Hearing Ruoxi's words, Long En deliberately probed, "Oh? In that case, if we find that family and retrieve your things, you will stay in the Xiaolong Society and be my sister for life, how about that?"
"This... I am deeply grateful to Brother Long for not abandoning me. However, I unfortunately suffered an accident and lost my memory. To this day, I don't even know who I am, where I came from, or if I have any relatives still alive. Are they also searching for me everywhere? To be honest, I want to find that family as soon as possible, thank them in person, and then go find out about my origins." Ruoxi looked a little hesitant as she poured tea and spoke sincerely.
Upon hearing this, Long En sat at the table, raised an eyebrow, and said, "Isn't it good to live in this world without any ties? I'd rather lose my memory, so I can discard all the joys and sorrows of my first half of life, like being reborn. There would be no loneliness, no fear, everything would start anew, like living two lives. Wouldn't that be better...?"
As he spoke, he suddenly stopped and stared at Ruoxi, as if he had noticed something. He asked, "This isn't some excuse you're using to avoid me, is it? Have you heard some rumors here and are you afraid of my Xiaolong Society?"
As Ruoxi respectfully offered the tea with both hands, she said, "Brother Long, you're overthinking it. I just think that if a person doesn't even know who they are, then they won't know the true meaning of their existence, right?"
Long En reached out and took the teacup, his eyes suddenly widening for a moment. He seemed to agree, saying, "That's true! If I lose my memory, I'm afraid I'll also forget my deep-seated hatred and won't be irreconcilably opposed to the court. If that's the case, then all my efforts and sacrifices over the past half of my life will have been in vain."
Upon hearing this, Ruoxi noticed that Long En's hand, which had been lying flat on the table, was now clenched into a strong fist, and his eyes were burning with a fierce, hateful rage, as if he was gritting his teeth and trying hard to suppress it. Ruoxi then slowly sat down beside him and suddenly asked softly, "I wonder if Brother Long has any children?"
"I suppose so. It's all my fault for starting something and then abandoning it, for being ungrateful. I'm the one who has wronged them, mother and daughter. I'm afraid they'll deliberately avoid me for the rest of their lives and will never find me again." Long En came back to his senses and thought for a moment before saying this, silently taking a sip of the tea in his hand.
Upon hearing this, Ruoxi pondered for a moment, then mustered her courage and spoke in one breath: "Although Ruoxi doesn't know the depth of the hatred between Brother Long and the court, if one day Brother Long encounters his wife and children, and they learn that their husband and father are actually a traitor who created chaos and slaughter, rebelling against the court, what will they think? What will the people around them think of them? How will they, mother and daughter, bear this humiliation and face the condemnation of everyone? Rebellion and regicide are always fraught with peril, not to mention the immense suffering and financial loss, but the most vulnerable are the innocent common people! What have they done wrong? Why should they suffer such a tragic fate of family destruction and death because of your personal hatred? Or perhaps, in a war meticulously planned by you, those who lose their lives... will also happen to be these two, mother and daughter? In that case, Brother Long, how will you face them..."
Before Ruoxi could finish speaking, Long En slammed his hand heavily on the table beside him, roaring in fury, "Shut up! Do you know who you're talking to, or what you're saying? I'm a victim too! This world rightfully belongs to me, Long En! I am the true Son of Heaven of this great Western Qin Kingdom, the guardian of those I swear to protect with my life! Why did she so cruelly abandon me the moment I was born? Why? Tell me why!"
However, Ruoxi, her face veiled in white, seemed unafraid upon hearing this. Instead, she calmly said, "You are wrong. The Western Qin Kingdom, and indeed this entire world, does not belong to any one person, but to the hearts of the people. Where the people's hearts are, and where their will is, this world will only belong to the 'people' who care about the suffering of the common people, who fight to the death to protect their homes, and who resist foreign powers with their lives! In the past, she cruelly abandoned you for her own selfish desires. Are you going to abandon those you should protect as well, and unleash all your anger on the two women you love most? Then how are you any different from that vain, heartless, and selfish woman?"
“I…” Long En angrily raised his head, wanting to argue again, but when he saw the strong and determined look in the eyes of the thin woman in front of him, he was speechless for a moment.
The spacious and bright room fell silent, filled only with the faint, fresh scent of herbs that had just been picked. Just like this woman, who could not only effortlessly use these unassuming flowers and herbs to cure physical ailments, but also heal the heart's suffering with just a few words that resonated deeply.
After a long silence, Long En finally calmed down his complicated feelings and remembered the purpose of his visit. He then said to her, "By the way, I came to tell you that I have to go out for a couple of days. Your eyes have just recovered, so just wait for me here and don't go anywhere. When I get back, I will personally take you to that family to retrieve your things."
She was clearly a very caring person, and didn't seem like such a heartless person at all, yet she suffered so much from hatred. It's truly pitiful and tragic! If she could lay down her weapons and abandon evil to do good, she would surely have a happy ending with a brighter future.
Ruoxi stared into his eyes, lost in thought for a long time, and then silently nodded to him.
Suddenly, Long En asked with some curiosity, "You said you left something very important at that house. What was it? Was it something valuable? Could it be... a token of love?"
Ruoxi smiled and said, "Brother Long, you're overthinking it. It's just a pill."
Upon hearing this, Long En suddenly burst into a hearty laugh, then said with a disdainful look, "A single pill? Did I hear that right? A mere pill is nothing to worry about! The back mountains of my Xiaolong Society are covered in vast forests, fragrant with medicinal herbs, with quiet valleys and beautiful scenery. What kind of medicinal herbs don't we have? There isn't a single weed on the ground. I'll have someone pick them all for you. You know how to make medicine, right? Just make another pill. No, let alone one, even a thousand or ten thousand pills would be enough to open a pharmacy and sell. Why be so precious about it?"
Ruoxi rolled her eyes and sighed, saying, "Brother Long, you don't know this, but this pill is probably rare in the world and can't be made."
Upon hearing this, Long En's laughter abruptly stopped, and he asked in surprise, "What kind of medicine is so rare?"
Ruoxi said earnestly, "I obtained it by chance from a Taoist priest when I was in that family's village. It just so happens to be the best medicine to cure my amnesia."
Long En exclaimed in astonishment, "In that case, it truly is a miraculous medicine. But since it can restore your memories, why didn't you take it immediately after obtaining it?"
Ruoxi lowered her head and said, "Because that Taoist priest instructed me that taking this medicine would make me forget the most precious obsession in my heart. Therefore, I have some concerns..."
Long En suddenly realized, "So that's how it is. So-called obsessions are nothing more than an extreme, excessive pursuit of the most genuine needs in one's heart. But what kind of serious obsession could be lurking in your little head? Forgetting is forgetting, but if you really want to know who you are, why not... try taking the medicine? Perhaps that old Taoist priest intentionally did this to you! Actually, thinking about it carefully, I also think it's better not to lose my memory. In this life, no matter what the outcome, I want to remember them, mother and daughter, and you, little brat, and never forget you until I die."
After finishing speaking, Long En let out a long sigh of relief. Suddenly, he felt an unprecedented sense of richness and comfort in his heart. He stared at Ruoxi's beautiful profile as she lowered her head in deep thought and smiled faintly.
"Who lives in that house? Why is the gang leader chatting and laughing with her so happily? There are even two of his trusted men guarding the door, it seems like they take it very seriously. I've never seen the gang leader laugh so heartily in all these years." Outside the house, by the arched gate of the courtyard, Long Ye, the vice leader of the Xiaolong Gang, suddenly passed by and was attracted by the rare laughter coming from inside the house. He stopped and whispered to one of his subordinates.
The subordinate quickly glanced around, finding nothing amiss, then leaned close to the man's ear and whispered, "They brought her back from outside a few days ago. They say she's a girl who suffered a misfortune and lost her memory. She was so frightened that she forgot where she lived, so they sent a lot of men around to find out who lost her! I think they probably just want to take her for themselves since she's still a virgin."
"Girl? What do you look like?" Long Ye asked with interest, idly playing with the mustache on his chin.
"I heard that the girl is only seventeen or eighteen years old. She stays alone in her room all day, even wearing a veil when she goes to bed. When she goes out, she also wears a long veiled hat. Her behavior is very mysterious. I suppose she must be either a stunning beauty or an incredibly ugly woman," the subordinate guessed.
Upon hearing this, Long Ye snorted coldly and said, "Seventeen or eighteen years old, with a mysterious appearance... Hmph, whether she is beautiful or ugly, whether she is a virgin or not, we'll know once we examine her."
The subordinate seemed to immediately grasp his ulterior motive and hurriedly tried to stop him, saying, "The Vice Leader means... Vice Leader, you absolutely mustn't! If the Leader finds out, it will be disastrous! The Leader really cares about that girl; he comes to check on her personally every day. If..."
"Enough talk, I have my own way, let's go!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com