When Yao Bile, dressed in a phoenix coronet and embroidered robe, came out, the leader waved his hand, and some started banging gongs and others playing suonas... Instantly, it became a lively scene. The entire street was sealed off by guards for the purpose of the wedding procession. Many years later, the surrounding people still talked about the extravagance of that time with great relish. It was a myth that they could only witness once in their lives, a sensational scene that they could not imagine except by seeing it with their own eyes!
Everything was so satisfying! Such nobility, such luxury—no one else in the entire kingdom could enjoy it. Yao Bile sat in the phoenix carriage, beginning to fantasize about her future extravagant life. How enchanting it was!
Jun Yilin, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, stood anxiously waiting at the entrance of the hall. He had one hand behind his back, his palm sweating nervously, and if you looked closely, you would see beads of sweat on his forehead.
What was he so nervous about? Jun Yilin chuckled to himself. He wasn't an eighteen-year-old lad anymore. By his age, most people would already have a harem of wives and concubines and a family of children.
Having endured so much hardship and so many life-and-death separations, this moment is the beautiful dream I've sincerely longed for in countless quiet nights, yet—I've never dreamt of it even once.
They're here, they're here! As the festive music drew closer, Jun Yilin's heart clenched. He even began to doubt the reality of this moment. Avoiding the eunuchs' notice, he secretly pinched his thigh. It hurt! It's real!
Zijing, his Zijing, is finally walking towards him step by step. Let him do everything in his power to make her happy! Jun Yilin secretly made up his mind, wishing he could give all the most beautiful things in the world to his beloved, just so she could be happy!
Two old women helped the bride approach. Jun Yilin stretched out a hand, which went over the red silk and directly took the bride's hand. The two old women were a little surprised, but they quickly regained their composure.
Jun Yilin held the bride's hand tightly, both of their palms were sweaty. "She's just as nervous as I am," Jun Yilin chuckled.
After the ceremony, the two were led into the bridal chamber by the master of ceremonies.
Under the red candlelight, the flickering flame popped twice, and an old woman hurriedly congratulated them with a beaming smile: "The red candle popped, good news is coming, this is a very good omen!"
Another old woman quickly added, "Isn't today an auspicious day? May Your Majesty and Her Majesty grow old together in happiness and be surrounded by children and grandchildren!"
Jun Yilin grinned from ear to ear and exclaimed, "A reward!"
The two old women smiled even more brightly than he did, accepted the generous reward, and left.
☆, Thirteen, Shocking Change
After the commotion subsided, everything returned to calm, a quiet that was almost unsettling. In the lavishly decorated bridal chamber, bright red curtains covered the entire palace, their vibrant color a testament to the joy of the day. Behind the layers of curtains, a beautiful couple sat silently on the embroidered bed, bathed in the glow of red candles, creating an enchanting atmosphere.
Jun Yilin took the nuptial wine from the table and handed it to the bride, who remained silent.
"Oh, right, the veil hasn't been lifted yet! How forgetful I am!" Jun Yilin slapped his forehead, put the wine on the table, and reached out to lift the bride's veil.
The woman he had been longing for was right before him. Jun Yilin couldn't wait to lift the veil, but he was afraid of offending her, so he patiently and slowly lifted it, brushing aside the beads hanging from the phoenix crown.
Beneath the veil was a face full of joy and a touch of shyness, with beautiful eyes and a charming smile, just as lovely and captivating as ever, just as bright and youthful.
But it wasn't her!
Jun Yilin slowly lowered his hand, straightened his body, and the fire in his eyes was extinguished, but another kind of flame ignited.
“If you’re not Luo’er, then who are you?” Jun Yilin said coldly.
Yao Bile's excited heart felt as if it had fallen into an ice cave, instantly turning extremely cold. She thought he would remember her after her performance that day, but to her surprise, he didn't remember her at all. He asked himself—who is he?
Seeing that she didn't answer, Jun Yilin continued, "No matter who you are, since you dared to do such a thing, you should consider whether you can bear the consequences. I will investigate the matter. You—" Jun Yilin frowned tightly, still unaware of the reason for the incident, and could only—"Someone come here!"
Two young eunuchs ran in.
Jun Yilin coldly ordered, "The Empress is unwell. Send her to Fengyi Palace to rest. Without my order, she is not to leave the palace!"
The young eunuch, without changing his expression, suppressed his surprise and bowed as he stood beside Yao Bile.
Yao Bile felt utterly humiliated, but dared not disobey the emperor's orders. So, led by a young eunuch, she stumbled and staggered her way to the Phoenix Palace.
"Clang..." A sound of something being smashed came from behind, startling everyone, but they continued walking forward.
"There's been so much interesting happening lately! Hey, have you heard? The new empress fell out of favor the very first night. I'm afraid only our empress has ever done that in history!"
"Yes, weren't the previous rumors all saying that the Emperor was deeply infatuated with our Consort? How could it suddenly be—?"
"Alas, who could have known? Our Emperor's recent decrees have been so perplexing; his imperial authority is truly unpredictable!"
"Could it be that the Emperor married the woman Jiang Sikong loved in order to possess him..."
"I heard that the new empress and Minister Jiang have already... and the emperor discovered it on their wedding night!"
"whee……"
"Ha ha……"
Rumors of all kinds filled the palace. The novel, exciting, and dramatic plot made it difficult not to be suspicious, naturally leading to all sorts of speculations. However, the Grand Eunuch issued a strict order forbidding anyone from revealing anything, under penalty of death for disobeying.
Therefore, the rumors circulating in the palace, once outside the palace, were merely that the newlywed empress had accidentally fallen slightly ill, and the king, out of pity, instructed her to rest quietly, which did not attract much attention.
Inside the Fugui Pawnshop, Anmei looked at Yao Biluo with worry. News of Jun Yilin's marriage had arrived, and everything was going more smoothly and harmoniously than expected. The no-longer-young king had finally found his true love! A lively procession passed by the door, and the ostentatious happiness shattered Yao Biluo's heart.
However, unlike her previous outburst towards Jiang Yumin, she didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, she quietly reminded herself that what isn't yours will never be yours! Why be sad when you've never truly possessed it?
So she continued working, eating, and sleeping as usual, without showing any sign of unhappiness.
But Anmei noticed that her eyes were often red and swollen, and she looked increasingly haggard.
Who was she doing this for? Jiang Yumin, or Jun Yilin? Anmei didn't know.
Perhaps only Yao Biluo herself knew that she was mourning for no one else, but only for her own naive heart that had once been full of hope! For the happy marriage she had once imagined! For the love that she had almost obtained but ultimately flew away!
After meeting Jun Yilin that day, Yao Biluo lay on her bed and cried for half the night. She recalled every scene since arriving in the capital, each one deeply wounding her. Everyone who was kind to her was merely using her as a substitute for someone else!
Whether it's Jiang Yumin or Jun Yilin, their tenderness and affection are all fake!
So when her tears had dried up, Yao Biluo made a decision: she was going to leave!
After quickly packing her things, Yao Biluo secretly slipped out of the villa and stood on the street in front of the gate, not knowing where to go.
I definitely can't go home, so where else can I go?
Clutching her bundle tightly, Yao Biluo strolled down the street when suddenly a basin of water was splashed on the ground, wetting her shoes. The person who splashed the water quickly apologized, "Oh dear, young lady, I'm so sorry!"
Yao Biluo looked up and saw the Rich Pawnshop.
She remembered that the man had said that she could come to him if she needed anything. Since she had nowhere to go anyway, she might as well find a place to work so that she would have a place to stay.
So she said to the man, "It's alright, is there someone here who wears a red agate stone on his right ear? I'd like to find him."
The waiter looked at her in surprise, and seeing that she was indeed the person the owner had ordered, he politely invited her in to sit down.
A moment later, Anmei came running up, panting, her hair uncombed and covered in sweat: "I heard they were looking for me, so I came right away. Have you been waiting long?"
Seeing his disheveled appearance, Yao Biluo felt a little guilty and said, "It didn't take long."
"You've come, is there some difficulty?" Dark Enchantress asked tentatively, noticing the bundle in her hand.
"I—I want to work here, can you help me?" Yao Biluo twisted her handkerchief, her heart also churning.
Anmei smiled, raised her hands to tidy her disheveled hair, tied it with a ribbon, and said, "What's so difficult about that? Just stay here in peace!"
Yao Biluo asked, "Aren't you going to ask me why?"
Anmei raised an eyebrow: "Why should I ask? What do you want to do? I'll help you. It's that simple!"
Yao Biluo knew in her heart that he also considered her someone else, but at this moment, his kindness warmed her heart. She nodded gratefully and said, "Thank you!"
"Alright, stop being so wishy-washy. This is your home from now on. You can stay here whenever you want!" Anmei took her bag and led her to the room where Lin Zijing used to live.
"This place is so clean. Is someone living here? Will it disturb others?" Yao Biluo asked cautiously.
“This is the home of one of my good friends. He has gone on a long trip and won’t be back for a while, so you can stay here for now!” Anmei explained.
Yao Biluo nodded, and the two entered the house. Anmei looked at every plant and tree in the house. She had been cleaning it herself all this time, in order to keep it clean and welcome its owner back as soon as possible. And this day—finally came!
After helping Yao Biluo put away her luggage, the room was clean and tidy, requiring almost no tidying up, and she could move in right away. Yao Biluo sat on the edge of the bed and casually picked up a book from the bedside and flipped through it: "This was left by the previous owner, right?"
Anmei nodded with a smile, looking at the scene with satisfaction: "You can use anything here. If you need anything, just tell me!"
Yao Biluo took a closer look and found it was the Spring and Autumn Annals. The book was filled with the owner's annotations, and judging from the elegant handwriting, he must be a handsome young man with a heart for the world.
She nodded, and seeing that An Mei was about to leave, she quickly called out to him, "Hey, I—I don't even know your name yet!"
Dark Charm smiled and said, "I am Dark Charm."
Many years ago, Anmei introduced herself to the new master of Dark Night Tower in the same simple way. At that time, she was still an innocent and naive young girl. She was beautiful, outstanding, resilient, and stubborn. It was this little girl who constantly moved and won over herself with her personal charm!
Years later, when they met again, they had to introduce themselves to each other like strangers. Anmei smiled bitterly, but he believed that soon—soon the Lord of the Night would truly return, leading the Dark Night Tower, and leading him, to rekindle the inextinguishable flame of the Dark Night Tower's rebirth!
“Anmei, Anmei…” Yao Biluo murmured his name several times to make sure she remembered it before asking, “Then what should I do in the future?” She needed to eat and wear clothes, so she had to work!
Anmei stared at her for a few seconds, then smiled and said, "Miss Yao should be able to read, right?"
Yao Biluo nodded.
Anmei continued, "A friend of mine left behind a lot of manuscripts, which have become quite messy over time. I've been wanting to tidy them up, but I find these bureaucratic documents extremely troublesome! Now, since you're a woman and are meticulous, I'll entrust this task to you! Please help me, Miss Yao!" She then pretended to cup her hands in a gesture of respect.
Yao Biluo was amused by his appearance and knew that he had asked her for help to save face. She quickly said, "I will definitely be careful."
Dark Enchantress said, "Then you should rest today and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
Lying on the light blue, slightly worn bed, Yao Biluo felt a sense of familiarity with the room, as if it were her own. She could easily tell which items were in which corner, which books were on which shelf, and even the secret of a journal hidden in a small hole in the corner, which was later confirmed by her actions.
Holding the handbook wrapped in silk cloth in one hand, which was not thick but heavy, Yao Biluo had mixed feelings. She knew that it was wrong to peek at other people's things, but she really wanted to see this handbook because she had accidentally seen the author's signature - Lin Zijin!
She immediately understood that this house was Lin Zijing's former residence. As for where she went, why they couldn't find her, and who she was, Yao Biluo didn't know.
The answers to everything might be in this notebook. Yao Biluo couldn't suppress her urge to peek, and with trembling hands she opened the first page, and then she couldn't stop reading...
☆、XIV、Handbook
Yichou day
Today marks the third day since I returned to Dark Night Tower.
I was unconscious for three whole days since I came back. Now that I've woken up, I still can't believe that damned Xuan Yi did this to me? He's supposed to be a god, how can he be so unreliable!
My master comforted me, saying that it was good that I was still good-looking, but what would a man do with such good looks? Especially when faced with the enthusiastic gazes of those girls, I would break out in a cold sweat, feeling like I was being swarmed by flies.
I will never be interested in women in my life, but does that mean I can only be a homosexual?
Oh, what have you been thinking? My purpose in coming back isn't to consider whether or not to become a homosexual! It's to get rid of him, that heartless and cold-blooded man—Jun Yifeng.
The hatred for killing my mother and the grudge for taking my child are indelible! He also harmed all the people close to me: Zhan Hong, Zhi Qiu, Qing Xi, Uncle Tian Yuan... and—Jun Yi Lin, I will never forget him!