江湖路弯弯: Jianghu Road is Curved! Chapter 44

_{(translated by xia0xiao1mei)}

^{(edited by anniaxx)}

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

The Best Reason

Three days later, still up in the Icy Mountain Court.

The mute maid is giving Pang Wan a massage on the legs as always, recently, under the persistent urging of the patient, she has also started applying acupuncture on Pang Wan.

Seven days, another seven days, and she can take Nan Yi down the mountain with her.

As Pang Wan thinks this, she grows increasingly anxious, hating that that the mute maid cannot be stronger and more ruthless in her massages, in order to further reduce those seven days by a half.

Ears suddenly hearing the movement of crystal beaded curtains, she raises her head to see He Qing Lu walk in from the doorway.

“Gentleman.” Pang Wan greets him somewhat awkwardly.

A pair of fine white legs carelessly exhibited before He Qing Lu, yet he does not avoid the sight at all, hanging his head to seriously take a look at them for a moment.

Pang Wan instantly feels her cheeks burning.

“Feeling any better?” He Qing Lu’s face remains indifferent, turning to look at her.

“A lot better, a lot better!” Pang Wan hastily nods, “Won’t be bothering Gentleman for too long, just seven days will do.”

He Qing Lu’s brows twitches.

“If not……three days? I can already get out of bed and walk, just that I’m still not particularly stable……”

Pang Wan misunderstood his expression, and hastily explains.

He Qing Lu hums in reply, declining to comment, that pair of amber eyes silently gazing at her.

“What’s your full name?” He suddenly asks.

“……Pang Wan.” Pang Wan appears surprised by his sudden question.

“Your surname is Pang?” He Qing Lu nods, and speaks again, “Are your parents back at home healthy and well?”

Is this an investigation of household occupants? Pang Wan is simply put at complete loss.

“Parents have passed away, whereabouts unknown.” She touches the back of her head, appearing greatly confused.

He Qing Lu’s eyes show a trace of sympathy.

“Has your future marriage been arranged? Have you ever been betrothed to another?” Pausing, in the end, he finally managed to let these questions out his mouth, his heart containing a trace of unspeakable anxiety.

“……never.” Pang Wan widens her eyes, finding that she already cannot figure out this young palace master’s mind at all.

He Qing Lu lightly exhales: “Very good, the matter has been resolved.”

Pang Wan was just about to ask exactly what matter is associated with her family situation, but sees a pair of big hands reach over, He Qing Lu wraps his arm around her waist, lifting her and placing her onto the wheelchair.

“Come see someone with me.” He says just like that.

Pang Wan would never have guessed, the person He Qing Lu wants her see is the Solitary Palace Master He Shao Xin whom she had been avoiding at all costs, she cannot help but to unconsciously shrink back.

He Qing Lu pats her shoulder, and pushes her forward.

“Come, greet Second Uncle.” He casually says.

With a sound of “peng”, the purple granulated teapot in He Shao Xin’s hand slips onto the ground, smashing into pieces.

The mellow aroma of hundred-year-old wine instantly fills the entire room.

“Little, Little Lu Child, are you joking?”

He Shao Xin’s entire face trembles, overwhelming disbelief desperately scrambling to burst out from every pore in his body, he is already in a state of sputtering in great rage: “You must be joking! Isn’t that right? Isn’t that right?”

He Qing Lu pays him no care, placing his hands on Pang Wan’s rounded shoulders, he softly coaxes her: “Why are you not calling him? Don’t be afraid, there is nothing to fear.”

Pang Wan still does not understand anything, but right now, a strong sense of coercion comes from above her head, and she can only obediently choose to compromise.

“Second…Uncle?” She timidly speaks up, saying these two words with a voice like that of mosquitoes.

“Oh! No! This can’t be real! This can’t be real! This can’t be real!!”

Hearing her voice, He Shao Xin collapses as though he had been struck by lightning, and with one swish, he had jumped on top of the Ba Xian table, starting to throw his arms and legs around as he yells, “I’m hallucinating! This is definitely a hallucination! Big Brother! Sister-in-law! Didn’t think Little Lu Child will also have this day! Ahhhhh!”

Pang Wan thought Sang Shang Sheng had been consumed by his inner demons, frightened into shrinking back, until she leaned right into a warm embrace behind her.

He Qing Lu holds her shoulder and gently gives it a pat, continuing to expressionlessly watch Sang Shang Sheng’s performance.

He Shao Xin prances and jumps, wailing for a good long while, before his mouth finally dries out, and he sits back on the chair.

“Fine, let’s leave this matter at that then!”

He raises the cup of tea to soothe his throat, face revealing an expression of complete satisfaction.

“Since this is Little Lu Child’s decision, I have nothing to say, whatever you young sweethearts wish to do, then you go ahead and do it!”

Having said that, he evasively waves his hand, signalling for them to quickly leave.

Pang Wan’s eyeballs were about to fall out, and she almost bit her own tongue off.

“Thank you Second Uncle.”

He Qing Lu nods his head at him, turning as he leisurely pushes the wheelchair out.

—

He Qing Lu escorts Pang Wan back to her room, not speaking a word along the way.

The mute maid was still obediently waiting at the bedside, quickly reaching out to takeover, and places a blanket over Pang Wan, afraid she would catch a cold.

“Remember to take her out for a walk.” He Qing Lu orders the mute maid, and turns to leave.

“Gentleman, could it be, you don’t feel there’s anything that needs to be explained to me?” Pang Wan really cannot hold back anymore, reaching out to tug at his sleeve.

He Qing Lu pauses.

“You head off first.”

He orders the mute maid, only after the mute maid had withdrawn and closed the room doors, does he leisurely turn around.

“In fact.” He clears his throat as if nothing happened, “The matter is like this.”

“Back in the Capital, did you not try to seduce me time and time again?”

He dominantly looks down at her, a face of arrogance.

Pang Wan recalls the ridiculous things she had done under Jin Bu Yao’s instructions, and cannot help being tongue-tied.

“……it seems……there was such a case.”

“Did you once say I am so good looking, you can’t get enough no matter how much you look?”

The corners of his lips slightly curls up.

“……I did indeed.”

Pang Wan grimaces, don’t know what kind of deceitful remedy is being sold in that gourd of his. _{(A saying that means, to be unsure of what someone is secretly planning to do)} 

“Do you not feel that, my talents are so outstanding, no one can compare to me?”

His eyes emitting a sparkling shine.

“From certain aspects that is correct……”

Pang Wan puts great effort into finding appropriate words, trying her best to not hurt this gentleman’s prideful heart made of glass.

“You see, since you are so infatuated in me, I shall accept you with great difficulty.”

He Qing Lu states this with the tone of a compassionate saint, at the same time, extending a long and slender white hand towards her.

“I give you permission to become my, He Qing Lu’s wife-to-be, do restrain yourself, there is no need to rejoice to the world.”

A sound of “pu”, and Pang Wan’s whole body of questions turns into saliva as it sprays onto the gentleman’s silk sleeve of embroidered cloud patterns.

“What?” She screams, jumping out of bed and stands in front of him.

“You’re actually that happy that even your legs completely recovered?” He Qing Lu looks at her in wonder, slightly throwing his sleeve back in disgust.

“What?!” Pang Wan looks at her own legs, deciding to shake her head and forget about this little episode, her current priority is to settle this case of a bizarre betrothal.

“How did I become your wife-to-be?” She shakes He Qing Lu, in hysterics, “When did I agree to this? How come I don’t know?” Could it have been in some sort of unknown nightmare?

“Why is your agreement needed?” He Qing Lu disdainfully looks at her.

Three days, within three whole days, he had written both Pang Wan’s good and bad points down on paper, racking his brain on his own for three days three nights —— this girl’s bad points are simply too numerous to have them all recorded, and all her good points is no more than two and a half lines in total: young, owner of the Blazing Needles, healthy (still need her legs to recover to be applicable).

She is clearly ordinary and common, completely unworthy of his standing-above-the-clouds self since childhood. But upon thinking of her figure hiding in the hallway sobbing, watching her hold onto the walls as she stubbornly paces forward, also the scene of her hugging Nan Yi in panic, his heart is surging with a lingering sour feeling.

He asks Jin Di Luo: “What kind of an existence is a wife?”

Although Jin Di Luo was somewhat surprised, he still respectfully replies: “With her husband being her sky, is the husband’s strong backing, a good wife would also be a tender and talking flower^[1].”

——with her husband being her sky? This explanation isn’t bad; he thus thinks to himself.

Should this silly girl become his own wife, then, her world shall only consist of him.

Her eyes will no longer hold another person, she won’t be running away in another person’s arms, also wouldn’t be shedding tears for another, nor will she spend entire days thinking of how to leave him for another.

All the bad points listed over three whole sheets of paper, in face of this powerful reason, instantly pales in comparison.

Jin Bu Yao had once said, as long as he, the great Young Master He, nods his head, he can have as many beauties of the Jiang Hu as he wishes.

But for this silly girl before him, with a face filled with troubles, he has decided to give up all those meaningless bodies wrapped in glamourous skin, only concentrating his attention on watering this one little flower bud.

This is sympathy, this is compensation for sending her life as a martial artist into the ruins —— he inwardly says this to himself.

“I give you permission to become my wife-to-be, this is already a gift as grand as the heavens, could it be you still have any dissatisfactions?”

He Qing Lu’s face turns cold as he looks at this young girl practically go crazy, deeply wondering —— is this result of the great surprise?

Pang Wan is already on the verge of collapsing, she grabs onto He Qing Lu’s collar, bloodshot eyes filled with madness: “If you want me to become your wife, how could you not ask for my opinion first?! Where did my human rights go? Huh?!”

He Qing Lu gets a hold of her hands, suppressing his intolerance as he tries his best to gently say: “If you are not my wife-to-be, tomorrow Palace Master will have you beheaded the moment you step out the doors, taking your head to pay homage to his subordinates, could it be, you would rather die and still insist on refusing?”

Pang Wan miraculously quietens down.

She sinks into silence.

“You are right.”

After a long while, Pang Wan finally raises her head again, face already restoring its calm.

“Many thanks for Gentleman’s bestowment, setting down your nobility and honour to allow this young lady take the title as your wife-to-be.” She looks at He Qing Lu with extreme sincerity, she reaches out to grab his hands, wrapping them into her palms, “Gentleman truly is the reincarnation of Guanyin _{(bodhisattva)}, such grand kindness and virtue, Pang Wan is unable to repay you.”

——that’s right ah, this is the reaction a normal woman should have ah.

Seeing her be so obedient, He Qing Lu cannot hold back from hooking up the corners of his lips.

“From now on, when you’re outside, remember to listen to me.” He feigns seriousness as he sets her this order.

“Whatever Gentleman says.” Pang Wan obediently nods.

Looking at her graceful arc of a chin, pink and round cheeks, also those deer-like sparkly almond eyes, He Qing Lu feels so comforted at heart.

“Once your legs have completely recovered, we shall descend the mountain then.” He takes the opportunity to stroke Pang Wan’s cloud-like bun, and just like how he had thought, he catches the scent of a sweet fruity fragrance, “Don’t be in a hurry, ah?”

Pang Wan leaves him to mess with her hair, softly humming in reply.

Seeing her nestle there like a little bunny, He Qing Lu’s heart feels like it’s about to melt.

Second Uncle wants him to give a reason for them not to trouble Pang Wan, in his mind, he had thought of approximately eighty-one different answers.

Right now, he has got to admit —— letting Pang Wan become his wife, is undoubtedly the best answer amongst them.

Without a doubt, he is forever the most intelligent.

Is that not right?

---

---

[1] Talking flower/解语花/Jiě yǔ huā: “A flower that can talk” is an intelligent beauty who can serve as an understanding soulmate. 解语花 was originally used to refer to begonia flower. But after Emperor Tang Xuan Zong pointed to his wife, Yang Gui Fei, and said “no flower is more beautiful than my ‘talking flower'”, people started to praise ladies with this term.

So…the best reason ey? Hehe, does this satisfy those of you who asked for this on the last chap?? XD