Chapter 41: Charging Power... "She is mine, I can do whatever I want...
A chill ran up her spine and up to her head. Su Qinxue knew the man was serious. She said in a trembling voice, "You dare touch me?! I'm going to report you to the Imperial Concubine! I'm going to report you to the Emperor!"
"How dare you do this to me? Do you know what's in my stomach..." He was halfway through his words when he saw the servants and Lu Fei'er and others blocked by Chen Yue, and he changed his words: "Let me go!"
Lin Meizhu was completely unmoved. She grabbed Su Qinxue's clothes with one hand and dragged her to the beauty's side. The latter cried and reached out to scratch, when she suddenly heard a shout from the shore: "Let go!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he arrived at the flower pavilion.
Su Qinxue felt the strength in her body suddenly loosen. She fell back on the chair, still in shock and shaking. Seeing Shen Changfeng coming to her, tears welled up in her eyes: "Changfeng..."
Shen Changfeng stopped Lin Meizhu as she hurried out and asked, "How are you? Are you okay?"
Su Qinxue then realized that he was asking her to let go. She found it unbelievable and her eyes widened.
Lin Meizhu muttered something, her expression dazed. She subconsciously pushed the person away and rushed out. Shen Changfeng was led several steps by her, and he put his arm around her waist to steady her.
He tucked the few strands of hair that had fallen from her temples and held her cheek with his hand. He leaned over and looked into her eyes. "What's wrong? Tell me what's wrong?"
Lin Meizhu gradually heard the voice in her ear, her eyes gradually focused on Shen Changfeng's face, and said: "Hairpin, my hairpin, the hairpin is gone."
Shen Changfeng watched as her eyes crimsoned, as she repeated the same phrase like a maniac, oblivious to the digging of her nails into her palms. He felt a pang of heartache. He asked gently, "Why is the hairpin gone?" He reached out and wrapped his hand around her fist, gently stroking it with his fingertips until he felt her grip loosen, then he closed his grip again.
"Fell into the water."
"I'll help you find it." Shen Changfeng held her, patted her shoulders, and whispered in her ear, "I'll help you find it."
Lin Meizhu shook her head and pushed him away vigorously, "No, I want to go find it. I can find it myself."
Shen Changfeng took her by the hand and said, "How long will it take you to find it by yourself? Look, your brothers and sisters are crying with fear. Take them back quickly. I'll call someone to help you find it."
Perhaps it was because Shen Changfeng's tone inexplicably had the power to soothe, perhaps it was because Lin Qiwu's face was red from tears, or perhaps it was because she saw Lu Feier's worried look, the madness on Lin Meiju's face gradually subsided.
Lin Meizhu asked: "Really? Will you help me find it?"
Shen Changfeng replied: "Really, I will definitely help you find it back."
He winked at Lu Fei'er and Lin You'an, who immediately understood and stepped forward to lead the dazed Lin Meizhu away. They had already spotted the guards lined up on the other side of the river. If they were right, they were followed by the Emperor and Imperial Concubine Xue. Although the Su sisters had been the first to cause trouble, it was Lin Meizhu who had initiated the conflict. Imperial Concubine Xue had always favored Su Qinxue, and the Prince of Changping was deeply favored by the Emperor. If anything, Lin Meizhu would definitely be the one suffering.
Su Yuwan had just emerged from the lake, her teeth chattering from the cold. Breathing out white air, she cursed, "No, I can't leave! I won't do this. Forget it!"
Shen Changfeng turned to ask Qingsong, "How did Miss Su fall into the water?"
Qingsong shouted, "I accidentally fell into the water while chasing butterflies!"
Su Yuwan was so angry that she was smoking. "Where did these butterflies come from in October?! I'm going to chop you up and use you as firewood!"
Qingsong said shamelessly: "I'm chasing it just because it's rare..."
Shen Changfeng looked at Chen Yue again, "You say."
Chen Yue replied: "Qingsong is right."
Su Qinxue's voice was heavily nasal: "You are so partial to her!"
Shen Changfeng said as a matter of course: "She is mine, I can be partial to her however I want."
Su Qinxue was deeply troubled. She was undoubtedly heartbroken that Qin Yan was gone, but for some reason, watching Shen Changfeng running around for her, she felt a quiet sense of relief amidst her grief. Fortunately, Qin Yan was dead; everything was still possible. For example, Shen Changfeng and her.
One night before she set off for Beijing, she listened to the sounds of families celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival, and thought of Qin Yan being all alone. She couldn't help but burst into tears and drank a few glasses of rice wine. Later, Shen Changfeng sent her back to her room.
Recalling that ridiculous night, she felt ashamed, yet couldn't help but feel sweet. She felt that he still had feelings for her, but after returning to Beijing, he cut off contact, and her letters to him were like a stone thrown into the sea, with no response.
She thought he was patiently waiting because he felt guilty towards Qin Yan, but she had made a fool of herself today, and not only did he not stand up for her, but he also implied that she had brought this upon herself. Seeing him openly showing his preference for another woman, Su Qinxue felt her heart break. She felt resentful and resentful, forgetting her purpose for the moment and angrily saying, "I'm telling you! I won't let this go today! I'll report this to the Emperor and the Imperial Concubine..."
Shen Changfeng interrupted her directly: "Then listen carefully, you can complain to the higher authorities, but no matter what happens, I will cover for her."
After a moment of silence, Su Qinxue's eyes rolled down with tears, and she choked and said, "Chen Changfeng, how could you do this to me!"
"I've already told you clearly enough."
"Have you forgotten the promise you made to me?!"
A promise? What promise? Su Qinxue had come to him once before their wedding, saying he'd promised to marry her, and that if he agreed, she'd break off the engagement. Shen Changfeng racked his brains but couldn't recall when he'd said such a foolish thing. The only possibility was that when Shen Zhongda took him to a banquet as a child, he'd forgotten to bring him back home. He was afraid his parents had abandoned him, so he played the good boy and did whatever they said. But he was only five or six at the time. How could he take it seriously?
After all, he was the one who harmed himself, so Shen Changfeng could only accept it.
"It's just a joke from youth, don't take it seriously." Shen Changfeng changed the subject, his tone as cold as a knife, every word piercing the heart, "In the past, I didn't bother with you for Zeyuan's sake, but if something like this happens again..."
He hadn't finished speaking, but his eyes flashed with bloodshot, the threat evident in them. Su Qinxue watched him turn against her over Lin Meizhu, sobbing uncontrollably, while Su Yuwan's teeth chattered even louder.
Seeing him about to leave, Su Qinxue was so anxious that she wanted to pull his sleeve, "You can't leave, I have something important to tell you."
Shen Changfeng felt inexplicably annoyed and distanced himself from her, "I also have something important to do."
He glanced at the pleasure boat on the other side of the lake. He saw patrolling guards already deployed along the lakeside and ordered, "When the emperor returns to the palace, immediately send someone to find a hairpin for the Crown Prince's wife."
Qingsong whispered, "Prince, the Prince of Changping is here too. The Eighth Prince has sent someone to inquire."
Shen Changfeng frowned slightly: "I understand, I'll go right over."
Lin Meizhu waited in the guest hall of Huguo Temple for a long time, until the sun set, until Lu Fei'er said goodbye, until the younger generation fell asleep, until the dark clouds in the sky grew thicker and thicker, but she still didn't wait for Shen Changfeng's people to bring good news.
She has regained her sanity and knows that if she acted rashly today, the Su sisters will definitely not let it go. Shen Changfeng should be there to clean up the mess for her.
The iron horses on the eaves were banged by the north wind, making a clanging sound, and the air was filled with the dampness of rain.
Lin Meizhu stood up, changed into dark clothes, and took out a dark brown veil to wrap her hair. Qing'er watched her busying around, unable to help at all, and asked, "Where are you going, young lady?"
"Go to the lake and look for the hairpin. It's an inland lake, not deep, so it's not hard to find. The current is also slow, so the hairpin might still be there after it fell. I didn't look carefully at the time, and there's a small gentle slope below the waterside pavilion. Maybe it was washed back there by the water. It's going to rain soon..."
Qing'er was unwilling to let Lin Meizhu go and advised, "It's so cold, let alone going into the water. Just standing there for a while will give you a headache. Besides, the prince has already said that he will send people to look for you. You can't leave, young lady! There are guards patrolling the lake. How can anyone get close to you?"
The black gauze covered Lin Meizhu's face and shoulders tightly, revealing only a pair of obviously tired almond-shaped eyes. She said in a muffled voice, "So I'll go by myself."
Qing Er stamped her feet anxiously, tightly grasped Lin Meizhu's hands, and shouted, "Girl, why are you..."
It seemed like everyone thought she was making a big deal out of nothing.
Lin Meizhu forced a smile. She said, "I need you. You can keep watch for me. If anyone comes, just meow like a cat..."
The night was extremely dark, so dark that one could hardly see one's hand in front of one's face. Lin Meiju could only stumble to the lake relying on her memory.
The wind was very strong, and the north wind made Lin Meiju's eyes sore. Her knuckles were blown red, and she tried several times with trembling hands but failed to light the fire.
She heard the faint sound of water and looked up vigilantly. At the same time, the tinderbox lit up with a "swish".
In the dim light of the fire, she could clearly see the man leaning over and wading in the lake—exactly the same figure who had caught fish and shrimp for her when she was a child. He was soaked, his face as white as paper, and his movements were slow. She didn't know how long he had been in the water.
He thought of what he had thought of and did it for her in advance.
The moment the fire was swallowed by darkness, Lin Meiju choked silently.
She rushed to the lake, fell several times, and immediately got up again, rolling in the mud. She didn't dare to call his name, and screamed in a whisper: "What are you doing? Get up here!"
Chu Qi was stunned for a moment, turned around to look at her thin figure, and replied to her in the same low voice: "Wait for me in the leeward place, I'll be ready soon!"
Lin Meizhu said, "You want to cripple this leg, right? You don't want your hand anymore? You don't want to live anymore?! Get up here!"
Chuqi smiled: "It's okay as long as you are here."
Lin Meizhu suddenly couldn't help sobbing like a child, "Grandma will be very sad to see you like this, she loves you so much, I don't want the hairpin anymore, I don't want it anymore, please come up, I beg you."
Chuqi saw her about to go into the water and hurried over to her. Tears welled up in his eyes and he was also sobbing. He said, "Eleven, I feel so useless."
Everyone praised him for his extraordinary talent and brilliance, and praised his young age for winning the emperor's favor and promising a bright future. But he felt so useless. He couldn't even protect the people he cared about.
Although the news from Huaxie was blocked, Chuqi still guessed the whole picture from a few words. No words could describe his heartache and sadness at that time.
The famine that year was a painful memory they would never forget. Liang Fang gave her last ration to Lin Meizhu, falsely claiming she had already eaten. Lin Meizhu, utterly nauseous, believed her and brought the rations to Chuqi, who was also dazed by hunger.
By the time the two children realized something was wrong, it was too late.
The old man walked on the eve of government disaster relief.
That hairpin was the only thing Liang Fang had left for Lin Meizhu. It was redeemed by Chuqi at the pawnshop after the famine. To get a good price, they had pawned everything they had, even Chuqi's keepsake, the small half of his longevity lock necklace. Only the wooden hairpin was worthless and no one wanted it.
It wasn't just a hairpin, it was a painful memory they all cherished, the longing they felt for the old man day and night, the guilt that made them burst into tears every time they thought of him.
He knew that Eleven felt much more guilty and sad than he did, but she just joked about how she had eaten Guanyin soil and chewed dried field mice just because that damn woman was jealous!
Chu Qi stopped crying, his eyelashes dark and wet, gleaming faintly. He said angrily, "I don't know why they treat you like this. You are smarter than me, more hardworking than me, and better than me in medicine. You are so kind, so beautiful, and so good. Why? Why do they say this to you? I hate them so much!"
Lin Meizhu felt that Chuqi was emitting cold air like a piece of ice. She held his hand and rubbed it back and forth, blowing hot air from her mouth to warm his hand. Fearing that he would become stubborn again, she pulled him towards the shore, "What nonsense are you talking about! I didn't let them bully me..."
There were whispers in the darkness as the two men were quietly watching the movements on the lakeshore.
Someone suddenly shouted, "Someone come!"
Lin Meizhu thought to herself, her heart pounding, and she pulled Chuqi into the dense shade of the trees. It would be terrible if they were seen like this. She didn't care, but Chuqi was about to take the imperial examination...
She said, "Stay here and don't move. I'll go out first..."
Hearing the voice again, Lin Meiju stopped talking and slowly identified it: it was Jiafu's voice, and it seemed that she wanted the guards to find Li Nu for her.
Lin Meiju didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the footsteps gradually faded away.
She realized that she was too close to Chu Qi, so close that she could even hear his breathing, hot on her neck. She was about to move away when Chu Qi suddenly hugged her gently.
This was a hug without any desire or fantasy, only endless pity and heartache. He wanted to give her a little warmth in this bleak and cold night.
Lin Meiju subconsciously wanted to push him away and raised her hand, but when she heard his strong and steady heartbeat, her movement finally stopped in mid-air.
His body temperature surrounded her, and his warm chest built a small world for her to shelter from wind and rain, where she could lean on it and rest.
Lin Meizhu's eyes were wet again. She said to Chuqi, or perhaps to herself, "Don't cry."
"These days will soon be over, believe me."
"Chuqi, will you come back with me?"
"I don't want the hairpin anymore. I'm happy with you."
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