I'm Feng Aotian—And I’m Running Away from My Wedding - Chapter 32

The girl’s cheeks still held a trace of youthful innocence, but her eyes were no longer as clear as when they first met. Instead, they carried a hint of cold detachment, as if she had seen through the ways of the world.

Li Baiying guessed that the other girl was likely around fifteen or sixteen years old. In other words, the illusion was replaying scenes from her life in the Qin family.

After all, they had not seen each other for a full six years since parting ways at thirteen. Everything that happened in between could only be gleaned from rumors and gossip.

All she knew was that Qin Yixiao had not been living well in the Qin family.

“Hah, so you still remember to come back?” The old steward made no move to retract his iron whip, even arrogantly pointing at her. “The young master ordered you to go to the training ground today. Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“I didn’t know.”

Qin Yixiao didn’t spare him an extra glance and repeated, “Now, please leave.”

“Hey, you’ve got some nerve!”

The steward paid no heed to her warning. With a wave of his hand, a swarm of servants rushed in. “Today, I’ll show you who really calls the shots in the Qin family!”

Tensions escalated instantly. Li Baiying couldn’t help but glance at the girl, who remained standing tall and straight, not a trace of panic on her face, as if she were a detached puppet observing the scene.

“If you cripple me now, I’ll have an excuse not to go to the training ground.”

“This…” The steward’s face flushed red then pale, his anger nearly making him forget the orders of the Qin family’s true master. Coming to his senses, he glared fiercely at the hesitant servants. “What are you standing around for? Tie her up and drag her to the training ground if you have to!”

“As for the rest of you, for failing in your duties, each of you will receive twenty strikes of the rod as a warning!”

…

Facing an unjust punishment of twenty strikes, Li Baiying felt deeply frustrated. But she had no intention of taking it lying down. As the attendant approached, she swiftly struck the back of his neck without hesitation.

Then, she stripped off his outer garment, draped it over herself, and hurried toward the training ground.

She didn’t know what Qin Yixiao would face, but judging by the steward’s tone, it was certainly nothing good.

Along the way, she moved so swiftly she nearly became a blur, weaving through the crowd.

“Thud!”

A flash of blood, and the girl was sent flying off the arena like a broken kite, crashing heavily to the ground.

“Trash will always be trash. After all these years, you haven’t improved one bit. What an embarrassment to the Qin family.”

“Hah, young master, why bother instructing her? Don’t dirty your hands.”

Qin Mo stood arrogantly on the arena, arms crossed, his eyes filled with disdain. Beside him, lackeys immediately handed him towels and water, eagerly cheering him on. Anyone unaware might have thought he had accomplished some earth-shattering feat.

Not far away, the girl lay motionless on the ground, everyone giving her a wide berth.

In the Qin family, such a scene was so commonplace that it drew no surprise from anyone.

“Bang!” Li Baiying forcefully pushed through the crowd of onlookers and rushed toward the unconscious girl.

She bent down, carefully lifting her, doing her best to avoid touching her wounds.

“Oh? And who might you be?”

Qin Mo snorted coldly, a smirk stretching across his face. “Don’t tell me you’re her lover? What, planning to stand up for her? I’m ready anytime!”

Li Baiying said nothing, tearing off her sleeve and twisting it into a cloth strip to bind the girl’s bleeding wound.

After swiftly completing this task, she hoisted the girl onto her back and turned her head slightly, her gaze sharp as an arrow, directed at the tall disciple nearby. There was no anger in her eyes, only contempt.

“Is bullying the weak something to be proud of?”

A faint red glow gathered in her palm, like a violent flame, ready at any moment to strike his arrogant face.

Suddenly, she felt a gentle tug on her sleeve. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the girl shake her head slightly.

It was just like when they were thirteen, working together to intercept the Shadowless Bear. Back then, Li Baiying had wanted to teach the insolent Qin Mo a lesson, but Qin Yixiao had insisted on letting him go.

Now, the same scene was repeating itself.

But Li Baiying was no longer the defiant youth she had once been. Her eyes dimmed, and without another word, she silently carried the girl, who felt almost weightless, and began walking down the mountain along the path they had come.

“Hey, what do you mean by that? I’m talking to you! Answer me!”

Seeing her completely ignore him, Qin Mo’s face flushed with embarrassment. He and his gang of cronies hurried after her. “What do you mean, bullying the weak? This was a fair and proper duel!”

Li Baiying paid no heed, her figure quickly disappearing around the bend in the road.

She feared that if she lingered even two seconds longer, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from tearing him to pieces and grinding his bones to dust.

When they returned to the humble thatched hut, she gently laid the girl down and began rummaging around for something to treat the wound.

“Under the third shelf.”

Seeing her scramble around like a headless fly, Qin Yixiao spoke up to remind her.

Finally, Li Baiying found a small box. Without bothering to examine its crude packaging, she crushed the medicinal herbs inside and carefully applied them to the exposed wound.

Sunlight streamed through the window, falling on her focused profile. The intensity in her expression held the girl’s gaze for a long while.

“Why did you come looking for me?”

“I felt like it.”

Li Baiying uttered the two words curtly, finishing the last of the herbs. The hidden worry in her tone only deepened. “Is there a market nearby? I’ll go buy some more.”

“No need.”

Qin Yixiao reached out and gently hooked her fingers around Li Baiying’s. “Stay and talk with me for a while. Just a little while.”

In that moment, she seemed like a homeless kitten, seeking a sliver of comfort.

“Alright.” For some reason, Li Baiying felt a tightness in her chest. She set down the empty medicine box and sat cross-legged beside the girl.

Suddenly, a weight settled on her shoulder.

“This is what my daily life in the Qin family is like. Are you disappointed?”

“I have no talent and no one to rely on. I’m like a weed by the roadside, anyone who passes by and doesn’t like the look of me can step on me. And yet, I can’t leave this soil. I can only cling to life, barely surviving.”

“It’s not your fault…”

“Shh.” The girl softly interrupted her, her eyes calm and unreadable. “You don’t need to pity me. I’m used to this kind of life.”

“As long as I pretend I can’t stand up, the bullying will stop. They lose interest in tormenting a plaything that doesn’t fight back, and I can escape unscathed.”

“But you-”

“I’m not like you. You believe in repaying violence with violence. But for me, what good would it do to kill these people, to flay them and tear out their tendons? The harm is already done. No amount of revenge can change the past.”

The girl’s eyes were hollow, filled more with a despair that spoke of a heart turned to ashes. “It’s meaningless, utterly meaningless,” she murmured softly. “Staying here or going out makes no difference to me, both are equally dull.”