Colorful Heart

Cai Xin stood guard at the doorway, looking at the handsome man before her. Her heart pounded with nervousness, her palms sweating. This was her first time facing a powerful figure alone, especially the Marquis Dingbei, who had a strange attitude towards Aruo. She was trembling all over.

The visitor had picturesque features, dressed in a white brocade robe surpassing snow, and stood tall and graceful. His brows betrayed the elegance and pride of a noble, yet his smile was gentle and humbly gentle, and his walk exuded a calm and confident composure. As the dream lover of Spring Return, a widower who had managed to become a noblewoman in the capital, Luo Ziran's appearance was indeed impeccable, but it was that gentleness that now frightened Cai Xin.

"Well, um, Marquis, Aruo... has already fallen asleep, and I'm afraid she can't come out. How about, Marquis, come another day?" Cai Xin whispered under the invisible pressure.

On the opposite side of the courtyard, the doors of Lao Cai and others' rooms were closed, but the windows were quietly opened a crack that everyone could see.

Luo Ziran brushed his gold-embroidered cuffs with a reserved air, raised his eyes, and smiled faintly, "I heard that Aruo was injured, so I specially brought the imperial physician to see you. Imperial Physician Guan's medical skills are highly praised by His Majesty, and he is certainly no less skilled than Divine Doctor Xue. Please step aside, young lady, and don't delay the imperial physician's treatment."

After that, the guards beside him came forward and took Cai Xin aside without saying anything.

Cai Xin's eyes turned around in panic, and she struggled, "Aruo is asleep, you can't break into someone else's boudoir!"

Luo Ziran paused as he opened the door, then sighed and laughed, "Her elder sister always told me to take care of her before she died. To me, she's no different from my own sister."

Lie! Cai Xin stamped her feet anxiously, but she couldn't break free from the two guards. She was so angry that she shouted, "Old Cai, are you all dead?"

Lao Cai's door opened, but when he saw the guard's cold and hard armor, he quickly closed it again.

Useless thing! Cai Xin cursed inwardly, and soon she saw Luo Ziran walking out holding a person wrapped in blankets.

"My Lord! Aruo is not well yet, what are you going to do?" Cai Xin's heart skipped a beat and she rushed over and said in surprise.

Luo Ziran kept walking, "She is injured, I will take her back to the palace to recuperate."

"No, you can't take her away!" Cai Xin screamed in horror. She knew in Yangzhou that the Qin family and Aruo didn't want to have anything to do with this person. How could she let him take Aruo away?

"Miss Caixin." Luo Ziran turned around, his attitude proud and noble, and said lightly, "In this capital, as her brother-in-law, I am more qualified than anyone else to take her away. As a partner who met by chance, you... don't have the right to keep her."

Cai Xin's bright eyes darkened, and she bit her lip, her eyes reddening. His words stung her heart like a needle. It wasn't a childhood friendship like Yiyuan's, nor was it a family relationship like the Qin family's. She and Aruo were just partners who met halfway. No matter how good their relationship was, it wasn't family.

"No, no... Aruo can't move." In a panic, Cai Xin ignored her fear of him, "And Lord Su... He will send someone to take care of Aruo."

Yes, Lord Su will not allow Luo Ziran to take Aruo away.

His eyes turned playful, and Luo Ziran smiled softly, "Master Su... How could a person without any matchmaker, engagement, or connections go beyond the rules and take care of Aruo?"

Cai Xin was stunned. Indeed, even though Su Zirui and Aruo were interested in each other, they had no engagement. In fact, if only one of them changed their mind, they could become strangers. "But..."

"Miss Caixin, are you sure you want to get involved with me? I'm grateful for your care for Aruo over the past few years, so I've treated her with such courtesy. Otherwise, I could have just sent someone to take her away." He came because he was afraid she'd wake up. Since she was still unconscious, he didn't need to explain too much.

In the entire capital, no one could take her away more legitimately than him.

Cai Xin glanced at the pale face of the person in his arms and gritted her teeth, "If you want to take her away, fine. But, I want to go too!"

She couldn't leave Aruo alone and helpless.

Luo Ziran, as if having heard something amusing, dropped his gentle disguise, his eyes flickering with sarcasm as he looked at her with arrogance and disdain. "Although the Dingbei Marquisate isn't a prestigious place, it's a second-rank mansion. Not just any cat or dog can enter freely. Aruo is my sister-in-law, so who... are you?"

The pupils in her usually bright eyes trembled slightly, and a deep sense of inferiority slowly rose. Although the guards were no longer trying to stop her, Cai Xin could not take a step forward and could only watch him leave with the person in his arms.

At the courtyard gate in the spring breeze, a tall figure in a cloak stood quietly in front of a magnificent carriage. Luo Ziran stepped out of the doorway, holding the person in his arms. He paused when he saw the person, but a light suddenly ignited in his eyes.

"My Lord," the man slowly raised his head, revealing a delicate and handsome face beneath the brim of his cloak. His fox eyes looked at the person in his arms without any sadness or joy, and he said indifferently, "The time... has come."

Luo Ziran's brows lit up with joy, "Thank you for your hard work next, brother."

Qi Shaozhen's eyes darkened. He stepped forward and took the unconscious girl from his arms, grunting softly. Then, he carried her back and boarded the carriage.

who is she?

Yes... From the first time she met Qin Zhi in Sizhou, she knew that Aruo was different from her. Although they worked hard together in the market, fought together, and experienced everything together, Aruo was different. She had a family and a background. She could give up her menial job at any time and return to being a respected young lady.

Unlike her...without Aruo, she would not have survived.

Yes, she wasn't going to survive. That year's famine left her with nothing: her family, her home, her hope. She sat blankly on the side of the road, her face sallow and her body thin from hunger. She didn't even have the strength to stand, let alone grab some food.

I'd rather die like this. My parents and my younger brother are waiting for me... The sooner I find them, the less suffering I'll suffer. She thought this, her cloudy eyes cast an unfocused gaze into the distance.

"Would you like to...come with me?"

She didn't know how much time had passed, and she didn't know if it was a dream or reality. Before her, a little girl squatted. She was carrying a large bag and looked dirty, her face covered in dirt and dust. Only her round, black eyes sparkled, gleaming with a vitality that was completely different from the lifeless atmosphere of the people here.

Walk? Could she still walk? Did she still have the strength to walk? Life was so tiring… She was already fine just sitting there.

"Even though I want to be a complete jerk, Sister won't let me. She wants me to go out... so I have no choice but to obey." The little girl pouted and muttered for a moment, then smiled and held out her hand. "I can't do it alone, but if we're together, I'll have the courage to go. With someone to walk with, I won't feel lonely or scared. So, do you want to come with me? It might be fun~"

She was starving, what was the point of playing? She thought so, but... she couldn't help but raise her hand. "Won't be lonely, won't be afraid, together..." As she heard these words, her dry eyes began to blur.

She wanted company so much, she was so scared and lonely... She was so scared without her parents and brother... Now, there was a fool with a smile as bright as light, squatting in front of her, talking to her.

The weak hand stretched out and was about to fall, but was caught by the little girl before it hit the ground. "You promised, then let's go together."

So, don't die, let's go together.

She went from suspicion to trust, from panic to peace of mind. She believed that Aruo would always be by her side no matter what, and even someone as proud as Qin Shuang tacitly acknowledged their relationship. But now, that noble man, with his superior airs, was shattering her self-righteous beliefs.

To her, Aruo was like the moon in the water, always a false companion. When the moon set, she had no qualifications to follow the moon.

Those long-suppressed thoughts surged back, and Cai Xin clutched at her clothes at her chest, breathing heavily in pain. It was a winter night, but her heart felt as if something was burning, and sweat broke out on her back.

After everyone left, Old Cai carefully opened the door, touched his nose, and walked out guiltily, "Cai Xin girl, this, this is not that I don't want to help, it's really that we can't compare with the Marquis... Besides, he is Aruo's brother-in-law, and he is part of the same family. It's not easy for us to say anything, right?"

Chen Changsheng's incident with the Zhou family had been making a lot of noise these days, and he was still being held in custody at the Ministry of Justice. Old Cai really didn't want his neighbor to cause any more trouble.

Cai Xin was slightly startled, as if she had been awakened. She took a deep breath and forced back her tears. "I, I'm going to find General Cheng. Old Cai, you quickly go to Lord Su and tell him that Aruo was taken away by the Marquis of Dingbei."

"Okay, hey, you, what are you going to do to General Cheng?" Old Cai quickly responded, surprised.

Cai Xin ran out of the yard in one go, ran straight to the courtyard at the entrance of the alley, and banged on the door hard.

"Who's so late... Hey, Miss Caixin?" Cheng Sheng opened the door and saw the girl with red eyes. He looked around in surprise, "What's wrong? You..."

"General Cheng, I'm sorry to ask, what is your rank?" Cai Xin wiped the tears from her cheeks and asked with a sob.

Cheng Sheng was stunned, not understanding what was going on, but he cooperated and said, "Cheng is currently a fifth-rank general of Ningyuan. My father was the general of Huaihua in the southwest. My mother is from the Lin family of Liangzhou. My family has some permanent property, and I don't have any wives or concubines..."

"Who's asking you these questions? You're only a fifth-rank official." Cai Xin bit her lip. Dingbei Hou was a second-rank official. He was a marquis, and he even had a beloved imperial concubine. She couldn't compare. In her anxiety, her nose felt sore, and tears fell helplessly.

Cheng Sheng was so frightened that he quickly reached out to catch the tear. The tear that landed on his palm was so hot that it made his heart skip a beat. His tongue, which was usually not very clever, became tangled again. "Cai Xin, Miss Cai Xin, you, don't cry, what happened?"

"I want to be your sister, will you still accept me?" Now there is no other choice, Cai Xin suddenly looked up at him.

"Yeah?" Cheng Sheng was stunned and subconsciously looked back at his mother's room where the lights were off. "I, I..."

"Don't you want to admit it?" Cai Xin asked fiercely with her beautiful eyes filled with tears.

Cheng Sheng waved his hands repeatedly, "No, I, I admit it, I admit it."

He agreed... Cai Xin looked at him in astonishment. The man in front of her had clear eyes. Even though she pressed him too hard, he didn't show any annoyance. Instead, he agreed to her unreasonable request very seriously, as if it was a promise.

"I recognize it, so don't panic." Her face without the beard looked more delicate. Cheng Sheng smiled, raised his hand and touched her head with gentle eyes.

Her intense heartbeat slowly slowed down, and a deep sense of guilt weighed on her heart like a huge rock. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she murmured helplessly, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry... I, I'm so confused."

The always bright and lively girl was now as frustrated as a drowned puppy. Cheng Sheng couldn't help but laugh and comforted her, "It's okay, don't worry. What happened?"

Perhaps because she was really panicked, or perhaps because he seemed particularly reliable at the moment, Cai Xin choked up and told the story again, pleading, "I heard that when these wealthy families come to visit, they always ask for a gift of a letter or something. Can you help me get it? I want to go see Aruo... She's still injured."

"She's injured?" Cheng Sheng's eyes darkened. They had been visiting Xiyan City, dozens of miles from the capital, for most of the past month. It was said that someone there had seen his little sister. Even though it happened many years ago, his mother still didn't miss any opportunity. She hadn't returned to the capital until this afternoon and hadn't had time to inquire about the recent events. "Where's Lord Su? Did he not protect her?"

"This is a long story. Anyway, hurry up and write the post. I want to go!" Cai Xin pulled his sleeve anxiously.

Cheng Sheng glanced at his mother's room with embarrassment. "Miss Caixin, if you want to visit Marquis Dingbei, I can deliver the invitation. However, if you want to visit the female relatives, then the female relatives of my family must write it and they must be willing to accept it."

Cai Xin shrugged dejectedly, "Why are there so many rules? Then I..."

"Don't worry. It's getting late, and he needs to settle the people he brings back. Let me ask my mother to write a letter tomorrow morning. The old lady of Dingbei Marquis should meet with her." Cheng Sheng hesitated for a moment, but still raised his hand and patted her shoulder. "The fact that Dingbei Marquis took his wife's sister away in public shouldn't harm her. Don't worry too much. Besides, Lord Su hasn't said anything yet. Okay, come in now and tell me what happened recently?"

Cai Xin thought about it and realized that there was no point in being anxious now, so she had to suppress her anxiety and followed him into the compound.

Cheng Sheng opened the door, glanced at the other side of the spring breeze, and sighed.