Chapter 75 Illusion

Sun Honglei stood there stiffly, as if nailed to the pillar of shame by an invisible hammer. His face turned pale and blue, filled with shame, shock, bewilderment, and a kind of helplessness that came from having his hard shell forcibly pried open.

Luo Zhaohan looked at his drastically changing expression and the huge waves surging in his clear eyes.

She knew that the thorn in her words had finally sunk in. Even if it pierced her flesh and blood, it was better than cutting her flesh with a dull knife and leaving her in a state of confusion for the rest of her life.

The tense atmosphere dissipated silently, replaced by a heavy chill. Luo Zhaohan's tense brows relaxed slightly, almost imperceptibly.

She put away her pressing scrutiny, her eyes calm and peaceful, as if the deafening blow just now was just a bit of ice debris that was swept away by her sleeves.

She took a half step back, completely distanced herself from him, straightened her body, and performed a standard junior's salute to Sun Honglei, who was standing stiffly and in a state of great anxiety, with an elegant and calm demeanor.

"Young Master, you are about to enter the officialdom..." Her voice returned to its usual coolness, like an icy spring flowing through a mountain stream. "Your future is bright and the sea is vast. Zhao Han bids farewell."

The tone was distant and solemn, blessing him for his future and putting an end to the turmoil between them.

The thin figure bowed upright, and his character, as straight as a bamboo on the snow-capped peak, struck Sun Honglei's eyes more directly than the words just now.

An unprecedented shock was like a torrent, instantly washing away the remaining embarrassment and unwillingness, leaving only an almost pious gaze!

So... this is Luo Zhaohan?

After witnessing with his own eyes how she remained unmoved under the pressure of power, how she cut through his innermost thoughts with an icy blade, and how she withdrew with ease and grace, all the previous stereotypes of her as "vulgar", "domineering", and "the daughter of a general" were completely crushed by an invisible force, like the thin floating ice on a winter river, and sank into the bottomless cold pool!

Her vision, her heart, her clarity, self-control and compassion for the common people that she was able to maintain even when facing a noble son like him, all seemed to come from another, lofty and unreachable world.

The family background, talent, and conceited youthful vigor that he boasted of were as small as grains of sand in front of her vision and calmness!

The huge contrast was like a bucket of icy snow water pouring down on his head, completely extinguishing the last bit of burning fire in Sun Honglei's heart.

"Miss Luo!" Sun Honglei's Adam's apple rolled violently, and his body shifted slightly, subconsciously reaching out to support the figure walking by. His fingertips had barely extended an inch when they suddenly froze in mid-air, as if burned by a branding iron, and he abruptly retracted them!

He was afraid. Afraid that her eyes would be tinged with disgust again. Now, it seemed that he no longer had the qualifications to even endure her disdainful gaze.

That’s all! No matter how hard I struggled, that figure was already so close yet so far away.

He took a deep breath, as if trying to suppress the suffocating feeling in his chest.

He no longer looked at Luo Zhaohan who was bowing with his eyes lowered. He turned sideways and returned the bow solemnly and deeply.

"Miss Luo!" Sun Honglei's voice was a little hoarse, but unusually clear and firm, each word seeming to hammer into the frozen ground beneath his feet. "Today, it was Sun Honglei who was abrupt and rude! Everything he said and did was a minor and shallow mistake! Miss, your teachings are like a revelation! Honglei will keep them in mind and will never forget them!"

He bent very low and paused for a moment, far beyond the ordinary politeness.

When he raised his head, his face was still pale, and deep in his eyes was an indelible pain, but there was also a hint of determination like a cocoon emerging from the cocoon:

"Please rest assured, young lady!" he emphasized, "Today's matter ends here! I will personally report to Concubine Li and explain..."

He paused, then found the most appropriate explanation. "I'll make it clear that this was all due to my own momentary arrogance and ignorance, and that it has nothing to do with the young lady's reputation! I will never again cause the queen to worry, nor will I dare to cause her any more unnecessary trouble!"

This promise was like removing the last huge stone from Luo Zhaohan's heart.

"Okay." Luo Zhaohan stood up and uttered a single, clear, short word. The chill that had been lingering around him seemed to finally melt away a little with that single word.

She nodded, without another word, without any hesitation or lingering feelings, and turned around, her skirt brushing against the frozen ground, stepping on the remaining snow and ice particles, and walked resolutely back the way she came.

The footsteps gradually faded away.

Sun Honglei stared intently at the slender figure that gradually blended into the gray light and shadow of winter without any reluctance. His chest seemed to be hollowed out, with only the whistling of the bone-chilling cold wind.

Just as the figure was about to turn the corner and disappear completely, a stinging pain more desperate and sharper than the cold suddenly gripped him! The unwilling person was like someone sinking into the abyss, trying to grasp at the last straw!

He suddenly took two steps forward, and with an almost hoarse voice, he shouted uncontrollably at the back: "Luo Zhaohan! Who is your sweetheart?!"

In the dark depths of the dry well, the tall figure lying on the cold stone wall seemed to be suddenly tightened by an invisible string the moment the hoarse cry pierced the silence!

His footsteps suddenly stopped.

In the light and shadow of the snow in the corner of the wall, Luo Zhaohan's back was like a silhouette drawn with a slender ink pen, frozen in that small space.

She didn't even turn around, but only paused for a moment.

If you don’t refute it immediately, it means you agree!

This realization was like an ice arrow soaked in poison, instantly piercing through the last bit of dignity he had forcibly maintained.

Sun Honglei only felt that his eyes were getting dark, his feet were weak, and he almost fell to the ground!

Sure enough...as expected!

"It's him... isn't it? Pei Ji!!!"

The hard chest, pressed against the wet mud of the well wall, rose and fell silently.

Despite the ten feet of soil and the deep cold, he seemed to be able to clearly see the cold winter moon hanging in the clouds outside the courtyard wall.

A very light and faint smile, like a wisp of cloud brushing across a cold pond, silently climbed up the corner of his tightly pursed lips.

The next moment, the name pierced the air and fell into the icy dust.

In the corner, the paused figure finally took another step forward.

Luo Zhaohan's voice came through the biting wind, without sadness or joy, without any ripples, and clearly responded to the unwilling roar behind him:

"So what if it is? So what if it isn't?"

Sun Honglei stood frozen in place, watching Luo Zhaohan's figure disappear into the dark wintersweet forest.

The icy air, like a cracked wound, gnawing at a heart pierced by the question, "So what?" The pain was so sharp it numbed me, leaving only a hollow, tearing feeling within me.

Those four words, like cold nails, nailed his last bit of unwillingness and all his hidden hopes to the icicle of despair.

Just when Luo Zhaohan's figure was about to be completely swallowed by the shadow of the twisted plum branches, a crushed pride and remaining blood suddenly broke through the ice!

"Miss Luo!" Sun Honglei's voice was hoarse and he rushed forward regardless of anything and staggered after her.

He took a few big steps and broke the thin ice on the side of the road. Amidst the flying snow dust, he suddenly stretched out his right hand and tightly grasped Luo Zhaohan's slender wrist which was about to disappear behind the plum branch!

Ice cold! Even through the thick fox fur sleeves, the chill on the wrist bones was still clear and piercing.

Sun Honglei shuddered from the cold, but his movements became even more forceful, as if a drowning man were grabbing a piece of driftwood, pulling her back a step, completely bringing her back into the reach of the moonlight.

Luo Zhaohan was forced to stop and turn around. The feeling of being clamped on her wrist made her frown instinctively. Her face was paler than snow in the moonlight, but her eyes were like a cold pool with no ripples. She just looked quietly at the young man who had lost his composure in front of her.

"I know! I know everything!" Sun Honglei's anxious breathing turned into white mist in the cold winter. He spoke hurriedly, his eyes filled with desperate urgency and a kind of admonition that was almost compassionate. "Pei Ji behaved like a gentleman! He is a good official for the country and the people! I respect him! But..."

He rolled his throat hard, swallowing the bitter despair with difficulty:

"But Miss Luo! Can't you see?! Look at his current situation! Caught in the middle of nowhere, it's extremely difficult to move forward! Every step he takes is like walking on a knife's edge, on a precipice! One misstep could lead to eternal damnation and the abyss!"

His voice rose, burning with anxiety, "You and him... How could you allow yourself to be put in such a dangerous situation? It's too dangerous!"

"That's not a whirlpool you should step into! The waters of the court are unfathomable!" His eyes were wide open, filled with a fierce struggle and a huge fear that he dared not express out loud.

"He... he was put in that position... that position... that was...!"

As if an invisible hand suddenly grabbed his throat, Sun Honglei's voice stopped abruptly.

He couldn't say any more! Not even a word!

He closed his eyes tightly, forcibly suppressing the impulse that was about to explode. When he opened them again, only heavy bitterness and powerless dejection remained.

A cold, self-deprecating voice screamed in his heart: Pei Ji! Since you are in this game, your mind is as clear as ice. Can't you really see the fate of this chess piece? Can't you see the huge net that is entwined above your head, ready to overturn at any moment? If you really have the slightest thought for her, you should push her away! The farther the better!

But if you're already deeply in love, how could she be willing to let you push her away? Could you really be so cruel?

A cold despair completely overwhelmed him.

The slender wrist held in the palm of his hand suddenly shook in this sudden dead silence and despair, and then burst out with irresistible force.

Luo Zhaohan didn't need to exert any strength at all, just a very natural pull - swish! His wrist was like a slippery ice fish, instantly slipping out of his burning palm.

Sun Honglei felt his hands suddenly empty, and his heart suddenly emptied as well.

Luo Zhaohan lowered her wrist, letting her wide sleeves slide down naturally, covering the red mark left by her grip. She didn't even glance at Sun Honglei's face, which had instantly turned as pale as paper, nor did she question the unfinished warning.

"Young Master Sun," her voice was even colder than before, like broken jade falling on an ice plate, "I appreciate your kindness. As for the rest, the road ahead lies ahead, and we will each accept our fate. Farewell."

Without a trace of nostalgia, she turned around, no longer needing any obstacles or hesitation, and walked straight into the silent wintersweet forest.

The branches creaked slightly under my feet, and my figure was quickly swallowed up by the layers of inky shadows and snow light.

Sun Honglei stood there in a daze, like a puppet with his soul sucked out.

She was too stingy to even say her final goodbye.

As expected, there was already someone in her heart.

It's him, only him.

This realization weighed heavily on my heart, strangely extinguishing the last trace of heat and struggle.

He slowly turned around, no longer looking at the dark Merlin that had swallowed her, and cast his gaze solemnly towards the deserted and dilapidated pavilion.

The night wind rustled his clothes, casting a lonely shadow on the snow.

"Heh..." A long sigh, like the last ripple in the depths of an ancient well, escaped from Sun Honglei's lips.

He finally turned around, his back straight, as if all the immaturity and impetuousness of youthful emotions had faded away in an instant, revealing a hard outline that was almost resolute.

Cousin! His Royal Highness Prince Rui!

From now on, all the love and care, all the worries, get out of this small place! He, Sun Honglei, has all his blood, wisdom and strategies to assist only one person!

Prince Rui's Mansion is his only path to success and his only destination!

Help your cousin succeed! Reach the Supreme!

Use any means, regardless of the cost, and leave no room for retreat!

Sun Honglei took one last glance at the empty pavilion, without any attachment. He suddenly took a step and quickly disappeared at the other end of the vast snowy night.

Deep in the wintersweet forest, the cold plum branches are like dry giant arms, intertwining and blocking the pale moonlight.

Luo Zhaohan didn't really leave.

She hid deep in the gnarled, iron-like shadows of an extremely thick old plum tree, her back pressed against the uneven trunk, holding her breath and standing still, like a petrified spirit in the forest.

Just now, when Sun Honglei grabbed her wrist and urgently warned her...

Snow powder fell from the branches, and the cold wind blew through the plum branches, making a whimpering sound.

These were the sounds inherent to a snowy night. But just as Sun Honglei's urgent warning abruptly ceased, Luo Zhaohan's extremely sensitive ears caught a whiff of something unusual!

It was an extremely short and slight sound of a dead branch breaking!

The sound was so light that it was instantly covered up by the louder sound of the wind, so fast that it made people think it was an illusion.

But Luo Zhaohan's spirit was stretched to the extreme in this split second.

The source of that sound! The direction! It was not far away?

My heart sank suddenly.

who?

Was it Xie Wuqi? Or were there other forces targeting Sun Honglei or himself?

Luo Zhaohan's breathing was so light that it was almost inaudible. He stretched his senses to the limit and listened attentively to all the sounds of the snowy night.

The footsteps faded away, and they were Sun Honglei's determined steps as he left.

He stepped hard, and every step broke the thin ice under the floating snow, making a creaking sound.

Merlin returned to dead silence.

There was no trace of any living thing lurking.

It seemed as if the slight sound just now was really just an accident of the cold wind blowing down the dead branches.

Luo Zhaohan counted silently in her heart. Her heartbeat was slow and heavy, like a slowly plucked string: ten, nine, eight… until the last trace of Sun Honglei's footsteps disappeared without a trace. She remained in the same place for nearly a cup of tea.

The wind seemed to be stronger, blowing the plum branches wildly and filling the air with snow dust.

Still nothing unusual.

Can't gamble.

Luo Zhaohan's eyes turned completely cold, like black iron that had been soaked in a cold pond for ten thousand years.

She slowly stepped out of the shadow of the plum tree. Instead of leaving immediately, she followed the shadow of the wall, which was easily overlooked, and slowly and cautiously moved towards the general direction of the strange noise.

Every step he took seemed so light that it seemed weightless, and the snow only sank slightly, forming an imperceptible arc.

Finally, his sight fixed on a dry well several feet away, half covered by dead grass and rubble.

Deathly silent. Like a grave.