Chapter 199: A Rare True Friend
Su Mengzhen should have known that ever since Xie Huailing's repeated failures at fishing, she had developed a dislike for all fish in the world. She wouldn't forgive any fish until she caught one. Therefore, he wasn't too speechless. He simply asked how many were left, took the grilled fish, and arranged for someone to play cards with Xie Huailing and Lu Xiaofeng before Xie Huailing let him go.
Having completed his task, Xie Huailing shrugged at Lu Xiaofeng, raising an eyebrow as if to say with a hint of smugness, "How was it?"
Lu Xiaofeng was already used to it, but he felt a little emotional every time. Su Mengzhen's temper was really too good. After thinking about it, he felt that the credit was all due to Xie Huailing's ability to mold people. He replied to her, "We have such a person, but it will just be the two of us chatting."
But then again, it doesn't matter. Apart from those who are busy today, there aren't many people in the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion who know both Xie Huailing and Su Mengzhen. No matter who comes, they'll be mute; in the end, only the two of them can speak.
Having known Xie Huailing for over two years, Lu Xiaofeng had figured out how to play cards with her. It was purely a challenge; just as Xie Huailing persevered in fishing despite repeated defeats, Lu Xiaofeng persevered in playing cards with her. Through constant losses, his card skills reached a level where he could dominate the martial arts world. However, this did not change his fate, but only intensified his competitive spirit. He refused to believe that he would never be able to beat Xie Huailing.
But vows are vows, and as soon as he touched the cards, Lu Xiaofeng knew that this round was most likely a lost one. He frowned, his brows furrowing so deeply that he couldn't rub them open, and then slowly relaxed, perhaps accepting the defeat in the first round with equanimity, thinking that as long as he wasn't the one who lost, that would be fine.
They were casually playing cards, talking about other things, multitasking effortlessly. Lu Xiaofeng said, "I should stay with Hua Manlou for three or four days and then leave. I won't stay too long. Hua Manlou's family doesn't agree to him staying in Bianjing for an extended period."
“Three or four days…” Xie Huailing calculated in her mind, her expression seemed to relax a bit, with a hint of agreement, “Three or four days is just right. Staying too long might cause trouble. It’s normal that the Hua family doesn’t agree. After all, Hua Manlou is the youngest son of the Hua family head, and he’s blind. The sooner he leaves, the better.”
Lu Xiaofeng smiled and said, "Look at what you're saying. Do you mean that if Hua Manlou and I insist on staying, you'll kick us out? The prestigious Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion can't possibly have such a day again."
Xie Huailing snorted softly, the last syllable of her voice lingering in the air before dissipating: "No one will have this day, not even the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. It's just that the situation in Bianjing is like this; I'm afraid it will become fraught with danger in a few days. It wouldn't be good if something unexpected happened to you if you stayed."
Danger lurks everywhere. Lu Xiaofeng murmured these four words to himself.
To say he had no premonition would be a lie; in the past year or two of navigating the political landscape, he was actually the most perceptive person. From the perspective of public sentiment, the people were already indignant; their resentment had never ceased since the Fang La Rebellion. From the perspective of the government, since Cai Jing fell into a disadvantageous position two years ago, he had been locked in a bitter struggle with Grand Tutor Li in the court, with incessant factional infighting. The emperor, in particular, was utterly incompetent, focusing solely on controlling the officials, which was utterly useless. Under such circumstances, Bianjing was naturally the place that would be the first to bear the brunt of the storm; whatever was about to happen, Bianjing would be the first to be affected.
This couldn't be called a secret; Lu Xiaofeng knew, Hua Manlou knew, and many others in the martial arts world who could be considered intelligent knew as well. Since summer, fewer and fewer people had come to Bianjing. If Lu Xiaofeng hadn't already promised Xie Huailing that he would come to see her in the autumn, he would never have broken his promise, and even if he had been invited, he wouldn't have come.
So, despite the teasing, he knew that staying any longer would only cause trouble for all three of them.
Since the person accompanying him was trustworthy, Lu Xiaofeng didn't hide anything and said, "You really have to be careful. Some things... if they really happen, they will be completely different from the past. I understand the strength of the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. It's not that I don't trust you, but life is unpredictable. Some waves will come and you can't avoid them."
Hua Manlou could frankly express his worries, but Lu Xiaofeng's anxieties were always expressed with a restrained tone. He was not the kind of person who showed his deep thoughts; he was used to being a playboy and always expressed his feelings for his friends in jest. Only when things had to be serious could you hear him say these things, and by then, a torrential downpour was usually imminent.
He could be honest, but Xie Huailing could not. The things she had kept hidden in her heart were about to be spoken, told to the whole world, but she could not tell Lu Xiaofeng at this time. She could only act nonchalantly, even though she understood how the storm was brewing and how long she had been waiting for it, she still said: "I know everything, don't worry."
No one here likes to give repeated advice, so a thousand words are said once and then never mentioned again. Seeing that she seemed truly confident, Lu Xiaofeng was willing to believe her and not think about any worse possible outcome.
He tried to lighten the mood by talking about things in the martial arts world, and said with a smile, "Let's not talk about these things anymore. Let's talk about some interesting things. Have I told you about Huo Xiu scheming against me? Huo Xiu, who is only slightly less wealthy than 'Living God of Wealth', you should have heard that he is the owner of Qingyi Tower. But you probably don't know any other hidden details about this matter, or you are too lazy to find out."
Lu Xiaofeng then began to speak: "It's a mix of luck and bad luck. I only became friends with him this spring, and less than three months later I was tricked by him. That Shangguan Feiyan is too good at deceiving people. If Hua Manlou hadn't run into Shen Lang and his group who were passing by, he probably would have been deceived by her too."
Then Lu Xiaofeng recounted how Shangguan Feiyan bumped into Shen Lang and his group, only to have her disguise exposed on the spot by Wang Lianhua, describing Wang Lianhua as almost supernatural. He claimed that with some kind of drug, Shangguan Feiyan's face peeled off with a mere flick in front of her face, making the martial arts world's title of "Thousand-Faced Gentleman" quite fitting.
Lu Xiaofeng also talked about his final battle with Huo Tianqing and his confrontation with Huo Xiu. He didn't know why, but he suddenly wanted to say so much. It was as if there were many things he didn't usually have to say, but now he had to say them. It was as if if he didn't say a single word, he would never be able to say them again.
He couldn't explain what was wrong with him. Perhaps it was the oppression of Bianjing, or perhaps something else. Although it was a rare autumn where prosperity outweighed decay, it still tightly bound him. Perhaps what existed in this autumn was not the slow withering of things, but the instant blooming and instant death.
So what will it look like next year?
Lu Xiaofeng couldn't explain why he was thinking about this. Could it be that Huo Xiu's death had really dealt him such a heavy blow?
As he continued, Lu Xiaofeng began planning his itinerary for the next three or four days. He had already visited most of the good places in Bianjing, and this trip wasn't for the remaining ones, but rather to see Xie Huailing again. He figured he might as well ask Xie Huailing about his schedule before making any arrangements.
Xie Huailing did the math and conservatively gave his plan for two days, which meant two days of leisure.
The premonition that something was wrong grew stronger, and Lu Xiaofeng felt a pang of panic, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He asked her with a smile, "Aren't you supposed to be a very free person? How come you only have two days? Are you going to become a very busy person on the third day?"
"I have to work too," Xie Huailing said.
That was all they said, and the two finished another game of cards.
But Lu Xiaofeng had lost the will to continue. He had never felt such a strong urge to sigh; he was a man who rarely sighed, a man of great spirit. Many people were happy to befriend Lu Xiaofeng, to have him by their side, but Lu Xiaofeng moved and was happy simply because he was Lu Xiaofeng.
Therefore, this was a very unfamiliar sigh, a sigh he disliked intensely.
However, what could he do if he didn't sigh? There was no other way to express himself. Laughter couldn't solve everything, and he knew that everyone has moments of sadness.
Lu Xiaofeng slammed the newly drawn cards on the table and simply said he wouldn't play anymore. His face was devoid of any smile, like the tiles on the eaves at night, their original color obscured by a dim luster. Even though his expression wasn't unpleasant, it no longer suited a kind and gentle demeanor.
Xie Huailing then asked the person accompanying her to leave. She also put down her cards, and the two faced each other. She listened as Lu Xiaofeng remained silent for a while, then suddenly sighed.
“I understand now,” he said. “Nothing may happen in Bianjing, but you have to do something.”
Xie Huailing admitted, "I did have something to do." He had never intended to completely hide it from Lu Xiaofeng.
Lu Xiaofeng said, "Is this something that absolutely must be done?"
Xie Huailing said, "This is something that absolutely must be done."
Lu Xiaofeng asked, "Just how absolutely necessary is this matter?"
Xie Huailing said, "No one else but me will do this."
Lu Xiaofeng knew that further discussion would be pointless.
It was already dusk. Autumn days are short, and the clouds on the horizon were thick and heavy. The heavens seemed both withered and flourishing.
Like a leaf, a leaf will always fall to the ground, no matter how much people cherish it.
Things are like leaves. A person who truly wants to do something will never look back. If their heart is sincere in what they think, how can they turn back? If their heart is sincere in what they think, how can they hesitate?
Or perhaps, such a determination is wrapped up with so many things that even if one feels timid, it is a point where there is absolutely no turning back.
Lu Xiaofeng felt proud because such a determined person was his friend. No matter who she was or what kind of person she was, as long as she was willing to die for something that wasn't morally wrong, she was worthy of respect. Whether she succeeded or not was irrelevant; as long as she dared to do it, she was a hero far beyond the reach of ordinary people.
To be able to become friends with someone like that is too cliché to even call it a blessing. He suddenly wanted to tell her to everyone who didn't know her.
Lu Xiaofeng felt sad again because such a person was his friend.
He often stood beside his friends, happy that he was Lu Xiaofeng. This was the first time he had ever been happy about who Lu Xiaofeng was a friend of, but he would rather not have been.
But that's an aspiration, and a friend's aspirations should always be respected.
Moreover, once he considers someone to be his friend, she will always be his friend.
If eternity is so eternal, why fear life and death?
At least Xie Huailing would never be afraid of death.
Lu Xiaofeng didn't say a word. He looked at her intently.
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