Chapter 48
The young musician nodded as if he understood, then followed Lin Jiangzhi with his zither, quietly leaving the sparsely populated street.
On the other side, Yuan Qiong chased the bird for three blocks but still couldn't catch it. In the alleyway with its gray bricks and tiles, she wandered aimlessly around and around. She called out into the empty alley, "Big Black Beard! Come out!"
Yuan Qiong was still wearing the same clothes she wore when she went to prison. Half of her hair was tied up with straw from the prison, while the other half was loose on her shoulders, fluttering in the breeze through the alley. Her fair and pretty face was tilted up, and a feeling of grievance slowly spread through her.
"I know you're around here, come out!"
The stained hem of her skirt swayed gently with her movements. This woman, who was usually dignified, elegant, and precious, was now completely disregarding her status and dignity, shouting loudly for the person who had vanished without a trace.
"Didn't you hear me? I told you to come out!"
Hong Xin, who had been following behind her, stopped a short distance away, looked around, and frowned slightly: "Young lady..."
Yuan Qiong seemed not to see him at all. She flew up to the top of the tallest house and, ignoring the surprised looks of passersby, shouted fiercely, "Black Beard, I know you're here and can hear me."
"I will wait for you at the inn for three days. If you do not appear within three days, then from this day forward, our relationship will be completely severed, and we will have no further connection whatsoever!"
Yuan Qiong's tone was harsh, carrying an unprecedented resolve. After speaking, she glanced at the crowd, then turned and left.
She once considered betraying her family for this man. He rejected her.
Later, for this man, she spared Black Cloud Village. But he betrayed her.
He asked her, "Do you believe me?"
She said, "I believe."
Her trust was rewarded with this result.
He abducted her against her will and disappeared without a word, offering no explanation.
This is the third time she's abandoned her pride for this man, disregarding her disheveled appearance after being released from prison, and shouting in the street like a common woman. He still hasn't appeared.
She would wait three more days. If he still didn't show up, then she wouldn't need to be soft-hearted anymore.
"You, take me to the inn." She stood in front of Hong Xin with a cold face.
"Hey young lady, what kind of behavior is this? You don't even know how to be polite when asking for help!" Hong Xin rolled her eyes. Yuan Qiong turned to leave, but he quickly pulled her back, saying, "Oh dear, I didn't say I wouldn't take you. You're so pretty, how can you have such a bad temper?"
"It's quite a distance. Can I call a carriage?"
Yuan Qiong shook him off: "No need."
Hong Xin sighed, her handsome face full of helplessness.
He raised his hand in a gesture of invitation and led the way: "Let's go, my precious young lady."
Yuan Qiong followed behind him without looking to the side, her hands clasped at the edge of her upper garment, her back straight, her feet light and steady, her steps neither too big nor too small, each step perfectly spaced, the curve of her skirt extremely elegant.
This elegance was ingrained in her very being. Hong Xin glanced back at it unintentionally, and then she couldn't take her eyes off it.
Yuan Qiong glanced at him: "Why are you looking at me? Watch where you're going!"
"Oh, oh!" He was usually so carefree, but he was unusually flustered. After turning around, he couldn't help but sneak a peek: "Young lady, was that your husband you were calling out to on the street? How did you know he was around here? Was that bird his pet?"
"What's it to you?"
"Nothing, I just wanted to ask." Hong Xin smiled with her eyes narrowed, her attitude appearing extremely easygoing.
Yuan Qiong sneered: "Unsolicited kindness is always suspicious. Tell me, what is your purpose in rescuing me?"
"My purpose, huh?" he said with a grin. "If I said I wanted to marry you, would you be angry, my little lady?"
"Your husband is so clueless. If I had a wife like my little lady, I would cherish her in my arms every day. How could I bear to let you suffer alone?"
"Heh." Yuan Qiong sneered, remaining noncommittal.
"Huh? What? Young lady, you don't believe me?"
“I, Hong Xin, have no other merits, but I am devoted to love. If you, my dear wife, remarry me, I promise that I will never take a concubine and will only marry you for the rest of my life.”
What if I die?
"Hahaha, my wife, rest assured, I will surely die before you. As long as I live, I will ensure that you suffer no harm." Taking advantage of the situation, he immediately changed his address: "Besides, what kind of man is he if he can't even protect his own wife?! You..."
The moment these words were uttered, they instantly enraged Yuan Qiong. A cold glint flashed from her sleeve, and a dagger pressed against Hong Xin's chin. She glared fiercely, "Shut up! Who's your wife? I'll cut your tongue out if you say another word!"
Even if the bearded man has a thousand faults, that's between the two of them. No matter how angry she is, it's none of anyone else's business to judge!
Hong Xin remained unfazed, still standing there with a roguish grin, slowly lowering the dagger between two fingers, laughing, "Little lady, you certainly have a fiery temper. But I like it. Hahaha..."
Yuan Qiong tried to break free but couldn't, and could only let the dagger fall down as his arm bent.
Just then, a group of patrol officers passed by and greeted Hong Xin. Seeing Yuan Qiong behind him, they all winked and teased him. Hong Xin released the dagger from his fingers, smiled, exchanged a few polite words with them, and continued walking.
Yuan Qiong watched his retreating figure, her narrow fox eyes dark and deep, before finally following him.
Sensing the woman following behind, Hong Xin's smile deepened, and she said with apparent sincerity, "The relationships in your large family are too complicated. Our small family doesn't have so many rules or so many twists and turns."
"I don't know what's going on between you and your husband, and I don't care about your background, but as long as you say you're willing to marry me, I'm not afraid of anyone, not even the King of Heaven himself!"
His sincere words sounded gentle yet powerful, and any woman with a soft heart would be moved.
Unfortunately, Yuan Qiong is heartless. Soft? Hah...
"You?" She glanced at him dismissively. "Are you worthy?"
"......"
Hong Xin laughed heartily: "You may feel right now that I'm just a city defense officer, a lowly position unworthy of you. But that's only temporary. Once you marry me, I promise you will be no less than any other woman! I will never betray you in this life!"
"laugh."
Men's words are deceitful, and the emperor is the best example. He kept saying he would love her for life, but in the end, he still slept with her half-sister.
Yuan Qiong was too lazy to pay attention to him and pretended not to hear him.
Even a powerful dragon can't suppress a submissive snake. She had just been released from prison and was unfamiliar with this place. Offending a local tyrant whose background she didn't know would do her no good. It was better to ignore him.
As for Hong Xin saying she'd marry him... haha, that's a joke! They've only met three times already. Marry him? On what grounds? Love at first sight? Nobody believes that! Who knows what kind of scheme is behind it all!
As they entered the market streets, the crowds grew larger and the noise intensified. Yuan Qiong followed Hong Xin, her eyes fixed straight ahead, as they walked through the vendors hawking their wares. It took them about half an hour to finally reach the inn.
As soon as she entered, the shopkeeper behind the counter saw her and exclaimed in surprise, "Madam? Where have you been these past few days? Why do you look so disheveled?"
With a smirk, Yuan Qiong spoke rudely: "Don't you know how I ended up like this, shopkeeper? I understand you don't want to meddle in other people's business, but don't pretend to be innocent and clueless."
"..." The shopkeeper was extremely embarrassed and didn't know how to respond, so Hong Xin smiled and stepped in to smooth things over: "Shopkeeper, a few days ago I asked us to reserve the young lady's room, did you do as I said?"
The innkeeper immediately seized the opportunity, smiling obsequiously: "How could I dare to neglect Lord Hong's orders! Please come in to room number one, Madam's luggage is all intact."
Merchants are driven by profit and are indifferent. Yuan Qiong didn't say anything more and went upstairs. Hong Xin also followed her up without any sense of propriety.
"Please wait here, Lord Hong." Upon reaching the door, Yuan Qiong turned around, her previous indifference vanishing. Considering that this man had saved her, Yuan Qiong remained polite: "Thank you for saving me this time, Lord Hong. If you are willing to help, I have another request."
"A request? Tell me about it."
“While I was in prison, there was a mother and daughter next door who were refugees from Shandong who had been arrested. I wanted to ask you to help them get out; I was willing to pay any amount of money.”
Her request amused Hong Xin: "There are many refugees in prison. You only saw the hardship of that mother and daughter, so you were overcome with compassion and wanted to rescue them. But there are countless others you haven't seen who are even more pitiful than them. Can you possibly save them all?"
"..." Yuan Qiong paused for a moment, then raised her head: "If Lord Hong is unwilling to save me, then so be it. Just pretend I didn't say anything. I want to be alone. Please leave, sir."
After saying that, he slammed the door shut with a "bang!"
"Hey? Are you angry? I never said I wouldn't help!" Hong Xin banged on the door twice: "Young lady, you can't be so quick to discard someone after they've served their purpose, can you? You won't even offer me a drink of water?"
Then he banged on the door a few more times, but there was still no response from inside.
"Then I'll be going now! My dear, you should rest well. I'll come to see you again tomorrow."
Hearing that there was no more movement outside the door, Yuan Qiong sat wearily in a chair, her eyes vacant and filled with a trace of sadness.
After a while, she opened the door with a creak and said to the waiter at the bottom of the stairs, "Prepare a bucket of hot water for me."
"Okay, please wait a moment, sir." The waiter quickly went downstairs to prepare the water.
A gentle east wind stirs the hazy light, and fragrant mist hangs in the air as the moon moves across the corridor.
The flowers are asleep in the dead of night, so I burn a tall candle to illuminate their red beauty.
While bathing, she closed her eyes and slowly slid herself into the water. Only underwater, when all her senses were shut off, could she truly find peace.
Not far away, the window that Yuan Qiong had just closed tightly was now open. A tall man sat on the wide windowsill, one leg dangling inside the window, the other bent, holding a dripping crabapple blossom in his hand.
He sat quietly for a while, and through the indistinct screen, he saw the woman on the other side emerge from the water with a "whoosh." He smiled slightly and placed the crabapple in his hand on the windowsill.
When Yuan Qiong finished bathing and came to the window, she saw a bunch of fresh crabapple blossoms on the closed windowsill.
Only one person can do this kind of thing.
Her fingertips lightly touched the delicate petals, and she scoffed, "Since you've always been here, why don't you dare come to see me?"
With a sudden burst of force, the delicate and vibrant crabapple blossoms were instantly ravaged beyond recognition.
"Big black beard, don't make me hate you."
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