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墨書 Inktalez
"Do you think that at this point, the Fox Demon would still ask you trivial questions?"
Young Master Liu sighed lightly, remaining silent for a long time before speaking again. "Are you asking if I eat at home or outside?"
"Of course, it's outside."
Estimating that this conversation would take some time, Xing Ruyi simply dragged a stool over and sat across from Young Master Liu. She also took some fruit from the table, looking as if she were ready to listen to a story or watch a play.
Young Master Liu's sparse brows twitched slightly, revealing a mix of helplessness and bitterness.
"The heart of Qingluan has never been with me." Mentioning his deceased wife brought a hint of sorrow to Young Master Liu's eyes, but more than that was a sense of helplessness. "In the first two years, although we weren't deeply in love, we treated each other with respect and harmony. I always felt that compared to those couples bound by parental arrangements and matchmakers' words, we were somewhat fortunate. She was lovely and kind, and very attentive to me. In the past, I cherished her like a treasure, taking great care of her. But as my official duties became busier, our conversations dwindled, and it felt increasingly distant between us. Unintentionally, I discovered her secret."
Xing Ruyi paused her action of biting into the fruit. As someone familiar with the situation, she knew that the secret Young Master Liu referred to was about Qingluan and her cousin Ah Xing.
"To be honest, my feelings at that time were quite complicated. I felt sad, guilty, and even angry with her, yet I didn't know how to deal with her." Young Master Liu slightly tilted his head back as if recalling that day. Xing Ruyi sighed softly, losing her appetite for the fruit.
"Meeting her was an accident. At that time, I often buried myself in complicated official matters; whenever I had free time, I drowned my sorrows in alcohol. I remember it was a rainy day, gray and gloomy, just like my mood then. After drinking most of a jug of wine, I couldn't get drunk no matter what, so I stood up and stumbled outside. She happened to come in with an umbrella—an old one that barely covered her body. Her lake-green dress got soaked halfway through, and she shivered all over. When our eyes met, I felt as if I had seen her somewhere before."
Thinking of Azure Feather and the sorrowful mark on her neck, as well as the unusual aura she exuded, Xing Ruyi finally understood that she was Young Master Liu's entanglement and that she herself was also his calamity.
The suffering endured in the River of Forgetfulness and the endless wait for a thousand years—was all she wanted just his life? Such obsession was beyond Xing Ruyi's comprehension; such love was even harder for her to understand. Wouldn't it be better to drink a bowl of Meng Po soup?
Young Master Liu remained lost in his memories, his expression haggard yet occasionally revealing a glimmer of light. Xing Ruyi tried hard to hold back and not disturb him as much as possible.
"She wasn't good with words but could cook delicious meals; she didn't know how to please others but played beautiful music on the guqin. Those days were peaceful and beautiful like a painting. Unfortunately, good dreams are always easy to wake from. Just when I had made up my mind to bring her back to the Liu family and introduce her to Qingluan, she told me she was just a woman from the pleasure quarters."
"And then? You abandoned her!"
Young Master Liu silently nodded in response.
“After the Young Lady passed away, you saw her again, didn't you?”
“Yes! I saw her again!”
“And then, just like before, you indulged in her tenderness and kindness, yet refused to give her a home?”
“She was just a woman of the pleasure quarters!” Young Master Liu futilely defended himself.
“You are nothing more than a man who has wronged a woman of the pleasure quarters!” Xing Ruyi, tired of hearing the story, rubbed his shoulders and stood up. “So, what exactly did that girl named Azure Feather feed you?”
“How do you know she is Azure Feather?” Young Master Liu looked at Xing Ruyi in surprise.
“It’s simple. Because she, like you, has been poisoned by food. The difference is that your poison is deep while hers is shallow. It seems that in this life, she is unwilling to wait for you by the Bridge of Helplessness.”
Young Master Liu paused slightly, and a smile finally appeared on his lips. “So that’s how it is? Well! That’s fine!”
The first dish Azure Feather prepared for Young Master Liu was a Ginger Pepper Lamb Chop Casserole. Lamb meat is warm in nature and has the effect of replenishing yang energy, making it an excellent dish for men. Accompanying this dish was a Cow Testicle Pumpkin Soup, which shares similar benefits with the lamb chop, while pumpkin is also a warming and nourishing ingredient.
Azure Feather's intention with this first dish was to hollow out Young Master Liu's body.
The second dish featured Crispy Brain with Celery and Cucumber Water Egg as sides, along with a Peanut Black Chicken Ginseng Soup. The brain nourishes the mind and replenishes energy, while black chicken helps relieve cough and invigorate. However, consuming brain with salt and alcohol can affect male functions; frequent consumption can harm the kidneys and deplete vital energy, leaving one feeling powerless.
Azure Feather's second dish aimed to make Young Master Liu desire what he could not have, further undermining his male pride.
The third dish was Steamed Hairy Crab paired with Almond Double Mushrooms, accompanied by a Tomato Taro Beef Soup. Hairy crab is rich in meat and flavor, promotes circulation and solidifies essence while clearing heat and detoxifying. However, when consumed with almond double mushrooms and tomato taro beef soup, it can harm internal organs, particularly affecting the stomach, liver, and spleen. At this point, the consumer may experience mild abdominal pain.
Azure Feather's third dish was intended to undermine Young Master Liu's health from within, turning him into a complete invalid.
The fourth dish, Spicy Catfish, is paired with chives, wood ear mushrooms, century egg tofu, and diced carrots. From the perspective of side dishes, they are all ordinary home-cooked meals, seemingly without any hidden tricks. The Spinach and Pig Liver Soup is also aimed at addressing Young Master Liu's previous health issues, nourishing the liver and replenishing blood. However, when these dishes are combined, they can cause heartburn in the consumer, directly affecting the heart. After consuming a certain amount, one may experience noticeable angina.
Azure Feather This fourth dish is a direct attack on the heart, leaving Young Master Liu no chance of survival.
As Xing Ruyi finished speaking, Madam Liu had already collapsed to the ground, her face pale. She stared blankly at her husband, her lips trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't understand how her beloved Daughter-in-law had vanished so suddenly. She also couldn't comprehend how so many stories were hidden behind what she thought was a loving marriage. Moreover, she didn't understand why her son was entangled with a woman from the pleasure quarters to the point of risking his life.
Although Liu Zhanggui was in turmoil inside, he managed to hold himself together. While comforting his wife, he looked at Xing Ruyi with pleading eyes: “Ruyi, is my son's condition really that serious? Even you can't do anything about it?”
“Debts from a past life and love from this life; even if we escape now, there will always be a time to repay them.” Xing Ruyi sighed lightly: “I might think of some Method to delay it for Young Master, but he himself may not be willing.”
“Rather than living in suffering, it would be better to leave cleanly. Father, mother, Child is unfilial; please do not make things difficult for Ruyi anymore.”
“Lin'er!” Madam Liu cried out her son's name in sorrow, covering her face as she began to weep painfully.
Liu Zhanggui gently patted his wife's shoulder and said, “If this is the child's wish, then let us honor it.”
Madam Liu looked up at her husband, her cries growing even more sorrowful.
Xing Ruyi lightly moved her feet and walked over to the maid, picking up the already sleeping Yin Yuan. Clearly, there was no longer any need for her to stay in the Liu household.
A breeze rose outside the courtyard, gently brushing against branches that seemed ready to sprout new green leaves. Azure Feather stood outside the door in a lake-green garment that flowed with the wind, looking truly beautiful like a painting. However, if one looked closely, they would notice that Azure Feather had no shadow.
“Here to take him?”
“Mm!”
“Why bother?”
"Love arises from unknown origins, and once it takes hold, it runs deep. Once you are trapped, it becomes difficult to see yourself clearly." Azure Feather smiled bitterly, the mark of sorrow on her neck becoming increasingly distinct.
"What will you do?"
"I don't know. Perhaps I will be left in despair."
"Is it worth it?"
"Yes! At least I have seen clearly that he is not the person I should love."
"Do you regret it?"
"I do not regret it! Some things, if you do not pursue them or persist, you will never know the outcome."
"I wish you well!"
"Thank you!" Azure Feather raised her eyes to look at the man approaching with grace and charm: "In this life, I owe you, and coincidentally, you once owed me a lifetime. Now, we are even."
"Azure Feather!" The man reached out his hand, but before he could touch her, Azure Feather transformed into a wisp of smoke and vanished.
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