Bian Liang City.
On the second floor of the guest room of Yue Lai Inn, a slender figure dressed in white, sat leaning against the window. Her elegant and delicate facial features were covered by a layer of ice and snow. In addition to her expressionless face, her body exuded an air of cold alienation, so daunting that it was impossible for anyone to approach her.
Looking at the endless stream of people on the street below, she was wondering why she had to hide in her bedchamber for her meals and also she had to wear a hat and veil all the time to avoid being recognized. Her indifferent eyes carried a streak of anger.
Dong Fang Tang, you are really capable!
Unexpectedly, he had such remarkable power and ability to put up 'wanted' portraits of her on every street and every door, whether small or big and it actually made her looked like an escaped criminal!
Even Long Feng Restaurant branches in all the towns throughout the country had also put up her portraits. She had also heard that while he was seeing his patients, a portrait of her would be hung up and he would ask everyone to help look for her.
All these were done publicly and openly. In secret, the people of Ming Yue Manor*, Tang Men* and Jing Wang Mansion* were also looking for her. And Dong Fang Tang even made trips every once a while to look for her in Le Mountain and Miao Jiang. Thus she was unable to return home even though she had a home and also she had to hide behind a veil whenever she ventured out.
(Ming Yue Manor - the first place Dong Fang Hai Yao hid to nurse back her health after her fall from the cliff.)
(Tang Men - a special martial arts family-clan famous for their excellent skills in martial arts, production of poisons and hidden weaponry, frequently mentioned in martial arts novels.)
(Jing Wang Mansion - the residence of Jing Wang and Jing Wang Fei, the couple skilled in martial arts ~~ Book 3 - Wang-Ye Captures His Wife.)
A year ago, he chose to save Liu Cai Lian first and she understood in her heart that Liu Cai Lian was indeed in a more dangerous situation than she was. But to understand was one thing and to her, it was unforgivable.
The man who had made a promise to stay with her until they grow old and their hair turned white had.......in the end, betrayed her!
At that moment when she fell, images of him asking her to trust him flashed across her mind.
He had said ~~ Three thousand weak waters, he will only take one scoop.
He had said ~~ In this life, he will never betray her.
She had believed in his words and therefore, opened up her heart to him. But in the end, she had to watch as he saved another woman first and let her slipped into the sea. In the sea, she was inundated by the icy cold water, life and death were only separated by a fine line and her chest tightened painfully, unable to breathe.
Fortunately for her, she escaped death and her heart that throbbed painfully for him had long calmed down.
She will no longer believe in him and now she even hates him.
In this lifetime, she never wants to see him again.
There was no trace of warmth in her cold expressionless eyes as she gazed at the endless stream of horses and carriages on the street.
Suddenly, there was a commotion at the far corner of the street and her cold eyes flashed. She picked up her hat and veil that was placed on the table and went out in a hurry.
"What do you want?"
Qiu Yu stood in front of her Mistress defensively and looked at the big man in front of her with caution. She and her Mistress were only here to buy something and did not expect to be cornered by four people. They had just arrived in Bian Liang City and did not have any grudges with others. What did these four people have against them?
"Don't be nervous. We won't hurt you. It's just that we want to borrow something from you to have a look."
The big man, who was leading the group winked at the other three people. After all, they were on the street, so their movements must be quick so as not to cause a disturbance.
"What do you want to borrow?"
Cao Zi Yun walked out from behind Qiu Yu. Even though she was afraid in her heart, she still looked calm on the surface.
But she did not get any reply from them and instead the four people moved quickly and dragged the Mistress and her maid to a dark alley.
"Let us go! What exactly do you want?! Don't hurt my lady!"
Qiu Yu screamed repeatedly. On one hand, she was trying to draw attention and on the other hand, she was hoping someone would be willing to help them. She was also afraid that the four people would treat her Mistress in a rough manner.
With deft movements, the four people quickly dragged the two women into the dark alley. Unexpectedly, the big man who first spoke to them quickly pulled off the silver bracelet from Cao Zi Yun's wrist and then pushed her towards Qiu Yu who was able to catch her falling body just in time.
Cao Zi Yun leaned on Qiu Yu's arm and stood up again. Fighting against the feeling of dizziness and with a pale face, she asked.
"Why do you want to take my silver bracelet? What is your intention?"
Did these people come just for this silver bracelet? Looking at the big man who was seriously studying the silver bracelet that was pulled from her wrist, she could not help but wonder about the intentions of these people.
"Let us go!"
Seeing that they have obtained what they came for, the leader threw the two women a glance and ordered the other three men to leave.
"Give the silver bracelet back to her or else don't think of leaving!"
The four men looked back in surprise and saw a girl who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. The girl wore a hat and veil and was alone, so the four men did not consider as a threat to them.
"This girl who cannot be seen......it is better for you to mind your own business. If you don't, then don't blame us for being impolite."
"I would like to see how impolite you can be."
Ruan Xiang Yin flipped the green jade flute in her hands and at the same time, her feet moved. She used the green jade flute as a weapon and every move she made, looked gentle. In reality, there was hidden internal force and with a swift move, she easily took away the silver bracelet from the other person's hand. In addition, she also gave each of the men a single blow from her palm.
Initially, the four men had not put any importance on her until each of them had received a blow from her palm. They realized too late that the insignificant hand they had looked down upon, could deliver such a force that shook their blood and qi and caused pain in their chests.
At the very moment, when they felt something was wrong, they only realized that they had underestimated her. The leader of the gang took stock of the situation and quickly shouted for the other three people.......
"Let's go!"
After the four people had left, Ruan Xiang Yin slowly walked towards the two women and handed the silver bracelet to Cao Zi Yun.
"The property is returned to the original owner."
Cao Zi Yun put back the silver bracelet on her wrist again. Looking at the girl who was shielding her face, she said gratefully.
"Thank you for your help. How shall I address this lady?"
Ruan Xiang Yin did not answer her question. Her eyes flashed across Cao Zi Yun's pale face before turning away to leave.
"It's better for you to leave quickly."
As expected, after she had taken a few steps forward, a panic-stricken cry sounded behind her.
"My Lady! What's wrong with you?! Don't scare me!"
She had already seen the change in the woman's face and that was the reason why she had told them to leave quickly. She really did not want to get involved with other people's matters but the agitated voice made her unable to leave them there so heartlessly. With a sigh, she turned around and walked back to them.
Looking at the woman with her pale face who had collapsed weakly onto her maid's body, Ruan Xiang Yin reached out to check the pulse on her wrist. The pulse made the elegant face hiding behind the veil change slightly.
"The fetus is stressed and there is a possibility of miscarriage. The Inn I'm staying at is just nearby. Quick! Let's help her to my place for a rest."
"What?! My Lady, nothing must happen to you! Are you a doctor, Miss? Then let's quickly get her there!"
Qiu Yu's face turned white, hastily supported her Mistress up and quicken her footsteps to leave.
"Miss Ruan, nothing will happen to my Lady, right?"
Qiu Yu looked worriedly at her Mistress who had slipped into a deep sleep. She could not suppress the uneasiness in her heart.
As soon as they entered the Inn, Miss Ruan had written a prescription and told her to quickly come back with the medicine. After the medicine was boiled and ready, her Mistress had drunk the medicine. Although her Mistress was now asleep, her face was still pale. Qiu Yu was at a loss what to do. If anything was to happen to her Mistress, she would not know how to give an explanation to Second Young Master.
"She is alright now. When she wakes up, she will feel much better. Remember, she must take the fetal nourishment medicine for three days straight and also she must not suffer from fright again."
Ruan Xiang Yin poured herself a cup of tea and opened her mouth to drink. She threw a glance at Qiu Yu and in her heart, she found this maid Qiu Yu to be very loyal.
After listening to her words, Qiu Yu finally heaved a sigh of relief. This was when she realized she had not thanked this young lady properly. She hastily rose up and came to her side.
"Miss Ruan, today, if it was not for your help, I'm afraid my Lady's silver bracelet and her fetus would not be saved. Here, Qiu Yu will bow to you in thanks for your great kindness and great grace."
As she spoke, she knelt down but was stopped by a pair of hands. When she looked up in surprise, although it was impossible for her to see clearly the face behind the veil, she could still feel a cold light shooting from within.
Ruan Xiang Yin pulled her up and said impatiently.
"Get up. I'll not accept this. I just happen to meet you when you needed help. If you insist on giving thanks, then please go out."
Qiu Yu was surprised but she was not scared by her words. At the bottom of her heart, she knew that this person with a cold expression on the exterior has a warm-heart and is actually a good person. Therefore her expression of full gratitude was changed to a sentence.....
"Thank you, Miss......."
"That's not necessary. It's better for you to stay by your Lady's bedside." She impatiently waved her hand to make her go away.
When Qiu Yu walked back to the bed, suddenly she remembered an important matter. She and her Mistress had snuck out taking the opportunity when Second Young Master was busy. She could imagine Second Young Master's panic by now.
"Miss Ruan, my Lady will not be waking up for a while. Can I ask for your help to look after my Lady? I must hurry back to Long Feng Restaurant to inform my Second Young Master to take my Lady home."
Ruan Xiang Yin's hand that was holding the teacup shook. The bright eyes hidden behind the veil narrowed and she asked. "Long Feng Restaurant? Who is that Second Master that you mentioned? What is the relationship between your Lady and him?"
"Miss Ruan, my lady is Luo Yang City, Dong Fang Residence's Second Lady. Long Feng Restaurant is one of the businesses owned by Dong Fang Residence. My Second Young Master is Dong Fang Ao.......I should rightly call him Gu-Ye* but since I'm used to calling him Second Young Master, I can't change. Please, I have to trouble Miss to help me look after my Lady first and I will come back as soon as I can."
(Gu-Ye is the honorific given to the husband of CZY and since QY refers to him as Gu-Ye, it means QY is a maid who came with CZY when she married into the family. Everyone in the wife's family will refer to her husband as Gu-Ye.)
Qiu Yu was not suspicious of her questioning and told her all that she knew, at the same time, begged her to take care of her Lady who was still in deep sleep.
"Go quickly and come back soon." She said softly.
After Qiu Yu had left, Ruan Xiang Yin came to the bedside and looked at the sleeping Cao Zi Yun.
Unexpectedly, she had accidentally saved Dong Fang Tang's second sister-in-law.
Let it be! After hiding for a year, she was also tired. Everything should be decided by God.
She had obviously wanted to cut off all ties and connections with Dong Fang Tang but now......
***#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#***
Outside the temple, the rain was raging and the thunder roared and boomed, wave after wave. Feeling tired after the pushing herself hurriedly on her journey, Ruan Xiang Yin had taken a rest in the abandoned broken-down temple and the rapidly changing weather had trapped her in here. Perhaps, this time, she should be grateful that she was not caught in the rain and drenched to the skin.
The scene in front of her awakened her memory of that time she and Dong Fang Tang was caught in the rain while they were gathering herbs in the mountain. Thinking of that night they were trapped in the broken-down house by heavy rain, her bright eyes were filled with sadness and as she looked outside at the rain, her mind began to wander.
After she had accidentally saved Dong Fang Tang's second sister-in-law, half a month had since passed.
That day, she had waited until Qiu Yu had brought Dong Fang Ao. Before he carried away Cao Zi Yu, he had thanked her cautiously. Dong Fang Ao closely resembled Dong Fang Tang, however, the sharpness of his eyes made other people aware that he was not someone easy to deal with. Unlike the gentle and good-natured Dong Fang Tang.
However, that gentle man had also kept her in hiding for a year.
In order to avoid Dong Fang Tang, she had banished herself for a year and she was really tired.
She intends to return to Le Mountain and even if she meets Dong Fang Tang, she will tell him clearly. Her heart is already dead to him. The two will have to walk on different paths, never to cross path again.
"Wa! This rain really came raging ferociously. At noon, the weather was still sunny and after just a sichen, the weather had suddenly changed!"
A man and a woman came rushing in to shelter from the rain. As soon as they entered the temple, they saw someone inside. The girl who was speaking was startled and then she took the initiative to extend her a greeting of goodwill.
"Miss, are you also taking shelter from the rain here? As it is, do you mind if the two of us join you?"
Ruan Xiang Yin threw her a glance from behind her veil. This girl is really very beautiful. She is wearing a yellow skirt and looking at the fabric material, she does not look like a commoner. So Ruan Xiang Yin said.
"This temple does not belong to me. Anyone can come in."
The girl in the yellow skirt was not frightened by her indifferent tone but instead, she became more and more interested. She took the initiative and asked again.
"Miss, are you alone? Where do you plan to go?"
This time, Ruan Xiang Yin was not bothered with her. For a stranger, this girl's questions seemed to be too friendly.
When the girl in the yellow skirt did not receive any reply from Ruan Xiang Yin, she did not seem to mind. Her lips lifted slightly and sat down in a corner. The man who had not spoken a word, stood silently beside her.