His hand froze in mid-air. "What's wrong? Why is your face suddenly so pale?"
Chapter 95
At that time, snow was falling everywhere, and everything was buried under a thick layer of white. Even the winter plum, which always defies frost and snow, could not unfold its branches and bloom with its former crimson color.
The child stood under the snow-covered eaves, the sunlight reflecting off the snow and casting a lifeless face. The shadow behind his thin body was like a raging flood, bringing an air of despair that left me, a seven-year-old at the time, completely blank. Before I could react, all I could see was the desolate white snow.
Perhaps it was from this point onward that his appearance began to blur, as if he were deliberately avoiding that terrifying aura of death.
But it wasn't like this not long ago.
I remember it was because this child openly glared at me in the hall. At the time, I just wanted to understand why he would use such a murderous look when we had no grudge against each other. He was very attached to his father, and the man in green initially let him pull his sleeve and follow him. I followed him all the way, but I didn't rush out to question him because the way the man in green was gently and carefully picking up the child at that moment stunned me so much that I couldn't move. The child was smiling happily, and his squinting phoenix eyes were like a new moon, incredibly beautiful.
The man in green softened his gaze, his lips curving into a beautiful arc before he gently kissed the child's fair, jade-like cheek.
There was a swallow's nest on the eaves. A late-born swallow hadn't even learned to fly yet when the winter snow came suddenly that year. The swallows' hasty southward migration ultimately left it behind.
As the child uttered that word, the young swallow's cold body fell from the eaves, breaking the spell and leaving only the silent, falling snow in the courtyard.
In that brief moment, everything that had just entered my vision was overturned. The feeling of suffocation came so suddenly that even in the many years that followed, when many things became blurred, only that suffocating feeling etched into my bones remained as clear and vivid as if it were yesterday whenever I thought of it.
The man's face suddenly twisted into a hideous and terrifying grimace. Before the man could even react, he slammed the thin, frail body to the ground, his figure a mixture of rage and dishevelment as he walked away.
Unfortunately, the man in green did not turn around, and thus did not see that in the previously lifeless white, a flower of blood was slowly spreading, so vivid that it seemed to break through the surface frost, bringing with it an eerie feeling that seemed to make one's eyes bleed.
How breathtaking! Even though the blood flower was quickly buried in the snow, it left an indelible mark on the eyes of all who saw it, a vivid and powerful image of its fleeting bloom.
I unconsciously took a few steps back, perhaps because of the shock, or perhaps because of the gloom surrounding that child. In any case, it was the first time in my life that I experienced what fear truly meant.
I should have run away, but for some reason my feet seemed rooted to the spot. Even after the child left, I couldn't look away or pull my feet away.
The older brother said this child was too dangerous and would have to be eliminated sooner or later.
I've forgotten what I was thinking at the time; all I know is that by the time I came to my senses, I had already said those words in front of everyone.
"Is it worth it? He doesn't even deserve to get his brother's hands dirty."
This single sentence marked the beginning of everything that followed.
At seven years old, I naturally didn't notice the meaning behind my older brother's pursed lips and smile, since the sharp blade wasn't aimed at me anyway.
People who suffer humiliation are bound to hate. I thought I had saved his life, but I didn't realize that I had destroyed his only value. However, I only understood this much later when I learned about his situation.
Before I understood, I used to think that there were people in this world who didn't know how to be grateful. My older brother would pat my head and laugh, saying that it was no use arguing with him and that it would lower my status.
Sometimes the elder brother would grumble, "It's such a pity to waste such a good piece of material. Rather than letting it go to waste, we might as well use it for ourselves. Lian'er, how about doing your elder brother a favor and giving him two strings of candied hawthorns?"
Apart from the eldest brother, no one knew that some people and some things had been led into a predetermined situation because of these two strings of candied hawthorns.
The Rong family's daughter may be showered with love and affection, enjoy endless wealth and luxury, be arrogant and domineering, and be unruly and willful, but she will never be happy.
"Does Lian'er like him?" It was the elder brother's questioning voice.
A chill ran down my spine. I didn't dare turn around, and I watched without blinking as the slender figure turned and left, his dark eyes still cold and unwavering.
"How could that be? I'm just afraid he might commit suicide at any time. It would be so unclean if he died at home."
I don't know if my older brother noticed my guilty conscience. He just picked me up and carried me back to my room, and coaxed me to sleep as usual.
When I woke up the next day, it was already noon, and the child and the man in green had set off at dawn.
The days that followed returned to normal, seemingly uneventful. Just as I was beginning to forget about that episode, the child reappeared before me without warning.
The past six months have not made him more energetic; on the contrary, he has become increasingly pale and thin, giving people a sense of dejection.
I remember I couldn't stand it, so I picked up my longsword and challenged him to a duel.
"My water lilies aren't for you to see for free, did you pay for them?"
A nine-year-old child's eyes could be so resentful as to be like a demon's; I was caught off guard and almost fell into my own pond.
"Hmph, you stupid girl who doesn't know anything."
This was the first time he had spoken to me. His childish voice was deliberately kept very low, but it was surprisingly quite intimidating.
“I don’t understand, but I know you’re jealous, jealous that my dad loves me so much.”
To truly heal from the wound, you must ruthlessly peel back the scar, letting it bleed profusely before your eyes. Once you truly see the wound clearly, you'll realize it's nothing more than that.
But I was too naive. The wound had no visible scar; the skin was intact, but the decay started from the inside. At eight years old, I couldn't possibly have truly understood the pain.
Chapter 96
Xiao Lianjue lowered his hand, a strange smile on his face.
"Rong Cheng's wishful thinking seems to have backfired. He originally threw you out to trap Nangong Ling, but unexpectedly, you are the one who got trapped instead."
"Did your older brother tell him everything?" Otherwise, he wouldn't have avoided me.
"I suppose so." He looked up at the sky, his gaze stretching far, far away. "From a young age, I was always causing trouble to try and shift his mind from the abyss of despair to something else. Were you afraid he might do something rash at any moment? It's just a pity that no matter if you're sincere or not, once Rong Cheng speaks first, everything you've done will be seen as hypocrisy. Besides, he didn't trust you enough to begin with."
The saying "If you don't want others to know, then don't do it" is truly brilliant.
"See that? There's a bottomless black hole behind him. If he wants to, one wrong step and he'll be doomed. We can't just stand by and watch him die, right? Lian'er, do your brother a favor and pull him out, okay?"
My elder brother's deep, hoarse voice echoed through the long years, like a nightmare, lingering in my ears, impossible to shake off.
"How do you know these things?"
"If you don't want others to know, then don't do it in the first place."
I feel a bit uneasy. Can this guy read minds? Okay, okay, it's just that this phrase is used too broadly, it's just a coincidence.
But your answer is practically the same as not answering at all. Would it kill you to just admit it? Seriously.
"I didn't realize you really liked that boy. You even defied Rong Cheng and married him on your own. You must know the consequences of this impulsive act, right?"
He would banish anyone I liked from my sight. The reason? It was simple, even ridiculously so. It was because of my sister-in-law's betrayal. She herself was betrayed by the man she eloped with, and afterwards, too ashamed to return, she disappeared without a trace. Then my brother would often say, "Disobedience has dire consequences, so Lian'er must be obedient, understand?" You could say I was raised by my brother. As a child, I worshipped him like a god, never doubting or even considering that anything he said was wrong. Naturally, I was happy to do everything he asked.
What was originally the cause of two strings of sweet and delicious candied hawthorns has now yielded a fruit that is both bitter and astringent.
"Is this person... skilled in martial arts?" I tugged at Zhiyu and whispered.
I just saw him shatter the paper with one hand, so he must be someone with some skill.
"I'm not sure." Zhiyu answered frankly, earning me a roll of my eyes. "However, he doesn't have any murderous aura."
"There's no need to worry about that. Since it's my brother who wants to see me, he's not going to kill me. As for you, that depends on his mood."
Without saying a word, Zhiyu grabbed my waist, her beautiful eyes wide and round like copper bells.
"Alright, alright, I just want to know what our chances of escaping are?" I pried his hand away. "Or you can hold them off for a bit, and I'll retreat first?"
"Can you manage on your own?" A great deal of doubt was evident in his delicate features.
What are you saying? Am I really that untrustworthy?
"Um, I mean, have you guys come to an agreement yet?"
Just as Zhiyu and I were staring at each other, a discordant voice broke in.
Zhiyu frowned, and although she was extremely unwilling, she still pushed me far away.
I didn't even bother to look back at Xiao Lianjue's reaction; I used my lightness skill to run away first.
"Shaoyan, come out here."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure in blue appeared.
"You heard what I just said?"
He was silent for a moment, then nodded.
“I will report everything to your master without missing a single word, but even so I believe he will think it is a ruse.”
Shao Yan still looked serious, and it was really hard to get used to seeing him with that face that resembled Shao You by seven parts.
"Since you're going to Jade Dragon Mountain anyway, and I'm going too, let's go together."
"...Your Majesty is not there."
He said it in such a flat tone that I couldn't quite process it.
Then, my first thought after realizing this was that, as expected, Nangong Ling was more cunning than anyone else; even that man with the peach blossom eyes had been tricked.
"It doesn't matter where he is, as long as I can see him."
This time, he didn't hesitate and nodded immediately.
"only……"
"What's the problem? Just say it."
"When did you discover us, Madam?"
“Because of this.” I took out a sachet from my sleeve and waved it in front of him. “When Yunzhi and I parted ways in a hurry, I sent Shaoyou over temporarily. I didn’t think things through so thoroughly in a short time. When… when he got out of prison, even though my elder brother told him everything, he still remembered that I had Guanghan Powder poison on me. And to be able to deliver the sachet to the Marquis’s mansion without anyone noticing, you must be the only one in the world with such lightness skills.”
"Actually, it would be best for Madam not to see the Emperor for the time being..."
"How so?"
"As you know, Madam, His Majesty is a heavy drinker, thanks to a habit he developed in the past. When His Majesty is in the worst mood, he drinks all night long. There's only one reason for this, and usually no one dares to speak to him at that time. That day, His Majesty silently threw this sachet in front of me..." His usually expressionless face twisted strangely, as if he had thought of something extremely terrifying, and a moment of deep-seated fear flashed in his eyes.
"...If I run away again because of my elder brother's pressure this time, I'm afraid..."