The Emperor's New Clothes Chapter 22

  Yao Qiyun helped his aunt with the remaining party until late at night, during which time Situ Xuan also didn't want to go find him to have a heart-to-heart talk. Only when he heard that there was no more noise downstairs did he send him a text message: "Don't listen to those nonsense things my mom and them say."

  "After a long time, he finally replied with one sentence: 'Nothing's wrong. I'm tired, go to sleep soon, good night.'"

  Situ Xuan looked at this brief and concise message, feeling both uneasy and deeply disappointed.

  She would rather have Yao Qiyun show dissatisfaction, or even be at odds with her. If he questioned her, she was willing to explain, and could even bare her heart for him to see. Or if he had emotions, that would be okay too, at least it meant he cared about her. But he didn't, instead using a calm and unruffled tone to dispel all her urgent desire to defend herself.

  In the next few days, Yao Qiyun remained the same, with every word and action unchanged, without even a hint of anger. Whether at home or when they were alone together, he still treated Situ Xuan with the same care as before, even remembering to bring her extra breakfast in the morning, as if that night's "ordinary gathering" had nothing to do with him at all.

  However, even if his human skin mask deceived the whole world, how could it deceive Xiao Yu? Xiao Yu knew Yao Qiyun too well. She was like a small insect living under his mask, hiding for a long time, easily seeing through his pretentious unease and insincerity. The more he pretended to be calm and peaceful, the more it showed that he had something on his mind.

  In those days, she deliberately did some small things in life to provoke him, intentionally creating little obstacles. In the past, he would either argue with her or secretly give her a "small punishment", or simply indulge her and they would laugh it off. But now he has been enduring, retreating, no matter how overbearing and annoying she is, he maintains the greatest degree of friendliness and humility in front of her, making Situ Yue feel an inexplicable sense of estrangement.

  His reasons for being "busy" are getting more and more, the reasons for not being able to stay with her are getting more and more sufficient, exams, experiments, papers... anyway, it's impossible to protest, anyway... it seems that everything is more important than staying by her side. At this time, Wu Jiang had already paid off his debt to Si Tu Xuan, but Si Tu Xuan lied to Yao Qi Yun, saying that he didn't have money on his meal card and needed to wait for him to eat lunch together. After hearing about it, he quietly put his own meal card and enough money for a week's expenses on her dresser.

  Situ Xin had been driven mad by the rice card from the moment he saw it, and she couldn't bear it anymore. She grabbed the rice card and rushed to the Linchuang Medical College, pulling Yao Qiyun out of the laboratory where he was doing pathology experiments. Yao Qiyun also knew her temper well, if he didn't come out obediently to clarify things privately, she would likely say everything she wanted to say in front of everyone in the entire laboratory.

  They stopped at the artificial hill near the back door of the laboratory building.

  Yao Qiyun shook her head, "Your impatient temper, can't you discuss things at home?"

  Situ Xuan didn't play Tai Chi with him. "Cut the act, Yao Qiyun, you hypocrite! If there's something bothering you, say it to my face, don't pretend in front of me!"

  He sat down on the stone railing of the artificial hill with a wry smile, "A Wei, what are you talking about? I'm not uncomfortable anywhere, where did this come from?"

  "You're cheating!"

  "I've opened my eyes wide, are you waiting for me to feel uncomfortable in my heart before you're happy, what kind of logic is this?"

  "Situ Xuan's eyes blazed with fury. 'Fine, you make a vow to heaven in front of me and say that you don't care about what happened that day.'"

  "Making a vow is the least costly thing, what's difficult about it? I say it and you can take it as true?" Yao Qiyun was skeptical.

  "Yes, you said it and I believed it. If even your oath is false, then I really misjudged you, blind my eyes."

  She waited for him to speak, but he didn't say anything after all. After thinking for a while, he just lowered his head and said slowly: "Why do you have to say these things to force me? Even if I'm uncomfortable in my heart, what's the point?"

  "Situ Xuan incredulously said: 'I and Wu Jiang are just good friends, he doesn't have that kind of thoughts towards me, and I don't have them towards him either. Others can misunderstand, but you also don't know?'"

  "Of course I know." Yao Qiyun's tone was still flat and calm, "Not just me, maybe even your mom knows, the only ones who are misunderstood are probably Wu Jiang's parents... Ah Yue, I'm not blaming you, you didn't do anything wrong. If I were to take it out on you, that would be too much. However, your mom is a very astute person, and she could have easily closed the door and spoken with you privately about what happened that day. But why did she deliberately say it in front of everyone? Don't you understand yet? She was saying it for my benefit. She's afraid I'm not alert enough, so she gave me another warning shot to make sure I completely give up on any thoughts of us being together. It's impossible between us, and we can't even have a hint of anything."

  Situ Xuan heard the words and was silent for a moment. She knew her mother's way of doing things and her attitude, and she knew that if she thought deeply about it, she would find that what Yun said was very likely to be true. He was more aware of this than she was, not because she was stupid, but because his situation forced him to be more sensitive.

  "My mom is my mom, let's just leave her alone." Si Tu Jue sat down beside Yao Qi Yun, looking at him anxiously.

  "I also want to ignore it. You don't know, sometimes I comfort myself by imagining your mom as a bad person who is always causing trouble, so that I can feel better for a few seconds. But in fact, your mom is not bad at all, I can see that she didn't approve of me coming to your house at first, but later on she didn't say anything because she considered your dad's feelings. All these years, she has been very polite and tolerant towards me, and I'm grateful for that. And what she said that day was right, Ah Yue, if I had a daughter like you, I would also make the same choice as your mom. I would sincerely hope that she could find a harmonious and suitable family, marry a husband who is compatible with her like Wu Jiang, and live a stable life, rather than being a poor boy who has nothing, relying on your family for every penny and every meal."

  "But I'm willing to be with you, I think it's good this way." Si Tu Jue said with a sob.

  "The problem is that I think it's not good!" Yao Qiyun took over her words without any pause, his sharp tone shocked Situ Yue. "Ah Yue, you are like a precious jade, very transparent and beautiful, making people love it so much. Yes, my heart moved, I'm a vulgar person, seeing good things can't help but have the desire to possess it. But I don't dare to hold it in my palm, because I'm afraid it will break, afraid I won't be able to find a place to put it, treasure it, and more afraid that everyone, including myself, thinks I'm not worthy of owning it. Even if I can overcome all difficulties to keep it by my side, I'll only be in constant fear, feeling like a thief."

  "What did you steal? Can't I be my own master?"

  Behind the glittering tears of Situ Xinyi was all expectation. The girl he yearned for had the most innocent and open heart, and she didn't doubt that as long as he nodded at this moment, she would follow him to the ends of the earth. But where were the ends of the earth? Was it more boundless than the gray waves of reality?

  "You can be your own master, but can I? Your parents' kindness to me is something I'll never be able to repay in my lifetime. Don't you think that they raised me and now I'm ignoring their wishes and stealing away the treasure they hold most dear, which is even more shameless than a thief? It's not Jade's fault for being too good, nor is it the poor person's fault for being anxious about gains and losses. The mistake lies in them not being placed together from the start. Everything that happened before was my fault, so let's just take advantage of it, take advantage of..."

  He tried several times but couldn't continue with that sentence, so Situ Xin took over and finished it for him.

  "Before you fall in love with me, before you say those words out loud, before you do something that requires responsibility, is it just going to end like this?"

  Yao Qiyun struggled to avert her gaze, not daring to look directly at her despair and tears. She said the words that he had bitten back a thousand times but couldn't bring himself to say out loud, which were indeed what he wanted to express, but why did they sound so terrifying when spoken aloud?

  He repeatedly warned himself, there is no painless sacrifice, you are right, it's true, she will be fine too!

  "Yao Qiyun, don't use grandiose words to disguise the fact that you're a coward. You're not worthy of me, not because you can't afford a piece of jade, but because you don't even have the courage to strive for it. All you know how to do is hide in your shell and feel sorry for yourself. If you continue like this, you won't deserve anything good in life, and you'll be destined to be poor, both inside and out. I wish you a lifetime of poverty and self-abasement!"

  Situ Xuan wiped away her tears and turned to leave, not until her figure completely disappeared did Yao Qiyun realize his hands were clenched so tightly, as if relaxing a bit would cause them to escape from the control of his brain and go pull her back. He took off his rubber gloves and slapped them on the artificial hill, after a while, he slowly picked them up again, took a deep breath, returned to the lab, and did what he was supposed to do meticulously.

  Yao Qiyun was not wrong, Situ Xuan would certainly "be fine", she had never been one to shut herself in and cry when faced with unhappy events. She had countless friends, a multitude of activities, and endless appointments. Her tears would instantly evaporate due to her cheerful nature.

  She walked out the door with a big smile, and after returning home, she was still telling jokes at the dinner table, being playful and arguing with her parents. During her free time, she would chat on the phone with her classmates until late at night. On weekends, before even getting out of bed, there would be girls asking her to go shopping together. Her class schedule was completely different from Yao Qiyun's, although they were both often in the library, but it wasn't easy to run into each other in such a big building. Suddenly, Qiyun realized that actually, Situ Xin hadn't intentionally changed, it seemed like she had always lived this way, only before she always managed to squeeze out time and arrange opportunities, which made him feel like she was everywhere.

  The lonely one was always him, not Situ Xin. Her "entanglement" was just an accommodation to his coldness.

  At night, before going to sleep, no one sent him a string of text messages just to say some boring things. He used to think it was annoying and funny, but now when he couldn't sleep, he kept fiddling with his phone, always worried that it would die from the silence before he did.

  When eating, he no longer had to worry about her strange eyebrow movements and eye-rolling, and naturally, no one would secretly kick his foot again. Once, he felt a toe lightly touch his calf, like a small stone falling into the still water, rippling involuntarily, but when he moved his heart and looked at Sutu Yue with an unchanged expression, he quickly heard a "sorry", it turned out that Uncle Sutu's second leg was raised too high.

  As long as her parents were not at home for dinner, Siu Yuk would settle the meal problem outside, so she didn't have to look at anyone's face. What could her aunt do if she cooked dishes that Siu Yuk didn't like? As for having no money and needing sponsorship, it was a joke. No matter how much Wu Jiang borrowed, as long as Siu Yuk coquettishly told her parents that she had taken a fancy to a beautiful dress, Uncle Siu and Aunt Xue would scold her, but they wouldn't bear not giving her the money.

  And... when he was engrossed in reading, her playful kisses like a dragonfly, the mischievous hugs when the air conditioner broke down and she was drenched in sweat, the sweet bickering, all of these would never happen again. Even if they were reenacted, the person involved would no longer be him.

  The summer vacation after the sophomore year arrived quickly, and Yao Qiyun went to Ru Jiu'an Tang for an internship under Shi Tu Jiu'an's arrangement. Shi Tu Jue refused to accept this punishment, saying that a person has at least thirty years of work in his lifetime, and there will be plenty of opportunities to work hard later, why rush now.

  Just starting to get in touch with the company's affairs, it was simply bewildering. Until Yao Qiyun adapted, he couldn't hold back his desire to have a good talk with Ah Yue again. Although he didn't know what specific topic they would discuss, there was an impulsive urge to rush headlong into it. It was just like when someone is extremely thirsty and fantasizes about a glass of water - even if you tell them the water contains deadly poison, they will still clamor for it as long as it appears in front of them.

  When he finally made up his mind to knock on her door, he found out that she had accepted Xiaogen's invitation and went with a large group of classmates to Xiaogen's home in the mountains for eight days.

  When Situ Xuan came back, he brought a backpack full of mountain stuff, which Yao Qiyun didn't care about, and she wasn't planning to share with him either. She had to find someone who shared the same interests. Wu Jiang's visits to the Situ family became more frequent, several times, Yao Qiyun returned home from work and saw them studying beautiful bamboo cages for crickets together, their heads almost touching. He went back to his room, not seeing anything clean, sat dryly reading books for a long time, couldn't help but open the door again, surprised to find they had moved to her upstairs room, and even closed the door once or twice.

  Auntie would often say in private that young people these days are too outrageous. Yao Qiyun disliked hearing such talk and walked away with a scowl, refusing to continue the conversation. Even Uncle Sutu, who was present at home and witnessed everything, could still sit calmly in the living room reading the newspaper, as if nothing "inappropriate" had happened right under his nose.

  Qī yún zhǐ dé xiǎng zhe fǎ zi qù qiāo tā de mén.

  Translation:

  Qi Yun could only think of ways to knock on her door.

  "Ayue, dinner is ready."

  "A Yu, your mom is asking if you want to come down and have some soup?"

  "A Wei, is yesterday's newspaper with you?"

  "Ah Wei, lend me your Quick Translator for a moment."

  At first, she was still indifferent to him, and in the end, she didn't even bother to open the door, treating him as if he were invisible. He stood outside like a clay statue, occasionally hearing their muffled laughter.

  Who doesn't love their own dignity? Yao Qiyun is especially so, just like a bird loves its only covering feathers. But if the shell inside is empty, what does it need feathers for?

  He also thought that Wu Jiang and she were just "buddies", good friends, and would never develop romantic feelings. However, what made him come to such a conclusion? The two people in the room were in their prime, with the man being talented and the woman being beautiful, so why couldn't they suddenly fall for each other? Even if they had both been pining for someone else in their hearts, who knew whether past loves were just temporary infatuations.

  Yi Yun hopes to draw a clear boundary with Si Tu Xuan, and when they are both safe, he uses the argument of "infatuation", but now he is afraid of this word. When she calms down and becomes sober, he is still trapped inside and cannot get out. This realization makes his hands and feet cold. He knows that he looks very cheap now, no wonder she looks down on him. But isn't the greatest weakness of human beings to firmly believe in and pursue what they think is a correct result, only to find that the result is far beyond their own endurance after it has been achieved?

  Yao's aunt also saw the change in her nephew and Situ Xue's relationship, as well as his low ebb. Qiyun and Situ Xue had never acknowledged their relationship in front of anyone, and Yao's aunt was no exception, but she wasn't stupid. They pretended to be normal and fooled the clever but busy Xue Shaoping, but they didn't bother to hide it from her, a middle-aged nanny. In Yao's aunt's eyes, Situ Xue was just a rich girl without any substance, maybe even a bit frivolous. Qiyun foolishly jumped into her trap, which made his aunt feel heartbroken and not worth it.

  After Sutu Jiu'an left, only Aunt and Yao Qiyun were left downstairs. Yao aunt walked into her nephew's room to mop the floor for him, but saw that he was sitting there with a blank expression, flipping through a dictionary. Seeing this, his aunt leaned on the mop and closed the door behind her.

  "Look at you, you've lost your soul. What's so special about Situ Xin, apart from her pretty face?"

  "Auntie, what's the point of saying these things?" Yao Qiyun frowned and said. He didn't even bother to deny or explain anymore.

  Yao sat on the edge of his bed, "Qīyún, you've suffered a lot and it's not easy to get to where we are today. You should cherish this even more and can't let your thoughts run wild. I won't lecture you with big principles, but I want to tell you that those scenes in plays where the virtuous young lady sneaks out at midnight to meet the poor scholar are just fabrications to fool people. Don't dream about such things. A truly good and proper girl wouldn't do such a thing. Even if you really did encounter one, don't forget, she might come to find you tonight, but tomorrow she could be sleeping in someone else's bed."

  Yao Qiyun's blood rushed to his head, he threw down the things in his hand and stood up. He took a look at the door and feared that he would disturb the people upstairs, so he lowered his voice and said word by word: "Auntie, you say I can do whatever I want, but she is not that kind of person, some words cannot be spoken casually."

  "Alright, I won't say anything more. Let's just assume she's a good kid. Even an unsophisticated person like me from the countryside understands the principle of 'different classes don't mix'. You've read so many books, surely you're aware of it? You also heard her mother's words that day, Yunyun, you're very clever, you must have picked up on the underlying meaning. If you two really get together, you won't be able to hide it for long. Have you thought about how her mother will treat you once she finds out about your relationship? Situ Xue is someone else's precious daughter, no matter what mistakes she makes, she's still their flesh and blood. What are you in this family? If they decide to cut ties with you, in the blink of an eye, you'll lose everything and be nothing. You've only been in university for two years, your foundation isn't even established yet. Do you want to go back to your old life?" Aunt's eyes were filled with worry.

  Yao Qiyun said coldly, "How the Shu uncle and aunt treated me, I know better than anyone. I will repay the kindness of the Shu family, even if it means being a cow or a horse. After I graduate, I will do everything I can to let them enjoy their old age in peace. Similarly, I will also treat Ah Yue well."

  Aunt also let out a cold laugh, being from the same family and sharing the same bloodline, her mocking expression was similar to that of Yao Qiyun. "So, you really are like your mom said, with a mind full of thoughts about becoming someone else's son-in-law? Our Yao family may be poor and didn't give you much, but don't forget, your dad spent his whole life being strong-willed and never lost his dignity as a person. And you, marrying into a rich family's daughter, enjoying good days, but their whole family will trample on you for the rest of your life, you won't be able to speak out because everything you have is given to you by others, you'll work for them until death and still not get any credit, and with Situ Yue's temper, do you want to be a slave wife, a obedient dog at her feet?"

  "That's enough, don't say anymore."

  "You may not want to hear this, but you need a strong dose of reality right now. Yiqun, once you've completed your studies and have a bright future ahead of you, you'll be a great doctor, fully capable of supporting yourself and starting your own practice. There are many ways to repay them, why sacrifice your whole life, living at the mercy of others?"

  "I've had enough of your words." Qi Yun's whole body was trembling, he suddenly felt that Ah Yue's words were not wrong, and he himself had determined that no one looked up to him, and it was true that he would be a poor man for the rest of his life. People with real dignity wouldn't keep saying "dignity" every day, they don't need to use "standing out", "being strong and proud" to weave a magnificent outer garment to wrap themselves in, because they never felt like they lacked it.

  "Rise up, Cloud! For whom is Aunt..."

  "I know you're doing it for my own good. I have a number in mind." He hardened his heart and refused to look at his aunt, who was speaking with a bitter tone, until she sighed and left.

  They were all unaware that there was another listener to this conversation, namely Situ Yu, who had deliberately ignored Yao Qiyun but couldn't resist Wu Jiang's urging and sneaked down to see him in an awkward situation. She rushed into the kitchen before Yao's aunt came out, pretending to look for fruit in the refrigerator, then took two frozen persimmons upstairs. As she passed through the living room, she glanced back at the figure diligently wiping the glass.