The Inverted Dragon's Scale

Taohong, with her head hanging low, led the way in front for the Madam of the house and Song Tinyun.

She could tell that Madam Yue Wenxiu really liked Song Tinyun. But if Madam liked him and the young Miss did not——then Miss was going to be troubled again.

Taohong speeded up, and at the doorway notified Cui Xiaoxin, who was reading, “Miss, Madam is here, Young master Song Tinyun of the Song family is also here.”

Cui Xiaoxin’s attention seemed to be still focused on the contents of the book, leaning against the soft couch next to the fire, there was a pondering and confused look on her face.

After a while, it wasn’t until Mother Cui, Yue Wenxiu, had come in and stood in front of Cui Xiaoxin that she snapped out of her thoughts and sprang to her feet, bowing. “Mother is here.”

She lifted her head up to take a glance at Song Tinyun, eyelashes fluttered, then bowed again, saying, “pays respect to Song family’s older brother.”

“Xiaoxin, you were lost in thoughts again?” Yue Wenxiu said with a smile on her face. Although she talking to her daughter, she cast a side-long glance to Song Tinyun, as if boasting about the fact that her daughter loves to read.

“Yes.” Cui Xiaoxin closed the scroll in her hand.

“Xiaoxin, it’s been a while since I last saw you.” Song Tinyun greeted Cui Xiaoxin with a smile. “Excuse me for visiting, I didn’t bother you, did I?”

“No.” Cui Xiaoxin answered.

Yue Wenxiu felt the atmosphere was a bit too ‘cold’ and not too good.

She tried to ease the atmosphere by saying with a smile: “Look at you two, you two were glued to each other when you were young, and no one can drag you two away from each other. Now that you two have grown up, you are awkward with each other.”

Song Tinyun’s lips curled into a smile and laughed. “At that time I made Aunt Yue worry.”

“Yes, how can I not worry? You yelled that you want to make Xiaoxin your bride, and said you want to get married immediately. You even refused to leave our house.” Yue Wenxiu began to use her tricks.

“Haha, I remember——” Song Tinyun laughed, turning his head to look at Cui Xiaoxin. “Xiaoxin, do you remember?”

“I——” Cui Xiaoxin blushed shyly when she hard this, the peach red colour spreading instantly from her face to her neck. “I remember a little, some I do not remember.”

Yue Wenxiu took the scroll from her daughter’s hand and urged, “Xiaoxin, why don’t you invite Tinyun to sit down? The older you get, the more you forget courtesy? Taohong, serve tea.

“Yes, Madam.” Taohong answered, scurried out and became busy.

Cui Xiaoxin cleared the complex emotions in her heart, becoming much calmer and composed than she was before, then made an invitation gesture to Song Tinyun, saying: “Song family’s elder brother, please sit down.”

“You used to call me Older Brother Tinyun.” When Song Tinyun was sitting down, he said while looking at Cui Xiaoxin’s beautiful and moving eyes.

Cui Xiaoxin smiled slightly, then the smile spread out on her face as she softly said: “It was many years ago. Things change, and people are also changing, why bring the past up?”

Song Tinyun shook his head. “The world changes, but it is not easy for the heart to change. At least, I, Song Tinyun’s heart, has not changed.”

This sentence was somewhat putting the blame on Cui Xiaoxin. My heart had remained the same, but your heart has changed.

Cui Xiaoxin was sat opposite of Song Tinyun, looking at his handsome face, she suddenly felt that he was a little unfamiliar.

It was not unfamiliarity in distance, and not unfamiliarity in time.

Instead, as she looked into his face, there was always another face in her mind. As a result, Song Tinyun’s face was not real, blurred and vague, and as though it may be replaced by another face at any time.

“Xiaoxin——” Yue Wenxiu couldn’t help yelling out when she saw her daughter staring dazedly at Song Tinyun’s face.

It was only then when Cui Xiaoxin snapped out of the trance, and asked Mother Yue Wenxiu. “Mother, can I talk with Song family’s elder brother alone?”

Yue Wenxiu’s expression slightly stiffened, and then she smiled: “Yes, yes, that’s right, you young people should have a chat, I won’t get involved.”

As she was leaving, she reminded Cui Xiaoxin in a hushed tone: “Xiaoxin, treat a guest well. You must not be disrespectful to Tinyun.”

“Mother, I know.” Cui Xiaoxin uttered, expressionless.

When Yue Wenxiu left, Cui Xiaoxin looked at Song Tinyun sitting opposite, and said: “Song family’s elder brother, how about we take a walk around the courtyard? It’s too boring in the room.”

A trace of anger flashed in Song Tinyun’s eyes, which dyed away immediately. She did not mean it was boring in the room but it was too ‘boring’ being with him.

When you are with a woman, you can’t just listen to their literal meaning, but think deeper about every word she says.

Luckily, he was a man who was not stupid.

Song Tinyun stood up, keeping a smiling expression on his face. “Good. When we were young, we loved throwing snowballs in the snow, and we would refuse to go back inside even though our boots were soaked in snow. Come to think of it now, it’s been so many years since I have done that.”

“He’s mentioning the past again.” Cui Xiaoxin thought to herself. “Those things just make the mood heavier and heavier, like a huge debt owed many years ago, and now, the debtor is here to collect the debt——”

Taohong and Liulu came in with tea, watching the two masters stepped into the courtyard with one behind the other.

Song Tinyun pointed to a tiled jar and said, “Back then, we kept a red tailed fish there.”

Then his finger shifted, pointing to a Tiandu cherry blossom tree in the courtyard. “I remember we planted that Tiandu cherry tree together here. You like cherry blossoms the most. I remember you were playing in the house and when you saw the courtyard was filled with cherry blossoms, you begged me to dig up a space in the small yard to grow your own. Father also likes to grow cherry blossoms in his courtyard, so I secretly dug up one for you——It has grown so tall.”

“And this Winter sweet tree——”

“That’s enough.” Cui Xiaoxin raised her voice all of a sudden.

Song Tinyun looked up to see Cui Xiaoxin gasping for breath, beads of sweat soaked her face, the smile on her face was gone, and her face also grew icy cold.

“It seems that all those rumours out there are true?”

Cui Xiaoxin did not respond to the statement, instead uttered in a low voice, “I know what you’re here for. You don’t have to worry, what I should do, I’m ready for it.”

“Who asked you to be ready? Who asked you to be ready?” Song Tinyun raged.

Cui Xiaoxin was also pale and silent.

Song Tinyun moved his head closer, eyes staring fiercely in Cui Xiaoxin’s. “Cui Xiaoxin, I know, the reason you are saying this to me, is hoping that I can take the initiative to give up. You want me to give you up, give up this engagement. And then you will be free, is that right?”

“I won’t do that, I’m not going to be the struggling resister, I’m not going to be that stupid person who sacrifices himself. Don’t you like that Li Muyang? So you’re going to fight on your own. You’re going to refuse the marriage, run away, elope with that man——do what your Aunt did back then.”

Song Tinyun’s eyes were bloodshot like an infuriated wolf: “Of course, in the end your resistance will not have any significance. You will be taken back by the Cui family, the man who dares take the woman of the Cui family will be killed by the Cui family to the extent that not even his body or bones will be found. What about you? Your fate is——what everyone expects, you will marry to the Song family, become the Song family’s daughter-in-law, become I, Song Tinyun’s wife. You will live with me in a false life and give birth to a few children——this is the fate of your life.”

“There’s the best example before you, do you——do you want to follow her? Perhaps your fate will change as a result?”

A sarcastic smile curved Song Tinyun’s lips as he turned and walked towards the door.。

Taohong and Liulu trotted over, supporting the pale Cui Xiaoxin who was about to collapse.

“Miss, Miss, are you all right?”

“Miss, don’t scare me, say something, Miss——

“I want to see Li Muyang.” Cui Xiaoxin uttered, “I want to see Li Muyang.”

“But, Miss, we can’t go out, there are a lot more guards at the courtyard gate——” “

“I want to see Li Muyang.” Cui Xiaoxin said, gnashing her teeth.

A bright red trickle of blood flowed down the corner of her lips. It was from her grinding her teeth together——

“Li Muyang?” The gatekeeper stared warily at Li Muyang, “You’re that——Li Muyang of the Lu family?”

“Yes, the Lu family’s Li Muyang.” Li Muyang said with a smile.

“You want to see our family’s Miss Song Chenxi?” “

“Yes I want to see Miss Chenxi.” Li Muyang said, nodding. Seeing that the gatekeeper’s expression was growing cold, his attitude worsening, Li Muyang added, “Your family’s Miss Chenxi asked me to come over.”

“I can’t decide.” The gatekeeper said. “I need to inform the steward, who needs to inform the main steward, then the main steward will inform the second master——If the second master agrees, then we can let you go see Miss.”

“So troublesome?” Li Muyang widened his eyes.

Li Shinian, who was standing next to him, grunted impatiently. “Brother, let’s go back. The Song family’s doorstep is too high, since they won’t let us in, then we won’t go in. Who would want to?”

Turning around again, she said to the doormen, “we wouldn’t have come if your lady hadn’t asked my brother to come over. We wouldn’t come even if you begged us.”

Li Shinian dragged Li Muyang by the arm, “Brother, let’s go back.”

“Let’s go back,” said Li Muyang with a smile. He looked at the doormen and said, “If your young Miss asks, please say Li Muyang has come. I, Li Muyang, have never broke a promise before.”

With that, the two turned away towards their carriage.

“Gongzi Muyang——Gongzi Muyang——” A clear and melodious voice sounded from behind. “Gongzi Muyang please wait——”