“Don’t you want to ask me why I came here?” His low voice finally broke the silence between us, and actually, I had been waiting for him to ask me this.
I raised my eyes to look at his familiar features, always feeling that although he was right in front of me, I could never touch him. Just like the silver-masked man in my dream.
“Anyone can come here, but I really want to know why you suddenly left that time!”
After a long time, I spoke softly, thinking I had already stopped caring about his mysterious disappearance. But now I realized I had always cared.
“Why did you come back?” He did not directly answer my question, just asked with an even more hoarse voice.
His eyes never fell on my body; he just looked at the somewhat uneven characters I had drawn beside me.
“Why come back? Obviously wanting freedom so much, yet still returning here. Is it because you can’t let go of that person?” He said almost in a whisper, speaking words I did not quite understand.
I stared at him intently, looking at his now weathered face. In just a few years, he seemed like an old man who had experienced life’s hardships.
I touched his excessively beautiful face. “Because some people, some things force me to stay!” I said somewhat excitedly.
“Some people? Some things?” He suddenly laughed because of my words. My hand that had just touched his face withdrew because of his laughter.
Looking at his laugh, I felt a pain in my heart. It seemed that since returning to modern times, my feelings toward Shui Zixi had changed.
“I can send you away, I just hope you won’t come back after leaving here!” His laughter stopped suddenly, but the desolation on his face grew deeper.
I stared blankly at his fluctuating emotions, somewhat confused. I didn’t know what he was thinking, why he had become like this. But the Shui Zixi before me was no longer the one I used to know, and my feelings for him were not as simple as I had imagined.
Whether because of curiosity or because he had the same face as the man in my dream, his every move stirred my heart.
“Is it because of Cang Lian? Because of him, you returned here. Because of him, you would give up your freedom. For him, you can always lose everything!” He continued muttering those mysterious words.
After speaking, he turned away desolately. However, at the moment he was about to step out the threshold, he stopped: “You should leave here. This place is no longer suitable for you!” Then he continued walking forward.
Looking at him, I suddenly wanted to stop his advancing steps: “Did you come here just to say these things? Did you already know I would come here? Don’t go!” I spoke to his gradually disappearing back.
But my words seemed to have no effect on him.
Conspiracy (Part Three)
This time, I again watched him leave. I stared at his departing figure for a long time without moving.
Just as Shui Zixi said, I wanted to leave here, but I came back to understand the relationship between us and the connection of the images in my dreams with Shui Zixi.
I made a foolish decision that ultimately made me lose everything.
I stayed in the small house for a while before returning. I knew Yufei’s people might still be following me, and she was aware of my every move.
But I did not know what she wanted. I was of no use to her, just accompanying her for meals every day.
“Foster mother, Yan’er wants to leave the palace to play and buy some things!” During meal time, I said this with a calm face. But my heart was not calm. I knew she most likely would not agree. I wanted her to know I was not her puppet and I had my own thoughts.
“The palace lacks nothing. Tell mother, and mother will immediately order someone to get it!” She seemed unsurprised by my request.
“The palace does not have what I want!” I said gloomily.
“Leaving the palace is probably impossible. I’ll have Ling go out and buy it for you!” Her tone had turned rigid.
“Hmm!” I did not persist with my request.
“Summon the imperial decree!” Just as we were silently eating, a eunuch’s sharp voice suddenly rang out from outside.
Hearing his voice, I had an ominous feeling in my heart. A fleeting joy that did not escape my eyes flashed across Yufei’s face.
I sighed heavily in my heart. She could finally no longer restrain herself.
The eunuch outside, seeing no one was receiving the imperial decree, entered the room without waiting for our response.
“Which one is Ran Yan’er? Come with me!” The eunuch held the imperial decree but did not read it, only speaking softly.
Consort Yu seemed to have no suspicions, just giving me a look to go out.
I followed him, not knowing what was going to happen.
“Miss, you should leave the palace quickly! The State Master asked me to tell you that after going out, do not return here, or the consequences will be beyond what you can bear!” The eunuch said, following Shui Zixi’s instructions.
“Was it Shui Zixi who sent you?” I suddenly became confused about the situation.
“Yes, the State Master truly has foresight. If it were an hour later, you would likely be in the King’s bedchambers by now!” His words made me freeze on the spot.
I murmured, my heart trembling, wondering what Weiluo’s mother was going to do to me: “Is it Cang Lian’s bedchambers?”
Conspiracy (Part Four)
He nodded at me and continued walking towards the palace gate.
“The State Master asked this servant to tell you that if you truly have someone or something you cannot let go of, he will help you. You should leave here as soon as possible. Consort Yu is not as simple as you think, and Young Master Weiluo is not as deeply affectionate as you see.” The eunuch sighed while speaking. He had been in this palace for over forty years and had seen through many people’s hearts.
“Someone I cannot let go of? He will help me, is that right? Then why doesn’t he come and tell me himself!” My voice was calm, but my heart was aching with an inexplicable pain that invaded my entire body.
Just as I was speaking with the eunuch, my path was suddenly blocked by a group of strangely dressed palace maids.
“Eunuch, where are you going? Leaving the palace?” The palace maid spoke in a gloomy voice, with a chilling look in her eyes that was frightening. Her robust build blocked my and the eunuch’s way.
“Aunt, this servant is just following orders to take this miss out of the palace on business!” He spoke with a pleasant expression, his face full of smiles, yet with an underlying helplessness and fear.
“Eunuch, you can go out alone on business, but this miss is someone the King wants. If she leaves the palace with you, how can we explain this to the King!” As soon as they finished speaking, they ruthlessly pushed the eunuch aside and carried me off in another direction.
He cupped my face and murmured, his face bearing an unmistakable sadness and despair.
In that instant, I clearly saw tears glistening at the corners of his eyes, his reddened eyes full of helplessness and panic.
“Ran Hui’er has long been dead, and the person standing before you is nothing more than a stranger who looks very much like her!” I said, letting him hold my face, quietly looking at him.
“Yes, Hui’er is dead, killed by me, she died in my arms!” The Cang Lian before me seemed not to be the Cang Lian I knew, this fragile person made me feel strangely afraid.
“You’re drunk, rest well!” Looking at his appearance, my heart felt an inexplicable compassion. I knew clearly that this seemingly cold man also had a fragile side, with fears unknown to others.
“Don’t go, don’t go, stay with me! I don’t want to lie alone on this blood-stained bed!
