He Sui’an’s small body was almost completely curled up in the corner of the Luohan bed against the wall. Because her hair was braided with Qi Buyan’s, they couldn’t be separated, their hair blending together indistinguishably.
Bian Yichen had a tall and slender figure, much taller than the average man.
So he bent down to look at them, his peach blossom eyes seemingly carrying a gentle smile. The way he looked at Qi Buyan, his son, was no different from the way he looked at the unfamiliar little girl, He Sui’an.
Even though Qi Shu was immobilized, she could still speak: “Bian Yichen.”
Bian Yichen chuckled softly.
He suddenly turned his head to look at her.
“Ah Shu, don’t get so worked up. I haven’t done anything to her yet. Just took a look. You’re always like this, caring about outsiders but ignoring me. What did I do wrong?”
Qi Shu retorted harshly: “Scoundrel.”
When she first ventured into the world, she mingled with all kinds of people and learned many curse words, though she didn’t often use them. Now they were all directed at her “husband.”
Bian Yichen’s smile grew wider. He didn’t respond to Qi Shu’s “scoundrel.” Instead, he looked at He Sui’an and asked gently: “What’s your name? Why are you here? Where are your parents?”
He Sui’an clung tightly to the indigo sleeve of Qi Buyan: “He Sui’an.”
She didn’t know anything else.
Bian Yichen nodded slightly upon hearing this.
He glanced at Qi Shu, his hand moved slightly, and asked thoughtfully: “Do you want to stay here?” Originally, Bian Yichen intended to kill her, but he changed his mind in an instant.
Since Qi Shu cared so much about her, why not keep her around for a while and then kill her? That way, Qi Shu would fully realize she shouldn’t have any compassion for others, her eyes should only be on him.
What could be more despairing than giving someone hope and then gradually crushing it?
Bian Yichen straightened up.
He Sui’an quickly nodded repeatedly.
She was just a little girl with no other choice. There was no one else around the wooden house, and Qi Shu was in a precarious situation. Qi Buyan was also just a child. What could they do to oppose Bian Yichen?
After answering Bian Yichen’s question, He Sui’an threw herself into Qi Buyan’s arms, afraid that he might change his mind and take her out to kill her in the next moment.
Upon hearing Bian Yichen’s words, Qi Shu first sighed in relief, then showed a hint of suspicion.
Bian Yichen left the Luohan bed and released Qi Shu’s immobilization. She did nothing more, wanting to see if He Sui’an was frightened. Considering his presence, she forced herself to hold back, pushed the door open, and walked out without looking back.
Bian Yichen left with Qi Shu, leaving only the children in the room.
He Sui’an looked up to watch them leave.
Qi Buyan looked down at He Sui’an, who was still lying on him. She felt soft and warm, her red dress draping over his clothes hanging by his side and brushing against the silver ornaments tied to them.
He Sui’an fiddled with the long braid mixed with their hair, feeling it was somewhat inconvenient. She wanted to untangle it and regain her freedom but hesitated, unsure of what Qi Buyan thought.
Qi Buyan seemed to read He Sui’an’s mind: “Do you want to untangle it?”
She tilted her head.
The silk ribbon in He Sui’an’s hair brushed against Qi Buyan’s hand, causing a slight tickle.
He blinked.
“Is it okay?” He Sui’an, seemingly boneless, leaned against the Luohan bed, gently prying at her healthy pink fingers, and asked Qi Buyan.
Half of the hair in the braid was He Sui’an’s. If she wanted to take it back, she could, and Qi Buyan had no reason to refuse. However, she still wanted to ask his opinion and discuss it with him.
How strange.
In fact, Qi Buyan had only braided it casually at the time and hadn’t thought much about it.
He responded with a soft “Hmm.”
He Sui’an immediately started to untangle the braid. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be close to Qi Buyan, but it was just too inconvenient.
Because the silk ribbon tying the braid was in a tight knot, He Sui’an couldn’t untangle it no matter how hard she tried. After several attempts, she blinked and looked at Qi Buyan, sitting beside her, seeking help.
“Help me.”
She said.
Qi Buyan started to untie the braid, and the tight knot turned into a loose one in his hands.
In no time, the two strands of long hair were separated, each falling smoothly in front of its owner. The ends of their hair, having been braided, were slightly curly, looking different from the rest of their hair.
He Sui’an’s hair was softer, with small, pretty curls at the ends.
Qi Buyan looked away.
They stayed in the room until evening.
Qi Buyan didn’t want to go out, and He Sui’an didn’t dare to. It wasn’t until He Sui’an’s stomach growled that she timidly took Qi Buyan’s hand and walked out, hoping to find something to eat.
As soon as they stepped into the small courtyard of the wooden house, He Sui’an smelled a strong aroma of food.
On the stone table directly ahead were several dishes that looked and smelled delicious. He Sui’an felt even hungrier but saw Bian Yichen, with sleeves as white as snow, carrying dish after dish from the kitchen.
Qi Buyan was used to it.
Qi Shu was definitely not the one who cooked.
Since Qi Buyan was too small to even reach the stove, it was impossible for him to cook for the two adults.
Therefore, the daily meals were prepared by Bian Yichen. He had to ensure that Qi Shu ate well and healthily every meal. After giving birth to Qi Buyan, her health wasn’t great and needed nourishment through food.
Bian Yichen’s hands were both long and white as jade, like those of a noble young master. They were nimble enough to dismember and butcher, yet also capable of making delicious and enticing meals.
He Sui’an didn’t move forward any further.
When Bian Yichen wasn’t killing, he seemed like a normal person. He gave them a gentle smile, put down a dish of steamed fish, and said to Qi Buyan, “Go to the room and call your mother for dinner.”
Qi Buyan then walked towards Qi Shu’s room, naturally pulling He Sui’an along with him. When they reached the door, Qi Buyan simply called, “Mother.” He didn’t say anything more.
This was how they interacted.
Soon, the door was pushed open from the inside. Qi Shu came out expressionless, her gaze quickly sweeping over He Sui’an’s little face.
He Sui’an didn’t know what to call Qi Shu, so she stood quietly behind Qi Buyan.
Qi Shu walked past them.
“Ah Shu, sit here,” Bian Yichen said, gesturing for her to sit beside him, while the others could sit wherever they liked.
Qi Buyan found a chair without looking around and sat down, with He Sui’an following closely behind, climbing onto the chair with her short legs. Bian Yichen ignored them, serving food to Qi Shu and filling her bowl.
Qi Shu remained unmoved.
He Sui’an, not even half an adult’s height, also struggled to fill two bowls with rice, pushing one bowl in front of Qi Buyan. She picked up a bamboo chopstick that had a faint fragrance and was about to put a chicken leg into his bowl.
Unexpectedly, Bian Yichen was about to give one chicken leg to Qi Shu and another to He Sui’an, resulting in both pairs of bamboo chopsticks reaching for the chicken leg simultaneously.
One pair belonged to He Sui’an.
The four people at the table all looked at the last chicken leg on the plate in unison.
Qi Buyan’s expression remained unchanged.
Qi Shu was silent.
Bian Yichen raised an eyebrow but said nothing and showed no intention of letting go of the chicken leg.
In a situation where one must bow to circumstances, He Sui’an, knowing when to yield, was about to release the chicken leg and pick other meat. At that moment, Qi Shu couldn’t bear it anymore and said, “I can’t eat two.”
As soon as she spoke, Bian Yichen retracted his chopsticks before He Sui’an could, turning to pick up some greens. He seemed pleased that Qi Shu had spoken again.
He Sui’an hesitated between taking the chicken leg and not.
In the end, she took it.
The chicken leg landed in Qi Buyan’s bowl, and he immediately smelled the increasingly rich aroma of the meat.
Qi Buyan wasn’t very interested in food, whether it was meat or vegetables, but today he picked up his bamboo chopsticks and started eating the chicken leg.
The atmosphere during dinner was quite harmonious.
If an outsider saw this scene, they might think: this “family of four” looked like they stepped out of a painting. They might even envy their “happy family.”
After dinner, the four of them went back to their respective rooms, with Qi Shu and Bian Yichen going first.
As for the two younger ones, He Sui’an and Qi Buyan, they went back to their room as well. He Sui’an would be sharing a room with Qi Buyan, mainly because there were no extra rooms, and they were just children, so there was no need to be concerned about propriety.
With no adults to take care of them, they had to bathe and return to their room on their own.
However, He Sui’an didn’t have any spare dresses, and Qi Shu couldn’t buy or make new ones for her, and Bian Yichen wouldn’t care for her either. So, He Sui’an ended up wearing Qi Buyan’s indigo clothes.
Although they were a bit big and long for her, it wasn’t much of a problem. After putting on his clothes, He Sui’an rolled into the bed, her freshly washed feet poking out and resting on the blue bedding.
Qi Buyan blew out the candle and got into bed as well, pulling half of the blanket over himself.
Around midnight, Qi Buyan felt something heavy pressing on his chest. When he opened his eyes, he found He Sui’an’s head resting on him. She was a restless sleeper and had climbed on top of him.
To an adult, a few-year-old He Sui’an was light as a feather, but to another child like Qi Buyan, she still had some weight. However, Qi Buyan didn’t push her away; he quite enjoyed holding her.
He closed his eyes again.
—
And so, He Sui’an stayed there for a few months, until one night when a fire broke out.
Smoke seeped in through the cracks of the window and door, waking He Sui’an with a few coughs. Qi Buyan also woke up. Before they could do anything, Qi Shu burst into the room in a hurry.
She said coldly, “If you don’t want to die, run. Head west and run as far as you can. If you meet a woman named Cui Luo from the Miaojiang Tianshui Village along the way, go with her and never come back.”
Qi Shu quickly pulled them out of bed and handed them a heavy bag of silver.
She knew they were still very young and might not survive if they didn’t meet Cui Luo while heading west. They could be kidnapped or killed, but it was better than staying and facing certain death.
Bian Yichen had been planning to kill He Sui’an that night, having raised her for some time. Qi Shu had inferred this from some of his actions.
She couldn’t bear it any longer.
If she continued to endure, she would truly go mad.
So be it.
Qi Shu had planned to die soon anyway. Her original plan was to wait for Cui Luo to come and take Qi Buyan back to Miaojiang Tianshui Village before taking action, but plans couldn’t keep up with changes, and now she couldn’t wait any longer.
Qi Shu pushed them towards the door: “Whether you survive from now on depends on your luck. I’ve done all I can.”
At this moment, the wooden house was filled with thick smoke and engulfed in flames, the beams crackling as they burned.
He Sui’an only fully woke up after being pushed outside the wooden house. She looked up, instinctively grabbing Qi Shu’s hand, her small hand hooking onto the edge of Qi Shu’s larger one: “Aren’t you coming with us?”
Qi Buyan remained silent.
Qi Shu pried He Sui’an’s hand away and turned back into the wooden house, intending to close the door behind her.
She couldn’t leave.
Bian Yichen had given Qi Shu a type of drug that made her dependent on him; without taking it daily, she would die, and only he could make this drug. Given this, there was no point in escaping—she might as well end it all now.
After all, she had long lost the will to live.
Death was a release.
Previously, she held on because of…
Tonight, Qi Shu had spiked Bian Yichen’s drink with a paralyzing herb, rendering him temporarily immobile.
He was too confident that Qi Shu would cling to life for the sake of young Qi Buyan, never suspecting she could contact Cui Luo from Miaojiang Tianshui Village thousands of miles away by special means.
As the door slowly closed, Qi Shu gazed at them. He Sui’an looked back inside, and before she realized it, the door was shut. With her little strength, she couldn’t push it open.
She was so anxious that her eyes turned red at the corners.
Qi Buyan, however, took He Sui’an’s hand and led her away, not allowing her to look back.
As they walked away, the door of the wooden house split open from the fire, revealing the scene inside. Qi Shu, wearing an indigo dress, sat calmly at the table, raising a bone flute and playing it slowly.
On the bed, Bian Yichen, though weak, struggled to crawl towards her.
Qi Shu seemed not to notice.
She continued to play the flute with focus.
The melodious sound of the flute pierced through the fire, reaching He Sui’an and Qi Buyan’s ears. It was as if it were bidding them farewell, or perhaps celebrating her own release. Qi Shu’s lips curled into a faint smile.
In a matter of moments, the fire consumed Qi Shu’s figure, and the sound of the flute disappeared.
Later, someone passed by this place.
They found two bodies. The larger skeletal remains indicated a male, while the one holding a bone flute indicated a female. The male, even in death, clung tightly to the female.
—
Twelve years later.
On the lonely mountain of Miaojiang Tianshui Village.
He Sui’an was awakened from her nap by Qi Buyan’s kiss. Their young bodies were pressed tightly together, almost seamlessly, just like when they were children, disregarding any societal conventions.
Twelve years ago, they had heeded Qi Shu’s words and headed west. They traveled for half a month, encountering many ill-intentioned people along the way, but Qi Buyan managed to drive them away using some poisonous insects.
Eventually, they met a woman named Cui Luo on the road.
She asked them to call her Auntie Cui.
After asking them a few questions, Auntie Cui decided to take them back to Miaojiang Tianshui Village.
They stayed there for twelve years.
During these years, they ate, lived, and slept together, almost like conjoined twins. As they grew older, Qi Buyan gradually became infatuated with being close to He Sui’an. Kissing was something they did often.
He Sui’an was kissed so passionately by Qi Buyan that she struggled to breathe and tried to open her mouth to catch her breath, but his tongue slid in, entwining with hers, following his heart’s desire to taste her.