Kiyomi Tsuki et son renard

Chapitre 121

He chuckled softly. Although she couldn't see it, she could imagine what he looked like at that moment. In fact, when he smiled, it would make everyone who saw him's heart race. He was truly captivating.

The moon was very bright, and the darkness seemed to glow as well.

She finished writing a letter and placed it on the table. Looking at Tian Shuang and Tian Yong, who had prepared everything, she smiled wistfully. In the end, the only ones who stayed by her side from beginning to end were Tian Shuang and Tian Yong.

I don't know if she was lucky or unlucky. Two such good men genuinely cared for her, doing everything they could to win her heart... But she had to let go of both, unable and unwilling to choose either of them.

In fact, they have been pressuring her to make a choice, to the point that she can hardly breathe, but none of them have ever thought of letting go.

Sometimes I really want to shout, without thinking, "Stop caring about her! Stop saying you like her! She can't take it anymore! What's so great about her? Besides her face, which is passable, she's nothing special. She's just a womanizer. There are plenty of women in this world who are more beautiful than her. Why bother revolving around her? They're annoyed with her even if they don't mind."

The world is vast, and there are many other paths besides marrying them. A woman's life isn't limited to marriage. She wouldn't force herself to choose again; she wanted to see the world, to travel the world. She wanted to leave all those personal feelings behind and let those who were pressuring her deal with them.

Does it really matter who you love or don't love? Stop whining endlessly. It's not like I have to die if I don't get married!

"Has Tian Yong hidden those ten thousand taels of silver well?" Xi Ri asked.

Tian Yong said, "I have hidden it all as Miss instructed."

“Okay, let’s go now,” Xi Ri said.

"Miss, are you really sure?" Tian Shuang asked cautiously.

"It's decided!" Tian Xiri answered firmly.

"Great! I finally have the chance to be a female knight-errant!" Tian Shuang jumped for joy, but Tian Xiri glanced at her sideways.

Tian Yong chuckled. Hearing the sound, Xi Ri and Tian Shuang immediately looked over in surprise; they hadn't seen Tian Yong laugh like that in a long time. For some reason, at this moment of impending departure, there was no sadness of parting. Instead, there was a sense of lighthearted relief. Perhaps they had used every conceivable force—love, friendship, family, worldly values—to pressure her, and she had long since grown impatient with it all.

Three days later, the three of them circled around outside the city, leaving many clues, before returning to the capital. As the saying goes, "the greatest hermit lives in the court," and Xi Rijue decided to follow suit.

Tian Yong returned from outside and reported: "After Miss left home, the master claimed to everyone that Miss was ill and refused to see anyone."

"Yes." She had expected it.

Tian Shuang added from the side, "Miss, there's more... Now the whole city, maybe even the whole country, has posted arrest warrants. They say... Tian Yong is a notorious bandit who can disguise himself. There's a reward of ten thousand taels of silver for his capture alive, and he's worthless if he's dead."

"What! Who did this?!" Tian Xiri blurted out in surprise.

"This servant does not know," Tian Shuang replied.

This is a difficult situation.

"Tian Yong, from now on, you must be careful to disguise yourself and act cautiously when you go out."

"Tian Yong knows."

Ten days later

"Miss, I just went to buy you some osmanthus cake. There are rumors flying around the streets saying that you and Young Master Long have an ambiguous relationship." The first thing Tian Shuang did after returning was to tell her mistress the news she had heard on the street.

After hearing this, Xi Ri thought about it carefully and replied, "It's not a rumor, it's a fact."

“Xiejie, they all say you’re only pretending to be affectionate towards Prince Ming,” Tian Shuang added.

"This is a rumor!" Who spread it at the meeting?

“Miss, some people are saying that your marriage to Prince Xi was a match made in heaven, but it was ruined by a fake letter written in your name by Prince Ming. Now everyone is quite critical of Prince Ming.” Tian Shuang carefully observed her mistress’s expression and said cautiously.

"Hmph, rumors, they're always so hurtful. If it were truly a match made in heaven, could it be so easily broken up with just a letter? It's all just a bunch of nonsense and deception." Xi Ri sneered.

Tian Shuang thought to herself that when Miss and Prince Xi received the "Heaven-sent Marriage" certificate, they themselves had given it up. She had witnessed this marriage firsthand and it truly proved that they had given it up themselves. Therefore, she was increasingly convinced of the "Heaven-sent Marriage" at the Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon. She would definitely drag her brother Yu along to get married someday.

"Anything else?" Xi Ri asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Miss, I heard that Young Master Long and Prince Ming have both returned to the capital..."

"You and Tian Yong get ready, we're leaving the city immediately."

"Why?"

"Why do you think there are so many rumors circulating in the capital all of a sudden? Why do you think they all suddenly came back? Do you think we can really get away with this right under their noses without them noticing?" Xi Ri said.

"Tian Shuang understands, I'll go pack it now," Tian Shuang said.

"Tell Tian Yong to make sure that the 10,000 taels of silver is safe, as our future living expenses depend on it."

"Yes," Tian Shuang answered firmly.

Two months later, in a certain county.

A servant carrying a medicine box said to the doctor-like man in front of him, "Young master, what should we do? They're chasing us again."

"There's never a moment's peace! How does Long Ming have so many spies? Even when Tian Yong buys rice, he gets spotted. I even had him disguise himself and go to a shop without the wolf head symbol, but he still got spotted. Just how many shops does that guy own?!"

"Young master, now is not the time to complain. Young Master Long will be here soon," the servant reminded the somewhat sensible doctor.

"It seems we shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's move on," the doctor said, his goatee twitching upwards as he was blown away.

"Yes," the servant replied, adding a kind reminder, "Young master, your beard is about to fall off."

Four months later

"Miss, something terrible has happened! Tian Yong has been captured by Prince Ming! Prince Ming has posted a notice saying... saying..." Tian Shuang hesitated for a long time before stopping, instead carefully observing her mistress's expression.

"What did he say?!" Xi Ri asked in a very unpleasant tone.

"Prince Ming said that if his accomplices did not come forward, he would have Tian Yong, this... this flower thief, paraded through the streets and hung up as a warning at the city gate."