Zhou Xiang looked at him, but without the slightest surprise and excitement, he said coldly:

"It turns out that you still remember my big brother."

Shen Ruoyu withdrew the autumn wind, grabbed Zhou Xiang, and asked in surprise:

"I really didn't expect to see you again in this life. How did you get to the capital? What about the others, what happened to mortal beings? What about Qing'er? ”

Zhou Xiangdao: "It seems that there is still one person missing, right?" ”

Shen Ruoyu hesitated, a little embarrassed. He said, "Of course, and Qing'er, is she okay?" ”

"Do you think she's going to be okay?" Zhou Xiang sighed, "Everyone else is fine." The days in the cottage, day by day, are like that, there is nothing to talk about, and it is no worse than when you left. You don't have to worry about it, there's nothing worth thinking about, and there's nothing to expect you to worry about. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Big brother, I know that I haven't gone back to take a look, and you must be very resentful of me in your hearts." To be honest, I've thought about it many times, and I miss you too, but I don't want to see that person's face again. What's more, he is now the owner of the village. ”

Zhou Xiang said: "You can come back to overthrow him, clean up the portal for Zhenshui Village, and at the same time return your own innocence, and you can avenge the patriarch and your father." ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Of course; But then what? ”

"And then?" Zhou Xiang was slightly stunned, "And then of course it is-we can go back to the old days." ”

"This is impossible," Shen Ruoyu said, "Big brother, this is wishful thinking. The uncle is gone, the swing is gone, everyone has changed, how can we go back to the old days? I killed the third uncle, and everyone will choose you as the patriarch without any problem. And then, we continued to live in the mountains day after day, year after year, and our lives began and ended like this, without any accomplishments, and to be honest, I had no meaning in this world to live like this, maybe I was not as good as a little ant. I'm unwilling, just like the third uncle. ”

Zhou Xiang looked at him in horror: "What are you talking about?" Fourth brother, is this what you said? How can you think exactly the same way as that adulterer? It's been less than four years since you came out, how did you completely change as a person? ”

"Have I changed?" Shen Ruoyu smiled bitterly and shook his head, "If you think so, then even be, anyway, I have long forgotten who I was before the age of seventeen, what kind of personality, where I lived, and what kind of life I had." ”

"But you should at least remember the discipleship and door rules of Zhenshui Village! Clansmen are not allowed to enter the court as officials, get involved in court politics and military, especially cannot participate in court politics and wars. Fourth brother, have you forgotten? Once you could recite it backwards. ”

Shen Ruoyu said calmly: "Big brother, my father was on the cusp of the crowd competing for the world back then, not to mention that I am no longer a person from Zhenshui Village. Staying in the night mountain without fighting the world for a lifetime, I may be able to live freely and die without illness, but to put it mildly, as a person, living like that for a lifetime is called living in vain. 'Real water has no fragrance', but no fragrance does not mean that nothing is useless. 'Water is good for all things without fighting', this is what Uncle really taught me. Compared with 'indisputable', 'benefiting all things' is the first priority. That's why now, I feel that I have the motivation to live, and I am not ashamed to walk under the sky, on the earth, among all living beings, no matter which direction I look. ”

"I'm ashamed!" Zhou Xiang shouted, "Fourth brother, you can say such a thing, I am really ashamed of you, and I am ashamed of Zhenshuizhai!" Do you know that you used to be the pride of the entire real water village? You are now so bent on being an official, you have left Zhenshuizhai behind and forgotten about it, and let him be destroyed step by step by a villain. What's the difference between you and Ho Yu? ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at him in disappointment and said indifferently: "Big brother, you came all the way from Yanshan to the capital just to tell me this?" We haven't seen each other for more than three years, and you won't even give me a hug, just keep crusading against me. It wasn't my choice to be born in Zhenshuizhai, and it wasn't my choice to come out, but the sky gave me this opportunity, and now I've found my own way, everyone has their own ambitions, so don't force me anymore. ”

"I really don't know what the patriarch's heavenly spirit will think when he hears your words," Zhou Xiang said angrily, "Okay, you have your lofty ambitions, we mediocre people naturally can't understand it, and we are not qualified to force you, do whatever you like, whatever you want." However, you don't want to come back in the future, since you are no longer a person from Zhenshuizhai, Zhenshuizhai is not willing to climb a high branch like you. You don't have to think about us anymore, just when we don't exist. ”

With that, he tiptoed, jumped onto the roof, and left.

Shen Ruoyu stood motionless in the courtyard, just now on Nangong Qiu's body, his blood was boiling, but now he was cold. The surprise of reuniting with my eldest brother after a long absence was just such a brief moment, and in the blink of an eye, it became like an enemy, whose fault is this? Was he really wrong?

Do I regret it? Do I regret it?

He asked himself repeatedly.

Then he replied, I don't regret it, I still stand by my choice and I'm proud of it.

However, I was really sad and heartbroken.

Maybe at this moment, the eldest brother's heart is also angry and painful, just like when he was framed by He Yu, he felt the same way.

If you were back then, in the face of your current self, would you say the same thing as your eldest brother?

Just because of one of their own choices, a different path, are the former brothers going to turn against each other?

He was sad, and suddenly Zhou Xiang came back, jumped into the courtyard, and stood in front of him coldly.

"I forgot, I'm not here for what I said to you." "All of us can disown you now, you can forget about it," he said. But there is one person who can't, and you have to be responsible for Sister Qing'er. ”

Shen Ruoyu was slightly shocked in her heart, and her whole heart was raised high.

"Responsible?" He asked softly, "Yes, responsible, I should be responsible." But what do I do? ”

Zhou Xiangdao: "Qing'er is in Yingtian now, I'll bring her over." Come with me to see her now, take her back to your house, and marry her. ”

Shen Ruoyu blurted out: "This is impossible! My wife is still waiting for me in bed, and you asked me to leave her in the middle of the night, follow you to another woman, and marry her home? It's absolutely impossible. ”

Zhou Xiang didn't get angry immediately, but looked at him quietly for a while. Then he opened his mouth and sneered:

"You think I don't know, what were you doing in the house just before you came out to see me? I arrived in Yingtian two days ago, and I heard the people of the whole capital talking about you being the most favored close minister by the Son of Heaven, and spreading everywhere how incomparably loving you and your Lady Shen are, and envying the mandarin ducks - in your heart, there is no longer a clear child in the past, right? ”

Shen Ruoyu knew that Nangong Qiu was lying in the house, and the conversation outside must have been heard clearly. Not only Qiu'er, but also the maid Dou'er and the coachman Husheng. Perhaps, there is also a certain Jinyi guard with strong martial arts hidden under the wall, holding his breath to listen to the movement in the middle of the night in the courtyard of his Shen family. Tomorrow, the Son of Heaven will know, the Manchu Dynasty will know, and the streets and alleys of the entire capital will know.

He asked softly, "You won't be sent by King Yan to toss me, right?" ”

Zhou Xiang was stunned for a moment, and then he realized what he was talking about, and immediately became angry:

"You think I'm you, huh? Not to mention that I will not intervene in the affairs of the royal family at all, I am really involved, who I am loyal to from the beginning, I will always end, without two hearts, but unlike some people, wavering, lust for profit, so I will soar up, rise to the top, and have today's glory and wealth. No wonder, I demand too much from you, and even my own master will betray me, let alone my wife. ”

Shen Ruoyu said softly: "Big brother, you should have found out by now, how much do you know about me?" Actually, you don't need to say it so badly. Don't you just want me to marry Qing'er? I told you plainly, and now I repeat, I will never be. Qing'er and I have no future. You better let her find a good family, I'm sorry for her, and I don't deserve her. ”

Zhou Xiang sneered: "How nice it sounds." Looking for a good family? You've broken her body, can she still marry now? If you say a word, you will have no future, but why did you only tell her that the sea is rotten and you will not die until you die? You really deserve to be the son of Second Uncle Shen, and you don't need to learn all of his methods to deal with women. ”

Shen Ruoliao's heart seemed to be pierced into a thorn, he trembled, and looked at the eldest brother who had once doted on him the most; There was now only contempt and hatred on that face. He had seen such a look on this face once, and such anger erupted from those righteous and decisive eyes, and shot at him mercilessly, threatening to engulf him and burn him to ashes.

He said sourly: "Big brother, what you said is not fair at all, and it makes no sense. What kind of man my father is, each of you knows very well, but none of you have ever told me half a word, and you have always deceived me with lies, kept me in the dark, immersed in the illusion that your father was perfect and almost god-like, do you still think that you are all wise and kind? When I face my father's sordid past alone, let me see his true colors, let me bear the punishment he deserves for him, all he gives me is a shame and sin that cannot be washed away from birth, a lifetime of doom and notoriety, where will you all go at that time? Hide aside and live your life in peace, without any condemnation from your conscience. Big brother, don't forget, what kind of notoriety did I carry to escape from Zhenshui Village, I didn't have the idea of hurting my uncle at all, why should I bear this heinous crime? I could have avoided this, as long as you believed me at that time, and you fought with me against the third uncle until the truth was discovered; But you didn't, you chose to believe in Him. Even Qing'er believed his nonsense. At that time, he tortured me, he broke my leg, don't you all think that I am to blame, and even die? Don't you think you're cruel? ”

He spit out the bitter water that had been buried deep in his heart for three and a half years, but he didn't know that the same bitter water had been buried in the heart of his eldest brother for the same long time. Zhou Xiang heard him mention the past, remembered the big mistake he made for a while, and his heart trembled with remorse. He couldn't suppress his moan, crouched down, hugged his head, and squatted silently for a long time.

Then, he slowly lowered his arm, looked up at Shen Ruoliao, and no longer used the tone of sin just now, but sighed and said bitterly:

"Fourth brother, I thought you didn't blame me, but now it seems that I am too despicable, I am so stupid and gullible, I made such a mistake, how can I get your forgiveness? You should have hated me, but you were so generous, and you were happy to see me, and you wanted to hug me, and you should have come up and killed me with a sword. ”

Shen Ruoyu had already finished pouring, and when he heard his eldest brother confess to him, his heart suddenly softened. He sat down on the steps and said softly:

"Big brother, I don't mean to hate you. I just want you to know that a lot of things have come to this point, and I can't help it. I will also make mistakes in the past, I made mistakes with Qing'er, and now I can't even control my own fate, how can I take responsibility for her fate? The existing facts can no longer be changed. ”

Zhou Xiangdao: "Fourth brother, I committed a crime against you, you should hate me, but you shouldn't hate Qing'er, after all, she lost her father at that time, if it were you, you would also lose your mind." You shouldn't hate her, she's given her all her life, what do you let her do now? ”

Shen Ruoyu sighed: "Could it be that now, her resentment towards me has been eliminated?" ”

Zhou Xiang said: "That kind of deception can be hidden for a while, but it can't be hidden for a lifetime; If you can hide it from Qing'er, you can't hide it from the others in Zhenshui Village. The day after you left, she already knew the truth. She fell seriously ill and cried for three months, and kept saying that she was guilty until she dried up her tears and could no longer cry. Such a weak girl, since you love her, you should know her very well. You shouldn't be angry with her anymore. ”

"I have never hated her, I only hate myself and I hate He Yu." Shen Ruoyu said, "But I don't have anything to do now." I'm already in love with another woman, and I'm married to her. I've hurt Qing'er, and I won't tolerate myself hurting Qiu'er again. If what I have done in the past cannot be undone, at least I can make a new life in the future without the same pain and regret. Big brother, I feel like my father has my mother by my side, no matter how many women I have hurt before, that is not my true love; Now I am going to give everything I have to protect my true love, so I must not marry Qing'er, and I can't leave my lover in bed at this time, go to see my first love, and let her cry alone in the dark. Can you understand that? ”

Zhou Xiang said: "But you have to understand, your current wife is nothing to me, I watched Qing'er grow up, she is my own sister, I can't tolerate her being hurt more, she has suffered enough." ”

Shen Ruoyu asked, "Big brother, are you married now?" ”

Zhou Xiang paused slightly. "What are you asking me for? - I haven't yet. ”

"Do you have a girl you love?"

"Nope; It's not that you don't know, there are no two women in the cottage. I don't have that heart right now. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "You have never tasted love, you don't know what it's like to love someone; Did you know that love cannot be forced? Did you know that many times, love is actually equivalent to hurt? You said that Qing'er took enough damage, but what about me? Am I less than her? At least emotionally, the injury can only be done at the same time, and neither party can escape. So what to do? Is it terrible to suffer a little injury, and to be chained to this injury for the rest of your life until you die in its shadow? If that's the case, then I should have died a long time ago, and I've thought about suicide many times. Now that I choose to start over, why is she still holding on? ”

"Fourth brother, think about where you stand, are you the same as her? She's a girl! Of course, you can start over, but she doesn't have this possibility anymore, a woman can only give her life for one night! You don't understand, do you? ”

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a moment. Then he sighed:

"I don't understand; I know this fact, but I really can't understand why there is such an unreasonable and ruthless reason. It ties to the choices of all women's lives, and they can't follow true love, they can only follow **. It also ties all responsible men to death at the same time, and the result can only be a constant incentive for us to be irresponsible, to care only about our own pleasure, regardless of the life or death of women. ”

"If you know, why are you still like this?" Zhou Xiang asked.

"Because I already have Qiu'er," Shen Ruoyu said, "If I didn't have her, I would go with you to see Qing'er immediately, without hesitation, and even happily." But now, my whole heart and whole body are only given to Qiu'er alone, and I won't allow a second person to rob her, even sharing. ”

He spoke so firmly, without the slightest ambiguity; He married Qiu'er after a long period of consideration, and he has already thought about it maturely, and there will be no more repentance.

Zhou Xiang looked at him wordlessly for a long time. There was silence all around, except for the occasional gust of autumn wind, which blew heavily and drew a string of fragmentary notes between the branches and leaves of the trees.

Finally, with a heavy sigh, he stood up and said:

"Of course, I can't tie you up, and I can't beat you. It's up to you. However, I hope you can think about it seriously, if you change your mind, you can come to us at any time, we live in the Gulou Street Qingbei Inn, I may not be there during the day, but Qing'er does not go out. ”

With that, he stepped on the wall and jumped out; Shen Ruoyu heard his footsteps and ran away along the street, disappearing.

He turned and went into the house; The lights are still on. Nangong Qiu was still lying on the bed, unable to move for half a day, unable to make a sound, and was so uncomfortable that she burst into tears.

Shen Ruoyu didn't know if she was uncomfortable with the light, or because she was even more sad because she listened to the conversation outside. He untied her acupoint, took her into his arms, lowered his head to kiss her aggrieved tears, and said:

"Qiu'er, you heard it all, didn't you? I'm sorry for you, I'm sorry for you......"

Nangong Qiu's whole body was sore, and he could only collapse weakly in his arms. She said:

"Ruo Liao, you better go and see her; I think you'd better go and see her. ”

Shen Ruoyu was slightly stunned and looked at her with some surprise. "Qiu'er?"

Nangong Qiu said: "If I were her, I wouldn't have seen you for so long, I must have missed you very much, even if you don't marry me, it's good to see you." Seeing her doesn't mean marrying her, right? ”

"Qiu'er, how can I run out in the middle of the night to meet another woman? What do you do? ”

Nangong Qiu said: "I have something difficult to do, I'll just wait for you to come back and sleep." ”

Shen Ruoyu was stunned. "Don't you mind? When I go to see my first love, don't you feel -- feel uncomfortable? ”

Nangong Qiu said: "You don't love her anymore; Isn't it normal to see a former friend? I still don't understand your mind. You go and meet her, and you meet and make things clear; It's better for the two of you to say this kind of thing in person, than to ask your eldest brother to help you convey it. ”

She's right. Shen Ruoyu hesitated for a moment and said:

"That'...... So I'm really going? ”

Nangong Qiu smiled innocently: "Go ahead, don't worry about me, you will come back anyway." ”

Shen Ruoyu was deeply moved, kissed her little face, dressed her in underwear, and advised:

"I may go for a long time, sometimes it is uncertain, maybe I won't come back until tomorrow morning, you can sleep first, don't stay up all night waiting for me."

Nangong Qiu patted his stomach: "Look, the noodles are still inside, and I can hold on for a while." Don't worry about me. I'll wait for you to come back, and I won't be afraid. ”

Shen Ruoliao put on her clothes, took the autumn breeze, glanced at her with deep guilt and attachment, and walked out of the house.