This is not a dream; there really was a woman who stayed by his side through the most difficult month.
Yes, what about her?
Zhao Qiang suddenly woke up, dropped the half-eaten pastry in his hand, and hurriedly ran towards the familiar door.
No, still no.
Zhao Qiang almost turned the whole house upside down, but he couldn't find that familiar figure. All that was left was the painting on the wall, swaying slightly in the wind that passed through the room. On the cracked painting were two smiling boys.
“Young master, there are creases on that scroll. It looks like it’s at least four years old.”
"Go and inform the steward that after I leave this time, Wenxiang will be transferred to another courtyard and should not be transferred back."
"Wenxiang, as a maid, you don't do your job properly and instead think about all sorts of nonsense. You must leave the palace immediately and never set foot in it again."
Zhao Qiang gripped his hair tightly with both hands, his mind exploding with pain, which made him take two steps back. He tripped over something and fell onto a soft, fragrant couch.
This small, cramped bed looks like it was originally just a temporary resting place, but every day a thin, frail figure is huddled there.
The mattress under his hands was soft, but it seemed too thin to him. The bed board under his hands made him uneasy. Even when he was in the Prince's mansion, as a fragrance enthusiast, he had never been treated so harshly. He was well dressed and warmly housed.
Sometimes, after overhearing the servants' gossip, Zhao Qiang also felt that Wen Xiang had been spoiled by him and developed a bit of a pampered young lady's temper. She was well-fed and well-dressed, and began to become arrogant. Sometimes she even dared to disregard his words as her master.
He recalled the look of delight on Wenxiang's face when Dazhuang brought back the new bedding, and the sharp pain in his hand felt like a stab to his heart.
Zhao Qiang hurriedly ran to the gate, opened it, but dared not go out.
He felt uneasy. Where had Wenxiang gone? Would she be worried if she came back and couldn't find him?
He paced anxiously in the yard, trying to ignore the terrible thought that kept surging in his mind.
I remember occasionally going out to smell the fragrance, but—but today is different.
He could still clearly recall the scene before he fell into a deep sleep, where Wenxiang and that man were chatting and laughing.
The man came, and then they both disappeared.
For some reason, Zhao Qiang felt a little wronged and angry.
She always said how important she was to her and how much she liked her, but now, just some random man comes along and abandons her without hesitation.
Bang! Zhao Qiang slammed the courtyard gate shut, then sat down at the table in a huff. The delicate little cage on the table was still there, and on the ground...
A pastry with a bite taken out of it is rolling on the ground, covered in dust.
Staring at the half-eaten pastry, Zhao Qiang became even angrier.
He remembered that man; it was the group of flag bearers of the Fiery Banner that he had faced a month ago at Bright Peak.
It's still the opposing side.
Zhao Qiang angrily picked up a pastry, stuffed it into his mouth, and felt a surge of resentment stuck in his chest. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He slammed his fist on the table, got up, and went inside.
My father must be very worried about me being missing for so long. I wonder if he has made things difficult for me. The most important thing now is to get back as soon as possible. Who has time to think about that heartless woman?
Zhao Qiang was seething with anger. He rudely packed his bag, turned to leave, and his gaze fell on the shattered painting.
Hmph, hypocritical woman.
Zhao Qiang glanced coldly at the smiling face of the woman in the painting, then suddenly remembered something, turned around and walked to the desk, taking out a few folded scraps of paper from the drawer.
"How can I leave my things to this woman, especially my calligraphy?" Zhao Qiang clutched the few thin sheets of paper in his hand, stuffed them into his pocket, and awkwardly stretched them out.
Looking around, Zhao Qiang pursed his lips, trying to suppress the sudden reluctance in his heart, and strode into the yard, pulling the pillow out from the haystack.
"Let's go, let's leave here and go back to Dadu, let's ignore that heartless woman." Zhao Qiang grabbed the reins of the pillow, trying to pull it out of its nest.
Pillow usually ignored him, but Zhao Qiang was strong and with a little force, Pillow's head was pulled slightly to the side, and it kicked Zhao Qiang in anger.
Zhao Qiang quickly dodged, staring blankly at the pillow that had fallen back onto him.
Was it Wenxiang, who was also covered in wounds, who led this horse and carried her unconscious self all the way from Bright Peak to here?
She's such a pampered woman—
What are you thinking? She's run off with some random guy outside.
Zhao Qiang sat on the haystack, thinking about how to steal the pillow.
This place is so far from Dadu (Beijing), and the nearest town isn't close either. We can't possibly walk there on foot.
Time passed slowly, the pillow had returned to its usual restful state, and Zhao Qiang's thoughts drifted away again.
"Boss, should we use cold water or hot water?"
A rough voice came from the neighboring courtyard, interrupting Zhao Qiang's thoughts.
That voice sounds so familiar.
Zhao Qiangteng stood up.
Isn't that the voice of that man named Ran, and his henchman?
It was right next door to me.
Zhao Qiang's anger, which he had barely managed to suppress, surged up again. He didn't even bother with the gate; instead, he leaped over the wall and jumped into the neighbor's yard.
While Fadeng was pondering whether or not to boil water in the courtyard, he suddenly saw someone scaling the wall and coming over. He was instantly alert and about to make a move, but after the person landed, he glanced at the situation in the courtyard with his big eyes, nimbly dodged his attack, and showed no intention of getting entangled with him. He stomped his foot heavily on the ground and dashed towards the main house like lightning.
"You bastard, die!" A furious shout rang out from inside the house, followed by the sound of a long sword being drawn.
Fa Deng hurriedly dropped what he was holding and rushed inside, where a fight had already broken out.
Xin Ran and Zhao Qiang were evenly matched in martial arts. As soon as Fa Deng entered the room, he saw that Zhao Qiang had already cut two gashes on Xin Ran's arm, and her neatly tied hair was now disheveled, making her look extremely disheveled.
Fa Deng was shocked and quickly joined the battle.
Xin Ran was already caught off guard by Zhao Qiang's sudden appearance and attack. With the help of Fa Deng, she was able to get out of trouble immediately. Zhao Qiang was fighting two against one and was quickly forced into a corner.
"Hey, are you crazy? You came here and immediately tried to kill me." Xin Ran took the opportunity to quickly tie up her messy long hair.
"You beast, what did you do to her?" Zhao Qiang's eyes were bloodshot. His gaze swept over the woman lying on the bed, and murderous intent burst forth. He desperately tried to get past the Dharma lamp, and his long sword swung straight at Xinran.
With the Dharma Lamp present, it was clear that he wouldn't succeed so easily, and Zhao Qiang's attack was instantly blocked.
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