chsdbacks Page 69
Page 69
Fear and obedience were swallowed in one breath.
Just to relax.
Because the girl Yae Sakura told a lie at that moment.
Don't dare to look up.
Don't dare to look back.
He dared not look directly at his father.
For the first time in his life, he avoided the real issue—he avoided the voice that commanded him with an irresistible authority, a voice that even killing Rin required obedience.
The moment he opened his mouth, the fear he had swallowed seemed to surge back in an irresistible way, like a raging storm trying to sweep away and crush his almost nonexistent courage on the shore.
Almost instinctively, the girl wanted to make excuses for herself, to find more reasons to prove that she had indeed been looking to clear her head recently because of some things.
"I...I...recently..."
He swallowed it before he could even say it.
……
Will it be exposed?
It definitely will, right?
How could Father possibly believe such a clumsy deception?
Think of something quickly!
Think about it carefully!
What kind of reason could be found to weave a convincing lie that would make Father believe it?
No matter what, she didn't believe that her casual two or three words could gain the trust of her father, who always filled her with fear in her memory. No matter how much she tried to calm herself down, she could only endlessly imagine the outcome of her father suddenly rushing over and scolding her.
Her delicate heart was pounding in her chest, every beat of her heart was clearly perceptible, making the girl even more terrified that her trembling would be discovered.
But no matter how hard you try to patch things up, or how you weave and piece together a believable lie in your mind, you will eventually find the flaws in them and reject them without hesitation.
In the end, he could only stammer out indistinct characters, having completely given himself away from the very beginning.
"The forest...there..."
"I……"
He swallowed it before he could even say it.
Because the voice—the voice of the father—has arrived.
"That's it."
"Don't forget the preparations for the festival while you're relaxing."
There was no unexpected suspicion, no questioning gaze, and no sudden rebuke for all concealment and deception.
Clearly, whether it was the unconsciously tangled fingertips, the tightly bitten lower lip, or the heart already soaring to the heavens, everyone was prepared to be exposed.
Everyone was on edge at all times.
It was simply tense.
At this moment, right now, now.
All that remained was the lukewarm admonition and the sound of wooden clogs stepping on the ground once again—a sound that, in my memory, was always accompanied by a heavy sense of oppression, now proved the departure of that untouchable fear, driven away in such a crude and simple way.
Waiting, waiting.
I still can't believe it, I can't admit it, that the fear that was so deeply ingrained in my memory has come to an end in such a simple way.
The girl stayed in that spot until a wind, seemingly from nowhere, chilled her slender hands and feet to the bone.
Until her young and sensitive heart finally settled and returned to its proper place, no other sounds reached her ears. No matter how much she imagined in her heart that her father was hiding behind her, just pretending to be away, all her senses and perceptions strongly affirmed the fact that her father was gone.
When the girl finally mustered the courage to look back, all she could see was a figure that had become incredibly small.
The dignified father in my memory has long since left, and even the last remaining glimpse of his back has vanished without a trace after turning a corner.
Everything was contrary to expectations. The most fundamental fears and anxieties in my heart, the places I wanted to avoid, stay away from, and escape from, ended so hastily and so carelessly. I didn't even get to utter the explanation I had just prepared. It was all resolved with just one sentence: "I'm going out for a walk."
original……
original……
original……
Wow, it's that simple!
There was no need for any compensation or further explanation; a single, understated sentence was enough to send Father away.
Perhaps it was because the events were so shocking that even the lenient treatment made it all the more difficult to understand.
I don't know when I accepted all of this.
I don't know when I came to my senses.
I don't know how long this state lasted.
In the memory that became incredibly hazy from that moment on, all of my thoughts were focused on this matter; both my soul and body were excitedly cheering and leaping for joy, all for—
So it turns out it was all so simple.
It turns out that what Jiang Cheng said was true.
I was just too weak and too foolish.
When I came to my senses and could look at the world normally again, the memories were no longer just thoughts about the event in my mind, but a clear recollection of what I saw at that time. By then, it was already dark.
I remember walking to bed, lying in the covers with excitement, my body was exhausted, but I couldn't fall asleep no matter how much I tossed and turned. Whether I closed my eyes or not, I would think of the boy's words, along with everything that had happened that day, all playing back in my memory.
Perhaps it was only at this moment that I truly realized how right those seemingly simple words of empathy and comfort really were.
Those words were not just pleasant to hear; they contained the solution to everything I was going through.
By reflecting on each sentence and each word in hindsight, we can belatedly discover the underlying ideas.
Yes.
The world isn't that serious.
No one is being watched every single moment.
Even so-called rules and regulations cannot completely constrain a person.
In reality, the world is not that bad, at least not nearly as hopeless as it appears from one's own perspective. There is only one reason why the sky is so gloomy, and that is the disease that Jiang Cheng mentioned.
The illness originates from within oneself, from the heart.
Is that the reason for everything?
……
……
……
and so--
What happened yesterday?
Jiang Cheng found it hard to understand this fact—he had reprimanded the girl so harshly yesterday and was prepared not to see that familiar figure when he woke up this morning, yet he still woke up naturally and saw her standing in a familiar place as soon as he opened his eyes.
Both their behavior and distance remained the same as before. However, there were some changes, namely that their mood was actually a little better than before, as if the sunlight had completely pierced through the hazy clouds, revealing a clear blue sky.
The color in those eyes at this moment truly resembled the color of the sky reflected in a calm and clear lake, illuminated by a near-midday azure-gold radiance that cast a dazzling glow, as if reflecting the sun's warmth.
The girl stood right in front of him, pressing her slender fingertips against his chest, which, even though it was completely covered, still revealed a shockingly large size. The expression on her face was more serious than he had ever seen before.
"I know."
"Thoughts about Jiangcheng."
"I won't be as willful as I used to be."
"I have filled most of the resource gaps and made the necessary preparations for leaving. Now, if possible, please come with me to find shortcuts around here, Lord City."
This is at least a good thing.
Yae Sakura is planning to leave.
This means that even if she can't take Rin away now, or can't participate in the subsequent rituals, the girl, as the true protagonist, will never kill her own sister with her own hands as the original plot would have.
The fact that the girl was able to leave meant that she had begun to break free from the rules, had begun to overcome her fear and instinctive obedience to her father, and had transformed from a tool that could only obey orders into a person who could escape and make choices, possessing genuine freedom.
Since that's the case, there's no need to refuse.
Jiang Cheng naturally agreed completely.
……
Chapter 75 Sakura: Don't I dislike being stared at?
……
Yae Sakura stood with her back to the blazing morning sun. A petal of her long hair, fluttering in the wind, had been soaked in the morning sun for a long time, each strand tinged with the gentle warmth of the sunlight. Even when a wisp of hair was gently lifted by a breeze from who-knows-where, it appeared graceful and reserved. Her unusually modified shrine maiden outfit was even made to look like a perfect match by this unexpectedly harmonious attire.
At least the allure of that black miniskirt swaying in the breeze, occasionally lifted slightly to reveal a glimpse of fair and full thighs, is enough to surpass the undisguised, shameless seduction techniques used to target others.
The gentle aura of a young girl in her prime, the strands of hair blowing in the wind as they chat, and the bright sunlight sparkling in her eyes are far more powerful than any artificially created atmosphere.
Just like the blurry images of chatting with important people during childhood, under the scorching midday sun, those are the truly beautiful memories that can linger in a person's heart for a lifetime.
The autumn water in her eyes no longer held only sorrow. It was as if the ocean within her had dried up, and the depths that could not reflect any light could now reflect the boy so close to her, his face, his figure... as if etched in a mirror, as if on a canvas, with meticulous detail.
Even though a faint tint of black eyeshadow suggests a lack of sleep yesterday, it doesn't stop the young woman from genuinely displaying an energetic demeanor.
Soft fingertips extended, pointing and marking those roads that lacked a real sense of reality in my memory. They were once just things to walk on, but now they could serve as reasons to talk to Jiang Cheng.
They can stand together.
We can discuss it together.
We can set foot together, walk together, and in the future, it will be an essential part of saving Rin.
Even though I've walked this path countless times, remembering every detail so clearly that I could walk it with my eyes closed and avoid every single pebble, walking it again now still makes me incredibly happy. It seems like I don't need any reason; just walking here is enough to make me happy.
No.
it's not true.
Happiness does not come from the road.
No matter how you ask yourself, you'll only get this result.
The mundane soil beneath your feet, no matter how much you trample on it, will not provide any emotional value whatsoever.
The only truly valuable and important thing that can bring happiness is the boy who is observing his surroundings. A breeze from who-knows-where blows his hair, blurring his cherry-colored eyes with the stray strands of hair edged with highlights.
The moment you look over, all you can see is an endless expanse of flowers, seemingly blown up in an instant, petals drifting upwards against the sky, and even so, the most clear and beautiful falling cherry blossoms amidst the dazzling array of flowers.
Beauty, tranquility... it seems that happiness is born from these small and subtle actions.
It's no longer the alienation and fear of the past; now, the strongest desire is to be watched.
She wanted to be seen by Jiang Cheng, touched by Jiang Cheng, and described by Jiang Cheng—in short, she wanted Jiang Cheng to do everything about her.
It's indescribable, unimaginable, and impossible to describe the feelings I have right now. If I had to put it into words, it would feel like something is stuck in my chest.
But the feeling was not the same as the repression one felt when facing one's father.
It wasn't pain, nor was it discomfort.
Yae Sakura couldn't even find the feeling of pressing her chest; it seemed better to let that warmth remain inside her. The thought from her soul was—if it was such a blissful feeling, it wouldn't matter if it remained there forever.
"Ah..."
"do you know?"
Now, as he gazes at Jiangcheng, he happens to meet a pair of eyes that are also looking at him.
"In terms of the village, the place you live in is actually quite good. Being able to keep it clean is something that many other places cannot achieve."
—He was praising her.
Yes.
Jiangcheng was praising his village.