Dingbei Hou's doctor brother

Chapter 207: The Sorrow That Fireworks Can't Efface

Xiao Yan took off his clothes and sat on the low couch, coaxing him, "They didn't see it, so don't laugh at me."

Lu Ziqing looked at the scar on his shoulder, feeling mixed emotions.

"My Lord, why did you lie to me? Your injury wasn't caused by a frame hitting you during training. It was caused by a beam falling on you while you were renovating the courtyard here at night."

Xiao Yan's eyes moved when he heard this. After a moment of silence, he concealed a smile and asked, "Did you see it?"

Lu Ziqing said "hmm" as he applied the medicine.

"I stumbled upon it a while ago while searching for the one-eyed demon. Even when I meditate at night, I always see that dim courtyard. My Lord Marquis leaves early and returns late every day, yet he still bothers himself with this residence at night. Why? I can live anywhere I want. Anyway... My Lord Marquis leaves me at a loss for words."

Xiao Yan knew what Lu Ziqing wanted to say, but he wanted to pretend not to know, so he spoke softly.

"I knew you were going to say that again. You can't just live casually. These are just trivial matters. Don't worry about them. Just stay here and relax."

"I've wanted to take care of this old house for a long time, but I just haven't had the time. Besides, a house can't be left empty forever. It needs people to live in it. Only when it's filled with people can it last long. You living here just happened to help me take care of the house. Speaking of which, I have to thank you."

Lu Ziqing was amused by his habit of always finding a reason to refuse, and he said helplessly.

"Yes, the Marquis renovated such a large mansion for me to live in, and also bought a lot of fine living supplies. In the end, he even thanked me for helping him look after the mansion. Oh, what a bargain I got."

It was rare for Xiao Yan to hear him joking like this, so he also laughed and joked.

"This kind of bargain isn't something anyone can get. How would you like to thank me, Your Excellency the Judge?"

"Hmm..." Lu Ziqing pulled his clothes for him, thought for a moment, and said deliberately: "Then I will heal the Marquis's brain, so that he won't be cheated out of all his wealth again in the future. The Duke will cry why he has such a stupid son. That would be more trouble than it's worth."

Xiao Yan laughed softly, "Fuck you."

Lu Ziqing said with a smile, "To make up for the loss of the Marquis, I will prepare a grand gift to congratulate him on his wedding day."

When Xiao Yan heard this, the joy on his face instantly disappeared and he slowly turned around to look at him. Seeing that look, Lu Ziqing also restrained his smile.

"What's wrong? Did I...say something wrong?"

There was a mixture of loss and reluctance in Xiao Yan's eyes, like a wounded lone wolf, with a hint of sadness.

After a while, he whispered, "Don't congratulate me. To me, I don't want you to say congratulations. I want something else."

Lu Ziqing felt a little panicked when he heard the word "otherwise". Xiao Yan's fiery gaze was right in front of him, so he lowered his eyebrows and looked away, not daring to look at him again.

"On the Marquis' wedding, I have nothing to say except congratulations. From now on, I can only express my gratitude. Beyond that, I'm afraid there's nothing else to say."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yan hugged him. Lu Ziqing stood still like a piece of wood, smelling the clear scent and listening to him speak softly.

"I am willing to wait until you are willing to tell me what I want to hear, no matter how many years it takes."

Lu Ziqing took a deep breath and said slowly, "The marriage of the Marquis and the Princess is a joyous occasion that everyone in the world should celebrate. They should live a good life in the future. The Marquis should not say such words to a man like me here."

Xiao Yan held him tightly and spoke gently, "I don't love the princess. The Emperor and the Queen Mother forced this marriage on me for her future reputation. As a subject, I can't disobey the emperor's order, and neither can my father."

"Ziqing, do you know how painful it is to marry someone you don't like? And how tormenting it is to have the person you think about day and night right in front of you, yet unable to get close to him. For me, my virginity is never a concern. I just hope he can see my feelings."

The torment Xiao Yan described sounded heavy to Lu Ziqing, and he pinched his fingertips and moved them slightly.

"I have always been grateful for the Marquis' kindness, but that is only the affection between friends. I may find it difficult to understand the Marquis's affection, but I also respect it. However... that may not be me."

Xiao Yan finally loosened the distance a little, lowered his eyes to see his lowered brows, and asked softly, "Why?"

Lu Ziqing felt anxious, and after a while, he raised his eyes.

"I am not on the path of worldly affairs, and the Marquis and I are not of the same kind. Now that worldly affairs are over, we are no longer entangled. From now on, no matter where I am, I will pray for the Marquis. I only wish that the Marquis will live a life of happiness, health, and peace."

These words were both indifferent and bitter, and Xiao Yan tasted the bitterness. He held Lu Ziqing's shoulders tightly without moving his eyes.

The fireworks outside the house were still blooming, and colorful lights were projected in from the window.

Amidst the crisp sound of explosions, he spoke the only words of hope in his life.

"It doesn't matter. I just said I would wait. What I have decided will never change in this lifetime. No matter what the outcome is, I want to try my best to catch up. I don't want to wait until the dust is buried with any regrets."

The regret buried in the dust, Lu Ziqing had this sentence in his mind. He stood by the window and watched Xiao Yan's departing back, unable to calm down for a long time.

The word "regret" is sad, desolate, and extremely heavy. Not being able to save his master is his life's regret. It will take many years for that guilt and pain to be alleviated and dissipated, or perhaps it will never happen in this lifetime.

The fireworks in the night sky are beautiful, but at this moment, they cannot reveal the knot in the hearts of men and women in this world.

Yang Zhounan helped the half-drunk and half-awake Su Chengfeng back to the wooden couch in the room, and he also lay down beside him, swaying.

His eyes were fixed hopelessly on the ceiling. Listening to Su Chengfeng's soft breathing, all he could think about was that the hairpin he had hidden on the street before was now on Xi Yunling's head.

The two of them lay side by side in silence for a long time...

Yang Zhounan slowly turned his head to look at him, forcing a smile, "I saw what you bought today. Are you happy now?"

Su Chengfeng's eyes were dull and fixed on the void, without the usual liveliness. He said dully, "Which eye of yours sees that I'm happy?"

Yang Zhounan smiled bitterly. "Although you didn't say it, I can tell that the person in your heart is Miss Xi. I saw it from the moment you brought her into the private room that day. Now you should have got what you wanted, right? I should congratulate you."

Don't mention the sadness, the more you mention it, the more it hurts. Su Chengfeng's heart was pierced to the bone marrow, and the pain seemed to become numb. He smiled silently, and laughed until a tear flowed from the corner of his eye unconsciously.

That tear made Yang Zhounan hide his smile. Half sober, he slowly stood up and watched tears slowly streaming down Su Chengfeng's smiling face.

At this moment, Yang Zhounan's mind was buzzing. He wanted to wipe out the sadness for Su Chengfeng, but there were too many of them, so many that he was at a loss and panicked. He could only hold the person in his arms to comfort him.

"What's wrong? Tell me what happened."