Yang Ling was a little shocked: "You said it was the teacher who asked me to... No, how... What gives you the right to say that!"
Luo Shenyuan still sneered, "And no one noticed what he did, because in the eyes of others, I was the student he loved. So the attacks from Wang Yuan and others were all on me. Let me tell you, if you were in my position, you would have died hundreds of times! Now that you are still alive, you should thank me."
Yang Ling still didn't react, and Luo Shenyuan waved his hand away.
"Lord Yang, we cannot work together if we do not share the same ideals. You are so honest, upright, simple and stubborn that you should not be in cahoots with me. Let's part ways now. I will not plead for Xu Wei's case, although I would advise you not to—but you certainly won't listen." Luo Shenyuan turned and walked into the mansion. The door slowly closed. Someone came forward to hold an umbrella for her.
Luo Shenyuan stood under an umbrella, the lanterns under the eaves emitting a faint glow, red crepe lanterns, and he remembered the day she kissed his chin. Outside, the temple fair was bustling, with many large red lanterns strung together. Longing was like thirst, but the water to quench it was far away, and he could only get thirstier.
He wondered where she was now, whether she was cold or not. He really wanted to find her immediately and bring her back. But this was a very irrational idea, and there was a high possibility that he would never return. Furthermore, the situation in the court was very treacherous, and a single misstep could lead to a complete loss. He couldn't act rashly.
He looked for a long time before whispering, "Let's go." Then he walked into the heavy snow.
He should go see Wang Yuan tomorrow. He doesn't care what others say about him. For him, power is the key to achieving what he wants.
*
Datong Protectorate of Shanxi.
Luo Yining has been here for nearly a month, which means it has been a month since she left the capital. The winter here is colder than in the capital, and she suffered from acclimatization after half a month of recuperation before she could move around. Cheng Lang stayed in the Protectorate. He should have some official business in Datong, and he was often seen busy. Luo Yining lived in the house behind him. If she wanted to leave the house, she had to pass through the front yard. But the front yard was full of Cheng Lang's guards. Cheng Lang's attitude towards her was even stranger. He didn't contact her often, but if she wanted to go out, he would never allow her to.
Luo Yining leaned against the cushion, closed his eyes and thought.
The house was heated by floor heating, making it warm as if spring had arrived. A few unfamiliar maids were milling around, bought from human traffickers, never used, and used solely to tend to her daily needs. She didn't distinguish between the older and younger maids, nor did she bother to do so. She only knew the two who served her closely: one was the same age as her, named Wanchun, and the other, two years older, named Wanxing. There were also some maids who cleaned and cooked, but she couldn't remember them all.
The mansion was spacious and beautifully decorated. While the exterior was a simple quadrangle courtyard, planted with holly and Xiangfei bamboo, and paved with gravel, the interior was lavishly furnished, with a dedicated cooking area for her. Perhaps hoping to boost her mood, Cheng Lang had someone come and cook for her, but she still ate very little each day.
A few days ago, she was finally able to go out. Luo Yining observed the surroundings and found that the Protectorate was indeed scary. There were guards inside, and there were probably secret sentries. Guards in thick coats were patrolling outside, with heavy hands. After Cheng Lang took her out, she saw a river outside and a temple across the river. There were houses lined up next to it, and alleys crisscrossed. If she could get into these alleys, she might be able to escape. Because it was the end of December and the New Year was approaching, people started to post couplets and hang firecrackers everywhere.
Cheng Lang saw that she was not interested in the surrounding scenery that day, so he asked her: "Do you want to buy something? The beef here is delicious."
She just glanced at him indifferently.
Cheng Lang walked to the butcher's shop and asked the butcher to cut half a pound of beef. Then he came over to her and said, "I used to visit you every New Year... You're buried in the Lu family's ancestral tomb. Every time I went, Lu Jiaxue was actually there."
Yining was silent.
"...He would ask everyone to leave and stay there alone. One time, I accidentally walked in and saw him half-kneeling there... I had never seen him like that before." Cheng Lang continued, "But apart from this, there was nothing else. He was still the same Lu Jiaxue. If I hadn't checked Xie Min, I wouldn't have thought he killed you."
"There's a place selling scraps of cloth over there," Cheng Lang pointed with his slender hand. There were a lot of scraps of cloth in front. "When I was little, you often made them for me to play with. Do you remember?"
He walked over to buy some, smiling as he came towards her, passing through the bustling crowd.
Yining felt as if she saw the child leaning on her shoulder.
Unable to bear watching, she turned her head away and suddenly noticed a hay storage room nearby.
Datong was a major border town, with numerous horses and vehicles traveling back and forth, and a high demand for fodder. A cart carrying waste fodder emerged from the Protectorate and entered the warehouse. Yining's breath suddenly tightened. She remembered that the stables were not far from her courtyard...
She had to go back quickly! The later she went back, the more her reputation would be in jeopardy. She also missed Luo Shenyuan immensely, and everyone else.
Thinking of this, Luo Yining put down the book in her hand. She had tried to remain calm over the past two days, acting as if she had adapted to the place, so that these people would let down their guard.
She also figured out the distribution of guards. Since she was a woman, there were few guards in the backyard. But she had to be wary of secret sentries, and also about when the hay cart would arrive and when it would leave. It was almost done. She had thought of many ways to try. She still had the jewelry she wore when she went out—a solid gold bracelet and exquisite gold earrings—to use as travel expenses.
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