White Robe - Chapter 67
"Don't press her for answers. I was the one who told her to go."
As if a gentle breeze had swept through the room, suddenly another person appeared.
The youngest was a merchant.
His black hair was neatly combed back, and his blue robe was spotless.
I stared at him, the man I had longed for day and night, still dressed as I had when I first met him. But the bright, warm smile on his face was gone.
I haven't seen that smile in so long.
Now, there was an indescribable coldness emanating from his entire body. Shang Shaochang was standing right in front of me, but I felt that there was a very, very far distance between us—so far that I could hardly see him, and I could hardly believe that such cold and ruthless words came from his mouth.
"...Why...why did you let Xiao Lü tell on me..." I heard my own voice, which sounded almost like my own! The voice trembled and felt cold even when I heard it.
Shang Shaochang turned around and said to Xiao Lü, who was already in tears, "You can go out now." After watching Xiao Lü disappear outside the door, Shang Shaochang slowly said, "Because you are the safest person here with Prince Ning." He looked into my nervous and flustered eyes and said, word by word, "Also, I don't want you to cause me any trouble."
"You've caused enough trouble already!"
"I..." I opened my eyes wide, trying to make out the man before me who was both a stranger and a familiar face. These words struck my heart like a heavy hammer! For a moment, it seemed as if my tongue and my heart had flown off into the distance—were these the words spoken by the person who affectionately called me "Little Yi Yi"?
Is this what the man who was willing to risk his life for me said?
“Not bad—” Shang Shaozhang looked at me, his dark eyes like the deepest pool in the night. “I sent you to the Three Wonders of Plum Valley so that you could protect yourself, but your result has disappointed me greatly!” Shang Shaozhang said slowly, “Because you are too willful and too naive, you ran into this world that does not belong to you.”
"So, you're not a true江湖人 (jianghu person) at all!"
I looked up, feeling as if a heavy stone was pressing on my heart, making it hard to breathe. I said, "Why... why do we have to become江湖人 (jianghu people)? Can't we just live peacefully in Guiyun Manor? Why do we have to run off to that江湖 (jianghu) world?"
A flicker of pain flashed in Shang Shaochang's eyes, but it vanished in an instant: "You're too naive. I'm a wanderer, and a wanderer never stays in one place for too long... So—" Shang Shaochang said firmly, "I won't stay for you, and there's nothing that can make me stay."
I gripped my clothes tightly. Hearing Young Master Shang's words, I felt as if I had fallen into an ice cave! My voice trembled as I said, "Did you come here today just to say this? Do you think I've caused you trouble?"
Shang Shaozhang remained expressionless and said calmly, "Not bad."
"As an assassin, I never need unnecessary burdens."
Hearing these words, I felt dizzy! My body swayed, and with a thud, my calf hit the table leg hard, yet I felt no pain. My lips trembled uncontrollably, and after a long while, I managed to whisper, "...No...no! You're lying!" I raised my head and shouted, "You said I was a burden to you, so why did you save me time and time again! At Lan Ye's place, you were willing to put yourself in danger rather than harm me, risking your life to save me. Are you lying to me about all of this?!" Suddenly, I stiffened and exclaimed in shock, "Soul-Stealing...Soul-Stealing...How did you cure your Soul-Stealing Poison?"
Shang Shaozhang looked at me, then suddenly burst into laughter. After laughing, he walked up to me, reached out and lifted my chin, and slowly said, "Little girl... don't you know why? I wasn't poisoned by the Soul-Sealing Poison at all!"
My eyes widened as I stared intently at Young Master Shang, a feeling creeping into my mind that he was about to reveal a great secret. Young Master Shang said, "With martial arts skills as high as mine, how could I be poisoned by such a drug? However—"
My face twitched uncontrollably, and I gritted my teeth, saying, "But what?"
Shang Shao said, "However, I can use the opportunity of being poisoned to get even closer to you—" He ran his thumb across my face and whispered, "You're with me every day, have you ever thought that I'm a normal man?" He chuckled softly, "The feeling there, being skin to skin with you, that's truly intoxicating..."
Don't forget me, abandon me, or ignore me; don't betray me, forsake me, or reject me...
I will not forget you, abandon you, or ignore you. I will not let you down, discard you, or reject you.
I will cherish you, pamper you, and love you forever and ever.
You must think of me, like me, protect me, and you are not allowed to hit me, scold me, bully me, or lie to me!
I won't hit you, scold you, or bully you, but I will cherish you, love you, and pamper you. I will make you happy and safe, and ensure that nothing unpleasant bothers you anymore...
These...these are all things you said...things you said with your own mouth...how could you forget them?!
You said... you wouldn't hit me, scold me, or bully me... but you would cherish me, love me, and pamper me...
And why did you hurt me like this today?
I slowly raised my head and whispered, "...Young Master Shang, were all the things you said before lies to me...?"
After what seemed like an eternity, Shang Shaozhang slowly said, "...I didn't lie to you, but..."
With a loud "slap," a resounding slap landed heavily on Young Master Shang's face.
My whole body was trembling, even my voice was trembling. I could only hear my teeth chattering, and then I heard myself say in a terrifying tone:
"Get out of here! I, Baiyi, never, ever want to see you again!"
I pushed Shang Shaochang away with all my might and ran out the door like a madman.
(This chapter is complete)
Chapter Thirty-Three: The Sword that Shatters Jade
...I won't hit you, scold you, or bully you, but I will cherish you, love you, and pamper you. I will make you happy and safe, and ensure that nothing unpleasant bothers you anymore...
You've caused enough trouble already!
...I can feel it—your joy, your sorrow, I can feel it all...
I won't stay for you, and there's nothing that could make me stay!
...I want to hold you like this, for the rest of my life...
It's a lie, a lie, a lie...
You're lying!
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind, almost driving me to the brink of despair!
Yi Yi, Yi Yi—you're a nuisance—little Yi Yi—you're so naive—Yi Yi—you're so willful—
Stop talking! I beg you, please stop! I can't take it anymore, I really can't take it!!
With a loud bang, I realized that I had crashed heavily into an ancient pine tree.