CONQUERING THE HEART OF THE ENCHANTING BEAUTY

4 - An evening with Lan'er and Sister Yue

Summer in BLUE CLOUDS TOWN was favourable. 'There's a saying in the kingdom if you want to have a summer fling 'Blue Clouds Town' is the perfect place for you.' Many men and women from all across the empire come to spend their summer here.

"Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time."

It's been three months since Shen Zheqiang and Zhu Xiaolan moved in here. They have made themselves quite familiar with the people and their surroundings.
Zhu Xiaolan had also made many friends and he will visit them most of the times.

With the help of Su Yue their small farm is now filled with various vegetables and fruits.
The most in abundant was the cucumbers.
They were planted by Zhu Xiaolan and he would gift them to his friends.

When all work were done Shen Zheqiang spend his evening with Su Yue and Zhu Xiaolan at the courtyard to feel the evening fresh air.
Surely the breeze in the countryside is purer and cleaner than the capital.
It was refreshing.
The silence wasn't so bad but Su Yue felt it was too quiet and boring so she started the conversation, " Lan'er, you've been here for three months now have you met someone you like?"

Zhu Xiaolan, " Huh? Someone I like? No sister Yue I haven't."

" What about that young master Chuang?"

"Young master Chuang and I don't have that kind of relationship."
Xiaolan said but somehow his blushing and reddened ears when Young master Chuang name was mentioned can't be hidden.

Shen Zheqiang and Su Yue were startled. By looking at Zhu Xiaolan expression anyone could figure out what he really feels for that young master.

"Xiaolan since when?"

Shen Zheqiang asked very straightforwardly.
Again Zhu Xiaolan blushed and his face was like a tomato as if he was caught red handed.

" No it's not like."

Shen Zheqiang,"Then why are you blushing?''

Su Yue,"Does he knows?"

Zhu Xiaolan let out a smile unintentionally.
It was all written in his cut and pale but now reddened face .
The evenings he went out was not to visit his friends but to have secret tyrst with this young master name Chuang Sheng. Those cucumbers were for Chuang Sheng?
Zhu Xiaolan doesn't want to hide about it but thinking about Shen Zheqiang and how he'll be alone if Zhu Xiaolan were to leave him he felt sad and didn't speak about the matter until today.

Knowing that Zhu Xiaolan has found someone he likes Shen Zheqiang felt happy but sad at the same time. Zhu Xiaolan will leave him when the time comes and he'll be alone .. Everyone who loves him leave him at end, like his mother and now Zhu Xiaolan who have found someone else he like and if they get married Xiaolan will have to leave him.
But inorder not to show his sadness he averted his attention towards Su Yue and asked," How bout Sister Yue? Do you have someone you like? "

"I did."

"....?"

Su Yue in a soft voice spoke ," I once met someone I like but it didn't work out."

"Did he get married ?"

"Yes"

Shen Zheqiang felt like he had hurt Su Yue feelings by asking bout her personal matters and quickly apologize.

"Don't apologise it's nothing. She was forced to marry. Her step mother married her off to someone she doesn't like."

"Huh?"

Both Shen Zheqiang and Zhu Xiaolan were startled at Su Yue's words and couldn't understand it.

Su Yue sighed and thought about how silly their expressions were.

"Don't be shocked. We are like family I'll help you understand things clearer."

Both of them nodded.

"I don't like men so the person I'm referring to is a woman. We were in love but since we were both women it was no way it'll work out."

This was the first time they had heard of a woman preferring the company of another woman . It surely open the eyes of the frogs in the well.
Su Yue told them more about her relationship with that particular woman, how and why it ended.
They have not seen the world but the 'woman preferring another woman' help them think about the world in a new light.
The world is big and it's not the same everywhere . The people are not the same. Everything is not like the capital.

Su Yue then told them about her first love and how it didn't go well.
Since young Su Yue hated the idea of living together with man. At first she thought it was because she was young so she didn't want to get married but the thought disappeared when she met someone.
It was love at first sight and moreover that person was a woman.
Su Yue was shocked and cried.
She thought she was sick .
How could she like someone of the same gender? But with time her feelings grew deeper and deeper until one day she took up the courage and confessed it to her crush.
To her surprised that person also confessed her feelings to Su Yue.
Both of them kept their relationship in secret .
Nobody knows and they were happy everything was going alright until one day the step mother found out about their relationship.
The step mother force Su Yue's lover to marry or she'll kill Su Yue.
A threat to break off the relationship.
Both of them were reluctant but at last they came to understand the situation they were in. Two women against the world it was too much. If the society finds out about it they will be killed off or forced to marry off to men.
There were also possibility that they will be forced into prostitution. And their families will also be in trouble .
Inorder not to hurt anyone or bring trouble to their families
they had no choice but to separate .
A man with another man was acceptable. Even the noblemen in the capital have kept many male lovers.

When Su Yue narrated her story her voice was soft and her eyes were filled with sadness.
It was rare to see Su Yue in such broken state.
Usually she was all smile and always wear the look of a happy person but now Shen Zheqiang and Zhu Xiaolan knew she was also like them with a sad past.
It just that she didn't want to show her weakness or ruin her.

"When I told my mother about it . I thought she would be very disappointed but she didn't. She just smiled and said that she would always be proud of me no matter what. She just wants me to be happy and always be who I really am. My mother was my greatest supporter but she passed away eight years ago and then I left home a month later. I still miss her everyday."

She smiled bitterly.

" Sister Yue don't be sad you have me , Xiaolan and brother Lu. We'll always be by your side, okay?"

" I'm okay I'm not sad it's all in the past now. Forget it lets go inside and cook for dinner I'm very hungry ."

They didn't speak anymore and the three of them went inside.

--------------------------------

That night after dinner they drank too much, unable to get up and walk to their rooms the three of them lost unconsciousness and soon slept on the floor like dead animals.
Didn't have any care these peaceful days were the best days of Shen Zheqiang's life.
He don't have to worry about what kind of punishment or humiliation awaits him.
He don't have to see the faces of those evil people with two faces.
This kind of peaceful nights he doesn't want to trade it for anything.

If you like this chapter then please do vote and comment.
Your feedbacks will motivate me to keep going on.
Happy reading,

Jir.