Chapter 126: Born in Dead Water
Shen Lang is still Shen Lang after all. In just a day or two, he not only comforted Zhu Qiqi and persuaded Jin Wuwang, but also found out that Dugu Shang was outside the city. He even planned to go to the city himself. If he hadn't been worried about Zhu Qiqi (she would overthink if he didn't take her, but it wouldn't be appropriate to take her), he probably would have already set off.
Xie Huailing's return solved the problem; she sent Zhu Qiqi to the Beggars' Sect branch to check on the progress of the cooperation with the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. The urgent letter had already arrived, and the recipient was equivalent to a branch elder. Xie Huailing used this, along with hints like "Jin Buhuan is right there" and "His expression must be quite something," successfully igniting Zhu Qiqi's vengeful spirit. The girl snatched the bill, her eyes darting around, and declared she would take care of it herself, going to the Beggars' Sect branch to check.
Everyone knew she was there to torment Jin Buhuan, but they let her be. To prevent Jin Buhuan from using any underhanded tactics, Xie Huailing even assigned her several bodyguards. No one cared about Jin Buhuan's life or death; they only hoped Zhu Qiqi would have her fill of fun and become so engrossed in the matter that she wouldn't think of anything else for a while.
After appeasing Zhu Qiqi, Xie Huailing discussed the details of the plan with Shen Lang, informing him about the people from Bianjing and hoping he could find some clues. Shen Lang promised to do his best and that he would not leave empty-handed if given the chance.
Then, Shaman had a whole host of things waiting for her. There was no way she could catch up on sleep. Xie Huailing's continuous working hours, including short breaks, had reached a terrifying twelve hours, almost matching Su Mengzhen's non-stop work schedule. If she worked again tonight, she would be on par with Su Mengzhen, and she would definitely use this as an excuse to ask Su Mengzhen for something.
Just then, Su Mengzhen's reply arrived, and when she wrote her next letter, she simply added a line.
Speaking of this letter, it was no different from a reading comprehension exercise. Did he get scolded? No, but it would have been better if he had. Su Mengzhen's letter concisely listed Xie Huailing's birthday, which he had prepared beforehand, followed by a lengthy list of the dowry he had prepared for her. Only at the end did he mention, in a brief sentence, that some things would be discussed when she returned to Bianjing, revealing his disapproval and conveying Xie Huailing's situation of being interrogated by her superiors upon her return to Bianjing.
Unfortunately, Xie Huailing wasn't afraid at all. She continued reading, and Su Mengzhen had also written about the movements of the Six and a Half Hall. Lei Sun was deliberately probing her marriage plans, moving around extremely aggressively, fearing that Su Mengzhen might snag a good match. Su Mengzhen's countermeasure was exactly as Xie Huailing had envisioned: she released the love story she had written for herself, concealing Wang Lianhua's name to protect her reputation.
Then, the unprecedented enthusiasm of the Six and a Half Hall was met.
It's hard to say whether it was because Lei Sun simply didn't believe it, or because there was another person's name involved. Xie Huailing didn't care about that part and skipped over it.
The rest of the letter consisted of casual conversation, inquiries about her recent situation, and expressions of joy at her reunion with Bai Feifei. This section was present in every letter he wrote, short, only a line or two, but never absent. She would occasionally reply depending on her mood, writing a little about anything interesting that had happened. However, her mood was clearly not very good right now, so she skipped this part in her reply, simply stating that everything was fine, and nothing more.
As she put down her pen, evening had fallen, and Xie Huailing's drowsiness had piled high in her mind. She already had her own Golden Breeze and Drizzle Pavilion, built on her already insufficient energy. It had nothing to do with the turmoil in the city; all it wanted was peace and quiet, a moment of quiet darkness. Even if the sun would rise as usual the next day, the night should hang under the bright moon.
That's what Xie Huailing thought, but after closing his eyes on the table, he opened them again less than a quarter of an hour later.
Bai Feifei had made her movements very quiet when she returned, but unexpectedly Xie Huailing was still awake. She walked over in small steps and saw that Xie Huailing's soul was still in her body. Her gaze was fixed blankly in her eyes, and nothing could enter her eyes, nor was there any shimmering light.
Bai Feifei wouldn't ask her why she wasn't asleep yet; that would be pointless. Xie Huailing would run off on her own when she could rest. This could only mean that she still had unfinished business and things that couldn't be delayed.
Xie Huailing propped her chin up and asked, "How's things going with Situ Bian?"
“We’ve received almost no news. The people watching the dilapidated temple say they can confirm Wang Lianhua is inside, but that’s all,” Bai Feifei said. “Should we do anything about it?”
Xie Huailing remained silent, lowered her head, and poked her cheek with her fingers to perk herself up, so her drowsiness was no longer noticeable, since she usually looked listless anyway.
.
A night when the moon is obscured by drifting clouds.
The stars were sparse, leaving only two or three scattered.
The swaying, dilapidated night crashed into the even more ruined temple in this setting. The moonlight, piling up against the wind-swept walls through the windows, was also sparse and scattered, impossible to pick up.
The people inside the temple should have been locked in the woodshed, but fortunately the door to the woodshed was broken. It was better to leave them in the temple so that he could at least see some things clearly. Wang Lianhua was pressed against the wall, half of his face was in the darkness, so his expression was not clear. He seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, showing no good intentions.
He knew perfectly well. He knew that at this time, someone should be able to get him out of the water. Xie Huailing would guarantee his safety. No matter how much she disliked him, her rationality would make her ensure that she would return unscathed. Therefore, he understood exactly what was going on during this night of silence.
Wang Yunmeng is right. He will indeed understand on his own, and he will only understand what his mother said or did. It is because something more important than him has come up that his mother has put him aside, which is why he remains in a state of stagnation.
His heart was also lifeless, born in stagnant water.
Could there ever be a more unbearable moment? Wang Lianhua felt a blind hatred. He hated everyone who saw him in women's clothing today, hated Situ Shang who had attacked him, hated Chai Yuguan who was the culprit, hated Xie Huailing who had humiliated him—he would repay her for all of this sooner or later.
But he did not hate Wang Yunmeng, the mother who gave birth to him and raised him, the mother who kept him here.
Even though she is stagnant water itself.
Hatred is also emptiness, but the end of hatred is not a dead end. Wang Lianhua did not want to be pitiful, so he did not choose to be powerless. He forced a smile and waited for the poison to take effect.
He had taken poison before he arrived, timing it precisely so he wouldn't be too weak to take it. At the time, he thought it was Wang Yunmeng's love. He had heard ordinary people say that children are a piece of flesh that falls from their parents' bodies, so how could they not feel heartache? But he forgot how many injuries Wang Yunmeng had suffered, how much flesh she had lost, and how much blood she had shed. He was a piece that Chai Yuguan had cut off.
Wang Lianhua waited. Even if it was excruciating, the pain would subside after this phase, and he would be able to find a way to leave. There was nothing he couldn't solve; of course, he could do it.
Then he thought of Xie Huailing's face again, and thought, "She'll just have to wait and see."
Cold sweat dripped down his face, the pain was excruciating. Wang Lianhua buried his face in the dry grass, suddenly feeling a throbbing pain all over his body. He felt as if he were being squeezed, or as if he were being ripped apart. But it didn't matter, it would pass.
As the pain intensified, his strength returned somewhat, and without hesitation, he twisted his wrist, bending it in a bizarre arc, and broke free of the ropes. This was only the beginning; the pain would continue for a long time. Wang Lianhua was still listening for sounds, while Situ Bian was in the courtyard, brewing his candy. He listened to Situ Bian's barely audible movements, and with each passing moment of pain, his heart clenched tighter.
Suddenly, several loud shouts rang out in unison, like the angry shouts of several middle-aged men, finally stopping with a "Stop!" Wang Lianhua tried to hear what was happening, but even closer footsteps stopped at the temple entrance, just halfway through the wooden door.
"...Thank you so much, officers. My sister must be inside. I'll go check on her."
“Young lady, what are you saying? Catching criminals is our job. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have known that this old woman was a human trafficker. You should go inside and check on your sister. I just took a look, and the situation doesn’t look good. Let’s go after her first.”
"Okay, I'll go right away."
Then a series of footsteps faded into the distance, with only one foot stopping outside the wooden door. Then a set of men's clothes was thrown in and placed in front of him.
"You don't need my help, do you?"
Xie Huailing.
Wang Lianhua clenched his fists. It felt as if he had been dragged into the night lake, but after a moment, his clothes were pulled away.
The intermittent sounds of dressing were accompanied by the chirping of cicadas in the night. The two people inside and outside the door remained silent. The moon, obscured by dark clouds, still showed no sign of appearing; it was like a blob of ink, its location unclear.
It was very quiet. Xie Huailing waited for a long time until it was so quiet that she couldn't hear anything inside. She pushed open the door and went in. Bai Feifei went to chase after Situ Shang to see if she could find anything else. Now her guards were guarding the courtyard. Because of the government's matter, Situ Bian, who couldn't make a big fuss now, would definitely abandon this dilapidated temple. So it was safe here, at least for the time being.
She should find a place to sit down; she hasn't slept in too long.
She didn't really look at Wang Lianhua's appearance. She hadn't come here for him. She had many concerns in her mind. She just felt that she couldn't really let Wang Lianhua fight poison with poison and handle it herself, as Wang Yunmeng had suggested. That would alert the enemy, and Chai Yuguan would definitely be on guard. Not only was the risk of something unexpected going on too great, but she also appeared here, occupied Wang Lianhua's haystack, spread out a handkerchief, and sat down against the wall.
Wang Lianhua, who was in so much pain that he couldn't even faint, saw that the only place where he could find some comfort had been taken away. He opened his mouth, as if to say something.
Xie Huailing spoke before he could: "If you dare to say 'Why should I come to save me,' I'll come and stab you right now."
Wang Lianhua remained silent. Xie Huailing kept her eyes closed; she couldn't sleep here, as this would make her a little more comfortable. A stinging sensation filled her eyes, and she felt as if she would faint at any moment. The surroundings were so quiet, a languid spring night.
She heard a faint, rustling sound again, but ignored it. Even as the sound drew closer, she didn't open her eyes. Then, the source of the sound melted onto her lap; unwilling to let her take the haystack, he tried to find a way to make himself more comfortable.
Xie Huailing then moved and pushed Wang Lianhua's head, saying, "Aren't you annoying?"
Wang Lianhua noticed the dark circles under her eyes. She was usually listless and looked like she hadn't slept well, but now she was completely different. She looked exactly like the Guanyin statue a few steps away, and it just so happened that she was also here with her eyes closed, embracing something he couldn't describe.
He couldn't describe the excruciating pain; there's no room for embellishment in excruciating pain. He had been pierced through; he possessed only the most direct eyes, and what he saw, he thought of.
But he seemed to find a different kind of fun in it, and refused to get down, saying, "It seems you don't look that good either."
Xie Huailing then changed her tone: "Aren't you shameless?"
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