Lu Qianqiao didn’t immediately wake up after he passed out.
The meaningful glares that Silan and Li Yan gave Xin Mei made her feel as if she had been killed many times...
So that night, for the first time in 16 years, she had a nightmare.
She dreamed that she was caught by a group of war demons, to be a human sacrifice for Lu Qianqao. She was stuffed into a cold sarcophagus where she lay side by side with the dead Lu Qianqiao, whose body had already turned stiffly cold.
She remembered stroking her fingers against his familiar outline. Wherever her fingertips touched, they couldn't feel any warmth.
The cold feeling that only those who were dead had penetrated into her skin and then her heart.
Xin Mei woke up with a start and a feeling of horror. In front of her eyes, everything was looking so blurry and moist. Just then, a tear fell from the corner of her eye.
She sat up in a daze while holding onto the quilt. Her throat seemed to be blocked by something. For a moment, she had trouble breathing. She was feeling a little scared as she stayed in a daze for a while.
Suddenly, the curtain of her tent was opened, and Silan came in, looking pale. “Quickly get up! The General...the General’s mother is here.“
.....did his mother come here to settle the account with a vengeance? Xin Mei’s rare fragile little heart instantly slipped into a deep valley. In fact, Lu Qianqiao might have been fine, if she hadn’t thrown the stone at him, right?
She hurriedly freshened herself up and went out of her small tent. Sure enough, there was a snow-white carriage parked in front of Lu Qianqiao’s tent.
It was at this place that she first saw Lu Qianqao’s mother. His mother was quite unlike anything Xin Mei had ever imagined.
Li Chaoyang, dressed in snowy white clothes, quietly got off the carriage. Her long hair, eyes and eyebrows were as black as ink, while her whole figure was like it was made of piled up snow and ice.
Everybody thought that all war demons had red eyes, but actually, it was not really the case. Only young war demons, under the age of 25, had red eyes. Once they successfully passed the transformation disaster, they would look no different than any ordinary people in terms of their appearances. Only when they had murderous intentions would their eyes turn red.
Li Chaoyang seemed to turn her head and took a glimpse at Xin Mei before entering the tent. Xin Mei didn’t notice it though. She looked so absent-minded that no one could see her real expression.
Behind Li Chaoyang was Li Min. He had not seen Xin Mei for a long time, and he looked at her with a vicious gaze. He remembered that time when she threw a handful of pepper powder at him while they were in the Imperial Mausoleum. That scene had become a big humiliation for him to bear.
While Xin Mei felt somewhat ill at ease. She looked up at Silan beside her and asked, “Say...ehem. Did Lu Qianqao fail to go through the transformation because I hit him?”
Silan pulled a long face, “I don’t know.”
“...just say ’It’s none of your business’! I'm so worried. I feel so guilty, sad too and I'm in total despair right now!”
“I really don’t know.”
Without any better option, Xin Mei gazed morosely at the direction of the tent. Her frowns showed how worried she was.
Inside the tent, Li Yan was carefully turning the sleeping Lu Qianqiao over, pointing at the bump on the back of his head and angrily said, “Madam, please look at this. The General fainted because he was hit by a stone.”
At that time, Young Master was in a full swing of his frenzied mode, enjoying the newborn power of a war demon as bright colour blood filled the whole sky...then, somehow, a stone came flying and knocked him out.
Li Chaoyang didn’t say anything. She just sat by the bedside, and gently caressed Lu Qianqao’s forehead with her thin white silk gloved hand.
He still had heat in his body. His breath, just like before, was smooth. He even reacted to her touch. His five senses ought to return, but he still had not yet woken up from his sleep.
Li Yan still felt extremely aggrieved, “Miss Xin is the one to be blamed for knocking him unconscious with a stone.”
Li Chaoyang glanced at him lightly, “You only know how to vent your anger at others, proving that you are still childish. Do you think my family members will be so vulnerable? If a war demon can be easily killed with a mere stone, it isn't worth mentioning in front of me.“
Li Yan went speechless.
“You and Li Min have done a bad job on the matter that I have handed over to you both. So, go out, and punish yourself.”
Li Yan went out of the tent with a pale face.
Li Chaoyang sat quietly by the bedside for a long time. When Lu Qianqao suddenly stirred, she took off her gloves. She hesitated a bit at first, but her hand slowly moved, though a bit shaky, as she gently touched his cheek. This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.
From the moment he was born, till he was twenty-five years old, it seemed like she had never touched him this peacefully.
Seeing his face looking like that person made Li Chaoyang suddenly felt kind of nostalgic. In those days, when that person passed away, he was also looking so peaceful. Only when she put her hand on his face that she knew he had quietly stopped breathing. But now, looking at her son lying in the same posture as him in front of her, she had this long-lost feeling, like witnessing that person's death again.
Her pitch-black eyes in an instant turned to the colour of blood. Did he think she wouldn't be angry? It was ridiculous that she couldn't do it herself.
She turned around and called out, “Li Min.”
The war demon who was outside the tent immediately understood. He saluted Xin Mei, then coldly said, "Miss Xin, Madam invites you in."
...the disgraceful daughter-in-law finally met her parent-in-law.
Xin Mei hesitated at first but, in the end, she lifted up the curtain and slowly walked in.
When her eyes fell on a pair of cold and bloody red eyes, she was momentarily dumbfounded. She did not dodge them though, as she looked at her quietly.
It was like they had gone through three autumn seasons before Li Chaoyang opened her mouth.
“...if he doesn’t wake up on the last day, then he will never wake up.”
Xin Mei struggled for a long time. She tried to endure but she was still unable to. She asked in a low voice, “Is it really because I hit him with the stone?” This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.
Li Chaoyang did not answer her question.
Clearly, Li Chaoyang was sitting, while Xin Mei was standing. One high and one low. The distance between them was not that far, but Xin Mei felt as if she was in a very distant high place, looking down at Li Chaoyang’s eyes which were devoid of any emotion.
“If he doesn’t wake up, it is equivalent to your death. I have already ordered someone to open up his tomb in the Imperial Mausoleum. He really fonds of that place, doesn't he?”
...what did she mean?
“When he was alive, I couldn’t give him what he liked. So, when he dies, I will give him everything he likes.“
Li Chaoyang’s misty eyes finally fixed on Xin Mei’s face, “That's including you.”
Xin Mei opened her mouth but hesitated for a moment. She thought she would take this chance to ask her about human sacrifice, but when she was about to say it, it suddenly changed to, “He will not die.”
Li Chaoyang didn’t want to talk to her about these unfounded emotional words. She turned her head and said, “Miss Xin, please leave and wait for the news.”
“I won’t go.”
She answered firmly but also gently.
“I won’t go. I’ll stay here with him. Lu Qianqao won’t die. He’ll wake up.”
“I don’t like to hear these kinds of meaningless good words.”
“You’re his mother, but yet, you, yourself don’t want to believe that he’s going to survive. That’s not a good thing, don't you understand that?” This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね. Please read this chapter at xin-shou.blogspot.com.
Li Chaoyang’s red eyes met hers again, and there was a chill in her voice, “Miss Xin, the fearlessness from an ignorant is meaningless.”
Xin Mei did not respond. She simply sat on the bed and gently stroked Lu Qianqiao’s hair. The warmth in his hair somehow calmed her uneasiness.
How could she be ignorant? She knew a lot about him too.
She knew that Lu Qianqiao liked the leisurely and quiet life in the Imperial Mausoleum. She knew that he liked to make dolls when he had nothing to do; she knew that he didn’t like to fight; she also knew that although he often said something unpleasant to hear and his facial paralysis expression was not something pleasant to see, his heart was still warm.
“I will accompany him.”
The red colour in Li Chaoyang’s eyes gradually faded, as she slightly released an inaudibly low sigh.
“None of the half-bloods in our clan has successfully survived the transformation disaster. Qianqao had entrusted the little immortal to investigate and presumably, he already knew about it. How one wants to spend one’s time, for each person is different. And yet, this Li Chaoyang’s son, how can I treat him like any other human? If you can, tell him for me, I will never allow him to die this reckless and lowly.”
When the curtain of the tent was closed, Li Chaoyang got into the snow-white carriage and stayed quietly outside the tent.
*
It was getting dark when Silan came in to deliver a meal. His eyes were red and he gave Liu Qianqiao a look, but he said nothing. He clenched his fist and went out again.
Xin Mei patted Lu Qianqao on the cheek. “...hey, to be crushed to death by a single stone is not a sign of a real man. Are you trying to make me feel uneasy by pushing all the charges on my head by not waking up?”
No response.
“Let me tell you. Don’t expect me to be your human sacrifice after you die. I have everything ready. When you die, even if they bury me in a pit, I will dig a hole and climb out to remarry. Hey, I’m really going to remarry, don’t think I’m just joking.”
Still no response.
Xin Mei leaned back against the flexible tent and opened a large ventilation window. The weather was good, and the Milky Way was twinkling with silvery bright lights. The smell from the night wind was not flattering though. It smelled of gunpowder smoke and blood. From distant places, the sound of wounded soldiers groaning in pain could also be heard.
Xin Mei held Lu Qianqao’s head in her arms. Then, her fingers gently followed his long soft hair. She suddenly began to miss life in the Imperial Mausoleum.
Everyone was still waiting for them at the Imperial Mausoleum.
The cool summer wind there was also waiting. So did the hillsides scented with grass, the stars and the little moon.
Both of them hadn’t met for a long time, but it felt like it had been a long time ago. It turned out that she and he had always been together. His ears that easily flushed and also his gaze that she still unable to make sense of, felt like it just happened yesterday.
It turned out that she remembered everything about them together, even to their tiniest moment.
Remarried? Who was she trying to kid? She didn’t want to marry anyone now, no matter who.
She wanted to marry her predestined marriage candidate, her match made in heaven, the only one, Lu Qianqao.
Lu Qianqiao, when will you wake up?
*
After the day went dark, it became bright again.
Xin Mei quietly watched the moon fade from the zenith. Suddenly, the head in her arms moved a little—not only his head but also Lu Qianqiao’s whole body was moving. He turned over, raised his hand to touch the lump in the back of his head, and opened his eyes blankly.
His eyes were still red.
She did not dare to move. She held her breath and with her eyes opened wide, she stared at him.
...was he the usual Lu Qianqiao? Or the war demon who murdered people with his sword? Speaking of it, would she be able to run now if he was actually the latter? This noob translation was translated by a noob translator きつね at xin-shou.blogspot.com.
Lu Qianqao looked at her in a daze for a long time. He was probably not fully woken up yet, but then he opened his mouth and yawned. He hugged her tightly with his arms, closed his eyes and whispered, “Xin Mei...stop being noisy...go to sleep.”
Xin Mei was excited. Her eyes were tearful and her lips trembled. She opened her hands to embrace him. She wanted to tell him her worries and hopes for these few days when he was unconscious. She always believed that he would wake up. She knew that he would.
However, he turned over, rolled up in his quilt, completely ignoring her and fell asleep again.
Her outstretched hand immediately turned into a fist. She slammed it on the bed board. The fragile bed immediately collapsed.
“Don’t be like this! You've already awakened. Don’t go back to sleep!”
Noob Translator's Musing
These two always end up like this (๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑) and Xin Mei is so strong. She can lift a big rock, and now she can break a bed.
Tags:
A Match Made In Heaven