You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Unrequited Love, an Illicit Affair?

After mulling it over, Chen Yi decided that he would no longer casually show his Cursive Script or Grass Script to anyone.

As long as his calligraphy samples didn’t circulate, he figured no one would be foolish enough to travel from far and wide based solely on Mr. Yue Ming’s word.

With this in mind, Chen Yi chose his words carefully and said,

”Sister Wan’er, this poem is meant to celebrate Grandfather’s birthday. I think it’s best we keep it safe from now on.”

Xiao Wan’er smiled and nodded. From the corner of her eye, she saw Xiao Jinghong in a room on the second floor nearby. Knowing her sister was ready, she stood up and said,

”Brother-in-law, why don’t you stay with Wuge and the others? I’ll take this piece to your study for you.”

”Thank you for the trouble.”

Chen Yi knew she and Xiao Jinghong had just returned to the estate and would likely need to visit their grandfather first, so he didn’t press the matter.

Xiao Wan’er gave a few instructions to Xiao Wuge and Zhang Heng, then carried the brocade box toward the wooden house where Chen Yi lived.

As she walked, she mulled over how she could bring Chen Yi and Xiao Jinghong closer and help them grow to love one another.

They were husband and wife, after all. Living apart like this wasn’t a sustainable solution.

Xiao Wan’er knew her younger sister’s personality. She had always been strong-willed, even as a child. After years of leading troops into battle, she had matured significantly, making her thoughts all the more difficult to read.

But just as Wuge had said earlier, man can triumph over fate. As long as she persevered, she believed she could help her sister and brother-in-law get back to living as a normal married couple.

Lost in thought, Xiao Wan’er arrived at the study. She placed the brocade box on the desk, but her eyes were immediately drawn to a sheet of Yunsong Paper spread out on its surface.

She glanced back at Chen Yi through the window before walking over to the desk to examine the handwriting on the paper.

The more she looked, the more she liked it.

’No wonder Mr. Yue Ming was so insistent. Even I want a piece of my brother-in-law’s calligraphy to take back and practice with.’

Xiao Wan’er sighed to herself and couldn’t resist flipping through the adjacent stack of paper, hoping to find a sheet with plenty of writing that she could ask Chen Yi for.

There were more than a dozen sheets, some in Cursive Script, others in Wei Qing’s Style. Each piece possessed a profound Mental Realm that seemed to stretch into the distance, and she couldn’t help but feel a thrill of discovery.

Although the characters didn’t radiate a ”Mental Realm glow,” from a purely technical standpoint, they were all masterpieces of calligraphy.

「A moment later.」

Xiao Wan’er’s eyes suddenly lit up. She picked up a sheet of calligraphy in Wei Qing’s Style and examined it closely, her smile slowly fading into a look of confusion.

It was titled ”Spring Joy: Wan God’s Ode,” and signed: *Written by Chen Qingzhou on a spring night in the twenty-first year of the Anhe era.*

Your hair, clouds spun from the soul of snow;Your eyes, the moon washed in silken ice.The galaxy floods Kuimen Gorge at night,A cascade of jade light over a thousand peaks.Sword Qi gathers in the dark arch of your brow,A crane’s shadow glides across the morning sky.Like Jade Steps and Jade Trees,A beauty such as yours is a rare sight in this world.

You’d make the Gushen Immortal feel her age,Lamenting that odes of Luochuan were written in vain, and ballads of Chishui sung for naught.Your flower-like face, glistening with melted snow,Your brocade robes, still echoing the flutes of Wei.Beacon fires flash like golden hairpins,As returning geese make your jade ornaments fall.Even the finest painting cannot capture your essence,For a thousand autumns, you alone will illuminate the vast sky of Chu.

After reading it, Xiao Wan’er’s beautiful eyes flew wide, and she quickly covered her mouth with her hands.

She looked toward the pavilion outside the window, then back at the Yunsong Paper in her hand. Inexplicably, the frantic POUND, POUND, POUND of her heart filled her ears.

’My brother-in-law...’

’No, it can’t be. It’s impossible.’

But even as she denied it, Xiao Wan’er’s mind was in turmoil.

Anyone who read this poem would immediately think of her. After all, it was titled *Wan God’s Ode*, not *Jinghong Fu*.

She couldn’t help but recall the night Chen Yi had crossed from Spring Lotus Garden into Jiaxing Garden and met with her, which only made her thoughts more jumbled.

’If anyone else found out, especially my sister, Xiao Jinghong... wouldn’t I be the one at fault?’

After a long moment, Xiao Wan’er pressed a hand to her chest and forced herself to calm down.

She looked at the lines of the poem once more and made a decision.

She carefully rolled up the sheet of Yunsong Paper, tucking it into an inner pocket of her cloak along with another sheet of Cursive Script calligraphy.

Next, Xiao Wan’er picked up a Wolf Hair Brush, dipped it in ink, spread out a blank sheet of Yunsong Paper, and wrote on it:

”Brother-in-law, I have taken two of your calligraphy pieces. I hope you will forgive the liberty.”

”Furthermore, I hope you will not let your imagination run wild, lest it cause needless trouble.”

After she finished writing, a helpless look flickered in Xiao Wan’er’s eyes. She bit her lip and sighed, the initial joy of obtaining Chen Yi’s prized calligraphy completely gone.

She took one last look around before leaving the wooden house. Without even a word to Chen Yi and the others, she hurried back to Jiaxing Garden.

「Not long after.」

Dressed in a new, long red gown with flowing sashes, Xiao Jinghong emerged from the wooden house. In the distance, she saw Chen Yi, fishing rod in hand, wrestling with a fish in the pond.

Beside him were a smiling Xiao Wuge and Zhang Heng, the latter stealing glances at her.

The scene—one adult and two youths—had a surprisingly warm and harmonious atmosphere.

After a moment’s thought, Xiao Jinghong walked over. Her eyes, visible from beneath her half-mask, were fixed on Chen Yi as she spoke with a hint of surprise.

”Husband, thank you for looking after Wuge and Heng’er. My sister and I are going to Qingjing Residence to see Grandfather.”

Chen Yi turned to face her. He looked her over for a moment before standing up with a smile. ”My lady, there is no need for such pleasantries.”

Seeing Xiao Jinghong so placid, he felt a small sense of relief.

He didn’t know how much the Tiger Girl had told her, but from the looks of it, Xiao Jinghong was still unaware of his secrets.

In truth, Xiao Jinghong had failed to pry anything out of Pei Guanli.

However, from the few scraps of information she’d gathered, it wasn’t difficult to deduce that Chen Yi had been practicing his Martial Arts cultivation and had made some progress.

She also noticed Pei Guanli’s admiration and... fondness for Chen Yi.

It wasn’t romantic love, but rather the affection one feels for a kindred spirit, a true partner in crime.

This inevitably made Xiao Jinghong all the more curious about the man who was her husband.

She knew Pei Guanli’s personality well, and she was keenly aware of all the outrageous things she had done back with the Mountain Race.

Yet this completely unruly person respected and admired her husband. It was hard not to be surprised.

Musing on this, Xiao Jinghong nodded. ”Wait for my sister and me to return. We will dine together then.”

”Alright.”

Watching from a distance as Xiao Jinghong headed for Jiaxing Garden, Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

’Looks like nothing happened.’

He didn’t realize that the Young Crown Prince, Zhang Heng, was even more obvious about it. The sound of his relief was practically a groan.

Xiao Wuge heard it and broke into a wide grin.

Zhang Heng glared at him. ”What’s so funny? Watch it, or I’ll tell our second cousin on you.”

He tried his best to look fierce, but he didn’t have a tenth of his usual bluster.

Chen Yi found this amusing. ”Are you that afraid of your second cousin?” he asked.

”Who—who’s afraid?”

Zhang Heng shot him a glare as well before turning back to his fishing in a huff.

”Brother-in-law, Brother Heir isn’t scared,” Xiao Wuge explained. ”He’s just traumatized from all the times Second Sister disciplined him in the past.”

”You—you shut up!”

Chen Yi chuckled but didn’t tease the Young Crown Prince any further. His gaze shifted toward the wooden house where his wife had gone.

Soon enough, he saw Pei Guanli furtively peeking her head out from the second floor, flashing him a wide grin.

Chen Yi shot her a look that said, *Did you tell her?*

Pei Guanli returned a smug expression that clearly meant, *Of course not! Don’t you know how tight-lipped I am?*

Relieved, Chen Yi gave her a thumbs-up.

Pei Guanli giggled, then clutched her stomach and pouted. She was clearly hungry.

Chen Yi got the message. After giving a few instructions to Xiao Wuge and Zhang Heng, he turned and went back into the wooden house.

’As long as Tiger Girl didn’t sell me out, things should be fine.’

Chen Yi went to his study to get some pastries and fruit, but he noticed that the things on his desk had been disturbed.

He looked at the note on the desk, thought for a moment, then flipped through the stack of calligraphy beside it. A look of sudden understanding crossed his face.

’So Xiao Wan’er saw the *Wan God’s Ode*.’

’But why would she take it after seeing it?’

Chen Yi shook his head, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. ’Oh, Sister Wan’er, Sister Wan’er,’ he thought. ’In my hands, that poem is just wishful thinking, a one-sided crush at best.’

’But in your hands, its meaning changes completely. It becomes a love pledge.’

’What does this make us?’

’A secret correspondence? An illicit affair?’

...

「Inside Jiaxing Garden.」

After Xiao Wan’er had changed her clothes, Xiao Jinghong supported her by the arm as they walked toward Qingjing Residence.

They had just left the courtyard when Xiao Jinghong gave Xiao Wan’er a suspicious look.

”Sister, is something troubling you?”

Lost in her worries, Xiao Wan’er faltered in her step, her heart beginning to pound even faster.

She clutched her chest and forced a smile. ”N-no, nothing,” she said, shaking her head. ”I’m probably just tired...”

Thinking of her sister’s frail health, Xiao Jinghong said comfortingly, ”Why don’t you go rest? I can go see Grandfather by myself.”

”No, it’s alright. I’m fine.”

Before her sister could say more, Xiao Wan’er waved her hand, signaling for Shen Huatang, Xiaodie, and the others to follow. At the same time, she gave an order:

”Huatang, bring that cloak for Grandfather.”

”Yes, my lady.”

Seeing Xiao Jinghong turn to give instructions to her own attendant, Su Zhenyue, Xiao Wan’er relaxed slightly and sighed inaudibly.

’Oh, my dear sister, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you... it’s just that I don’t know how I possibly could.’