Chapter 185: Enemies Meet Again
To be honest, the moment Wang Lianhua finished speaking, Xiongmao'er was already prepared to take off running and stage a spectacular escape from the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. He hadn't yet made a name for himself, hadn't yet found love, and had so many things he hadn't accomplished, yet he was going to use the Red Sleeve Blade to escape here? Wang Lianhua had ruined him!
Even so, he would grit his teeth and not give up on this kid. The kid could just wait to go back and kowtow to him. That's what Panda thought.
However, things didn't escalate to the worst possible point, and Xiongmao'er didn't sense the sudden chill in the atmosphere. He stealthily glanced over and first saw Shen Lang holding his forehead, letting out a long sigh, looking somewhat helpless, while Zhu Qiqi glared at Wang Lianhua, trying to exude some murderous intent. There was no doubt that she would go after Wang Lianhua as soon as things were over.
As for the person Wang Lianhua "greeted," her expression remained unchanged. It was as if everything on her face was frozen, and her emotions were interrupted. Her love and hate were shallow, merely other people's self-inflicted troubles.
But that's not entirely true. There was another person watching Xie Huailing: Su Mengzhen. He knew Xie Huailing all too well; her success or failure both lay in this.
The silence didn't last long, not even long enough to be called "silence"; it seemed to be just a brief moment of reflection. Every silence Xie Huailing uttered was meaningful, so she always had something to say when she shouldn't have been silent. Xie Huailing was meant to be this kind of person, and she only accepted herself as this kind of person.
"Wang Lianhua, can you say something nice?" she replied.
Wang Lianhua chuckled as if he had heard something amusing. He cleared his throat and spoke again, his voice even clearer, repeating himself to maintain his malice: "You're not dead yet."
Xie Huailing was too lazy to scold him and said, "Childish."
Seeing that the two of them seemed really familiar with each other, and that they actually had a story together, Panda figured he had come to his senses and wanted to ask Zhu Qiqi, but Shen Lang grabbed his sleeve. The person grabbing his sleeve gave him a subtle wink, and then took Zhu Qiqi's hand with his other hand. Panda understood what Shen Lang meant and took a step or two away.
Seeing Xiongmao'er's actions, Shen Lang turned around, composed himself, and bid farewell to Xie Huailing and Su Mengzhen: "We still need to pack our luggage, so we won't take up any more of your time, Master Su and Miss Xie. We'll visit again next time."
After saying that, Shen Lang left with Xiongmao'er and Zhu Qiqi without lingering for a moment. Zhu Qiqi was unwilling and wanted to drag Wang Lianhua away as well, so that she wouldn't cause trouble for Xie Huailing. Shen Lang sighed and pulled her back, gently persuading her.
Su Mengzhen couldn't hear it, but he could guess that it was nothing more than "that's between them, and only they can resolve it." When Bai Feifei recounted the origin of the will, she also mentioned Wang Lianhua's existence. Although she didn't like her younger brother, it was too inappropriate to gloss over him. Su Mengzhen then realized that there must have been other stories unrelated to the main matter that had happened.
Therefore, Su Mengzhen also knew that, in principle, he should leave as well.
But he didn't move.
Seeing that most people had left, Xie Huailing spoke again, urging Wang Lianhua to leave: "Don't linger here, you should go too."
"Why should I leave? Why shouldn't you leave?" Wang Lianhua didn't even move, his smile gradually widening, his expression shifting. "I'm genuinely curious, how come none of the Six and a Half Halls or the Seven Saints Alliance of the Bewildering Heaven could kill you?"
"If you're really curious about the answer, you can try it yourself instead of letting others go first." Xie Huailing raised her eyes calmly.
This naturally wouldn't break through Wang Lianhua's thick skin. He gritted his teeth, as if swallowing back the words that were about to escape his lips, not wanting to let his hatred or resentment run too deep. The boy's nails scraped heavily against his palm as he continued, "Let me try it myself... Xie Huailing, do you really think everyone is like you?"
Xie Huailing, however, continued to look at him, seemingly unaffected by his words. Rather than persisting, she preferred to be direct and tell him, "If you have these thoughts, you don't have to come. It would be better for you to never see me again."
Wang Lianhua's expression finally changed.
Xie Huailing turned and left, leaving him behind like a withered flower. She didn't want to say anything more to him, leaving his face to show a thousand different expressions, which remained fixed.
He said to her, "Nobody wants to see you, and don't think anyone cares about you. Xie Huailing is just one of the few people in the world more despicable than you."
The person speaking did not turn around: "Whatever."
Her retreating figure was unwavering; in the lingering warmth of the summer sun, she vanished without a trace. The lush trees prevented anyone from following her, and she left no footprints behind. The ripples of Tianquan Pool subsided, the wind died down, yet the scenery shifted—all because of the whims of mortals.
Wang Lianhua felt incredibly heavy and incredibly thirsty. His body slid downwards, as if he were being engulfed by the gray smoke in the firelight, which covered his mouth and nose, suffocating him to death. Wang Lianhua could not stay any longer and turned to leave.
"Young Master Wang." He was called out.
Su Mengzhen did not follow Xie Huailing, even though he understood Xie Huailing's intentions, he still stood still.
Wang Lianhua stopped and turned back, forcing a fake smile. She knew in her heart that she had gotten herself into a lot of trouble, and there was no escaping it: "What is it, Master Su? If it is about Miss Xie, it would be better if you asked her. I have nothing to say."
“No,” Su Mengzhen said, “I won’t ask her about her from other people. I’ll wait for her to tell me.”
Hearing this, Wang Lianhua understood everything and looked at Su Mengzhen again. The young man's intentions were not merely superficial; illness could not easily sway his spirit, and his soul possessed a certain charm. No matter how deep Wang Lianhua's gaze was, the young man remained unmoved. He was a man who dared to admit his feelings; once he no longer hesitated to speak his mind, he would no longer conceal them. Everything Su Mengzhen desired in his life, no matter how difficult, he would fight for openly and honestly.
Su Mengzhen continued directly, "I only have one thing to say to Young Master Wang. This is the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. No matter what happened in the past, once you're here, you should only be polite to everyone in the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. Some harsh words shouldn't be said a second time."
"So there are such rules."
Wang Lianhua's smile remained, showing no sign of fading. He had nothing to fear; a sudden surge of anger compelled him to vent: "I'll take Su Louzhu's words and go ask her myself. It's quite a coincidence..."
Wang Lianhua deliberately paused before continuing, "If I had arrived in Bianjing two months earlier, I would still have to call Master Su my cousin, right?"
.
Shen Lang didn't go too far. After he left with Zhu Qiqi and Xiongmao'er, he used the excuse that he had other things to do and asked Zhu Qiqi to take Xiongmao'er to rest first. Xiongmao'er's stomach growled at just the right moment, and Zhu Qiqi had no choice but to take Xiongmao'er to find food, even though she was thinking about Xie Huailing's matter.
After the two of them walked away, Shen Lang returned the way he came. He waited on a path near Tianquan Pool, and just as he was about to run into Xie Huailing, he found her.
The debts that Xie Huailing had incurred earlier still need to be repaid, not to mention that Wang Lianhua is now indeed Shen Lang's friend, traveling the world with Shen Lang. He said apologetically, "Wang Lianhua's words are really too hurtful and inappropriate. He hasn't been in a good state lately either."
"It's alright, it's normal, just let him go." It would be strange if Wang Lianhua were to be so polite. Xie Huailing then asked, "Young Master Shen came to see me not just to talk about him, right?"
Shen Lang realized that Xie Huailing didn't want to delve deeper into the topic of Wang Lianhua, and his head suddenly throbbed even more. He recalled how his relationship with Zhu Qiqi had been a mess, and how Xie Huailing had given him pointers several times. Now that it was his turn to give Xie Huailing and Wang Lianhua pointers, he didn't even know where to begin. He could only grit his teeth and rack his brains to figure it out.
The cycle of fate is nothing more than this. Shen Lang could only think this way: "Indeed, it's more than that, but before we talk about the Marquis of Shen's mansion, even if Miss Xie doesn't want to hear it, I still have something to say."
He said, "What Wang Lianhua thinks and what he says are different. I can sense that he hasn't actually figured things out yet. His experience is not enough to support him in seeing things clearly. He has intelligence but only hurts himself."
Shen Lang's words weren't too subtle, and Xie Huailing understood. She shook her head, unmoved, her expression indifferent, a mix of emotions hard to describe: "If he wants to understand, only he himself can help him."
Shen Lang knew there was no point in saying anything more; it wouldn't make a difference. He changed his demeanor, appearing more energetic.
"Then let's talk about the Divine Marquis's Mansion." Shen Lang had been pondering this matter for several days. Although he wasn't in Bianjing, he could guess some things by chance. "Miss Xie has her own plans, so I won't ask any more questions. Let's just talk about Fu Zongshu's matter. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
Xie Huailing was waiting for this very sentence.
She had reviewed every step of the plan a thousand times in her mind. She looked into Shen Lang's eyes and said, "There is indeed something that I need Young Master Shen's help with, but it is not about Fu Zongshu. I would like to ask Young Master Shen to write a travelogue."
Shen Lang was not surprised. Instead of frowning, he raised his eyebrows first, as if he found it interesting: "Travelogue? I have never been to any good places. If you ask me to write a travelogue, I'm afraid I won't be able to write anything interesting."
Xie Huailing said, "This travelogue isn't meant to be interesting. To put it simply, I just want Young Master Shen to write about what he has seen and heard over the years, the most ordinary people's lives, and the situation and security at the border. That would be the best content."
In this matter, no one is more suitable than Shen Lang.
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