Chapter 31: This Hatred Will Never End (5) It turns out she wanted him dead. …
She quickly hid the note under her pillow, walked steadily around the screen, and went out to greet him: "Why are you in such a hurry, my lord? Is there something serious?"
Seeing that she looked confused, Lu Guanque pulled her hand, walked back to the inner room, and placed the things on the kang table.
In a moment, he held her on his lap. Meng Xuanli was so upset when she saw those things that she squeezed out two tears and said pitifully, "My wrist hurts so much..."
Lu Guanque narrowed his eyes, stroked her chin with one hand, and said softly, "What good things did Ah Li ask someone to buy? Hmm?"
Meng Xuanli's heart twitched, almost falling, as if he could see through everything she did. She froze for a moment, then said blankly, "The medicine I usually take is too bitter, so I asked Anxiang to buy some rose shortbread..."
"Everything?" Lu Guanque handed her everything on the table and stared at her hands. "Open it, let me see."
Meng Xuanli did as he was told. After a moment, she frowned and looked at him: "This doesn't taste very good."
As she spoke, she sighed, "I've never been out of the house, so I don't know which store has the best rose shortbread. So I asked Anxiang to look at a few more. Who knew she'd buy so many?"
"So that's how it is. I thought..."
Lu Guanque paused, Meng Xuanli blinked, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just thought too much." Lu Guanque put his arm around her waist, leaned back, and motioned for her to feed him. "I want to try it too, to see how bad it tastes."
Meng Xuanli broke off a little and put it to his lips. Lu Guanque took a light bite. Seeing that she blushed and didn't say anything, he immediately kissed her fingertips.
Meng Xuanli shrank back suddenly, and said in a daze: "What are you doing..."
Lu Guanque was in a good mood. He put the things in her hand aside, put his hand against her forehead, and whispered, "If you want to buy something or eat something in the future, just tell me and I will buy it for you."
If she had said this in the past, Meng Xuanli would have really thought that he was being nice to her, but now, she knew clearly that Lu Guanque was always on guard against her, and even when she had "lost her memory", he still refused to let her go.
Meng Xuanli frowned slightly and nodded: "I'm a little thirsty." As she said that, she stretched out her hand to reach for the teacup.
Lu Guanque tried to stop them, and the teacup fell, spilling all over them. Meng Xuanli bit her lip. "You're acting strangely today. I sent someone to buy some pastries, and you kept asking me questions. I wanted to drink some tea, but you wouldn't let me..."
"Are you angry?" Lu Guanque let go of her, ripped off her coat, and threw it on the ground. "I'll change your clothes."
Before she could react, Meng Xuanli was carried to the bed by him. She closed her eyes, her mind full of the note under the pillow. If Lu Guanque found out, she would not be able to explain herself even if she opened her mouth.
Meng Xuanli gritted his teeth, made up his mind, wrapped his legs around his waist, and put his arms around his neck.
During the whole process, she didn't look up at him. Now that she met his eyes, she was a little scared. It turned out that he had been staring at her.
Meng Xuanli's throat was choked, but he still said bravely: "This inner one needs to be changed too..."
Lu Guanque suddenly smiled and said in a low voice, "I never thought that Ali would be so proactive..."
"Really..." Meng Xuanli's heart settled down a little, she raised her face and kissed his lips, "Does this count?"
"It's not enough."
#
The next day.
Meng Xuanli woke up in bed and saw that Lu Guanque was not there. She sat up and looked outside. Seeing no movement, she carefully took out the note from under her pillow.
It said: Green Cloud has arrived in the Eastern Capital and can be seen in seven days.
Meng Xuanli narrowed his eyes. Lu Yun was Wei Yuan's person. She came to Dongdu at this time. Then... Wei Yuan must have known about the fire in Puyuan and sent Lu Yun to "rescue" him?
Meng Xuanli quickly got up and burned the note. After a moment, he lay on the bed, still feeling that this matter was too strange.
But now there are not many people she can contact outside. Instead of looking for new people herself, she might as well go and meet Luyun.
It didn't mention a place, only seven days later. Meng Xuanli thought about it and realized that seven days later seemed to be the day when the He family would hold a wedding banquet. Could it be that Lu Yun would appear at that wedding banquet?
Just as he was thinking, someone knocked on the door. Meng Xuanli straightened up and said lazily, "Come in."
Anxiang, holding the teacup, walked around the screen and whispered, "I have found the contraceptive medicine according to the Crown Princess's instructions. However, the woman who prescribed it said that if taken for a long time, it might..."
"I know."
Meng Xuanli lifted the curtain, opened the lid of the teapot, looked at the dark brown medicine, and drank it all in one gulp.
After a moment, she frowned and said, "Next time, remember to bring some candied fruit."
"I understand." Anxiang took the teacup and placed it on the table beside her.
Meng Xuanli sat on the edge of the bed and said calmly, "You did a good job. You hid it from him and got the medicine successfully. From now on... just use the teacup to hold the medicine."
"Next, there is one more thing I need you to do for me."
"Princess, please feel free to speak."
"Seven days from now, the He family will hold a wedding banquet. Find out privately which families will be attending." Meng Xuanli thought for a moment and then said, "Remember, don't let anyone see anything."
"I know."
"You go down first."
Meng Xuanli took a deep breath and lay back on the bed, feeling depressed and unable to find a way out.
#
Seven days later, the He family would hold their wedding. Mrs. He only had one biological son, the Second Young Master, so she had invited many high-ranking officials to the wedding.
After Meng Xuanli and Lu Guanque arrived at the He family residence, the ceremonial officer led them to meet Lord He and Madam He. Before they even entered the hall, Madam He approached and asked with concern, "It's been a while since I last saw you, my Lord. How have you been lately?"
They were both stunned for a moment, and Lu Guanque smiled and said, "Thank you Madam He for your concern. I am fine."
After saying this, Madam He walked over to Meng Xuanli again, held her hand, and said with a smile, "I heard that the Crown Prince's wife likes to appreciate flowers. I have planted many in my backyard. After the ceremony, why don't you go and have a look with the Crown Prince?"
"ah?"
Meng Xuanli frowned, suddenly remembering that Madam He's surname was Wei. She immediately understood the reason and said gently, "Thank you for the reminder, Madam. We will definitely go and see it after the ceremony."
Lu Guanque said nothing and smiled faintly.
After the banquet, the two of them came to the He family's back garden. Suddenly, a servant jumped out and said respectfully, "My lord, are you well? My master He specially invites you to have a drink."
Lu Guanque was about to refuse when he heard the servant say, "If the prince refuses to go, my second son said he would come to find you with some wine."
Lu Guanque chuckled softly, tilted his head and whispered, "Mr. He and I were classmates. He's getting married today, and I can't refuse. Please wait for me in the garden for a while, I'll be back soon."
Meng Xuanli said "hmm": "It's just a glass of wine. I'll wait for you."
After a while, Lu Guanque left, and Meng Xuanli sat in the pavilion, quietly waiting for Lu Yun to appear.
"Miss Meng." Lu Yun was dressed in gorgeous clothes, completely different from what she had seen at first. "I am fine."
Meng Xuanli asked in a low voice, "What does your Lordship want you to do by asking you to come to me?"
"Our Lord had his leg broken by the Crown Prince." Lu Yun poured herself a cup of tea and replied, "Does the Crown Prince's wife know?"
"What?!" Meng Xuanli stood up quickly, thought for a moment, and his palms sweated. "He...he actually dared..."
"Princess, please sit down first." Lu Yun handed her the tea and said gently, "Our Marquis knows that you have feelings for the Crown Prince, and he also knows that you are the most soft-hearted, so he sent me here to make a deal with you."
"What deal?" The aroma of tea filled his nose, and Meng Xuanli took a sip.
"The Marquis can help the Crown Prince's Consort leave the Duke's Mansion smoothly and without any problems." Lu Yun took a sip and seemed a little depressed. "But the prerequisite is that the Crown Prince must die."
"Must die?" Meng Xuanli raised his eyebrows slightly, a little unconvinced. "Can you kill him?"
Lu Yun turned his head, looked at her, and smiled: "This time I came to Dongdu, not only me, but also other secret guards of the Marquis' Mansion. Killing the prince is enough."
"But..." Lu Yun deliberately kept the secret.
"Just what?"
Lu Yun drank it in one gulp and said quietly, "However, the Crown Prince's wife needs to personally lead the Crown Prince to the back mountain of Changsheng Temple."
"Whether the Crown Princess wants to leave or stay is entirely up to you. We will lie in ambush at Changsheng Temple for five days. If the Crown Princess doesn't arrive within five days, we will return to Jiangnan."
Meng Xuanli didn't say anything. For some reason, she suddenly thought of all the lies Lu Guanque had told her over the past month. He had said that he and she depended on each other for survival, that they had loved each other deeply in the past, and that he had even mentioned having a child in the future.
At the time, she knew he was lying and didn't take it seriously at all. But now thinking about it, it seems she had deceived him a lot.
But no matter what, she should go, she should leave him. After all, his nature will never change, and he is the best at disguising himself.
After a long while, Meng Xuanli came back to his senses and said in a daze: "I know."
"The message has been delivered. Lu Yun will take his leave first."
Meng Xuanli sat on a stone bench, propping up his chin, looking at the flowers blooming in the distance, motionless. It was already evening when he realized that Lu Guanque had appeared.
His face flushed, and Meng Xuanli's eyelashes fluttered. She supported him and whispered, "You're drunk."
"I'm not drunk." Lu Guanque put his arm around her waist and panted in her ear, "If I were drunk, I wouldn't be able to find you."
"Yeah." Meng Xuanli held him and tried to look up at the hazy sunset glow. After a while, he said, "Let's go back."
#
It was a damp night, a misty spring rain falling on people like an invisible net. Meng Xuanli's answer to that day's question remained in his throat, and he didn't utter a single word.
In the past few days, she was preparing clothes, money, medicine, and maps for her departure, while continuing to take contraceptive pills, but her heart was stuck in the past.
At that time, she was full of love for him. Even if he didn't believe it, in her heart, they had feelings for each other.
She lay on the bed, the curtains fluttering in the wind, a faint fragrance wafting in the air, and Meng Xuanli slowly closed her eyes.
When Lu Guanque came in, he didn't hear any movement, but quietly extinguished the candle, took off his outer robe, and moved closer to her slender back.
Meng Xuanli was surrounded by warmth from behind, and the corners of his eyes were a little moist. He said in a muffled voice: "Why didn't you say anything when you came in?"
"I thought you were asleep, so I didn't dare disturb you."
Lu Guanque's voice was so gentle that Meng Xuanli thought she had seen the Lu Guanque of the past again.
She took his arm away, slowly turned around, and leaned against his chest, listening to his heartbeat: "I've been dreaming of bloody scenes these past two days. After waking up, my heart aches."
Lu Guanque stroked her hair gently and comforted her, "Maybe you're tired, that's why you had so many nightmares."
Meng Xuanli's nose was filled with his scent. "Are you free tomorrow? Come with me to the Changsheng Temple. Maybe it will feel better."
"Okay." Lu Guanque leaned towards her waist and whispered, "I'll take a leave tomorrow and go with you."
Meng Xuanli's throat felt thick and he closed his eyes.
Lu Guanque was slightly stunned, lowered his eyes, and looked down for her lips, sliding in inch by inch.
Meng Xuanli opened his eyes, the sound of water was sticky, and he gently pushed him: "Too slow."
Lu Guanque's eyes flashed with surprise, but he quickly returned to normal. He pressed her down on the bed and kissed the tip of her nose: "Close your eyes."
Meng Xuanli involuntarily bent his body and raised it up, as if the vague figure formed a mountain.
In her memory, even more beautiful than the mountains were the springs flowing within them. In winter, the springs sparkled in the sunlight, until spring came, flowers bloomed, and the wind picked up. The springs melted quietly, disappearing into the mountains, heralding the arrival of spring.
In the spring, Meng Xuanli often sweated profusely, her face bright and radiant. She climbed and scrambled up and down the mountain until she reached the top. She looked into his eyes, and vaguely, she seemed to see Lu Guanque of the past.
Lu Guanque leaned forward, his earlobes flushed, and said gently and confusedly: "Hmm..."
After an unknown amount of time, the two of them completely embraced each other, their bodies relaxed, like "kapok" and "oak".
#
The next day was a sunny day.
Instead of going inside the temple, they went straight to the mountain behind Changsheng Temple. On the mountain path, a young Taoist priest spotted them and hurried down to greet them: "Glad to see you two again! We are truly destined to meet."
Meng Xuanli hesitated for a moment, and Lu Guanque glanced at him and said coldly, "It's not fate."
It turned out to be the little Taoist priest who bumped into Meng Xuanli last time.
The young Taoist pursed his lips and asked, "Today I met you, tomorrow I met him. People come and go, all just passers-by. But we've met twice. Isn't this fate?"
Lu Guanque didn't bother to pay attention and simply took Meng Xuanli's hand and walked towards the top of the mountain. She slowed down her pace and asked vaguely, "What do you think fate is?"
Lu Guanque didn't expect her to care about these things. After thinking for a moment, he said solemnly: "Fate means that I met you, loved you, married you, and protected you."
Meng Xuanli's heart skipped a beat. He knew it wasn't the case, but he still asked, "Am I the only one?"
"Yeah." Lu Guanque sighed, "Only you."
When the two reached the top of the mountain, Meng Xuanli looked around and saw nothing. When the wind blew and the grass and trees swayed, she understood.
If he took another step, Green Cloud's men would shoot him immediately.
She could leave the Duke's Mansion and leave him completely.
But she couldn't understand why he did those things to the people around her, deliberately hurting them and causing them great pain, when he obviously loved her so much.
Meng Xuanli stood still, staring at his back, his eyes filled with a complex mixture of grief and sorrow.
Suddenly, the sound of a sharp arrow came from the sky.
"Lu Guanque!"
Meng Xuanli suddenly grabbed his sleeve and pulled it back. The arrow brushed past his shoulder and with a clang, it was nailed to the pavilion pillar.
The pearl hairpin trembled, Meng Xuanli was protected in his arms, and his cold and trembling breath filled her whole body.
The guards hurriedly walked up the stone steps, formed a square formation, and were about to shoot in all directions.
"No..." Meng Xuanli's eyes widened, his heart pounding, and he hurriedly stopped her, "I don't want to see blood..."
Lu Guanque narrowed his eyes and stared at Meng Xuanli's face. It was so pale, so frightened, and yet so familiar...
This is her who hates him.
This is her without amnesia.
It turns out she wanted him to die!
Lu Guanque tightened his grip around her arms, picked her up, and said in a cold voice, "Kill them all! Leave no one alive!"
Meng Xuanli grabbed his collar and threatened sharply, "If you kill them, I will die in front of you!" She struggled in his arms, trying to roll onto the stone steps regardless of her life.
The veins on Lu Guanque's forehead bulged. He couldn't hold her, just like he couldn't hold her. She was willing to die for others, and she was also willing to let him die in order to leave.
But why did she regret it just now?
Just as she was about to speak, Meng Xuanli suddenly broke free from his embrace and tumbled down the stone steps. The hairpins and rings on the steps were scattered like shattered moons, and the sunset glow shone on her body, a sad and beautiful sight.
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The author has something to say: I wrote several versions of this chapter, but I stuck with the first version because, as my good friend told me, "If it's bloody, I won't write about dogs, I'll just write about bloody things."
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