We lived peacefully in Junyuan for over a month. Once Ye Tan’s external injuries had healed, he immediately began dragging people out to practice martial arts the moment he could walk. Consequently, I would see him meditating when I was about to fall asleep, and he would still be meditating when I woke up. I tried to persuade him several times not to push himself so hard, but he claimed his current intensity was only a tenth of what it had been back in the Night Walkers. I didn't really understand, so I took his word for it.
The first time Ye Tan invited Ye Xiao to spar, he lost after a dozen moves, his sword sent flying from his hand. Before Ye Tan could say anything, Ye Xiao held it in for a long while before suddenly bursting into loud sobs. I knew he was heartbroken over the current gap in Ye Tan’s strength and could deeply empathize, so I held him and we had a good cry together. Ye Tan helplessly pulled the two of us up from the ground, saying, "You won't have many more chances to beat me. Why not enjoy yourself while you can these few months instead of wasting the opportunity? There will be plenty of time for you to truly want to cry later."
Hearing this, Ye Xiao cried even harder.
Qiqi, who was standing at the kitchen door with her sleeves rolled up frying chili oil, threatened me: "If you keep making noise, I’m making candied haws the main course tonight! Anyone who doesn't finish them will have to eat them again tomorrow!"
Terrified, I immediately shut up and clamped my hand over Ye Xiao’s mouth.
During those days, I spent my time helping Qiqi tend to the garlic sprouts and green onions in the courtyard, occasionally corresponding with Jun Luoshu to send him some silver, and hiring a tutor in my spare time to teach everyone in the garden how to write. Ye Xiao, unable to sit still, would slip away every time, running further and further down the divergent paths of illiteracy and idiocy. Ye Lan couldn't remember a single character even after a month, spending his days squatting in a small corner of the corridor practicing on his own. My handwriting was so hideous it made the tutor wring his hands in grief and nearly faint from rage. In the end, only Ye Tan listened seriously to the lessons and developed a fine hand.
During this period, martial artists seeking to steal the sword still came to our door from time to time. They repeatedly kicked aside the small, neatly placed practice swords at the main gate and the sign I had specially left that read, "This really is the Great Treasure Sword." They specifically demanded Ye Tan’s ink-gold Han sword, only to be sent flying out the door by a few of Ye Xiao’s sliding tackles.
Thanks to these people, I had the chance to see Ye Lan fight for the first time.
That time, there were slightly more intruders than usual. Both Ye Tan and Ye Xiao were occupied in the fray, and since there was an opening near me, a man with a machete rushed toward me. Just as I was about to move closer to Ye Tan, a figure suddenly darted out in front of me. My senses were sharp and my reactions were fast now, yet I hadn't even seen when Ye Lan had landed. When he struck, he was completely different from his usual dull, foolish self; he focused entirely on offense with no regard for defense, fighting with a suicidal intensity. His ten fingers were covered in shimmering silver chain-blades, which he thrust barehanded into the opponent's chest. His eyes remained unfocused and extremely casual, devoid of any murderous intent, as if he didn't feel like he was holding a human life at all. This made him seem even more eerie and terrifying.
I was startled, but fortunately, Ye Xiao was nearby and stopped him in time, preventing him from ripping the attacker's heart out entirely. Although fights often broke out in Junyuan, no one ever took a life. The rest of the intruders were also intimidated by his chilling, lethal move and didn't dare move for a moment. I quickly called for the estate’s physician to carry the wounded man inside for treatment.
I repeatedly promised I would treat him and send him back, which finally sent the intruders away.
I didn't know if the man inside was dead or alive. Waiting for news made me restless, and I could only pace back and forth in the courtyard. Ye Xiao glanced at Ye Lan several times, looking as if he wanted to say something but stopping himself, only able to let out a heavy sigh. I knew Ye Lan was usually difficult to communicate with and might not remember even if I gave him orders, which made things a bit awkward.
Ye Lan didn't realize he had caused trouble, but he sensed Ye Xiao’s mood. After a long daze, he suddenly tugged on Ye Xiao’s sleeve and asked in a low voice, "Did I mess up?"
Ye Xiao forced a smile and patted his shoulder, habitually wanting to comfort him, but he suppressed the words before they could leave his mouth.
In the past, when others came to snatch the sword, it was all minor squabbles. If a life were truly lost this time, it would become a blood feud. It was the same logic as when I was captured before—the other side spared my life out of caution. Although it's often said that life in the martial world is lived on the edge of a blade, who truly enjoys unnecessary slaughter?
I had been here for so long, yet I had never personally experienced someone dying.
When Ye Xiao uncharacteristically failed to reassure him, a rare look of panic appeared on Ye Lan’s usually indifferent face. He lowered his head and fidgeted with the corner of his clothes. Still receiving no response, he asked hurriedly, "Did I do something wrong? I... what did I do wrong? Gui Mao... say something..."
Seeing him so distressed, my heart softened. Ye Xiao pursed his lips and said, "How many times have I told you? I’m not called Gui Mao anymore. We have a Master now. I’m Ye Xiao, and you’re Ye Lan. Have you remembered that?"
Ye Lan froze for a long time before stumbling through an apology. "I... I’m trying... I will definitely remember. I’m sorry, Gui Mao, don't be angry... I’ll spend more time on it, I’ll definitely remember... I will..."
Ye Xiao remained silent. Ye Lan murmured for a while, his expression growing more frantic, until he suddenly struck his own head violently. He hadn't removed the silver blades from his hands, and a single punch left him drenched in blood. We were all shocked, and Ye Xiao rushed to pin his hands down. Blood soaked his eye sockets, but Ye Lan only pleaded foolishly, "I can't remember, Gui Mao, what should I do... I can't remember... why won't this head remember... Gui Mao..."
I hurriedly tore a piece of my hem to cover his wound and sent Qiqi to bring bandages and gold-sore ointment. I said to Ye Xiao, "He did it to protect me today. His intentions were good, after all. You can't blame him..."
Ye Xiao frowned. "Today is one thing, but if he keeps failing to remember, what if he really causes a disaster?"
Sensing my tone had softened, Ye Lan grabbed onto me like a lifeline, pleading, "Master, please help me persuade him. Tell him not to be angry with me... I was wrong, please, I beg you..."
Ye Xiao found it almost funny. "If you really knew what you did wrong, the person you should be apologizing to most is Master. What does it have to do with me?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Lan knelt on the ground and began kowtowing to me repeatedly, offering a string of apologies. He already had a wound on his forehead, so I tried to stop him, but his strength was a hundred times mine; there was no way I could hold him back. Ye Xiao was determined to make him learn his lesson and kept his fists clenched in silence. Fortunately, Ye Tan understood my thoughts and hurried forward to help him up.
"Why are you scaring him again! If you scare him, he’ll remember even less!" My mind was already a mess tonight, and this series of events was like adding fuel to the fire. Ye Tan patted my shoulder and said, "Don't worry, Master. I will have a word with Ye Xiao."
Concerned about the gash on Ye Lan’s head, I nodded and left the matter to him before dragging Ye Lan into the house to dress his wound. With every step, Ye Lan turned back to look at Ye Xiao, making the few yards of distance feel like an arduous journey. Once inside, I pressed Ye Lan into a seat, washed the wound, applied the medicine, and bandaged him up. I couldn't help but ask, "Does it hurt?"
Ye Lan nodded. "It hurts."
After saying that, he placed his right hand over his chest, right where his heart was, and whispered, "It hurts here, too."
Hearing this made me feel even worse. Not knowing how to comfort him, I found a plum candy and stuffed it into his mouth. "Eat this and it won't hurt anymore. Be good."
Ye Lan sucked on it for a while, then nodded. "It really is a bit better." He tilted his head in thought for a moment, then pinched the hem of my robe. "Master, I’m sorry. I don't know what I did wrong... I can't remember, I’m so sorry..."
"The fact that you can remember I’m your Master means you’ve already done very well." I patted his head and sighed. Something I had taken for granted now felt like a feat he had achieved through immense effort.
"Really? I... I did well?" Ye Lan’s eyes brightened at my words.
"Yes. Didn't I reward you with a plum candy?" He was surprisingly easy to coax, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "You remembered I’m your Master and protected me today. I should give you another one."
Ye Lan shook his head and refused. "Wait until I do well next time, then you can reward me."
Ye Tan knocked on the doorframe, signaling that they were coming in. When Ye Lan saw Ye Xiao, he immediately became tense again, starting another round of apologies. Ye Xiao coughed awkwardly and simply said, "We’ll talk back at our quarters." With a wave of his hand, he turned and left. Ye Lan followed closely behind him, his silhouette reminding me of a master taking an Akita for a walk after dinner.
Ye Tan leaned against the doorframe, looking at the jar of candy in my hand without saying a word.
"A-Tan, do you want one?" I held it out to him.
Ye Tan shook his head. "I have performed no merit today, so I do not deserve Master’s reward."
I guessed he had overheard the conversation just now, but I was still confused. "What do you mean?"
Ye Tan simply said, "Exactly what I said."
I was baffled. "Everything I have belongs to you, A-Tan. Your own things... what does that have to do with rewards?"
Ye Tan was stunned. "Is that how you think of it?"
"Yeah, that’s what I told everyone else before, too. This garden is mine and it’s yours. Everything in this estate is under your management. The guards and servants were all bought to take care of you. Did you forget?"
I weighed the jar of candy in my hand, thinking it was such a trivial thing. Why bother being so pedantic about it? I asked again, "Do you want one or not?"
Ye Tan fell silent again.
After a long while, he turned his head away, his voice sounding a bit airy. "...It’s late. Let’s... let’s go to sleep."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 墨金汉剑 | Ink-gold Han sword | A Han-style straight sword made of dark, ink-colored metal. |
| 锁链银刃 | Silver chain-blades | Ye Lan's unique weapon, consisting of silver blades attached to chains on his fingers. |
| 癸卯 | Gui Mao | Ye Xiao's former code name in the Night Walkers organization. |
| 梅子糖 | Plum candy | A sweet treat used by the narrator to comfort Ye Lan. |
| 金疮药 | Gold-sore ointment | A traditional Chinese medicine used for treating wounds and cuts. |
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Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 40 | Rewards and Remembrances | Novela.app | Novela.app
