"Now that everything is over, does what you said last time still stand?"
He was taken aback for a moment, then slowly took my hand, and after a long while, a smile that he couldn't shake off began to appear in his eyes.
What if I say it doesn't count?
My heart skipped a beat. Even though I knew he was teasing me, I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. I thought to myself, I must have fallen into a terrible abyss.
"Is lying to me really that fun?"
"See, I didn't fool you."
"...Yunzhi, the road ahead will surely be difficult."
"Yes, because it's difficult to walk, I need you to face it with me."
As the sun sets, it paints the clouds and mist on the horizon red, while distant mountains smile at the flowing green river, and a large field of clivia blooms outside the nine-story building.
Here, all I saw was a sea of flowers and towering pavilions, lavish and dazzling. The rampant carnage he deflected with a wave of his long sleeves, the billowing yellow smoke—he wouldn't let a speck of dust sully my eyes.
Later, I learned from Qiongying that of the nine ministers, only Sima and He remained. Although they were stripped of their ministerial positions, they at least survived.
After a few days of leisure, I suddenly remembered that Yue Linghe was still living in Heshun Pavilion. Since Nangong Ling was very busy since he had just officially taken over as the city lord, I could go and visit her to pass the time.
They hadn't gone far when they encountered Master Liu of Qingyuan Hall, who was in a hurry. It seemed that Qiongying had once again gone off to slack off somewhere. It was really tough for him to have such a boss. He had already struggled to find her after searching around Wuyue Palace before, and now she had moved to a place much larger than Wuyue Palace. If Qiongying hid well, he probably wouldn't be able to find her even after spending a whole day.
"Ah! Madam, is Qiongying with you?"
I thought for a moment before realizing that he was calling me. Although my marriage to Yunzhi was postponed until the beginning of the year and would have to wait another half month, almost everyone in the city was already calling me that.
“Protector Qiongying has not come.” Xiaoman chased after her from inside the house, holding a cloak in her hand.
"Oh..." Hall Master Liu's face fell. "Then I'll go look in other places."
After saying that, he ran away like a gust of wind, disappearing into the distance.
"Really, you always disturb Madam's rest," Xiaoman complained.
"It's good that they're so energetic every day, it makes things a bit more lively."
Xiaoman was somewhat surprised and stared at me blankly for a while. "Madam, your temper is much better than before."
"Really?" I smiled. "I guess after experiencing some things and reaching a certain age, how could I survive if I still had the same temperament as I did back then? You always have to grow up, right?"
"This servant will have a carriage prepared for you to go there."
"Okay, that's fine."
It's definitely much warmer inside the car. If you had to walk in the cold wind all day, you'd be lucky not to get sick.
Heshun Restaurant remained as inconspicuous as ever, appearing even more desolate under the gray winter sky.
Stepping into the courtyard, one is greeted by withered grass and fallen flowers, tightly closed doors, and gray brick walls—a scene of utter desolation and bleakness.
Why make yourself look so pathetic? Don't you know that there's always a reason why someone is pitiful?
Chapter 78
She sat on the wicker chair, her expression blank, her eyes vacant. Her white dress was strikingly jarring.
"Where is your brother?" She tilted her head, and although her complexion was not good, it could not hide the cuteness under her beautiful face.
For some reason, I was a little confused by her question. I looked up at Jing Tianxiang, who was standing at the door, and he also looked haggard.
"I have no choice. I'm begging you, please let my junior brother come and see her, even just once."
What are you doing? It's not like I stopped Nangong Ling from coming over no matter what. Although I'm not exactly kind-hearted, I wouldn't hold a grudge against you over something like this.
"Is it meaningful for you to ask me to summon Yun Zhilai?"
“Rong Lian, Miss Rong Si… You are so remarkable. You've caused so much trouble and offended so many people, yet you're still unscathed. Master Jun said you're a phoenix fallen from a branch, how apt! You have the life of a phoenix, and many people will protect you. But what about me? I'm just a distant relative of Madam Nangong's family. He took me in because my looks and temperament were somewhat similar to yours, Miss Rong Si. As a child, I was naturally flattered and flattered, so I did everything he said, carefully avoiding any mistakes, afraid that he would abandon me one day. But what good did it do? I'm not you, Rong Lian. I don't have your precious body, your wealth, your delicate temperament, or even your face!”
"If you know it, why don't you admit it? It would make you feel better."
She smiled softly, like a kapok flower in bloom.
"I'm not reconciled. I've been by his side all these years, so why did you get everything in the end?"
"Because you don't love him, and he doesn't love you. You just see him as a distant dream, something precious because you can't have it. You're just unwilling to accept that your efforts over the past few years haven't been rewarded. If I asked you, if you knew it was a pit of fire, would you jump in or not?" Seeing her smile freeze on her face, I smiled and said, "You don't love him to the point of risking your life for him."
"And what about yourself?"
"Me..." I smiled even more broadly, "Why should I tell you?"
Yue Linghe's expression suddenly twisted, and her long, sharp nails lashed out.
No one expected that the person who was sitting obediently in the chair just now would suddenly turn hostile. I was caught off guard and instinctively stepped back, but I was still slashed on the cheek.
A chill followed by damp heat, and a throbbing pain; I knew my complexion must be terrible.
Xiaoman immediately grabbed Yue Linghe, who looked at me with the ferocity of a beast.
I looked at Jing Tianxiang and said, "I saw it. She made the first move."
Before he could react and rush over, I had already slapped Yue Linghe twice across the face, the sound crisp and clear. Did he really think anyone could test my patience?
I never want to see this woman again. How dare she say she looks like me? What kind of eyes do people have, especially Nangong Ling?
"Xiaoman, let's go!"
I walked quickly, wanting to leave behind the bleakness and desolation.
"...Madam, please slow down, be careful not to trip..."
Xiaoman's voice came from behind, but I got into the carriage and headed towards the Nine-Story Tower.
"Madam's words were quite harsh; I wonder if she can take them to heart."
"She's the one who's stuck in a dead end and won't come out. What's the point of blaming Yunzhi? Besides, Yunzhi has already compensated her for everything she needed to. What more could she want? If she wants love, Jing Tianxiang can give it to her with his whole heart and trust, unless what she really wants is the status and power behind Yunzhi."
"Miss Yue would have such thoughts?" Xiaoman stared at me blankly, hardly believing it.
"Who says that someone who looks delicate and cute can't have those kinds of thoughts? A woman's ambition is not necessarily smaller than a man's."
Xiaoman nodded slowly, then looked at me, hesitating to speak.
"Stop looking." I laughed. "Yun Zhi and I are the same kind of people. Those who say they don't like being the supreme being haven't experienced the unparalleled glory that comes with a high position. Once you've truly tried it, you'll never want to let go."
Unless you can see through the illusions of the world, but how many people can truly see through the illusions of the world?
I kept rambling on, and Xiaoman listened, seemingly understanding but not quite, and the journey passed by quickly.
I was startled when I got out of the car and looked up. It was that same person who liked to wear the red python robe again, wandering around in front of the Nine-Story Tower. Was that all he ever wore? Surely the capital city wasn't so poor that it would mistreat a dignified King Yama like that.
"I hope you are well, Madam. I have offended you in the past, and I hope you will forgive me."
"Xiaoman, drag him away and give him some clothes to change. He looks really out of place."
Ghost in red—no, he should be called Yanmolu now—his expression twitched strangely for a moment before he silently and quietly retreated.
He didn't come here specifically to apologize to me, did he? I asked Xiaoman with my eyes, and she nodded in agreement.
"Okay, forget it then," I said, spouting nonsense.
I climbed the stairs and was panting heavily. My stamina had deteriorated so much from not practicing properly for a while.
"You get this tired just from walking up the stairs?" The voice clearly carried a strong sense of amusement.
"Thanks to you." I took the water he offered and gulped it down. "You did this on purpose, didn't you? You knew I wouldn't be able to resist going to her. You're the good guy, and I'm the bad guy, isn't that fun?"
He smiled and didn't deny it. He put down his pen and reached out to pinch me, so I turned my face away and made sure the side with the scratch was facing him.
It had been a long time since I'd seen him with such a surprised expression. I chuckled to myself, but kept a straight face.
I regretted it the moment I looked into his eyes; his gaze instantly turned icy cold and sharp as a blade.
"Clouds..."
He stared at me blankly for a while before his gaze returned to normal.
"Xiaoman, go to Qingyuan Hall to be punished." He turned his head and whispered to the door.
Now it was my turn to be confused. "Why?"
He slowly stood up, shuffled to the counter, took out a small wooden box, and opened it to reveal a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao.
"You failed to protect your master." Slender fingers twisted my jaw, using a skillful touch that didn't hurt but prevented me from breaking free.
"It's not her fault, Yue Linghe has gone mad."
He lowered his eyes as he applied the medicine to my wound. The cool touch of his fingertips sent a shiver down my spine, as if a faint murderous aura emanated from them.
"Do you know what I can't stand the most?" she asked abruptly while carefully applying the medicine to me.
"What?"
"I can't stand seeing blood, especially when others leave marks on me."
His tone was calm, but the faint, eerie mist emanating from the corners of his eyes carried a bloodthirsty air.
"You...you'll kill her?"
He looked up, finished applying the medicine, and gently patted my cheek with his hand.
Chapter 79