Chapter 138: Postscript
After looking back two or three times, Zhu Qiqi still couldn't resist. She carefully lifted her skirt, walked around the tables, chairs, and benches, and tried her best not to make any noise, before sneaking to Shen Lang's side.
"What's going on?" she said, leaning close to his ear and whispering so Shen Lang could hear her clearly, "Is he really alright?"
He shifted slightly to the side, revealing the boy standing outside the window gazing into the distance, allowing Shen Lang to see him clearly. The boy seemed like a white stone sculpture, frozen motionless by the window, his handsome features bathed in moonlight, serene and still. No matter how they looked at him or what they said, he only occasionally responded. Although he still smiled and spoke wittily when he turned back, there was something about him that Zhu Qiqi felt was extremely uneasy.
Ever since she and Shen Lang found this person near the sea of fire, she had had this vague feeling. She could actually guess what had happened to him. Shen Lang told her the truth about what he knew, and therefore she was somewhat worried about his condition.
As for worrying about his stance... his mother has already died at Xie Huailing's hands, and he himself has promised not to do anything more. Shen Lang has decided to take him on the journey with him, so what is there for her to worry about? Her worries may not even be of any use.
Since she became enlightened, Zhu Qiqi has given up on many complicated thoughts. Sometimes she thinks more, and sometimes she simply doesn't think at all. This is the smart way to live.
After hearing her words, Shen Lang didn't look at Wang Lianhua, but smiled bitterly. He touched the tip of his nose, lowered his voice even more, and almost only his mouth was moving: "This, I'm afraid you can only ask Miss Xie."
Zhu Qiqi frowned and said decisively, "Huai Ling? What does Huai Ling have to do with this? If Huai Ling doesn't kill Wang Yunmeng, does that mean Wang Yunmeng will let Huai Ling have his way?"
Dealing with these people is like playing with fire; one wrong move and Xie Huailing could be dragged into the abyss. Moreover, in Zhu Qiqi's view, Xie Huailing was still working under Su Mengzhen, an orphan who had to rely on her own methods to survive. Not to mention what Wang Yunmeng had done in the past, compared to her, Lei Sun was merely a product of hard work. Therefore, Zhu Qiqi didn't think Xie Huailing had done anything wrong in killing Wang Yunmeng.
Shen Lang knew this was true, but things in this world couldn't be judged by simple right and wrong. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't. He said, "It's not that simple. In short, in the future, when Wang Lianhua is around, try not to mention Miss Xie."
Zhu Qiqi's first reaction was to refuse, but after thinking about it again, she realized that it made sense. In the end, she would still have to travel with Wang Lianhua, and he was indeed a pitiful person. So she nodded and kept quiet.
Unfortunately, among the four people, there is always one who is completely clueless and doesn't understand anything.
With Zhu Qiqi in his eyes and a good rapport with Shen Lang, Xiongmao'er immediately asked for leave from the Beggars' Sect upon hearing that they were leaving. He then hummed a little tune as he pushed open the door, carrying a full load of food. He loudly announced, "I brought dinner! There's enough for everyone!"
Then he counted the people, including himself, and found there were only four in total. He was puzzled and said, "Isn't there a Miss Xie here? Where is she? Isn't she going to eat? She just finished such a big deal; how can she not eat?"
"You really know how to rub salt in the wound!" Zhu Qiqi thought to herself, feeling a sense of unease. She cried out in her heart like an anxious kitten, her eyes wide as she secretly glanced at Wang Lianhua. Seeing that he didn't react, she answered Xiongmao'er's question: "Huailing left. We couldn't find her. She probably went straight back to Bianjing."
"Just left?" Panda didn't know Xie Huailing well. He grew up in the streets and among the beggars' gang. He thought that Shen Lang and Zhu Qiqi had gone through life and death with Xie Huailing, so they must be sworn brothers. How could he leave without saying goodbye? It was too disrespectful. "Just left you here like that? How could you do this without saying a word!"
"Don't say that." Zhu Qiqi could no longer tolerate it. After all, she was a young lady from a respectable family and still maintained a certain level of decorum. "Huailing must have something on her mind. She... comes from a wealthy and powerful family, her brother is in poor health, and she has enemies who are plotting against her. So many people want to harm her family, not to mention that she has been away from home for so long. Something must have happened for her to rush back like this. If nothing had happened, Huailing would never do such a thing."
Seeing Zhu Qiqi's expression, Xiongmao'er realized he had said the wrong thing. In his panic, he wanted to slap himself, but Wang Lianhua beat him to it.
He turned around with a relaxed smile, but the moonlight was too cold, making it hard to tell whether he had truly understood his expression: "That's absolutely right. Miss Xie would never do such a thing. Miss Xie is the best person imaginable. It's all the fault of others. How could she have done anything wrong?"
Shen Lang, who was watching from the sidelines, felt an urge to sigh again. He thought of Xie Huailing, who had suddenly left. Was it the same feeling she had when she looked at him and Zhu Qiqi back then that he had when he looked at her and Wang Lianhua now?
He does indeed owe her an apology; it's just that fortunes change, and it's all his debt now.
However... Shen Lang also turned his head and looked in the direction of Bianjing.
He trusted Zhu Qiqi and knew a little about Xie Huailing. Unless something was wrong, she wouldn't have left so suddenly without saying goodbye, so quickly, without even leaving time to make any arrangements.
So what happened in Bianjing?
.
If we move the moon down a little further, the time will be one hour earlier.
Bai Feifei half-carried Xie Huailing, completely away from the flames-scorched courtyard. There was no longer any flying ash in the air, nor any oppressive heat, but Xie Huailing's condition did not improve much. Before her eyes was still a black and gray expanse, and everywhere she looked there was a patch of scorched shadow, as if the fire had burned into her eyes, leaving behind filth that could never be washed away.
Having worked non-stop for countless days and barely had a proper chance to see Xie Huailing, this second journey through the fire undoubtedly pushed her to her physical limit. Only her energy and spirit were holding her up; if she went any further, she would fall ill.
Bai Feifei saw her situation, but she knew that now was not the time to ask. Xie Huailing remained silent for a very long time, so long that she didn't know where to begin, and simply kept leading her forward.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the city gate, the majestic city wall had already taken shape, appearing as a dark, continuous expanse under the moonlight. Bai Feifei, as if having made up her mind, said to her, "Go and take him with you."
Xie Huailing was taken aback. She wanted to talk about those things, but the rift that stretched across her was like a collapsing mountain, leaving her speechless for a moment. Before she could speak, Bai Feifei said directly, "You don't hate him anymore."
She didn't know what had happened, but she could get the gist of it. So what if it was all convoluted and complicated? In the end, many things in this world are just a matter of pushing through. What she couldn't stand were these kinds of things that were just too painful to look at. Wasn't the best thing to just push through to the end, to have a good, painful experience, regardless of right or wrong?
“He wouldn’t kill you, would he? He couldn’t bring himself to do it,” Bai Feifei said.
She continued, "If you don't say anything, I'll do it. I'll tie him up for you. The Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion can afford to lock him up in a room. If Su Mengzhen is in charge of you, I'll pay for another room for you. Anyway, I'll count to three, one, two—"
...a heroine among women.
Regardless of her original thoughts, Xie Huailing couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions at this moment, moved by the touching sibling bond that disregarded her brother's life and death. Then there was Bai Feifei's suggestion. Did she still hate Wang Lianhua? She truly no longer hated him.
That's something she can't deny. He has undeniably become a part of her experience, and someone she will inevitably think about. So how does she view him?
To think, or to wait. Bai Feifei had already set her back on her feet, intending to go back and be a good, responsible older sister who would move the world.
But this spring has ended, and that's it, fate has arrived.
"Miss Xie!"
On the other side of the city, at the other end of the road, in the thick, inky night, the sound of hooves thundered, like a relentless gust of wind, or perhaps utterly exhausted, as if they had been traveling for an unknown length of time and carried some urgent matter. The rider, weathered by wind and rain, showed weariness in a fleeting glance, but upon closer inspection, anxiety was palpable.
Xie Huailing recognized him, and her eyelids twitched. Her relaxed thoughts tightened again for a moment. She noticed that the handsome man's appearance had also been worn down by days of travel: "Young Master Li?!"
Li Xunhuan jumped off the horse before it even stopped.
"Miss Xie!" he called out again, but this time it sounded more relieved, and he reached Xie Huailing in a few steps.
Not knowing what he wanted to say, Bai Feifei glanced at Xie Huailing again, and only after confirming that the newcomer meant no harm and that Xie Huailing showed no displeasure did she step back to make room for Li Xunhuan.
Xie Huailing had a bad feeling, but instead felt calmer. When she left Bianjing, she had already left a contingency plan in the building, and now that she saw Li Xunhuan, she understood most of the situation.
She said, "What happened? Did Miss Lin send Young Master Li?"
Li Xunhuan dared not say much, as if the situation was burning him with urgency. He had to take out the letter hidden in his clothes and hand it to Xie Huailing before he could breathe a sigh of relief and said, "My cousin asked me to give this letter to Miss Xie. I don't know what happened, but my cousin said it was extremely urgent, so I rushed over without a moment's rest."
He could vaguely guess that it was about the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion, and that if he wasn't careful, delivering the letter might drag him into it. But when Lin Shiyin looked at him like that, and tears fell, Li Xunhuan forgot all his worries and only wished he could give her his own heart.
Xie Huailing tore open the envelope. Inside were only two or three lines of text. The writer usually had beautiful handwriting in small regular script, but now, on the letter, her handwriting was almost a jumbled mess, which showed how flustered she was when she put pen to paper.
After quickly reading it, Xie Huailing closed the letter.
She only said one thing: "Go back to Bianjing."
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Back to Bianjing! Next up is Liufenbantang! [Go for it!]
Although Young Master Wang doesn't have many scenes left, he's progressing fast. Even though he hates Ms. Xie so much and doesn't want to be with her, he also doesn't want her to have someone else.
He will return once more, and it will be a pure attack, a pure battle. In a sense, he is now invincible.
Also... there should be a bonus chapter included, a short one about Bai Feifei forcing Ms. Xie to force Wang Lianhua.
Bai Feifei: What are you dawdling about?
Then there should be a side story about Ms. Xie and the young landlord. Well, normal side stories are divided into storylines, but bonus side stories are just something I write down as I think of them.
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