Chapter 99: I’m Not Like That Young Lady
“Miss Lin, it’s snowing today anyway, so is it okay if I go get some wine for us to drink?” Chu Yu ran out from the kitchen and asked Lin Xin.
“Drinking is fine, but you can’t get drunk and crazy, or I’ll beat you.” Lin Xin waved her fist at him and said with a smile.
“Don’t worry, all of us have good tolerance for alcohol. No matter how much we drink, we absolutely won’t get drunk and crazy.” Chu Yu guaranteed.
“Alright, then you guys drink!” Lin Xin agreed straightforwardly.
Chu Yu went back to get the wine, and Gao Yong and the others hurriedly swept the snow off Lin Xin’s house clean, then cleared a path from the main hall through the kitchen to the courtyard entrance.
When Chu Yu returned, he was carrying two ten-jin wine jars in his hands, with Meng Yichen and Cui Shi wrapped in thick fur cloaks following behind him.
“Stinky girl, what good things did you make for this old man to eat today?” Cui Shi always called Lin Xin “stinky girl” every time he saw her, and Lin Xin had gradually gotten used to it, answering very calmly: “We’re eating pot today. I’ve already stir-fried the ingredients and divided them into two pots. Do you want the spicy one or the non-spicy one?”
“Oh, pot is great. Snowy days are perfect for eating pot. Stinky girl, you really get me!” Cui Shi twirled his beard and praised her absentmindedly a couple of times before heading straight to the kitchen, moving so fast it was as if a dog was chasing him from behind.
“Everyone’s here, let’s eat!” Lin Xin closed the courtyard gate and walked into the kitchen to announce.
The big men ate almost like they were robbing food, and Lin Xin had long known this, so she specially prepared a small yin-yang pot for herself, Lin Nan, Cui Shi, and Meng Yichen. As for the little white wolf, which had grown to knee height, it ate raw meat.
By the time everyone had eaten almost enough, the table started a drinking contest.
Chu Yu grabbed a large bowl and went around toasting everyone one by one, not caring how much others drank—he downed a full bowl in one gulp each time.
“What’s wrong with Chu Yu? He seems a bit off!” Lin Xin quietly asked Meng Yichen.
Meng Yichen glanced over there and quietly replied: “He has a childhood sweetheart he grew up with since young. Both families had basically tacitly agreed to their marriage, just waiting for them to grow up. But two days ago, Chu Yu received a letter from the capital city—the girl got engaged.”
“Oh, his girlfriend got married, but the groom wasn’t him, so he’s trying to drown his sorrows in alcohol!” Lin Xin nodded understandingly and gave him a sympathetic look.
As expected of men who had marched in the army—their alcohol tolerance was extraordinary. They emptied both wine jars, and everyone was only slightly tipsy. Although Chu Yu drank more than the others, he was still clear-headed.
After the meal, snowflakes started falling heavily again. With nothing else to do, everyone simply stayed at Lin Xin’s home, planning to leave after dinner.
Lin Nan pulled Meng Yichen to his room, saying that since the mister was here anyway, today’s lesson shouldn’t stop. Meng Yichen could only follow him with a wry smile. Mo Ziyuan helped clean up the kitchen, brewed a pot of tea, and brought it to the main hall. Everyone gathered around the fire stove and started chatting.
As they were talking, Chu Yu suddenly looked at Lin Xin and asked: “Miss Lin, I want to ask you— in you women’s eyes, is reality always more important than feelings?”
As soon as he spoke, the entire room fell into dead silence. Mo Ziyuan’s eyes flashed with anger, while the others looked embarrassed. Zhou Qi even cupped his hands toward Lin Xin: “Miss Lin, sorry about this. Chu Yu has some family issues and is feeling down. Please don’t take it to heart.”
Lin Xin shook her head to indicate it was fine, then looked seriously at Chu Yu and said: “I think ‘living on love and fresh air’ only exists in storybooks. In real life, it’s absolutely impossible. Even if a couple abandons reality for feelings, reality will soon make them realize how naive they were.”
“So it’s really like that!” Chu Yu seemed to take a big hit, slumping back down dejectedly with his head lowered, not speaking.
“Old Chu, why don’t you just tell Miss Lin about it? They’re all young ladies with similar thoughts. Ask her what she thinks—it’ll save you from moping around heartbroken.” Gao Yong, sitting next to Chu Yu, thumped his shoulder and said.
“I…” Chu Yu seemed hesitant to speak, but he couldn’t let go of the matter in his heart, appearing restless.
“Go ahead, if you trust me.” Lin Xin said, propping her cheek.
“It’s nothing really. She wrote me a letter saying she couldn’t see a future for us, so she got engaged according to the family’s arrangements.” Chu Yu said it lightly, but Lin Xin could tell he was actually quite serious about this relationship.
“I’ll sing you a song!” Lin Xin thought for a moment and suddenly said.
Everyone was puzzled— they were talking about Chu Yu’s matter, so why was she suddenly going to sing?
“Hey, great! Sing it!” Gao Yong was always the one providing the highest emotional value.
Lin Xin cleared her throat and began to sing:
“When you have no more ties, allow me to roam the world
When you achieve success and fame, allow me moonlit blossoms
When you no longer have her, allow me simple fare
When you attain wealth and glory, allow me peach blossoms for miles
Regrets fill a life of lost splendor, never repaid with a home
Helplessly people flow like water, east wind steals away the years
Snowflakes drift at the beginning, heart tangled, home in chaos
Turns out your heart isn’t mine, finally setting down that longing”
When the song ended, everyone fell silent.
“So you see, the vows you thought were real can easily turn to nothing in the end. That girl was probably afraid of losing the bet!” Lin Xin seemed to be speaking to Chu Yu, yet also summarizing: “People say ‘mountains and seas between loves can be leveled,’ but it’s just a beautiful wish. The world is full of unrequited love.”
Chu Yu was silent for a while before nodding: “I get it. Right now, I really can’t provide a home for her either. Miss Lin, thank you!”
“No need to thank me. You actually understand this reason yourself; you just can’t turn the corner.” Lin Xin said with a smile.
Everyone comforted Chu Yu a few more times. Zhou Qi changed the topic, and Chu Yu joined in, seeming truly enlightened.
In a corner where no one saw, Mo Ziyuan unclenched his tightly gripped fist. His palm bore deep imprints from four fingernails, two of which were broken.
Lin Xin refilled tea for everyone and sat listening intently to their stories from past battles, utterly engrossed. Suddenly, her hand was grasped. She turned her head, and Mo Ziyuan was staring at her with deep, bottomless black eyes, his gaze swirling with endless grievance.
She knew right away what was wrong with him and couldn’t help chuckling softly, lightly scratching his palm with her finger.
Mo Ziyuan’s pupils suddenly contracted, his hand stiffening. Lin Xin laughed even more happily, tilting her head and whispering to him: “Don’t overthink it. I’m not like that girl.”
