Beggar Travels the World

Chapter 24

※ ※ ※

Yin Wuxiao himself didn't understand how all of that happened on that bloody night three years ago.

All I remember is the sweet scent of ink suddenly spilling onto the rice paper.

"Miss, let's not think about what happened during the day anymore. Losing the poetry contest isn't a big deal." The maid Jiu'er handed over a bowl of lotus seed and white fungus soup.

"Lost?" A strange smile appeared on Yin Wuxiao's lips. "Who said I lost? Even if I did lose, it wasn't because of poetry."

"I think that man in blue is nothing special. Our young lady doesn't care about marrying that young man in blue. She already has her cousin in her heart."

"What nonsense are you talking about? I'm telling you, give up on that idea. I will not marry Brother Fenglang. I've already made that very clear to Aunt Yun and Brother Fenglang."

“But… it’s really rare to find a man as handsome, skilled in martial arts, and of equal social standing as your cousin. Why are you being so picky, Miss?” The maid Shi’er frowned gently.

Yin Wuxiao smiled. Both of these girls were poor girls who had been taken into her household two years ago. After following her for two years, they had both become quite sharp-tongued. However, Jiu'er was innocent and Shi'er was gentle; Jiu'er was straightforward and Shi'er was reserved. The two of them were already no different from her own family.

"It has nothing to do with being picky, but I am too demanding. I always want to find someone who is completely satisfactory. Although Brother Fenglang is good, he is not the right person for me."

Shi'er curled her lips: "Why does Miss use such a way of dismissing fools? What do you mean by unsuitable? To put it bluntly, Miss's standards are too high. Young Master Biao is not as good as you."

Yin Wuxiao was amused by her: "You're right. Brother Fenglang is indeed inferior to me in some aspects. However, my conditions are not the same as those of the world. With Brother Fenglang's character, he should be able to find a woman who is ten or a hundred times better than me."

"Then tell me, what exactly are your conditions? How is it that Young Master Biao is inferior to you?" Jiu'er pouted, refusing to give up.

"As for me... I only seek someone who can understand my heart, but who will always put me first," Yin Wuxiao replied after serious consideration. However, she was still a girl in her early teens, and even though she was bold and forthright, her face couldn't help but flush.

“Miss, this first one is really difficult. Everyone knows that you are extremely intelligent. It’s hard to guess what you’re thinking.” Jiu’er shook her head.

“This second point is even more difficult. Since ancient times, men have always prioritized their careers and their families and countries. There’s a saying that brothers are like limbs and wives are like clothes. To expect a husband to prioritize you is really against common sense,” Shi’er chimed in.

“What you say makes sense, but he has his family and country’s cause, and I have mine. Family and country’s cause is important, but husband and wife are soulmates who will spend their lives together, and these material things are more important. I don’t want him to give up his promising future, but when he has to make a choice, he must put me first. I will treat him this way, and he should treat me the same way.”

The two maids were stunned by her words.

“Brother Fenglang treats me well, but if a real disaster were to strike, I’m afraid I would be the first person he abandons.” Yin Wuxiao couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

"Besides, love and affection are just feelings. Although I don't understand them now, I know that I don't have those feelings with Brother Fenglang. Since I, Yin Wuxiao, have lived in this world, I must taste the true flavor of love."

“Miss, you…” Shi’er murmured, but couldn’t find a way to get to the point.

“…That’s far too shocking,” Jiu’er continued.

Yin Wuxiao waved his hand: "Alright, is this the first day you've met me?"

“Miss is right.” Shi’er suddenly smiled sweetly and nudged Jiu’er. “Aunt Nan called you several times just now, why aren’t you going?”

"Oh?" Jiu'er blinked and smiled, "Then Jiu'er will go first." Niao Niao retreated to the door and left.

Yin Wuxiao blinked and said, "Jiu'er is becoming more and more beautiful. I bet you she has feelings for my Fenglang brother. Do you believe me?"

Shi'er sighed softly: "Miss is exceptionally gifted and insightful. Is there anything that Miss cannot see through or obtain?"

“Shi’er, there seems to be resentment in your words.” Yin Wuxiao’s brows furrowed slightly, and his phoenix eyes narrowed.

Shi'er gave a soft "Ai," her voice slightly unfocused: "Miss likes the young man in blue, doesn't she?"

"What?" Yin Wuxiao was genuinely stunned.

“Shi’er saw it.”

"...What do you see?" I'm totally confused.

"I saw the Xuan paper on your table, which you had half-covered with your sleeve."

"Well..." Yin Wuxiao looked embarrassed. It was a case of raising a tiger only to have it become a threat...

"That must be the perfect second half of the poem in green, right? Miss has given the answer, but she remains silent about it."

"That... Shi'er, it's not what you think." The origins of this matter are too complicated; where should she begin?

“Shi’er didn’t make any unnecessary guesses. Miss has always been strong-willed, but today in Yun Pavilion she would rather admit defeat than reveal the truth. There must be something strange about this.” Shi’er lowered her head.

Yin Wuxiao could only chuckle. Of course, there was something strange about it, something very strange.

"Besides..." Shi'er looked up at her, her eyes full of unspoken words.

"Besides what?"

"Moreover, the way Miss looked at the Xuan paper, sometimes angry and sometimes happy, sometimes annoyed and sometimes laughing, was something I had never seen before."

"..." For the first time, Yin Wuxiao was speechless.

Does she have one? Probably not.

The red box was scattered.

“Miss, you always fight for what you want, and you won’t compromise on what you don’t want. But have you ever thought about what the people around you think?” Shi’er said slowly.

"What do you think?" Yin Wuxiao was taken aback.

"For example, the young master, for example... for example, Shi'er."

"Shi'er, something's on your mind." Yin Wuxiao finally confirmed her thoughts and looked at her with a slight frown.

"Shi'er... Shi'er wants to ask, is Miss planning to disappoint Young Master's feelings?" Shi'er raised her face, her beautiful face as calm as still water.

“My relationship with Brother Fenglang has always been that of brother and sister, and besides…”

Yin Wuxiao's music suddenly stopped.

“Miss, you always keep your word, and this time, Shi’er trusts you too.”

The familiar face was suddenly so close, yet the words uttered were chillingly cold.

Yin Wuxiao looked down in astonishment and saw a dagger inserted into his chest and abdomen, the blade inserted vertically and the hilt held in Shi'er's hand.

Bright red blood flowed out in disbelief.

“Shi’er…” Yin Wuxiao opened her lips tremblingly, but her words were already broken and fragmented. The clever Shi’er, the reserved Shi’er, the tender Shi’er, the considerate Shi’er, separated before her eyes, separated, and finally reunited into a face that was chilling to the bone.

"Why...why?" That was all she could ask.

“Miss…” Shi’er loosened her grip on the dagger, took two steps back, and suddenly burst into tears.

"Miss only knows that Jiu'er is in love with Young Master Biao, but do you know that Shi'er is also... But Shi'er is self-aware. Shi'er feels that Miss and Young Master Biao are a match made in heaven, and all I want is for you to grow old together, flying wing to wing. Shi'er would be willing to die for that. But what about you, Miss? You always get whatever you want, yet you don't know how to cherish it. You even discard Young Master Biao's deep affection for you like trash. Seeing you like this day and night, how can Shi'er not hate you, how can I not hate you?"

Yin Wuxiao covered her abdomen with one hand, still holding the dagger embedded in her abdomen, and smiled bitterly through gritted teeth: "So... that's how you see me. I'm such a failure as a person." Waves of pain swept through her body from the wound, and cold sweat dripped down her forehead. She tried to lean back gently and successfully leaned against the desk.

"It's all your fault for being too greedy... too greedy... You don't understand the feeling of not being able to get what you want..." Shi'er stared at the blood-stained dagger, the overflowing crimson stains turning her face pale, and fear and madness gradually appeared on her face.

"I won't allow you to hurt Young Master again, I won't allow it..."

Yin Wuxiao reached behind the desk with one hand, opened the hidden drawer, and groped for the anesthetic powder that Aunt Nan had prepared for her, but couldn't find it anywhere.

She painfully raised her eyes to look at Shi'er, and seeing that she had no intention of finishing her job, she felt slightly relieved.

"Do you think he won't be sad if I die?" she suddenly roared.

Shi'er opened her watery eyes wide, completely bewildered.

A misty haze suddenly appeared in Yin Wuxiao's phoenix eyes: "If I die, won't you be sad...?" She couldn't believe that their two-year relationship was so fragile.

Shi'er gasped sharply and collapsed to the ground.

"Miss..." she groaned.

"I didn't mean to, I really didn't mean to..." She stared blankly at the wound, "Jiu'er didn't say there would be so much blood... so much blood..."

She reached out her hand tremblingly, as if to draw a dagger.

"Don't move!" Yin Wuxiao suddenly shouted to stop her.

"You just said... Jiu'er?" A chill ran through her heart, far surpassing the pain of the blade piercing her abdomen.

With a loud bang, the half-closed door was impatiently shaken open.

"Xiao'er!" Aunt Nan's panicked figure appeared at the door. Seeing this, Aunt Nan could no longer remain calm.

"You wretched maid!" Aunt Nan shouted angrily, striking Shi'er with a palm before she even realized it.

"Aunt Nan, no!" Yin Wuxiao exclaimed.

It was too late. Shi'er didn't even have time to scream before she died under Aunt Nan's palm.

Yin Wuxiao struggled to straighten up slightly.

Aunt Nan hadn't killed anyone for nearly twenty years, but today, in a fit of rage, she unleashed a killing spree for her sake.

"Xiao'er, how are you?" Aunt Nan didn't even glance at the fallen body before rushing straight to Yin Wuxiao, her anxiety and heartache evident in her words.

Yin Wuxiao could only sigh helplessly, "I'm fine." How could she put it? Aunt Nan always said she was impulsive, but when something big happened, Aunt Nan was still as impulsive and easily angered as she had been when she was young. But Aunt Nan only acted so impulsively for her sake.

Then, she saw Aunt Nan float up into the air, and then—

It crashed heavily into the wall.

"Jiu'er..." Yin Wuxiao instinctively called out softly, finally collapsing to the ground, unable to hold on any longer. Her vision was already becoming slightly blurry due to excessive blood loss, and she could barely make out a pair of exquisite silk shoes specially made by the Yin family, which were placed next to Shi'er's dead face.

“Miss,” a sinister voice whispered.

"What a pity, that girl was still too soft-hearted. She didn't stab me deep enough." The voice clicked its tongue.

"It wasn't all for nothing that I spent two years disguising myself and infiltrating your side. I've finally waited for this day." There was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“Miss,” the voice stopped in her ear, its breath sweet as orchids, “I’ve come to take your life.”

"Are you happy that two trusted maids are trying to take your life, one after the other?"

A small, square brocade box slowly fell to the ground, landing right in front of Yin Wuxiao.

That was the anesthetic powder she had searched through the dark drawers but couldn't find.

※ ※ ※