I glanced at him indifferently, and he immediately lowered his head and stammered, "This subordinate will go right away."
So he finally remembered who his master was? I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye as he walked away quickly, and couldn't help but sneer.
Feng Qiansu has always been in charge of the Gong family's internal affairs, and I have never liked dealing with servants. As time went on, the servants and errand boys in the house only recognized the head steward and no longer recognized the young lady...
A thought suddenly struck me—if the one who perished on this journey were not Baili Chenfeng, but me, would Feng Qiansu have been able to smoothly overstep her bounds and take my place? Remember the ambush at Longmen Mountain? Wasn't the first arrow aimed at me? If it weren't for Xiao Zuo's quick thinking…
Xiao Zuo!
The moment that name was uttered, I was jolted awake and instantly snapped back to reality.
How foolish! Gong Feicui, you are so foolish!
Feng Qiansu saw through Xiao Zuo's scheme; you should thank her, not retaliate by suspecting her as well.
If you suffer repeated losses along the way, and if you further alienate her because of Xiao Zuo's matter, how will you be able to continue this journey?
You've already let Xiao Zuo go once. You've done right by him both morally and logically. This person has nothing to do with you anymore. Just forget about him, forget about him!
The greater good comes first! Gong Feicui, the greater good comes first!
I sighed softly. Yes, the bigger picture is more important. Forget him, forget him... I took a deep breath and exhaled. When I looked up, I saw Feng Qiansu.
"Miss, are you going to set off immediately? You..." She looked at me, seemingly wanting to say something but then stopping herself.
"I'm fine." I smiled and said, "Sister Qiansu, I'm not as fragile as you think."
She stared at me quietly for a moment, then smiled and said, "As expected of the heir of the Gong family, Miss, you are indeed strong and self-possessed. In that case, there is something I should tell you the truth."
She paused, her gaze fixed indifferently on the distance, and slowly said, "Actually, I poisoned all three cups that Xiao Zuo chose. Unless a miracle occurs, otherwise..."
“Otherwise, Xiao Zuo would certainly not have escaped death this time, right?” I quickly interjected, and seeing that she immediately looked away, I smiled at her again and said, “I guessed his fate a long time ago. Sister Qiansu, you didn’t dare to tell me, were you afraid I would blame you?”
Feng Qiansu's face rippled with emotion in an instant, then she lowered her head and said, "I was afraid that Miss would be sad..."
"Aren't you afraid of hurting me by saying this now?" I interrupted her again, staring at the top of her head which was lowered. After a long while, I smiled faintly and said, "That's why I say Sister Qiansu is the smartest—I really won't be sad for him anymore... Alright, let's not delay any longer and get on our way."
Lying low on the galloping horse, I focused solely on the road ahead, letting the scenery on either side flash by without glancing at it.
He's dead, he's dead, he's dead!
No one will ever again shield me from flying arrows, no one will ever again whisper in my ear to remind me to be careful while riding... all gone.
Therefore, I must learn to take care of myself.
No! I'm not sad!
My heart is dead.
Being a walking corpse feels much better than I imagined. Except for no longer feeling the gentle breeze on my face, and no longer being able to see the water as green or the flowers as red, everything is fine.
At this point, I finally understood the thoughts of those monks—their hearts were dead, yet they dared not truly die, so they simply "lived on" in this way! They called it: "seeing through the illusions of the world."
Me too! The only difference is that even though I've seen through the illusions of the world, I still can't let go of the heavy burden of the Gong family.
Is this what responsibility is? I want to laugh. When did I finally mature enough to understand the meaning of responsibility?
"I had already made up my mind to patiently wait for you to grow and mature..."
I've grown up, Xiao Zuo, look, look—you can't see me anymore.
Serves you right! Xiao Zuo, you deserve it!
Who told you to betray me!
I deserve it...
I know you lied to me, but because you once smiled at me so gently and warmly, I can no longer feel the caress of spring.
Knowing you are doomed to die, yet because you once illuminated my life with such brilliance, I can no longer see the colors of the mortal world.
Serves us right! We all deserve it!
I gave a cold laugh and cracked the whip hard. The horse, in pain, galloped even faster. The cavalry had no choice but to speed up with me.
We drove at high speed and arrived at Zhashui, the closest major town to Hecheng, at dusk.
Upon entering the city, as was customary, they first sought an inn for lodging. The group led their horses to the most bustling South Street, as recommended by the locals. They had only gone a few steps when Feng Qiansu suddenly cried out, "Young Miss!"
I was still looking down at the road when I heard this, so I looked up and was completely stunned before I could even speak.
A few feet ahead, there was a luxurious-looking inn. At the entrance of the inn, there was an exceptionally fine horse with its tail lightly swept and its body pure white. It was none other than the Chasing Wind that Baili Chenfeng had ridden in his lifetime!
My heart suddenly started pounding wildly—this was the first time I had felt my heart beating since I learned that Xiao Zuo was dead.
Without a second thought, I rushed over. Before I even reached the door, I heard bursts of laughter coming from inside the inn. Among them, there was one voice, and that one voice alone, echoed throughout the heavens and earth…
My eyes welled up with tears, and my heart felt as if it were being pulled by dozens of horses. But before I could move, a long neighing sounded from the side. I turned my head instinctively and saw Zhui Feng neighing anxiously. Then I saw that Feng Qian Su had also arrived.
“Young Miss…” she looked at Zhui Feng and said to me calmly, “It seems that a miracle has really happened.”
The initial surprise and astonishment on her face had faded, replaced by a sense of certainty and mockery, and perhaps even a hint of hatred—that there really were people in this world who looked down on the poison of Ziyu Xiangman!
What does this mean? My mind was in turmoil, and I had no time to think further when I heard a familiar voice drift over, each word clear and distinct, half lazy and half unruly, as if the sky were to fall and it wouldn't concern him at all, making one feel inexplicably relaxed and at ease.
"I wondered why the horse had suddenly gone mad, but it turned out it had run into an old friend."
Upon hearing that voice, I felt as if I were bathed in a Buddha's light, my mind clear and bright. I turned my face and followed Feng Qiansu's suddenly cold gaze—tears instantly streamed down my face, caught completely off guard.