The old man, somewhat annoyed, said, "I've already said it's his fate, and it's yours too. Fate has already been arranged by the gods. Can a person easily change or escape it? I am a priest, that's true, but I am not a god. Little one, don't speak with such resentment. You'd better go with the flow, or you'll suffer later. What's meant to come will come. You can't escape it, and neither can Mu Yunhe."
With a quick glance, the old man added mysteriously, "Furthermore, when I took Mu Yunhe as my disciple, I was certain that someone who wasn't meant to be his would appear in his life, breaking all his existing destiny and saving him from death. Mu Yunhe was destined to die long ago; according to his fate, he absolutely shouldn't have lived past twenty! But now he's twenty-four, and that person who wasn't meant to be here has appeared. All his destinies, which shouldn't have existed, have now come true, so it's impossible for him to have a smooth journey all the time! It's bound to be full of hardships and difficulties. Luo Zhiheng, you should know who that person is."
Luo Zhiheng's face grew paler and paler because of the old man's words. Even though she was wearing a mask, her chin was still almost transparent.
Is it her? Is it because of her appearance that Mu Yunhe has suffered so much? Is it because she doesn't belong here, so her love for Mu Yunhe is against all reason and therefore she has to suffer so much?
Luo Zhiheng was terrified, yet she didn't want to be sure that it was truly because of her arrival—someone who didn't belong here—that everything had changed. But the thought that if she hadn't come, she wouldn't have met Mu Yunhe, wouldn't have fallen in love with him, wouldn't have had the hope and courage to move forward, and that if she hadn't come, Mu Yunhe really wouldn't have lived to be twenty, and would have been schemed against and harmed by that woman Luo Ningshuang—all these thoughts made Luo Zhiheng feel an unbearable, burning pain in her heart, as if it were being roasted on fire!
If all those "ifs" were true, she wouldn't be feeling this way today. And those "ifs" will never come true!
"So what if you say that? Is it against the natural order? But I'm here, and now that I'm here, I won't give up or leave so easily because of what you call fate. I believe in fate, because fate brought Mu Yunhe and me together, but I also believe in myself, I believe that anything is possible with human effort! As long as Mu Yunhe and I work together, even if there are difficulties and obstacles, we will definitely be able to walk through them! The road ahead may not be smooth, but as long as there is even a moment when we can quietly embrace each other, I will strive to persevere for that moment." Luo Zhiheng's gaze was firm, and every word was so powerful and resolute.
The old man chuckled and said, "I knew you'd say that. Since you're chosen by heaven, although I can't cure Mu Yunhe's poison, I can tell you two things. First, you'll soon find a way to save Mu Yunhe."
The crowd, who had been completely bewildered by their words, suddenly perked up. Luo Zhiheng, however, asked warily, "What is the second thing?"
The old man chuckled strangely: "The second thing is that it was precisely because I foresaw that Mu Yunhe's fate would be changed and that he would become Luo Ge's son-in-law that I took both your father and Mu Yunhe as my disciples. I wanted to see how fun it would be to see fellow disciples become father-in-law and son-in-law."
Everyone was stunned. Luo Zhiheng even had the urge to curse. This old man!
Just to see Mu Yunhe and Luo Ge in an awkward situation someday, just to satisfy his perverse tastes, he arranged this absurd thing more than 20 years ago. Old man, do you dare to be any more shameless and filthy?
The old man was still smiling smugly, but Luo Zhiheng had already turned and left. Since the old man said he would have a way to rescue Mu Yunhe, she would wait. Meanwhile, Prince Mu and the others had already gone down to make arrangements.
Mu Yunhe remained unconscious until the afternoon of the next day. Luo Zhiheng stayed by his side the entire time, not daring to close her eyes. Her mind kept replaying the old man's words. If this was all fate, then what had broken Mu Yunhe's original destiny? Was it because of the injustices he suffered in his previous life? So, had Heaven given him a second chance? Then, was she, in a way, a gift from Heaven to Mu Yunhe?
Although it might be a gift to make up for lost time, Luo Zhiheng couldn't feel any resentment at all. Meeting Mu Yunhe was the happiest thing in her life.
"Ruilin?" A hoarse voice sounded in her ear, bringing Luo Zhiheng back to her senses. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Mu Yunhe was awake and able to speak. Her face lit up with joy: "Yunhe, you're awake! Are you feeling better?"
Mu Yunhe felt a burning sensation in his throat, but his eyes shone with undisguised joy, a joy that made Luo Zhiheng extremely happy as well. After gazing at each other for a while, Mu Yunhe snorted, "What are you staring at like an idiot for? Get me a glass of water."
Luo Zhiheng grinned and quickly served him water. He'd barely finished a glass before she could even praise him for his good behavior when Mu Yunhe vomited it all up, his body convulsing. Luo Zhiheng frantically knocked over the teacup, holding Mu Yunhe tightly. Watching his contorted face and painful screams, her heart ached terribly.
"Ruilin, let me go! It hurts, it hurts so much! Let me go, get out!" Mu Yunhe roared. Her embrace was warm and he craved it, but he didn't want Luo Zhiheng to see this ugly side of him.
"No! I want to be with you, even if you're in pain, I'll be there for you!" Luo Zhiheng stubbornly hugged him tightly, and Mu Yunhe couldn't break free. He exuded a tremendous sense of despair and collapse.
This time, Mu Yunhe's pain and convulsions lasted for half an hour. The pain made Mu Yunhe wish he could just die from the pain or smash his head against a wall rather than endure it. But Luo Zhiheng was right beside him, and he couldn't break free. He also felt reluctant to part with her, so he stubbornly persisted, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at her, his whole being pushed to the limit of madness.
Hua Sha got home late today. I'm very tired from yesterday and today, so I'll only be posting one update today. Please forgive me, my darlings. Love you all, group kisses! Please vote for me! Please give me your monthly tickets! Goodnight, my darlings!
581 Sun Yunjun's madness!
Updated: 2014-01-29 0:17:08 Word Count: 3372
Once the corpse poison takes effect, its terrifying nature is no less than having flesh ripped out of a living person with a knife. Mu Yunhe persevered until his eyes turned red, his voice hoarse, and he collapsed in despair.
They tried everything, but nothing worked. Mu Yunhe's poison was progressing in the most terrifying direction. Luo Zhiheng stayed by his side, not daring to close her eyes. He was unconscious, emaciated, and his body was rotting. She stared at his body as it changed little by little. Even though she couldn't help at all, as long as she stayed by his side, even if their final fate was death, she was no longer afraid.
However, Luo Zhiheng overestimated her ability to endure. When she loved Mu Yunhe to the core, she couldn't bear to watch him suffer. She even wished that all the pain and suffering would be in her place. She began to panic and desperately wanted the antidote.
And the person behind the antidote finally appeared when Mu Yunhe was at his worst.
A letter completely shattered the panic and gloom that had gripped the Mu Prince's Mansion for the past two weeks.
Luo Zhiheng clutched the letter, veins bulging on the back of her hands and neck. She couldn't even manage a cold laugh; her clenched teeth made her look somewhat ferocious and terrifying.
Prince Mu and the others already knew the contents of the letter and were quite anxious. Prince Mu spoke first, saying, "I wonder if this counts as a trap? Should we go?"
"Go? How can I not go? They calculated that I would definitely go and wouldn't abandon Mu Yunhe, which is why they sent this life-saving letter when Mu Yunhe was at his worst. It's obvious what this person is thinking; they want to appear when we are most desperate and helpless, leaving us with nowhere to go! They've tormented Mu Yunhe like this; I really won't be satisfied until they've done their job." Luo Zhiheng sneered repeatedly, gritting her teeth as she spoke.
Everyone fell silent; they could all understand Luo Zhiheng's anger.
This was an anonymous letter, but it contained very detailed information, even listing the specifics of Mu Yunhe's illness. The letter concluded by saying that only this person possessed the antidote, and that if Luo Zhiheng wanted it, she should meet him alone at a teahouse.
This person is extremely arrogant. He arranged to meet at a teahouse within the imperial city, specifying that only Luo Zhiheng should go, but that they would arrange for someone to accompany and protect her and attempt to capture the mastermind behind it all. This person surely knows this. But the fact that he can send a message so openly suggests that he is also prepared, or that he is simply not afraid of the Mu Dynasty.
They were indeed terrified of the Great Demon King. The disasters he had brought were still fresh in their minds, and the aftereffects could not be ignored. They were truly afraid that another Great Demon King would appear.
"We can't go. I have no objection to rescuing Mu Yunhe, but I disagree with letting Heng'er go to see a ruthless person on her own." Loge had also arrived at this moment and made his position very clear. His daughter was his, and he wouldn't let her take such a risk.
The opinions of the people were not actually very different. They all hoped that Mu Yunhe could be saved, but they did not want Luo Zhiheng to take any risks.
"How about this, let's disguise ourselves. Find someone of similar stature to Heng'er, disguise ourselves as Heng'er, and there won't be any danger when we meet that person." As for the lives of others, they had already considered that. Prince Mu looked at Loge, hoping that Loge would agree to this idea.
Loge nodded and said, "That's good."
Luo Zhiheng said, "No need, I want to go myself. So what if there is danger? This person has gone to such lengths and waited for so long, he must have planned it all out in advance. Since he can do this much, his ability is considerable. How do you know he won't know that the person who went that day was a fake? What if he finds out and gets angry, and refuses to do business with us? Are we just going to watch Yun He rot and die?"
This was also a problem, and everyone was deadlocked, but Luo Zhiheng insisted on it, and even Luo Ge couldn't persuade her any further.
The following afternoon, Luo Zhiheng arrived at the teahouse at the time specified in the letter. The teahouse was surprisingly ordinary, and not crowded at all, with only a few scattered customers chatting and drinking tea. Luo Zhiheng's unassuming entrance still drew attention.
Even knowing that a large crowd had gathered outside, and that the Prince and his entourage were stationed there, they couldn't act rashly. The situation seemed suspicious, and they had to ensure Luo Zhiheng's safety. Luo Zhiheng stood before the private room, seemingly calm, but inwardly filled with anger and murderous intent.
They knocked on the door, but instead of the man's voice they expected, they heard a woman's gentle voice: "Come in."
Luo Zhiheng froze, quickly concealing the strange look in her eyes, and cautiously pushed open the door to enter. The room was very elegant, with a round table placed in front of the window. A woman stood in front of the window with her back to her. Luo Zhiheng pondered silently, could there be something wrong?
Just as she was wondering, the person in front of her slowly turned around, a familiar and longing smile on his delicate face: "It's been a long time, Young Master Luo."
"Sun Yunyun?!" Luo Zhiheng exclaimed in shock. She couldn't help but be shocked, because Sun Yunyun's charm and allure were dazzling at that moment. An overbearing aura emanated from her, making her appear sharp and charismatic, a far cry from the outwardly cold but inwardly kind Sun Yunyun of the past.
"Are you surprised to see me, Your Excellency?" Sun Yunyun winked playfully, her expression softening with shyness. She walked gracefully to Luo Zhiheng, seemingly pondering something. In a flash, she took Luo Zhiheng's hand, saying in a seemingly generous yet ambiguous tone, "Young Master Luo's expression makes me think you've seen a ghost, not an old friend. Aren't you happy to see me?"
How could she possibly be happy? Seeing you in a place where Mu Yunhe's life is at stake, it would be a miracle if she were happy!
"How did you end up here? Or rather, what is your relationship with the person who delivered this letter to me?" Luo Zhiheng did not brush away Sun Yunjun's hand, but her voice was not warm.
Sun Yunyun blinked, then immediately adopted a wronged expression, saying, "Do you really dislike seeing me that much? I've done so much just to see you, and all these years you've never really cared about me at all? Do you even know what I've sacrificed for you? Luo Zhiheng, can you be any more ruthless to outsiders?"
Luo Zhiheng was speechless and felt extremely frustrated. Why did Sun Yunyun's words make it sound like she was a heartless man?
At this moment, Sun Yunyun's grip on her hand felt like a hot potato. Luo Zhiheng subtly withdrew her hand and said with a faint smile, "You're much more enthusiastic than before after all these years. You said you did a lot to see me, what do you mean by that?"
Sun Yunyun didn't care about Luo Zhiheng's rejection of her; she was only thinking that they had a long and happy future together, and that made her overjoyed. A strange, dark look crossed her face as she tilted her head and smiled, "That letter was the one I wrote to you."
Luo Zhiheng's expression changed drastically. She grabbed Sun Yunjun's arm and exclaimed, "Did you really write this? Do you know what you wrote? What is your relationship with the person behind this? Why are you helping others harm Hao Hao? I thought we were good friends. Is this how you treat your good friend's husband? Did that person threaten you to do this?"
Sun Yunyun's expression became quite interesting because of Luo Zhiheng's words. She sneered repeatedly, "Good friends? How can we still be good friends? Luo Zhiheng, from the moment you provoked me at the First Talent Competition, it was destined that we could only have two kinds of relationships: either we would be husband and wife, or we would be mortal enemies! Tell me, how could we possibly become good friends?"
"What are you saying?" Luo Zhiheng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in shock, finding it utterly absurd and like a fantasy.
Sun Yunyun said emotionally, "Can't you hear me? I'll say it again. From the moment you told me you were a man, from the day you said you liked me and would come to my house to tell me, from the moment you said you would leave Mu Yunhe one day and become a man again, I fell in love with you. It was an undeniable, ever-deepening love, a crazy love for you."
She grabbed Luo Zhiheng's arms tightly, her emotions spiraling out of control, her voice breaking: "Do you know how hard it has been for me to wait for you? Is it wrong for me to like you? Why have you been avoiding me? I know you have your reasons, I know your difficulties, I can understand and wait for you, but the worst thing you could do is to be so loving with Mu Yunhe! Do you know the despair I felt when I learned you were unconscious and might even sleep like that for the rest of your life? I was thinking of staying by your side, never marrying. And I did it! Because of the life I waited for and protected, Luo Zhiheng!"
"But then you died. You woke up from your coma, but you didn't see me. Do you know how heartbroken I was? Even then, I still didn't hate you. But in the end, you died! Do you know that I tried to commit suicide when I went to your funeral? Do you know how desperate I was? My love for you was so hopeless, yet I kept waiting. Now that you're dead, I don't want to live anymore."
A look of madness suddenly appeared on Sun Yunyun's face as she said with self-mockery and sarcasm, "But all of this is not the most tragic thing about me. The most tragic thing is that I have been kept in the dark and deceived all this time!"
"You are all so hateful! You and Mu Yunhe know the truth. But you kept it a secret from everyone. The person who was unconscious was not you at all, and the person who died was not you either. I waited for you like a fool for so many years, and almost died for you. But everything I did has become a joke!"
582 Sun Yunyun's scheme led to Luo Zhiheng marrying her!
Updated: 2014-01-29 0:55:58 Word Count: 3383
"Luo Zhiheng, I really hate you! I hate you so much! Why are you still alive? Why do you have to show up and mess up my life? Do you know how much I hate you? I wish you would die right now and never let me see you again! And the most hateful thing about you is that I can't have you and I can't hate you either! You came back and went to find Mu Yunhe. Do you know how much I want to destroy Mu Yunhe? Is destroying him the same as destroying you?" Sun Yunyun laughed maniacally.
Luo Zhiheng was utterly shocked and terrified by Sun Yunyun's sudden display of a ferocious face.
Is this still the same pure and innocent woman, cold on the outside but warm on the inside? Is this still the same woman who, though cold, possessed a chivalrous heart? I still remember when Sun Yunyun let me win a game; we became friends after a fight. Such pure memories, how could they have turned into terrible memories shrouded in dust?
Sun Yunyun's hysteria and undisguised, insane jealousy alarmed Luo Zhiheng. She realized she finally understood what was wrong.
"Is all of this your revenge? You hate me so much, so you took revenge on the man I love most?" Luo Zhiheng grabbed Sun Yunyun's wrist without mercy and shouted angrily.
Sun Yunyun suddenly suppressed all her fierceness, gazing intently at Luo Zhiheng's hand, and said, "Do you know what my strongest belief was that kept me going during all those dark days?" She looked at Luo Zhiheng and said tenderly, "It was you! Whenever I think of you holding me and spinning me around on the stage, whenever I think of the promises you made to me, I feel that even if the sky is dark, the road is difficult, and my body is cold, I can keep going. Because I fell in love with someone, someone I might have loved wrongly."
Luo Zhiheng felt a chill run down her spine under Sun Yunjun's gaze and didn't know what to say. She said stiffly, "Since you know you've loved the wrong person, you should pull back from the brink and wake up in time. If you keep making the same mistake, won't you just end up hurting yourself in the end?"
Sun Yunyun shook her head with a bitter smile and said, "How could you possibly understand how I feel? I'm a stubborn person. Once I've set my mind on something, I'll stick to it regardless of right or wrong, life or death, even if I get hurt and my skin is torn open, I will never give up or back down. I fell in love with you, Luo Zhiheng, but you don't want me, you want Mu Yunhe. Do you really know how heartbroken I am? Do you know how much I hate Mu Yunhe?"
Luo Zhiheng shouted impatiently, "What happened back then was my fault. I know that no matter how many times I apologize, it won't make up for the harm I've caused you. But Sun Yunyun, I really want to make it up to you. As long as you can get back to normal, I will do everything I can to help you."
She softened her tone and said sincerely, "It was my lie that hurt you back then. I never imagined that my unintentional act and joking words would lead you down a path of no return. It's all my fault. But Mu Yunhe is innocent; he doesn't know anything about us. If you really have the antidote, please give it to me. As for what you want me to do, rest assured, I, Luo Zhiheng, will take responsibility for what I've done. Just tell me, and as long as it's within my power, I will never refuse!"
Actually, what did Luo Zhiheng do wrong in this matter? The situation back then didn't allow her to make normal moves. She had been forced into a corner. Mu Yunhe's survival was her only option. At that time, she was only thinking about her own survival. How could she care about others? Sun Yunyun was indeed too stubborn. Anyone with eyes could tell that Luo Zhiheng's words were true or false, and they could all know that she was lying, but Sun Yunyun was the only one who didn't know.
Perhaps Sun Yunyun knew, but she remained immersed in a dream, unwilling to emerge. Thus, she trapped herself in the fabricated love story she had created, imprisoning herself, harming others, and filling Luo Zhiheng with endless guilt.
Sun Yunyun tilted her head, her eyes brimming with tears, and asked with a hint of disbelief, "Will you really agree to everything I say?"
"Yes, but there's a condition. It has to be something I can do. If you ask me to pluck stars from the sky, I couldn't do it even if I died a hundred times." Luo Zhiheng nodded, feeling anxious. She felt that Sun Yunyun's gaze was terrifying and insane at that moment.
Sun Yunyun's face was flushed with shyness and charm, but her gaze was almost icy cold: "I actually went to great lengths to arrange all of this just to lure you in. I don't care about Mu Yunhe's life or death, but you do. You're so smart that I'm afraid you'll see through every step of the way, so I carefully and repeatedly consider every detail. You know, I've thought of these plans a thousand times over for a year now. I know you'll come back one day, and you'll definitely come to find Mu Yunhe."
"I was worried that Mu Yunhe wouldn't fall for it, so I carefully developed a poison specifically for his constitution. And let me tell you a secret: I actually have a fragment of the Great Demon King's soul inside me. That corpse poison comes from the Great Demon King's memories, which really helped me a lot. Now I'm perfect, aren't I? My wisdom, looks, and methods—aren't they all worthy of you?"
Luo Zhiheng was almost driven mad by Sun Yunyun's frenzied behavior. She said coldly, "Sun Yunyun, what exactly do you want to do? Are you trying to tell me that you are not acting out of your own nature, but out of a fragment of the Great Demon King's soul?"
"Of course not. Those fragments can't control me; on the contrary, they've become my slaves. I just want to try my best to be worthy of you. Luo Zhiheng, Young Master Luo..." Sun Yunyun called out tenderly, as if she could never get enough of it.
Luo Zhiheng felt utterly disgusted. Her patience had run out, and she warned and snapped, "What exactly do you want? You've caused so much trouble and made Mu Yunhe suffer so much, just to satisfy your own desires? Let me tell you this solemnly: I am Luo Zhiheng, I am a woman, a woman! Do you understand what a woman is? I am a woman just like you, so I only love men and can only be with men. I will never want another woman. Do you understand?"
“You’re a man! Don’t lie to me, I know. You’re a man, and I know I’m a woman. I want to marry a man, the man I love. Even though you always hurt me, I still want to marry you. Young Master Luo, my request is actually very simple, and you can definitely do it. As long as you agree, I can give Mu Yunhe the antidote immediately.” Sun Yunyun stubbornly insisted that Luo Zhiheng was a man, and said with a puzzled expression.
Luo Zhiheng was too lazy to explain to Sun Yunyun anymore. Now she finally believed that Sun Yunyun was the one who poisoned Mu Yunhe, and all the talk about a mastermind was nonsense. Given Sun Yunyun's current madness, she was capable of anything, no matter how outrageous. Any lingering guilt she felt towards Sun Yunyun had vanished. As long as she could save Mu Yunhe, she didn't care about anything else.
"Tell me what you want me to do?" Luo Zhiheng asked coldly.
Sun Yunyun smiled shyly, but her gaze was sharp as she looked into Luo Zhiheng's eyes, saying each word slowly and deliberately, "I want you to marry me!"