Only You Can’t

A melodic voice echoed in his ears as Yún Mù stood by the bed, holding a new garment in his hands.

The boy turned, and a moonlit figure suddenly appeared in his gaze.

The door opened once more, and Shangguan Xúnyī, who had just rushed in, entered again.

“Hey—haven’t you figured out your place yet? What are you standing there thinking about?”

The girl wore a cherry blossom-colored embroidered butterfly dress, with a loose, soft, light pink outer robe draping over it. Her unbound hair was tied with a light-colored ribbon.

She approached, her hairpin askew, threatening to fall from her bun.

“Yún Mù, if the master finds out about what happened earlier, what do you think will happen to you?”

She snatched the garment from the boy and placed it on the bed, her steps pushing him against the wall.

Her right hand rested on the wall, the jade bracelet on her slender wrist glinting, while her left hand lifted his chin. A smile played on her lips, a faint scent of plum blossoms wafting from her sleeves.

“So, are you going to give me some hush money?”

“Miss Shangguan… Given my position, I shouldn’t be involved in such intimate actions with you.”

The boy’s face flushed slightly as he pushed her hand away, trying to slip past her, only to be stopped by her other hand.

“Miss…” He looked up at the girl who stood a head taller than him, his vision blurring with unshed tears, his heartbeat racing. “Please, be more reserved…” Yet, his words carried a firmer tone.

Truthfully, he wasn’t sure how to deal with this Shangguan family’s side branch girl, whether in their childhood or now.

Shangguan Xúnyī was the first girl he met when he arrived at the Shangguan residence with his master. She was three years older, one of the few who didn’t scorn him and played with him as a “peer.”

During that time, the girl would often cling to him, treating him like her own little brother. She once said, since their parents were both gone, why couldn’t they be siblings?

But after Yún Mù’s master passed away and he became Shangguan Qiūyuè’s personal attendant, she visited less frequently.

The reason? She simply mentioned “avoiding suspicion,” without elaborating, making Yún Mù question if he had done something wrong.

He didn’t understand why they needed to avoid suspicion.

In fact, for the past three years, their encounters had dwindled to just a few times a year.

Strangely, around the same time, Shangguan Xúnyī, for no apparent reason, began acting differently. She discarded her previous indifference, drawing closer to him without cause, pulling him into her embrace, or attempting other intimate gestures.

Though he always rejected her, the girl persisted, their interactions becoming like a cat and its catnip, with Shangguan Xúnyī as the cat and Yún Mù as the catnip.

“Be more reserved? Yún Mù, do you think you have the right to tell me that? Didn’t my younger sister just kiss your cheek?”

She feigned composure, looking down at the boy with a sisterly demeanor, her heart racing.

Did she… Did she actually kiss him?

Or was it just a whispered secret?

“Miss Shangguan, I believe this is none of your concern.” Yún Mù maintained a cool demeanor, his words sharper. “If you’re just trying to threaten me, there’s no need. I won’t fall for it, and I’m not worth your trouble.”

A moment of silence passed, and the girl’s lips trembled, her heart feeling like it was being cut.

She held her head high, looking at the boy who had once been her playmate.

“Yún Mù… Do you hate me that much?”

Yún Mù’s brow furrowed, and Shangguan Xúnyī’s aggressive stance faltered, but her voice grew heavier.

“I don’t hate you…”

Before Yún Mù could speak, the girl interrupted.

“Not hate me? You call me Miss Shangguan, address me formally, and say my affairs are none of your concern. What else could that mean but hate?”

She gripped his arms, her eyes filled with resentment.

“Yún Mù, you can wash my younger sister’s feet, let her step on your face, but when it comes to me, you can’t even bear a hug? Is that so hard for you?”

“Yún Mù, you first met me when you arrived at the mansion. When your master was alive, I was the one who stayed with you. You used to call me Unyi Sister, and you even washed my feet then, remember?”

Yún Mù nodded, recalling the girl’s words that it was a brother’s duty to serve his sister.

“Then why, why now, do you only have eyes for Shangguan Qiūyuè?”

The girl’s questioning voice softened, but the silence between them grew heavier.

“Miss…”

“Yún Mù… Is it because I couldn’t stay with you as much as I wanted? Or is it because I’ve been away so often that you no longer care? Or is it because I’m a side branch, a child without parents, and not worthy of your attention?”

This was the first time Shangguan Xúnyī had bared her heart, the first time she had spoken such painful words.

Her emotions ranged from confusion to sorrow, tears forming in her eyes.

Yún Mù felt a lump in his throat, a pang in his heart.

He realized the girl’s intentions.

She seemed to crave companionship, yet she was also envious.

She wanted to prove that, despite being a side branch, she was no less than Shangguan Qiūyuè.

“Miss Shangguan… Are you jealous?”

The words slipped out, followed by a flash of anger.

“Slap!”

A sharp sound echoed as the girl’s hand struck him, leaving Yún Mù dizzy.

“Jealous? Yes, I am! I, Shangguan Xúnyī, am jealous of my own sister! Are you satisfied now?! But those words, only you, Yún Mù, have no right to say!”

She gripped his collar, her gaze sweeping over the scars beneath his clothing, her heart aching. A bitter smile crossed her face.

Never mind… He probably doesn’t know he’s dying soon, anyway.

I must be crazy, still arguing with this fool over such things.

Shangguan Xúnyī forced herself to calm down, stepping back, her voice tinged with resignation.

“Wait… I’ll find a way to help you escape…”

She murmured, placing a small jade vial on the table, glancing at the nearby pastries, and lowering her gaze.

“This is a healing salve, Yún Mù, you big fool. See you tomorrow—”

“Yes, thank you…”

The boy wiped away the tears that weren’t his own, his eyes downcast, a strange melancholy settling in his heart.

He felt like he had forgotten something, yet remembered something else.

It’s for the best, after all. The next time we meet, it will be across the veil, Xúnyī Sister, goodbye…