07 A Belated Thank You Gift
Since that day, Liu Hanruo has never seen the man in black again. It was as if nothing had ever happened. Everything was peaceful and uneventful, and another week passed in the blink of an eye.
One late night, the moon stubbornly hung high in the sky, while the stars were few and far between. The entire palace appeared empty and silent under the moonlight. A guard stood guard by the back gate, but his bloodshot eyes revealed his exhaustion. In a daze, he suddenly felt a strange wind blow by, or perhaps a figure rushing past. He was jolted awake and anxiously searched the vicinity. Finding nothing amiss, he breathed a sigh of relief, inwardly blaming himself for being overly tense and seeing danger everywhere.
At that moment, the black-clad figure who had just flashed past the guards pushed open the door of the Shuiyue Pavilion library and walked in without a care. When the black-clad figure saw the purple-clad figure lounging on the desk, half-lying on the chair and sleeping, his lips twitched, and he kicked the figure. The purple-clad figure jumped up in pain, cursing under his breath:
"Damn it, which bastard dares to kick your grandpa! Are you looking for death?!"
"Rumor has it that Young Master Ximen is gentle, refined, and polite. How come he's so vulgar in private?" The man in black sighed helplessly, covering his head.
"Hehe, you know, maintaining a certain image in front of everyone is exhausting. Can't I even relax a little in private? Sigh... I don't know who I'm working so hard to serve that woman for?!" Upon seeing who it was, he chuckled dryly and complained.
"Hmph, who in the entire capital doesn't know that Young Master Ximen is naturally a womanizer with countless beauties? Now I'm giving you a beauty for free, what's wrong, aren't you happy?" The man in black glanced at the man in purple and said calmly.
"Even the most beautiful woman gets boring after a while, let alone having to physically serve her every night. I really don't know when this miserable life will end! My miserable life is just like that..."
Ignoring the purple-clad man's words, the black-clad man asked directly:
"During my absence, has anything happened at the Prince's residence?"
"You still have the nerve to ask? You've been gone for almost two months without a word. Last time you were injured, you even went to the Prince's mansion but didn't come in. If Ziren hadn't sent me a message saying you were with him, I wouldn't have known about this until now! Seeing you like this, you must be alright. Tell me, who hurt you? If it was that old bastard, sooner or later I'll chop him up and stew him to feed the dogs!" The man in purple became more and more agitated as he spoke, and finally simply picked up his sword and started brandishing it.
"Ahem... It's more convenient for you to recuperate at Ziren's place. Tell me about the situation at the Prince's residence." Knowing he was genuinely worried and realizing he was in the wrong, the man in black could only awkwardly explain before quickly changing the subject.
"Nothing serious, just some trivial matters. If there was anything slightly serious, it was about a month and a half ago. Liu Hanxue was bored and wanted to cause trouble for Liu Hanruo, but Liu Hanruo's maid stopped her. Liu Hanxue got so angry that she almost beat the maid to death. In the end, Liu Hanruo stepped in to save the maid and teach Liu Hanxue a lesson. Naturally, Liu Hanxue was not satisfied and then asked me to intervene. You know what happened after that. I did as you instructed and went along with Liu Hanxue in everything. I could only put Liu Hanruo under house arrest and strictly forbid her from interfering in the affairs of the inner courtyard."
Upon hearing that Liu Hanruo had been punished, the man in black felt a pang of heartache for some reason, but he was helpless. After all, he was obligated to serve the emperor and bear his burdens; he had no choice in the matter. After a slight pause, he composed himself and said with a calm expression:
"Okay. I'll leave the next two months to you."
"...No way. You're leaving again..."
"Yes. The situation is urgent, and we cannot be careless in the slightest."
"Ugh...when will my miserable days ever end...If I keep looking at your wife like this, I might just throw up one day..."
"Just bear with it a little longer. I'm leaving."
After the man in black finished speaking, he opened the door and disappeared in the blink of an eye, while the man in purple's complaints sounded ethereal in the quiet night.
"Hey, hey, hey... I've worked so hard, I deserve credit even if I haven't done anything special, and you just leave without even a smile... That's so unfair..."
The man in black rushed through the palace, preparing to leave. Suddenly, the image of her, dressed in pure white, who claimed to be a villain but couldn't abandon her conscience, flashed through his mind. If it weren't for her meticulous care and bandaging that night, he would probably be long gone.
While grateful, he couldn't help but feel puzzled. In his memory, she was a frail, sickly woman, but the one he saw that day, though pale, didn't appear ill; instead, she possessed an ethereal, pure beauty. If appearances could change, inner character would never. In his memory, she was ruthless, disrespectful to her stepmother, and insulting her stepsister, resorting to any means to marry the Prince of Xiaoyao. But the woman he saw was entirely different—a twisted woman, cold-hearted and ruthless in words, yet kind at heart, and skilled in medicine. If she were truly ruthless, why would she turn back to save him that night? If not, then why was the woman in his memory a wicked woman? These stark contrasts left him unable to discern the real her, or perhaps both were illusions.
He vividly remembered that early morning when he saw her sleeping peacefully, her head resting on the table. Remembering her meticulous care throughout the night, he took a purple gauze dress from the wardrobe as a gesture of gratitude and gently covered her with it. It was then that he caught a glimpse of her still-wet tears and the wary expression on her face, even in her sleep. He realized she, like him, was unhappy. This expression deeply touched a chord within him. If time hadn't been so tight, he would never have left in such a hurry that early morning.
He was helpless, caught in a situation beyond his control. But what was her motivation? This piqued his curiosity. As the legitimate daughter of a marquis's family, and as the carefree princess, she was superior in every way. What could have caused her such sorrow and unease?
Perhaps it's true, as people say, that people are most vulnerable when they're hurt, and even the smallest thing can touch them. He suddenly longed to see her, really longed to, but he had clearly heard what she said when he was unconscious that night. He knew she was afraid of getting into trouble, and he was now powerless to stop herself. Being confined by Ximen, she must be very sad. He wanted to see her, but it was late, and she should be asleep by now. For some reason, the more he tried to let go, the more it weighed on his mind, the more vivid her image became. He really wanted to see her, to see if she was still crying in her dreams like last time.
He hesitated between going and not going, but finally, as if he had made up his mind, he took out the jade pendant he always carried with him, broke it open along the pattern, held the phoenix pendant in his hand, put the dragon pendant back in his bosom, turned around and ran away.
The man in black quietly slipped into Plum Blossom Garden, reached the master bedroom, opened the window, and silently climbed in. He walked to the bedside, glanced at the person on it, left the phoenix pendant beside her pillow, and whispered:
"Consider this phoenix pendant a token of my gratitude. Keep it safe. If you are ever in danger, taking it out might save your life. I'm leaving now."
He lingered for a few more moments, then turned over and got out. Just after he left, the person on the bed suddenly opened their eyes, glanced at the phoenix pendant, put it away, and went back to sleep.
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