GTB Chapter 222

Chapter 224: Love is Meaningless

Lanjige Pavilion, in the main hall, Shí Yan, dressed in black, sat at the head of the table, supporting his forehead with one hand. His sharp eyes scanned the people below, emanating an indifferent aura.

After a moment, he parted his thin lips and said in a low, indifferent voice, “Turn around.”

Hearing this, the four people below slowly turned around. Their faces were identical, making them look somewhat strange.

Shí Yan’s gaze swept over each face resembling Yue An Emperor, trying to find a trace of flaw.

He slightly raised his finger and randomly pointed to one of them, his voice cold, “You, stay. The rest, leave.”

Upon hearing this, the other three immediately and respectfully withdrew.

Shí Yan grabbed a handful of peanuts from a dish on the nearby coffee table and casually tossed them into the air, “Catch them.”

The person who was asked to stay, upon hearing this, flashed his figure, and quickly darted in different directions.

With the sound of peanuts hitting the ground, the person descended, opened his hand, revealing the peanuts he had caught, and respectfully said, “Master.”

Shí Yan glanced at the five peanuts in his palm and said indifferently, “Barely acceptable. Practice more these next few days, then leave.”

“Yes.” After the person respectfully responded and retreated, Mu Huo walked in from outside, “Master, Shí Xiu has gone to the Jiang residence.”

Hearing this, a dark color surged in Shí Yan’s eyes, as if he had guessed why Shí Xiu had come to the door today.

“Continue to keep an eye on him.”

…

Inside the Jiang residence, in Crabapple Courtyard, Jiang Jiuchu was lying on a recliner under the crabapple tree, with a book covering her face.

The scattered warm sunlight of early spring shone through the tree trunks onto her pink dress, seeming to blend into the spring day.

In a trance, it seemed as if she had never left this courtyard, never married.

Lü Luo was sitting at a stone table nearby when she suddenly caught sight of Jiang Jiuche and Shí Xiu entering the courtyard gate.

Her expression changed in surprise, and she quickly got up and walked to Jiang Jiuchu’s side, bending down and softly calling, “Miss, Miss, wake up, someone’s here.”

“Hmm?” Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu woke up from her short nap, reached out to remove the book from her face, and opened her sleepy eyes, “Who is it?”

As soon as she turned her head, she saw Shí Xiu walking in with her brother.

Her expression faltered, and the sleepiness in her eyes instantly disappeared. She immediately got up and went forward, giving Shí Xiu a slight curtsy, respectfully saying, “Greetings, Regent.”

Shí Xiu smiled lightly and raised his hand, his gaze gently falling on Jiang Jiuchu, his voice gentle, “Jiuchu, you don’t need to be so polite with me. Our relationship doesn’t require such formality.”

Jiang Jiuchu nodded, glanced at her brother, and then asked Shí Xiu, “I wonder, Regent, is there something you need from me in my courtyard?”

Shí Xiu smiled and went to sit at the stone table nearby, saying in a relaxed tone, “I happened to be free after court today, so I came to chat with Jiuche.”

“I just remembered that you were seriously injured last year, so I was a little worried. I asked Jiuche to bring me over.”

As he spoke, he said with concern, “My medical skills are not bad. Let me take your pulse and have a look. The arrow wound to the chest cannot be taken lightly. If it is not properly cared for, it can easily cause heart problems in the future.”

Seeing that Jiang Jiuchu did not say anything, Jiang Jiuche had no choice but to smile, walk over, and sit beside Shí Xiu, saying with a bit of teasing:

“Come on! Chu’er, don’t be afraid to seek medical attention. If you recover, you won’t have to drink any tonic soups.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu glared at her brother and said reproachfully, “Brother, can’t you save me some face?”

As she spoke, she walked to sit opposite Shí Xiu, extended her arm, and said in a polite and distant tone, “Then I’ll have to trouble the Regent.”

As Shí Xiu reached out to take her pulse, he smiled and said, “Why are you being so polite again? If Jiuchu doesn’t mind, just call me Brother Xiu like you used to.”

Hearing this, a complex expression flashed in Jiang Jiuchu’s eyes. She pursed her lips, thought of a long string of euphemistic words of refusal in her mind, but in the end, she was too lazy to say them. In the end, she only said, “It’s not appropriate.”

Shí Xiu’s fingers, which were taking her pulse, paused slightly, then he smiled faintly and withdrew his hand, “The recovery is good, almost completely healed, but you must not overthink things, or you will hurt your emotions.”

As he spoke, he took out a white porcelain bottle from his chest and handed it to Jiang Jiuchu,

“This is a scar-removing cream that I developed. Apply it once in the morning and once in the evening, and the scar will disappear completely in just over a month.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuchu’s expression changed slightly, and she instantly thought of Shí Yan’s heartless words.

She looked at the white porcelain bottle that Shí Xiu handed her, hesitated for a moment, but finally reached out and took it, politely thanking him, “Thank you for the medicine, Regent.”

Shí Xiu smiled lightly and shook his head, the gentleness in his eyes added a trace of helplessness due to Jiang Jiuchu’s politeness.

“What book is Jiuchu reading?”

He looked at the book at Jiang Jiuchu’s hand, and after seeing the cover of the book, a teasing expression appeared on his smiling face:

“Why is Jiuchu reading philosophy? I thought you girls all liked to read novels?”

Jiang Jiuchu picked up her book and said, “As the saying goes, ‘Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles.’ The feelings of the predecessors are their lifelong insights, every word is like gold, and it is worth reading.”

After she finished speaking, a glint of light suddenly flashed in her eyes as she looked at Shí Xiu, and she put down her book and sighed softly:

“I used to love reading novels, but now I don’t like them anymore. It’s nothing more than love stories, which are meaningless.”

“I, too, now know that love is just an empty illusion, and a mind-bewitching illusion.”

“It makes people sink into it, trapped in a small space, and finally lose themselves in various emotions, and become demonic.”

As she spoke, she continued with a look of relief, “Well, fortunately, I escaped quickly. It’s good to live alone for the rest of my life.”

Hearing this, Jiang Jiuche, who was sitting next to her, secretly admired her. His sister really knew how to make the most of the topic and get to the root of the problem. These words sounded like they came from an old man who had seen through the world.

After a slight stiffness on his face, Shí Xiu burst out laughing, “It seems that Jiuchu has read a lot of this kind of book recently. If you continue to read it, you will be comparable to the abbot of Ning Yin Temple.”

Jiang Jiuchu yawned, with a relaxed and joking attitude.

“Is that so? Then it seems that I have the potential to have an epiphany. Maybe if I work harder, I can attain enlightenment and become an immortal in my next life! At that time, I won’t have to enter this mortal world again,”

Shí Xiu smiled, “Jiuchu is wrong. The mortal world is the greatest teaching ground in life. Only by constantly experiencing the joys and sorrows of this world can you have an epiphany.”

“And what is written in these books is always what others have realized and felt. How can empty talk on paper be as fast as experiencing it in the mortal world…”

“Also, a truly enlightened person is not afraid of any of the seven emotions and six desires approaching. Therefore… Jiuchu’s enlightenment doesn’t even count as an entry.”

After he finished speaking, he picked up the tea brought by Lü Luo, took a light sip, and continued, “The Lantern Festival is tomorrow. I’ll take you to see the lights of thousands of homes in this mortal world.”

After speaking, he did not give Jiang Jiuchu a chance to refuse and stood up directly, “Alright, I have something to do, so I’ll leave first.”

Jiang Jiuche and Jiang Jiuchu looked at Shí Xiu who stood up and left in astonishment. They forgot that this person had stayed in a Taoist temple before….

“I’ll see him off, I’ll be right back.” After Jiang Jiuche finished speaking, he hurriedly got up and quickly chased after him.

Jiang Jiuchu looked at the person who disappeared at the entrance of the courtyard, her thoughts gradually deepening.