At dinner time, Yan Lie, who was practicing outside, finally came back.
As soon as he stepped into the front hall, he saw Li Yuanmin peeling golden custard for Ni Ying with his sleeves rolled up. Ni Ying looked at the things in the man's hands eagerly. When she saw her in prison in the morning, she was still dirty. The downcast appearance has already taken a rest at the moment, only the eyelids are slightly red and swollen, and it has returned to its usual lively and bright appearance.
Li Yuanmin raised his head and saw that it was Ye Lie, he couldn't help but said happily: "A Lie."
Ni Ying was also happy, but seeing his face, she immediately stopped the excitement on her face and muttered: "Brother..."
Yi Lie looked at her coldly, "Do you remember?"
Ni Ying bit her lip and nodded slightly. Compared with Li Yuanmin, she was more afraid of her brother.
It was Li Yuanmin who helped her out, and said with a smile: "Okay, I have already trained you just now, and Ah Ying promises that there will be no next time. Today, she spent a whole day copying books in the study on an empty stomach. , should also have a long memory.”
Ni Ying glanced at him timidly: "Brother, I won't be so reckless in the future."
Yi Lie nodded slightly, then looked at Li Yuanmin at the side as if inadvertently, and after a while, said softly: "Your Highness, is it still uncomfortable?"
"It's all right," although there was still some pain in his forehead, but seeing that Yan Lie somehow couldn't notice it, there was unconscious joy in his eyes: "A Lie, I thank you for your trouble last night."
Looking at the pair of clear and clear eyes staring at her, Yan Lie felt an inexplicable pain in her heart, and heard him urging: "Sit down and eat."
At the same time, he ordered the servant who served the dishes to let the kitchen add more vegetables.
Yi Lie sat down without looking at him, took the rice bowl, and ate silently.
Since he entered the door, Li Yuanmin's eyes have been on him. Why can't he notice that there is something wrong with him, but it is inconvenient to ask him at this time, so he only picks up food for him, and Yan Lie eats everything silently.
But Ni Ying saw that her brother didn't plan to trouble her, and she immediately felt much relieved. She was optimistic by nature, but then she started talking again, chirping with Li Yuanmin about who was scared by the rats in the dungeon last night, and who Secretly throwing mud behind the jailer, it seems that he completely forgot that he was crying because of it just now.
Li Yuanmin took the opportunity to mention a few more words, but Yan Lie kept his face cold and kept silent, eating his own meal with his head down.
Li Yuanmin scooped up a bowl of soup and pushed it in front of him: "Drink this chicken soup. Your eyes are turning green. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Yi Lie's chopsticks froze, and there was a moment of silence: "No."
Even Ni Ying's carefree temper noticed something wrong with her elder brother. She bit her chopsticks, and looked her elder brother up and down with bright, almond eyes.
"Brother, what happened to you?"
Her eyes were sharp, and she immediately saw a white thing protruding from the skirt of Yan Lie's clothes. With a cry of surprise, she stretched out her hand and pulled out the thing.
"Pazi?"
Before observing the style, it was snatched back in a flash.
With a cold face, Yan Lie stuffed the handkerchief into his sleeve.
Ni Ying was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood, and was pleasantly surprised: "Brother! You have a sweetheart?!"
She seemed to have discovered some great secret, and excitedly pulled the table closer.
"Which family is that girl? Do I recognize her? Don't be that girl from the Li family on East Street, she's too hypocritical!"
Li Yuanmin stared blankly at Yan Lie, who just buried his head in the soup with cold eyes, as if he had acquiesced.
A strange feeling rushed to his heart for no reason, which made him very uncomfortable.
"Brother Your Highness?"
Li Yuanmin moved his froze fingers lightly and came back to his senses.
"Ah, so."
He squeezed his fingers and stabilized his mind: "It's good."
Yi Lie suddenly raised his head to look at him, only to see the man's water-like eyes still staring at him gently.
"If you really like... this king... this king will make a good plan for you."
Words have no edge, but they are sharper than the blade.
Yi Lie has no expression on his face, but if you look carefully, you will find that his hands hidden under the table have been tightly clenched into fists, and the knuckles are turning white.
He moved his Adam's apple, and swallowed the bitterness in his heart that was mixed with anger, disappointment, and pain with great difficulty.
"No need." He picked up the soup bowl, drank the remaining chicken soup in one gulp, got up abruptly, and walked out of the courtyard without looking back.
"Hey, brother is shy!" Ni Ying's eyes widened.
Li Yuanmin pressed his heart, but still couldn't adapt to the strange feeling there.
He thought, everyone will grow up, even Ariel, one day he will leave him because of a girl he loves. After so many years, he has gotten used to this silent young man staying by his side—but he is already seventeen He is 18 years old, and he will be eighteen soon. He is a man who can start a family.
Thinking of this, Li Yuanmin suddenly felt confused and bewildered.
He hasn't had such a time in many years. He is empty, feeling as if something has been dug out of his heart.
"Your Highness, what are you thinking?" Ni Ying looked up at him.
Li Yuanmin reluctantly twitched the corner of his mouth: "It's nothing, it's just... It feels like time is too fast."
Although the person in front of him still had such a gentle smile, Ni Ying felt that something was different.
She scratched her face strangely.
***
Since that day, Li Yuanmin has not seen Yan Lie for many days. When he is rarely in the palace, he almost always sleeps in the suburban practice field.
"I guess I will meet the owner of that veil." Ni Ying raised her eyebrows and smiled, thinking of her hidden scripts, she had read a lot of stories about love and concubine love, and thinking of her cold One day when her elder brother was also in love, Ni Ying couldn't help but want to find out - which girl is so capable
"Brother Your Highness, do you think so?"
After Li Yuanmin heard this, he could only laugh along with him.
After Qingming, the rain gradually decreased, and the days became longer every day.
Li Yuanmin woke up from his sleep again, and first stretched out his hand to lift the veil like a habit, but what he saw was still empty, he stared at it silently for a long time, and took a long breath.
Sit up with support, but I don't know what to do, so I just sat in the same posture for a long time.
Today is his birthday.
One day twenty-one years ago, he was born in this world, and on the same day three years later, another child was also born. Neither of them knew the other, but fate was so magical that they were brought together, Spend these years dependent on each other.
During the first two years when they first came to Lingnan, the two of them hardly had any decent birthdays. Later, when life got better, they reminded each other every year, and they never forgot.
—But he hasn't seen Ariel for several days.
Li Yuanmin's heart seemed to be covered with a veil, and he couldn't explain clearly.
***
The rising sun.
The sun shone in from outside the yurt in the practice field, and Yan Lie lay on the bed, the floating gray light sprinkled on the wheat-colored skin of his chest, giving off a slight heat.
He held his forehead irritably, feeling self-loathing spontaneously.
He has been dreaming about him for several days, and his crotch is wet and cold, which is the evidence of his crime.
He was so despicable, dark, and evil, defiled him over and over again in his dreams, and possessed him.
But it was clear that the other party looked at him trustingly with such clear and gentle eyes.
—He is a disgusting, greedy, cruel beast.
He had to avoid him, lest his pickled, sharp fangs couldn't help protruding and frightening him.
Yi Lie took a deep breath in pain, raised his fist and slammed it hard on the bed.
In a flash, another day passed like this. Yan Lie rode his horse and walked aimlessly among the mountains and rivers in the suburbs. He was hungry, so he just went to Fangshi to eat a simple bowl of Yangchun noodles, and waited to go back to the training ground After sweating all over, he took a shower and was about to lie down when a pair of eyes suddenly flashed in his heart.
He stuck to the same movement for a long time, then suddenly got up and ran towards the stable in the darkness of night.
Hastily stepped into the familiar mansion gate, Yan Lie quickly strode towards the inner courtyard, looked at the window lattice that had already extinguished the candle, lingered for a long time, and finally returned to his own courtyard with a sigh.
As soon as I stepped into the gate of the courtyard, I found something unusual. There was someone in the room!
Take out a dagger from his waist, and quietly step into the half-closed door.
The one-month-white figure was about to hold the lamp, turned around, was startled for a moment, and then immediately brought joy: "Ariel."
Yi Lie's strength suddenly dissipated, and a sense of powerlessness hit his heart. He swallowed his saliva,
"... Your Highness."
Li Yuanmin was waiting for him in his room. Today he has bathed and is wearing a plain light shirt. His black hair like a waterfall falls down on his shoulders and is simply tied with a black cloth belt. behind.
Yi Lie felt that his head was lowered. He was obviously such a weak person, but he lost all his strength without any effort.
There was a burst of cold fragrance from the tip of his nose, and the person opposite came to him and straightened his crooked skirt.
"Ariel, today is your and my birthday, have you forgotten?"
How can I forget, how can I forget? There was another wave of pain in Yan Lie's heart.
And the person in front of him took out two jugs of wine from behind as if juggling.
"I asked the kitchen to cook a table of good dishes, but I sent someone to look for you, but I couldn't find it anywhere."
Some complained: "I can't help it, I'll wait for you."
Under the moonlight, the beautiful face in front of me glowed faintly, fresh and fragrant, as if in a dream, biting his lip, pushing him, crying or not, dripping with juice.
—It is beyond reach.
In a trance, I heard the human voice in front of me: "Come and have a drink with me."
He wanted to refuse, but his Adam's apple moved, but his voice was hoarse:
"good."
Sadly, he found that there was no way he could refuse any of his requests in person.