Men Cry, It's Not a Sin (3)

"All right, Young Master, I have to go! Help me take good care of yourself, all right?" Tiger Girl looked at Ye Lang, her expression carrying a trace of reluctance and worry.

Help me take good care of yourself, all right?

Those words struck Ye Lang's heart deeply, leaving him with a feeling beyond words.

"All right, I definitely will..."

Slowly, Ye Lang watched the escorting party depart. Even after the carriage carrying Tiger Girl had vanished from sight, he still stood dazed at the gate for quite a while. If Ye Lanyu had not spoken, he probably would have remained there even longer.

"You can't bear to part with her, can you? Do you regret not being a little more selfish?" Ye Lanyu stood prettily beside Ye Lang and spoke softly.

"What's there to miss? I can live just fine on my own! Selfishness? My dictionary contains only selfless devotion!" Ye Lang said stubbornly. Anyone could see he was putting on a brave face.

"All right, let's not talk about that. I'm very curious—if you treasure her so much, why didn't you personally escort her home?" Ye Lanyu did not want to provoke Ye Lang either. Seeing him upset made her feel bad as well.

"I wanted to, but would you have agreed?" Ye Lang asked in return.

"No!" Ye Lanyu and Long Anqi's answer was unequivocal. Given Ye Lang's current state, how could they possibly feel at ease letting him go out? They would firmly oppose it.

"Not only would you not agree, she wouldn't agree either." Ye Lang looked toward the place where Tiger Girl had disappeared and spoke lightly.

She would not agree, not merely for the reasons Ye Lanyu and Long Anqi had in mind, but because she had other concerns. She did not want Ye Lang to be seen by her tribespeople. She did not know how her people would treat her Young Master.

Ye Lang could guess this as well. It had come up before. Back when Tiger Girl spoke of her home, Thirteenth Young Master had said he wanted to visit, and she immediately objected. For someone who normally obeyed his every word, that was exceedingly rare.

That was right—Tiger Girl acknowledged herself as Ye Lang's female slave, but would her tribespeople acknowledge that identity? That was hard to say. They might even see it as an insult to them and do something harmful to Ye Lang.

Perhaps once they understood the circumstances and learned that Ye Lang was her benefactor, her tribespeople would spare him. But that was still an uncertain factor, so she would not let Ye Lang take such a risk. She would only allow him to go once she was sure nothing would happen.

Leaving all that aside, even without those reasons, if Ye Lang escorted Tiger Girl home, Tiger Girl would surely escort him back. It would go back and forth like that endlessly. Only if Ye Lang did not send her off could she truly return home!

He turned and left...

"Huh?" As Ye Lang turned around, Ye Lanyu suddenly sensed the faintest ripple of water-element energy. Could it be...

"Little brother, you cried? Hahaha, you cried..."

That was right. Ye Lang's eyes were slightly moist. He had cried.

Originally, Ye Lanyu thought Ye Lang would surely refuse to admit it. Yet he did something unforgettable—he actually admitted it, and even...

"Men cry, cry, cry! It's not a sin!! Even the strongest have the right to grow weary! If all that remains behind a smile is a shattered heart! Why must a man force himself to such a sorry state!! Men cry..." Ye Lang imitated Old Liu's singing style, pouring out the emotions in his heart as he sang loudly and entered the gates of the Ye Clan.

"Little brother, your song may not be all that great, but it has flavor—real masculine spirit. Where did you learn it?" Ye Lanyu chased after Ye Lang, asking curiously at his side.

Ye Lang's response to Ye Lanyu's question was, "Leave me alone. I haven't vented enough yet!"

"Even rain is a kind of beauty. Better seize this chance and have a good cry—it's not a sin!"

"..."

At night, the moon cast its soft white radiance over the earth. Yet in the deep stillness of the night, a voice within the Ye Residence shattered the peace.

"Tonight's cold wind tears my heart to pieces, my frantic footsteps will not return until I am drunk, the hazy drizzle has its hazy beauty... Why do I cry in such a sorry state? Could it be that I still cling to you... Crying, crying, crying people..."

Holding a pipa, Ye Lang somehow managed to accompany this song himself. The sorrowful notes of the pipa, coupled with his grief-stricken singing, made those who heard it mourn and those who listened shed tears.

He was not using a pipa because he could not find a guitar, but because he did not know how to play that Western instrument. The Martial Arts Treasury contained only ancient Chinese instruments. If he had time later, he could try out Western instruments. For now, the pipa was what he handled best.

Judging only by the pipa and the singing, no one would have found it unpleasant. On the contrary, they would have found it beautiful and wanted to keep listening. But the people of the Ye Residence did not want to hear any more, because—

"I can't take it anymore! Is he going to let us sleep or not?!" The Ye Clan servants dared to be angry but not speak out, and could only mutter quietly.

"Damn it, that kid Thirteenth has been singing all day already. Isn't he tired?" The Ye Clan elders could only feel curious and helpless.

"Thirteenth, your big sister has a date tomorrow. Let me sleep, will you?!" Ye Lang's cousins were far less polite. Whoever was affected would curse at him directly.

No matter how beautiful the music, played at the wrong time, it would become noise—especially when it went on for so long.

Whether Ye Lang had not vented enough, or had simply become addicted to singing, after Tiger Girl left, he had kept singing until now. He had even chosen songs with a faint note of sorrow, making the entire Ye Residence grieve along with him.

Of course, that had not been a problem at first. Many people liked such songs. The issue was that he went on for far too long, and everyone was beginning to lose their patience.

Yet this also showed one thing: Tiger Girl held an important place in his heart, perhaps one no one else could surpass. At least in the years to come, such emotions would be exceedingly rare in him.

"Taiya..." After witnessing this, Ye Lanyu and Long Anqi seemed to feel a little jealous. Yet more than that, they felt gratitude. Tiger Girl had taken care of Ye Lang for so long—far, far more than they had.

After this, Ye Lanyu and Long Anqi treated Ye Lang even better than before, as though they were cradling him in their palms. They seemed to want to catch up to Tiger Girl's place in Ye Lang's heart.

Later, Ye Lang truly stopped singing loudly. This made the cousin who had just shouted feel quite pleased, and she decided she would reward her obedient little cousin tomorrow. But very soon, she went mad with frustration and swore she would never show Ye Lang a pleasant face again.

That was right. Ye Lang stopped singing after that, but he picked up his pipa and began playing. It was a piece carrying a faint sorrow—"Melody of the Pipa."

Tonight, the Ye Residence was destined to go sleepless!!

That night, many people came to hate Ye Lang's music. Yet many years later, they would wonder why they had not listened a little longer, why they had not cherished it.