Chapter 7 Use and discard

As soon as these words were spoken, a suffocating atmosphere quickly spread in the room. Even Hei Feng, who was usually expressionless, showed some pain and heaviness on his face, and the man whose face was covered by a mask made it impossible to see his expression.

The boundless silence was finally broken by the slow rocking of the chair, and the creaking of the wooden wheels was accompanied by a faint sigh from the person lying down: "The moment she walked toward me, I suddenly remembered an old friend. Like that person, she had a pair of eyes that were rare in this filthy world, clean and pure."

More than a decade ago, in Yujing, at the Crown Prince's residence.

Still young, he didn't sleep for three days and three nights, and finally traveled alone from Lingnan to the capital city of Yujing, a place he had only imagined in his brother's descriptions before.

He had no travel permit and had entered the city secretly. By the time he found the location of the Crown Prince's residence, it was already late at night. So, in the chilly autumn air and heavy dew, he stood quietly outside the gate all night.

When the gatekeeper found him the next day, even his eyelashes were covered in frost, and his exposed skin was so cold that he couldn't feel anything.

Seeing that he was just a young boy and looked pitiful, the gatekeeper told him to go to the kitchen to warm up while he sent someone to invite His Highness the Crown Prince.

It is said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen, but the place where he met this most honored person in the Great Jin Dynasty besides the emperor was in the kitchen.

Even after so many years, when he recalls this past event, what remains most vivid in his memory is the white steam rising from the kitchen, and the clear eyes that the steam couldn't conceal, as if they had been washed by a sweet spring.

"A gentle breeze and a bright moon caress the mountain ridge, but they cannot illuminate the ravines and valleys without illuminating the soul."

About half an hour later, the "young master," who had gotten up from the rocking chair, saw that it was getting late and had to interrupt their passionate conversation. He looked at Hengbo and said, "It's too late, we should go back."

Seeing that it was indeed late, and that Miss Yanran must be very tired and needed to rest early, Hengbo reluctantly said goodbye to her.

Yanran also liked Hengbo very much. She patted her head and stood quietly at the door watching them leave.

On the road, it became that transverse waves were leading the way again.

The "young master" leisurely lagged half a step behind her, but her steps were noticeably less light than before, instead appearing heavier.

He couldn't help but feel puzzled. Logically speaking, the little mute should be very satisfied now that his wish had come true, so why did he look somewhat sad?

Since he had taken it to heart, he naturally asked the question.

Hengbo looked at him with a conflicted and troubled expression. After a long silence, she slowly gestured to him, "I think she's unhappy."

The young master was somewhat surprised, thinking she had misunderstood that Yanran didn't like her, and explained to her, "She's very happy today, she likes you very much."

Hengbo shook her head, indicating that that wasn't what she meant. However, she rarely communicated with others and found it difficult to describe for a moment. After racking her brains, she finally expressed her meaning: "She's unhappy because she's not free."

Although this was the first time she had met Yanran, and their acquaintance was not very deep due to communication barriers, she had a feeling that Yanran must be unrestrained and free-spirited, just like her intense and flamboyant appearance.

However, her gorgeous clothes, heavy headdress, and even her demeanor, which rivaled that of the empresses in the palace, seemed to shackle her like chains, recklessly consuming her life.

The young master finally understood where her predicament came from. He looked at her little head drooping in frustration, feeling a mix of emotions. His hands suddenly felt itchy, and he wanted to touch her like Yanran had, but in the end he gave up.

He shifted his gaze to the Drunken Oriole Pavilion, which stood out brightly in the dark night. With endless nostalgia and boundless melancholy, he spoke to Hengbo for the first time since they met: "It's not that I've imprisoned her like this. Yanran has something she'd rather give up her freedom to accomplish. All I can do is try my best to minimize the cost."

This was the first time Hengbo had heard his voice. Indeed, the moment he opened his mouth, combined with the strange feeling that had been suppressed earlier, Hengbo was certain that the man in front of her was not the young master of Cangjian Manor who had been traveling with her these past few days.

However, at this moment, rather than trying to figure out who the man in front of her was, Yokobo's thoughts were completely captivated by what he said.

Yanran had things she was willing to give up her freedom for... What about Ruan Wangshu? Ruan Wangshu went down the mountain because of what she wanted to do, and died because of what she wanted to do. So was that something she was willing to give up her life for?

Hengbo never opened the letter Ruan Wangshu had given her, simply because she stubbornly believed that the letter was still "alive" until she opened it, but would "die" once it had fulfilled its purpose.

If it "dies," then the last bit of life that Ruan Wangshu left in this world will also disappear completely.

But at this moment, she felt inexplicably relieved.

After all, if Ruan Wangshu believed there were things more precious than her life, what was the point of clinging to this last bit of her life?

Instead of clinging to this ashes, I should see what she really wants to do. If she finishes it, I'll be happy for her; if she doesn't, I'll do it for her.

After Hengbo figured this out, all she wanted to do was rush back to see what Ruan Wangshu had written in his letter to her, so she no longer cared about the fact that the "young master" had lied to her. Although strictly speaking, she had mistaken him for someone else, he clearly knew it was a misunderstanding but never reminded her, so it could only be considered his fault.

However, considering that he had introduced her to Miss Yanran today, Hengbo decided to let bygones be bygones.

She casually said goodbye as if nothing had happened: "You can leave me here. I'm going now. You should go back too."

Seeing that she clearly understood but pretended not to, the "young master" knew she intended to use him and then discard him. If he weren't the one being discarded, he would have praised her for being clever.

He wouldn't hold a grudge against a girl several years younger than him over this, but being toyed with by her like this was really not his style.

Then, he extended a long, slender, pale hand from his sleeve, gently pressed it against the edge of the mask, and said in a gentle voice, "It is fate that we meet. Does the young lady not wish to see my true face?"

Hengbo was quite startled. To her, the two of them had traveled together by chance, and it was best for them to go their separate ways now, so that they would never have any connection or relationship with each other again.

But his suggestion is like saying a few extra words to Xiaoqiang at the foot of the mountain today, and the next day Xiaoqiang's parents come knocking on your door saying that men and women shouldn't be intimate, and since you've ruined Xiaoqiang's reputation, you have to marry him.

At this point, if you refuse, you will be seen as a heartless person in the eyes of the world. But if you accept, you really don't have any romantic feelings for Xiaoqiang. In fact, yesterday you only asked him a couple of questions about the candied hawthorns in his hand and where he bought them.

Hengbo is not good at hiding his emotions, and therefore, "Young Master" could feel the overflowing reluctance emanating from Hengbo even through the mask.

The "young master," who had only intended to tease her, was now genuinely amused by her reaction. He lowered his hand from his mask, and his voice from beneath it instantly became cold and distant: "In that case, I shall take my leave."

With that, he turned to leave. Hengbo now knew he was truly angry, and seeing him about to leave, she instinctively wanted to turn around and chase after him.

However, perhaps she was destined to be unable to win him back.

Just then, a boy's clear voice rang out from the intersection ahead. Hengbo looked in the direction of the voice and saw the young master's handsome face without a mask. He was leaning against the wall, panting, and his forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat.

But in that short moment, when Hengbo turned back, she could no longer find the person who had stayed with her in silence all night.

Seeing that she had clearly seen him but was still pursuing someone else, the young master felt a surge of anger. "What's so interesting about him?"

"Where did you suddenly run off to? You've made me search for you all night long, covering half of Changzhou City."

The slight melancholy that had just begun to linger in Hengbo's heart was immediately dispelled by the young master's barrage of questions.

"And who was that person next to you just now?" Although the person was wearing a mask, he felt inexplicably annoyed when he recalled the deep look in that person's eyes. He threatened, "Don't you know how many human traffickers there are now? They use sweet talk to abduct naive young girls like you."

Because Hengbo still felt some guilt towards him, she had always indulged his chatter in her ear, but now she was speechless when she heard this.

The young master, however, was still absorbed in his resentment and was about to continue nagging when a flash of silver light appeared before his eyes. When he came to his senses, he only caught a glimpse of Hengbo sheathing his sword.

Young Master: ...

He sluggishly and stiffly touched his throat, only to find no blood, and then turned to look at Hengbo, who was staring back at him with an innocent expression.

The young master held back for a while, but finally couldn't help but roar, "I know your swordsmanship is amazing, but you don't have to tell me that! It's scary, okay?!" After shouting, a weak sense of grievance welled up inside him: "Besides, I was just worried about you. You're in a completely unfamiliar place here, and you don't even know how to speak properly..."

Seeing that he was about to start again, Hengbo simply grabbed his clothes and, with the lightness of a swallow, leaped over the low wall and ran straight towards the inn where they were staying.

The young master felt dizzy for a moment, and when he came to his senses, he was being carried up the wall by Hengbo like a bundle.

He flailed his arms and legs in the air, shouting, "What are you doing? Put me down, I can use my own light-body skills!"

"Put me down! My clothes are coming apart!"

"Help! Someone, please help me!"

A note from the author:

----------------------

Please save this post, my little angels! (Cute and playful image.JPG)