Chapter 103 "Don't worry, I won't let you become a widow..."
*
Amidst the old green and new green, white and red intertwine, complementing and enhancing each other, resembling the most vibrant painting in the world, lively and pleasing to the eye.
The greens were blue, the whites were white, and the reds were red, creating a dazzling display that seemed to dazzle anyone who unexpectedly arrived outside the bamboo grove, leaving them momentarily stunned.
Looking at the man and woman embracing in the bamboo forest, Mu Lin had to admit that they were a perfect match in appearance. The cool and noble white and the bright red were like snow burning or red plum blossoms falling on snow.
His emotions were complicated; it wasn't exactly envy, nor was it jealousy.
After an unknown amount of time, he heard familiar footsteps approaching and gently patted his shoulder. He subconsciously turned his head and met Feng Chengying's slightly worried gaze.
"Ah Lin, come with me."
He followed Feng Chengying, walked around the bamboo grove, and came to the flower pond in the garden.
The pond water has warmed up, and the grass along the water's edge is lush and green.
The two stood side by side. Feng Chengying tugged at her skirt, which was a bit inconvenient, and asked him, "What do you think about this?"
He glanced in the direction of the bamboo forest, then lowered his eyelids, his voice somewhat muffled, "Does it matter how I see it?"
“Of course it’s important.” Feng Chengying put a hand on his shoulder, just like many times before. “Ah Lin, Uncle Jiu has always valued you. You know that better than anyone else. I think what he least wants is for you to drift apart from him.”
“He is…” He swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue. “I know he has always been good to me, and I don’t blame him. I just feel a little uncomfortable.”
One was an elder he respected, and the other was a girl he liked; he couldn't remain indifferent.
Feng Chengying nodded, indicating her understanding.
“I understand how you feel, but you know in your heart that Ali has no romantic feelings for you.”
"I..." he hesitated, "I can feel that she treats me differently. The way she looks at me is always special and warm..."
"Did you notice that the reason she looks at you the same way she looks at everyone else is because it's as if she's looking at someone through you?"
"You mean, the person she likes is Uncle Jiu, and the reason she treats me differently is because of Uncle Jiu. When she looks at me, she's thinking of Uncle Jiu." With each word he spoke, his feelings became more complicated.
Sometimes, those directly involved are blinded by their own perspective; if they could listen to the opinions of bystanders, they would gain some clarity.
“I’m not sure if Ah Li was thinking of Uncle Jiu when she looked at you, but it’s true that she has no feelings for you.” Feng Chengying said, patting his shoulder twice. “Ah Lin, matters between men and women cannot be forced. It requires mutual consent. If it is only your consent, you must not hate someone because they are heartless.”
He understood Feng Chengying's meaning perfectly. He gave a bitter smile upon hearing this, "I was originally thinking that perhaps if we spent more time together, A-Li would start to care about me..."
"Ah Lin!"
“Ah Ying, I understand what you’re saying, and I won’t hold a grudge. I’m even happy for Ah Li, happy that the person she likes is Uncle Jiu. Uncle Jiu used to think she was scheming, but now it seems he understands her character and knows she’s not that kind of person.”
With his words, Feng Chengying felt a little relieved. Then, as if thinking of something, her eyes became somewhat melancholy. "Love is a very troublesome thing. If one never knows the taste of it, perhaps one will not be bothered by it."
"Ah Ying, you..." He vaguely sensed something was wrong and was about to ask something when he caught sight of someone coming this way. After recognizing the person, he called out.
Yu Jingliang saw them from afar: the spirited young master of the Marquis's mansion and the incomparably noble princess of the court. The man was handsome and the woman was spirited; they looked perfectly matched.
For some reason, his heart, like water ruffled by the wind, began to ripple inexplicably. As he drew closer, the growing sense of loss piled up like a mountain, weighing heavily on his heart, making it unbearable.
"Your subject greets Your Highness."
Feng Chengying frowned. When she was a man, her beautiful face gave her a feminine appearance. Now that she had returned to being a woman, she had some masculine features, and her brows were filled with a heroic spirit.
When those slightly narrow eyes glanced at people, they seemed to faintly glow with a peach blossom-like hue.
"We'll meet in private; there's no need for formalities."
Having said that, she plopped down on a nearby rock, her posture as imposing as ever, just like when she was a member of the Divine Martial Guard. She slightly raised the corner of her eye, patted the spot next to her, and gestured for Yu Jingliang to sit down.
Yu Jingliang hesitated for a moment, then sat down.
The two weren't exactly standing close together; there was a gap between them.
Even so, it is still impolite and against the rules.
He looked somewhat uneasy as he explained his purpose in seeking out Mu Lin.
It turned out that there was an urgent matter in the camp, and Mu Wei and Shen Kunyao had already left. Before leaving, they told him to stand up for Mu Lin and take care of things in the manor.
"Alright, we'll go back together later, I'll help you." Feng Chengying patted him on the back. "Now that I'm not in the Divine Martial Camp, no one will make you unhappy. Don't you think that's great?"
His heart skipped a beat, and he felt as if the spot where he had been slapped was on fire. Just as he was about to stand up, Feng Chengying pressed him down.
"I won't blame you for anything you say. Just speak frankly and don't hold back."
This was the most distinguished young woman in the world, no longer his colleague. He could no longer speak casually, or laugh and joke with her as before.
But he hopes they will remain the same as before, with nothing changed except for the change in their status.
"Then I'll be frank." He took a deep breath and said, "We didn't feel it when we were on duty together before, but now that you're not here, Ah Lin and I both feel a bit out of sorts. Ah Lin, don't you think so?"
Mu Lin was singled out and could only echo his opinion.
"I'm asking you a question, why are you asking about Ah Lin?" Feng Chengying snorted coldly, glancing sideways at Yu Jingliang, "Just talk about you, don't bring Ah Lin into this."
Yu Jingliang scratched his head, "I... I feel a bit uneasy about you leaving, but I'm happy for you that you're going to be a princess."
Feng Chengying smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with his answer. She lifted the embroidered gold skirt with one hand, casually fiddling with it a few times, and said with a hint of disdain, "Being a princess is meaningless, and the palace is even more boring. I don't like these cumbersome clothes at all."
He wholeheartedly agreed, saying, "That's true. If you wanted to be a princess, you wouldn't be serving in the Divine Martial Camp."
A moment of silence followed, as if they had just found a place to rest and recuperate after countless past competitions and exchanges. Even though they didn't say a word, there was no awkwardness at all.
After a long pause, Feng Chengying said casually, "Otherwise, if you were transferred to the Changming Guard, we could see you often."
His eyes lit up. "Are Ah Lin and I both being transferred? Then the three of us can be together again!"
Feng Chengying did not answer him, but looked at him with a helpless expression.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" He suddenly thought of something and became excited. "Ah Ying, are you itching to have a few moves with me?"
After saying that, he looked around, trying to figure out where would be suitable, completely unaware of Feng Chengying's increasingly helpless gaze and the realization in Mu Lin's eyes.
Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Huh? Where's Ali?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly saw startled birds taking flight in the sky above the bamboo forest, and his expression changed abruptly.
At the same time, Mu Lin's expression changed.
Feng Chengying suddenly stood up, his face full of solemnity. "There's a situation over there!"
*
Bamboo leaves, like flying blossoms, danced wildly in the cold glint of the sharp weapon.
Two forces were locked in a fierce battle: one group consisted of people dressed in green who blended into the bamboo forest, and the other group consisted of masked men in black.
Shen Qinglu was protected by Mu Hanshi and was far away outside the battlefield.
Life and death are separated by a mere instant. Amidst the flashing swords and the falling of people, she truly experienced the cruelty of the struggle for imperial power.
The fresh scent of bamboo mingled with the stench of blood, creating a nauseating odor.
"If you're scared, close your eyes," Mu Hanshi told her.
"I'm scared," she replied honestly, without closing her eyes.
Even when she was on the verge of death in her past life, she kept her eyes open, because that is a right only the living have.
She was completely within Mu Hanshi's protective range. The man's tall and slender figure was like a pine or cypress, upright and able to shield her from wind and rain, which made her feel inexplicably at ease.
Survival is a perilous journey. If she hadn't relied on this powerful figure, she and her family would likely have perished like the people lying on the ground.
Thinking of this, she gripped Mu Hanshi's clothes tightly, as if afraid of losing this protection.
Mu Hanshi lowered his head slightly, meeting her determined gaze.
Those pupils, as black as ink jade, are like the most immaculate mirror in the world, making one want to immerse oneself in them.
A dark figure lunged forward, a flash of sword energy passing through her eyes.
Mu Hanshi seemed oblivious, still intently watching her. Without hesitation, she activated the mechanism of the hidden arrow. The delicate hidden arrow flew out swiftly, striking the man's vital point.
The man collapsed instantly, convulsed a few times, and then died.
When Feng Chengying, Mu Lin, Yu Jingliang, and the others arrived, they happened to witness this scene.
Yu Jingliang was shocked, firstly because Shen Qinglu was actually with Mu Hanshi, and secondly because he had witnessed his sister kill someone.
When he saw Mu Han holding Shen Qinglu's slightly trembling hand, he was so shocked that his eyes almost popped out.
Feng Chengying ripped off her crown, tore open her magnificent outer robe, threw it aside, and shoved him. "What are you standing there for? Waiting to die?"
He glanced at Feng Chengying in his martial attire, snapped out of his daze, and immediately joined the fray.
The men in black came in waves, seemingly endless, which showed how anxious and ruthless the person behind them was.
After an unknown amount of time, the fighting finally ended.
The ground was covered in large patches of black, interspersed with small patches of green.
Feng Chengying, Mu Lin, Yu Jingliang, and the others all had some bruises on their bodies, but none of them cried out in pain. They skillfully examined the corpses of the men in black and counted the number of dead.
Yang Zhen wiped the blood off her face with her sleeve and respectfully asked Mu Hanshi, "My lord, with so many corpses, it's probably impossible to deal with them all in a short time. Perhaps we should find a place to hide them first?"
"Why hide it?" Shen Qinglu asked.
Her hand was still being held in Mu Hanshi's palm, and it was still trembling uncontrollably.
Everyone was watching her and Mu Hanshi's hands, which were still clasped together. Even someone as oblivious as Yu Jingliang could see through the situation at this moment.
“Ali…” Yu Jingliang’s mind was a little confused. He hesitated and beckoned to her, “Come to your second brother.”
She whispered to Mu Hanshi, "I'm fine now, please let me go."
Mu Hanshi looked at her intently, but did not let go. "What are your thoughts on how to deal with these people?"
The man's grip was extremely strong, holding her firmly. She knew she couldn't break free, so she simply let him do as he pleased. "Now that things have come to this, I think there's no need to hide anything anymore."
“You’re right. Since it’s already been made public, there’s no need to hide it anymore.”
As Mu Hanshi spoke, he gestured for Yang Zhen to hand him the sword.
"My lord..." Yang Zhen hesitated for a moment, but still presented the sword.
He took the sword and then released Shen Qinglu.
Shen Qinglu guessed what he was planning to do and pressed down on his arm. "Just make it public. Why hurt yourself to harm the enemy?"
"Are you concerned about me?" He leaned closer, his voice barely audible to the two of them.
"I just think life is precious and I don't like to see people hurt themselves."
His A'Zhu...
Someone who so desperately wanted to live, someone who couldn't bear to see others harm themselves, actually made that choice.
In this lifetime, he will never let her go again; he will be with her forever!
"Don't worry, I won't let you become a widow."
"..."
This guy is definitely a madman!
How can you stop a madman from doing whatever he wants?
Thinking this, Shen Qinglu stepped aside to avoid being splattered with his blood.
His eyes darkened, and after returning the sword to Yang Zhen, he said to her in a low voice, "I'll listen to you."
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