La luna brilla intensamente sobre las montañas desiertas y las flores llenan el cielo

Capítulo 42

After she finished speaking, she turned and left the house. Feng Ning stood there blankly, not knowing how long she had stood there. Her heart was adrift, feeling lost and uncertain. She felt she had to do something. But what could she do? What should she do? She didn't know.

Feng Ning floated out of the house like a ghost. She felt like a filthy sinner, unable to bear the light, so she hugged the wall, seeking out shadows. As she walked, she found herself outside Long San's courtyard. She looked up at the familiar house and suddenly longed to see him again, to hear him speak, but she dared not. She felt she had a thousand words to say, countless questions to ask, and she should talk to him properly, but she didn't dare.

She eventually walked silently to Long San's window, put her ear close, and just then heard people talking inside the room.

"I didn't touch her." It was Long San's voice. Though soft, the voice cut through Feng Ning's heart like a sharp blade. She froze, standing there dumbfounded.

"Hmph, no matter how much Madam Feng tries to deny it, it won't work." That was Long Er's voice: "Does she think our Long family are all dead?"

Long San remained silent, while Long Er continued, "This is what they call being too clever for one's own good. She failed to steal our business, and knowing that Feng Ning was ill, she anticipated that we would use this as an excuse to divorce her and send her back home. So she brought over the child that Feng Ning had secretly given birth to at home. Did she really think she could use the child to secure her position as Mrs. Long San? But she didn't expect that Feng Ning would also outmaneuver her."

"I really can't believe it. Ping'er said that Feng Ning went back to her parents' home to give birth, and it turns out it was true." The hurt in Long San's tone brought tears to Feng Ning's eyes again.

“It’s not too late for you to confirm it now.” Long Er felt very fortunate: “Now you don’t have to struggle anymore. Ping’er got sick and died not long after she told on us, and I felt that it wasn’t that simple.”

"Second Brother..." Long San's grief and helplessness were another wound inflicted on Feng Ning's heart.

Feng Ning didn't know how she left that courtyard. All she knew was that she would never be able to face Long San with a clear conscience again. She wandered aimlessly through the Long mansion, hiding in the shadows against the walls. She didn't realize that her hair was disheveled from crying, her eyes were swollen and red, and her face was pale. She looked like a ghost, her heart was dead, and her face was expressionless. Seeing something like that standing in the corner in broad daylight was truly frightening.

As Feng Ning was drifting aimlessly, a maid carrying a plate of fruit passed by. As soon as she turned the corner, she saw a terrifying, white ghostly figure standing in the corner. Startled, she screamed, dropped what she was carrying, and ran away.

Feng Ning stared blankly at her retreating figure, muttering, "I didn't commit suicide, did I? A dead heart won't turn into a ghost... right?" She stood there blankly for a while, then her mind seemed to come to a head. She stretched her hand out into the sunlight and muttered to herself, "That's right, I didn't turn into a ghost."

She looked down at the fruit scattered on the ground, including her favorite pears. Feng Ning squatted down, picked one up, wiped it clean, and took a big bite. In the past, no matter how unhappy she was, eating something would always lift her spirits. The pears were sweet; she could eat three in one go. She remembered the pears Uncle Ma grew himself, which she enjoyed eating. But why did tears well up in her eyes when she ate the pears from the Long family?

Feng Ning was unwilling to give up. She ate one pear, picked up another, wiped it, and continued eating, but she couldn't stop the tears. She felt so foolish. Just as she was putting the pear into her mouth, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of her. It was Bao'er.

Bao'er watched Feng Ning's actions with curiosity and squatted down like her. Looking down at the fruit on the ground, she picked up a peach and put it in her mouth.

"Oh, oh, it's dirty." Feng Ning quickly snatched it away, wiped it clean for her, and handed it back: "It's done."

Bao'er couldn't squat any longer and plopped down next to Feng Ning. She raised her hand to wipe away Feng Ning's tears and said somewhat indistinctly, "Cry, you're so shameful..." Feng Ning stared at her blankly, while she hugged a peach and started eating it.

Bao'er's hands were small, and the peach was quite large, so she held it with both hands and earnestly began to gnaw on it. But her teeth weren't fully grown, and her mouth was small, so after a long time, the peach looked terrible. Feng Ning couldn't help but laugh. She sniffed and surprisingly felt much better. She took the peach, forcefully broke it in half, and handed it to Bao'er. Bao'er blinked her dark eyes, looking at Feng Ning with adoration. Taking half the peach, she could now bite into it, laughing as she ate, getting juice all over her face.

The two, one big and one small, finished eating fruit in the corner, and no one came looking for Bao'er yet. Feng Ning picked her up, and Bao'er obediently called out, "Mother..."

The sound of "Mother" filled Feng Ning with both bitterness and joy. She took out a handkerchief and wiped Bao'er's mouth, and Bao'er smiled sweetly at her. Feng Ning felt like crying again. What should she do? Her life was shrouded in darkness; why did God have to give her such a lovely baby?

That day, Feng Ning took Bao'er and hid in the house. She didn't want to see anyone, and in fact, no one came to see her. She stopped thinking about the negotiations between the two families and what she could do in the future. She gave herself time to spend with Bao'er.

Bao'er is a very well-behaved child. She doesn't speak loudly, doesn't cry or make a fuss, and looks at everything carefully. She seems to be very timid and wants to think things through and test things before taking any action.

The maid who was taking care of Bao'er came to take Bao'er away, but Feng Ning refused. After asking how the baby would be cared for, she sent the maid away. Bao'er seemed to like Feng Ning very much, and knowing that she could stay with her, she smiled happily. Feng Ning felt that this was the natural bond between mother and daughter. Just as she had liked Bao'er the moment she saw her, Bao'er must also have some inexplicable affection for her.

The mother and daughter ate dinner together, took a bath together, combed their hair together, changed their clothes together, and went to bed together. Feng Ning held Bao'er, listened to her call "Mother," and watched her drooling even in her deep sleep. Suddenly, she felt that she was no longer afraid of nightmares.

At this time, Bao'er's presence distracted Feng Ning from her despair and sorrow. She kept Feng Ning busy and allowed her to escape her current situation. Although all the pain originated from her, Feng Ning felt that Bao'er's experience was somewhat similar to her own.

Both were ignorant and both were a source of trouble. Feng Ning dared not claim innocence, but Bao'er was absolutely innocent. She was just a child; there was no reason for Bao'er to bear these unpleasant consequences.

Feng Ning thought that she couldn't change her own fate, but she had to protect Bao'er. She couldn't abandon her daughter again. Even if it wasn't for Long San, she couldn't stay in the Long family anymore. She wanted to be with Bao'er, and she wanted to go home with Bao'er.

Feng Ning was the kind of person who acted on her thoughts immediately. She quietly got up, dressed, kissed Bao'er's rosy cheeks, and then ran out, intending to make it clear to her parents that she would never stay in the Long Mansion no matter what.

But as soon as she sneaked to the guest room, she heard Qiao Li say to Feng Zhuojun, "Husband, I'm doing this for Feng Feng's sake, for the sake of our Feng family."

Feng Ning's heart skipped a beat. She stopped knocking on the door and went to the window to eavesdrop.

She heard Feng Zhuojun say, "Bao'er is a very well-behaved child, we can raise her ourselves."

"But what about the Feng family's reputation? We can't let everyone know that Fengfeng gave birth to a child whose father is unknown and her husband's family doesn't want her. It's fine when she's a baby, but as she grows up, we can't hide it from the neighbors. It's better to send her away first, and then bring her back later under some pretext, saying she's a distant niece coming to stay. The Long family's attitude is tough today, so I don't think this will be easy. If they don't agree, I'll definitely make a scene again. Whether Fengfeng stays or not, Bao'er's situation has to be settled. I've decided to send Bao'er to the old woman in the countryside first. She has no children and will definitely treat Bao'er well. We'll send her all the money and food, and Bao'er won't have a bad life."

“Ah Li, Bao’er is still young…”

“Husband, listen to me. If things don’t work out in the Long family, and Fengfeng remarries in the future, Bao’er will definitely be a burden. If Bao’er grows up in our family, he will inevitably have to endure the gossip and criticism of outsiders, and his life will not be easy. My approach is the best for everyone.”

Feng Ning closed her eyes, feeling a chill run through her heart. She couldn't bear to listen anymore, so she silently turned around and disappeared into the darkness.

Author's Note: Next update at 8 PM.

32

32. Master Long, struggling to find his wife...

In the following days, Long San was very busy dealing with the matter of being chased and killed during his trip, negotiating with the Feng family, discussing the treasure hunt and internal traitors with Long Er, and also looking for opportunities to secretly visit Feng Ning.

From that day on, Feng Ning changed completely, but not back to the original Feng Ning. Instead, she became a third Feng Ning—a sad, quiet, and aloof Feng Ning.

She always hid in her own little courtyard, no longer coming out to cause trouble and anger Granny Yu, no longer running to the kitchen to steal food, no longer running to his courtyard to pester him, and she even stopped seeing him altogether.

Long San felt a mix of emotions. He knew that this incident would likely have a greater impact on Feng Ning than on him, since he had been mentally prepared, while she hadn't. That day, seeing her radiant smile turn to ashes and despair, he didn't know if his pain stemmed from confirming her complete betrayal or from feeling sorry for her helplessness.

He knew she had come looking for him. When he heard the noise and ran out of the room, he saw her turning to leave. He didn't know if she had heard his conversation with Ryuji, but her retreating figure told him that they were growing further and further apart.

"Long San, don't leave me." Whenever Long San recalled Feng Ning's expression and tone when she said these words, his eyes would well up with tears. In the end, he still had to leave her, for the sake of the past she couldn't remember.

He regretted the night they met. He should have gone straight home after finishing his business. He shouldn't have gone to his friend's tavern in the south of the city to drink. He shouldn't have wandered around to the city gate after drinking. He shouldn't have been so sharp-eyed as to spot her.

If he hadn't done that, he wouldn't have seen her fiery charm, her helplessness and sadness; he wouldn't have felt pity for her, and he wouldn't have let his guard down around her. He should have been like Long Er, firmly imprinting his past impressions of her in his mind. If he hadn't seen this other side of her, he wouldn't be in so much pain now.

Those who knew him in the martial arts world all said that Third Master Long was the most tender-hearted towards women, and called him the third young master of romance. He did indeed think that girls were gentle and lovely and should be treated with more tenderness. But he never knew that it was the fierce and mischievous crazy women who could most arouse his protective instincts.

But now, it's all coming to an end. Many things remain unclear, yet he and she are about to part ways.