She glanced at Xiao Zuo and continued, "Yet you pledged your life to him. How could I possibly keep such a formidable adversary by my side? Gong Feicui, I knew then that I had to kill you! Do you understand? I'm going to kill you. I'm your enemy, not some sister Qiansu to you!"
With each word she spoke, the tears in Gong Feicui's eyes grew thicker. Finally, she bit her lower lip and after a long while said, "Sister Qiansu, are you saying this on purpose? Do you not want to live anymore? You are determined to die, aren't you? I know you are."
Feng Qiansu laughed loudly, "What a joke! Why would I want to die? Yes, I lost, but what can you do to me? Xiao Zuo wouldn't dare gamble with your life, but do you? The Hualin Lock works by absorbing toxins from the blood to detoxify, but the slow-acting poison I placed on you will slowly and gradually destroy your internal organs. It will only weaken your constitution, and then any slight cold or chill will be fatal..."
Gong Feicui stared at her, directly at her, her face displaying a composure and determination she had never seen before—determination, not stubbornness. Feng Qiansu looked at her, momentarily taken aback: Gong Feicui had grown up; she was no longer the willful, selfish young lady, no longer arrogant and pretentious. She had once looked down on her so much, but today, her eyes held only compassion and the warmth of family…
"You are seeking death, Sister Qiansu, because Baili Chenfeng is dead."
Feng Qiansu was about to sneer when Gong Feicui continued, "Also because you didn't kill Baili Chenfeng. I believe you didn't kill him."
"I killed him!" Feng Qiansu screamed. "Who said I didn't kill him? He was following me, and I found out, so I killed him!"
“No,” Gong Feicui said softly.
Just two words, yet they suffocated Feng Qiansu's voice and her breath.
What exactly happened that night?
Even now, as Feng Qiansu recalls the scene, it remains vivid in her mind, so clear that she can vividly remember every line on Baili Chenfeng's face.
Baili Chenfeng, why is it you? You're following me! You actually followed me!
She looked at him, and shock, fear, anger, and sadness all rushed into her heart at once. She felt like she was torn between fire and water, feeling both cold and hot.
“I was worried something might have happened to you, so I came to check on you,” he said.
She closed her eyes, feeling a slight tremor in her hands and feet, and countless thoughts flashed through her mind. Just as she hesitated, a flash of white light appeared before her eyes, and both the little devil and the lecherous devil made their move.
She cried out, "Stop!"
Unfortunately, it was too late. The little devil snapped his sword back into its sheath and flew back. On his brow was a bright red dot, like rouge on a woman's forehead.
"Bai Li Chen Feng..." Her lips trembled, and her voice trembled, "Why didn't you avoid it? Why didn't you avoid it?"
He was the number one swordsman in Baili City. There was no way that the kid could have killed him with one sword, so why didn't he dodge?!
His gaze shone like the stars in the sky at that moment, but it carried emotions she didn't understand, or rather, didn't want to understand. And then—
It fell straight down.
She rushed forward, picked up his head, and touched her hand, which was covered in blood. The blood stood out vividly against her pale hand.
"You, you, you..." Her voice trembled uncontrollably. This man, how cunning! Knowing she wouldn't accept him, he still managed to make her remember him in this way, remember him forever and ever! Unwilling, Baili Chenfeng, she was unwilling!
He slightly opened his eyes, saying nothing, his pupils reflecting her face, where she saw her own distraught state.
Baili Chenfeng, she was unwilling, she was unwilling!
Her tears fell onto his face, and he suddenly smiled, saying softly, "Do you still remember the Dragon King and Li Qing?"
How could I not remember? It was a tragedy she orchestrated, a love she despised and scorned... But why did Baili Chenfeng have to drag her down to such a state?
“I’ve said it before, if I were the Dragon King, I would do the same.”
He wanted to be the Dragon King, but she didn't want to be Li Qing. She didn't want to be the woman who killed someone, regretted it immensely, and ultimately committed suicide for love!
He seemed to sense her unwillingness and stubbornness, and sighed softly.
"Wind Maiden, may you be happy."
She shook her head; happiness seemed so far away, something she could never touch.
He grabbed her hand and suddenly said urgently, "Promise me, you must, you must—" His voice suddenly stopped. She looked at his wide-open eyes, at the stiffness on his face in that urgent moment, at his hand falling limply. The ten-foot-long red robes fluttered away, and destiny, with its lonely fleeting shadow, rushed in.
Happiness? Impossible.
Especially after witnessing life and death firsthand.
No matter how unwilling she was, Baili Chenfeng, he won, he still won...
Through her teary eyes, she vaguely felt a warmth on her hand. In that instant, Feng Qiansu thought it was Baili Chenfeng, that he was still alive and had grabbed her hand again, telling her to be happy. But upon closer inspection, it was Gong Feicui... The morning light pierced through the night, and the first ray of sunlight shone on her face, her features indistinct and hazy.
Feng Qiansu stared blankly. Seventeen years had passed like the wind. This girl who had grown up with her, she realized that she had never truly seen her.
Looking at Xiao Zuo again, this man is truly a dragon among men. Standing next to Gong Feicui, they are such a pleasing sight... But for her, he is a tribulation laid out by fate. How can she overcome it... Feng Qiansu, how can she overcome it?
"Sister Qiansu, you're tired, let's go home."
"I'm tired..." Feng Qiansu murmured. She was tired, so very tired...
Once the mind relaxes, the pain that has been barely resisted comes rushing in, overwhelming the senses like a tidal wave, swallowing consciousness.
Her injuries flared up, and everything went black before her eyes; she couldn't see anything anymore.
The Secret of the Young Lady (Volume 1, Epilogue)
The gold-flecked note fluttered to the ground, and the girl in colorful clothes stood there for a long while before slowly turning around and stepping out of the house.