Chapter 15: Sleepless Night falls, the stars and street lights cast their shadows...
As night fell, the starlight and street lights stretched the shadows of the two people long.
Ling An walked beside Tang Suzi, his eyes falling on her from time to time.
Tang Suzi's face was pale and his eyes were empty, as if his soul had left his body, and he looked distraught.
So Ling An suggested softly,
"Tang Suzi, it's late, let me take you home first."
Tang Suzi turned his head slightly to look at Ling An, forcing a smile.
"No need, Ling An."
She shook her head slightly in refusal.
"You should send Furui back quickly. Miss Lin must be anxiously waiting for it. I... I'm fine. I can go back by myself."
However, how could Ling An not see Tang Suzi's forced smile?
"How can I let you walk alone at night when you're like this? Come on, I'll take you home."
Seeing that he couldn't refuse, Tang Suzi had no choice but to nod. The two of them and the cat walked slowly forward in the quiet night.
Ling An wanted to say something several times but stopped himself, but he knew very well that Tang Suzi might be immersed in her own thoughts at the moment and did not want to be disturbed by the outside world, so he chose to remain silent, just quietly accompanying her without asking anything.
After walking for a while, the night wind seemed to become softer, gently blowing the corners of their clothes.
At this moment, Tang Suzi suddenly broke the silence. Although her voice was soft, it was clearly heard by Ling An.
"Ling An, do you know why I chose to guard the lamp?"
Tang Suzi didn't look at Ling An, but stared ahead, as if he was talking to himself.
Upon hearing this, Ling An turned to look at Tang Suzi, quietly waiting for her next words.
"My master once told me that I keep the lamp to accumulate merit for someone..."
Tang Suzi's voice gradually became low.
"But I still don't know who that person is. Whenever I think of him, an inexplicable emotion surges in my heart, like a huge rock pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe and my eyes involuntarily sore..."
Having said that, Tang Suzi paused, as if trying to calm himself down.
Then she continued,
"Tonight, in that courtyard, that feeling came back to me, stronger than ever before... I felt like... I owed him a lot, but I had no way to repay him."
Ling An listened to Tang Suzi's narration and consoled him softly,
"Tang Suzi, it's normal for you to have some feelings about your past life after returning to the human world. But if these memories bring you pain, try to let them go. Don't force yourself to face them, and don't let yourself get hurt again."
Tang Suzi shook her head gently, tears glistening in her eyes.
"No, Ling An. It wasn't pain, but an indescribable regret and sadness. I don't know how he's doing now, whether he's doing well, and whether he's missing me somewhere..."
"Tang Suzi, you have been keeping the lamp for him for ten years. The Buddha will bless him..."
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the door of Fang's house.
Ling An stopped and said softly,
"We're here. Go back and have a good rest. Don't think too much."
"Well, you should go back soon, don't let Miss Lin wait too long."
Tang Suzi smiled and nodded, then turned and walked into the mansion.
Ling An stood there, watching her figure disappear behind the door, then he turned around and disappeared into the night with "Fu Rui" in his arms.
*
At night, Tang Suzi tossed and turned in bed, feeling uneasy. An indescribable sorrow enveloped her like the night.
Deep in her heart, a voice kept echoing, leading her thoughts back to that quaint courtyard.
She vaguely felt that there might be a key to the mystery of her life hidden there, which could help her unravel the mysteries of her past life.
However, the price of uncovering this secret plunged her into unprecedented contradictions and struggles.
She longed to know the true identity of the person she was protecting, but at the same time, she knew that she was just a passer-by in this world, and this time she returned, she came with a mission.
She has to help Lin Xiangli overcome the difficulties, so that Ling An can have the opportunity to return with her. This responsibility makes her dare not slack off or deviate in the slightest.
She was also worried that if she easily got involved in the entanglements of her previous life, it would violate the order of heaven. Not only might she incur the punishment of the Buddha, but she might also drag the people she cherished into endless disasters, which she could not accept in any way.
I have so many thoughts in my mind that I can’t fall asleep.
Tang Suzi could no longer endure the torment, so she threw back the quilt, got up from the bed, and with the faint light from the brazier in the room, she walked to the table and lit a candle.
In an instant, the candlelight and the light of the fire intertwined together, filling every corner and bringing a touch of warmth.
She wrapped herself in a blanket and curled up by the fire, wrapping her arms around her legs as if she could wrap herself in a little world.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed by the fire, and her eyes stared blankly at the dancing flames in the fire. The flames were sometimes bright and hot, and sometimes dim and soft, just like her worried and indecisive heart at the moment, unable to find a clear answer.
In the world outside the window, the moonlight is as clear, cold and bright as a thread, covering the courtyard covered with snow with a layer of silver gauze.
At this moment, Fang Buyu returned from outside. When he passed by the courtyard, his eyes were involuntarily attracted by the faint light in Tang Suzi's courtyard.
Inside the mansion, most people were already asleep, except for Tang Suzi's room, which was like a lighthouse on an isolated island, emitting a faint light in the inky black night.
He walked on the white snow, slowly approaching, and finally stopped under the old locust tree outside the yard. His eyes pierced through the mist of the cold night and fell on the window frame that was emitting soft light.
Time seemed to become long and endless at this moment.
Fang Buyu kept telling himself that he should not get too involved in Tang Suzi's life, but the unspeakable concern in his heart made it impossible for him to turn around and leave easily.
He just stood quietly outside the window, letting the cold wind blow against him, and a thin layer of snowflakes gradually accumulated on his body.
Until the lights in Tang Suzi's room finally went out, everything seemed to return to calm.
*
In a corner of a mansion somewhere, melodious music lingers and the sound of stringed instruments is heard everywhere.
Inside the room, a copper brazier with a simple shape and fine carvings was burning quietly.
Next to the brazier, a couch made of precious golden nanmu wood was leisurely placed behind the curtain. Wang Gui was half lying on it, looking particularly lazy and comfortable.
He was wearing a loose mink robe with the collar half open, revealing his round belly and shiny skin. One hand was casually placed on a small and exquisite silver stove, and the other hand was holding a crystal clear jade cup filled with amber wine. As he gently shook it, the wine sparkled with an alluring luster in the light.
His eyes were blurry and greedy, and he glanced at the dancers surrounding him from time to time.
Those dancers seemed tireless and unafraid of the cold. They were dressed in light gauze and had graceful figures. They danced lightly to the melodious music, and every movement was full of endless charm.
A meaningful smile appeared on Wang Gui's lips. He raised the jade cup in his hand and took a sip of wine. The mellow taste instantly bloomed on the tip of his tongue, making him close his eyes involuntarily.
Then he deliberately raised his glass and cast a seductive glance at the nearest dancer.
When the dancer saw this, two blushes appeared on her cheeks.
She seemed to be attracted by Wang Gui's gaze and danced even harder.
Wang Gui laughed out loud when he saw this. He stretched out his hand and beckoned the dancer to come closer to him.
The dancer leaped lightly to the side of the couch, bent down, and approached him in an extremely charming posture.
Wang Gui took the opportunity to stretch out his arms, wrap them around the dancer's waist, and pull her closer.
The distance between the two people was instantly shortened.
Wang Gui's eyes were filled with desire and greed. He gently stroked the dancer's cheek and hair. Just as he was about to kiss her, a sudden voice interrupted his next action.
The butler had walked up to him without him noticing, and whispered in his ear,
"Sir, Miss Lin requests an audience."
Wang Gui frowned unhappily after being interrupted. He turned to look at the housekeeper with obvious dissatisfaction in his tone.
"Which Miss Lin?"
The housekeeper knew that he had ruined Wang Gui's good fortune, and he felt uneasy in his heart, but he still answered with a stiff upper lip.
"She is the daughter of the former prefect Lin Bowen—Miss Lin Xiangli."
Hearing this, Wang Gui couldn't help but sneer.
"What is she doing here?"
But then he remembered that Lin Bowen's case was still pending, and he couldn't help but feel a little worried:
There are still variables in the case of Lin Bowen. I can't offend the daughter of the former prefect easily, otherwise once Lin Bowen turns to power, I will probably be in trouble.
So, he suppressed his dissatisfaction, slowly sat up straight, straightened his clothes, and ordered,
"Take her to the lobby and wait."
"yes."
*
Led by the palace's housekeeper, Lin Xiangli and Ling An walked towards the lobby along a quiet path paved with bluestone.
On both sides of the path, rare flowers and exotic plants bloomed without fear of the severe cold, exuding fragrance, as if leading them into a secret realm other than this world.
As you enter the lobby, you will notice a huge ivory carved table in the center, covered with a soft silk tablecloth. Various exquisite porcelain and gold and silver utensils are arranged in an orderly manner, and each piece reveals extraordinary craftsmanship.
As the daughter of a prefect, Lin Xiangli has been frequenting various prominent occasions since she was a child and has witnessed many luxurious scenes, but such a ostentatious and grand arrangement has far exceeded her previous imagination, and she couldn't help but marvel at it.
Wang Gui is just a county clerk, but he can live such a luxurious life. The reason behind this is naturally self-evident.
Lin Xiangli really couldn't imagine how her honest and upright father could have any connection with such an official who lived a luxurious life and acted ostentatiously, let alone being in cahoots with him.
"Would my father be in cahoots with someone like this?"
She repeatedly asked herself in her heart, and each time she firmly denied it.
"How is this possible...Father, he can never be that kind of person."
Just as she was lost in thought, a deep voice came from behind, interrupting her thoughts.
"Ms. Lin is so honored to have come. I am sorry for not coming to greet you."
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