She hesitated for a long time, then got dressed and secretly slipped out of Banlianzui.
He ate heartily, devouring four bowls of wontons. Aba was initially surprised, but later simply covered his eyes, unable to bear watching any longer.
"Never again should you tell anyone in Hangzhou, 'I know you.'"
Hua Chongyang put down his chopsticks with satisfaction: "Good."
Aba put away his chopsticks, shook his head, and sighed:
"With your looks, honestly, how will you ever get married?"
"Aba," Hua Chongyang said seriously, looking up, "I'm telling the truth. If anyone asks in the future, don't say you know me."
By abandoning all so-called chivalrous code for Lan Wuxie, she is now a disgrace to the martial world; for every martial arts disciple Lan Wuxie killed last night, just as many people want to kill her today; if she can't catch a big fish, "even if there are no fish or shrimp, it's fine," but if she were to shout "I am Hua Chongyang" right now, she would probably be hacked to death. So why drag unrelated people into this?
But Aba tossed aside the rag and lazily crossed his legs:
"I'm serious. Someone like you might never be able to get married."
"……"
"Being unable to get married is a small matter, but your martial arts skills are top-notch. If you stay an old maid for too long and no one wants you, I'm afraid you'll turn into a female demon of the martial arts world, stealing men all the time!"
"……"
"The saddest thing for a woman in her life is not having a man who wants her, sigh..."
Aba's serious expression brought back many unserious memories for Hua Chongyang. That night, Zu Xian, who had held her so tenderly, was none other than the philandering Lan Wuxie. Just how many women did he have? A bitter feeling welled up inside her, but Hua Chongyang only smiled, lazily squinting her eyes as she uttered a boastful statement:
"Don't worry, there are plenty of guys eager to marry me."
"Marry you? Pshaw." Abajie, always quick to expose someone's flaws, said, "People say that the young master is definitely going to marry Miss Bo. It's not your turn."
29. Lanying Palace
Hua Chongyang rested his arms on the table, absentmindedly playing with his fingers:
"There's still plenty of time."
We'll just take it one step at a time. Who knows what will happen in the future? The way Aba talks makes it sound like she could actually find someone to marry right now, live a peaceful life with lots of children and grandchildren, and stay with him forever.
Pshaw, what good thing could possibly happen? Even if it did, it wouldn't happen to Hua Chongyang.
Aba glanced at her, then suddenly lowered his voice and muttered, "...No matter what, he's still better than that Lan Wuxie. Men who are too handsome are unreliable."
Hua Chongyang couldn't help but smile slightly as he stood up:
"Okay, I'm going back now. You—take care of yourself."
Knowing or not knowing is one thing, doing or not doing is another. Her attraction to Zu Xian, or rather Lan Wuxie, probably had nothing to do with whether he was reliable or what his character was like. Some people's charm is so deep that it can bewitch even their backs. Back when she met those eyes, full of drunkenness, lying on the recliner in the octagonal pavilion of Banlianzui Garden, she probably lost herself in them.
Strolling from the wonton stall to the entrance of the alley in Huajianyuan, and then slowly walking around the alley, Hua Chongyang still dared not go back; firstly, she was afraid of troubling Uncle Fu again, and secondly, she was afraid that Uncle Fu would ask her about what happened last night.
What could she possibly say?
She still can't bear to think about what happened last night. Every time she closes her eyes, all she sees is Lan Wuxie, dressed in black, standing alone with his hair disheveled amidst the scattered corpses and pools of blood. The wind ruffles his hair and clothes, making him both alluring and cruel.
...Even so, she still didn't want him to die.
In a daze, Hua Chongyang wandered back to Aba's wonton stall. She saw several men in black sitting at the stall in the distance; they didn't look like street urchins. She hesitated for a long time, then decided to avoid them. Turning around, she went into a tavern and ordered a small jar of Daughter's Red wine. It wasn't yet noon, and the tavern was quiet except for her. The waiter, called by the owner to bring the wine, came out from the back room with a look of surprise and delight upon seeing his regular customer, and rushed over to grab her shoulders.
"It's you! Long time no see!"
Hua Chongyang loosened his grip on the wine jar, smiling as he was about to pat the waiter on the shoulder, when his gaze inadvertently fell upon the person standing at the door, and his smile instantly froze.
Lan Wuxie stood at the tavern entrance, draped in a fox fur coat, her expression indifferent, her gaze quietly fixed on the waiter's hand on her shoulder. This was the first time Hua Chongyang had clearly seen his face. His familiar deep black eyes and thin, pale lips were tightly pursed. His long hair was no longer tied with a gold ring, but simply tied with a ribbon, half of which was hidden in his messy hair. Even in his disheveled state, he was still captivating.
Hua Chongyang glanced at his pale face, then looked away, smiling as he pulled the waiter down to sit with him, pretending not to see anyone at the door:
"Let's have a drink together."
She opened the wine seal and poured the wine into the wine pot, but she refused to look up. Lan Wuxie stood at the door for a moment, then slowly walked to their table, lifted her fox fur coat, and sat down with a composed demeanor, as if this were not a street tavern.
The waiter looked up at him with a puzzled expression, then put down the wine jug he was holding.
"Who is this?"
Lan Wuxie ignored her, a gentle smile slowly spreading across her face as she reached out to take Hua Chongyang's hand.
"It's a bit chilly outside. It's the Double Ninth Festival, so let's go back to Banlianzui."
Hua Chongyang raised his hand to avoid him.
He coughed twice, then turned back and stubbornly tried to grasp Hua Chongyang's hand, but was stopped by a waiter standing nearby.
"Young master, she is a young lady."
Lan Wuxie's hand froze in mid-air, her expression suddenly turning cold. After a moment, she flipped her wrist and pinched the waiter's wrist with two fingers, her gaze still fixed on Hua Chongyang, her tone as light as a feather:
"It would be as easy for me to cripple your hand."
The waiter winced in pain, groaning. Hua Chongyang looked up, and in a moment of panic, threw down her wine cup and hooked two fingers at Lan Wuxie's wrist. Lan Wuxie dodged, but still managed to shake the waiter's wrist off. The waiter, clutching his hand and pale with pain, got up and retreated to the side. Hua Chongyang forced a smile at him, gesturing for him to leave, then turned and glared coldly at Lan Wuxie:
"You've gone too far!"
Lan Wuxie coughed intermittently, but upon hearing this, she suppressed her cough and slowly raised her eyes: "You're saying I'm not because of him?"
"You attacked first; when did he ever provoke you?"
Lan Wuxie glanced at her, lowered his eyes, took out a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands, and said calmly:
"I don't like him."
Hua Chongyang slammed her hand on the table in anger and stood up to leave, but Lan Wuxie grabbed her from behind, tightly gripping her sleeve with one hand and covering her mouth with the other, coughing intermittently.
Where are you going next?
"Mind your own business."
"I've been looking for you all morning, practically searching half of Hangzhou, only to find you drinking with another man when I entered this tavern."
Hua Chongyang tugged at his sleeve but couldn't pull it out, so he simply turned his face away: "Who I drink with is none of your business."
"None of my business?"
Hua Chongyang turned his head, raised his eyebrows, and gave Lan Wuxie a provocative sneer:
"There are so many people in the world, half of them are men; I'll drink them all up, what's it to you?"
Lan Wuxie's eyes were deep and unfathomable as he gripped her hand tightly and stared straight at her.
"Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?"
Hua Chongyang snorted and abruptly pulled his hand away: "I'm not that free."
She turned to leave, and Lan Wuxie watched her retreating figure, his expression cold as he said:
"Whoever you go to, I'll kill."
Hua Chongyang paused, turned around, and a vein throbbed on his forehead:
"I'm going back to the brothel right now and abolish the saying 'selling art, not sex'! I'll sleep with every man in the world!"
She could even say such things in a fit of anger; Lan Wuxie's face immediately turned ashen, and he took two steps forward and grabbed her wrist.
Standing at the door, Anping watched in astonishment as Lan Wuxie dragged Hua Chongyang out the door and pulled him eastward. The streets were sparsely populated, and those who did stop to watch the two. No one dared to stop Lan Wuxie, whose handsome face was as cold as ice. The fingers gripping his wrist were stiff as iron locks; Hua Chongyang struggled but couldn't break free. Concerned for the stares of passersby, he dared not cry out, and could only be dragged towards Banlianzui. They walked until they reached an alleyway near Banlianzui, where the soft, silken branches of early spring willows brushed against their shoulders. With no one around, Hua Chongyang, who had been holding back for so long, finally raised his voice:
"Lan Wuxie, let me go!"
Lan Wuxie continued walking, her long, snow-white fox fur coat trailing in the wind across the stone pavement, adding to her imposing aura. Even though she knew Zu Xian was Lan Wuxie, it was the first time she had ever felt that the sickly Zu Xian possessed such great strength; she casually drew the dagger from her waist and swung it at herself.
"You won't let go of me! Fine! I don't want this hand then!"
Lan Wuxie paused, turned abruptly, and knocked the dagger from her hand. Hua Chongyang seized the opportunity to pull her hand back and turn to leave, but Lan Wuxie reached out and hooked his arm around her waist, pulling her back sharply. He then grabbed her chin, lowered his face, and bit her lips hard. The taste of blood filled his mouth. Lan Wuxie held her hands that were pushing him away, and the bloody kiss gradually softened. When their lips parted, he looked up at Hua Chongyang, only to be met with a hard slap across the face.
What do you take me for?!
Lan Wuxie's face was turned to one side by the slap, and he remained motionless.
"Trying to fool me with a fake face? You think I'm a three-year-old, someone you can play with as you please?" Hua Chongyang rubbed his wrist and took a step back, staring at Lan Wuxie with a cold smile. "Let me tell you, the thing I hate most in this life is anyone mentioning Yan Zhao in front of me, and the second thing I hate is Lan Ying Palace; in this life, I will never let the people of Lan Ying Palace go! You want to get your hands on the Biluo Heart Sutra? Let me tell you, I don't have it; even if I did, I wouldn't give it to you, you shameless scumbag and fraudster!"
"So what if I slept with you? I can sleep with you today, but tomorrow I, Hua Chongyang, can go find other men. There are plenty of other men in the world besides you, Lan Wuxie! Who do you think you are!"
Hua Chongyang felt an immense sense of satisfaction after verbally abusing Lan Wuxie to her face; however, Lan Wuxie stared at her for a long time before softly asking:
Why are you crying?
Hua Chongyang was startled. He raised his hand to touch his cheek and realized that there were two lines of tears from the corner of his eye to the corner of his mouth.
Lan Wuxie stepped forward and raised his hand to touch her face:
"Didn't you say you liked me?"
"I don't like you, I like Zu Xian."
"I am Zu Xian. If you didn't like me, why would you make an enemy of the entire martial arts world for my sake?"
Hua Chongyang was speechless. Lan Wuxie stepped forward again, cupped her face, and wiped away her tears:
"Come back with me, sweetie. I'll never let you suffer again."
His voice was hoarse yet gentle; from Zu Xian to Lan Wuxie, what never changed was the tone of his voice when he spoke to her. He was usually very arrogant, but when he was with her, it was like he was coaxing a child.
Hua Chongyang suddenly felt overwhelmed with grievance, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, then suddenly threw herself into Lan Wuxie's arms, biting his shoulder hard until it bled before letting go.
"What am I supposed to do! You only told me you were Lan Wuxie after I fell in love with you! My mother was killed by the people of Lan Ying Palace! And you are the head of Zhaoyang Pavilion! I hate you, Lan Wuxie! I will hate you for the rest of my life!"
He cursed aloud, but sighed inwardly.
She, Hua Chongyang, is nothing special. She has the courage to follow him in front of the entire martial arts world, yet she struggles to overcome her own conscience. How many people in this world can truly be so carefree and ruthless, coming and going as they please?
She can't do it.
No matter how hard Hua Chongyang bit down, Lan Wuxie remained silent. He simply wrapped one arm around her waist and gently stroked her hair with the other. Only when her sobs subsided did he ask with the gentlest of expressions:
"Shall we go back?"
Hua Chongyang didn't answer, so he remained standing, his arms tightly around her waist. Night had fallen, the twilight a deep, clear blue, a warm, gentle spring breeze blowing incessantly. Two tall, slender figures stood silently, embraced beneath the weeping willows at the alley's entrance, their figures gradually blending into the dim streetlights outside. After an unknown amount of time, Hua Chongyang's sobs subsided, and she lifted her head from Lan Wuxie's shoulder. Lan Wuxie held her tightly; she lowered her face, removed his hands, and took a step back, then another, before turning around and whispering in a hoarse voice:
"...I went back."
In the quiet, deserted alley, two figures walked one after the other, their shadows stretched long by the lamplight. When Lan Wuxie walked faster, Hua Chongyang followed suit; when Lan Wuxie slowed down, she slowed down as well, yet she always remained a few steps ahead of him. When they reached the alley's entrance, Lan Wuxie suddenly spoke:
"etc."
Hua Chongyang paused, but still kept her head down; Lan Wuxie caught up with her in a few steps, grasped her chin, gently lifted her face, pinched her sleeve to wipe away the tears on her face, and whispered on her head:
"Your face will hurt in a bit."