Chapter 7 Breakup
It drizzled for a while this morning, and now it's starting to rain again.
Li Rong escorted Li Han to the corridor, and Li Han waved goodbye with a smile:
"Second sister, don't bother seeing me off. It's raining and the roads are slippery."
Li Rong watched Li Han leave, then stood under the eaves, lost in thought for a long time.
She didn't want to go inside; the faint scent of medicine mingled with the room told her that there was another person inside.
I don't know how long he's been here.
A lotus-leaf-shaped robe fell onto his shoulder, and he asked, "Why?"
She held her waist, took two steps forward, and moved a little further away from him.
"Why is it never important? As long as you're happy."
"How can I be happy if you're not happy?" He looked at her profile.
It felt like I was back in Chuntang Garden.
She treated him coldly after giving in.
But this is not Chuntang Garden.
She loved him, was pregnant with his child, yet treated him coldly.
He has done everything he could to treat her well. Is the past really so hard to get over?
He stood in front of her, blocking her view of the bluestone slabs under the eaves.
"Rongrong, what do you want?"
She found his question somewhat ridiculous.
Her gaze settled on his serious face: "Does what I said matter?"
"Apart from the fact that we're breaking up, I'll agree to anything you say!"
"My third sister is the Empress of Southern Zhou! I am now the second young lady of the Cheng'en Duke's Mansion! Why should I have to be with you!"
Li Rong's chest heaved uncontrollably.
Lin Xiaocong replied decisively: "Because we have each other in our hearts!"
Li Rong retorted: "People's hearts are so big, I can pretend to be you, or I can pretend to be someone else!"
"you……!"
Lin Xiaocong was glad that he hadn't waited three to five years to catch up with her.
His Rong'er was indeed as easily seduced by bad men as before.
He looked directly at her and said, "Rongrong, this is not up to you."
He added, "Unless I'm dead."
"You're always like this."
Li Rong finally spoke her mind.
"Do you give me the right to say no?!"
She felt completely relaxed, her pores shrank, and her breath became invigorating.
Yes, that's the line! That's the spirit!
"It's pathetic of me to like you!"
"But I refuse to be with you!"
"I'm determined to prove them wrong!"
"If you're so capable, then try to coerce or bribe me again!"
The gold hairpin in her hair swayed as she spoke excitedly.
"One day, one day I will completely give up on you!"
"Rongrong!"
Lin Xiaocong's heart clenched suddenly, and he couldn't help but raise his hand to support her shoulder.
She continued.
"Without the bond of affection, you'd better pray you can coerce and entice me for the rest of your life!"
"Otherwise, I will definitely... um."
He cupped her face in his hands, silencing all her harsh words.
She let him kiss her without resisting at all.
He released her in frustration.
She didn't even glance at him, pulled down his hand that was cupping her face, and turned to go inside.
Lin Xiaocong's joy at having overcome Li Han, an obstacle, vanished at this moment.
It turns out that the biggest obstacle in this mansion was not that clever little girl, but her stubbornness that couldn't be swayed even by an ox.
She quietly harbored thoughts of breaking up with him.
His mind was in turmoil, even more so than when she left the north and boarded her third sister's boat that night.
Before she entered the room, he stepped forward, grabbed her arm, and stared intently at her profile.
"Rongrong, give me a chance!"
She brushed his hand away.
Faced with Li Rong like this, he didn't dare to have the slightest thought of being forceful.
He watched helplessly as she walked in without turning back.
He raised his hand and wiped his face.
If he allows her to say no, what should he do?
He decided to calm down.
"Rongrong, I'll come see you again tomorrow."
He left behind these words and plunged into the drizzling rain.
The young master, who was usually cheerful, had a rare look of worry on his face.
He stopped as soon as he stepped out of the courtyard.
Opposite him, Li's mother wore the colorful mask used to cover her ugliness and held a club in her hand.
They're definitely here to beat him up.
His hairband was wet from the rain, and one strand draped messily over his shoulder.
Lin Xiaocong called out in a low voice, "Mother~"
Li's mother looked at him with complicated emotions.
"Never mind." She dropped the mallet in her hand.
The sound of the mallet hitting the bluestone slab was crisp and clear.
"Cleverness leads to one's own downfall."
"You're a pitiful child too."
She turned and left, her anger from the day dissipating.
Li Han followed beside her mother and couldn't help but turn around to look at Lin Xiaocong, who was staring blankly at the club.
He wanted to say something, but ultimately didn't.
Lin Xiaocong's clothes were wet. He went forward, picked up the club, and followed Li's mother, Li Han, and the others.
Upon arriving at Shihua Hall, the maids and servants put away their umbrellas and withdrew. Lin Xiaocong lifted his robe and knelt in the courtyard, presenting the wooden mallet with both hands.
“Mingxu’s faults are too numerous to list.”
“Ignoring Rongrong’s weeping, I forced her to be my wife, behaving like a beast.”
"Secondly, he disregarded Rongrong's wishes and disrupted her matchmaking, which was extremely selfish."
“The three acts of repentance have damaged Rongrong’s reputation; they are utterly immoral and unethical.”
“Mingxu knows he is wrong and remains silent before Rongrong. Please convey my message to Mother and ask for her punishment.”
Only Li's mother's rough shout rang out from the hall: "Get out!"
Lin Xiaocong respectfully put down the mallet, stood up, clasped his hands in a salute, took two steps back, and turned to leave.
Rainwater gathered at the corners of his eyes and brows, slid down his sharply defined features, and fell to the ground with each step he took.
Lin Xiaocong never fails to get what he wants.
She's just a woman. As long as she's kept by my side, coaxed and pleaded with every day, where can she escape to?
With his abilities, it's only a matter of time before he gains his own connections and power in Jianye.
Li Rong was always his prize.
He was so confident before, but today reality has slapped him in the face.
He then realized that what he had in his pocket had long since slipped out of his control.
Li Rong was able to say, "One day I will completely give up on you."
This means that before she even said those words, she was slowly digging out her feelings for him from the bottom of her heart and throwing them out.
Lin Xiaocong stumbled and almost fell down the stairs.
Coming to my senses, I realized that I had unknowingly left the gate of the Duke of Cheng'en's mansion.
Qiu Chan, who was arguing with the guards in the distance, recognized Lin Xiaocong with her sharp eyes and quickly called out, "Young Master!"
Lin Xiaocong steadied himself and looked up to see two figures being stopped by guards from approaching.
"That's our young master!"
Lin Xiaocong walked over, and Qiu Chan slid off the guard's armpit and down to Lin Xiaocong's feet.
He smoothly rose, opened the umbrella, and held it above Lin Xiaocong's head.
"Young master, it's still chilly in early spring, why aren't you using an umbrella?"
Lin Xiaocong glanced at Qiu Hui, who was carrying a bundle on her shoulder and holding an umbrella, quietly watching this side, before his gaze fell on Qiu Chan's face.
"Why are you here?"
"This servant said I would follow you for life, young master." Qiu Chan cried, looking as if she was afraid Lin Xiaocong would kick her out.
“Young master, I used all the money you left for me to redeem Qiu Hui from her servitude.”
"Waaaaah, you must give this servant a bite to eat."
Qiu Hui bowed to Lin Xiaocong, maintaining a proper distance.
Lin Xiaocong's disappointment faded slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his eye. He then led his men toward Jimin Pharmacy.
"Are you planning to sell yourself to raise fennel?"
Qiu Hui blushed as she stood to the side.
Qiu Chan chuckled: "Hmm, this servant still owes Miss Qiu Hui some money."
"Um?"
"From the capital to Jianye, this servant traveled with Miss Qiu Hui along with the caravan, and all the expenses along the way were paid for by Miss Qiu Hui."
"So how much do you think you're worth?"
"It's worth at least twenty taels."
The master and servant remained as close as before.
Upon arriving at Jimin Pharmacy, Lin Xiaocong instructed his staff to arrange accommodations for the two.
Qiu Chan skillfully ordered hot water and ginger soup, serving Lin Xiaocong his bath.
In the room, Lin Xiaocong leaned back on the couch with his legs bent, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes.
Seeing her young master pinching his brow with the pad of his thumb and the knuckle of his index finger, Qiu Chan knew that he must have suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the second young lady.
He took out clean clothes, carried them to the bathroom, and then went to Lin Xiaocong's side.
"Young master, you need to be in good health to pursue the second young lady. You can't give up on yourself."
"The failure was obvious?"
"It's written all over your face."
"Qiu Chan, is Qiu Hui willing to marry you?"
"I wanted to ask you, young master, to be my witness at our wedding." Qiu Chan felt that saying this now was really hurting her young master's feelings.
"Congratulations."
Qiu Chan scratched his head: "On the day I redeemed Qiu Hui, she found me and scolded me, saying that I wanted to take advantage of her kindness and that it was disgusting."
“I told her I don’t want her to repay my kindness, and I was planning to come to you. So the house in the capital that you gave me is useless. Besides, I will be with the young master in the future and will not lack money, so I might as well use it all to redeem her.”
"She beat the servant."
"Later, on the day I came to find you, she somehow came with me."
Lin Xiaocong: "Who wants to hear what you're saying? Get lost!"
"Young Master..."
"Pick an auspicious day, and I, this young master, will officiate your wedding."
Qiu Chan: "This servant wants to say, young master, your clothes are all soaked. You should take a bath to ward off the spring chill."
"Hmm, I'll take a bath myself in a bit."
"Get some rest. I have important business to give you tomorrow."
The cicadas then withdrew.
There was no one in the room, and Lin Xiaocong lowered his hand that was pinching his brow.
'Mingxu! You should reflect on this.'
Why did you do so much? Why is she clearly interested in you?
I'll leave anyway!
The voices he once couldn't listen to now seeped into his mind.
He despises uncontrolled waiting and scorns those who make silent sacrifices.
She was forcing him to become the kind of coward he despised.
Why should he change himself?
He won't!
*
The bathtub, which was steaming with heat, gradually became cold.
Spring rain nourishes the city silently.
Dawn is approaching.
Lin Xiaocong opened the door and came out of the room, still wearing the same outfit as yesterday.
He felt dizzy and unsteady, and dragged his heels to the entrance of the pharmacy. He took down the sign that read, "Those who strive to become green-headed turtles will have their entire family cursed," and replaced it with another sign.
People were already lined up outside the pharmacy waiting to have their pulses taken.
Seeing Lin Xiaocong come out, they all greeted him: "Good morning, Dr. Lin."
"Good morning~" Lin Xiaocong greeted everyone with a smile, "Line up in an orderly manner and open for clinic on time."
"Dr. Schelling."
Thanks echoed behind him as Lin Xiaocong dragged his heels and felt unsteady on his feet as he returned to the pharmacy.
At the entrance of the pharmacy, a group of people surrounded the newly hung signboard.
Someone asked, "What did you write?"
A literate person: "Two sentences."
"I shut myself in, ignoring the moon in the courtyard, and left the plum blossoms to their own devices."
"In quiet contemplation, reflect upon your own faults; in idle conversation, refrain from discussing the shortcomings of others."
The roughneck was puzzled: "What do you mean?"
"It means that a gentleman should respect the autonomy of others and reflect on himself rather than gossip about others."
*
Lin Xiaocong went to the kitchen door, dropped the sign in his hand, and ordered someone to send hot water to the room.
After washing up and getting ready, I opened the door to find it was already broad daylight.
As Qiu Chan, who was late to rise, tied her belt, she hurried to Lin Xiaocong's side.
He could tell at a glance that Lin Xiaocong was not in good condition: "Young Master, you are ill!!"
"Yes, it's a heart ailment, incurable." Lin Xiaocong pressed his temples and went to the dining room for a meal.
He couldn't hear a single word of the cicadas chirping in the autumn air.
After finishing his bland breakfast and taking his medicine, he went to the clinic to see patients.
He admitted defeat.
He feared that one day in the future, he would see disgust in her eyes.
I'd rather be exhausted from seeing doctors.
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