She has no regrets.
The lantern festival has ended.
One by one, the red gauze lanterns on the city wall went out, and the city gate fell silent. Only the candlelight on the street flickered merrily, the tiny lights like fireflies forming a continuous expanse.
The sound of horses' hooves rose and fell, and one after another, the magnificent and comfortable carriages entered the sea like fish. The carriage of King Ye and his wife left the palace and headed directly to Xiangguo Temple in the south.
Wen Ruo bid farewell to the group and quickly went downstairs. Zhao Heng's carriage was waiting for her. As soon as she got off, Zhao Heng popped his head out of the carriage window and beckoned to her.
Wen Ruo: "You have something to say?"
Zhao Heng: "I'll see you off. You're riding high right now, and I'm afraid someone might try to steal my man."
Wen Ruo estimated the distance ahead and said as she got into the carriage, "If I make too many jokes, no one will take them seriously anymore. Just drop me off in front of the inn. Thank you, Young Master Zhao."
The carriage moved slowly, and Zhao Heng leaned against the cushions. "Everyone's going to Xiangguo Temple, aren't you going to join the fun?"
Wen Ruo leaned against the carriage, her body swaying back and forth with the carriage. "It's full of high-ranking officials and nobles inside. I'm afraid I won't be able to squeeze in."
"You've already climbed the city wall, what's wrong with going to Xiangguo Temple?"
"There's nothing good for a lonely person to go anywhere."
"Why don't you change your makeup and come with me? You'll definitely make a splash."
Wen Ruo stared at him, their eyes met. Zhao Heng's gaze remained deep, and beneath the slightly frivolous curve of his lips, the words "Xi You" conveyed confidence and the calm acceptance of a fish taking the bait. She clenched her fist and asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Why is there only half a piece of Leng Hua Lou's Green Snow Plum Blossom Cake left? Is it not to your liking?"
The wheels spun rapidly, leaving the inn far behind. The carriage had already left the city, and it seemed as if someone was chasing after them. Wen Ruo's palms were slightly sweaty, and the brocade cushion beneath her was slippery.
"I'd like to hear it again: how did you and Cao Xi meet?"
The surroundings quieted down, the wind howled, the branches rustled, and the sounds of ghosts wailing and howling filled the carriage, much like an old mass grave, following it like a shadow.
He had been eavesdropping from next door, but when it came to the question, Wen Ruo's eyes darted around, and her mind surprisingly calmed down. She said indifferently, "I helped out a little."
"This is no fun." Zhao Heng sat up straight, a hint of regret in his eyes. He had truly met his match. "Lord Cao has already said it. Do I need to tell you?"
Wen Ruo nodded seriously, "I was just bored."
Zhao Heng's face fell. "Aren't you worried I'll tell Qi Guanlan?"
Wen Ruo's gaze shifted slightly, her watery eyes rippling. Having already come to her senses, she was naturally unafraid. "One must speak with evidence. Qi Guanlan knows this all too well. He hates slandering people's innocence the most. Young Master Zhao, why don't you give it a try?"
Zhao Heng choked. Qi Guanlan was such a useless piece of trash, knowing nothing at all. "You really think Cao Xi would help you after all these years of friendship?"
"I'll have to wait until I get into Honghu Academy and then I'll ask Cao Xi for you."
"You're going to Honghu Academy?"
"yes."
The atmosphere froze for a moment. Zhao Heng stared at her with a complicated expression, but Wen Ruo didn't care at all. She looked out the dark window and her body gradually relaxed.
Zhao Heng sighed, having no choice but to back down. "Could you at least ask me a question for me?"
She actually got into Honghu Academy. Although it was unbelievable, she couldn't have been lying when she met His Majesty.
Wen Ruo: "Young Master Zhao, why waste your energy? I won't repeat myself. Whether Cao Xi comes back or not makes no difference to you. You don't dare to do it anyway, so why ruin her future? Besides, entering officialdom is not the same as becoming a nun. Using me as a shield is useless."
"Who says I wouldn't dare?"
Wen Ruo sneered, "You dare to dismiss the girls in the backyard?"
"Why not?"
"You won't be involved with other women anymore?"
"right."
"What do you want to ask?"
Does she regret it?
Wen Ruo looked at him in surprise, "You're still bothered that she didn't choose you?"
Zhao Heng remained silent, seemingly determined to get to the bottom of this. Wen Ruo pondered for a moment, then said, "Men's words are deceitful; I don't trust you."
Zhao Heng's back teeth were grinding together, his face turning pale and then red. He still couldn't bring himself to say it, so he could only say in a sarcastic tone, "No wonder he's Cao Xi's good friend."
"I don't deserve such praise. It's just that I hate being a matchmaker these days. Asking these questions is meddling in other people's business."
The conversation between the two ended there.
Wen Ruo closed her eyes to rest, secretly relieved that she hadn't left any evidence against her.
Zhao Heng paused, his voice still carrying a hint of ingratiation, "I heard you can't ride a horse, I'll teach you."
"I'm afraid of falling."
"I'll give you a gentle horse."
"One should not accept rewards without merit."
Why is she so difficult to deal with?
Unable to reason with him, and if things continued like this, she might not only not help him, but might even trip him up. Zhao Heng took a deep breath and smiled, "The people in my backyard need a matchmaker to help me arrange their future."
Wen Ruo's eyelids twitched.
"I think your mother is quite good."
Wen Ruo: "Her legs are just healed. With so many flowers in your yard, even a fine horse would be exhausted."
"Matchmaker Juanlan was quite famous in the capital."
Is this what they call a slap followed by a sweet treat?
"I will arrange servants for them, and I will make sure my matchmaker is not burdened."
The music grew closer, and the carriages of Xiangguo Temple were dazzling. Wen Ruo got off the carriage and stepped into the temple. The main hall was lit with candles everywhere, and a music pavilion was set up in front of the main hall. The music came from inside the pavilion.
In front of the Holy Pavilion, King Ye and his wife had already chosen their spots, and Zhao Heng found an excuse to leave.
The two waited for a long time, but Cao Xi still didn't appear.
Wen Ruo spread her hands and looked towards the temple entrance, but Cao Xi was nowhere to be seen. "I originally planned to help you, but even the heavens aren't on your side, so there's nothing I can do."
Zhao Heng looked at it again and again, growing increasingly anxious. Was she going to go straight back to Honghu Academy?
Let's go!
"She's here!" Zhao Heng grabbed her sleeve, excitedly saying, "You said you'd ask her for me."
"What a charming young prince!" Wen Ruo reluctantly stood at the door. When Zhao Heng saw Cao Xi, he immediately pretended to be indifferent, the corners of his mouth habitually curving to a certain point, with a hint of a smile hidden in his eyes.
She wasn't tired at all, she thought to herself.
"She doesn't feel comfortable with my parents, so I'll leave her with you."
Wen Ruo secretly clenched her sleeves, nodded to each member of the Cao family, and gave Cao Xi a pleading look, "This is my first time here on the Lantern Festival."
Cao Xi glanced at the two of them, said a few words to her parents, and then stayed behind, saying, "I'll show you around."
Zhao Heng smiled and waved, then suddenly asked, "Cao Xi, do you know Xi You?"
The two paused, saying, "I've heard of you, but we've never met."
Cao Xi turned around gracefully, while Wen Ruo secretly turned back and made a face.
Zhao Heng pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling utterly emboldened. He rubbed his aching temples and muttered to himself, "I need to find a helper."
Inside the Ghost Mother Hall of Xiangguo Temple, two shallow knee hollows were left on the cotton-stuffed prayer cushions, and there were still people queuing in front of them.
Wen Ruo and she waited outside the hall. Cao Xi stared at the statue of the Ghost Mother in a daze and murmured, "My mother said that she bowed three times back then and soon after she returned home, she had me. When I was young, I also thought that she cherished me like a precious jewel, but now it is ridiculous that she is so distant."
Looking back, Wen Ruowang couldn't remember her biological mother, and she had almost forgotten the turbulent days of her childhood. Today, with Qi Guanlan's encouragement and wild ideas, her life had taken on a new path, which could also be described as a perilous one.
"I've heard about what happened to you. If I had known, I wouldn't have asked you for help."
Wen Ruo looked at her and said, "What's meant to happen will happen sooner or later, and it has nothing to do with helping."
Humans cannot outwit fate. She was arrogant and overcalculated. It was time for her to go to the academy to cleanse her soul.
Cao Xi pulled her to the side of the hall, where they could see the entrance at a glance. The Ghost Mother's Palace was frequented by women, and even though Zhao Heng was adept at handling women, he wouldn't follow her into a place like this.
The area was sparsely populated, and the sounds of drums and sheng could be heard from the side of the wall. "What did he ask Xi You about?"
"He tricked me with Xi You. As the shopkeeper, he eavesdropped on our conversation. I can hardly remember what Xi You looks like anymore."
"You admit it?"
Wen Ruo looked smug. "Of course not, but asking a question is a good deal."
"I see." Cao Xi sighed, "On the way here, my mother envied you for becoming a phoenix and was angry with me the whole way. In their eyes, a woman only has one possibility: to get married."
Wen Ruo recalled Lord Cao being driven away by Zhao Heng and teased, "With such a beautiful face, no one would give up on her. And she's still trying to persuade you?"
"Yes, I let it slip in a fit of anger, and that's how I found out my marriage was already tied to the clay figurine." She and the clay figurine were so similar, one for money, the other for fame and fortune, they were of the same ilk.
Wen Ruo: "Zhao Heng said that you would marry whoever got the clay figurine. You chose Qi Guanlan, so he gave up. But he was still angry and asked me to ask you if you regretted it?"
Cao Xi frowned slightly and sneered, "When have I ever had a choice?"
Wen Ruo was puzzled. "Could he be lying to me? But he has no reason to lie."
"He said he heard you say with your own ears that you couldn't stand Qi Guanlan losing."
The two stared at each other for a long time. Cao Xi's brows furrowed even deeper. After thinking it over and over again, she suddenly laughed and said reproachfully, "You're so thoughtful. You only listen to half of what I say. Whose fault is that?"
What's the other half?
"I find it too noisy."
Wen Ruo's eyes crinkled into slits with laughter. She clutched her stomach, chuckling, "That's satisfying! If Zhao Heng heard this, he'd be furious. Qi Guanlan is really childish."
Cao Xi looked at Wen Ruo, who couldn't straighten up, and said quietly, "Who says otherwise? As soon as Xue Rong came, he put on a bad face and left without even bothering to make up an excuse. None of them are truly steady."
Wen Ruo rubbed her cheeks. "It's not easy for Miss Xue Rong to like him."
You noticed?
Wen Ruo straightened her back. "I make a living by reading people, but Sun Yueyou's expression was too obvious."
Cao Xi stared at her for a moment, then shook her head and said, "It is indeed very obvious." Wen Ruo wasn't oblivious, but perhaps she was blinded by Qi Guanlan's sister.
However, Qi Guanlan was timid, and there was no benefit in making things clear, so it was better to remain carefree.
Wen Ruo raised an eyebrow, turned her eyes to the wall, and said, "Zhao Heng keeps bothering me to ask how we met."
Cao Xi followed the gaze she gave him, his eyes landing on the wall, where a pair of hands suddenly disappeared. "It's his old problem. Every time I get a little closer to Qi Guanlan, he keeps testing me in different ways. Qi Guanlan is making a fuss, but he's just annoyed. He's not much better than Qi Guanlan."
Wen Ruo suddenly asked, "Is Honghu Academy a good place to stay? Are there any corporals or thugs?"
"Four words: clear distinction between reward and punishment."
Wen Ruo breathed a sigh of relief, "You'll have to take care of me then."
Cao Xi parted her red lips slightly, then smiled.
On the way back, Wen Ruo still rode in Zhao Heng's carriage. As soon as the carriage started moving, he couldn't wait to ask.
Wen Ruo drank a cup of tea and ate a piece of pastry to fill her stomach. "She only said one sentence."
Zhao Heng: "What?"
Do you regret it?
Zhao Heng's face was hidden on the other side, and the flickering candlelight made his jawline appear and disappear. Even if you couldn't see his expression, you could sense a sense of depression in the air.
Wen Ruo was helpless and even a little regretful, "I heard you weren't this sentimental before."
The carriage stopped in front of the inn.
Zhao Heng suddenly stood beside her. "A superior room."
Wen Ruo glanced at him; he was truly wealthy and powerful. If she remembered correctly, it was only half an hour's walk from here to the Prince Ye's residence, yet he refused to leave.
Wen Ruo lay on the bed, aches creeping from her feet into her limbs and bones, the old bedding exuding the scent of time.
Turning my head to the side, I could see the faint flame still struggling stubbornly, and the tiny halo of light occasionally flickered across the corner. The insect remained motionless, small and ugly.
"How pitiful."
She murmured something under her breath, then stared blankly until her eyes ached and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. Suddenly, everything went black.
"It will be fine when it gets light."
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