Chapter 58 Fate plays tricks on people; this journey may end without return. Heaven is jealous of the foolish. ...
The three of them left the mansion, and the streets were bustling with activity.
Lingling's eyes seemed to be taking it all in, as she was captivated by the novelties such as sugar paintings, dough figurines, windmills, and glass cups.
With her left arm around the newly bought rabbit lantern and clay tiger, her arms were also bulging with sachets and rattles, almost too big to hold. But her right hand, as if intertwined with Yi Ruxu's wrist, was gripped tightly, and no matter how Yi Ruxu tried to loosen it subtly, it wouldn't budge.
Yi Ruxu watched her tiptoeing and pointing at the lanterns on the stall, giggling. Her innocent and carefree appearance made Yi Ruxu feel a little sorry for her.
He turned his head and asked Su Jinxiu beside him, "Qiaoniang, what do you think... how should this play be performed so that she understands the truth without hurting her too much?"
Su Jinxiu followed his gaze to Lingling, who also looked troubled. She gently shook her head: "I really don't know what to do about this matter."
As the three were walking, Yi Ruxu suddenly raised his hand and pointed to the end of the street: "Qiaoniang, look, that's Biyi Tower."
Su Jinxiu looked in the direction he pointed and saw an exquisite pavilion standing on the street corner, with upturned eaves and corners, quite elegant.
“I have heard a beautiful story about this building,” Yi Ruxu continued, “The century-old peach tree in the building was transformed from the Peach Blossom Fairy. If lovers bow three times under this tree, they will be blessed by the fairy and live a harmonious life together until old age.”
“I brought Lingling here before and told her this legend. She is simple-minded. If she sees us bowing here, she will understand that you are now my bride.”
Su Jinxiu paused for a moment when she heard the word "bride," but then, remembering that it was just an act, she composed herself and replied softly, "Alright, let's go in then."
The two of them led Lingling into the Biyi Building.
From the outside, the building appears cramped and narrow, but once inside, one discovers a hidden paradise. The courtyard is quite spacious, with an old peach tree in the center, its roots intertwined and its branches and leaves so lush that they almost block out half the sky. It is covered with bright red peach blossoms, blooming in full glory, resembling a scarlet cloud from afar, dazzling and beautiful.
The branches are covered with colorful prayer pouches, swaying gently in the wind, as if countless wishes are whispering in the breeze.
Not far from the tree stood a small stone statue of the Peach Blossom Fairy, her expression gentle and graceful. Several prayer cushions were placed in front of the statue, indicating that people often pledged their love here, leaving behind many tender footprints of lovesick men and women.
The two were whispering and discussing what to do next when Lingling, like a nimble little squirrel, darted away and climbed up to the second-floor balcony.
The pavilion jutted outwards, like a natural viewing platform, offering a panoramic view of the courtyard. She clung to the railing, craning her neck and calling out, "Cousin, sister, look at me!"
"Hey, Lingling, why are you running so fast..." Yi Ruxu smiled helplessly, "Never mind, it's fine wherever you are. Lingling, just watch carefully."
After saying that, he turned to look at Su Jinxiu, his eyes instantly becoming extremely solemn, and said, word by word, "In a moment, we will perform the first bow to heaven and earth, and the second bow to our parents. Lingling is aware of this ceremony."
His tone was solemn and dignified, as if what was happening before him was not a mere performance, but a real wedding ceremony.
Su Jinxiu nodded gently and replied softly, "Okay."
As the two were still whispering their conversation, Lingling, her arms overflowing with toys, lost her grip and the windmill slipped from her hands and fell to the ground. The windmill rolled several times before a gust of wind blew it away.
Lingling exclaimed in surprise, quickly put down the things she was carrying, and ran after them. Just as she bent down to pick them up, she tripped over something and fell forward, her forehead hitting something hard.
Lingling looked up blankly, and the first thing she saw was a pair of black cloud-patterned combat boots with thick soles and some dust still clinging to the edges.
She slowly looked up from the boots and saw that the man was dressed in black, close-fitting clothes, covered by soft, willow-leaf-shaped armor. The armor plates were fine and dense, like scales, and gleamed with a cold, sharp light. His black hair was tied up on his head with a silver crown, and he was not wearing a helmet, so his handsome face was fully visible.
However, his aura was chillingly menacing; even a slight furrow of his brow conveyed a sharpness that overshadowed his handsome features. A long sword hung at his waist, and several attendants, also clad in soft armor, stood behind him.
Lingling trembled at the coldness in his eyes, her little mouth twitched, and tears were about to roll down her cheeks.
Seeing this, the man drew his long sword from his waist with a backhand motion. With a flash of cold light, the tip of the sword was already pointing at her face.
"If you dare to cry, you will die."
Even though Lingling was mentally challenged, she could still see the sharp blade and knew that this thing could really hurt and kill people. She was so frightened that she instantly held back her tears and dared not breathe.
"Go, stand over there and watch."
Lingling dared not disobey, so she timidly got up, moved to the side, stood there aggrievedly, and cast pleading glances at Yi Ruxu and Su Jinxiu.
However, things were just getting warm and tender downstairs.
Yi Ruxu held Su Jinxiu's hand and bowed to the Peach Blossom Fairy statue to pray: "Today I bring my bride to see the Immortal Master and ask for your blessing. My bride is the only one in heaven and earth that can be found again. From now on, I will live a good life with her, cherish her and love her. If I ever betray her, I will accept the punishment of heaven."
Hearing his earnest words and sincere feelings, Su Jinxiu gently reminded him, "Brother Ruxu, the order from above is watching. Let's hurry up."
Yi Ruxu turned to look at her, her eyes filled with tenderness: "Okay."
The two knelt side by side on the prayer mat. Yi Ruxu glanced up at the platform and, making sure Lingling was watching intently, said softly, "First bow to Heaven and Earth."
As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swept by, and the peach blossoms fell in a flurry, like a pink rain.
Petals rained down on the man's tall, slender figure and onto the woman's soft skirt, a gentle blessing from heaven and earth, draping the couple in a romantic veil. As they rose, a few pink and white petals clung to their hair, adding to their enchanting beauty.
"Bowing to the parents twice."
Since both of their parents had passed away, they bowed again before the statue of the Peach Blossom Fairy. After the ceremony, Yi Ruxu gently helped Su Jinxiu up.
A strange feeling suddenly arose in Su Jinxiu's heart, and an inexplicable sense of guilt quietly crept into her heart, as if she owed someone something.
It's just a charade, nothing to worry about.
But her feet involuntarily took a half step back, creating some distance between her and Yi Ruxu.
This retreat revealed the Peach Blossom Fairy statue between the two. The small stone statue stood there quietly, as if silently observing everything.
"Husband and wife bow to each other."
Just as Su Jinxiu was about to bow in reverence, a heavy object suddenly hurtled through the air before her, hurtling past at high speed. The gust of wind startled her, causing the stray hairs on her forehead to fly back, followed by a deafening crash that made her eardrums ache. Looking up, she saw an arrow strike the head of the Peach Blossom Fairy statue, which instantly shattered into countless fragments and collapsed to the ground.
Su Jinxiu was shocked. If she hadn't inexplicably taken a half step back, if she hadn't hesitated for a moment...
If it weren't for that slight hesitation, if the two of them had actually bowed to each other, their heads would have blocked Peach Blossom Fairy.
Who will be killed by that arrow?
She suppressed her fear and quickly scanned her surroundings, finally fixing her gaze on the archer.
It was the observation deck on the second floor. There, Lingling was already sobbing uncontrollably, her little face as pale as paper. Beside her, Feng Chen, clad in soft armor, looked like a demon crawling out of hell, holding a longbow firmly in his hand, staring intently at them.
His eyes seemed to flicker with green ghostly flames, and his killing intent was as sharp as frost, as if he wanted to kill the two of them on the spot.
Su Jinxiu looked over and saw Feng Chen raise his hand on the platform, and a servant handed him an arrow again.
He took the arrow, nocked it, drew the bow, and aimed to the left.
"Why did you stop praying? Keep going, aren't you supposed to pray to each other as husband and wife?"
As the arrow fell, it shot straight toward Yi Ruxu's right wrist. Fortunately, Su Jinxiu reacted quickly and pulled Yi Ruxu away, allowing him to dodge in time. However, the arrow grazed his forearm, leaving a bloody gash.
Yi Ruxu was a scholar of the Hanlin Academy. If his right hand were to be rendered useless, it would be no different from a painter going blind or a musician going deaf.
Before Su Jinxiu could even discern whether she was afraid Yi Ruxu would get hurt or that Feng Chen would do something foolish again, she spun around and hurriedly stood in front of Yi Ruxu, raising her head to look directly at the person on the stage who had already gone mad.
Feng Chen's hand, which was drawing the bow, suddenly paused. He then looked away from the arrowhead, tilted his head slightly, and frowned, as if he were carefully examining her.
Her purple dress today was all too familiar, embroidered with white hibiscus, which rippled in the breeze. Her side-braided pigtail hung over her shoulder, making her face appear even more delicate and charming.
Yet this is the very person who wants to tear out his heart and gnaw at his bones. Yet this is the very person who is destined to be his creditor.
His hand tightened around the bowstring, as if he wished he could shoot the arrow and sever all ties with her.
But the arrowhead seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and he couldn't break free from its control no matter what he did, so he couldn't shoot it out.
The two remained locked in a standoff across the distance.
For some reason, Su Jinxiu instantly understood the deeper meaning in his eyes.
Those eyes silently said: If you keep protecting him, I'll make him suffer an even worse death.
Su Jinxiu guessed correctly.
Because Feng Chen on the stage suddenly threw his bow and arrows to the ground, then drew his long sword from his waist and strode towards the stairwell.
Su Jinxiu was terrified and quickly pulled Yi Ruxu back, her voice trembling with fear: "Brother Ruxu, you have to go!"
"Qiao Niang, he has a sword, how can I abandon you?" Yi Ruxu's voice was resolute and stubborn.
"Hurry! He won't do anything to me, you have to go!"
Su Jinxiu turned around abruptly and saw Feng Chen carrying a cold sword, his aura as fierce as the unpredictable forces of the underworld, approaching step by step from the stairwell.
Su Jinxiu hurriedly pushed Yi Ruxu away, but as soon as she put her hand out, Feng Chen's sword came down like a thunderbolt. Yi Ruxu dodged hastily, but still staggered and fell to the ground.
Feng Chen's swordplay continued unabated, and he thrust the sword into the ground. In an instant, most of the longsword was buried in the soil, and if Yi Ruxu hadn't rolled away quickly, the sword tip would have already pierced his throat.
"Are you crazy?" Yi Ruxu asked, both shocked and furious.
Su Jinxiu caught up and tried to grab his hand from behind, but he suddenly flung her away, almost causing her to lose her balance. However, she still rushed to Feng Chen's side and hugged his waist tightly from the front, crying and shouting, "Don't do anything foolish! Stop! What are you doing!"
Feng Chen paused, wanting to pull her away from his embrace, but Su Jinxiu dared not loosen her grip, fearing he might regain his murderous intent, so she could only hold on tightly. He even let her hold him for the time being, and then went to pull the sword from the ground. Seeing that he was about to make a move, Su Jinxiu quickly reached out to stop him. The strength of her soft hand was negligible, but when it touched his wrist, it made those hands, capable of wielding a thousand pounds of iron, strangely stop.
Seeing that his violent temper had subsided slightly, Su Jinxiu quickly cupped his face in her hands, gently stroking it with her fingertips, trying to soothe his agitated mind. The madness in his eyes gradually faded, and his dark eyes finally regained some of their luster as he looked down at the person in his arms.
"Don't do this... Listen to me... Listen to me..." Su Jinxiu said, choking back tears.
"Listen to me..." he murmured, a hint of bewilderment he himself was unaware of, and remained rooted to the spot for a moment.
It seems like a long time ago, she disciplined him so gently.
Su Jinxiu noticed a shift in his expression and, seizing the opportunity, quickly gave Yi Ruxu, who was still shaken, a wink, signaling him to leave the dangerous situation immediately. Seeing that Feng Chen had indeed not harmed Su Jinxiu, Yi Ruxu nodded in agreement, carefully got up, quickly went to the stage to find Lingling, and left the scene of trouble.
As Su Jinxiu watched him leave, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to ask Feng Chen a question, only to be met with a burning kiss, tinged with the smell of blood, that nearly suffocated her. The more she retreated, the more he pressed in, his force so great it seemed he would lift her into the air. Her feet frantically stepped over fragments of the peach blossom statue, and finally, he slammed her hard against a peach tree.
Before the shattered goddess, he desecrated her with a predatory kiss.
After the kiss ended, Fengchen fell completely silent.
Su Jinxiu gasped for breath, bracing herself for his rage, his rebukes, and even the wicked things he might do to her as he always had. But Feng Chen did nothing; he remained eerily still, staring intently at her as if trying to see right through her soul.
If he made a scene, she could scold him or hit him to vent her fear and grievances. But his silence made Su Jinxiu feel that she had done something wrong, and a strange sense of panic, as if she had been caught in adultery, welled up in her heart.
She would rather he went mad.
Su Jinxiu was still catching her breath when she suddenly heard Feng Chen ask in an unusually calm tone:
Do you want to marry him?
Su Jinxiu looked up at him in surprise. His eyes were calm, and his tone was neither playful nor sarcastic. He simply asked quietly and solemnly.
For some reason, she was eager to explain, and quickly said, "Let me explain, we were...we were giving something to that girl upstairs..."
Before he could finish speaking, he asked again, "Do you want to marry him?"
Su Jinxiu was completely stunned, utterly baffled by his intentions.
At this moment, Feng Chen changed the subject, his tone still calm: "When I was the commander, although I was a new official, I still made some meritorious contributions. The emperor rewarded me a lot, and with what my father gave me and what I saved up myself in the general's mansion, I exchanged it all for silver and shops, plus some miscellaneous jewelry, which is probably worth a fortune."
Su Jinxiu frowned, increasingly confused: "So?"
"Therefore, I have prepared Liancheng's dowry for you. If you wish to marry him, then so be it."
"What?" Su Jinxiu thought she had misheard.
So, does he mean to part amicably? To let her marry Yi Ruxu, so that he can marry the perfect match who can receive all his love and respect without any hindrance?
Su Jinxiu knew that this was the best outcome she could be swept up in the torrent of fate, but why was she filled with resentment?
She finally spoke, her voice trembling, "How could you be so heartless?"
How could he be so heartless, wiping the past cleanly, forgetting those two nights of passionate entanglement, and so casually announcing their respective marriage plans?
Upon hearing this, Feng Chen sneered and suddenly grabbed Su Jinxiu by the neck.
Su Jinxiu felt that he was serious this time, and her breathing became labored, and her vision blurred.
Then, his voice, suppressing a torrent of rage, rang in my ears: "I'm heartless? If I were truly heartless, I wouldn't have rushed there overnight upon hearing of the death in the county princess's family, fearing that she would be unable to break off her engagement after six months of mourning! If I were heartless, I wouldn't have agreed to the King of Jing's order to lead troops to the northern desert under his thunderous wrath! If I were heartless, I wouldn't have prepared a dowry for you, watching you marry another! If I were truly heartless..."
"If I were truly heartless...!"
He gasped for breath and resignedly let go.
Su Jinxiu gasped for fresh air, coughing incessantly, yet she heard every single word he said clearly.
The attendants who had been serving him on the platform stepped forward, bowed their heads respectfully, and said, "General, the time has come; it is time to depart."
Feng Chen coldly replied, "The dowry will be delivered to your Shushi Residence tomorrow."
After he finished speaking, he turned and left, and Su Jinxiu was so startled that she grabbed his sleeve.
What she wanted was not this dowry piled high with gold and jade.
She suddenly remembered what her only obsession was when she was searching for him in front of the list of missing people.
As long as he's alive, that's enough. No matter what he becomes, no matter if he has wronged her or not, as long as he's alive, that's enough.
But now even this hope is about to be shattered. If he goes to the northern desert with those eight hundred elite cavalrymen who are doomed to die, how is that any different from throwing himself into a dead end?
Su Jinxiu rushed forward, desperately trying to catch up. But Feng Chen had already strode confidently onto his horse. She rushed over and grabbed the stirrup, her voice choked with sobs: "Please...please don't break off the engagement, and please don't go!"
"Let's leave it at that... You say I'm heartless, perhaps you are."
He then spurred his horse and whipped it. Su Jinxiu couldn't hold on and was pulled to the ground.
She struggled to her feet, staggered as she tried to chase after him, and cried out hoarsely, "Come back here!"
She was all alone in the world, tears streaming down her face.
If this isn't considered fate playing tricks on us, or destiny's cruel calamity, then what is?
Just as she was crying her heart out and nearly fainting, the sound of hooves suddenly turned back. A strong arm swiftly lifted her onto the horse's back.
Before Su Jinxiu could react, he seized her with a passionate kiss that carried the meaning of farewell. The kiss was so intense that she could hardly breathe. He gripped the back of her head tightly, stealing her breath as if he wanted to devour her heart as well.
She didn't know how much time had passed before he stepped back slightly. In her confused state, she heard him ask in an almost broken voice.
"After I die, will you remain chaste for me for six months?"
Author's note: Time to start the next volume! [empty bowl]
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