Yan Zifang shook his head and wanted to pry her hands off him. Her charming skin and their intimacy last night flashed through his mind and his actions became a lot gentler. He took his hand back.
“You were my first man.” Lu Yingying lifted the quilt and started to wear her clothes. “How about me? Am I your first woman?”
Yan Zifang turned over and spoke coldly, “Lu Yunji’s daughter should never be my first woman.”
“Do you still remember the song I sang at the beach? A twilight over the ocean, birds chase the day as it ends. Tears fall like pearls into my open hand, but Yingying will not regret. You appeared before me then and asked who was so cruel as to make me cry? You also asked me why I was so infatuated.” That look had determined her life.
“If I could do it again, I would never have bothered you.” At that moment, he had gone there to kill her.
“You regret it but I don’t. I am Lu Yingying. Yingying will never regret. I wanted to be your wife for one day as a memory. But since you dislike me so much, then forget it. I won’t force you.” If he was going to toss her away even after the previous night, then she could not humiliate herself anymore.
Yan Zifang watched her walk out and suddenly said, “I thought you came to exchange yourself for the Zhenzhu Life-saving Pill.” He did not know why but he saw himself in Lu Yingying. It turned out the devotion he had towards Fu Rou was actually so irritating.
Lu Yingying turned back and looked at Fang Ziyan in shock.
“Lu Qi is severely injured. There is a blood clot in his brain and he is unconscious. It is not a big secret. I have always paid attention to any information on Duke Chen Residence.” It is to ensure that he would be able to take revenge at any time.
Lu Yingying’s eyes shone with delight. “Do you really have the Zhenshu Life-saving Pill?”
Yan Zifang took out a medicine bottle from his gown and placed it on the table. “Lu Qi’s life is not worth anything in my eyes. However, I will not take advantage of girls. Take this bottle and we will not owe each other for what happened last night. In the future, we do not know each other.”
“You are using a bottle of medicine to ask me to forget the first man in my life?” Lu Yingying stared at Yan Zifang, her eyes were pained.
“If you do not accept it, you can throw the medicine away. But if you use it, it means you agreed.” Yan Zifang walked out. “Take one pill a day with warm water.”
Lu Yingying chased after him. “Yan Zifang, if I weren’t Lu Yingying and Lu Yunji’s daughter, would you still dislike me? Would I have a place in your heart?”
“There is no point in this question.” She was born to be the Lu family’s daughter and he was born as the Yan family’s son.
“No, there is. As long as you give me a confirmative answer, I can give up being Lu Yingying and Lu Yunji’s daughter. My father has a son. Without me, Duke Chen Residence will still be passed on. I can follow you to travel the world or even sail forever. As long as you take me with you, I will always follow you to the ends of the earth. Yan Zifang, can you forget your vengeance and take me away to find better and happier days?”
“If I killed your father and brother, would you be able to let go of your vengeance and spend the rest of your days with me?”
Lu Yingying was stunned as she shook her head. “You won’t. You are upright…”
“But it was your father that killed my parents and caused me to have no choice but to become a pirate and carry an infamous title. Every time I see you, I will think of the injustice my father felt and my mother’s blood. You ask me to let go, but have you put yourself in my shoes?!”
Yan Zifang stormed out, breaking the door.
Lu Yingying bit hard on her lip. She knew he was right. It was easier said than done to eliminate the hatred that he had for them for exterminating his entire family. She walked to the table slowly and picked up the medicine bottle with trembling hands. Tears rolled down her face.
Chapter 48.1: Elope
Mystic rays of light shone through the forest, touching each leaf and lifting up a small cloud of dust. Sheng Chumu did not care about this beautiful scenery. He had tripped over the roots of a large tree and did not even have the strength to lift himself up as he lay against the branches and panted. Prince Zhou was long gone and Sheng Chumu could not be bothered to figure out whether he had gone to find Fu Rou or if he had returned to the palace.
“Rou’er, are you angry at me? I am so useless, I could not protect you. If I had known this, I would not have allowed you to enter the palace. Even if I had disobeyed the Emperor and received a death order, I would have done it. I have let you down. Rou’er, is your soul still in this large mountain? Come out, let me see you. I can’t bare to lose you, I can’t bare this…” Sheng Chumu muttered to himself, his heart clenching up with pain.
A small, blur figure appeared in front of him. Like the fairy of the forest, the figure walked towards him.
“Rou’er?” Haha, he must be dog-tired and was daydreaming.
“Chumu.” The figure kneeled before him and caressed his face with her hand. She asked, “Have you been looking for me? It has been tough on you.”
“This is nothing. Rest assured, I will definitely find you! Even if this is a dream and I do not have my five senses, my Rou’er is different from others. Your hand is so comforting and so warm.”
Fu Rou laughed, “This is not…”
Before she finished, Sheng Chumu pulled her in an embrace. She jumped in shock but upon seeing that he had his eyes shut out of exhaustion, she lay still.
Sheng Chumu suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed Fu Rou’s arms. He stared directly into her eyes and drew closer and closer until their noses touched.
“Rou’er, it really is you!” This is not a dream!
“You are alive!” It's not a ghost!
Fu Rou laughed, “Of course I am alive.”
Sheng Chumu jumped forward and kissed Fu Rou’s face. His excitement, happiness, relief could clearly be seen. He asked, “But I clearly saw blood and a tiger’s print all over your clothes...how did you manage to survive?”
“I…” She had promised Lu Yingying that she would not involve her. Fang Ziyan also did not have malicious intentions. She replied, “I lost my way in the mountains and met a herbalist family. They were very kind and offered me a change of clothes. The female official’s clothes I had were dirty and full of holes so I took it off and dumped it somewhere. I do not know anything about the blood marks on my clothes."
Sheng Chumu had a few suspicions but since Fu Rou was safe and sound, he did not care about anything else. “Good, as long as you are alive!”
At that point, shouts from the army troops could be heard. They were searching all over the mountain. Without thinking twice, Fu Rou jumped up with glee. “This is great. They are here for us.”
Sheng Chumu immediately pulled her back. “Rou’er.”
Fu Rou lowered her head to look at him and saw his stern expression. She understood his intention.
“As long as you don’t get discovered, they will think that you died from a mountain beast attack. This is the only way for you to leave the palace. If we leave together, we can become the Cowherd boy and Weaver girl.”
However, Fu Rou was rational and she objected, “We cannot leave everything behind. It would be too unfair."
“We're being unfair?” He had lived lawfully. For her, he had suppressed his true playful self. He questioned, “We are so in love, why must we be separated by a damn wall? Why can’t you decide your own marriage? Why must you marry whoever the Empress tells you to? In their eyes, you are just a tool for their balance of power. We are not being fair? Is the Emperor fair? Is the Empress fair? Is the world fair? Fu Rou, come with me.”