Take Me Away, My Love - Chapter 9 - Secretly in Love
The result of Xiu’er discussing with her brother and sister-in-law was that she must frequently appear in Jian Yiqing’s presence to capture his attention.
Perhaps Jian Yiqing’s disinterest now was merely due to unfamiliarity. Once they spent more time together, he might fall in love with her innocence and cuteness.
With the support of her brother and sister-in-law, Xiu’er carried a freshly made grilled fish and headed to Li Minchun’s home.
However, as she pushed open the door, she was confronted with an intimate scene. The shock caused her to drop the plate she was holding, startling the two who were flirting.
Jian Yiqing and Li Minchun turned their heads simultaneously, leaving Xiu’er feeling utterly embarrassed, as if she were the one caught in the act. She was so ashamed that she immediately turned and ran away.
“Go after her,” Li Minchun urged Jian Yiqing as they watched Xiu’er’s retreating figure.
“Why should I?” To be honest, seeing this girl unsettled Jian Yiqing, so he naturally didn’t want to go.
“Just go!” Li Minchun didn’t want to explain further and moved as if to go herself. Seeing her slightly awkward movement, Jian Yiqing reluctantly surrendered, “Alright, just stay here and don’t move. I’ll go.”
After that, he had no choice but to chase after her.
After searching for a while, he found Xiu’er in a small grove.
“Are you okay?” Jian Yiqing cautiously approached.
Xiu’er suddenly turned and hugged him tightly. The unexpected gesture startled Jian Yiqing and even surprised Xiu’er herself. However, once she embraced Jian Yiqing, she no longer intended to let go.
“What are you doing!” Jian Yiqing tried to push her away but found, to his surprise, that she held onto his waist with unexpected strength, refusing to let go.
“I love you, please believe me. Whatever Li Minchun can’t give you, I can. And… and I’ve never been with a man, I’m pure…”
She never thought she would speak such embarrassing words. But with things as they were, Xiu’er was ready to go all out.
She stood on tiptoe, preparing to kiss Jian Yiqing on the lips.
But when she saw those cold eyes, as icy as winter frost, she hesitated and felt apprehensive.
It was at this moment that Jian Yiqing pushed her away and solemnly said, “Let me tell you clearly, I have no feelings for you and will not fall in love with you. Regardless of any involvement from others, I will not love you, do you understand? Please stay away from me and don’t intrude into my life.”
After saying this, ignoring Xiu’er’s stunned expression, Jian Yiqing mercilessly turned and walked away.
Since his previous relationships had hurt Li Minchun, and now that they’ve started anew, Jian Yiqing vowed that history would never repeat itself.
If he had known the outcome would be like this, he would have remained faithful and not shown affection to so many women, thereby sparing the woman he loves from unnecessary pain.
However, upon returning, he was astonished to find Li Minchun standing at the door, staring at him.
Although there was no expression on her face and she said nothing, Jian Yiqing felt flustered. It was as if he had truly done something wrong, and he quickly tried to explain, “Wife, please believe me, I didn’t do anything to betray you. It’s not what it looked like…”
The more nervous he became, the more mistakes he made.
How could the usually wise Jian Yiqing forget that in such a situation, his panic only revealed the truth that he had done something guilty?
Li Minchun gently cupped his face and, without saying a word, pressed her lips softly yet deeply against his.
Still, Jian Yiqing felt uneasy and asked nervously, “Wife, are you not angry with me anymore?”
After the kiss, Li Minchun smiled and said, “Silly, I believe you. Also, I heard your conversation just now.”
Seeing the sincerity in Li Minchun’s eyes, Jian Yiqing felt a surge of indescribable emotion and then a sense of relief. Wonderful.
“Wait, hold on, since you heard everything, I actually want to know whether you believe me because you heard our conversation, or you trust me because you truly believe in me?”
It’s often said that women in love are like happy fools, but aren’t men in love the same?
Moments ago, Jian Yiqing was flustered like a child who had done something wrong, but suddenly he became sensitive and suspicious again.
Without answering his question, Li Minchun stood on tiptoe and gently pressed another kiss on his lips.
There was no denying it, this man was becoming increasingly endearing.
Yet, here he was, persistently nagging behind her, “Why do you believe me? Come on, tell me! Why won’t you say anything?”
Inside the simple, quaint wooden house, laughter and joy filled the air, while outside in the woods, there was nothing but sorrow.
As the sea breeze rustled the leaves, it seemed as if even the wind was mourning for her. Xiu’er’s tears fell even harder.
After returning home, she was immediately bombarded with questions from her brother and sister-in-law.
“What happened? Didn’t you go to deliver the fish? Why did you come back like this, and where’s the plate?”
Faced with their relentless questioning, all Xiu’er wanted was a moment of peace. She locked herself in her room, wanting nothing more than to cry her heart out and avoid the world altogether.
It was utterly humiliating.
As an innocent young woman, she had humbled herself to such a degree, only to be met with utter heartlessness.
Just thinking about what happened in the small forest made Xiu’er so angry that she wanted to slap herself to vent her frustration.
She hoped word of this wouldn’t get out, or else she’d have no face left to stay on Zhenmu Island. If there were no way out of this wretched place, perhaps death was the only path awaiting her.
Seeing Xiu’er so upset, her brother and sister-in-law were as anxious as ants on a hot pan. Suddenly, a thought struck them-did Jian Yiqing lose control, seeing how beautiful she was, and harbor ill intentions?
If that were the case, they needed to confront him immediately. Such issues were better addressed early rather than late; if they missed the chance, what if he denied everything?
What if Xiu’er ended up pregnant…
Zhenmu Island was so small; how could she continue to live here?
With this in mind, the couple got up and headed straight for Li Minchun’s home.
“Bang!”
The door to Li Minchun’s home was finally kicked open by the couple, who stormed in to find everyone eating, their faces filled with shock. Without any hesitation, they pointed at Jian Yiqing and started yelling, “You scoundrel! You bullied my sister and now you’re sitting here like nothing happened, eating your meal. What are you eating for?”
As she shouted, the woman even flipped the dining table in front of Jian Yiqing. Dishes and bowls tumbled to the ground, spilling all over and becoming inedible.
“What are you doing!”
Although Jian Yiqing and Li Minchun remained silent, Xiao Ru’s mom couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood up and exclaimed.
“What, are you trying to rely on numbers to bully us? Let me tell you, we’re not afraid.”
Juanzi continued to shout loudly, and her husband, Zhang Xiang, echoed her words, “Exactly, we’re not afraid.”
Li Minchun knew Zhang Xiang. When she first brought back the Millennium Leaf Sand, he and Zhang Bin had tried to cause trouble for her.
At that time, she was new to Zhenmu Island and not familiar with these people. Reflecting on it now, it did give her a sense of perspective. It seems, as they say, birds of a feather flock together.
Zhang Xiang wasn’t a good person, his wife was a shrew, and even his younger sister was no different. Honestly, it’s really something…
Zhang Xiang, knowing he had a guilty conscience, didn’t dare act up in front of Li Minchun. So, during this commotion, he stayed behind his wife, only lending his voice to the uproar without daring to actually confront them.
“What do you want from me?” Jian Yiqing remained unflustered.
What a joke; a man who has weathered greater storms wouldn’t be intimidated by such petty tricks. He watched the couple with an amused interest, curious about what they intended to do.
“You slept with my younger sister. Are you just going to pretend nothing happened?” Juanzi’s loud accusation took everyone by surprise.
Xiao Ru turned to her mom and asked, “Mom, what does ‘slept with’ mean?”
Xiao Ru’s mom gently patted her daughter and said, “Adults are talking; children shouldn’t interrupt.” She then addressed the couple, “What evidence do you have?”
Jian Yiqing was starting to get angry and, with a stern expression, said to the couple, “Accusations like this require evidence. Your baseless claims won’t change the facts.”
“The fact? The fact is my sister went over to your house kindly to deliver grilled fish and ended up being taken advantage of by you! She’s at home crying her heart out,” Juanzi asserted, feeling more justified as she thought of Xiu’er’s heartbroken demeanor.
After all, they saw Xiu’er return disheveled and distraught. If she hadn’t been mistreated, how else would she have ended up like that?
At that moment, Li Minchun, who had been quietly observing, spoke up, “Xiao Ru’s dad, could I trouble you to bring the patriarch here to help us resolve this matter?”
It was unexpected for Li Minchun to request the patriarch’s involvement.
Xiao Ru’s dad, a straightforward and honest man, was about to leave when his wife stopped him. Xiao Ru’s mom leaned in and whispered to Li Minchun, “In situations like this, you never know… What if they’re telling the truth and then we…”
Understanding her concern, Li Minchun smiled at Jian Yiqing beside her and said, “I trust him. Please go.”
“Alright then!”
Xiao Ru’s dad promptly set off to fetch the patriarch.
