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
"What are you thinking? Your little head is full of such scary ideas."
He took out a small bottle of secret medicine from the wooden box, poured some on his fingertip, and then touched my neck, saying that this was a scar removal formula specially prepared by He Xiuqi.
Actually, the knife mark on his neck was very shallow; you couldn't see it unless you looked closely.
"So what do you plan to do?"
"The Han family's land is quite nice, and my senior brother is a rare talent. What do you think about having him take Ling'er there and settle down?"
"Yes, yes, and also to show off your strength in the desert, right?"
The Han family's territory is close to the desert, and they had frequent exchanges with some prominent families living in the desert in the past. They have always relied on Han Xuanmo to enter and leave the Central Plains. Now that Han Xuanmo has been detained in the capital and the Han family has been occupied by people outside the Han family, there is bound to be some unrest among the people.
He withdrew his hand, put the cork back in the bottle, reached out and hugged me, and I heard him sigh with satisfaction.
"Everything has finally calmed down, and you're by my side. You know how long I've waited for this day..."
When he holds me, he chatters on and on, as if all the things that have been building up over the years have finally found an outlet to burst forth. There are always so many things he can't finish saying, but as he talks, his voice gets softer and softer until he's completely silent. When I look back, I see that he's fallen asleep right next to me. That's when I have to sigh. I can't move him, and I don't want to call Shaoyou for fear of waking him up.
Of course, today was no exception. I could only look up at the clouds drifting by outside the window to pass the time. Even my favorite second brother didn't get this treatment before. Yunzhi, you must have bewitched me, otherwise how could I be so bewitched?
If the days to come could pass by so calmly and peacefully, it would be the most extravagant wish of my life.
It wasn't until evening that the person leaning against me slowly woke up. Only then did he show that bewildered expression, with misty tears welling up in his dark eyes, making one's heart flutter.
"Hmm... what time is it?" Her voice still carried the lazy, hoarse quality unique to someone who had just woken up, enough to make anyone's bones melt.
I swallowed hard, feeling a bit thirsty.
It's the hour of You (5-7 PM).
He blinked, said "oh," shook his head, and rubbed against me again. After a while, he turned his head and kissed me on the cheek before finally coming to his senses.
"Are you hungry? What do you want for dinner?" He massaged my shoulders, which had gone numb.
"Meat."
"What kind of meat?"
"Your flesh."
Before he could react, I leaned in and bit him hard on the lips. After all, he always likes to bite me.
Then I saw him, after his initial shock, give a strange laugh. "How does it taste?"
"It's alright." I nodded. It was fragrant and soft, actually quite delicious.
"Oh, you should savor it carefully, not so hastily and superficially. Come, let your husband teach you properly."
I knew something was wrong halfway through the conversation, but he was always faster than me.
It looks like I won't be getting any dinner tonight, and he's naturally treating me like dinner and a midnight snack, devouring me completely.
He wouldn't let me go to sleep until dawn, and another morning was gone just like that.
I was starving when I got up. I was about to call someone when I went outside and saw four dishes, a soup, and a bowl of white rice on the table.
I smiled with satisfaction after just one bite. That person hasn't set foot in the kitchen since Yanwubao, so at least I got to taste it again today.
After eating and drinking to their hearts' content, they went outside and saw Shao Ming following them.
"Where's Xiaoman?" Could she really have gone to receive her punishment?
"Still at Qingyuantang."
"What kind of punishment is given for failing to protect one's master?"
"At best, they'll be beaten; at worst, they'll be branded."