacher, are you hurt?”
Shui Yun’er’s gaze fell on Xue Qilin’s cheek, on the cut left by Shadow.
“I’m fine!”
Xue Qilin touched the wound and found that it has almost healed. Only an itch remains. She scratched unconsciously. Consequently, Shui Yun’er stopped her and cast her a reproachful look.
“Don’t scratch!”
Shui Yun’er, who has always been gentle and agreeable, assumed a stern expression and scold Xue Qilin.
