flstandardbreds Chapter 118 Liar
Chapter 118 Liar
Tiger's witty remarks were perfectly timed, and Suhexiang readily accepted the offer and left.
Luo An gripped the gunwale, veins bulging, gazing at the horizon, lost in thought. Nian Yao stood in the corner, not daring to provoke him.
Tiger was completely unaware, chatting and eating melon seeds with Yan Zeyu and Eighth Sister in the shadow of the sail.
Just as Nianyao was about to go over, she saw Luo An turn around and walk towards her.
Luo An pulled Nian Yao into the room and pressed her down onto the bed.
Nianyao swallowed nervously: "What do you want?"
Luo An asked, "What did Xue Yunting say to you?"
Nian Yao breathed a sigh of relief and pushed Luo An's hand away: "He wants to marry Princess Xingchen."
Luo An was momentarily stunned.
Nianyao nodded: "Really."
Luo An asked, "Besides these, what else did he say?"
Nianyao said, "Tell me about my parents first."
Luo An said, "Didn't you already know?"
Nianyao said, "I don't know who I can trust?"
Luo An said, "I haven't lied to you."
Nianyao said, "The longevity lock was a gift from my uncle, not an engagement token. I have no marriage agreement with Xu Sheng or you..."
Luo An emphasized again, "I didn't lie to you. I didn't say that the longevity lock was a gift from my mother, nor did I say that we were engaged..."
Nianyao stared at him intently, thinking carefully:
"So, am I engaged to you?"
—That longevity lock wasn't a birthday gift from my father, but an engagement gift from your mother?
Luo An didn't respond directly. Nian Yao sighed, "You're even scarier than Xu Sheng. Xu Sheng lies half-truths, but you're..."
They take advantage of the situation to mislead others, yet they think they are being honest.
Luo An pulled up a chair and sat down in front of Nian Yao, taking her hands in his and saying solemnly, "Nian Yao, you can always trust me. I will never hurt you. Now tell me what you know..."
Nianyao whispered, "I met someone in Bianjing who said he was Hong Hua, the previous Commander of the Imperial Guards. When we were young, he and my father were both Imperial Guards, and they were like brothers. If my father hadn't left, he wouldn't have become the Commander of the Imperial Guards... He said my mother was a liar, and that my father killed her with his own hands..."
Hong Hua said that her mother was not a fairy from Yaochi at all, but a fraudster named Yaochi who ruined the life of the dull and taciturn Du Jiming.
Du Jiming was also called Jiming. After the fall of the Central Plains, he changed his surname from Du to Jiming. Jiming met Yaochi on the Shangsi Festival, when Yaochi was fifteen. Jiming told Honghua that she was a lively, clever, innocent, and lovely girl.
The naive one was Ji Ming. Yao Chi was the youngest daughter of the General Who Guards the State of Nan Yue. When the late Emperor of Nan Yue left Bianjing, Yao Chi cut the ropes of the Nanxun Gate and lowered the city gate, blocking the imperial guards' pursuit. Ji Ming, then serving as the city's defense officer, shot Nian Yao, who was atop the city wall, with an arrow…
Why doesn't Nianyao have the surname Du or Ji? Hong Hua said it's possible that Ji Ming hated him and felt guilty towards his wife, so he made her take his wife's surname as a way of remembrance.
Nianyao said, "Uncle Hong also said that your mother was a liar..."
Luo An leaned forward, hugging Nian Yao and sighing softly.
The sigh was low, almost bringing tears to Nianyao's eyes. She choked out, "What he said is all true... If they are both liars, why did your father send your mother back to Nan Yue safely, but my father killed my mother..."
Luo An looked at her and couldn't answer.
Nianyao suddenly sighed, "You're not a celestial being descended to earth, and I'm not a mortal born of a celestial being. We're both descendants of fraudsters. So, it seems we're still a good match."
Is Nianyao obsessed with marrying someone of equal social standing? Luo An hesitated for a moment before saying, "Nianyao, if you don't want to be the gang leader, then let's go..."
Nianyao blurted out, "Where to?"
Luo An said, "There are many small islands in the South Seas. Let's find a scenic, uninhabited island to settle down on..."
What was in Luo An's eyes? Worry? Fear? Anxiety? But the Great River Gang had so many brothers, half of their navy was with Zhou Yan, and half with Xu Lai…
Nianyao wrapped her arms around his waist without saying a word. The room fell silent, and Nianyao could hear their heartbeats gradually syncing.
Luo An kissed her earlobe, his voice soft and low: "What was she like when you saw her?"
Who? Nianyao sat up slightly, suddenly realizing. She tried hard to recall: "I didn't spend much time in the palace, I was only seven or eight years old then, so I don't remember very clearly. It seems there were few people in the palace, few masters and servants, and it wasn't luxurious at all. The palace wasn't big either, not even as big as our backyard."
I didn't see my mother often, but every time I did, she was dressed casually. She wasn't stern at all in front of me; she was even quite gentle…though gentle, I was very afraid of her back then, and I was very obedient in her presence. I don't know what I was afraid of.
Luo An said, "That's how it is when a daughter-in-law meets her mother-in-law..."
Nianyao couldn't hold her breath any longer and burst into laughter, pressing her face against his chest. Her hearty laughter made Luo An smile along with her.
After laughing, Nianyao continued, "...She wasn't in good health. She looked young, but her hair had turned quite white. One night, I couldn't sleep because I was thinking about Father, so I climbed onto the roof to look at the stars and saw her sitting in the yard, lost in thought... She... she..."
"What about her?" Luo An asked. "Did she cry?"
Nianyao said, "She didn't cry, but I did..."
Luo An asked, "Why are you crying?"
Nianyao racked her brains: "I don't know... She's sitting alone in the courtyard, without a single servant by her side. She looks so pitiful..."
Nianyao was too young then to describe the desolation of sitting alone under the moon in the palace courtyard. She only knew that as she looked at it, her nose started to sting and tears fell without her realizing it.
Nianyao said, "She wouldn't leave, so I was too scared to come down. Later, I got sleepy and rolled off the roof. She flew over and caught me. I was quite a distance away from her, and her kung fu... was very good..."
Luo An hummed in agreement: "Before her brother was born, she was the Crown Princess; after he was born, she became the Regent Princess. She has the destiny of an Empress, and is talented in both literature and martial arts. Why don't you live in the General's Mansion, but in the Palace?"
Nianyao said, "I stayed in the palace when I was sick, and I naturally stayed in the palace after I recovered... Oh, I remember, I once overheard my uncle talking to her..."
General Xue said, "She is naturally unruly and disobedient. Should we move her out to avoid causing trouble for His Majesty?"
The Empress's voice was gentle: "It's alright, it'll be more lively in the palace with her around. She's mischievous outside, but she's quite well-behaved in front of me. If she lives in the palace, no one will dare to voice their opinions. If she were to move out, people would say I don't like her, and she wouldn't be able to stay at the Imperial Academy either."
Luo An laughed: "Even living in the palace, you can't stay at the Imperial Academy."
Nianyao said with dissatisfaction: "Hey..."
Luo An continued to laugh: "Even the Empress and the General can't protect you. All the civil and military officials are alarmed. This should be recorded in history and your name will be remembered for eternity."
Nianyao bit his chin in dissatisfaction: "Actually, Uncle comes to see me every day. I always thought he was a bad guy coming to get me. Every time he came, I would hide under the table, under the bed, in the tree..."
Every time, he would find me and carry me around like a kitten or puppy. After I returned to Chongming Island from Qinzhou, my uncle came to see me once more. Unfortunately, my father was away on business.
I'm the young gang leader, and I was so arrogant and ignorant. I and... I led a group of men to the docks and blocked him from disembarking, cursing his ancestors for eighteen generations...