Второстепенная женская героиня невинна

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I was stunned by Chu Guanfeng's sudden question. I was willing to leave Plum Valley and search for him all over the world. I was willing to think of him day and night. I was willing to follow him through life and death, even to the ends of the earth. But I didn't know that I had truly fallen in love with him!

So this is what it truly means to fall in love with him!

I smiled slightly and said, "Yes, I love him so much! Whether he's a master thief or a commoner, a wealthy tycoon or a rich man, as long as he's Young Master Shang, I truly love him, respect him, and cherish him! From now on, I will never let him leave me again. We will be together forever. In Guiyun Manor, he will play the flute, and I will play the zither. What could be better than this!" I looked at Young Master Shang standing in the distance, my eyes filled with an unprecedented tenderness: "So, when you fall in love with someone, you're truly willing to live and die with them. Why didn't I know that before?"

Chu Guanfeng slowly said, "So that's how it is, so that's how it is..." But then he heard Shang Shaochang coldly say, "Release Baiyi."

Since his appearance, Young Master Shang had remained silent. Aside from slashing at Qin Louyue, he seemed oblivious to even Chu Guanfeng's sarcastic remarks. It then dawned on me that from the moment he appeared until now, Young Master Shang hadn't uttered a single word to me!

What's going on?! The current Young Master Shang is Young Master Shang, but he's not the Young Master Shang I know!

At this moment, Shang Shaochang said again, "Release Baiyi." His voice sounded even more calm and solemn in the empty street, devoid of any emotion.

My body involuntarily trembled! Young Master Shang had always called me "Yi Yi" or "Little Yi Yi," he had never called me by my name directly. But now, he was calling me "Bai Yi."

What happened to him? How come the current Young Master Shang is not the Young Master Shang I know?

Qin Louyue stood at a distance, seemingly lost in her own world ever since Chu Guanfeng appeared, muttering to herself. A mournful voice drifted over, as if she were confiding in someone unseen.

"Chu Guanfeng, Chu Guanfeng, do you know that I practiced this Soul Searching Melody entirely for you? I became an assassin to kill more and more people, also entirely for you? If it weren't for you, I would just be a lowly maid under Master Lan Ye, and my life would be so peaceful and happy now?"

Five years ago, I was just a gentle little maidservant brought into the master's care. I knew nothing and didn't want to know anything. I just served my master every day. Although I was exhausted by the end of the day, life was so simple and peaceful back then—unlike now, almost every time I close my eyes, all I see is blood everywhere—

"Five years ago, I was washing clothes for my master when I accidentally tore her favorite gauze dress. She hung me up all day, and you appeared before me then, saying, 'Don't be afraid, I'll plead for you.' My master let me down, and when I saw you smile gently at me, I felt all the pain in my body disappear... But, but! Why did you save me then? Why did you let me see you? Why did you smile at me?! Why... why have I been unable to forget you ever since then?!"

“From now on, I want to see you all the time. To get your attention, I will always look for the smallest opportunity. When you finish the task given by Master, I will always find a chance to see you. If you say a few words to me, I will feel a joy I have never felt before! To get you to plead for me, I will not hesitate to make mistakes. When Master punishes me, you will appear by my side…”

"But—but suddenly, one day, Master flew into a rage and said to me, 'That bastard Chu Guanfeng, he's never coming back, and he doesn't listen to me anymore!' She circled me a few times and then suddenly asked, 'Yue'er, do you like Chu Guanfeng?' Heavens, how was I supposed to answer with 'like'? Seeing that I didn't answer, Master said, 'If I teach you powerful martial arts, you can go and find Chu Guanfeng for me. Then, I'll betroth you to him, okay?'"

"You are like a dragon in the sky, while I am but mud on the ground. How could a lowly maid like me marry you? How could you possibly want me?... But I will never forget that night, the moonlight was just as bright as tonight's. You smiled and said to me under the moonlight, 'I am like the moon in the sky, even more beautiful than the moonlight.' Then you suddenly hugged me. No matter how much I struggled, you still kissed me... I made up my mind then and there that I would master martial arts no matter what, find you, and then why did you kiss me, hug me, and finally abandon me?!"

"Those were truly terrible days... practicing martial arts, and more practicing martial arts. Finally, my master said: 'If I kill someone for her, she will tell me your whereabouts.' I killed one after another for her, so many that I lost count. My martial arts skills must have been quite formidable, right? Sometimes I thought: 'Maybe when I kill the next one, they'll kill me.' But I survived. I survived because I wanted to see you, to find you..."

"The most heartless is Chu Guanfeng, the most heartless is Chu Guanfeng... How could I not know in my heart that I am too sentimental! It is only because of my sentimentality that I cannot escape this web of love. Even if we could meet again today, how could I be the little maid I once was, how could I be the innocent Yue'er? The Qin Louyue of today has hands covered in blood, and when I close my eyes, I see countless wronged souls demanding my life!"

Qin Louyue smiled, turned around, and found that only half of the blade of the Love-Sickness Knife remained in her hand. When this blade clashed with Shang Shaochang's Autumn Water Knife, it had been shattered by the impact! Holding the half-sword, she looked up at the serene moon in the sky—

"Today, God has finally allowed me to see you!" She turned the blade, the tip pointing towards herself:

"This half of unbearable longing must be tasted by myself, savoring this heart-wrenching pain, this excruciating wound! Chu Guanfeng! Chu Guanfeng! Chu Guanfeng..." Qin Louyue's eyes were fixed on the sedan chair, her large, bright eyes brimming with tears. Shang Shaochang's Autumn Water Blade was pointed at her, but she seemed not to see it, repeatedly calling Chu Guanfeng's name softly. Suddenly, her voice faltered, and the broken blade plunged towards her own chest!

"No—" I cried out in horror! But it was too late; it was too fast! I felt a figure move behind me, and a white ribbon flew out like lightning! At the same time, my body was pulled away with tremendous force, flying through the air as if riding on clouds—

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Gentle Orchid Night

"No—" I cried out in horror! In the blink of an eye, a figure moved behind me, and a white ribbon flew out like lightning! At the same time, my body was pulled away with tremendous force, flying through the air as if riding on clouds—

While I was in mid-air, I clearly saw a white figure shoot out from the sedan chair, its momentum no less than that of the white silk ribbon! It was the first time I had ever seen someone wield a woman's weapon with such grace and dominance! The person and the white silk ribbon transformed into flowing clouds; with a flick and a twitch, the ribbon caught Qin Louyue's broken sword and flung her into the air, while Qin Louyue herself was completely surrounded by the ribbon! Chu Guanfeng's aim when he threw me was extremely precise; the throw was aimed directly at where Shang Shaochang was standing. Shang Shaochang then tried to attack Qin Louyue again, but by the time he caught me, he was already a fraction too slow—enough time for a master like Chu Guanfeng to take Qin Louyue away!

With a leap, Shang Shaozhang floated lightly into the air, reaching out to hold me securely in his arms. I only heard an incredibly soft voice enter my ear:

"Young Master Shang, Prime Minister Bai, see you next time."

I was held in Shang Shaochang's arms, and I stared intently into the distance. Many things had happened that night, and the sky was already turning a pale white, indicating that dawn was approaching.

But where were Chu Guanfeng and Qin Louyue now?

Only then did I realize I was still in Shang Shaochang's arms. I quickly struggled to stand up, my cheeks burning red, and I didn't know what to say. Before meeting Shang Shaochang, his image flashed before my eyes every day. If I saw him, what would I say? How would I tell him everything that had happened these past two months, this constant longing and yearning? Had he suffered much? Was he still living the life of a wanderer? Was he still alone in the wilderness at night? Was he also thinking of me, who was also thinking of him, when the moon was high in the sky?

But when he was actually standing right in front of me, why couldn't I say anything or ask anything?

Shang Shaochang stood quietly, watching me silently. He didn't speak, nor did he hold me warmly in his arms. Except for catching me when Chu Guanfeng threw me into the air, he never touched my body. In Shang Shaochang's dark eyes, I saw only darkness, as dark as the night.

I stood on one side, he stood on the other side, and between us was a meter of icy air.

This is not my Shang Shaozhang!

It's not the Shang Shaozhang I've been longing for, the one who's always laughing and joking; it's not the gentle, considerate, bold, and dashing Shang Shaozhang; it's not the affectionate, romantic, and carefree Shang Shaozhang!

My mouth opened and closed, my lips trembling. All the words I had prepared beforehand, I didn't know where to begin!

"You...you..." I swayed a few times, feeling as if all the blood in my body had been drained away! My body felt empty and adrift, and I whispered, "I...I've caused you trouble again...Ever since I met you...I've only ever caused you trouble..." My legs involuntarily gave way, and my whole body floated lightly to the ground—

"Zheng—" My sleeve brushed against the strings of the Jiaowei zither, producing a soft sound. A pair of warm, strong hands held me tightly, resting my head against his chest. Shang Shaochang's slightly hoarse voice sounded above my head:

“You…you little brat…” Young Master Shang gently stroked my slightly disheveled hair and said slowly, “…Why didn’t you listen to me and instead ran away from Plum Valley…”

I coughed lightly, letting Young Master Shang pull me into his arms. Tonight's struggle—Qin Louyue and I, playing the zither against each other, had a slight advantage—left me utterly exhausted. Though I couldn't see Young Master Shang's expression, a sweet feeling welled up inside me. At this moment, Young Master Shang seemed to have returned to the Young Master Shang who had been so considerate and devoted to me since the beginning—

I reached out and grabbed Shang Shaochang's collar, saying softly, "I...I missed you. Plum Valley is nice, but nothing compares to having you by my side..." I snuggled closer to him, letting him hold me tighter, and said, "While I'm away, you're not allowed to go looking for other girls..."

Shang Shao chuckled softly and said, "Ah...you child, you child...Little Yiyi, Little Yiyi, what am I supposed to do with you?" He then let out a soft sigh, though it was unclear whether it was a sigh of regret or a sigh of joy.

I coughed a few more times, and as Shang Shaochang held me in his arms, the nausea in my chest subsided considerably. These two months of longing had finally paid off. Hearing Shang Shaochang speak, I smiled softly but didn't reply, obediently letting him wipe the dried blood from the corner of my mouth. Love is indeed a wondrous thing. I used to be outspoken and reserved, but since meeting Shang Shaochang, my nemesis, I truly want to become a gentle woman. Even the phrases "supporting my husband and raising my children," which had never crossed my mind before, now appear in my thoughts from time to time.

Shang Shaozhang patted me lightly on the back a few times and murmured, "This Mr. Feng only taught you a few tunes on the zither, yet he dared to let you leave Plum Valley. If I see him again, I will not let him off!" I hurriedly replied, "I wanted to come out myself, but it was all for...for..." As I spoke, my face flushed, and I slowly lowered my head. No matter how manly I was, I was still too embarrassed to say the word "you."

Shang Shaozhang sighed softly, "You little kid..." He reached out and gently pinched my cheek a few times. My face turned even redder, and just as I was about to brush his hand away, I suddenly heard a soft laugh.

The laughter didn't belong to Shang Shaozhang; it was a woman's laughter.

Though it was only a single sound, it seemed to encapsulate coquettishness and sweetness, innocence and shyness, unrestrained passion and boldness—there was no one around, yet the laughter sounded as clear as if it were right next to one's ear! Like a needle, a leaf, a wisp of smoke, it seemed to pierce straight into the deepest recesses of one's heart, gently teasing it, eager to provoke out one's most hidden and private emotions! Although it didn't sound as chilling and terrifying as Qin Louyue's Soul-Searching Melody, this soft laugh left one bewildered, as if it contained a rich, perfumed fragrance. My face flushed slightly, and I felt a chill creep into my chest. The bloody taste I had so painstakingly suppressed surged back into my throat. "Ugh—" I opened my mouth, spitting out another mouthful of blood onto Shang Shaozhang's chest.

Shang Shaochang's face turned cold. He placed one hand on my back, and a warm, mellow aura traveled from his palm to my back. With his other hand, he lightly plucked a string of fingers, striking the nearby Jiao Wei Qin (a type of zither)! A soft, clear "zheng" sound rang out, like shattered jade or splashing silver beads. The music flowed like water, as if trying to banish that eerie laugh from my mind.

The music only briefly interrupted the laughter, but almost simultaneously, not just a single sound, but a series of laughs, like silver bells, relentlessly enveloped the music. Sometimes it was like a young girl's soft murmur, sometimes like a woman's mournful lament, sometimes like a sweet, seductive voice, sometimes like a soft whisper. Wave after wave of laughter came, making my heart pound in my chest, as if my emotions were rising and falling with the laughter, unknowingly being led into hell! Shang Shaochang, with one hand behind his back, could only manage a few notes with the other. Although the Jiao Wei Qin was the purest and most elegant instrument in the world, these few notes were far from enough to withstand this demonic sound! I forced my eyes open, took a deep breath, held back the urge to spit out blood, gritted my teeth, and sat upright before the Qin. Silently recalling the breathing techniques taught by Master Feng, I flicked my fingers and pressed them against the Jiao Wei Qin—

The tune shifts from horn to fret, from Gong to Shang, the melody growing ever clearer and more refined, the strings gradually softening and harmonizing. This is precisely the "Three Variations on Plum Blossom" meticulously taught by Master Feng. The melodious and clear sound of the zither soars high into the sky. One heads straight towards the sound of laughter.