Blooming Flowers, Silent Sorrow

Translator: Silvery Butterfly xjkiNvMbhvueoOHyHtJRBcRYMLVNNy

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Jin Bao was thus confusedly sent off to serve Que Siming. Zhao Cai was full of discontent but dared not vent it, as he had to prioritize his young master. Xiao Bao was also very puzzled and worried, but he didn’t dare express this in front of Que Siming, being wary of someone who was clearly not to be trifled with. However, Su Yin had given him a very good reason: Que Siming simply needed someone pleasing to the eye to attend to his daily needs. Since Que Siming had agreed to stay, they had to show sincerity and hospitality. Seeing that there was nothing wrong with Jin Bao, Xiao Bao finally relaxed. He thought it was only for one winter, and since they were living together, they would see each other often. However, more than missing Jin Bao by his side, he was worried that Jin Bao’s straightforward and foolish nature might accidentally offend Que Siming.WjEVahkyIJtfpxrEDEWqOQOxbCahul

No matter how much Xiao Bao worried, it was already decided. The next day, Jin Bao packed his belongings, gave Xiao Bao a tearful glance, and moved to Que Siming’s separate courtyard. Xiao Bao felt powerless, guilty, and distressed.dmJTpMzsJPMalydMtLKJBsWFCkaXvg

That afternoon, Que Siming brought out an old book with the three characters “Nuan Xin Jing” (Warm Heart Sutra) on the cover. It was unclear where Que Siming had found this unheard-of internal martial arts manual. According to him, it wasn’t very effective for cultivating internal strength, but its greatest feature was that it could make the body generate heat, promoting blood circulation and significantly enhancing the body’s natural resistance to cold. He asked Xiao Bao to practice it himself, as Xiao Bao had no internal strength, thus avoiding any conflicts or backlash. If practiced properly, it could greatly mitigate the cold poison and, most importantly, slow down the stiffening and deterioration of his joints.rtdMILmVuCQcxJXvlCgZnlHkryHXUk

Although Xiao Bao had some basic martial arts skills, he had been lazy in his practice, so he only knew a few flashy moves. However, with Su Yin’s guidance, he quickly got the hang of it and began diligently practicing the Nuan Xin Jing.ZpacUFmhAdXkCFrPyjDetKtuutOgGO

The Jin family’s elder two were sent to Jingxia Temple, allowing Xiao Bao to finally have some peace of mind.DyppVDpIZkhAodvGStGPgAVLuEANDi

The first rain after the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived as expected amidst Xiao Bao’s constant fear of the increasing cold.YqWITgUByzGBWEMlTqUirdQzXNkFOX

A piercing scream from Xiao Bao shattered the gloomy night sky. The rain suddenly poured down without warning. Zhao Cai, who lived next door, reacted first, jumping out of bed and rushing to Xiao Bao’s room. Su Yin followed closely behind, grabbing Zhao Cai’s collar and shouting, “Go find Que Siming!”nXdgnBYPTGKKbQIuyADqPpOZCIkxOq

Zhao Cai hesitated for a moment before running towards Que Siming and Jin Bao’s separate courtyard.XZrlTynossyZQyZXVxpAdfjTYmqant

Xiao Bao had already rolled off the bed, curling up and wailing. It felt as if sharp, icy blades were sawing through his joints, leaving him only with the instinct to cry out in pain. The cold had instantly penetrated his body, and the sudden drop in body temperature made even his fingertips immobile. It was as if thousands of tiny needles were piercing his body simultaneously, a hellish pain beyond anyone’s imagination.YKFSmbdhDGROBFjxYHaIuvtwtwPjhj

Xiao Bao had lost his senses, instinctively banging his body against his surroundings to try to alleviate the pain. But someone firmly held him and threw him back on the bed. Warm currents began to flow from his shoulder joints, making his shoulders feel slightly better compared to other areas. But the effect was minimal, as the domineering cold poison’s low temperature gradually destroyed his defenses.xVHdsCikIefVoroGZkiTPXqgeJOWMT

In his daze, he seemed to hear someone calling his name. He struggled to open his eyes, but the world had already become distorted. Countless shadows seemed to be swaying before his eyes, each one shouting at him. He heard chaotic, noisy sounds but couldn’t make out a single word. Occasionally, he felt warm currents, but the bone-chilling cold persisted. Unless all seventy-eight points were taken care of, missing even one spot resulted in unbearable pain.jfNuAxHxaVRqJBGYKFVCxvvOvuTlcw

His internal organs felt as if they had shifted, and the air in his chest was being forcibly compressed, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. In this apocalyptic state, some fleeting images gradually became clear.NEaiDaGUNCFiHilhlhPrpHbSEfuztB

Under the moonlight, a cold, white-clad beauty captured him with just a glance, causing him to fall irrevocably. The deep, tranquil black eyes, the distant, mountain-like brows, the intense spring light when moved, the cool aloofness when sober, the willful hesitation and shyness made him never want to disappoint him. And the first time he smiled at him, it was like flowers blooming in the dead of winter, bringing spring back to the earth, surpassing all earthly beauty. Then came the obvious affection, holding him and saying he would like him, unable to hide his shyness and the redness of his neck. The tender, gentle kiss under the ancient tree on the official road at dusk, the soft, sweet taste between their lips and teeth, a memory he could never forget. Then there was the night of passionate entanglement in the cave, the deep promises of love, a commitment etched in his bones, seemingly using up all his life’s happiness.oNZkvYWKOSVjXMVoWlCjhkXmdOMRXN

How could he believe that all of this was a lie?CVPEJLAyHsjfXvgHtgVZpetcBJWnMJ

When would he wake up from this nightmare that tore at his soul every moment? When would he completely forget the sorrow that constantly ripped at him? How could he escape from this demon named Huai En?XolHgVxXJCJHdyOpfbalKuxSGDiFfT

The pain, with nowhere to vent, surged to his throat, finally erupting into a blood-curdling scream, as if gathering energy from burning his life force, “Huai En———！！！！！！！！！”epYGFINyQxlKZXZfzFwnSZaoPOqAsZ

Xiao Bao had no memory of how he survived that night.AbNbmTIaPWqfOVcXQZXFYHYCVEXFmk

He could only tell from the exhausted expressions and dark circles under Su Yin and the others’ eyes that it must have been a long night counted by the second.PxtLqOEqomyxwkkiTsAQdXYqkuvwMY

Xiao Bao weakly opened his eyes, and the others immediately gathered around with concern.EnqYFYEBzemvKmWBzSckiDdHkhMeas

Zhao Cai and Jin Bao had tears welling up, ready to spill at the slightest hint of pain from Xiao Bao.RmfhWyNNiHCsmrfhjCSVKikTBAjclN

But Xiao Bao instead smiled, though his once spirited eyes were now coated with a layer of gray, leaving only darkness inside, with no trace of light.VcLAKskHVCgFJNLONozEUoqGLGVJML

Su Yin buried his face in Xiao Bao’s shoulder, trembling as he said, “Xiao Bao, you’ve suffered.”uFrHLzbDFZURjMvAVMJowoVCcECbtt

Xiao Bao wanted to move, but his body felt rigid, making him feel powerless. He could only slowly speak, “I must have passed out later, right? It really… really hurt… damn, at that moment, I even wanted to die, but I managed to pull through.”ezNiyHPMCnsYRsNrTlmWLDhxAiHrep

Que Siming nodded, “Pressing your sleep and numbing acupoints had no effect. This cold poison is truly formidable. Yesterday’s episode lasted less than an hour, thankfully shorter than I expected. The room has been fully insulated today. From now on, you must avoid even the slightest cold and dampness.”FVePpzSNGqPnJvvHXFWxLpeAUHSFFo

Xiao Bao only then felt his body sweating profusely. The others were also drenched in sweat. He looked around and saw that there were four fireplaces evenly distributed in the room. All the windows were nailed shut with wooden boards and stuffed tightly with cotton. He was covered with three layers of blankets, yet despite his sweating, he didn’t feel hot.SxXbBPqDRupONgMgbKoAshWzhaPBlg

…To spend a whole winter like this… unable to step outside the door, always wrapped up tightly, truly was no different from being a cripple…wHnuYAGjRmrQMbixdeYTneLJgeqbED

Su Yin looked at Xiao Bao’s ashen face. Usually eloquent and unmatched in debate, he found himself unable to utter a single word of comfort at this moment. Thinking back to last night’s events, he still felt a lingering fear. Experiencing a few more episodes like that, not only would Xiao Bao be unable to bear it, but his own heart might also fail from the strain.KFrQvMjxuOpREpWDFEvtLLVFfOxxRN

Xiao Bao, who had been pampered with wealth and luxury for twenty years, how could he endure such torment?xMLMpWSmJFtOcUXTdOtYMotNJmGlOf

Que Siming, completely unaffected by the oppressive atmosphere, simply picked up the “Nuanxin Jing” on the table and shook his head. “You need to speed up your practice of this mental technique. External heating methods ultimately have limited effect. Actually, if you had been more conscious last night, we could have infused you with inner energy, and you could have circulated it according to this technique within your body. It would have been much more bearable. Unfortunately, you had already lost consciousness by then. So you should first try to maintain awareness during an attack. Combined with this technique, you can survive the winter.”LMLRTFfLsBRHZvPXNLwNExUhDnABga

Xiao Bao nodded, though in his heart he had no confidence in his ability to stay conscious under such circumstances.AmiNMYhBBTuPIJvQtIGyKjZmDYwbxS

Que Siming suddenly smiled playfully, “But in the end, you kept calling out a name, Huai En or something…”ovFHNSVfDWLWHksemlPDmeKdjdPPcc

“Que Siming!!” Su Yin shouted loudly, turning back to glare at him with eyes that looked ready to devour him.LTJxapsxlqEaCOhUEZvCGhphYJGNKv

Xiao Bao was stunned on the spot, his heart suddenly aching sharply. He had thought it was his imagination, but it turned out he had really called out his name. A flood of complex emotions overwhelmed him, and he couldn’t help but laugh self-deprecatingly. Jin Xiao Bao, could you be any more pathetic?tixCBitPZLfAsMxCQoKSiDkRkyvmqI

That name was indeed a taboo among them. They all avoided the topic and focused on discussing Xiao Bao’s condition.MVoEUdpUkWhMAitHnGlBXYsJkaaxsq

Despite enduring a night of torment, Xiao Bao still acted as if nothing had happened, as if the pampered young master Jin, who used to make a big fuss over a minor injury, had never existed. When a child cries from injury, it’s often a plea for sympathy and comfort from adults. But when someone is truly hurt and refuses to show weakness, either they are strong enough, or their heart is already dead…XeMADCxRKiZnCHYoUROESFpNcIPWVf

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