26 Heartbroken Departures. Keeping Watch (1/2)
“If there’s anything more mysterious than a woman’s mind, I don’t know what it is…” Yun Yang mumbled ungraciously under his breath.
“I’ve decided to name the baby wolf Little Moon! What do you think?” Ji Ling asked excitedly.
“Little Moon?” The corners of Yun Yang’s lips quivered with derision even as he replied with artificial enthusiasm, “Marvelous! I’ve never heard of a better name!”
Ji Ling, sensing the sarcasm that lay very close to the surface of the sly and perfunctory man’s words, glared at him. She lacked the heart to reply with a witty rejoinder but soon forgot about her ire as her excitement shone through yet again. “With Little Moon’s cooperation, I’ll be able to win the tournament with ease! No doubt I’ll be the big sister this time!”
“No doubt indeed!” Yun Yang exclaimed with profound skepticism. That is if your mystical beast tournament measures victory by how playful your pets are, and how they are trained! You dared to claim that it was a marvelous and superior tournament just before this?
“Definitely a victory!” Ji Ling was confidence personified.
“If you are so certain of your success,” Yun Yang was somewhat puzzled, “Why aren’t you leaving? Why do you still insist on lingering on here?”
The smile that had been playing happily on Ji Ling’s face froze in mid-speech. Somebody up above certainly had a divinely twisted sense of humor! She had never met such an imbecile who was too thick to get the hint!
“You are not... attracted to me, are you?” Yun Yang took a fearful step back. “Lady, please take into account my youth, I am still…”
“Why don’t you just find a way to end your own life?”
Ji Ling was mortified with embarrassment. Yun Yang leaped up as he cradled his right foot and hissed, “We were talking courteously, why did you have to hit me?”
Ji Ling looked at him with gritted teeth and suddenly roared, “There’s no one lingering, I’ll be taking my leave right now!”
With her head lowered to hide her red-rimmed eyes, she charged out of the room, hugging onto her baby wolf.
This bastard! This despicable…
“Hey, wait up!” Yun Yang called out frantically from somewhere behind her.
Despite herself, Ji Ling slowed down her steps, a faint light of hope blossoming in her heart. “What else do you want from me? Weren’t you chasing me away?” She was absolutely certain that he had chased her down to apologize.
“I just wanted to remind you; don’t forget about our deal!.” Yun Yang said in all seriousness, “You’ll have to fulfill them if you win. It’s absolutely crucial!”
Her delicate figure trembled like a leaf caught in a heavy wind before she fled, her words nasal and distant, coming as if from afar, “I, Ji Ling, am not one to shamelessly cheat!”
And then she was gone.
Yun Yang stood quietly for a moment before he murmured softly to himself, “Just as long as you remember... I was just concerned that you might forget…”
Lao Mei, who had been standing behind Yun Yang and had witnessed the entire spectacle groaned and smacked his forehead in frustration.
Young master, this is the very reason why you’ll stay alone for the remainder of your life.
You could have said goodbye, but did it have to be in such an unpleasant manner?
…
Witnessing Ji Ling’s departure, Yun Yang’s eyes glinted with an unreadable light before his expression turned somber, as if he had suddenly donned a mask and strapped on a burden that weighed down his entire being.
“Young master…” Lao Mei sighed behind him, “You have hurt Lady Ji’s feelings…”
Yun Yang exhaled and managed to keep his tone light, “Nothing to be heartbroken about, my good man. We are obviously people from two very different worlds. The young lady may still be innocent but I have to practice sensibility at all times.”
Lao Mei was puzzled, ”Sensibility?”
Yun Yang’s rebuke was gentle, “Lao Mei, what do you know of Lady Ji’s background? I’m sure you have been able to arrive at some observations.”
Lao Mei nodded with a sigh.
“If the two parties were genuinely involved with each other, we both know what would be the outcome, don’t we?” Yun Yang asked with a tinge of bitterness.
Lao Mei heaved another sigh of reluctant agreement.
“Besides, at least this Lady Ji has not yet formed an attraction to me At most, it’s just a vague, juvenile interest… just a passing fancy, am I not right?” Yun Yang stated.
Lao Mei sighed for the umpteenth time; Yun Yang was right. It was just that; not even a mild attraction, but merely a general sense that Yun Yang was an interesting character. Love was definitely out of the question! However, these things could be slowly developed...
“So, pray tell, why should I pursue this and bring further heartache to myself?” Yun Yang smiled with cynicism, his gaze far away and chill enough to bring a nip of frost into the air.
“Young master’s words do make a certain amount of sense.” Lao Mei’s sigh was as deep as it was sincere.
Yun Yang continued, “Status quo… it’s the perfect state to be.”
His heart was at peace but his mind was awash with a thousand thoughts, “I have not avenged my brothers; my eight brothers and eight hundred comrades who passed on just recently. I am at a loss as to how to claim vengeance, how could I even start to think of romance?”
“Romance, at this juncture, would be a luxury.”
Yun Yang’s flickered with sudden bloodlust, the glimmer vanishing as soon as it came. “Lao Mei, I will be away for a bit.”
Lao Mei replied, “Please allow me to accompany you, young master.”
“That will not be necessary.”
“Marquis Yun will be back soon…” Lao Mei blurted out the first thing that came to his mind as Looked at Yun Yang who was about to take his first step out of the residence.
“Oh, really?”