Chapter 60 Calculation
"So, Cui Junji likes me?" Wen Youqing asked Shen Zijie in disbelief.
"If he really liked me, why would he break off the engagement? He almost forced me to death back then! Don't you know that?" Wen Youqing denied.
"Don't be impatient or angry. Men are all mean-spirited. He probably saw how good you are and feels regretful," Shen Zijie grabbed Wen Youqing's hand and looked directly into her eyes. "We must take advantage of this and make the most of his value."
Shen Zijie, the man she'd devoted her heart to and relied on so completely, had he been using her from the very beginning? All that tender affection, those late-night conversations, that focused look on his face as he sorted out her family's connections, were they all just a piece in the grand scheme of things to bring down the aristocratic family? Wen Youqing felt horrified, shook her head slightly, and pulled her hand away forcefully. "Putting aside the absurdity of your assumption, what do you think of me? A tool to be used at any moment?"
Their last night was not a pleasant one.
Wen Youqing stood up and was about to leave.
"Think about the people of Xunyang!" Wen Youqing stopped in his tracks. "A single breath from the aristocratic families is like a gust of wind to them. They can't survive. We've come here to do something..."
"I'm a piece of crap back home, and I can be a piece of crap here too. I'm already tired of living, so why should I care if anything is valuable or meaningful?" Wen Youqing spread her hands. "Don't try to blackmail me with morals! I'm just a person with no ideals, no goals, and no actions!"
"Alright, even for your own sake, you have to bring them down. If I hadn't shown up, would you have been able to leave the Wen family alive? Would you have been able to say whatever you wanted, do whatever you wanted? You'd even be criticized for not being a lady if you just sat on the floor! Aren't you feeling suffocated?"
What a fucking era!
Every point was touched by Shen Zijie. Wen Youqing turned around angrily, walked over angrily, and sat down again angrily, "Keep talking!"
So on the eve of Shen Zijie's beheading, they were desperate and came up with the worst possible solution: to take advantage of Cui Junji's possessiveness and ask him to help Wen Youqing bring down the aristocratic family.
But this is far from enough. Making people in his own class hate his class must be related to his own interests. The oppression of the Wang family, the control and surveillance of Wang Dingan, the indifference and expectations of the Wang family...all of these will be dry wood, cheering for the final ignition.
Wen Youqing suddenly opened her eyes, her chest heaving violently as she breathed in the air greedily. She subconsciously touched her chest—there was a wound, but it wasn't as cold as a guillotine, and there was no dripping blood.
This is not a place of execution.
She didn't die either.
She lay on a carved sandalwood bed, its quilt soft and its curtains drawn low. Sunlight filtered through the window lattices, casting dappled shadows on the bluestone floor. In the distance, birdsong could be heard faintly, and the silence was unsettling.
Wen Youqing sat up and looked around. This was an elegant bedroom, beautifully furnished without being ostentatious. Landscape paintings hung on the walls, and on the table stood a celadon vase containing a few newly blossoming white plum blossoms.
She threw off the quilt and got out of bed, and found that although she was wearing a simple white nightgown, the material was actually the finest brocade, which shimmered in the sunlight.
She walked to the window and pushed open the carved wooden panel. Outside was an exquisite garden, with rockery, flowing water, pavilions, and towers, all elegantly laid out, clearly the work of a master. The garden was deserted, and strangely quiet.
This wasn't a dream. The pain of my nails digging into my palms was all too real, the faint scent of plum blossoms in the air all too clear.
But she should have been dead.
She was hit by a rain of swords and then stabbed again by Cui Junji. The wound on her chest was still there and it was aching. How could she not be dead?
The door creaked open, and a maid in a light green dress walked in, carrying a basin of water. She was startled to see Wen Youqing standing in front of the window, then smiled and said, "Young lady, are you awake? I'll go and report this to the master right away."
"Wait!" Wen Youqing called out to her, "Where is this? Who brought me here?"
"It's Mr. Zhang." The little girl replied and hurried away.
Zhang? She didn't remember knowing anyone with the last name Zhang.
There were footsteps outside the door, followed by the sound of a lock being unlocked. Wen Youqing quickly retreated to the bedside and picked up the vase on the table.
The door opened, and a figure stood against the light. Their tall, straight figure, their steady approach, made Wen Youqing recognize them immediately, even though she couldn't see their face.
Cui Junji.
When he entered the room, she could see that he was wearing a lake blue suit with gold embroidered patterns, which made him look very noble. His eyes fell on her, and the scrutiny and the indescribable heat in his eyes made her tense up involuntarily.
"Aqing." He spoke in a low, magnetic voice, "You're awake."
Wen Youqing forced herself to calm down. "Master Cui, where are we? Do we still need to remain anonymous?"
Cui Junji took a few steps closer and stopped in front of her. He was more than a head taller than her, and his shadow completely enveloped her.
"This is my villa, it's very safe." His eyes swept across her face, as if to confirm something. "You are already 'dead'. From now on, you are the cousin of the Zhang family, and I am Zhang Lu."
Wen Youqing was extremely alert: "You saved me from the execution ground? What do you want me to do?"
Cui Junji's mouth curled up slightly, as if it were his own bedroom. He sat down casually and drank the tea he had just poured. "Do you think I would watch you die?"
This sentence almost made Wen Youqing laugh out loud. When he broke off the engagement, had he ever considered that it might drive her to death? It really was true what Shen Zijie said, "Men are just cheap."
"Master Cui, I am a wanted criminal. Harboring me is tantamount to treason."
Cui Junji's eyes darkened, even showing a hint of provocation and pride. "This year is the first year of Pingkang. The events of the Changle year have long been buried with the late emperor. From now on, you are safe. But you must stay here for the time being and cannot leave this villa."
"You want to imprison me?"
"To protect you." His tone left no room for doubt. "Everyone outside thinks Wen Youqing is dead. If you show up, you'll definitely die, and it will also implicate many people."
Wen Youqing looked him straight in the eye: "Including you, Master Cui?"
Cui Junji was silent for a moment, then suddenly stood up and approached her, forcing her into a corner with no way to retreat. His eyes were as deep as an autumn pond, and he slowly reached out and stroked her cheek.
His fingertips were slightly cool, yet their touch burned like fire. Wen Youqing jerked her head aside and slapped him, trying to avoid his touch.
"Be careful, your hand isn't healed yet." Cui Junji grabbed her wrist and gently placed her hand, which hadn't healed from the punishment, on his chest. "I've let go of anyone who didn't please me: the late emperor, my grandfather, and every minor official I can't even name."
For a moment, Wen Youqing's hair stood on end and he could hardly believe his ears. He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word.
Seeing this, Cui Junji took another half step forward, forcing her into a corner. His arms rested on the wall beside her, forming a cage.
"I know you're not afraid, and you even want to scold me," he whispered, his breath brushing against her ears, "We still have a lot of time, so take your time scolding me."
Just as Wen Youqing was about to kick him, Cui Junji had already retreated, maintaining a normal social distance. He regained his composure and said, "You just woke up. We have a long way to go."
"You're crazy," she whispered firmly, "I'm leaving."
Cui Junji's eyes lingered on her face for just a moment, then he smiled. "Have a good rest. Tell the maid if you need anything. Don't try to leave. The guards here won't let you leave this yard."
He turned and walked towards the door, pausing before it. "Ah Qing, if you want to continue your revenge, you should stay here. I guarantee that the people outside will skin you alive as soon as you step out. I am the only one who can and am willing to protect you."
The door was closed and the sound of the lock was clearly audible.
Wen Youqing slowly slid down to the ground, trembling all over.
All of this was beyond imagination, too bizarre. The madness and paranoia in his eyes frightened even a madman like her.
What frightened her even more was that everything Shen Zijie predicted was correct.
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