ask willow

Chapter 22

It was another half a month's journey from the Biling sect back to Baicaozhuang. When Wen Yan led his horse into the city, seeing all the familiar scenes in the city, he felt a world away.I still remember that it was early spring when I left, and the pear blossoms in the village were in full bloom, as if the ice and snow had not yet melted, but at this time the spring was late, and the flowers on the branches were replaced by green leaves, casting faint shadows on the ground.

That day he received the news from Liu Zhongyi and left the Biling Sect, but in order to avoid the Mingsha Sect's eyes and ears, he returned alone, while Liu Zhongqing stayed in the Biling Sect for the time being - he wanted to retreat in a secluded and safe place to recover his martial arts , the Biling sect is undoubtedly the best choice. Although the Mingsha Sect is powerful in the Yunchuan area, it is not enough to directly provoke Biling. What's more, when they went there they were hiding, and Xie Miao couldn't guess this hiding place for a while.

When Wen Yan walked through the downtown area and passed by the Tower of Stars, the blue bird that had been by his side these days jumped onto his shoulder and chirped twice, and scratched his shirt with its paws, as if saying goodbye.

Wen Yan knew that it was about to return to Yeli's place, so he said lightly: "Go." Raising his hand slightly, Xiaolan spread his wings and flew up, and flew into the building through a certain window.

Wen Yan withdrew his gaze, and then went to Baicao Village.

Walking to the front of the village, I saw Liu Zhongrui just coming out, holding a white paper lantern in his hand.

"The owner is back?" Liu Zhongrui was slightly surprised when he saw him coming, and then stepped forward to salute.

"En." Wen Yan nodded, looked at the object in his hand, and said, "Did someone in the village pass away?"

"Uh..." Liu Zhongrui was taken aback for a moment, he didn't expect that he would not know, he paused, and then explained: "It's Young Master Liu."

Wen Yan suddenly looked at him: "What did you say?!"

"It's... Mr. Liu." Liu Zhongrui didn't know why he reacted so strongly. After all, there was basically no relationship between the two of them in the past five years. Wen Yan never asked about that person's news, it seemed that he was just an unrelated outsider.

"... Impossible!" Wen Yan looked at the red mark on his finger and forced himself to calm down—the red thread Gu has not been solved, if something happens to Zhong Yi, he will also be implicated, how could it be possible that nothing happened like now , "Where did you hear that?"

Liu Zhongrui replied truthfully: "There were rumors about this matter ten days ago, and my subordinates didn't believe it at first, but today the ghost building sent someone to say that it is...it is true."

Wen Yan frowned: "Who?"

"One of the four hall masters of the ghost building, code-named 'Mei', he is still in the hall, do you want to meet the master?"

Wen Yan nodded, handed the reins to him, and said, "I'll go and have a look."

He walked through the courtyard and entered the reception hall, and saw a man sitting on a chair, dressed in a rich man's rich clothes, with a slender and beautiful figure, but half of his face was covered with a dark gold mask with a terrifying pattern.

Seeing that it was him who came, the man smiled a little on the corner of his lips, and said, "Master Wen, are you here all right?"

Wen Yan originally felt that he was a little familiar, but now he was sure when he heard him speak: "Ye Li."

Ye Li Youyou took off the mask, revealing a charming and beautiful face.

"Where is Zhongyi?"

Ye Li pursed his lips, lowered his eyes and played with the dark golden mask in his hand, and said, "Why, your subordinate didn't tell you? He's dead."

"You lied to me." Wen Yan said firmly: "He is not dead."

"Why should I lie to you?" Yeli lazily rested his forehead, his eyes were slightly raised, and he looked alluring, but he said coldly: "What benefits can I get by lying to you?"

Wen Yan said: "I don't know, but he is definitely not dead."

Ye Li smiled, stood up, walked in front of him, and said, "That's right, he's not dead. However, I didn't fabricate this news, he asked for it himself. The purpose is to give you a chance to be fair and honest." Leave him. How about it, is Master Wen still satisfied? "

It was as if a knife stabbed straight into the heart, crushing the softest part, tearing open the stomach with blood, the pain made his body stiff, but he endured it, did not show the slightest bit, just remained silent for a moment before opening his mouth and saying: " Where is he now?"

"What does it have to do with you?" Yeli said, but frowned again, showing some hesitation.

Seeing this, Wen Yan felt uneasy, "What happened to him...take me to see him!"

Yeli sized him up for a while, seeing that the look of anxiety did not seem to be fake, he let go, and said, "Okay, I'll tell you, but there is a condition."

"You said."

Ye Li pursed his lips and said: "I came today to help him get some trivial things from the manor. If it is convenient for the owner, he can clean it up for me and take it to the Zhaixing Building."

"..." Wen Yan lowered his eyes slightly, and said, "Is this what he wants too?"

"Naturally," Yeli raised his brows lightly, "Why, the owner doesn't agree?"

Wen Yan smiled lightly, did not look at him, and only whispered: "...Okay, I will take it there."

Ye Li felt that the smile was very bitter and forced, but he didn't say much, put on the dark gold mask, and left the hall.

Wen Yan stood quietly for a while, then turned around and left the hall, and walked towards the courtyard where Liu Zhongyi used to live.

The small courtyard looked very deserted, although there were people taking care of it, but just when the roses in the courtyard were leaving, it was green, fat, red and thin, and it was desolately silent.

Wen Yan walked through the courtyard, raised his hand and pushed gently, and the door opened, which shows that the master didn't care much when he left.

When Liu Zhongyi was there, he didn't come here a few times, he only ordered his subordinates to do everything according to Liu Zhongyi's requirements. Now that he entered the house, he found that there was almost nothing inside, and it didn't look like a place where people lived.

Naturally, the people in the village would not treat him harshly, but according to Liu Zhongyi's temperament, he would not make any demands on others unless necessary.

Wen Yan looked around the house and found that there was nothing inside. When he opened the cabinet, he found the man's neatly folded clothes and some other ordinary items in a small drawer.

He found a not-so-big box placed in the corner, and put the clothes into it one by one, as if he personally tore apart the only thread of connection between himself and that person.

... pain to the bone.

It was hard for him to be able to fall in love with another person again, but he found that everything that might have existed between them had been destroyed by himself.

If that person is really determined to sever the past, he has no position to force anything, just like Liu Zhongyi never forced him back then - even then, he clearly saw the grievance and sadness in that young man's eyes...

Since he did that back then, he should have the awareness to bear the consequences of today. If Liu Zhongyi thinks it's best to end it like this, then...he will fulfill his wish.

Wen Yan thought numbly, and put those clothes away neatly.

Liu Zhongyi's clothes are almost all black and strong clothes, which are convenient for night walks or fighting. Wen Yan was stunned when he packed the clothes at the bottom of the cabinet. The bright color was dazzling red, and it was embroidered with gold thread Intricate patterns.

Although he had already guessed what it was, he still couldn't help unfolding the clothes carefully.The delicate silk touch touches the fingertips, and the gorgeous embroidery on it means festive and auspicious... Unfortunately, it has never been realized.

——It really is that wedding gown.

The clothes looked too small now, five years ago the man was still a young boy with a slender figure, but now he was very different.

Since it is no longer possible to wear it, and it is impossible to wear it a second time, why keep it?

He recalled that night, they were married.He clearly remembered that he had been drinking outside after saluting.Since the marriage contract was fake, naturally he would not seriously enter the bridal chamber, he didn't even go back to the room to take a look at Liu Zhongyi that night, he was afraid that even the hijab was lifted by the man himself.

He had no way of knowing what kind of mood Liu Zhongyi was in at that time when he walked through the scene with him—it was with the person he liked, but he knew that everything was an act; The person on the other end of the silk had even a hint of hatred; in the end, he was sleeping alone on a cold bed full of mandarin quilts... But at that time, that young man had already learned to bear the pain and never cried or made a fuss. She no longer wants to get close to him and clings to him as before, but is alone quietly, as if she also regards herself as a tool, acting according to his requirements without making any mistakes.

why?

It should be a painful memory, so why keep this object...

Does that mean that you still haven't let go?

And all the rejections to him are because there is no more expectation.

Wen Yan tried his best to fold the clothes with steady hands, put them away, and put the rest of the odds and ends into the box. After closing the lid, he didn't take it away, but went out empty-handed.

In any case, if he wants to have another chance, at least he has to confirm it himself, no matter... what the ending is.

Wen Yan came out of the house, but saw a figure flashing by outside, and the person's footsteps were not light, and he could hear it very clearly. He must have been outside the house just now, but he was too immersed in his own thoughts. Perceived: "Who, come out."

After waiting for a while, a fat middle-aged man came out from behind the low wall carrying a wooden food box, and saluted, "Master."

"Uncle Song?" Wen Yan had met him a few times, and recognized him as the head of the back kitchen, so he couldn't help frowning slightly: "What are you doing here?"

The middle-aged man said: "This subordinate... just happened to pass by."

Wen Yan was not angry because of his lie, but only exposed it lightly: "It just happened to pass by, so why do you hide from me?"

Uncle Song was not good at lying, so he couldn't answer for a moment, he was silent for a while, and said: "But I don't know why the owner of the village came here? I originally thought that even if Mr. Liu died, the owner of the village would not ask a word."

Wen Yan didn't expect to be questioned like this by him, and lowered his eyes and said: "The matter between me and him is not what you think."

"Of course, the subordinates have no right to ask about the owner's affairs," Uncle Song said, "It's just that I just saw the owner's behavior outside the door. It doesn't seem that he doesn't care about Mr. Liu, but why do he treat him like this?...But even so , In the past five years, I have never seen him change his mind..."

Although Wen Yan felt sad because of what he said, she was still surprised why he knew it so clearly: "Did he... say anything to you?"

Uncle Song sighed: "Mr. Liu never said that, but every year on the owner's birthday, the longevity noodles I entrusted to the servant girl are made by him himself. He didn't let me talk about this matter, and he didn't even let me give it away. , He said that even if it was sent to the owner, it would be thrown away, so I kept it from him."

"...What?" Wen Yan felt that every word seemed to be stabbed in his heart. After listening to it, his heart was already bloody and numb from the pain.

He really hadn't eaten those bowls of longevity noodles that were delivered at an inexplicable time. At first, he ordered someone to tell the back chef not to make them again, but the next year they still brought them again. I didn't ask any more about the trivial matters.

I still remember that boy who smiled and said that he wanted to eat the noodles he made, and he agreed, but everything changed suddenly in the second year, and what that person expected was never realized, and he...never cherished that person The subtle thoughts that have never been exported...

Uncle Song said: "This subordinate came today just to give some pear cakes. I didn't expect the owner to be here. Just now... this subordinate didn't mean to peep."

Wen Yanben didn't intend to pursue those, but looked at the food box in his hand, hesitating slightly: "Pear Cake?"

Uncle Song nodded: "Well, I just made it. Mr. Liu likes these sweet pastries the most."

"That's right..." Wen Yan recalled the love for pastries that the man had inadvertently revealed along the way, and couldn't help smiling, but there was more melancholy in the smile.

Seeing that look, Uncle Song sighed: "Although this subordinate shouldn't interfere with the owner's affairs, he can still be regarded as older, so I would like to advise him, and hope that the owner will treat Mr. Liu well if he knows what he wants. stop."

Wen Yan nodded slightly, but felt something was wrong for a moment: "Do you know that he is not dead?"

Uncle Song saw that he seemed to know about this, so he said truthfully: "I do know, Mr. Liu said before leaving, if you hear any rumors, don't worry about him."

After hearing this, Wen Yan was silent for a while, and said, "It turns out that he had such a plan a long time ago." As he spoke, he laughed again, full of bitterness.

"The owner..."

"Forget it," Wen Yan shook his head to signal that he didn't need to say any more: "I'll go find him first."

"The owner's subordinates should bring this pear cake to Mr. Liu." Uncle Song said, handing over the food box in his hand.

"it is good."