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Yama's Wedding
After finishing dinner at the table, Yao Guang finally understood the backgrounds of these people.
What surprised Yao Guang was that this Master truly had the surname Xiaoyao, with the single name Hao. The two women were twin sisters; the elder sister was named Roux, and the younger sister was called Xiao Yao Jia. The man was named Xiao Yao Yu. It seemed that there were only these four people in the manor. Although their names sounded carefree, their demeanor during dinner did not reflect that at all.
After bidding farewell to Xiao Yao Hao, Xue and Yao Guang walked back to their room. As they walked, the soft moonlight bathed them in its glow. Yao Guang looked at Xue ahead of him; the moonlight shimmered on his white clothing, making him appear enveloped in a silvery light. This man was someone Yao Guang had liked for many, many years. In the past, he had felt that the courtyard was cold and devoid of warmth, but after meeting Xue, he finally felt warmth—albeit from just one side. That warmth had been enough for him to endure those years in the courtyard.
Yao Guang recalled how he had spent countless days and years in the company of Sister Chang'e, gazing at the moon together. Sister Chang'e had been one of the few who treated him well in that courtyard. She lived alone in the Moon Palace for years, seemingly unaware of loneliness, accompanied only by the Jade Rabbit. Most of the time, she sat alone at the palace entrance. The moon in the courtyard lacked the changes of earthly moons; it remained perpetually round and unchanging. Looking at that large and round moon back then, Yao Guang thought it was quite unattractive. Now, however, as he gazed at Xue ahead of him, his heart filled with joy; things were different now. He had distanced himself from that detestable courtyard, surrounded by someone he loved, and even the moon seemed to have softened, no longer appearing as cold as it once did.
“Yao Guang, what do you think of the people in this manor?” Xue asked as he turned to Yao Guang. Since leaving the dining hall, Yao Guang had been quietly following behind him, unlike his usual talkative self.
“Well,” Yao Guang replied thoughtfully, “I believe Xiao Yao Hao is definitely hiding something from us. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t think it matters much since we are only here to seek medicine. As for Xiao Yao Yu, he seems weak and incompetent; on the surface, he obeys Xiao Yao Hao completely, but deep down he has his own schemes.”
Xue observed Yao Guang speaking confidently; this child seemed different somehow.
“Why do you think so?” Xue asked curiously.
“During dinner earlier,” Yao Guang explained, “whenever Xiao Yao Yu picked up food, he always avoided what Xiao Yao Hao chose. This clearly shows that he dares not oppose Xiao Yao Hao directly. Yet he is unwilling to submit entirely; when he looks at Xiao Yao Hao, there’s a glimmer of ambition in his eyes. Moreover, their brotherly relationship doesn’t seem harmonious at all; when Xiao Yao Hao introduced Xiao Yao Yu, it was done rather perfunctorily. Clearly, Xiao Yao Yu does not hold a high position in this manor—perhaps even lower than that of a steward.”
Listening to Yao Guang’s analysis piqued Xue’s curiosity further. “What about those two sisters? Why don’t you comment on them?”
Upon hearing Xue’s question about the sisters, Yao Guang felt a twinge of dissatisfaction; he hadn’t expected them to still occupy Xue’s thoughts after dinner. “Xue,” he said suddenly and earnestly, “have I ever told you how much I like you?”
This unexpected declaration caught Xue off guard; they were supposed to be discussing people from the manor.
Seeing the shock in Xue's eyes, Yao Guang continued earnestly, “I really like you, but that doesn’t mean I’m a fool. Perhaps back in the courtyard I didn’t understand many things; however, through my experiences over these lifetimes on Earth, I’ve seen too much. I’ve been tempered by life’s hardships from its lowest rungs—how could some things possibly escape my notice? It’s not that I don’t know; it’s just that I choose not to care. What I’m most grateful for is that life has taught me this: life is so short—just a few decades—and many things should be followed according to one’s heart so that this lifetime isn’t wasted.”
Finally expressing his innermost thoughts brought an immense sense of relief to Yao Guang.
Since meeting Xue again recently, he felt an overwhelming excitement while simultaneously numbing himself with reality: Xue only felt guilt towards him and no romantic feelings whatsoever. His love for Xue would lead nowhere; yet waiting had taken far too long—Yao Guang was almost forgetting what it felt like to be moved by love initially. Over these years, liking Xue had become a habit—a belief that sustained him through his toughest times and allowed him to live on despite all hardships.
Xue's heart was shaken. From the moment he learned about Yao Guang's situation to his decision to help her, he had perhaps only seen her as a child, a lost child in need of direction. Yao Guang felt like an innocent kid, desperately searching for someone to rely on, and Xue, feeling guilty towards her, was willing to yield and satisfy her needs. However, now Xue realized that this child had grown up; she was no longer the one who cried and asked him what to do.
Xue quietly gazed at Yao Guang under the moonlight. After some time of recovery, she looked much better. It turned out that this girl had matured significantly without him even noticing. Clearly, he could no longer treat her as a child.
“Yao Guang, many things are not as you think,” Xue said, reaching out to pat her head.
Yao Guang turned her head away from his hand. Still seeing herself as a child, she retorted, “You really think you know what I’m thinking? You probably have no idea what I want!” With that, she turned and ran away.
Xue watched her retreating figure, feeling a mix of emotions. He truly didn’t know how to face her. Throughout their journey together, he could clearly sense her affection for him, which hadn’t appeared out of nowhere. It was precisely because of this that Xue felt he couldn’t hurt her. Yao Guang left him feeling lost and unable to respond; after all, this child was...
“Big Brother, are those two reliable?”
A voice came from not far away, causing Xue to instinctively hide behind a nearby rockery.
“What if they’re not reliable?” As the footsteps drew closer, Xue saw that it was Xiao Yao Hao and Xiao Yao Yu.
“Big Brother, you know this place is already on edge. If we can’t resolve this issue, our Xiao Yao Villa will be ruined!” Xiao Yao Yu said anxiously.
“Then let it be ruined; it might not be such a bad thing,” Xue replied nonchalantly.
“Big Brother!!”
“Enough! There’s no need to discuss this further. Those two might actually have some skills.”
Xiao Yao Yu could only clench his teeth in frustration and fell silent. After the two left, Xue finally emerged from behind the rockery.
Xue did not overlook the words spoken by Xiao Yao Hao earlier; his expression was not one of jest. What could possibly be the reason that this master of the manor seemed indifferent, even if the estate were to be destroyed?
Xue pondered quietly, realizing that this matter would require a slow investigation into the Mansion. However, they had already been in the manor for two days. Aside from meals and tonight's gathering, Xiao Yao Hao had not revealed anything about the Mansion to him. This Xiao Yao Hao was truly enigmatic.
"My lord, it is rather lonely here under the moonlight."
It seemed that tonight's performance was indeed lively. Xue turned and looked at the pair of Sister Flowers before him. "Greetings to both of you."
The two women looked at Xue and smiled coyly, "My lord, you are too polite. You may call us by our names."
"May I ask what brings you both to this garden at such a late hour?" As soon as the words left his mouth, Xue realized he might have misspoken.
Sure enough, upon hearing his question, the two women stepped closer, one on each side, encircling him. "My lord, what do you think we are doing here at this late hour?" They pressed their bodies against him, gazing at him seductively.
Their closeness made Xue feel uncomfortable; he didn’t know how to respond when suddenly a furious shout came from behind them. "What are you doing?"
At the sound of the voice, the two women stepped away from Xue, their faces filled with regret. Seizing the opportunity, he slipped away from them and sighed in relief.
The one who had just returned was none other than Yao Guang, who marched up to the three with an angry expression directed at Xue.
This was bad; Xue couldn't help but think about how he would explain himself now.
"Sister, you see, men can be too strict. It's not good! Men like gentle and soft women like us!" One of the women threw a flirtatious glance at Xue.
Yao Guang widened her eyes, momentarily unsure of how to react.
"Young Master, if you don't like that tigress at home, you can come find us!"
As the two walked further away, Yao Guang gradually calmed down from her anger, only to suddenly feel a wave of embarrassment wash over her.
"You—"
"You—"
They both spoke at the same time, then paused. In that moment, the awkwardness between them vanished.
"Yao Guang, I'm glad you came back. Otherwise, I wouldn't know what to do with those two sisters," Xue said, noticing Yao Guang's flustered expression.
"Do you really like girls like them?" Yao Guang stammered. Perhaps Xue truly didn't like someone as strong-willed as herself. She had to admit that compared to her, they were indeed more charming.
No anger—thankfully. After hearing Yao Guang's words, Xue's mind was filled with just this thought.
"Let's head back; it's getting late," Xue called to Yao Guang as they made their way back to the room. "You're quite good just the way you are."
A softly spoken phrase floated through the air, and Yao Guang was sure she hadn't misheard. Xue thought she was fine just as she was. He didn't dislike her after all.
"Alright then, let's go back together."
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