Chapter 585 - 581: Meeting the Parents
Chapter 585: Chapter 581: Meeting the Parents
"You’re here."
Fang Han stopped in front of Yun Qianyue.
"I paid a visit to my sister and thought I’d stop by to see you."
Yun Qianyue gave a slight nod, the warm light from the lanterns at the courtyard gate reflecting in her cool, clear eyes.
Fang Han stepped aside to lead the way. The two walked side-by-side through the courtyard and into the Warm Pavilion.
Inside the Warm Pavilion, a charcoal fire burned brightly, its cozy warmth dispelling the winter chill.
Qiu Lan served two cups of fragrant tea before silently excusing herself, gently closing the door behind her.
Yun Qianyue removed her fox-fur cloak, draped it over a nearby clothes rack, and sat down in a pearwood chair, lifting her teacup for a small sip.
Fang Han sat down beside her. The charcoal in the brazier crackled softly, and for a moment, the Warm Pavilion fell silent.
"You came at the right time."
Fang Han spoke, his gaze falling on Yun Qianyue’s face, which was veiled in purple gauze.
"I was planning to look for you in the next few days."
Yun Qianyue raised her eyes. Her gaze, visible from behind the purple veil, held a hint of inquiry.
"Is there something you needed to see me about?"
"The schedule for leaving the sect during the new year’s holiday is too tight. I plan to leave a few days early,"
Fang Han said, his tone consultative.
"This way, we won’t have to rush on the road, and you’ll be able to spend more time at my home."
Yun Qianyue’s fingers, holding the teacup, paused slightly.
She understood that Fang Han was doing this for her. She was to visit the Fang Mansion at the end of the year. If they left the sect at the normal holiday time, even if she only stayed at the Fang Mansion for a single day, she might not be able to return to her own home before the new year.
"Alright."
She nodded lightly. Her voice was still cool, yet it carried a faint trace of softness.
"That would indeed give us more time."
Fang Han let out a sigh of relief, but then he heard Yun Qianyue speak again.
"However, I’d like to invite Miss Lan to come with us."
Fang Han was slightly taken aback. His eyes fell upon her face, carefully studying her expression.
Yun Qianyue’s expression showed no displeasure; her cool, clear eyes held only peace and frankness.
’I actually did consider this,’ Fang Han thought.
Lan Yuexin had feelings for him, and he intended to accept them. If he brought Yun Qianyue home to meet his parents but didn’t invite Lan Yuexin, he would be letting her down.
He had only suppressed the idea because he was worried it would displease Yun Qianyue.
Now that Yun Qianyue had brought it up herself, his worries dissipated.
"Alright."
He nodded, saying no more.
Yun Qianyue lowered her gaze and took another sip of tea, the cup hiding the slight curve of her lips.
’It’s not that I feel no jealousy,’ she thought. ’I’m just very aware that a man as outstanding as Fang Han isn’t someone I can have all to myself.’
’Besides, Lan Yuexin, with her talent for business, could truly be a great help to Fang Han.’
...
「A few days later.」
A carriage traveled north along the main road.
It was pulled by a Cyan-hoofed Deer with a slender body and short, cyan fuzz on its four hooves. Its gait was light and swift, and the carriage moved as smoothly as a boat on calm water.
The interior of the carriage was warm and cozy, furnished with thick, plush carpets. Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin sat facing each other.
Lan Yuexin was dressed in a goose-yellow brocade jacket, its collar trimmed with a circle of snow-white rabbit fur, which made her already stunning face appear even more graceful and gentle.
Noticing a dry leaf that had floated in at some point and landed on Yun Qianyue’s purple veil, she naturally reached out and gently plucked it off for her.
"Sister Yun, this purple veil suits your disposition perfectly."
Lan Yuexin smiled, her bright eyes sweeping over Yun Qianyue’s face.
Yun Qianyue took the leaf and set it aside. Her voice was cool, yet carried a rare softness.
"You flatter me, Yuexin. Your goose-yellow attire suits you just as well."
The two chatted in low voices, the atmosphere harmonious, as if they were old friends who had known each other for years.
Fang Han sat on the other side of the carriage, watching the two peerless beauties whisper to each other. An indescribable sense of satisfaction swelled in his heart.
Though he was devoted to the Martial Dao, he was not immune to the charms of women.
’Yun Qianyue is as cool and aloof as a winter plum on a snowy peak, while Lan Yuexin is as gentle as the soft ripples of spring water,’ he mused. ’To think that both of these outstanding women will be mine... I’ll have the bliss of two beauties. The feeling is simply beyond words.’
The Cyan Hoof Deer Carriage was much faster than an ordinary carriage, reaching the Fang Mansion in Liangshui City in just over a day.
The Cyan Hoof Deer Carriage stopped before the mansion gates. Fang Han leaped down first, and with Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin on his left and right, he walked toward the entrance.
"Young Master Fang is back!"
"Young Master Fang!"
...
The Fang Clan Members they met along the way greeted Fang Han warmly while curiously sizing up Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin, guessing at their identities.
At Tingyu Pavilion, his father, Fang Zheng, and mother, Lin Wan, had already received word from a servant and were waiting eagerly at the entrance with his little sister, Fang Ying.
Fang Han had mentioned to them before that he would be bringing home the young woman he had feelings for at the end of the year.
"Father, Mother."
Fang Han called out, then stepped half a pace to the side, bringing the two women from behind him to the front.
"This is my junior sister from the Qingxuan Sect, Yun Qianyue. And this is Miss Lan Yuexin of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion."
Facing the gazes of Fang Zheng and Lin Wan, Yun Qianyue’s body tensed up slightly. Despite her usual cool composure, she couldn’t help but feel nervous in this kind of situation.
She gave a slight curtsy and presented two Purple Sandalwood Boxes with both hands.
"Uncle, Auntie, this is a small token of Qianyue’s esteem. I hope you’ll like it."
Lan Yuexin also bowed with a beaming smile, offering two Brocade Boxes. Her voice was gentle.
"Yuexin has come uninvited. I hope Uncle and Auntie will not be offended."
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan accepted the gifts, handed them to a maidservant standing nearby, and beamed.
Lin Wan’s gaze shifted back and forth between the two young women, her delight growing the more she looked at them.
Fang Ying peeked out from behind her mother. Now almost nine years old, she had shot up in height and was wearing a small green jacket, her hair tied into two looped buns.
Her big, dark eyes darted between Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin before she called out in a clear, crisp voice:
"Hello, Sister Yun! Hello, Sister Lan!"
Her voice was as clear as a bell—sweet and confident, not shy at all. Her poised tone already hinted at the young lady she was becoming.
The little girl who used to ask for candy was starting to grow up.
A trace of softness appeared in Yun Qianyue’s cool eyes, and a gentle smile graced Lan Yuexin’s face. Both took out gifts they had prepared in advance.
"Xiaoying, this is a gift for you. See if you like it."
Fang Ying accepted the gifts with both hands, gave a sweet "thank you," and then looked up at Fang Han, blinking her eyes.
"Brother, both sisters are so nice!"
Fang Han smiled and ruffled her hair.
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan led everyone into the Warm Pavilion. After some pleasantries, they pulled Fang Han aside.
"Han’er."
Lin Wan lowered her voice, glancing over at the two young women who were now amusing Fang Ying with conversation.
"Which one is our future daughter-in-law?"
Fang Han smiled, his voice calm and frank.
"Mother, both of them are."
Fang Zheng and Lin Wan froze at the same time.
Then, Lin Wan’s gentle eyes suddenly lit up, and she could no longer suppress the smile spreading across her face.
On Fang Zheng’s square, dignified face, a flash of surprise vanished as quickly as it came. He then stroked his beard and nodded, his eyes full of gratification.
’Only the incompetent marry just one wife. A capable man takes several.’
’For my son to have won the hearts of two such outstanding women is a testament to his ability, and a blessing for the Fang Family.’
Lin Wan was already mentally calculating when she’d be holding her grandchildren. Gazing at the two slender figures—one in purple, one in yellow—in the distance, she felt more and more delighted.
For the next few days, Fang Han took the rare step of setting aside his Cultivation.
After breakfast each morning, he would take Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin for a stroll through the Fang Mansion.
The Fang Mansion had been expanded several times and was now far larger than before, with pavilions and halls artfully arranged amidst rockeries, flowing water, and winding, secluded paths.
Yun Qianyue walked arm-in-arm with Lan Yuexin. The two strolled side-by-side along the covered corridors, sometimes talking in low voices, sometimes pausing to take in the view.
"We moved to Tingyu Pavilion later. This is where my family originally lived,"
Fang Han said, pointing to a small courtyard in a remote corner of the Fang Mansion.
"To think your family’s circumstances were so harsh when you were a child."
Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin gazed at the small courtyard, their eyes carefully taking it in.
They pictured a young Fang Han practicing his swordplay here. They imagined him walking out of this courtyard to become number one on the Celestial Pride List, and their gazes softened.
Compared to Fang Han, their own living conditions growing up had been far more affluent.
In the afternoon, Fang Han took the two of them out of the mansion for a stroll through Liangshui City.
Liangshui City was just a remote, small city, nowhere near as prosperous as Qingxuan City, let alone the Commandery City.
But Yun Qianyue and Lan Yuexin observed everything with great interest.
The mottled bricks of the city gate, the old teahouses along the street, the steam-filled bun shops in the alleys—they examined every ordinary sight with a sense of curiosity.
"It’s hard to imagine."
Lan Yuexin stood on East Street, the city’s busiest thoroughfare, and gazed at the shops on either side, sighing softly.
"That such a small city could produce a man like you."
Yun Qianyue nodded slightly in agreement.
’To think that a small family in such a remote little city could produce the most talented disciple the Qingxuan Sect has seen in centuries... If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, it would be truly unbelievable.’
Hearing this, Fang Han just smiled and said nothing more.
On the third day, Fang Han took them to a few pleasant scenic spots outside the city, including a hillside and a stream bank.
The vegetation had withered in the winter, but the mountain air was crisp and clear, offering a unique charm.
Lan Yuexin was wearing a water-blue satin cloak today, the white fox fur on its collar making her face seem even more radiant.
She bent down to pick up a smooth pebble from the stream’s edge and examined it in her palm, a faint smile rippling in her bright eyes.
Yun Qianyue, dressed in a lavender gown, stood at the top of the slope, her light purple veil fluttering gently in the mountain breeze.
Fang Han walked to her side. They stood shoulder to shoulder, gazing at the silhouettes of the rolling mountains in the distance.
"In March of next year, you’re going to the Imperial Capital?"
Yun Qianyue suddenly spoke, her cool voice tinged with concern.
On the carriage ride, Fang Han had mentioned receiving an invitation to the Martial Arts Assembly.
"Yes."
Fang Han nodded.
"The rewards from the Martial Arts Assembly are worth the trip."
Yun Qianyue fell silent for a moment and didn’t say anything more.
’I know that his path on the Martial Dao will only take him further and higher.’
’Liangshui City, the Qingxuan Sect, and even Qingyang County are just waystations on his journey.’
’Fortunately, now that we have this connection, I’m no longer just a passerby in his life. I will be a witness to it.’
Fang Han turned his head to look at Yun Qianyue, catching a flicker of emotion in her cool, clear eyes.
He reached out and gently took her hand, which was hanging at her side.
Yun Qianyue’s fingers trembled slightly, but she didn’t pull away.
By the stream, Lan Yuexin happened to look up and see the scene at the top of the slope.
She didn’t go up to disturb them.
After spending these few days together, the bond between Fang Han and the two women had deepened, almost without them realizing it.