"My heart is not made of stone; it cannot be turned."
Yue Sheng's heart skipped a beat. Looking at the pearl in her hand, tears welled up in the corners of her eyes. She didn't know what they were, but they flowed out uncontrollably like a dam bursting. "...My heart is not made of stone, it cannot be turned. He is indeed an idiot."
After this pearl came into Yan Chongmao's hands, he had carefully kept it hidden, never showing it to anyone. Huayue Tower had sent agents into the mansion several times to investigate, but to no avail. Yan Shaoqing should have known what this pearl meant to his father and to the General's Mansion. He had clearly already sensed something, so why did he continue to deceive himself and pretend to be ignorant?
"Yes, all men are idiots and pigs," Tang Chen said, picking up a handkerchief to gently wipe the tears from the corners of Yue Sheng's eyes.
Actually, this wasn't too difficult to guess. Their love-hate relationship must have stemmed from some grudge between their ancestors, with the fate of their families simply falling squarely on their shoulders. Yue Sheng might have known about the feud between the two families long ago. As for Yan Shaoqing, every noble family, since ancient times, had some hidden secrets. Perhaps he knew, either openly or covertly, about his father's early deeds. Or perhaps he witnessed them firsthand.
After wiping the tears from her face, Yue Sheng turned around and took the pearl to a small shrine dedicated to some unknown deity. When she returned to the main hall, she simply stroked Tang Chen's cheek and said with a smile, "...You can go now. Whatever you say next will be meaningless."
Tang Chen also knew that she couldn't hide her little thoughts from Yue Sheng. She didn't know what had happened between them. What she wanted to say was actually very simple. Since the two people really loved each other, why couldn't they let some things go?
Of course, Tang Chen also knew that he was not them and had never experienced anything like this. He was afraid that he really couldn't understand their difficulties. Perhaps, when he encountered the same thing, he would not be able to do what Yue Sheng did. "Okay, then I won't waste my words. Since you won't let me say anything else, then I will say something off topic. We have known each other for a while, and I am just a bystander to you. It has nothing to do with your grudges, do you understand what I mean?"
Yue Sheng helped Tang Chen straighten her messy hair, and after taking out a hairpin from her sleeve and pinning it on her, she smiled and said, "You little girl, you've eaten so many good things from my Huayue Tower, and accepted so many beautiful jewelry from me. When I have something to do, I will naturally not forget to call you to do the hard labor."
Tang Chen's eyes looked at Yue Sheng for some reason, and after a sudden change, they immediately returned to their original state: "...I'm very happy to do so."
"Let's not talk about this anymore, Achen, do you still remember what I warned you about earlier?"
"I remember, but..." As he spoke, Tang Chen looked at the person waiting for him in the yard outside the door and couldn't help but smile: "But, as a bystander, I have already fallen into his trap and can't get out."
Yue Sheng looked at Wang Yanzhou. This time, she didn't let Tang Chen stay away from her. Some things can only be truly seen clearly at the last step. If she were given another chance, she would definitely go to guess lantern riddles again during the Lantern Festival; she would definitely compete with that ungrateful young man again. Even at this moment, she still has no regrets about what she has done. This life is just like this. In the next life, she hopes to unload the heavy burden on her shoulders and meet him again in the dim light.
"If you have made up your mind, then no matter how difficult the road ahead is, don't give up, okay?"
Tang Chen nodded and said, "Yes! But you also know that I am afraid of trouble. I might escape one day."
Yue Sheng felt somewhat helpless and pushed Tang Chen out the door: "Alright, let's go, he has been waiting for you for a long time."
"...I'll help you watch him, don't worry."
"Thank you very much."
After leaving the abandoned house, Tang Chen lowered his head and said nothing on his way back to the county town. He only kicked the pebbles on the road and pulled out some innocent weeds from time to time.
Wang Yanzhou knew that she was upset, so he stopped and hugged Tang Chen in his arms: "Don't be like this. If you are sad, just cry for a while, it will make you feel better."
Tang Chen buried his head in Wang Yanzhou's warm embrace. He had been silent before, but at this moment, all his emotions burst out: "I know I have no control over their affairs, and they have nothing to do with me, but I just feel bad!"
Tang Chen's resentment was not only due to the irreconcilable relationship between Yue Sheng and Yan Shaoqing, but also due to her worry about Yue Sheng. If she hadn't met her today, she would never have imagined that the woman who had always seemed so healthy with rosy lips and white teeth had become so haggard. Her pale face, the faint smell of blood emanating from her body, and the bright red blood quietly flowing from her ears were all shocking.
Wang Yanzhou seemed to know that Tang Chen had discovered something. While gently patting Tang Chen's back, he explained softly: "...Chen Xin had treated her earlier. She had previously committed suicide to save Yan Shaoqing and was poisoned. Right now, she is just stalling for time."
"Does Master Yan know about this?"
"She probably won't tell him."
Where will Yue Sheng and Yan Shaoqing end up? Just as Yue Sheng said, their fate has been decided from the very beginning...
After the two returned to the city, it was already getting dark. Wang Yanzhou said he was too lazy to walk anymore, so he took Tang Chen back to Liuxiang Tavern. As luck would have it, a guest just happened to come to Tang Chen's courtyard.
Seeing the gate locked, Liang Shuyi leaped over the wall and entered. After using a dagger to pry open the front door and enter the house, Liang Shuyi looked around but couldn't find Tang Chen. Just as she was wondering, the sound of footsteps in the yard drew her attention. Before she could even leave, Liang Shuyi bumped into Lin Feng.
"Hey, isn't this Lord Lin? Tang Chen is not here, do you know where she went?"
Lin Feng also jumped over the wall and came in. Hearing the noise in the house, he thought Tang Chen was at home, so he came in: "...If she is not here at this hour, she should be at the Liuxiang Tavern."
Without waiting for Lin Feng to ask if she had anything to ask Tang Chen, Liang Shuyi kicked the gate and broke it down before stalking off. Lin Feng looked at the heroically sacrificed gate, then at the figure radiating murderous intent. He didn't know what had happened, but the first thing he did was run to the woodshed, grab some tools and planks, and quickly began repairing the gate, intending to have it completely fixed before Tang Chen returned.
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