Chapter 22: Spring Heart Begins, A Strange Affection Emerges

I don’t know where the love comes from, it becomes a mystery in my heart.

Wen Ranqi, who had just recovered, fell ill again due to a strange dream. He drank warm tonic soup every day, and after three or five days, he began to feel better and his complexion became much rosier.

Wen Shi, busy with clan affairs, had visited the courtyard several times. Hearing that Wen Ranqi was improving, he couldn't help but feel happy. After all this back and forth, Wen Ranqi had been kept in the courtyard by Wen Shi for over a month. By autumn, he still hadn't received the severe punishment Wen Shi had promised him.

Wanming was grinding ink, and Wen Shi was in the mood to paint a picture. The man in the picture had fluttering clothes, and he looked a man with a carefree and noble demeanor, but he lacked eyebrows and eyes, so Wanming couldn't guess who he was.

He asked: "Great Patriarch, who is this person? Wan Minghai has never seen such a free and unrestrained person. Why don't you paint his face?"

Wen Shi frowned, stopped writing and sighed. He was just happy for a moment and picked up the pen to draw this picture. He shook his head. He didn't know what the man's eyebrows and eyes looked like, and he didn't know why he would draw the man in the painting.

He said: "I don't know either. I just drew it casually and it turned out like this." By the way, how is Wen Ranqi these days? Is the food and medicine okay?

Wan Ming replied: Well, he is fine. I just don’t know if it’s because the great patriarch said that day how he would torture him. He hasn’t smiled at all in the past one or two days. He looks so sad and lifeless. I think he must have been frightened by your majesty.

The joy in Wen Shi's eyes suddenly disappeared, and he thought to himself: Could it be that Wen Ranqi has really been so afraid of him for the past four years? He just said something casually, and he was frightened to the point of becoming ill and losing his mind?

In the past, Wen Ranqi still had a playful smile on his face and looked innocent when he saw Wen Shi.

He would call Wen Shi "Big Brother," showing off the rare treasures he'd gotten from Wen Yuechu. He'd return from the market with delicious venison and share a meal with Wen Shi. He'd also unreservedly let Wen Shi practice the Traceless Sword Manual, a technique passed down only to the successor to the patriarch. Before falling off the cliff, he'd even prepared a large batch of his favorite buns for Wen Shi.

He was as simple as an ignorant fool. He did not believe Wen Shi's exploitation and deception of him until the last moment.

Wen Shi smiled bitterly inwardly: I'd treated him like a monkey, causing him to misplace his true feelings, become deserted by his friends and family, and die young. With everything he had in my hands, how could he not be afraid of me? He no longer possessed martial arts skills, and only had money to live on. He lived in fear every day, spouting countless alarmist boasts. Now that he'd met me, how could he harbor any illusions of mercy towards me?

Wan Mingdao: Great Patriarch, why is your smile uglier than bitterness?

"How dare you! Tell the people in the yard that I'll be there tonight and have dinner ready."

Wanming was so frightened that he trembled. After receiving the order, he rushed out of the door, flew onto the roof and went to the distant yard next door.

The maids began to bustle as soon as they heard the news. Autumn had begun, the weather was cool, the rain was continuous, and the ground was slippery. Wen Ranqi was being waited on like an emperor. He had just finished drinking his medicine when Wanming took the initiative to enter his room, his clothes and sword wet.

Wen Ranqi glanced at him and said: Aren’t you going back to wag your tail in front of your master?

Wen Ranqi has been speaking more and more mercilessly these days, like an angry old woman, cursing without caring whether the words sound nice or not, without regard for face or who the other person is.

Wanming smelled the strong smell of medicine in the room, fanned himself, and said: "When I go back is none of your business, you should be well these few days."

"I've always been fine, aren't you fine?"

He shook his head and said, "You and the patriarch are brothers, why do you have to force things from him? Don't you have everything? You deserve this fate."

How about it, were you scared silly by him? Wan Ming looked arrogant and contemptuous.

As soon as Wen Ranqi lay down to sleep at night, he had been dreaming of many fragmented things since the nightmare that scratched his neck that night. Those images like fragments of memories drilled into his mind, and he wanted to experience every emotion himself.

Whenever he thought of Wen Shi coldly watching him being tortured in the dungeon, and the other Wen Ranqi committing suicide by slitting his neck, he subconsciously touched his neck. His wounds were exactly the same, as if someone was constantly reminding him not to give up no matter how difficult it was, and not to be confused by Wen Shi in the pain and despair.

He had to wait for Qiqi, he had to go to the altar to find the mysterious man, and he had to slowly accept and digest the sudden surge of intense and affectionate emotions.

All sorts of emotions and feelings were squeezed into his heart at once, and Wen Ranqi tried hard to suppress himself. He didn't like to laugh, and he was even less afraid. He was prepared for Wen Shi's long-planned torture, and he also looked forward to the joy of Qiqi rescuing him soon.

His heart struggled and changed a little. He realized everything that Wen Ranqi had done for Qiqi, and he felt the deep feelings between Wen Ranqi and Qiqi.

He remembered everything Qiqi had done for him, and he also remembered every word and action of Qiqi.

He looked at Wan Ming and said: You won’t end up well if you follow him, let’s wait and see!

Wan Ming left in anger and kicked a tile off the roof and smashed it hard in the yard. Wen Ranqi smiled with relief: Little brat, I am two years older than you.

Lights come on

The yard was lit by dim candlelight, but the room was bright, illuminated by the glass lamp that Wen Shi bought from somewhere else at a high price, and the dishes on the table could be seen clearly.

Wen Ranqi couldn't drink alcohol, and Wen Shi didn't ask anyone to serve her any wine. The maids arranged in the four corners were also called out, and Wanming was guarding outside the door.

Wen Shi picked up a piece of fish and put it into Wen Ranqi's bowl, saying, "This is sea bass, it doesn't have many bones." Wen Ranqi reluctantly ate a piece, and he and Wen Shi remained silent.

This is sweet and sour pork ribs, coated with the best honey. Try it.

Wen Ranqi took the bowl and looked at Wen Shi coldly and said: No need to be hypocritical, just say it if you want to deal with me, there is no need to act like brothers in front of me, I like sincerity, don’t you?

Wen Shi threw down his chopsticks. Wan Ming cautiously pushed the door open, but was stared at by Wen Shi again and left, closing the door obediently. Wen Shi said, "You're being hypocritical. Do you really want me to torture you that much? Or do you intend to use my hand to send you to your death as soon as possible?"

Wen Ranqi's eyes were filled with hesitation, and Wen Shi's gaze was pressing. He asked, "Then what do you want by locking me up here? Is watching me live in fear every day your purpose?" Ever since I fell off the cliff, I've wanted to cut off ties with everything and be an ordinary person who can support myself.

I finally managed to save my life and made some close friends, but you keep chasing me and plotting against me. I've already died once, and I'm a dead person in everyone's eyes and hearts. I pose no threat to you at all, so why won't you let me go?

Wen Shi was surprised by Wen Ranqi's sudden outburst. He sneered at himself: Wen Ranqi's words actually made quite a bit of sense. Few people knew Wen Ranqi was still alive. He had rebuilt himself over the past four years, drifting through the streets of a small town, spending his days figuring out how to support himself.

He is no longer the high-spirited young man who was admired and loved by everyone. He does not pose any threat to him. If he does not capture Wen Ranqi, even fewer people will know that he is still alive.

Wen Shi's mind was in turmoil, and he looked expressionlessly at Wen Ranqi, who was no longer a teenager. His heart was in a mess, and he said: As long as you are still alive, you are a threat to me. Only if you keep you by my side and I control whether you live or die, can I sleep peacefully.

If you want to die, you'd better think about your friends and apprentices. As long as I want to know, they will not be able to hide for long. If you want them to be buried with you, I can help you.

Wen Ranqi was about to speak, but stopped herself, swallowing the words in her stomach. She gritted her teeth as she ate the cold sweet and sour pork ribs that Wen Shi had brought her. She cursed in her heart: "How capable of you! You knew I didn't have the guts to die, so you deliberately threatened me? Wen Shi, you bastard, you black-hearted, rotten ass, rotten mouth!"

"Hiss!" Wen Shi covered his mouth, his face looked ugly, and he bit his tongue.

Wen Ranqi smiled secretly, but it disappeared in a flash. He glanced at Wen Shi and said happily in his heart: This is retribution in this life, he deserves it!