Chapter 33: Walking on Thin Ice

I stepped out of the dungeon, and fresh air hit me head‑on; I couldn't help greedily taking several deep breaths. That dungeon truly isn't fit for a person, I must quickly find a way to rescue Xin Luo.

"Miss." Turning a corner, the surroundings were silent and empty, only the moonlight shining brightly, Xin Hui's sincere voice rang out, "Thank you."

I smiled, didn't look back, and walked on casually saying, "I accept your sentiment; from now on just brew more floral concoctions for me…"

Amidst the banter, suddenly a black silhouette bearing a thick killing intent lunged at me; from the start I had sensed the atmosphere was odd. So when that palm struck, I wasn't overly panicked.

Just as I was about to dodge, a sudden thought slowed my movement, and I pretended to be startled, falling backward. Indeed, the icy killing palm halted right before reaching me.

Xin Hui hurried forward to help me up, anxiously saying, "Miss, are you alright? Huh, Feng… Lord Feng, why did you attack our Miss?"

It was indeed Feng Yinmo; my face turned ghastly, my body trembled, and I looked at him with fearful eyes. Unfortunately I couldn't summon tears, or it would have seemed more genuine.

Under the moon, Feng Yinmo's face grew even more alluring; his gaze burned into me, and after a long pause he coldly said, "Stop pretending, Fourth Miss. A person without martial skill cannot have that divine light in their eyes."

Divine light? I was startled, recalling that wuxia novels mentioned one could gauge a person's martial depth by the divine light in their eyes, and truly masterful individuals would conceal that light. Unfortunately, I neither know how to hide it nor how to discern inner strength from others' eyes.

Shocked as I was, I still kept a fragile, pitiful façade, trembling as I said, "Lord Feng… what you said, I don't understand at all." I would never admit it—let's see what you can do to me.

"Is that so?" He frowned, thought briefly, then a faint smile curled at his lip, saying, "Then it seems I was mistaken; I have offended you, Miss, please forgive me."

"No… no problem." I lowered my head, trembling, "Lord Feng, if you have no other business, then Yingruo…"

Killing intent suddenly spread.

The next moment his face was inches away, a smug cold grin on his lips, utterly indifferent to my tightly grasped right hand, he leaned close to my ear and said, "Fourth Miss, will you keep pretending?"

I looked up at Xin Hui, whose face had turned pale with fear, and said lightly, "You go back first."

"B-but, Miss…" Xin Hui's face turned death‑white; she had just escaped the brink of death, the terror evident in her eyes, yet she still refused to abandon me.

I sighed and softened my voice, "Don't worry, Lord Feng only has some matters to discuss with me; you go back first."

"Lan Yingruo?" a seductive voice whispered in my ear.

I withdrew my gaze from Xin Hui, turned to the man before me, released my grip on his right hand, stepped back a pace, and said somewhat helplessly, "Fine! I admit I know martial arts, so what now? What guidance do you have, surely not some love‑obsessed madness, so you come at night to spar with me?" Since I've been exposed, there's no need for me to keep putting on airs.

A flash of light glimmered in his eyes, a hint of smile on his face: "Lan Yingruo, yesterday even I was almost fooled by you. This is your true nature, isn't it?"

I nodded; it's my nature, not Lan Yingruo's.

"Interesting!" he chuckled, then his face turned cold, saying, "How did you come to know Meng Kuo?"

"Is he called Meng Kuo?" I was surprised, but already had a reply in mind.

"You don't know him?"

"I've seen him." I leaned on a fake rock nearby and lightly hopped onto it, thinking the talk would be long, so I sat down first. Then I beamed, "Lord Feng, don't you know I eloped half a year ago and just returned today? Around March, I happened to see General Meng at a tavern in Qi State. Can't say I know him."

"Eloped?" He stepped before me, eye level, quite tall, his eyes narrowed dangerously, his voice a few degrees colder, "You eloped with someone?"

I smiled even wider, nodding. What political marriage? Go to hell! At this moment I was immensely grateful for Lan Yingruo's earlier grand gesture; in this era no one would want to marry a woman of dubious reputation, right?

Suddenly his hand clamped tightly around my jaw, the force enough to crush bone, and he coldly said, "I advise you not to show that smug smile before me; it makes me want to destroy you."

His hand was unusually icy, his gaze utterly cold. That bone‑piercing chill seemed to seep into my skin, down to my marrow, making me shiver uncontrollably.

This man truly lived up to my earlier suspicion… ruthless. He permits himself to keep everything under his control; once he cannot, he will destroy it at any cost. It's a terrifying obsession! Reason kept urging me not to provoke him, yet the stubborn core within me resurfaced at that moment.

"Indeed, you have a perverse taste!" I stared back coldly, a dagger as thin as a cicada wing pressed to his throat, saying lightly, "I also advise you to let me go, otherwise I wouldn't mind carving a…"

He didn't care about the dagger, as if it wasn't a threat to his life; the hand gripping my jaw loosened, his gaze grew even colder, "You are the first who dared threaten me!"

I gave a faint smile, sheathed the dagger, and said, "I don't consider this an honor. That's all the questions; may I leave now, Lord Feng?"

"Lan Yingruo?" He stepped back a few paces, then surveyed me up and down; his gaze made me uneasy, overly aggressive. I felt a chill, realizing I had angered him.

A smile curled at his mouth; under the moon it looked especially cold, his voice light yet full of interest, "Since an alliance marriage is needed, why not take an interesting…"

"Wait!" I lost my balance and fell from the fake rock, landing in his arms; I quickly pushed him away, stared at him anxiously for a while, and asked uncertainly, "You don't intend to marry me, do you?"

He leisurely stepped back, nodded, his smile oddly lopsided, as if saying, "So you have fears too." It seemed he delighted in my anxiety; truly perverse.

I frowned, "You need to think carefully; I have eloped before…" Marrying a woman you don't love just to save face is too much…

A flash of cold light passed through his eyes, and he sneered, "I'll kill that man!"

"Hey! Feng Yinmo, are you mad? Want to marry me is your business!" I snapped, though that man's life wasn't my concern, I couldn't help shouting, "I don't want to marry you!"

"What I want, I always seize myself!" He stepped closer, wrapped his arms around my waist, his breath on my face, "You're the woman I've chosen, of course you're no exception!"

I summoned inner breath, my body flickered, and I slipped out of his embrace, rubbing my throbbing temples, saying, "You're the one who's crazy! I came to provoke someone like you and even tried to reason with you—that's the real madness!"

"Fine! Play however you like, I'm leaving!" I turned away expressionless, seething inside: You have Zhang Liang's stratagem, I have a ladder over the wall! At worst I can run away with the thirty‑six tricks, right?

A burst of hearty laughter came from behind; I couldn't help shivering, feeling increasingly irritated.

What does the future hold? At the center of this vortex, without Qi Ran and Bu Sha's protection, I felt waves of fear assault me for the first time…

After that night's clash with Feng Yinmo, I remained anxious, unwilling to step through the door. Strangely, after a few days neither he nor Lan Junqing made any move; I sent Xin Hui to inquire and learned that the narcissist had, for some urgent reason, already returned to Huiyao Nation.

Thinking that his return could be at any unknown time, I feared I would have already rescued Xin Luo and fled long ago; the taut string finally loosened. In the following days I began wandering around Lan Mansion, and when idle I listened to Xin Hui talk about the characters of the Lan household and some of Lan Yingruo's past deeds.

In summary, Lan Mansion's household rules are strict; Lan Junqing rarely interacts with his children and holds them to high standards. There are exceptions, however: talented and learned offspring, such as the former Lan Yingruo and the eldest son Lan Jianxia, are especially favored. In my view, it's merely because they still have some utility.

The Lan family isn't large; the eldest son Lan Jianxia and the third daughter Lan Yingyu were born to the striking lady Li Yuer I met upon arrival. The second son Lan Jianyun, the eldest daughter Lan Yingping, the second miss Lan Yingyue, and Lan Yingruo were all born to the principal wife Lin Ru. Lin Ru was frail for years and died after giving birth to Yingruo.

The second son Lan Jianyun was timid and mediocre in talent, thus never favored by Lan Junqing and often bullied by Lan Yingyu. The eldest daughter Lan Yingping was naturally beautiful, and was selected to become a palace concubine as soon as she came of age.

The second miss Lan Yingyue had been betrothed a year ago to the son of the current Grand Tutor, Liu Wenjin, but on their wedding day Liu Wenjin, drunk, fell to his death. Lan Yingyue was thereafter rumored to be a jinx to husbands, and everyone kept their distance. Now she lives alone in a small building on the west side of Lan Mansion, never receiving visitors, a tragic fate.

As for Lan Jianxia, although not the same mother as Lan Yingruo, they share the best bond. Moreover, his exceptional courage since childhood earned him great respect, so under his protection, Lan Yingruo, though gentle, has not suffered much grievance.

Thus, a month passed unnoticed. In fact, life in Lan Mansion was fairly leisurely; none of the legendary restrictions—such as a lady never leaving her chambers or being forbidden to see any man besides her father and brothers before marriage—applied.

Thus, aside from greeting Lan Junqing and the second madam each morning and evening, I usually ate in my room, and no one supervised me. Even stepping out the main gate, after informing the second madam that I was going to a temple to pray, I had wandered the streets many times.

The only unsatisfactory matter was rescuing Xin Luo. Oddly, the day I returned, Lan Junqing didn't publicly scold me, but he was clearly resentful of my elopement, and I expected him to reprimand me later. Yet after more than a month, he hasn't pursued the issue at all; his attitude improves daily, which leaves me uneasy.

But even if his attitude is good, whenever I bring up Xin Luo's rescue, he evades, giving a cold face and telling me to go back and reflect. Yet, given Lan Yingruo's temperament, I can't press him too hard; I'm truly frustrated.

Later I visited Xin Luo a few more times, and oddly, even Xin Hui and Xin Luo themselves seemed indifferent; when I asked them about this and that, they urged me not to rush, to wait for the eldest young master to return before making plans.

Although I'm usually easygoing, knowing that this peaceful life is but an illusion, after idly passing more than a month I grew restless and doubtful: does Xin Hui truly only want me to rescue her brother? If this continues, can I still get out?

Just as my patience reached its limit and I was about to confront Xin Hui and the others, the eldest young master Lan Jianxia and the second young master Lan Jianyun returned, along with someone I never wanted to see again—Feng Yinmo.

"Miss, hurry! The master wants us to go to the main hall at once to welcome the two young masters and Lord Feng!"

"Oh!" I lazily replied, tidied up my outfit and stood up. I'm glad Lan Jianxia is back, but why is Feng Yinmo tagging along to join the fun?

Just as I was about to leave, the door was suddenly pushed open with a "bang!", a man in dark blue military uniform rushed in. The next second I was already tightly held in his embrace, a warm and broad male voice excitedly said in my ear: "Ruo'er, Ruo'er... you've come back!"

I softly called out in his embrace: "Older brother!"

His body tensed slightly, he released me, his eyes shone, and a smile full of indulgent affection spread across his face.

Only then did I get a clear look at his appearance—gentle, refined, yet not lacking in heroic spirit; indeed he had the qualities that earned everyone's admiration.

His expression suddenly turned cold, and he asked: "Ruo'er, I heard you were rescued from the river? How did that happen? Does that Ling surname dare to bully you? I'll go kill him!"

"Older brother!" I grabbed his sleeve, lowered my head slightly, and said, "I don't want to mention him again."

Seeing me like that, Lan Jianxia's eyes flashed with a cold light that quickly faded, his expression softened immediately, and he gently said: "Alright, let's not talk about him."

"Fourth sister." A low, gentle call made me look up, and then I noticed there was another person in the room besides Lan Jianxia.

He was a youth with a somewhat delicate and feminine appearance, his looks not as handsome as Lan Jianxia's, and he seemed somewhat nervous about everything around him. Yet his eyes alone—though they held timidity and fear—could never hide their clarity and purity.

I was somewhat stunned, involuntarily recalling how those sky-blue eyes had once shocked me. After a long while, I stepped forward, made a bow, and said with a light smile: "Second brother."

"Fourth... fourth sister, no need for so much ceremony." Lan Jianyun hurriedly, somewhat nervously, helped me up, his face blushing with embarrassment, and said, "I only heard you had returned, so I came along with the elder brother to take a look. As long as you're alright, that's fine. Well... I'll be going now."

After saying that, he didn't wait for my reply, hurriedly fled, leaving me unable to help shaking my head and laughing.

"Ruo'er..." Upon turning back and seeing Lan Jianxia staring at me blankly, I couldn't help but be startled, "You seem much more cheerful this time you've returned than before."

I smiled noncommittally, then furrowed my brows and said: "Older brother, since you've come, may I avoid going to the main hall?"

"How so?" Lan Jianxia blinked, then his face lit up, he stepped closer and asked, "Ruo'er, you don't want to go see Young Master Feng?"

My heart skipped a beat, I suddenly had a bad premonition, I subtly stepped back a step and nodded.

He gave a faint smile and said, "Of course it's fine, I'll go tell Father that you're unwell and not fit to receive guests."

It seems the matter must be resolved quickly. I thanked him, then asked: "Older brother, I heard Xin Luo was imprisoned because of me; could you release him?"

Lan Jianxia stared, then his displeased gaze swept over Xin Hui, whose face turned pale as she nearly knelt on the ground.

I quickly grabbed his sleeve and urged, "This has nothing to do with Xin Hui; it's because I myself wanted to see Xin Luo that I learned he'd been locked up. Older brother, I've begged Father several times and he refused, so now only you can help me."

Lan Jianxia's originally slightly cold expression softened at my plea; he raised his hand, paused briefly in midair, then let it rest on my hair, smiling faintly: "Don't worry, in a few days you'll be able to see him come out safely."

After seeing Lan Jianxia off, I immediately wiped the smile from my face, carefully closed all the windows, made sure no one was eavesdropping nearby, then dragged Xin Hui to sit down and sternly asked: "Xin Hui, tell me the truth—does Lan Jianxia have special feelings for your young lady?"

Xin Hui's face turned deathly pale, and after a long while she tremblingly nodded.

"Does Lan Yingruo know about this?"

Xin Hui shuddered at whatever she thought of, then said: "The... young lady originally didn't know, but later... the eldest master continually prevented those young masters from pursuing the young lady, using... very... cruel methods, gradually the young lady came to know. The young lady... would... elope with Young Master Ling, but what she fears most is... the eldest master..."

"Xin Hui!" My face turned cold, anger surged up: "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?" This is actually an incestuous love! Damn! What kind of family have I gotten myself into?

Xin Hui startled, fell from the chair to her knees, her face deathly pale, tears streaming nonstop, she kept kowtowing, sobbing: "Sorry! Sorry, Miss! I really had no choice; I promised the eldest master I would definitely bring you back, and if... if this time he returns and still hasn't seen you, he will surely kill Luo'er..."

Her forehead split open again, blood flowed down her nose and across her face, yet she paid no heed, continuing to kowtow heavily: "It's all my fault... Miss, I feared you wouldn't want to come back with me, so I deliberately concealed this matter... Sorry, Miss, punish me as you see fit; Luo'er is my most important kin, I cannot not save him. But... I truly am sorry to you..."

I drew a deep breath, Xin Hui, Xin Hui! You concealed this from me—surely it's not just this matter? I still feel angry, still unwilling, but...

I grabbed her and pulled her up, using internal force in that pull; Xin Hui had no ability to resist, so I could only drag her to the bedside where she collapsed heavily onto the bed. Her deathly pale face streaked with blood accentuated her trembling, frail body, making her look pitiful.

With a cold expression, I took out the medical kit I had prepared the last time I went shopping, and expressionlessly used water-dampened cotton to wipe away her blood.

"Miss..."

"Shut up!" I didn't look at her eyes, coldly said, "My anger hasn't subsided yet!"

A tear flickered in her eye and then slid down; she bit her lower lip and said nothing more.

I continued expressionlessly to staunch the bleeding, apply medicine, and bandage; once everything was done, I looked at her swollen eyes, raised my brows angrily, and said: "Besides knocking your head until it bleeds, what else can you do? Aren't you tired of using this trick every time?"

She stared at me blankly, then her eye sockets reddened and tears streamed down her cheeks. I had seen her cry like this before—not from fear, not pleading, but only when facing Xin Luo would such tears flow...

Suddenly she burst into laughter through tears, saying: "But Miss, this one trick is enough to deal with you."

Sure enough, where there is a master there is a servant; I sighed helplessly, raised a finger and waved it, saying: "If you want my forgiveness, you can do it with a bowl of flower-steamed brew..."

"Alright!" Xin Hui wiped her tears, rose, and said, "I'll go prepare it for you right away."

"Xin Hui," I called out to her as she was about to open the door, looked at her, and sincerely said, "You've already apologized to me. Now it's my turn to say to you... sorry!"

"Originally I myself agreed to return with you. You concealed something from me, and I am no different. Discovering the situation spiraling out of control and taking my anger out on you was my fault. So I tell you, sorry!"

"Miss..." Xin Hui's eye sockets reddened, yet she broke into an extraordinarily beautiful smile, speaking softly: "I've never told you this before, but being with you truly makes me happy—happier than at any other time..."

"Are you happy?" Watching her leave with the door closed, I couldn't help but show a smile and whisper softly: "Silly girl..." Although the road ahead remains dangerous and confusing, at this moment my heart feels an indescribable warmth...

Lying relaxed in a spread-eagle shape on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling while my thoughts drifted to the distant past, the smile on my face grew softer yet faintly sorrowful as I murmured: "Thank you, Qi Ran... thank you for shaping the present Shui Bingyi..."

(End of chapter)