Chapter 78: Cha Eun Xiao, Midnight Snack?
Cha Eun Xiao, Midnight Snack? . . .
Cha-Eun Xiao found himself being led to the backyard by Su Ye-Yue, a charming smile on her lips. It was a warm evening, and the moon cast a soft, silvery glow over the flowers that adorned the garden.
"Cha-Eun Xiao, you know, your na is quite unique," Su Ye-Yue began, her laughter like tinkling bells. She flashed her pearly white teeth and chuckled, "I can't help but find it a bit amusing. Cha-Eun Xiao. Cha-Eun Xiao. Hahaha... No matter how hard I try, it sounds like 'midnight snack' to . Try saying it a few tis, and you might see what I an."
"Midnight snack?" Cha-Eun Xiao blushed at the playful remark.
In his previous life, he had chosen this na for himself. It signified that even a fallen leaf without roots could defy the heavens with laughter. 'Cha' indicated that he was an orphan with no family, and he had carried a jade pendant with the word 'Cha' since childhood. As for 'Eun Xiao,' it simply ant living with joy and laughter, a philosophy he had embraced.
[How did it beco associated with a midnight snack?]
Throughout his entire previous life, nobody had ever dared to call the Xiao Monarch 'midnight snack.'
As he looked at Su Ye-Yue, he couldn't help but think, [She must have a deep love for food in her heart...]
Reflecting on the origins of his na, Cha-Eun Xiao gently touched his chest and felt a pang of sadness. [My jade pendant was taken from , given to that woman in the Qing-Yun Realm. I wonder where she keeps it now and how she's doing.]
"Indeed, 'midnight snack,'" Su Ye-Yue affird with a triumphant smile, her eyes dancing with mirth. She swayed her hips playfully as she walked alongside Cha-Eun Xiao, declaring, "Finally, I understand the true aning of your na."
Cha-Eun Xiao felt a mixture of embarrassnt and curiosity. "You do? Really?"
"Of course! It's quite obvious," Su Ye-Yue laughed, her voice lodious. "It's said that one day, when Uncle Cha and my father were both quite drunk, they discussed the origin of your na. Uncle Cha couldn't stop laughing and said, 'Well, the na actually ans midnight snack.'"
Cha-Eun Xiao's face contorted, and he widened his eyes in disbelief. "It actually ans midnight snack?"
"Yes. My dad was taken aback at the ti, so he asked 'why,'" Su Ye-Yue recounted with a cheerful deanor. "Uncle Cha explained that when he had just married your mother, they were deeply in love. That night... well, that night..." Her voice trailed off.
She might not have been the most tactful speaker, but even she knew where to draw the line. Her exceptionally beautiful face flushed with embarrassnt, adding to her allure.
"That night, what happened?" Cha-Eun Xiao was eager to hear more and leaned in attentively.
"Ahem... Anyway, it was..." Su Ye-Yue struggled to find the right words, her blush deepening as she stamred, "It was said that Uncle Cha had a craving for a midnight snack... So Aunty went to cook for him. But before she could finish, Uncle Cha couldn't wait any longer, and... he 'ate' Aunty instead... Ahem... And then, after so ti, you were born. So, Uncle Cha decided to na you Cha-Eun Xiao. Just as the na implies, you were born because of the midnight snack. So, ahem, well, you are the midnight snack..."
She spoke hesitantly, with nurous pauses and sidelong glances, her embarrassnt palpable. It was evident that continuing with this explanation would only make her more uncomfortable.
But Cha-Eun Xiao had an entirely different reaction. He felt like he was about to faint. Deep within, he yearned to pass out.
[What on earth is this? How does this even make sense? What's the point?]
Despite his usual composure and his past life as the renowned Xiao Monarch, he now felt utterly bewildered. [My na... actually cos from that...]
Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't believe what he had just heard about the origin of his na. It sounded utterly preposterous, and he felt like the ground had slipped from beneath his feet. He had hoped that Su Ye-Yue was simply making up a bizarre story, but her insistence on the truth left him feeling defeated.
"No, it doesn't make sense," Cha-Eun Xiao finally protested, shaking his head. He looked at Su Ye-Yue with a mixture of disbelief and desperation. "You're younger than , and even your father hasn't t my mother. How could you possibly know such a personal thing about my parents? It's illogical... Did you just make it up?"
Desperation filled Cha-Eun Xiao's eyes as he silently pleaded, [Please tell you made it up...]
"You're the liar here, not !" Su Ye-Yue retorted, her lips forming a pout. "My dad and your father were drinking and telling jokes that day. Your father himself shared this story with my dad. So it can't be a lie, can it? Humph! They thought they were alone, but I was secretly listening in. It's true."
Cha-Eun Xiao sighed hopelessly. It seed there was no escape from the peculiar origin of his na. He found himself wishing for a tree to hang himself on.
With a lancholic gaze, he looked at Su Ye-Yue, who was absorbed in her own chatter about the unusual topic. He felt like the world had suddenly taken on a darker hue. [I must be the only one with such a bizarre story behind my na...]
"Hey, why are you so down? What's bothering you?" Su Ye-Yue asked, concerned, after realizing that Cha-Eun Xiao had fallen behind during their walk.
"I'm just thinking," Cha-Eun Xiao replied with a sigh, a tinge of sadness in his voice. "When I have a wife, will she ask for midnight snacks all the ti..."
Su Ye-Yue burst into laughter, a rosy hue coloring her cheeks. She reached out and playfully pinched him. "Do you really think you're that irresistible? Co on, let teach you how to stop being such a shaless guy. I'll show you the Sword Art of Feng-Hua."
Over the past few days, Su Ye-Yue had dedicated herself to rigorous training and had made astonishing progress. With the Sword Art of Feng-Hua and the Spiritual thod of Feng-Hua, she had improved faster than anyone in the history of the Qing-Yun Realm. Her newfound confidence was evident.
Cha-Eun Xiao, on the other hand, struggled to keep up with her graceful swordplay. Compared to her natural and fluid movents, his own efforts seed clumsy and awkward. After enduring her relentless attacks, he finally felt so relief when she allowed him to leave.
With a wave of her hand and a regal air, she declared, "You may go."
Cha-Eun Xiao wasted no ti in making his exit. He couldn't continue the charade any longer.
Although Su Ye-Yue had surpassed his expectations with her progress, he knew he could easily defeat her if he wished. However, he also knew that doing so would an endless practice sessions with her. So he had chosen to be defeated and escape her relentless training.
Su Ye-Yue, though, wasn't entirely pleased with the outco. She muttered to herself with a complex mix of emotions, "He didn't want to stay, so he let win... Humph. He must have sothing important to attend to. I won't bother him, then."
She was disappointed but still determined to improve. After a while of contemplation, she resolved to train harder. [He's different now. In the past, when I defeated him, he'd beg to stop with sweet words. But today, he left calmly, like a gentle breeze. Did I not fight hard enough?]
As she held her sword and considered her training, she muttered, "I need to beco stronger. Next ti, I'll beat him even harder."
anwhile, Cha-Eun Xiao hurried back ho, not stopping until he reached his destination. However, when he arrived, he was t with a peculiar and unsettling expression on the steward's face.
It was a look of bewildernt and disappointnt, as if he were staring at a creature from another world.
"My dear forefather, didn't you promise to stay out of trouble?" Song Jue sighed deeply, his tone filled with sorrow.
"I didn't get into any trouble... I swear," Cha-Eun Xiao responded, scratching his head in confusion. He didn't understand why the steward was looking at him like that.
[Just as I return ho, and he's already making uncomfortable with his gaze...]
"What do you an you didn't? Explain to what trouble you think is!" Song Jue sighed once more, his eyes filled with sadness. [My big brother, why did you only have one child?]
In the realm of life's exchanges, individuals often find themselves paying a price for the troubles they create. A monetary cost, perhaps, or even just a debt of gratitude to those affected by their actions. But for Cha-Eun Xiao, the price he paid was far more profound – it was asured in lives, and it left a haunting question in the air: How many more lives would be sacrificed as a consequence of his actions? It was a somber reflection that weighed heavily on his heart.
The situation took an even more disconcerting turn when a missive arrived from the Crown Prince's Palace, bearing an invitation to et with the crown prince himself. The steward, bearing the weight of concern in his expression, delivered the news to Cha-Eun Xiao.
"A missive has co from the Crown Prince's Palace. The crown prince wishes to et with you," the steward inford Cha-Eun Xiao with a heavy sigh. He paused for a mont, his gaze reflecting the gravity of the situation. "And... I've heard about your recent visit to the west market. It's been reported that three n lost their lives..."
He raised an incredulous eyebrow, his tone laden with skepticism. "Upon further investigation, it was revealed that these n were affiliated with the Crown Prince's Palace, my dear young lord. If you truly had no involvent in their deaths, then it must have been the work of so malevolent phantom, erging under the bright sun."
Cha-Eun Xiao, exasperated and baffled by the accusations, threw his hands up in the air and retorted, "Uncle Song, to catch a thief, one needs evidence. Accusing soone of adultery requires catching them in the act. To accuse of murder, I don't mind if there's a lack of concrete proof, but there should at least be a semblance of reason, don't you think? Why on earth would I be embroiled in such matters? It's utterly perplexing. n from the Mu Clan t their demise, and I'm under suspicion. n from the Crown Prince's Palace et their end, and I'm still under scrutiny? Must I be deed suspicious whenever soone perishes? Where is the justice in all of this?"
The steward, his eyes wide with exasperation, found himself at a loss for words. He struggled to contain the impulse to take Cha-Eun Xiao over his knee and deliver a firm scolding.
[Wherever you go, Cha-Eun Xiao, misfortune seems to follow. And it appears that everyone you encounter becos your enemy. How can anyone be expected to believe that you have no involvent in these events? What sort of proof or rationale can even begin to unravel this mystery?]
As he pondered these enigmatic circumstances, the steward couldn't help but entertain a creeping doubt that gnawed at his mind. He lifted his gaze to observe his young master – his nephew.
[This doesn't add up...
Why is it that all these incidents involve individuals who are our adversaries?
And why is it that none of our own people have suffered harm?
Of course, it's a blessing that our own remain unhard. That much is certain. But... But there's sothing deeply unsettling about this situation.
Why? How?]
Reviews
All reviews (0)