Кровавое убийство - Глава 57
“My older brother’s life is hanging in the balance, how can I possibly have the appetite?” I replied weakly, slumped over the table.
"Looks like I made a mistake. It turns out you don't want to go back to Bianjing! All that running around all day trying to arrange things for you! It's all for nothing, sigh!" Ah Dai spread his hands helplessly and pushed another note over.
"Ah Dai! How did you know I wanted to go back to Bianjing?!" I jumped up in surprise. "You've arranged everything for me?! Who did you entrust it to? It has to be someone reliable! No, I have to go and say goodbye to my second brother and Zong Ze right now!"
Ah-Dai grabbed my hand and tilted his head toward the few meat buns.
"Okay! How can you have the energy for a long journey if you don't eat?! I'm off! You're in charge of packing!" I grabbed two things haphazardly and rushed out without looking back...
I can't believe I'm already walking on the Imperial Street?! Thinking back on these past few days, Ah Dai and I traveled day and night, rushing non-stop, and we arrived in Bianjing in just four days—only now do I realize how much time I had delayed Zong Ze's journey. *Crying*
"Ah-Dai, who did you entrust the authentic stuff to?!" I was genuinely curious about this—unfortunately, Ah-Dai kept it a secret from me. It made me incredibly intrigued. "Alright then, you must know where Zhao's Antique Shop is on Xuanhua Street, right?!"
I pushed open the half-closed, antique-style carved wooden door and stepped into Zhao's shop.
"Sir, we're closing up shop. Please come back early tomorrow." A short, stout middle-aged man with a round face, narrow eyes, and a friendly smile politely dismissed the customer.
"Who is Manager Zhao?" I held up my spotted finger in front of him. "I need to ask him about something. Could you please ask him to come out and talk to me privately for a moment?"
"Are you Young Master Ye? I am Manager Zhao." The middle-aged man's eyes lit up, and he glanced around warily before ushering me into the back room. "Why are you only arriving today? I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
"I just want to know how Brother Zongwang is doing? Is he in any trouble?! When will he come to Bianjing?!" I grabbed his hand and shook it frantically, asking several questions in one breath.
"My lord is doing very well. Although there are some minor troubles at the moment, I believe that with your wisdom and intelligence, we will arrive in Bianjing soon!" Manager Zhao said confidently, his eyes revealing undisguised admiration for his elder brother.
"Are you sure?" I couldn't help but ask him again—and received a look of absolute certainty from him. I breathed a sigh of relief, finally putting my mind at ease after so many days of worry.
With a light heart, I walked out of Zhao's Antique Shop, only to be blocked by a handsome young man in white. I sighed; what's meant to happen can't be avoided. Taking a deep breath, I smiled and greeted him, "Hi! Wufeng, long time no see."
"It has indeed been a long time." Liu Wufeng smiled and looked me up and down. "It seems you've been doing quite well. Come on, I've arranged accommodations for you." — In the few months since I last saw him, Wufeng had lost some weight, and a faint, almost imperceptible melancholy had crept into his warm smile. It added a touch of maturity to his demeanor.
"No need, I have a friend who came with me. It might be inconvenient for them to come with you." I declined with a faint smile—although I knew that since Wufeng could find me, meeting Huaiyuan was unavoidable, I still wanted to make one last attempt.
"So you...?" Wu Feng paused for a moment, then smiled calmly. "You're an idiot, aren't you? It's alright, I've already made all the arrangements. If I'm not mistaken, your friend should be waiting for you there right now." —Isn't this blatant blackmail? But I have no choice but to accept it!
"Ah Dai!" I abandoned Wu Feng, who was standing hesitantly at the door, and rushed into the secluded courtyard. I hurriedly pushed open every door, searching for Ah Dai's figure—even though I knew Wu Feng wouldn't do anything to him, and with his martial arts skills, it was hard to say who would suffer between him and Wu Feng. But I still felt inexplicably uneasy.
A tall, slender figure sat alone and forlorn against the window. The orange glow cast a long, desolate shadow behind him.
"Ah-Dai!" I called out excitedly. He turned around—Huaiyuan?! I froze for a moment, instinctively turning to run, but my legs had a will of their own, refusing to move an inch as my brain commanded. Even my gaze seemed to have a mind of its own, fixed on him—he looked so much more haggard, weary and travel-worn, as if he had traversed countless mountains and rivers. It felt like a thousand years had passed, yet also like only a moment. When I came to my senses, I was already embraced in a familiar arms.
"Qing'er! I miss you so much!" He hugged my waist tightly, sighing contentedly. His warm breath brushed against my ear, as soft as a feather gently caressing my soul.
I blinked, still a little incredulous—Huaiyuan was actually right in front of me? No longer a hallucination, no longer a shadow in my dreams?! I couldn't help but reach out to touch him—his eyes, his nose, his lips, his chin… I murmured, “It’s real, not a hallucination, it’s real!”
"Qing'er!" Huaiyuan suddenly sighed softly, and kisses as light as butterfly wings rained down on my brows, my eyes, the tip of my nose... finally locking onto my lips. The passionate, lingering kiss clearly conveyed a hint of reproach, a touch of worry, a deep longing, and an intense, unwavering love...
I nestled against Huaiyuan's chest like a docile kitten, my arms tightly wrapped around his waist—I was so foolish! How could I not feel such a genuine, obvious, and intense love?! Why did I obsessively endure that excruciating pain?! If I truly love someone, does it mean accepting everything about them, including their flaws?! Suddenly, I didn't want to keep going. I was so tired. I longed to hold onto the happiness I had in my hands right now!
"What are you thinking about?" Huaiyuan's cheerful voice floated down from above—his happiness was so obvious, what was the point of me stubbornly clinging to my ideals from the 21st century? Isn't loving someone about making them happy?!
"I'm thinking, maybe I can try to accept the fact that you're with Rumei." It was incredibly difficult, but I finally said it. Huaiyuan—he should be happy, right?!
"What did you say? Say it again?!" Huaiyuan pulled me out of his arms, his expression not as excited as I had imagined!
"I said, maybe I can accept Rumei. After all, she's your fiancée, and she's waited for you for six years. Besides, haven't you already..." I buried my head in his chest again, speaking in a muffled voice—saying these words once is like being pricked by needles, and if I had to repeat them countless times, I'm afraid I would break down—indeed, I still can't do it! Perhaps, my love for Huaiyuan isn't as deep as I thought?
"What happened between me and Rumei? Keep talking, why did you stop?!" Huaiyuan pulled me away from his embrace, his brows furrowed, giving me a cold, sidelong glance—there was an aura of impending storm.
"Stop pretending, I saw everything!" I got angry too—he was the one who wronged me, and I was willing to forgive him; he should be grateful, so why is he giving me that attitude?!
"I saw it all the night you came back from the ranch!" I cried, tears streaming down my face, heartbroken and desperate. "You were embracing her so passionately, kissing her just like you kissed me. No! Maybe even more passionately! Maybe you mistook me for her just now..."
With a sharp "slap," Huaiyuan slapped me, interrupting my angry roar. I stared blankly at my right cheek, almost unable to believe my eyes—Huaiyuan actually hit me?!
"You left without saying goodbye just for this? For this trivial thing you 'witnessed'?! You left behind this damn thing that almost drove me crazy!" Huaiyuan, his eyes red, pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and threw it at my feet. He glared at me coldly, without a trace of remorse. "You're so weak you can't even ride a horse properly, yet you dared to risk your life on the battlefield?! Do you think that's your backyard? You did this on purpose, didn't you? If I hadn't disguised myself as an idiot and followed you, where would you have gone? To Yanshan Prefecture to find your good brother?!"
"You really reminded me, maybe I really should go find my older brother!" I was in pain, shocked, angry, anxious, annoyed, and ashamed, and I started to blurt out, "Brother Yan is a hundred times gentler than you, a thousand times more sincere than you! I really regret knowing you! You hypocrite! You big liar! Go away, go away, go away!"—I was heartbroken and furious, and I grabbed a teacup and threw it at him. He didn't even blink as the cup flew and hit his forehead, leaving a shocking patch of crimson blood!
I was suddenly startled, and looked at him in a panic. Time seemed to stand still at that moment. The night became deathly silent. Huaiyuan gazed at me for a long time, his eyes filled with heartache, regret, pain, sorrow, and disappointment... Finally, he sighed deeply, turned and left, disappearing into the thick darkness...
I collapsed to the ground, burying my face in my hands and sobbing—why did things turn out this way? Why? I didn't want to! I didn't want to lose my temper, I was going crazy missing him, why?! He's the one who wronged me, he's the one who did something wrong! Why is he so self-righteous? Why should he be sad? Why should he be disappointed? What did I do wrong...?!
Is happiness really like sand in your hand—the tighter you hold it, the faster it slips away?
[Volume 4, Finale: Chapter 1 - Past Events: Suspicion and Guessing]
I don't know how long I cried, but I finally fell asleep from exhaustion. But my sleep was restless; I kept running in the darkness, unable to find an end. I screamed, but no sound came out. Countless blue-faced, fanged monsters surged from all around, lunging at me, tearing at my clothes, gnawing at my flesh. I was covered in blood, and struggled to sit up with a scream—my clothes were already soaked with cold sweat.
I watched indifferently as the last rays of twilight disappeared through the windowpane, and darkness slowly swallowed the surroundings, deepening the night. I huddled closer to the silk quilt, still feeling the bone-chilling cold, and couldn't help but cough softly.
"You're awake?" A soft, slightly familiar female voice came from beside her. A young girl dressed in a light blue dress embroidered with silver-white plum blossoms entered through the door.
"Xiuyu? What are you still doing here?" I was slightly surprised—I hadn't expected her to stay in Bianjing all this time; I thought she had gone to Jiangning long ago. But my voice surprised me even more—it was a dull, low sound, like a knife scraping against rotten wood, completely lacking its usual crispness and mellowness.
"Sister Qingyang, how could I leave before you come back?!" Xiuyu smiled gently, walked to the window, and skillfully lit an oil lamp. Then she turned around, picked up a bowl of porridge, and walked briskly towards me. "You've been sick for two days, are you hungry? Here, have something to eat first."
"Did I sleep for two days?" I was slightly surprised—no wonder my whole body ached as if it were about to fall apart.
"Hmm," she fed me a spoonful of porridge, then smiled and said, "Sister Qingyang, your illness has really worried Master Jiang. He's so distracted and regrets it terribly, and Brother Liu gave him a good scolding. Hehe, it's the first time I've seen Master Jiang so embarrassed, it's really funny."
"Don't mention this person to me." Tears welled up in my eyes. I pushed her hand away and was about to get out of bed—I never wanted to have anything to do with him again, and I didn't want to stay in this place for even a minute longer.
"Sister Qingyang, you're like this, a gust of wind could knock you over, where do you think you're going?!" Xiuyu sighed softly, reaching out to hold me down. She glanced at me, cautiously probing, "I know, you must hate Hero Jiang right now, right? Actually, he..."
"I told you, don't mention this person in front of me!" I interrupted Xiuyu angrily. I turned my back on her defiantly. "If you're here to be his advocate, then please leave. Don't waste your time! I don't want to hear any excuses!"