Chapter 114: Autumn Has Arrived
Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Autumn Has Arrived
Before she passed out, all she could remember was his face, completely apathetic.
When she woke up, Liang Wan saw the familiar bed canopy. Before she could process her surroundings, a breathtakingly beautiful face leaned into her field of vision.
She froze for a second. The memories of the Imperial Prison suddenly flooded back. Shoving him away, she huddled into the corner of the bed, clutching the quilt tightly around herself.
"Stay away from me!"
Whether out of fear or grievance, a heavy, suffocating feeling clogged her chest. She kept her head down, unable to stop the tears from streaming.
Liang Wan wiped her tears. How could she have forgotten? This was exactly who Lu Xiu was—an Immortal on the outside, a devil on the inside.
Lu Xiu didn’t get angry, nor did he try to approach her again. He simply sat on the edge of the bed, watching her in silence.
Eyes red, she glared at him fiercely. "You just wanted me to see her fate on purpose, didn’t you?"
Lu Xiu didn’t deny it.
She gripped the quilt tighter. "Do you think this will scare me off?"
"Scare you off?" Lu Xiu’s eyes reflected the cold, clear light of the autumn moon. His voice was chilling. "Why would I use this to scare you off? If you didn’t go, would she have been spared the torture?"
Liang Wan stammered, "But—"
"But you didn’t have to watch. Is that it?"
Lu Xiu looked away from her. He sat there quietly, his gaze fixed on the flickering lantern light nearby, as bright as the autumn moon and as cold as a snow-capped peak.
"Isn’t this the path you chose for yourself? Some things don’t simply cease to exist just because you turn a blind eye. You only had to watch today, but have you ever thought about what would happen if you were the one experiencing it someday?"
He lowered his eyes and said faintly, "Only by remaining constantly aware of what you might face can you walk with absolute caution every step of the way."
Tears still clinging to her lashes, Liang Wan stared at him in a daze, unable to speak for a moment.
After a long while, he looked back at her. "Do you still want to continue?"
After she killed Zhang Shi, she had thought that seeking revenge merely required a ruthless heart.
Liang Wan took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. "I want to continue."
He extended a hand toward her. She hesitated for only a fraction of a second before reaching out to take it.
She barely took two bites of her dinner, but Lu Xiu didn’t force her.
The autumn night washed away the daytime heat, filling the room with a refreshing coolness.
Lu Xiu held her tightly in his arms as usual, resting his chin on the top of her head. Through his thin inner robes, Liang Wan could clearly feel his strong heartbeat. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP. For some inexplicable reason, the steady rhythm put her at ease.
"How can you be so completely unfazed?"
She had vomited and passed out, yet he was completely unaffected. She couldn’t help but admire him.
Lu Xiu chuckled deeply. "The first time I saw something like that, I was six years old. When I got back, I had a high fever that didn’t break for three days."
Six years old?!
Liang Wan abruptly sat up from his embrace, staring at him, completely at a loss for words. In her eyes, Lu Xiu must have been pampered since childhood, sheltered from the slightest harm like a fragile treasure.
Lu Xiu sat up as well.
Liang Wan found it utterly unimaginable. "Why would the Grandmaster expose you to such things at six years old?"
Lu Xiu couldn’t help but laugh. "Did you think all the scions of noble families were idle and ignorant?"
"This isn’t just about—"
Lu Xiu guided her back down to lie beside him and adjusted himself into a comfortable position before sighing. "No one can live under the protection of others forever."
After saying that, he simply dropped a kiss on the top of her head and fell silent.
Lying against his chest and listening to his heartbeat, Liang Wan found herself unable to fall asleep.
A few days later, the matter of the assassin was settled. It was concluded that they had been sent by the Zhou Country to the north. The north had always been eyeing them like a tiger watching its prey; with their new monarch ascending the throne in the past two years, their ambition had only grown, leading to repeated provocations at the border.
Autumn was often a time of dread for its withering leaves and fading colors, but perhaps because the courtyard was overflowing with blooming chrysanthemums, Liang Wan didn’t find the season bleak at all. Instead, it looked remarkably vibrant and colorful.
August the twenty-second was an auspicious day for the Tangyi Marquis Mansion to welcome a live-in son-in-law.
As dusk approached, the ox-drawn carriage rolled to a halt in front of the Tangyi Marquis Mansion.
Lu Xiu raised an eyebrow at the person who had been brimming with excitement the entire ride. "Do you still need my help today?"
Beaming, Liang Wan stood up and waved her hands repeatedly. "No, no need!"
Truth be told, this entire affair had been brought about by a single word from him. Before the Dragon Boat Festival banquet, she had only mentioned it to him in passing. She hadn’t expected him to actually remember it, let alone find an opportunity to seal the deal so decisively.
It truly saved her a lot of trouble!
Seeing her looking happier than if she were the one getting married, the corners of Lu Xiu’s lips curled up. But then he suddenly remembered something, and his smile gradually faded.
When Lu Xiu didn’t say anything, Liang Wan took the lead and stepped out of the carriage.
Marquis Tangyi had fallen severely ill and passed away just a few years after marrying Princess Lanling. Aside from having one daughter together, they had no other children.
Not long ago, with Prince Guangping playing matchmaker, an excellent candidate was selected as a live-in husband for the lady of the Marquis Mansion—the recently rising figure, Cui Yuebai.
Word had it that Cui Yuebai first made a name for himself by single-handedly fighting off a group of bandits. Later, with a recommendation from the Grand Commandant and the favor of Prince Guangping, he had not only secured an official position but was now marrying into the Marquis Mansion. For a mere descendant of a Commoner Clan, he had hit the absolute jackpot.
For ordinary families taking in a live-in son-in-law, a few tables of wedding banquets and a small sedan chair would suffice. But because the mother-in-law in question was Princess Lanling, it was an entirely different story.
As soon as Liang Wan got out of the carriage, she spotted Song Tan welcoming guests at the door. Standing beside him were quite a few stunningly handsome male favorites.
The sight was rather bizarre.
Stifling a laugh, Liang Wan walked over.
The moment he saw Liang Wan, Song Tan looked as if he had seen his savior. He hurried forward in quick strides, completely devoid of his usual elegant Tan Lang demeanor.
"You’re finally here!" His powdered face carried a faint flush on the cheeks, adding a touch of androgynous beauty to his appearance.
His tone was filled with complaint.
Judging by his appearance, Liang Wan could already guess what was going on. She teased with a smile, "How could they bear to leave you out here to brave the wind and sun?"
Song Tan sighed. "The Princess has been a widow for years. Although she has many male favorites, it’s been a long time since she’s hosted a joyous occasion. Moreover, this marriage was jointly approved by Prince Guangping and the Grand Commandant, so she places immense importance on it and has intentionally gone all out.
"In any other family, the male master would be the one welcoming guests at the door. But the Tangyi Marquis Mansion has no male master, so we have to step in!
"Just look at them swarming like bees. The moment a guest arrives, they are immediately dragged inside by someone else. Now that you’re here, I can finally claim I’m escorting an esteemed guest and won’t have to come back out."
Song Tan’s face was full of resentment, making Liang Wan want to laugh even more.
But before he could finish venting, he suddenly reined in his frustration and bowed respectfully toward her.
"Grand Commandant."
Just as Liang Wan was about to turn around, the person behind her had already stepped up to her side.
"Would I be wrong to call you someone who burns bridges once you cross them?" He shot Liang Wan a brief glance before gesturing for Song Tan to rise.
Song Tan straightened up, and the look he gave them now carried a different, knowing nuance.
Liang Wan offered a sheepish smile.
Lu Xiu didn’t look at her, turning his attention to Song Tan instead. "Wanwan has already told me about your brother."
Song Tan’s expression stiffened. The playful complaining from earlier vanished, replaced by a tense seriousness on his face.
Ignoring both of their reactions, Lu Xiu said mildly, "My investigators reported that your brother was taken away by one of the guests at the banquet. As for exactly which one, too much time has passed, so they still need to rule them out one by one."
Song Tan’s eyes turned red. Looking a mixture of joy and sorrow, the words he wanted to say caught in his throat.
"There’s also no record of your brother in the gate logs, so he should still be in Jinye City."
Liang Wan looked at Lu Xiu in surprise. It had been nearly two months since she mentioned this to him, and there had been no news. She had seen how swamped he was with official duties lately, so she hadn’t felt comfortable asking about the search. She never expected that he had actually found a solid lead.
To think that what he uncovered in just two months was far more useful than all their years of asking around!