After Xia Xun finished her snacks and drank all her tea, Qi Yan didn't wake up.
He was extremely bored and sat in a chair in a daze.
An afternoon passed quickly, at dusk, the sky was dim, and Qi Yan still showed no sign of opening his eyes.
Xia Xun supported her head with her hands and dozed off involuntarily.
I don't know how long I slept, and in my drowsy dream, I suddenly heard someone calling his name.
"Xia Xun!"
The voice is full of eagerness, full of longing.
He was startled, his hands trembled, and his chin almost hit the table.
He raised his head in a daze, looking around for the source of the sound.
Through the dim candlelight, he saw Qi Yan's face.
Qi Yan had just woken up from a nightmare, sitting on the bed, her black hair was hanging down, her forehead was covered with cold sweat, and her chest heaved violently.
He stared wide-eyed and stared forward, his face was full of shock and pain, his eyes were about to split.
When he saw Xia Xun, his face was full of disbelief. He stared at him blankly and shook his head again and again.
"Xia Xun, you, why... no, am I... dreaming again?"
Xia Xun stood up indifferently:
"You're awake, I can go."
Qi Yan called him:
"Xia Xun? Xia Xun! Wait—"
He ignored it, Qi Yan got out of bed to stop him, his feet went limp, and he fell to the ground.
Regardless of his embarrassment, he tried his best to keep him.
"Xia Xun! Don't go!"
It must be a bitter trick.
Xia Xun obviously thought so...
He stopped without looking back, and asked coldly:
"What is it?"
Qi Yan leaned on the edge of the table, stood up with difficulty, panted and said:
"Don't go, you... stay a little longer, at least don't let me think that I'm still in a dream..."
Xia Xun said coldly:
"You are not dreaming, you will not have me in your dream, and I will not be willing to enter your dream."
Qi Yan's whole body was shocked, and his expression was greatly mourned.
"That's right..." He lowered his eyes and laughed at himself: "I always wake up calling your name, but I never dreamed of you once, except—"
A nameless anger rose in Xia Xun's heart:
"What the hell are you trying to say?!"
Qi Yan raised his head and stared at his back:
"I'm out of strength. Turn around and talk to you like this, it's a bit strenuous."
Xia Xun reluctantly turned to face him.
"Say something quickly!"
Qi Yan gasped for a few moments, and slowly calmed down. He closed his eyes and asked softly:
"Do you like tea?"
Xia Xun replied impatiently:
"It's inexplicable, so what if you like it or not?"
Qi Yan said calmly:
"I remember that you didn't like to drink tea in the past. You always thought the tea was bitter. No matter how much I persuaded you, you refused to drink more, saying that you are not old enough to appreciate tea. What good is it?"
Xia Xun answered casually:
"Lingnan is located in hot and humid, so we have to drink a lot of water every day. The locals like to drink tea, so I learned to drink it. If you have any questions—"
With a flash of inspiration, he suddenly understood why Qi Yan asked such a question.
He stopped suddenly, turned his head stiffly and looked at Qi Yan, with a look of disbelief:
"-Did you wake up when I fell asleep just now?"
Qi Yan paused, a little surprised, and slowly revealed a smile of approval:
"You have grown up, you are not as immature as before."
Xia Xun's face sank, she gritted her teeth and said:
"But you haven't changed, you're still as cunning as before."
Qi Yan was clearly testing him.
This was not the first time he woke up, he must have woken up once when Xia Xun slept on the table.
He had ordered not to tell Xia Xun about Zhi Gui's punishment, but Xia Xun still came.
After Qi Yan wakes up, he will definitely ask Xia Xun's servants.
The servants must have told him that Xia Xun disliked the new maid who was not good at tea ceremony, and insisted that Zhigui make tea for him in person, and he had no choice but to tell Xia Xun about Qi Yan's punishment of Zhigui.
Qi Yan remembered that Xia Xun never drank tea many years ago, so how could she think that the tea made by others was not good.
The reason why he said that Zhigui must serve him was just to find an excuse to find out her real whereabouts.
Then who was it, and what did they say to him that made him suspicious of Zhigui's whereabouts
Qi Yan discovered a loophole, and deliberately tested Xia Xun in order to find out who was the one who first leaked the news.
But Xia Xun didn't notice, and answered honestly.
Xia Xun shuddered, and the blood all over his body was cold.
He realized that even though the person in front of him was weak, even though he had just woken up from a coma, he was still sharp and sharp.
Seemingly asking casually, I don't know how many calculations are hidden behind it.
He has not changed, he is still the scheming Qi Yan from before.
In his eyes, Xia Xun's little calculation is just a trick.
Xia Xun smiled coldly, and simply told him everything:
"You must have guessed it. The maid you pointed out to me is a fellow villager of Zhigui. Zhigui was going to be kicked out of the mansion by you. She was very sad and showed her whereabouts in front of me. I only found out after asking. In order not to get involved She, I deliberately made up a reason.
"I'm not as smart as you, so I can't think of a perfect plan. She told me about Zhigui. If you can't get angry, kill them both. If not, you can kill me too."
Qi Yan immediately explained:
"That's not what I mean. I'm just worried that everyone in the mansion will talk nonsense in front of you."
He sighed, and said, "I've already left Zhigui, you don't have to worry about her."
Xia Xun slowly shook her head:
"I don't have time to worry about her. I worry about myself. I will never win you. If you try to kill me, I will die without a place to die. You are so unfathomable. By your side, I only feel fear."
He backed away while shaking his head, not noticing that there was a low table on the ground, and if he stepped back, he would be tripped.
Qi Yan didn't even wear shoes, she rushed forward barefoot and grabbed his hand.
Xia Xun's hair was about to stand on end.
"What are you doing?!"
Qi Yan grabbed his wrist and refused to let him go.
"Xia Xun, listen to me! In the past, when I approached you, I really had other plans, but now it's different! I can give you whatever you want! I don't dare to have any extravagant hopes, but please don't be afraid of me, Don't hide from me, don't look at me with such strange eyes again!"
He is hot and eager, affectionate and crazy.
Seeing his expression, hearing his tone of voice, anyone will trust him.
In the whole world, only Xia Xun remained unmoved.
"Don't try to lie to me, no matter how stupid I am, I won't be fooled by you a second time!"
He shook off Qi Yan's hand and ran out without turning his head.
He ran too fast, bumped into Qi Hui outside the door, and knocked over the servant who brought the medicine.
The medicine bowl fell to the ground, and a slice of the medicine juice was spilled.
Qi Yan called him from behind, Qi Hui was busy supporting him, and his servants knelt on the ground, hurriedly picking up the debris.
There was too much movement in the house, and there was a turmoil, which made the dogs in the house bark.
Xia Xun ignored it and rushed out the door.
The barking of the dog was getting closer, and after a while, a brown Fushi dog appeared at the corner of the corridor, barking at Xia Xun.
Xia Xun was not afraid at all, and continued to run forward.
When passing the corner, the Fushi dog suddenly stopped barking, its nose twitched, and it didn't know what smell it smelled.
After a while, it blinked its eyes and suddenly wagged its tail, which became more and more joyful.
It wagged its head and followed Xia Xun, stood up anxiously, and threw its two front legs into the hollows of his knees.
Xia Xun had to stop and look down at it.
Its coat is dry, its beard is white, its front teeth are missing, and when it barks, black gaps are exposed. The joints of its four legs are all swollen and deformed. It looks like a very old dog.
The moment Xia Xun saw its appearance clearly, she stood there in a daze, her heart stopped beating.
He didn't dare to move an inch, didn't even dare to catch his breath, and tremblingly said to the old dog:
"... Yuzhu... is that you...?"
In the year when I met Qi Yan, Xia Xun's family had a Fushi dog, which was originally bought by his second brother with a lot of money to show off to his cronies and friends.
The french terrier came to his house, only a few months old, just in time to take care of it.
The puppies are very clingy and recognize their master, only Nianxia Xing.
After Xia Xing took it out to show off, he quickly disliked it and threw it aside, ignoring it.
The servants in his yard are used to following others, seeing that the owner doesn't like it, no one will take care of the puppy, and they won't even feed it food.
The puppy was hungry for a few days and couldn't find anything to eat, so he ran to Xia Xun's courtyard.
At first Xia Xun didn't dare to take it in. Xia Xing has a domineering personality, and if he easily got his hands on his things, he might be furious at Xia Xun.
It's all right to go to your parents to sue him, maybe you have to fight him with your fists.
Of course Xia Xun was not afraid to fight him.
Although he has never won, he has never conceded defeat either, even if his nose is bruised and his face is swollen by Xia Xing, he will never beg for mercy.
Xia Xing found out that he had such a personality, and gradually felt that it was no fun to bully him, so instead of provoking Xia Xun, he vented his anger on the servants in Xia Xun's courtyard.
The servants can't resist, they can only suffer obediently.
Xia Xun was so angry that she couldn't do anything, and it was useless to reason with her parents.
Xia Xun's mother was not his own mother, but his own mother was an unknown kabuki who died shortly after giving birth to him.
His father Xia Hongxi and her were only married overnight, and he had no real affection for her. He despised her for her humble background, and he didn't even like Xia Xun.
Regardless of any disputes between the two brothers, Xia Hongxi would always stand by Xia Xing's side.
For the safety of his servants, Xia Xun had no choice but to learn to swallow his anger and try not to confront Xia Xing head-on.
As soon as he heard that the puppy was bought by Xia Xing, he asked Shao Bo to send it back without further ado.
Shaobo was reluctant.
She held the scrawny puppy in her arms, not paying attention to the ashes on its body.
She was wearing the skirt that Xia Xunxin gave her, and the puppy's muddy paws stepped on her body, leaving many paw prints, but she didn't care.
She brushed the hair off the puppy's chest and showed Xia Xun its protruding ribs.
"Young master, look! It is so thin, if we don't care about it, it will starve to death!"
Xia Xun also felt distressed looking at it.
"It's not that I don't want to keep it, but it's my second brother's dog! How could he be willing to give it to me? Besides, if I ask him for it, what if he loses his temper? Then you will suffer again!"
Shaobo's heart skipped a beat.
"Slaves, go and beg him! At worst, let him whip him once, it's not like he hasn't been whipped before!"
The puppy was lying in her arms, without even the strength to raise its head, but licked her hand with its tongue and wagged its tail at her.
Xia Xun couldn't beat her.
"Forget it, I'll go find Big Brother!"
The eldest brother Xia Wen is the son of Xia Hongxi's first wife. Unlike the second brother, he has a more gentle and fair personality.
Although he also looked down on Xia Xun, he was sensible and never disputed with Xia Xun, nor did he do evil deeds of bullying others.
If he could get his consent and keep the puppy, his second brother would have nothing to say.
Xia Xun straightened her clothes and went to the big brother's courtyard.
He knew that no one in the mansion wanted to see him, and he rarely left his yard.
It was the first time that I took the initiative to go to the elder brother's place.
Xia Wen received him neither salty nor cold, with neither a bad nor a bad face.
Xia Xun explained the reason to him, and he quickly agreed.
Xia Xun asked again, would my second brother have any objections
Xia Wen said that Xia Xing didn't want it a long time ago. If Xia Xun didn't want it, he was going to ask his servants to drive it out and let it die on its own.
Xia Xun thanked him again and again, hurried back to the hospital, and told Shaobo the good news.
Shaobo was so happy that he jumped up and quickly found a lot of food for the puppy. It devoured it hungrily, and soon its belly became round.
The puppy is white all over, and Xia Xun named it Yuzhu.
On the day the Xia Mansion ransacked the house, the second elder brother Xia Xing had already died.
His aunt was given a white silk by the emperor, and her body was hanging on the beam of the main house. His father was beheaded by Qi Yan, and his head rolled to his feet.
That night, he and Xia Wen were sent to jail.
Since then, he has never seen Yuzhu again.
He can think of the best ending for it, which is to be poisoned to death by someone who eats dogs, which is better than starving for days and dying in extreme hunger.
In the first few years in Lingnan, Xia Xun was busy during the day and had no time to think about it.
It was dark, and lying in bed, he was always so sad that he couldn't sleep.
He set up a small grave for Yuzhu next to his tombstone, and buried the note with her name in the tomb as the only memorial.
A few years later, Xia Xun met it again in Qi Yan Mansion.
As soon as Xia Xun called its name, it barked excitedly, jumping around in place, wanting Xia Xun to hug it.
Xia Xun bent down and hugged it.
Yuzhu kept licking his face, her hot body arched back and forth in his arms.
Qi Yan came out of the room and didn't come close, just watched from afar.
Under his signal, Qi Hui walked towards Xia Xun.
There was still a shocked expression on Xia Xun's face:
"This is Yuzhu? This...how could it be—? The lifespan of a Fushi dog is only three to five years, how could Yuzhu still be alive??"
Qi nodded.
"It's the jade bead. It has been kept in our mansion all these years."