Grabbing Your Hand, Dragging You Away

Chapter 25

Seeing Guan Yue from afar, I feel like he is looking a lot better and a lot rounder than before, looks like he's been living quite the good life during this time. I glance at the leisurely righteous Yuwen Rui, feeling a little surprised as to why he didn't help his pitiful younger cousin - I - get payback, but in a blink of an eye, I think again, Yuwen Rui is no virgin Mary, nor a bodhisattva of any sort, to absolutely get revenge for what must be avenged, this is something he implements more thoroughly than I do. I presume it is not that he isn't punishing Guan Yue, but is thinking of what method of punishment would be most effective. This encounter today, has more or less contained quite a bit of dirty scheming.

The people in the waters were successively saved, and brought onto a little boat Mu Yi had gone out in, on Lord Yin's side, a few people had come out to stop them at first, just that after a few moves from Mu Yi, all of them had fallen into the water, resulting in the rest of the people hesitating to approach. The cries for help gradually decreases, and from the originally retreating boat at the side, applause and cheering sounds, Mu Yi has surely become the big hero that saved everyone. En, I must go back and tell Xi Xi about this matter.

Yuwen Rui is still sat in his seat like a dignified master, his expression indifferent and careless. Whilst Meng Shao Jue's lips are hooked up into a smile with aroused interest, saying something to Imperial Sister to make her smile from time to time. Don't know if it's my imagination, but I seem to occasionally catch his line of sight pretend to unintentionally sweep across me? I hold up the plate of skinned peaches and take a bite, deciding to ignore this finding.

"Ah-Lan," Ying Lu softly calls out to me, "Gentleman Yuwen is an official ah?"

Only then did I realise Yuwen Rui had just self-addressed himself as 'official I', then say: "En, an official position specially appointed by Father Emperor, Royal Official of the Capital, first degree." But Yuwen Rui very rarely uses his position as an official to appear before us.

"What about Lord Yin then?" She asks again.

I say: "First degree."

Ying Lu is speechless, "They're both first degree ah, tut tut. Then is this Lord Yin's official position more influential, or Gentleman Yuwen's?"

I casually say: "Of course Cousin's."

Ying Lu is puzzled, "Aren't they both first degree?"

I think for a bit, then raise my thumb and little finger at her, very carelessly saying: "Aren't they both fingers?"

"Eh." Ying Lu pauses, then starts laughing, "I get it, pu-, your explanation really cannot be any more true. Ah-Lan, I can now confirm, you're definitely not a fool."

I once again take a bite of the bare peach and roll my eyes at her, "Ying Lu."

"Ah?"

"Did I ever say I'm a fool?"

Ying Lu shakes her head, "No."

I nod, "Very good." I continue to bite the peach.

Ying Lu shows a face of realisation, "Ah-Lan you truly are too mischievous, you didn't say it but your behaviour shows it ah."

I suddenly halt all actions, then look at her blankly, dully asking: "You mean like this?"

Ying Lu chokes, her pretty face turning red, "Yes yes yes, just like that, just like that!"

I don't know why I would suddenly think of Guu , and so I evilly look at her as I hook up one corner of my lip, coldly saying: "Business expression." (a reference from the anime Haré+Guu)

And then, Ying Lu laughs whilst quietly choking even more severely, before she manages to adjust her breathing, Lord Yin and Guan Yue have boarded the boat and came up to us all. Lord Yin's cold gaze slowly sweeps across all of us, finally stopping on Yuwen Rui, bowing, he says: "Lord Yuwen, truly a pleasure to meet you, pleasure to meet you, didn't think you would also be interested in dragon boats."