Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play-Chapter 963 - 938: Good-Looking
Xie Jue was so busy he felt dizzy. When he returned to the backyard, Fang Chuning was lying on a Noble Consort chair under a tree, humming a tune. The mottled sunlight fell on him, as if coating him with a layer of soft light. Xie Jue’s heart gradually calmed down, no longer hearing the noise and clamor from the courtroom earlier.
Fang Chuning seemed to be in a good mood.
"What tune is this? I haven’t heard you sing it before?"
Fang Chuning, delighted at the sound, smiled and said, "I heard it sung at Lu Liu Villa, learned it after hearing it once. Impressive, right?"
"Is that the song your maids sang while boating and picking lotuses with you?"
"...No!" Fang Chuning flatly denied, "I heard it from the kids in the mansion. It’s a children’s song from Yangzhou."
The tune didn’t sound like a typical children’s song, but Xie Jue didn’t say much more. Sitting beside him, there was a stone table next to the Noble Consort chair, with a teapot and several plates of fruits on it. Xie Jue poured himself a cup of tea and asked casually, "Did you take your medicine today?"
"I did!" Fang Chuning replied expressionlessly. Truly, there was no one more enthusiastic than Xie Jue about supervising his medication intake. "The doctor said my body is mostly fine, and I can stop taking the medicine."
"Did you say that, or did the doctor say it?" Xie Jue looked at him flatly, directly exposing the lie. Fang Chuning said, "My constitution must be immune to all poisons. Even the lethal Red-crowned Crane poison didn’t affect me, so what’s the point of taking medicine? Isn’t this poison great, making me immune to all poisons in the future, preventing anyone from plotting against me?"
"The poison attacks your heart, feeding off your flesh and blood, invading your body every day. What good can there be?" Xie Jue said angrily, "Take the medicine until the doctor says there’s not a trace of poison left in your body!"
As long as there was residual poison, he had to take it. It was naturally faster than waiting for his body to expel it on its own. Xie Jue always worried that the poison would accumulate too much in his body, affecting his health.
Xie Jue looked at Fang Chuning’s smiling face; after being poisoned, he had become more prone to laughing, often laughing inexplicably. Curious, Xie Jue asked, "What’s making you so happy?"
"Oh, plenty of things!" Fang Chuning said, "Surviving a great disaster surely means future blessings. Isn’t that the happiest thing? By the way, is there urgency with matters in Pingnan County? Do we need to wait for the Cabinet to send someone down to hand over things before we leave?"
Xie Jue nodded, indeed so. Now, Du Fang was temporarily handling the prefectural matters, and he also had to wait for Du Fang’s official appointment. Xie Jue wasn’t about favoritism; so many Beimans had settled here, and a manager was necessary, or else the Beimans would continue to face oppression without recourse. Xie Jue, when writing back to the capital, also requested the Cabinet to issue an appointment letter for someone he had examined himself, whom the Cabinet would not oppose.
"It’s just as well that you take good care of your health in Pingnan County. We’re in no hurry to be on our way."
Fang Chuning hesitated, actually not wanting to go to Beiman. He understood Xie Jue’s initial intention of taking him to Beiman, but now it was unnecessary.
Still, he had his small thoughts, not wanting to lay his cards on the table with Xie Jue so soon.
"Yes, I really do need to recuperate my body properly. Honestly, I don’t want to go to Beiman anymore—it’s too cold. At this time of year, isn’t it cold in Beiman? I’m now frail; can I withstand Beiman’s weather?" Fang Chuning gently declined to go to Beiman, iced over and barren, with nothing to see. The Beiman people had all relocated since the land wasn’t fit for human habitation—too cold, too desolate—they also needed to cross the snow mountains, full of dangers, and he wasn’t eager to revisit old memories.
"Weren’t you eager to visit that snow mountain in your dreams?"
"Suddenly I just don’t want to anymore!" Fang Chuning said earnestly, "After this brush with death, I’ve had new insights."
"What new insights? Tell me about them!" Xie Jue asked at leisure.
Fang Chuning contemplated seriously for a moment, speaking in a deep voice, "After this poisoning incident, having walked on the edge of the Ghost Gate, I’ve let go of many things. There’s no need to chase after illusory dreams, nor seek what has been lost. As you said, memories can be created anew. The past is the past, and every new day will bring new memories. I also don’t wish to venture into dangerous places where life or death is uncertain. Lying here now, basking in the sun, with fresh fruits and tea, isn’t life wonderful?"
His smile was so gentle, yet Xie Jue hesitated. Had he really figured it all out? It was quite normal for Fang Chuning to think this way. Walking through the Ghost Gate, one does gain many insights and lets go of many things. Since he was no longer attached to his past memories, what would his attitude be toward those he once knew?
Xie Jue cast his eyes down slightly, feeling a sense of gloom and loss. Deep down, he hoped Anning would regain his memories, clear any past misunderstandings early, and cherish the memories they shared. He didn’t want to be the only one holding onto their tender, youthful years, yet if he truly let go, no longer obsessed, there was no reason to force him.
"Alright!" Xie Jue said softly, suddenly standing up, "I have things to attend to. You rest well."
"Hey..." Fang Chuning hadn’t expected him to leave just like that, originally wanting to chat a bit more, but Xie Jue was already gone. Fang Chuning murmured to himself, "Is Ting Feng upset?"
Why was he upset?
With their journey passing through Ningzhou and nearing the end of summer by then, entering Beiman meant arriving in autumn. Beiman’s autumn was colder than Beining’s winter, starting to snow as early as September. The snow-capped mountains would be fully blanketed in white. If it weren’t for the unbearable cold making it uninhabitable, the Beimans wouldn’t have easily left their homeland for the foreign land of Beining. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
Ting Feng’s health had always been weak, unable to withstand Beiman’s harsh cold. When they were in Beiman, he had fallen ill several times, and now his body also carried residual poison. They shouldn’t risk going to the ice-cold Beiman; what was precious about Beiman was the times they both remembered and cherished.
Fang Chuning continued to rest with eyes closed, feeling tranquil and at ease, his body seemingly immersed in warm spring water, light and comfortable. Now, it truly felt like the bitterness had (finally) given way to a sweet reward.
Humming a little tune, he drifted into sleep with the gentle breeze.
The grievances of Pingnan County’s citizens had built up over time, each case shocking. Besides the arrest of County Magistrate Zhou, several officials in the prefectural office, as well as some local gentry, were thoroughly investigated by Xie Jue’s appointed personnel.
On the day of County Magistrate Zhou’s execution, all the citizens of Pingnan County gathered at the market entrance to witness the punishment. Cui Lansong served as the supervising officer, while Xie Jue and Fang Chuning didn’t attend. Fang Chuning had overestimated his recovery; the residual poison wasn’t easy to clear. Although the lethal Red-crowned Crane poison spared his life, it still ravaged his body. He experienced a poor appetite and frequent vomiting, opting instead to recuperate at home. After taking several emetic prescriptions, he suffered severe bouts of vomiting and diarrhea, utterly drained of energy.
Yet, he disliked lying in bed to recuperate. Whether before or after the memory loss, he wasn’t fond of staying indoors; during his healing at Lu Liu Villa, he’d often preferred fishing even when weak.
Xie Jue found it both exasperating and amusing, and could only accompany him to sunbathe under the trees. Fang Chuning, pale-faced, asked Xie Jue, "Do I look terribly thin and unattractive now?"
Xie Jue, "..."
At a time like this, you still care about your looks?
