Rêve de fleurs urbaines

Chapitre 15

The sword wound was deep, and blood kept gushing out, soaking her clothes and his clothes. At that moment, Luo Su's eyes showed emotion.

“Father…” Bi Feixian smiled, her joy evident in her eyes, “I’ve longed for you to hold me like this for so many, many years…”

Luo Su closed his eyes, looked up to the sky and roared, a cry filled with both pain and rage: "Your self-inflicted injury trick won't work on me! I won't fall for your schemes! They won't work on me! They won't work on me—"

However, he couldn't explain why, even though he held the fragile body in his arms, he ultimately didn't let go.

Dai Kejian's eyelids suddenly twitched violently, and the chess piece in his hand fell to the ground.

Huai Su glanced at him without changing her expression, then bent down and picked up the chess piece.

Dai Kejian scratched his ear and said with a wry smile, "I lost again... They said your chess skills are the best in Yinwei Twelve Cities, and now I believe it."

"The city lord is mistaken."

"Wrong? What's wrong?"

"The undisputed number one chess player in the twelve cities of Yinwei is the late city lord who has passed away."

"Oh, you mean my dad... yeah, he's definitely an expert in this."

Huai Su smiled faintly and said, "But in my opinion, the city lord is no less capable than him."

Dai Kejian's eyes and brows began to smile. "Is that considered a compliment?"

“This is not flattery, it’s the truth.” Huai Su pushed the chessboard aside, got up and walked to the window, saying, “The Emperor’s decree should be arriving soon.”

"Probably."

Huai Su turned around, her eyes bright as stars, "The city lord doesn't seem worried at all."

"It's just a resignation, what's there to worry about?" Dai Ke stretched and walked over to stand beside him by the window. It was three-quarters past 9 PM, and the stars in the sky were like a game of chess. Isn't life itself just like a game of chess?

"The reason why the city lord is not worried is because he knows that nothing will happen to him, right?" Huai Su's smile had a bitter taste, but his demeanor was still impeccably elegant. "Although the city lord lost that game of chess, it seems that I, your subordinate, have lost this game."

Dai Kejian chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences in war; there's no need to take it so seriously. Besides, no one can predict the outcome until the very last moment."

Huai Su stared into his eyes, then suddenly gave a self-deprecating laugh. She turned to look at Li Youyou, who was sitting idly to the side, fiddling with incense ash, and said, "I've always wanted to know, what is Miss Biao's true identity?"

When Li Youyou heard her name called, she looked up and raised her eyebrows. "Haven't you been suspicious of me all along? You even sent four idiots who play musical instruments to spy on me."

"But even so, they still can't do anything about you, can they?"

Li Youyou smiled and said, "I like to hear that compliment. To tell you the truth, I am a loyal follower of Hantian City."

"Death squad?"

“That’s right. Before my uncle died, he secretly trained a group of assassins. They were responsible for monitoring ministers, gathering information, infiltrating the court, traveling in the government, and fighting. I was their commander. After my uncle died, we took orders directly from my cousin.”

“It’s the old city lord again…” Huai Su lowered his head and muttered something. When he looked up again, his expression was no longer as carefree as before. “So, the reason why the city lord has been pretending to be cynical all this time is also at the behest of the old city lord.”

Dai Kejian smiled slightly, and Li Youyou answered for him: "Oh, this has nothing to do with your uncle. It's just that your cousin is naturally like this. I've never met anyone more playful than him. You don't need to be discouraged. If it weren't for my special status, I'm afraid I would have been fooled by him too." As she spoke, she glanced at him and said leisurely, "However, it seems that Miss Bi is the only exception. She discovered his secret a long time ago. It's a pity that she didn't tell you."

Huai Su's eyes twitched, already somewhat displeased. "She's not my subordinate, so it's normal that she doesn't report everything to me."

"There's something I don't understand. May I ask you about it?"

"Miss, may I ask?"

"When Luo Yi came, he brought 10,000 elite soldiers from Anluo City, all of whom secretly hid in the Western Army camp. Actually, you didn't need to go to such lengths to devise a honey trap, and in the end, you even sacrificed such a beautiful woman. You could have just taken the military seal and staged a coup overnight. I wasn't in the city at the time, and my cousin wasn't prepared, so you would have succeeded in one fell swoop. Why didn't you use such a quick and convenient method? Instead, you kept dragging your feet and missed the opportunity?"

Huai Su chuckled upon hearing this, shook her head, and sighed, "Is it because I'm too eager for fame and fortune? Is that reason good enough?"

"You're quite frank."

“I did not want to bear the crime of killing my lord, so I would rather wait until the city lord was disgraced and the Heavenly Emperor ordered his removal from office. But all my scheming was in vain, and I still could not defeat the old city lord. He truly deserves to be the person I have admired and respected the most since I was a child.”

Dai Kejian said, "Now that everything has been laid out and explained clearly, is there anything else you'd like to say?"

Huai Su remained silent for a long time before smiling. "The winner takes all, the loser is condemned. In this round, I lost, and I accept it wholeheartedly."

Dai Kejian stared at him and said slowly, "You should already know that the imperial edict was not for my dismissal."

"yes."

"Then, please wait patiently for the imperial decree." After saying this, Dai Kejian walked out with Li Youyou and Xiaochi, and closed the door behind him.

Li Youyou said, "Are we just going to leave him inside like this? Aren't we afraid he might do something else? I have a feeling that Huai Su shouldn't be captured so easily."

“Then you don’t understand him. Just as he said, he values his reputation above all else. Rather than running away with a bad name, he’d rather face death calmly.” Dai Kejian smiled mysteriously. “Unfortunately, he wants to die, but I’m not going to grant him that wish! Without him, who will I entrust the burden of such a large city to?”

Xiaochi suddenly sighed softly and said, "Things here are finally over. I wonder how Miss Bi is doing."

Dai Kejian was startled. The ominous premonition from before came back to him. His intuition told him that something had happened to Bi Feixian!

Bi Feixian saw the little girl for the third time in her dream.

This time, she could walk over, slowly approach her, reach out, and gently touch her hand. The little girl looked up, and in her dark eyes, she saw her own reflection.

The little girl asked her, "Why do people live?"

She thought for a very long time before answering her: "For love."

Because she loved her mother, she remained filial and obedient even during the years her mother went insane; because she loved her father, she tolerated his indifferent treatment. She tried hard to tell herself not to hold grudges, not to become extreme because of the hurt she had suffered. But what was the result? Eighteen years of perseverance and waiting became a joke, betraying her mentor's teachings and expectations. Once faith disappears, survival becomes a terrifying thing; she became a walking corpse, aimless and drifting aimlessly. Her love was gone; how could she continue living?

The little girl's eyes were deep, and suddenly tears streamed down her face.

Bi Feixian hugged her and murmured softly, "If I had known it would end like this, I wouldn't have been so strict with you. I wouldn't have allowed you to cry, make a fuss, or laugh out loud. I would have made you suppress yourself for more than ten years, living like a puppet with a single expression... Would you blame me? If everything could be done over again, I would rather you be unrestrained and live for yourself without any constraints."

The girl didn't speak, she just kept crying until her eyes were red and swollen, without making a sound.

Those tears clearly flowed into her heart. Bi Feixian bit her lower lip, staring blankly at the little girl. Suddenly, a voice called her: "Bi Feixian—Bi Feixian—"

She turned her head, and all she could see was a vast expanse of golden rice fields, devoid of any human figures. Yet, the voice continued to call her name incessantly: "Bi Feixian—Bi Feixian—"

"Who...who is calling me?"

"It's me, can't you tell? Can't you tell? Can't you tell..." The echo of that person filled the whole world, so familiar, clearly lingering in her ears before, but why couldn't she remember?

She turned around again, only to find the little girl gone. She was utterly shocked and immediately began searching everywhere. Where did she go? Where did she go? Where did her childhood go? Give her back her childhood, give it back to her…

"Shh—shh—" Someone lowered their voice, their tone as smooth as if soaked in honey, flowing into her ears and then spreading into her empty heart. The person said, "Don't look anymore. Just throw away the bad things. There are better ones waiting for you. Can't you see them? They're right here. Can't you feel them?"

The man took her hand and placed it on a warm spot, where it beat steadily – it was a man's heart.

She instinctively tried to pull her hand away, but the other person held it even tighter. Thump, thump, the sound of her heartbeat gradually connected with hers, slowly restoring her previously exhausted breathing. Thump, thump, it was the unique celestial sound of life.

"Bi Feixian..." the person called her name softly, "You must wake up, you must wake up to find something good. It's waiting for you, waiting for you."

Bi Feixian slowly opened her eyes.

What came into view was a high forehead with smooth, wrinkle-free skin, followed by a pair of slightly raised eyebrows and bright eyes that held a hint of a smile even when not smiling. Looking at her intently, the person on the other end couldn't hide their delight: "So good, so obedient."

Bi Feixian remained silent.

His laughter faded as he asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Is your wound hurting too much? Is it still painful? Tell me where it hurts..."

“You… you’re lying…” Bi Feixian said weakly.

"Well?"

"Where are the good things? I can't see them." Her voice sounded like that of a wronged child, with a hint of reproach.

However, Dai Kejian breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said, "You almost scared me to death... The good stuff is right here, can't you see it?"

Bi Feixian's expression was still somewhat blank as she asked in a daze, "Are you referring to yourself?"

“Of course,” Dai Kejian said, beaming. “With such a priceless treasure right in front of you, could you possibly find something better than mine?”

Bi Feixian stared at him for a long time before finally saying, "You...are so...boring."

Laughter erupted around them, and four heads popped into view – the four playful servants.

Xiao shouted, "Young master, you're really in a bad situation. You exhausted eight thoroughbred horses to bring your sweetheart back, only to be told that she's boring."

Xiao Wan said, "Yes, yes, when the swindler carried Miss Bi out of the car, the young master was half-scarred. His face was so pale, even more terrifying than Miss Bi."

Xiao Le said, "I wonder who has been staying by the bedside without sleep for the past three days, eagerly waiting for the other person to wake up, but the other person doesn't appreciate it at all."

The snack vendor concluded, "In conclusion, I believe the young master's feelings are completely one-sided. He likes Miss Bi, but Miss Bi doesn't like him."

Dai Kejian coughed, stood up, glanced at the four of them, and said slowly, "Did I give you permission to interrupt?"

"Young Master is angry, what should we do?"

"What else can we do? Run away!" The last word quickly disappeared behind the door, leaving only Bi and Dai in the room.

How did I get back?

"Don't you remember?" Seeing her shake her head, Dai Kejian said gently, "Luo Su eventually softened and let you go, but he didn't want to see you again, so he asked my brother to bring you back."

Bi Feixian's gaze remained unfocused on the distance, and she remained silent for a long time. How could she describe her current feelings? Was she moved by Luo Su's eventual softening of heart? Or did she feel that with that self-inflicted sword stroke, the past was all over and would never have anything to do with her again? For a moment, her expression shifted uncertainly, a mixture of sorrow and joy.

Dai Kejian scratched his head and coughed, "Well, thank goodness you woke up, otherwise I really wouldn't know how to explain to your master."

Bi Feixian fell for it as expected, her attention drawn back to the question, "Why did you have to explain to my master?"

Dai Kejian handed her a box, and after opening the lid, four hairpins shimmered beautifully. "This set of hairpins is called Qixi."

“I know, they were gifts from Fang Weng to my master. But why did they end up in your hands?” Seeing his strange expression, Bi Feixian became more and more suspicious. “Don’t tell me he gave them to you on purpose.”

"Oh, you guessed right, it was actually given to me by him."

"Why?" She regretted asking the question as soon as it left her mouth. This arrogant young man had seized on this opportunity and who knew what other nonsense he would say to make fun of her. Bi Feixian was filled with remorse.

To everyone's surprise, Dai Kejian did not laugh upon hearing this. Instead, his frivolous expression changed, and he said, word by word, "I will offer you seven hairpins to win your favor."

I offer you seven hairpins, hoping to win your favor.

Bi Feixian lowered her eyes, feeling her ears burning like fire. When she raised her eyebrows again, those eyes were still staring intently at her, fixed on her, unblinking. So she pursed her lips, snatched the box, and said, "But I broke one of the seven hairpins, what should I do?"

She accepted the box, which meant she accepted his feelings. Dai Kejian chuckled and magically produced a tortoiseshell hairpin from behind him. "You mean this?"

Bi Feixian asked in surprise, "Where did this come from?"

“The hairpin is broken, but the person is still alive. My brother is still here, so it shouldn’t be difficult for him to make another one in the same style, right?” Dai Kejian said, taking out two more hairpins. “I also took the two that you kept in your room. Ha, you said you didn’t care about the things I gave you, but you’ve kept them so well… Teacher, when will you ever get rid of this hypocritical habit of yours?”

Consort Bi blushed, took the three hairpins and put them into the box, thus completing a set of seven hairpins.

I offer you seven hairpins, hoping to win your favor.

She looked up and saw her own reflection in Dai Kejian's eyes. Only then did the girl's memories of Anluo City finally disappear completely from her nightmares.