Chapter 95: Winter Solstice
Everything happened as Xin Liu had expected. He slowly led Feng Xuexiang and the others into the disciples’ tomb inside the mountain.
In the end, he regretfully informed them that someone else had beaten them to it, and the jade scroll was already gone.
Xin Liu knew that this fruitless trip would make Feng Xuexiang extremely angry, and he might even take out his anger on him. He had already prepared himself for that possibility.
Feng Xuexiang didn’t have much time left.
The Winter Solstice was just around the corner, and the object inside his body was lying dormant. He was about to fall into a deep sleep. Even if he was angry, he wouldn’t have much time or energy to deal with him.
Besides, if they couldn’t find the jade scroll this year, there was always next year. Feng Xuexiang wouldn’t go so far as to sever ties with him.
Xin Liu had considered everything, except for the fact that Feng Xuexiang wasn’t angry at all.
He easily accepted the fact that this trip was in vain and immediately returned to the Feng family.
On the plane, Xin Liu quietly observed Feng Xuexiang, noticing that he was calmly playing with a few red leaves he had picked up in Lanjiang Village and chatting with the man beside him.
He seemed to be in a good mood, not the least bit anxious. Could it be that he already had some other plan?
“I see you really like Lanjiang Village. Why don’t you stay a few more days?” Feng Xuexiang selected a beautifully colored and intact red leaf and handed it to Yu Shi.
“Lanjiang Village is indeed a nice place to live, but with the Winter Solstice approaching, it’s better to go back. We can come again next year.”
As Yu Shi accepted the red leaf from Feng Xuexiang’s hand, he also took hold of his wrist.
Feng Xuexiang’s wrist had become somewhat thin and cold.
“Why is your hand so cold?” Yu Shi said softly, holding his hand in his palm.
“…It is a bit cold.”
“With the weather getting colder, I don’t like going out much either,” Yu Shi continued chatting with Feng Xuexiang. “In the past, during winter, I often stayed at home and didn’t like to move around.”
That wasn’t true. When he was at home, he wasn’t really afraid of the cold during winter.
Compared to his third brother, who liked to laze around, and his second and fifth brothers, who spent all day with the air conditioning and floor heating on, staying in their rooms and avoiding going out, he and his eldest brother were the ones who went out the most.
During winter, he would run along the river, participate in various snow sports, and even take part in the community’s winter sports events.
One year, he even volunteered for the entire winter, spending all his time outdoors.
But now, he told Feng Xuexiang, “I don’t go out much during winter, so when you fall asleep, I’ll stay beside you, keeping watch. You can sleep soundly and at ease.”
…
Back at the Feng family estate, apart from Yu Shi, Feng Xuexiang didn’t see anyone else. The only one who had access to the glass courtyard was the inconspicuous Xiao Chuang.
Xin Liu was no exception. He wanted to seize the opportunity to see if he could get his hands on the four jade scrolls that Feng Xuexiang had, but he couldn’t even see Feng Xuexiang in person.
He wasn’t in a hurry, though. If he couldn’t get them now, there would be plenty of chances once Feng Xuexiang fell into his deep sleep.
Xiao Chuang brought back many packages, all of which were handed over to Yu Shi.
“Thanks for your hard work.”
“No problem, no problem!” Xiao Chuang watched as Yu Shi carefully unwrapped each package and curiously asked, “What are all these?”
Yu Shi smiled, “These are for Xuexiang.”
They were all winter items—warm, comfortable clothing, body oils, and the like. These were products he had found useful when caring for patients in the past.
“Actually, there’s no need to buy these separately. Just tell Steward Sui, and he’ll take care of everything,” Xiao Chuang said.
“But Xuexiang would prefer things I bought for him.” Yu Shi knew exactly what to do to make his anxious partner a little happier.
He took the items upstairs.
In the past, Feng Xuexiang liked to follow him around, but since returning from Lanjiang Village, his health had rapidly declined, and now he barely moved.
Feng Xuexiang might have wanted to get up and walk around, but Yu Shi didn’t allow it. Except for mealtimes, he stayed by Feng Xuexiang’s bedside all day, keeping him company.
Outside, the weather was gloomy and dim, with poor lighting even in the middle of the day. Yu Shi turned on a lamp by the window, filling the room with warmth.
He took off his coat, wearing his comfortable home clothes, and lifted the blanket to sit on the bed.
Feng Xuexiang turned his head to look outside, and when he saw Yu Shi return, he moved closer to him.
“You were gone for a long time again.”
“I counted the time—it was twenty minutes.”
Yu Shi picked up the alarm clock by the bed. “Look, I marked it before I left. It only moved a few notches.”
Feng Xuexiang had always had a vague sense of time, and it had worsened in recent days, almost as bad as when he had just woken up.
“I also bought a flute. I used to play the flute, but it’s been a long time. I’ll practice playing it this winter. Will it bother you?”
Yu Shi asked deliberately, “What songs do you like? I can play the ones you like, and maybe it won’t seem so noisy.”
Feng Xuexiang’s thin hand grasped Yu Shi’s clothes, watching his face, which was bathed in the soft, warm light, and listening to his comforting words.
If it were truly as he said, with Yu Shi by his side throughout the winter, it would be a great happiness.
Even in deep sleep, it wouldn’t be so painful, and perhaps in the moments of drifting in and out of consciousness, he might hear the intermittent sound of the flute.
But—
The day before the Winter Solstice, Feng Xuexiang suddenly said to Yu Shi, “Ashi, I’ve arranged with the Xue family. They’ll come to pick you up this afternoon.”
Yu Shi, who was trimming his nails, paused in surprise. He finished the last nail, put the nail clipper aside, and then looked at Feng Xuexiang, asking, “What does that mean?”
“This winter, why don’t you stay with the Xue family for a while?” Feng Xuexiang’s voice was low and gentle. “As soon as I wake up, I’ll come to find you.”
Yu Shi met his gaze without speaking, the faint smile on his face fading.
Feng Xuexiang grew a little anxious. He was terrified of Yu Shi getting angry, which was why he had delayed this for so long. Even though he knew Yu Shi would definitely be upset, he still went through with it.
“I was thinking that with such a long time of me being asleep, you’d be bored by yourself. You could go do something you enjoy,” Feng Xuexiang explained.
Yu Shi listened to his explanation without much reaction, only asking, “So you don’t need me to stay with you?”
That one question made Feng Xuexiang even more anxious.
He hadn’t planned on saying anything more, but now he couldn’t help but reveal, “The Feng family is in chaos right now. Feng Zaixing has hidden malicious intentions and can’t be trusted. His father’s mind is unclear, and he keeps making foolish decisions.
And then there’s Feng Zaiyin, who has been suppressed for so long. As soon as I fall asleep, he’ll definitely start to retaliate. You’re very important to me, and they will come after you to get to me…”
After hearing everything, Yu Shi gently touched Feng Xuexiang’s cheek and said, “That’s why I’ll protect you. Don’t you trust me?”
“No!” Feng Xuexiang propped himself up on the bed, sitting upright. “You don’t need to deal with these people. They can’t harm me, so you don’t have to worry. But if they hurt you, I won’t be able to…”
“It seems you’ve thought everything through and made arrangements. You don’t plan on changing your mind,” Yu Shi nodded.
In an instant, Feng Xuexiang lunged forward and hugged him, his tone anxious and weak, “Please don’t be angry with me, don’t be angry with me!”
“If I’m not by your side, when you wake up, will you still remember who I am? Perhaps by then, I won’t even be able to see you again,” Yu Shi said calmly.
Feng Xuexiang clung to him, his voice filled with urgency, “No! I’ll try to wake up as soon as I can. I’ll never forget you, I can do it.”
“If you’re angry, you can take it out on me. You can scold me, just… don’t be like this.”
Yu Shi’s calmness frightened him. Even as Feng Xuexiang held onto him tightly, Yu Shi didn’t embrace him in return.
After a long while, Yu Shi sighed and reluctantly placed his hand on Feng Xuexiang’s shoulder, brushing his slightly dry hair.
This person was truly beautiful yet cunning. Because he knew that as long as he showed this pitiful and fearful expression, Yu Shi wouldn’t have the heart to blame him, he was emboldened to act this way.
Feeling Yu Shi’s embrace, Feng Xuexiang finally felt a bit more at ease and hugged him even tighter.
“I’m just scared. Please forgive me this once, okay? By next year, things will be different. I’ll handle everything, and I won’t let you worry anymore. I won’t let you leave me again.”
Yu Shi didn’t say anything further, silently agreeing to his plan.
…
That afternoon, Yu Shi’s old acquaintance Jiang Mang and her aunt, Xue Ruoyao, came to pick him up.
Carrying his luggage, Yu Shi said goodbye to Feng Xuexiang, “I’m leaving now.”
“Ashi…” Feng Xuexiang couldn’t help but call out to him in a weak voice. Watching Yu Shi’s departing figure, he felt a deep sense of unease.
Yu Shi turned back to look at him and sighed helplessly, “You were the one who wanted me to leave, so why are you making this face now?”
That expression of fear, as if he were being abandoned.
Yu Shi walked back to the bed and bent down to kiss Feng Xuexiang on the forehead. “Alright, rest now.”
Yu Shi left the Feng family with the Xue family members, and it didn’t take long for the news to reach certain interested parties.
Feng Xuexiang’s second brother clicked his tongue in disapproval, “My little ninth brother is truly smitten with this man. He’s about to fall into a deep sleep, and yet he still makes sure to find a proper place for him.”
“What a shame. I was planning to use this time to win him over. If I could find out what methods he used to win over Old Ninth, my position as the head of the family would be secured.”
Despite his words, the fact that Yu Shi had left wasn’t so bad; it just gave him more room to maneuver.
If such a favored ‘Zhou Shi’ could appear, then next time there could be ‘Zhao Shi,’ ‘Qian Shi,’ ‘Sun Shi,’ ‘Li Shi,’ and many more.
“Go, go ask around. Should we, as in previous years, find Five Yin and Five Yang fates to care for our spirit demon?”
Unfortunately for Feng Xuexiang’s second brother, his little schemes were quickly quashed by Steward Sui.
“Ninth Master has already said that no one is allowed near that place. Look, even Xiao Chuang, who was taking care of him in the glass courtyard, has been sent away.”
The elderly Steward Sui, who had aged noticeably over the past year, lowered his eyelids and said, “Second Master, if you insist on sending someone, you might end up angering Ninth Master.”
Second Brother Feng felt a surge of anger inside but forced himself to appear cheerful. “Well then, never mind, never mind. It’s not too late to deal with this when Little Ninth wakes up next year!”
…
Feng Zaiyin, who had been quiet for a long time, also heard about the matter. However, he wasn’t particularly concerned about that ‘Zhou Shi’ by Feng Xuexiang’s side.
“If he’s gone, he’s gone. That person isn’t important. Without him around, there’s no one to guard Feng Xuexiang, which makes it easier for us to act.”
“Yes!” His subordinates all showed expressions of excitement.
With the greatest obstacle, Feng Xuexiang, finally falling into a deep sleep, Second Brother Feng’s side was left without their major support, giving them the opportunity to strike back.
*
At the Xue family residence, Jiang Mang led Yu Shi into a small courtyard and introduced it with a smile:
“You’ll stay here. I specifically chose this place for you. The environment is nice, right? And it’s very safe—no one will disturb you. My aunt and I both live nearby, so if you need anything, just let me know.”
“Thank you,” Yu Shi replied, not paying much attention to the decorations inside as he set down his suitcase.
Seeing his indifferent expression, Jiang Mang couldn’t help but try to reassure him. “Actually, staying here is pretty good. The Xue family isn’t like the Feng family; there aren’t so many troublesome people and matters.”
“Yes, I know,” Yu Shi said.
Jiang Mang continued, “So, you’re thinking about my uncle, right? You don’t need to worry about him. He’s very capable. Even in his sleep, no one can harm him.”
Yu Shi responded, “I’m not worried. I’m just angry.”
Jiang Mang was momentarily speechless.
Who talks about being angry so calmly?
“Well, you can beat him up next year if you want. I bet he wouldn’t even dare to fight back.” Jiang Mang suggested, eager to witness the scene.
Yu Shi couldn’t help but smile at her remark.
Jiang Mang saw him smile and thought everything was fine, so she smiled too and said:
“Actually, I think this is a good thing. My uncle is really too clingy; you didn’t have any personal space at all. Now you’ve got several months of freedom!”
Feng Xuexiang’s personality was indeed difficult for most people to accept.
But for Yu Shi, someone else’s complete dependence and need for him were like nourishment.
The reason he left this time wasn’t because of Feng Xuexiang’s sweet words, but because of the way he showed that he “didn’t need” him.
He didn’t need his various preparations, his help, or his care.
So, he left.
“Jiang Mang, I’d like to ask you for a favor,” Yu Shi said.
“Whatever you need, just say it! I’ll definitely help!” Jiang Mang agreed generously.
…
The day after the winter solstice, Yu Shi quietly left the Xue family, carrying his still-unpacked suitcase.
Jiang Mang saw him off, still feeling conflicted. “Are you really leaving? But where will you go? We promised my uncle to keep you here until he wakes up next year.”
Yu Shi replied, “If he doesn’t remember me, then you don’t need to explain anything to him. If he does, then it’s something between the two of us.”
“Don’t worry, it won’t affect you.”
Jiang Mang hurriedly clarified, “I’m not worried about that. I’m just afraid something might happen to you out there on your own.”
“It won’t. I’ll contact you once I get where I’m going.” Yu Shi waved goodbye and disappeared into the light snowfall.
This year, the snow in the southern region came early.
