"For twenty years, I've held onto a sliver of hope for you, but you've never come looking for me. Heh, do you know that I've never loved Duke Wen, Su Lie? If you just say the word, I can give up everything and elope with you..."
"Enough!" With a roar, the figure on the bed leaped up. His face was resolute and handsome, familiar, yet not the face she had imagined. Seeing the raging fire burning in his eyes, she cried out in surprise, her voice piercing the clouds: "How could it be you?"
"Who do you want it to be?" Duke Wen glared at Ruan Chuqing with hatred, his anger burning fiercely. His wife, in front of him, poured out her heart to another man and even mocked him, saying that she had never liked him and was just using him as a stepping stone to test the man's feelings for her. Was there anything more ironic in the world?
"Weren't you resting in the Orchid Chamber?" Ruan Chuqing was flustered and blurted out some words in her panic. The servant clearly told her that Duke Wen was in the Orchid Chamber and Prince Zhan was in the Bamboo Chamber. Why was Su Lie lying in the Bamboo Chamber?
When she came in, she could see clearly that the sign outside the door read "Bamboo Chamber" neatly, and she had also looked at the other rooms, which were indeed arranged correctly as plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums.
"This is the Orchid Chamber!" Duke Wen roared, striding off the bed and approaching Ruan Chuqing urgently: "Which room do you want to go into? Who are you looking for?"
"I...I..." Duke Wen was once a deputy general on the border and a martial artist. Although years of peaceful life had worn away his temperament, his unique and intense killing intent still made Ruan Chuqing almost unable to breathe. Her body trembled and she retreated repeatedly.
Text 125: Tender Moments by the Lake
"Do you want to kill me?" Ruan Chuqing felt as if all the bones in her body were falling apart, her chest was churning with blood and qi, and a metallic taste rose in her throat, which she forcibly suppressed with her internal energy. She slowly turned her head to look at Duke Wen, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears.
Normally, Duke Wen would have been moved by her pitiful appearance, but he was furious and found everything about Ruan Chuqing displeasing. When she asked him in a weak voice, he heard a strong sense of provocation in her voice. As his wife, she had been thinking about other men for twenty years, and she still had the nerve to say, "You think I wouldn't dare!"
Su Lie's eyes turned cold, and he struck Ruan Chuqing with a powerful palm strike.
Ruan Chuqing's expression changed. His internal energy was strong and domineering. This palm strike used ten layers of his power. If it hit her, she would be seriously injured even if she didn't die.
Ruan Chuqing endured the pain in her body and moved with all her might. Su Lie's attacks were very fast, and with her current serious injuries, she could not dodge them at all. She could only try to avoid vital points.
Suddenly, the tightly closed window was opened, and a sharp gust of wind rushed in, dispersing the powerful palm strike aimed at Ruan Chuqing. The aftershocks of the internal force stung her cheeks.
"Duke Wen, this is the Duke Wu's residence. On this day of celebration, no killing is permitted!" Lin Yan's magnetic voice was cold and deep, echoing throughout the room and commanding respect.
"It was my oversight!" Duke Wen withdrew his palm strike, bowed apologetically to Lin Yan outside the window, then glared at Ruan Chuqing with hatred: "I'll settle the score with you when we get back to the manor!"
Su Lie flicked his sleeves and strode out of the room.
"Madam Su, do you still dare to say that the painting after the rain was given to you by my mother?" The footsteps of Duke Wen gradually faded away. Before Ruan Chuqing could even breathe a sigh of relief, the slightly closed door was pushed open, and an embroidered shoe stepped into the room. A large pearl was inlaid on the plain shoe surface, and the light purple skirt of Ruan Yanluo hung down gently, covering her small ankle.
Ruan Chuqing propped herself up, forcefully wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, and coldly looked at Shen Lixue: "All of this was deliberately designed by you!"
“That’s right!” Shen Lixue nodded with a smile. Leaving Aunt Bai to eat was a deliberate attempt to provoke Ruan Chuqing and make her dislike the front hall. Lin Yan’s claim that the War King was drunk was a way to lure her to the small courtyard.
"Where is Dongfang Shuo?" Ruan Chuqing suddenly asked, her face grim.
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow: "He's in the next room!"
"You conspired with Su Lie and the servant to plot against me?" Ruan Chuqing glared at Shen Lixue hatefully. She had even bribed her husband; she was truly capable.
Shen Lixue smiled and said, "Duke Wen, the servant didn't lie to you. I changed the signs outside the rooms, replacing the four rooms with Plum, Orchid, Bamboo, and Chrysanthemum with Chrysanthemum, Bamboo, Orchid, Plum, Bamboo, and Orchid rooms. You went into the Bamboo room to find the War King, but you actually went into the Orchid room where Duke Wen was..."
Ruan Chuqing suppressed her anger and asked sharply, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, and she lowered her voice: "Tell me the truth about what happened sixteen years ago!"
Ruan Chuqing paused for a moment, then said casually, "Lin Qingzhu married Shen Minghui, I married Su Lie, and Dongfang Shuo is still unmarried. You've seen all of that, so why are you asking?"
Shen Lixue frowned at Ruan Chuqing: "I want to know the real reason my mother married Shen Minghui. Don't tell me she liked Shen Minghui..."
"She just loves Shen Minghui, otherwise why would she marry him? And give birth to such a bastard like you." Ruan Chuqing looked at Shen Lixue with a sinister and evil smile. Lin Qingzhu is dead, and Shen Minghui will never reveal any information. As long as she doesn't say anything, they won't be able to find out the real reason.
Shen Lixue sneered: "Stop making excuses. If my mother liked Shen Minghui, it wouldn't be in your way. So why did you intercept the painting of 'After the Rain' that the War King was sending to my mother?"
"You suspect that I schemed against your mother?" Ruan Chuqing raised an eyebrow, a half-smile on her face.
“Isn’t that right?” Shen Lixue retorted coldly.
"Do you have any evidence? Everything requires evidence. Don't make baseless accusations if you don't have evidence!" Ruan Chuqing slowly sat cross-legged, her beautiful eyes flashing with provocation and a cruel smile.
"I will find the evidence." Shen Lixue's gaze was icy, and she spoke each word clearly: "If I find out that you really did scheme against my mother..."
"How will you deal with me?" Ruan Chuqing raised an eyebrow, her well-maintained face exuding arrogance and allure.
"How about I send you to the underworld to apologize to her?" Shen Lixue smiled sweetly, like a hundred flowers blooming. Her fair hand stretched out from her sleeve, holding a long blue whip in her palm.
Ruan Chuqing's expression changed instantly. She had already experienced Shen Lixue's superb whip skills. Su Yuting's face was also ruined by this long whip. She hated the whip deeply: "Shen Lixue, wait until you find evidence before you talk big!"
"Thank you for the reminder. I believe that I will be able to avenge my mother soon!" Shen Lixue said coldly, her dark eyes flashing with icy coldness.
"Have you finished spouting nonsense?" Ruan Chuqing asked impatiently, her eyes half-closed.
"Is Madam Su leaving?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow.
"If I don't leave, am I supposed to stay here and listen to your nonsense?" Ruan Chuqing's lips curled into a mocking smile.
"Then I'll see Madam Su off!" Shen Lixue smiled strangely, and suddenly lashed out with her long whip, striking Ruan Chuqing hard in the chest.
Severely injured and caught off guard, Ruan Chuqing's frail body was thrown out of the window and fell heavily to the ground. Her clothes were torn in the front, revealing a bloody stain that stained the surrounding clothes.
A surge of blood welled up in her chest, and a metallic taste rose in her throat again. Blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, and her mouth tasted of rust. She looked up and glared hatefully at the culprit inside the window, gritting her teeth: "Shen Lixue!"
"Just now, Duke Wen's palm strike was blocked by Cousin Yan. My whip strike can be considered to make up for Duke Wen's mistake. When the truth comes out, I will definitely treat Madam well!" Shen Lixue smiled lightly, her clear and cold eyes flashing with a hint of icy coldness.
“You…” Ruan Chuqing pointed at Shen Lixue, gritting her teeth in anger. Her blood was churning violently in her chest, and a wave of metallic taste rose in her throat. Her lips kept moving, but she couldn’t utter a complete sentence.
"Madam, you're seriously injured! You should return to the manor for treatment immediately. Should I call a doctor for you?" Shen Lixue leaped out of the window, a slight smile playing on her lips. In her small, white hand, she held a long, blue whip. Step by step, she slowly walked toward Ruan Chuqing, each step resounding as if deliberately amplified, like the footsteps of death slowly approaching.
Ruan Chuqing's eyes turned cold. With a flick of her slender hand, an unidentified object shot swiftly toward Shen Lixue. Taking advantage of the moment Shen Lixue dodged, she gathered a small amount of internal energy, leaped into the air, and flew toward the high wall: "Shen Lixue, taking advantage of someone in distress is not skillful. Once I recover my martial arts, it will be your turn to suffer!"
"Then I will wait here for your arrival, Madam!" Shen Lixue's lips curled up slightly, her smile radiant. Just as Ruan Chuqing was about to leap over the high wall, she suddenly lashed out with her long whip, striking Ruan Chuqing hard.
"Ah!" A scream echoed through the sky, and Ruan Chuqing's slender body fell to the ground with a thud, letting out a shrill wail.