Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn

Chapter 22

Seeing that Shen Haoyu had also taken the Mother Pill, Shen Xiuqian asked Jiang Ming to take me back to pack my things, saying that I would be living in Qiufeng Garden from today onwards and would not be allowed to leave Shen Haoyu without permission.

My fate and Shen Haoyu's fate were inexplicably and inexplicably linked together.

On the way back, I was still uneasy, feeling that things had gone a bit too far. Jiang Ming didn't talk to me either, only occasionally glancing at me thoughtfully.

Unable to bear his gaze, I sighed and said, "Master, is there some kind of conspiracy involved?"

Jiang Ming smirked and said, "Perhaps you should ask yourself."

"It's all my fault for teaching me too well." No one would believe it was just because I behaved out of line today.

Jiang Ming stopped talking.

I was a little depressed. Moving to Qiufeng Garden meant that I would no longer be able to be with Song Zhixuan and the others, including Jiang Ming.

"Master, I can't bear to part with you." I caught up with Jiang Ming and tugged at his sleeve.

Jiang Ming tapped my head and said, "Are you afraid of your new master? If I'm not mistaken, Mr. Qi will be teaching you personally from now on."

I thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Qi doesn't seem scary. What worries me is why they chose me and what they want from me. I'm only here because I'm desperate." As I spoke, I thought of my aunt and Zinuo, whom I hadn't seen for a long time, and my nose tingled. I felt like something was about to come out of my eyes.

"They forced me to take this medicine. How am I supposed to take care of my mother and brother after this?" It's a real headache.

Jiang Ming led me along as we walked, saying, "Just take care of yourself for now. It's only right that they ask you to do whatever they want. Even if something bad happens, that's a long time from now. You're not that useful right now."

"What kind of talk is that?" I glared at him with displeasure.

Back at my place, I saw Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao chatting in bed. Jiang Ming told me to pack my things and to talk to Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao more. He also told me to take him to Qiufeng Garden before closing time that night.

After Jiang Ming left, Lin Zhao asked me what had happened.

I said with a wry smile, "I'm going to move to Qiufeng Garden to be the young prince's personal bodyguard."

"This is a good thing, much better than being here." Lin Zhao looked at me strangely, while Song Zhixuan remained silent.

I said, "They gave me medicine, and my life is now in the hands of the young prince." This is the truth; if he dies, I'm finished too.

Song Zhixuan asked, "Why did they choose you?"

I shook my head and said I didn't know.

Finally, I suggested we go for a walk around the training ground, since we probably wouldn't have many chances to come here again.

Despite his injuries, Lin Zhao came with us to the training ground. We found a tree and sat down together.

They are my best friends here, simple and pure.

Song Zhixuan picked a withered blade of grass and fiddled with it in his hand, looking up at the sky. It was dusk, and the western sky was ablaze with red clouds, making the desolate winter seem even more bleak.

"Master seems to dote on Lin En a lot," Song Zhixuan blurted out out of the blue.

I chuckled dryly and said, "Perhaps I'm more like Master's personality." After a pause, I added, "Starting tomorrow, I won't be able to be with you anymore." Anyone with eyes can see how good Jiang Ming is to me, and although I don't know exactly why, he certainly doesn't have any ill intentions towards me.

Lin Zhao seemed uncomfortable sitting, so he simply lay down on the dry grass. I rubbed and massaged it for him, and he cried out in pain.

"Stop yelling. If I ever have back pain again, there won't be anyone to massage me," I said, dissatisfied.

"Hehe." Lin Zhao chuckled awkwardly twice.

We didn't talk much, and the atmosphere was tense. I couldn't express how I felt. The sudden event had overwhelmed me; I knew I was trapped in a cycle, but I couldn't make sense of it. I thought my life was pretty good now—I had food, clothes, and friends. To have it all suddenly disrupted like this was painful and upsetting. Although I understand that one is under someone else's roof, and I know that one's life is ultimately determined by the master's word, I still feel uneasy.

“Now that we’re here, we know that we can’t make decisions on our own,” Song Zhixuan said.

I nodded and said I understood, but I was unwilling to accept it. They didn't want to cultivate my loyalty, so they resorted to drugs.

Lin Zhao grabbed my hand and said, "I know you're reluctant to leave us, and we are too. But this kind of thing was bound to happen sooner or later. One day we will all have to separate, each carrying our own mission."

This is also true; our future is controlled by others.

"No matter what happens in the future, everyone should try their best to keep their lives, otherwise everything will be lost," I joked.

Lin Zhao held the three of our hands tightly together.

As it grew dark, we returned to the compound and had dinner. After packing our clothes in our room, we asked Lin Zhao for a few more favors.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to go out much in the future. When you go home, could you please look after my mother and younger brother for me?" I asked Lin Zhao. Lin Zhao readily agreed.

So I wrote down the address for him, and Song Zhixuan, who was standing next to me, said, "If he doesn't have time to go, I can go too, since I don't have anywhere else to go anyway."

I nodded and said, "Okay, thank you. Just make sure they're doing well and tell them not to worry about me."

A short while later, Jiang Ming came to pick me up.

“Master, you don’t really need to run around doing these things yourself, do you?” I asked Jiang Ming.

"Isn't this the end of our master-disciple relationship? I'm reluctant to part with you, my mischievous disciple." Jiang Ming smiled and patted my head.

After saying goodbye to Song Zhixuan and Lin Zhao again, Jiang Ming took me to Qiufeng Garden. The winter night wind was a bit dry and cold, and I hunched my shoulders.

Do not lean against the west railing to lock in the clear autumn. Chapter 018

Chapter word count: 3441 Update time: 09-07-25 14:04

Putting aside my unease, the material life at Qiufeng Garden was quite good. I had a separate room, right next to Shen Haoyu's, which was nicely furnished, even better than the Hongxiu Residence in the Qiyun Marquis's mansion. I was increasingly confused about them. But since I couldn't figure it out no matter how I thought about it, I settled in and prepared to embrace my new life.

A comfortable bed ensures a good night's sleep.

I woke up early this morning, stretched, put on my clothes, and got out of bed. Opening the door, it was all gray outside, and I could vaguely see figures moving in the distance. I quietly walked over and saw Shen Haoyu practicing his swordplay early in the morning, with Mr. Qi and a maid standing beside him. I'd heard that Mr. Qi had moved to Qiufeng Garden after the New Year to teach Shen Haoyu full-time; it seemed that was true.