Sony Ericsson

After leaving Fengyu Pavilion, we arrived at Chunfengdeyi Palace. During the greetings, Sima Lingfeng's gaze towards Ziling left a lingering uneasiness in my heart. While the wine was still warm, I stood up and took Ziling's hand: "Follow me back to the villa."

As I said this, I deliberately ignored Sima Lingfeng's suddenly darkening gaze. He paused, fanning himself, then put on that unpleasantly flirtatious smile: "If that's the case, I'm willing to go with you and continue our friendship with Sai Hua Tuo."

I coldly observed his feigned nonchalance, remembering how, earlier at the banquet, he'd used the occasion to pour wine, his jade fan brushing against Zi Ling's sleeves. The golden thread silently entwined itself between my fingers, and I said calmly, "The herb garden at the villa is small; it can't accommodate Young Master Nong Yue's vibrant garden."

Zi Ling unexpectedly tugged my sleeve gently at this moment, with a cunning look in her eyes: "I'd like to see your battle of wits..." Her ending tone was soft, like a silver needle coated with honey, which made my heart feel sweet and bitter.

This girl who always loves to watch the fun! Couldn't she see the passion in Sima Lingfeng's eyes? Or...did she actually enjoy being the center of attention?

"Okay!" He gently wrapped his hand around her wrist. "If I win, you stay with me for three days..."

Her ears flushed as she tried to pull her hand away, but I pulled it into my arms. I caught a glimpse of Sima Lingfeng's twitching mouth and said, "You'll never make a move in this game."

The night was as dark as ink, a starry sky hanging over the fields. Sima Lingfeng and I stood in the courtyard, observing the stars and discussing the situation. He spoke of "the plunderers' fate is coming to an end," his gaze sharp, his target fixed on the half-moon in the sky. But within me, another mountain weighed heavily—my father, Ouyang Feiying.

I finally asked the question that had been lingering on my mind for so long: "I am the son of Ouyang Feiying. After dealing with Bantianyue, will you turn your attention to my father?" Sima Lingfeng's eyes flashed with surprise. He probably never imagined I would so bluntly expose this awkward blood relationship. I told him my origins frankly, no need to hide any more.

His answer eased my tense nerves. He said, "For the sake of the people of Sifang City, he can hold off on revenge for now, but Bantianyue must die, for he still bears the blood debt of deceiving and exploiting his brothers." I thanked him, grateful for his understanding in this moment, and for the glimmer of hope that might emerge.

When he asked me if I would help Ban Tianyue, I fell silent. The night breeze blew, bringing a hint of coolness. After a long pause, I finally spoke with difficulty: "As long as you don't take the initiative to deal with the city lord, I... won't intervene." The words were circuitous and pale, and even I felt powerless. I couldn't promise Sima Lingfeng that I would sacrifice my relatives for the sake of justice, nor could I deceive myself that my father was completely innocent. All I could do was to draw a line in the sand, like a poor night watchman guarding a levee that could collapse at any moment.

He then asked if Ouyang Feiying knew everyone's background. I replied that my father only knew that Shangguan Yan and Sima Changfeng had joined forces, and that fear had driven him to strike first. Although I tried to persuade him to compromise temporarily, my father's suspicion, like a creeping vine in the dark, was difficult to eradicate. This conversation made me see more clearly the isolated island I stood on, surrounded by surging waves on both sides.

The next day, Zi Ling planned to go to Shuiyue Nunnery. Sima Lingfeng was traveling with me, and I naturally brought my child along. Arriving at the nunnery, it was still quiet and peaceful. At Shuiyue Nunnery, I explained to Yingying and my mother that Zi Ling and I were married and had a son. My mother was thrilled, picking up her grandson and playing with him. Zi Ling and Yingying were also very happy to see each other. Suddenly, she turned, smiled sweetly at Sima Lingfeng and me, and said, "I want to talk to Yingying about some private matters. Could you two please step aside for a moment?"

Her smile was bright, tinged with a hint of innocent innocence that refused to be rejected. Sima Lingfeng and I exchanged glances, each seeing a flicker of helpless understanding in the other's eyes. We, the two who had dominated the affairs of Sifang City, now left the nunnery like two guards receiving orders.

Standing outside the nunnery, the mountain breeze blew gently. Sima Lingfeng might be contemplating his plans, but I, staring at the closed door, felt a rare sense of peace. Zi Ling's natural dismissal of us, as if it were just a normal gathering between sisters, actually softened the tense atmosphere of the past few days. With her, even the most complex situations seemed to become, for a moment, simpler. I just hoped this brief moment of peace could last a little longer.

After days of court absences, my father's guard, Hu Weiyuan, came to invite me to court. I sternly refused and even attacked him. Zi Ling intervened, but I simply said, "I hate it when people boss me around." But it was actually me who was hating him! I hated Ouyang Feiying! Outside the window, the bustle of Sifang City filled the air, but within me, there was only a cold, dead silence. Zi Ling noticed something was wrong with me, and after Hu Weiyuan left, she finally whispered, "Why didn't I go to court?" I closed my eyes, unwilling to let her see the embarrassment and struggle in my eyes. I managed only a few words through gritted teeth: "I hate him. I don't want to see him." I hated Ouyang Feiying. I hated his cruelty, his ambition, how he gave me life and then discarded me like a worn-out shoe, and even more so, how he treated our child. This hatred coiled around my heart like poison ivy, the more I struggled, the tighter it grew. I thought Ying'er would agree with me, join me in condemning that man's heartlessness. After all, her Shangguan family was also a victim of her father's ambition. But she didn't! Her hand gently stroked my brow, as if trying to smooth out the wrinkles there. She said that my hatred stems from love. I was startled, as if a ray of light pierced the most secret corner of my heart. Love? I still have love for that man? ... Maybe. If I hadn't longed for his recognition and love so much, how could I be so angry today because I couldn't get it? She is always like this, able to see through the truth under all my disguises at a glance. Then, her words were like thunder, exploding in my ears. She said: "It is the parents who chose to bring their children into this world, and the children have no choice. Therefore, parents should love their children with all their heart. This is what they owe their children."

"Owe"... Those two words, like a key, suddenly unlocked the cage of grievance that had held me captive for over twenty years. No one had ever told me that my longing was legitimate, that my pain deserved to be seen. While the saying goes, "A son should be filial to his father," no one ever said, "A father owes his son." Her words found a justifiable outlet for all my resentment.

Finally, she looked at me, her eyes clear and firm, as if she were instructing a naive child: "Go tell City Lord Ouyang that since you gave birth to me, you must take responsibility for me and treat me well. If you don't tell him, he'll never know what you want. Even if he doesn't want to, you still have me and Lang'er, Madam Yuzhu, Yishan, and Yingying!" Go... go tell him? Go to that imposing, cold father and demand responsibility? The thought struck me as absurd, even terrifying. It would be like exposing my most vulnerable, most vulnerable side, nakedly to the man who had abandoned me. But Ziling's gaze was devoid of amusement. It was one of almost pure conviction, and her words gave me courage. I looked at her, and the violence in my heart melted away at her words. Stood down from court was a silent protest. Yes, didn't I hate him because he never gave me what I wanted? If I remained silent, he might always see me as an elusive, occasionally useful pawn, not a son longing for his father's love. Zi Ling wasn't just comforting me; she was showing me a way forward. She made me understand that my right to suffer deserved recognition, and that I had the right to demand the love that was rightfully mine. I held her tightly in my arms, as if drawing endless courage from her.

Perhaps, I should go find the city lord, not for the sake of government, but for my own sake, and ask a question that is over twenty years late: "Since you gave birth to me, why did you abandon me?"

My father hunched over his desk, his brush swishing as he reviewed a seemingly endless stream of memorials. The candlelight in the hall shone brightly, illuminating the golden threads of his dragon robe but failing to capture the warmth in his eyes. As Hu Weiyuan made his announcement, he excitedly raised his head and gestured for Yishan to step aside so he could help push my wheelchair. Gao Yishan followed my signal, silently retreating outside the hall and closing the heavy door. The vast space was empty, leaving only the two of us, father and son, in the suffocating silence, and my heartbeat, like an uncontrollable drum, pounding in my chest. Facing my father, a childlike fear flashed through me—a fear of his cold gaze and mockery, a fear of shattering even this last, shimmering hope. But then, as he looked at Ziling and the child, his distant yearning for "complete fatherly love," his determination not to remain a perpetual "resentful loser" in front of his own child, overwhelmed that fear.

I looked at him. The man who had given me life, yet had discarded me like a piece of trash. My father. The golden thread of divine wisdom in my sleeve felt cold against my skin, yet my palms were sweating with nervousness. Zi Ling's words echoed in my mind, like a warm light, trying to dispel the chill that seeped into my bones.

"Dad." I spoke, my voice as dry as if it had been polished by sandpaper.

He finally put down his pen and raised his eyes. His gaze, sharp and scrutinizing, carried his usual condescending authority as he swept over me and my wheelchair, devoid of emotion, as if he were looking at a tool he wasn't quite satisfied with. "Tomorrow, you'll finally come see me? You've been absent from office for a few days, but what dissatisfaction do you have with me?" His expression was unexpectedly gentle.

Dissatisfied? More than dissatisfied! The grievances and resentment that had been pent up for more than twenty years almost burst through my throat at this moment. I gripped the armrests of the wheelchair tightly, my knuckles turning white from the force. Zi Ling was right, silence can't get me what I want. I met his gaze, no longer dodging, and with all my strength, I threw out those words that had circled in my heart a thousand times, my voice trembling imperceptibly with excitement: "Yes! I'm dissatisfied! I hate you! Who was it that abandoned a baby less than a month old to freeze in the snow? Who was it that took away and used even my own flesh and blood, almost causing my wife and children to be separated?" I drove the wheelchair forward an inch, and the wheels made a harsh sound as they rubbed against the smooth gold brick floor. I stared at him intently, my eyes heating up uncontrollably, a bitter taste welling up in my nose. "Since you chose to bring me into this world, why won't you share an ounce of your love and responsibility with me?! You gave birth to me, why did you abandon me?! What do you think of me? A flawed piece of trash, or a chess piece that can be sacrificed at any time?!" Ouyang Feiying's brows suddenly furrowed, obviously not expecting me to contradict him so bluntly. A hint of confusion flashed in his eyes, then filled with pity. "Can't you just forgive your father? I know... I haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as a father for a single day, but I have something to tell you - child, I will always be proud of you. Don't hurt yourself like last time. Don't worry, I will make it up to you and my grandson in the future. By the way, where is my grandson, and how is he?"

Before I could say what Zi Ling taught me, Dad said he wanted to compensate me. My heart trembled slightly. It turned out that communicating with him was not that difficult! Thinking of my past cowardice, I was relieved at this moment: "My child, your grandson has a name, Ouyang Yulang. Will you promise not to harm anyone from the Shangguan, Sima and Huangfu families in the future? If you can do it, it will be the greatest compensation for me and Lang'er." Dad came up and held my hand and said, "I promise you that I will never hurt them. I will give you and Lang'er the best things in the world, hahaha..." If this is a dream, I really hope to never wake up! After exchanging greetings with my father in the palace, thinking that Zi Ling and Lang'er were still waiting for me at home, I rejected my father's suggestion that I stay in the palace and let Yi Shan push me back to the villa.