Zhu Xian: They've all been reborn

Chapter 183 Looking Forward

In the afternoon, the sunlight on Qiyun Peak was just right, lazily filtering through the bamboo leaves and casting shimmering patches of light on the veranda. The bamboo house was very quiet.

Jiang Xiaochuan leaned back in the bamboo recliner under the eaves, holding a book in his hand, his eyelids a little heavy.

Having just returned from the East China Sea a few days ago, I still felt the salty touch of the sea breeze and that lazy, aimless energy.

Biyao and Xiaobai were playing chess in the room. The sound of the pieces falling was crisp and clear, occasionally interspersed with a low cry of frustration from Biyao or a triumphant chuckle from Xiaobai.

Tian Ling'er and Jin Ping'er were rustling around in the next room, seemingly sorting through the seashells and trinkets they had brought back from the East China Sea.

Linglong was probably in the kitchen, preparing ingredients for dinner, and a faint, refreshing herbal scent occasionally drifted into the air.

Lu Xueqi... was just sitting next to him a moment ago, but now she's nowhere to be found.

"I'm not playing anymore! You cheated again!" Biyao's angry voice came from inside the house, followed by the clattering sound of chess pieces being scattered.

"Oh, sore loser?" Little White said slowly with a smile. "You're bad at the game, yet you blame others for cheating?"

"You clearly switched my pieces! Don't think I didn't see it!"

"Where's the evidence? Xiao Chuan Chuan is right here. Ask him if he saw it."

Jiang Xiaochuan closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep. He couldn't possibly judge the case between these two.

Sure enough, Biyao's footsteps came clattering out, carrying a hint of anger. She squatted down beside his recliner and poked his arm: "Xiao Chuan! You be the judge! Isn't she cheating?!"

Jiang Xiaochuan had no choice but to open his eyes, meeting Biyao's eyes, which were even brighter with anger, and said helplessly, "I...I didn't see clearly..."

"See! I told you he only has eyes for..."

Biyao was halfway through her sentence when she noticed Xiaobai leaning against the doorframe, looking at them with a half-smile. She swallowed the rest of her sentence, snorted, and instead shook Jiang Xiaochuan's arm, "I don't care! You help me! Next time you fight her, kill her without leaving a trace!"

Xiao Bai walked over and naturally sat down in the empty seat on the other side of the recliner, almost next to Jiang Xiaochuan. She picked up the teacup he had placed on the small table, took a sip from the spot where he had drunk from, and then smiled, "You want me to be completely wiped out? Well, our Xiaochuan has to have that ability first. Right, Xiaochuan?" Her eyes swept across him, hooking with interest.

Jiang Xiaochuan felt his face burning up under her gaze. He wanted to move to the side, but the recliner was only so wide, and Biyao was on the other side, so there was nowhere to move.

Biyao immediately glared at Xiaobai, then hugged Jiang Xiaochuan's arm even tighter, as if declaring ownership.

"You vixen, stay away!"

"No way. Did you buy this chair?"

"you!"

Just as another argument was about to break out, Tian Ling'er poked her head out of the house, holding a huge, brightly colored conch shell in her hand. She laughed and said, "Sister Biyao, Sister Xiaobai, what are you arguing about again? Come and help Ping'er and me see where this conch shell would look best. Should we put it on the windowsill or on the display shelf?"

Jin Ping'er also came out, a faint smile on her face. Her eyes quickly swept over Jiang Xiaochuan and the two who were arguing, then she lowered her eyes and whispered, "Sister Ling'er said that the pattern on this snail shell looks like...like the sunset over the sea."

Biyao's attention was indeed drawn to it. She let go of Jiang Xiaochuan, got up, and went to look at the conch.

Xiao Bai lazily stood up, swaying her hips as she followed, not forgetting to tease, "Sunset? Why does it look like someone's puffed-up face to me?"

"You're the one who's puffing up with anger!"

The two started arguing again around the conch shell, while Tian Ling'er and Jin Ping'er tried to smooth things over with smiles.

The corridor fell silent for a moment, with only Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi, who had quietly returned and sat down beside him.

Lu Xueqi held a small, white jade-like vase in her hand, inside which were a few freshly picked purple flowers, still glistening with dew. The flowers were delicate in shape and had a subtle fragrance.

She placed the clean bottle on the small table, straightened it, then looked at the cup of tea that Xiaobai had drunk from, reached out and took it away, poured a warm cup from the teapot, and placed it next to Jiang Xiaochuan.

"Did I disturb you?" she asked softly, her gaze falling on the group of people playing in the distance, her profile calm.

"No." Jiang Xiaochuan shook his head, naturally reaching out to take her hand resting on her knee. "I'm used to it. They don't make noise; it's actually quite quiet."

Lu Xueqi hummed in agreement and gently scratched his palm with her fingertips, like a feather brushing against it.

"Yueyao really liked the little trinkets that Donghai brought back, especially the string of seashell wind chimes. She hung them by her window and listened to them ring all night." As she spoke, a very faint smile curved her lips. "Yunzhou, on the other hand, was more interested in those peculiar reefs. He was studying the patterns inside them and said they looked like remnants of some ancient formation."

"Let them do what they like," Jiang Xiaochuan said with a smile.

"Father, Mother," a clear, youthful voice called out. It was Yun Zhou. He had come from the backyard sometime earlier, carrying a wooden sword, his forehead still damp with sweat, clearly having just finished practicing. The sixteen-year-old boy was tall and straight, his features inheriting the best of his parents, handsome yet serene.

"Finished practicing?" Lu Xueqi turned her head, her gaze falling on her son. She carefully examined his breathing. "Your breathing is steady, but the transitions between sword moves could be smoother. I'll watch you practice again tomorrow at dawn."

"Yes, Mother." Yunzhou respectfully replied, walked closer, looked at his parents' clasped hands, and then at the aunts who were still arguing about the placement of the conch shells. A knowing and helpless smile appeared on his face, which was not quite in line with his age.

He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Father, Mother, my sister... she just asked me again."

"What do you want to ask you?" Jiang Xiaochuan asked.

Yunzhou touched his nose, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but still whispered, "She asked... when she could have younger siblings to play with. She said that Nianchuan is nice, but... it's not the same."

After he finished speaking, he felt a little embarrassed, and his ears turned slightly red.

Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi were both taken aback. Lu Xueqi glanced at Jiang Xiaochuan but didn't say anything.

Jiang Xiaochuan sighed inwardly. This girl... why did she join in the commotion?

"Where is Yueyao?" he asked.

"I went to the back mountain to find Brother Nianchuan. I said I wanted to pick the freshest bamboo shoots so that Linglong's mother could make soup for me tonight."

Yunzhou answered, paused, and then added in a low voice, "She also said... if she had younger siblings, she would share the candy and seashells she had saved with them, and teach them swordsmanship, and never let anyone bully them."

These words, though childish, brought a pang of sadness to Jiang Xiaochuan's heart. He looked at his son's eyes, which already showed signs of youth but remained clear and bright, and then thought of his daughter's bright, expectant eyes. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Lu Xueqi gently patted his hand and said softly to Yunzhou, "The matter of your younger siblings is a matter of fate; it can't be rushed. You and Yueyao are our greatest blessing. Go wash up; you're all sweaty."

"Mm." Yunzhou nodded, glanced at his father again, and then turned to leave. The young man's back was straight, his steps were steady, and he already showed signs of taking on a responsibility.

The corridor fell silent again.

Over there, Biyao and Xiaobai seemed to have finally reached a temporary reconciliation regarding the ownership of the conch (which was placed on the windowsill in the dining room), while Tian Ling'er pulled Jin Ping'er back into the room to tidy up other things.

As the sun sets, it bathes the bamboo houses and bamboo groves in a warm golden-red hue.

"The children... are all looking forward to it," Lu Xueqi suddenly said softly, her gaze fixed on the setting sun on the horizon, her voice devoid of emotion.

"Xueqi, you too..." Jiang Xiaochuan gripped her hand tightly.

"I?"

Lu Xueqi turned her head to look at him, her clear, cold eyes reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, appearing exceptionally deep. "I have Yunzhou and Yueyao, this life is enough. Anything more would be icing on the cake, but if I don't have them, it doesn't matter."

She paused, her fingertips gently tracing the pulse on the inside of his wrist, where the rhythm of his life beat.

"But you understand Biyao's thoughts, Ling'er's expectations, Linglong's gentleness, Ping'er's occasional envy, and even Xiaobai's seemingly indifferent teasing... All they seek by following you is a 'perfect ending'."

She spoke calmly, without complaining or urging, simply stating her facts.

The calmer the scene, the tighter and more astringent Jiang Xiaochuan's heart felt. He knew that Xueqi was telling the truth.

He couldn't avoid it, nor could he keep using "let nature take its course" as an excuse. That heavy, sweet, and annoying responsibility was something he ultimately had to face and bear.

"I understand," he whispered, pulling her into his arms and resting his chin on the top of her soft, fragrant hair. "I will...think about it carefully."

Lu Xueqi nestled in his arms, saying nothing more, simply watching the sunset slowly sink behind the mountains.

As night fell, the stars began to twinkle one by one. Inside the bamboo house, Linglong's voice called for dinner, carrying a gentle, homey warmth.