Chapter 362 - The Light Within His Hear (2/2)
Thinking of Yu Xiaocao’s clever and adorable personality made his heart suddenly beat fast again. He used a hand to press down on his chest and wondered if he had injured the left side of his chest in the past, which was now causing him problems.
“What’s wrong?” Princess Consort Jing noticed that her son had stopped moving his hand, frowned, and was now clasping his chest. The harsh expression on his face made her feel very worried.
Zhu Junyang didn’t want his mother to feel anxious and the expression on his face went back to normal. He smiled reassuringly at her and said, “Lady Mother, I’m fine...there were a lot of people today. Other than the principal and teachers of the academy, County Magistrate Zhao also went. Headmaster Yuan ate almost half of the whole pot of Buddha jumps over the wall. I wasn’t able to eat as much as I wanted. In a few days, when Lord Father comes over, let’s have Xiaocao make us a pot. That way, the three of us will be able to eat a very delicious meal together!”
Once food was mentioned, as expected, Princess Consort Jing’s attention got preoccupied by that. She smiled and nodded her head, “Buddha jumps over the wall is a non-vegetarian dish that isn’t greasy. Your Lord Father will likely like it very much. You know, how is that lass Xiaocao so clever and lively? Her culinary talents are such that our two famous chefs in the estate have to prostrate themselves in front of her. She also knows how to take care of flora. Last time, my pot of eighteen scholars camellia had dried up and was on the brink of death yet she was still able to bring it back to life. This year, the plant is blooming even more brilliantly...in the future, I don’t know who will be the lucky man who will be able to take Xiaocao as his wife.”
Zhu Junyang unconsciously started frowning when he thought of that clever and odd little girl getting dressed up in wedding attire for another man. The desire to destroy and maim things started to rise in his heart. He quickly controlled his emotions forcefully and did his best not to allow those feelings to overtake his reason.
His illness hadn’t reared its head for a long time, how come it was suddenly showing up today? That was not okay, absolutely not okay! Right now he was very close to Dongshan Village. If he lost his reason and became the destructive devil again, wouldn’t he end up destroying her home and hurting the people she loved?
Just as his heart was about to be swallowed up by the darkness, a pair of warm and limpid eyes appeared in his mind again. It was as if a ray of brilliant light was shining deep within his heart. Although it was weak, it stubbornly left a small illuminating flame in the vast darkness. A single spark had the ability to start a huge blaze. Zhu Junyang did his best to push against the darkness and the inky blackness slowly retreated. His bloodshot eyes slowly regained clarity and regained their usual dark and calm appearance.
“Yang’er, Yang’er!!” When he opened his eyes, in front of him was the anxious and worried face of his mother, who was being surrounded by a dozen bodyguards protecting her. Next to her was also Head Steward Liu and the head of the bodyguards all in readiness for a fight. It was as if an enemy was going to approach them soon.
“Yang’er, is that you? Yang’er, you need to come back to reality and don’t let the darkness within your heart overtake you. Yang’er…” Princess Consort Jing sobbed as she spoke. If Meixiang and Lanxiang hadn’t grabbed onto her with a deathgrip, she would have long sped over and hugged Zhu Junyang. She would gladly get injured if it could help her youngest son regain his reasoning faster.
She also knew that, at her son’s current martial abilities, it didn’t matter how many bodyguards there were to stop him. The whole residence could be destroyed by him, causing destruction and rivers of blood to flow....
“Lady Mother, I let you worry again. I’m fine now!” Zhu Junyang stamped away the last remaining bit of insanity and felt very guilty inside. For many years, his mother had worried herself thin because of him. If he hadn’t been able to pull himself back from the precipice, it was very likely that his mother would be one taking the brunt of his fury.
Princess Consort Jing happily wiped away the tears on her face. Her son’s illness had gotten much better compared to before and it looked like he was able to suppress and win against the ‘evil devil’ inside his heart. Didn’t that mean that before long, her son’s mental demons would finally be completely healed?
Head Steward Liu, who was next to Zhu Junyang, surreptitiously wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead and exchanged a look with the head of the bodyguards. Within his heart, he let out a sigh of relief. His master’s skill at martial arts had made great progress in the last two years. In the past, Head Steward Liu was able to restrain his master along with the help of seven to eight other men who were very skilled. Now, he was no longer able to do so. Luckily, in the past two years, his master’s outbursts had dwindled. Otherwise, he wasn’t sure what he would do.
Today, Princess Consort Jing was nearby. If his master hadn’t managed to snap himself out of it, they might not be able to stop him even if they sacrificed all of their lives. If something had happened to the princess consort, the master would likely descend into madness and become reborn as a complete monster…
When Princess Consort Jing saw that her youngest son had truly regained control of himself, she let out a sigh of relief and quietly asked, “Yang’er, didn’t you used to say that whenever you lost control and went berserk, it was as if you were stuck in complete darkness, locked up in a pit that was so quiet that it could drive a person crazy? What was able to banish the darkness today and allow you to pull yourself back from the brink of madness?”
Zhu Junyang thought of that small light in his heart. It was simultaneously weak and strong at the same time. A few times it had almost been swallowed up by the darkness yet it persisted in giving off a steady little light and warmth. It was just like her. Always looking as if a small wind would blow her over, yet she always managed to stand up tall after heavy storms and rain had passed.
In the past, the Yu Family had a very hard life. She hadn’t even reached the age of eight or nine and had a tiny, weak body before taking charge. Despite that, she held up the sky for her family. One copper coin for a portion of braised food, early-ripening green vegetables, the famous watermelons of Tanggu Town, planting corn and potatoes…
All of the children around eight to nine years old in the capital were still acting spoiled to their parents, yet she had already become the backbone of the Yu Family. The children of poor people matured early; this was a true fact he had witnessed himself. Zhu Junyang vaguely felt his heart hurt at the thought.