He went to the stone table underneath a tree, reached for the bottle of wine Chen Rong had drunk from, and threw his head back for a swig. Chen Rong was about to remind him when she saw that he had finished, so she in turn closed her mouth.
Sun Yan sat down, patted the spot next to him, and called Chen Rong: “What are you standing there for? Come here and have a talk with me.”
Chen Rong quickly went over. go to moc.824retsmah
After they sat down across from each other, Chen Rong concernedly looked at him and asked, “Didn’t you move out of the city? Why have you come back in?”
Sun Yan poured a drink, picked up a piece of pastry and threw it into his mouth. He mumbled as he chewed: “The troops are still outside, only I can come in.”
He looked up and took another gulp of wine, then casually inquired after her. “But enough about me. What about you? How are you doing? What happened that day anyway? When I saw General Wen that day, he said you had released sky lanterns. Your name and Wang Hong’s name were also written on them in Hu script. I was fearful for you when I heard that you were at the prince’s estate and immediately thought that you were in danger. If not, you wouldn’t have risked alarming others by releasing those sky lanterns and writing Hu script.”
He pounded the cup onto the table, stared at Chen Rong and indignantly said, “Why did you write Wang Hong’s name? Why didn’t you write my name? Dammit, even if I couldn’t have saved you, I could’ve looked for Wang Hong like I had!”
Chen Rong watched the young boy huffing and puffing and couldn’t help smiling despite herself.
Upon seeing her smile, Sun Yan came to realize that his words were quite irrational and he therefore glumly lowered his head.
Chen Rong had wanted to talk to him about this matter. Now that he took the lead in mentioning it, she cleared her throat and began to speak.
Sun Yan’s face darkened. He slapped the stone table and growled: “I can’t believe Chen Yuan is that kind of a person!”
He raised his head worriedly. “When will your father and brother come to Nan’yang? Or… should I find a way to bring you to Jiankang? You’ll get into trouble sooner or later under this man’s custody.”
My father and brother in Jiankang? go to hamster428
Chen Rong smiled wistfully and shook her head.
Sun Yan studied her and, when he saw that she had seemed sad, a thought came to him which made him smile wryly: “Your name is as good as destroyed by the Prince of Nan’yang and Wang Hong. Or else, I could go ahead without the approval of my family and marry you.”
Chen Rong’s head was bowed in silence. She naturally understood Sun Yan’s meaning. Although the boy was footloose, he was after all a direct descendant of the Sun house in Jiangdong. Even if his parents were no longer by his side, he couldn’t arrange himself a marriage that would bring dishonor to his family and ancestors. For him to marry someone with a ruined name like her, he’d first need to win his family’s consent.
At this thought, Chen Rong couldn’t help but to be angry with Wang Qilang.
She pursed her lips and fumed: “You’re all a bad lot!”
Sun Yan was bemused by her words. “I’m a man of honor,” he claimed. “And so is General Ran!”
Just then, a woman’s voice came: “Is Ah Rong in? Jiejie has come to see you.”
It was Chen Wei’s voice. go to moc.824retsmah
She’s here?
“Ah Yan, leave for now,” Chen Rong immediately said to Sun Yan. “My cousins are the most troublesome.”
Sun Yan nodded, stood up, and turned around to go.
He had just gotten to the gate by the time Chen Wei gracefully came in.
She paused at the sudden meeting with Sun Yan, then glanced at Chen Rong in jealousy before turning to give him a curtsy. “Good greetings, General Sun,” she sweetly said.
Sun Yan snorted, flapped his sleeves, and went out the door without any concern for her.
Chen Wei froze at being snubbed. She turned to watch Sun Yan’s departing back while, slowly, her face grew ugly.
But in mere seconds, Chen Wei forced a smile on her lips and turned to her cousin. “Ah Rong.”