The Deposed Crown Prince had Three Lifelong Regrets - Chapter 16

Chapter 16

“She, she, she.”

The big man struggled to articulate anything meaningful about “she” for a long time, so Li Qinghuai consciously found a comfortable corner to lean against. Midway, she passed the little maid, patted her shoulder, and signaled that she could leave as there was no need for her to stay. As she squatted down, she slightly tilted her head and unexpectedly made eye contact with an acquaintance.

She gasped lightly, asking with some displeasure, “You are staying with them?”

The implication was that Su Wushuang, being a woman, should at least be given proper accommodation. While lack of resources on the road was excusable, it was unacceptable that despite being invited here, she was not even given a spare room, which was contrary to custom.

The other woman smiled shyly, “Alas, I’m used to it. It doesn’t matter. Besides, it seems there genuinely aren’t any empty rooms.”

Li Qinghuai didn’t know that the person surnamed Lu was disliked by the townspeople. She still believed Lu was invited, just like herself, and was being fully accommodated as an honored guest.

But she knew this dilapidated town was fraught with unresolved issues, and the head of the household was neglectful. The old woman, who was privy to the inside story and constantly worried, should have aimed to fill the manor with people. How could she treat guests harshly, forcing both men and women into one woodshed?

If one investigated the layout of the manor, they would find many vacant guest rooms, and the number of Taoists who had come here was limited.

After rolling her eyes, she quietly muttered, “I’d like to see where else she can find people to fill those guest rooms.”

There were two large woodsheds and one small woodshed.

Why only offer the use of a small, abandoned woodshed?

“Master Lu is a good person. Don’t speak carelessly if you don’t understand. Honestly, in this day and age, some people still don’t understand that helping others is an act of kindness, not an obligation. There’s absolutely no reason to morally pressure Lu Fengmian.”

The big man stammered for a long time, finally saying with righteous indignation.

Li Qinghuai was utterly bewildered midway through his speech, simply because the man’s tone was so overly dramatic and his words were escalating to an irrational level.

“Wait a minute…” She wanted to interrupt him, but a soft opening sound and the light that preceded it broke her off.

The newcomer was beautiful, with a hint of panic in her expression—it was the very person who had been troubling their thoughts, Lu Fengmian.

She probably thought everyone was arguing and burst in, startling everyone into silence.

Li Qinghuai vaguely thought, She’s late. The main argument is over. What’s left are just trivial matters. I could have handled this without you.

“Zhao Pan’er?” Lu Fengmian surveyed the room, surprised to see her, and blurted out the name.

The sound brought Li Qinghuai’s runaway thoughts back. She waved her arms, smiling brightly at the person.

She shuffled to the right, clearing a space on the straw mat to her left, patting it with her hand, “Sit here?”

She didn’t directly answer the question. Firstly, it was unnecessary to confirm if the person was using her alias, and secondly, a simple, “It’s me, I’m here,” would genuinely make her feel awkward and embarrassed.

This was no longer their first reunion. The feeling of flattery from desperately seeking attention made her feel a chill, recalling the time she was under house arrest, having to look at people’s faces for permission to eat, sleep, or write letters.

It was horrifying.

“You…” Lu Fengmian couldn’t make sense of the situation immediately.

“What ‘you’? Come over and sit.” Li Qinghuai took a few steps forward and grabbed her hand.

Strangely, the person did not pull away. However, details are hard to perceive, and Li Qinghuai, confident in her usual tolerance, didn’t dwell on it.

This oddity was for Lu Fengmian. Instead of holding back or being falsely accommodating, the palm holding hers was warm, bringing a sense of comfortable tenderness.

A sense of awkwardness still lingered, but her body’s instinct seemed to reject any future separation.

Her first thought was not to investigate the reason, but that the other woman had gotten thinner, yet her complexion looked good, suggesting a fast recovery.

Lu Fengmian belatedly realized her own thoughts and the danger they posed. This sudden perspective, as if she were a partner, made her hesitant. Before she could decide whether to pull her hand away, she was half-persuaded to sit down on the straw mat.

She quietly put her hands on her lap, holding back the sudden surge of emotion.

“Look at me. I heard that more people came down from that broken mountain—two women plus about ten people from the security bureau,” Li Qinghuai spoke freely and cheerfully. “I knew it had to be you. See, with a little inquiry, I found you right away.”

“You only had seven or eight people before, and now you have more. It seems everyone can see that you have a kind heart and feel safe following you.”

Her heart was uneasy, but outwardly, she listened calmly.

One compliment after another failed to comfort Lu Fengmian. Only the person involved knew the bittersweet complexities within.

Since birth, the one thing noble families never lacked was praise for their young ladies. They were praised and coaxed to learn poetry and etiquette, persuaded and consoled to follow the rules and teachings of their elders.

If young masters were scolded and whipped for being uneducated, those who weren’t expected to inherit the family business were simply subject to the aversion of their fathers and grandfathers.

When matters escalated, those who cared about family honor would express anger, and those who didn’t—there were none who didn’t care.

“Is that so,” Lu Fengmian replied casually.

After her mother’s death, her father, who had married into the family, returned to his own home, leaving her alone in the Zhao Manor to live under the scrutiny of others.

Her grandmother pitied her and took good care of her. The others, therefore, gave her some leeway in her upbringing. Fortunately, she had learned all the complete rites and propriety before moving to Beiping, while she was still lingering in the wilderness.

“Of course! So, the fate I prayed for day and night has finally manifested. We are a destined couple, a golden match—well, although it also takes my own effort.”

Li Qinghuai was cheerful by herself, but Lu Fengmian didn’t even bother to humor her. She hated others discussing her marriage, whether seriously or in jest, and she couldn’t stand to hear either praise or criticism.

In terms of reading people, Li Qinghuai was not too bad. She stretched, extending her muscles and bones. “I should go back. You should go back and rest early too.” She looked deeply at the other woman, then turned to leave without a moment’s hesitation.

The sound of her footsteps faded away, and Lu Fengmian didn’t try to stop her, almost forgetting the question she had meant to ask.

“Zhao Pan’er, why did you stay here?” She hadn’t forgotten after all, remaining true to her initial purpose.

Li Qinghuai stopped in her tracks, thought for a moment about an entry point, and then slowed her steps, explaining everything before pushing the door open to leave. “When I arrived, I was staying at the inn. Somehow, the name of the Maoshan Daoist got out, and the old woman deliberately cornered me when I went out to buy clothes.”

“I don’t know about the others.”

Her hand touched the door, and she pushed it outward with force.

“Is that so? I had to use every ounce of my effort to get in here,” Lu Fengmian laughed.

This minor inconvenience wasn’t enough for self-mockery, but the person at the door still turned around, her face instantly turning sour as if she had been personally offended.

“Ha.” Li Qinghuai laughed angrily. Seeing that the other person remained composed and did not intend to complain about anything, she could only turn back to face the door.

The door was pushed open hard and then slammed shut hard.

The receding footsteps revealed the owner’s anger, as if every step was cursing the people in the manor for being “snobbish.”

Lu Fengmian didn’t understand her, nor did she want to understand her thoughts. When traveling, there were always times when one was not welcomed. Besides, accommodating them was already an act of great charity from the owner, and criticizing anything further would be asking too much.

“Will you come again tomorrow or the day after?” she called out, raising her voice toward the outside.

No one answered. Her legs, folded on the straw mat, had fallen asleep. She struggled to get up, intending to chase after the other woman.

Before she could take the first step, someone tugged at her sleeve. Lu Fengmian looked sideways in surprise.

“Sweet dreams.” Su Wushuang looked up at her, her eyes holding a trace of apology.

The spring water melted the firm ice. This beautiful young woman was only seventeen or eighteen. She ran a small shop and worked as a guide near Tuo Mountain, but she had mistakenly stepped into this muddy situation with no way out.

The prime of her life. Even if she wasn’t a great beauty, she was a lovely girl. Her life was being ruined just like that.

Lu Fengmian lowered her gaze and crouched down, reversing her grip on the young woman’s hands. She said frankly, “Don’t worry, you will be fine.”

The young woman didn’t apologize, and Lu Fengmian didn’t presume to tell her not to feel remorse. She just offered a brief comfort to reassure her. She looked into the other’s eyes, neither retreating nor evading, giving a slight smile and a gentle pat.

“I must go ahead and find that older sister who left earlier. You stay here in peace for now. I will come back in a few days.”

Her smile was highly infectious. The young woman was silent for a moment, then withdrew her hands behind her back and nodded, saying, “Okay.”

Lu Fengmian was thus able to leave the woodshed with a smile. The others didn’t stop her. Perhaps everything that could be said had been said, and all the struggling that could be done had been done. All that remained was a profound sense of helplessness.

Once she stepped over the threshold, most of the smile vanished from her face.

She walked around various pillars, and every time she thought the person was hidden around the corner, she turned to find nothing.

As the saying goes, leave a line open when you deal with others, and you’ll meet again later.

Zhao Pan’er was walking so fast, clearly not wanting to be found. Lu Fengmian nodded in understanding. She turned around, looking for the way back to her guest room, departing lonely and solitary. Of course, this was only how it appeared to outsiders. The calmness and composure of her inner world were beyond comprehension.

The person she was looking for was only separated from her by a wall. Fate was so teasing. By the time Li Qinghuai poked her head out, she could only see Lu Fengmian’s retreating figure.

Li Qinghuai was no longer so angry. Her ridiculous behavior was just to amuse the other person. Whether it was a hearty, unrestrained laugh or simply thinking the person was funny, as long as she could laugh, it wasn’t a total defeat.

After years of struggle, there must be an end.

Twilight descended, and the sun gradually approached the western mountains. The feeling of being alone in an empty room was a pleasant experience for someone who often had to force a smile.

Lu Fengmian pushed open the window. Cooking smoke was curling up. She pondered going to the woodshed to draw a blood charm for protection.

Thinking so, she did so. She found some grass paper and ground the ink herself. She outlined the protection charm stroke by stroke, practicing about ten times until the night became dim.

Fire trees, silver flowers, and decorated lanterns—the spring night here was quite lively, wealthy, and substantial.

Coincidentally, the first person she met upon leaving her room was not a servant, but Shao Cheng, the martial artist she had seen on Tuo Mountain. Having met, they couldn’t avoid a brief conversation.

“Good evening, Miss Lu. Where are you headed?”

Lu Fengmian forced a smile, waving the grass paper in her hand.

Shao Cheng leaned in to look. “You certainly have a good way to relax. Wait, is that a painting? It looks like a diagram. Is it a talisman?”

“Why practice it if you have nothing to do?”

For a moment, Lu Fengmian couldn’t quickly answer. It was only normal to practice talismans in one’s free time when one was hired for a job.