Chapter 67
Chapter 67
Lotus blossoms flourished around Huxin Pavilion. Layers of leaves and flowers rose and fell across the lake, forming a beautiful tableau.
A tall, elegant young gentleman had waited in the pavilion for over half an hour without the slightest impatience. His handsome face held only joy and anticipation.
Women passing the pavilion could not help taking another look at such an extraordinary nobleman.
He raised his gaze from time to time, clearly awaiting the woman he loved. No one knew which fortunate young lady had captured the favor of such a charming gentleman.
At last, surrounded by attendants, a graceful figure arrived.
The gentleman’s eyes brightened. “Fufu, you’re finally here.”
Huxin Pavilion had been reserved, preventing outsiders from approaching. As curtains descended around it, the Girl in Yellow could be vaguely seen removing her veiled hat.
The curtains stirred, offering occasional glimpses of her true appearance.
Her face was exquisitely beautiful, her brows like distant painted mountains and her eyes like rippling autumn water. Her lips possessed a natural color, and when gently pressed together, seemed to hold the shadow of a smile.
Her skin was white as snow. Against the lotus leaves and flowers, she appeared all the more delicate and moving.
“Li Yuanzhi, what do you mean, finally?” Her voice carried reproach. “I was only a little late. If you grew impatient, you could have left. I never asked you to wait.”
“That isn’t what I meant,” Li Yuanzhi explained gently. “Not seeing you made me terribly anxious.”
She gave him another unceremonious glance, huffed, and sat upon a stone stool.
Li Yuanzhi watched her beautiful profile with complete concentration. Her every frown and smile captivated him.
The young woman was the cherished daughter of the Ding family. Her name was Ding Ling, and she was his cousin. To strengthen the family bond, their elders had arranged their betrothal in childhood.
As a child, Ding Ling had been timid and prone to tears, yet she insisted on following him everywhere. He had found her terribly irritating.
During one boating trip, Ding Ling accidentally fell into the water. Though rescued in time, she developed a high fever and remained unconscious for three days.
Li Yuanzhi had despised his fiancée’s cowardice, but he had never wanted her harmed. He had taken her to the lake that day, and guilt consumed him after the accident.
Ding Yanyu had even seized Li Yuanzhi and beaten him.
“You knew Lingling was afraid of water, yet you deliberately took her to the lake. Li Yuanzhi, you deserve to die!”
Had adults not intervened, Li Yuanzhi suspected Ding Yanyu would truly have killed him.
Fortunately, Ding Ling awakened after three days. Though physically weak, she recovered. Guilt made Li Yuanzhi treat her somewhat better afterward.
Strangely, Ding Ling’s personality transformed completely after waking. She was no longer timid and hesitant but warm, cheerful, and bold. She dared do what other women would not, and even what other men feared to attempt.
Perhaps facing death caused a person to see life differently. A change of temperament was not unreasonable. Many of her small habits changed as well. She even declared that she disliked being called Lingling and gave herself the nickname Fufu.
The older she grew, the more distinctive her personality became and the more her beauty could topple cities and kingdoms. Li Yuanzhi was gradually drawn to this Ding Fufu. He never again spoke of ending their betrothal.
Sitting beside her, Li Yuanzhi asked, “You seem unhappy. Did something happen?”
Ding Fufu pouted charmingly. “On the way here, I encountered a man and woman buying an innocent little fox so they could kill it for a fur cloak. I couldn’t bear it and tried to save the fox, but Uncle He said the man was extraordinary and forced me to leave. The little fox fell into that woman’s hands. Who knows what horrible death it suffered?”
Li Yuanzhi comforted her. “Fufu, I know how kindhearted you are, but not everyone in this world can be as generous and compassionate. Those who commit the sin of killing will receive their retribution sooner or later.”
“You’re right. They will.” Ding Fufu’s mood improved considerably. She believed good and evil would ultimately receive their due. Otherwise, heaven would never have granted her the chance to be reborn in another person’s body.
Only then did Ding Fufu look around. She rose in delighted surprise and went to the railing. “It’s winter. The lotuses should have withered in summer. How did you make them bloom?”
Seeing brilliant lotuses in the depths of winter was truly novel.
Li Yuanzhi came to her side with a smile. “I knew you liked lotuses. Half a month ago, I purchased a batch of Crimson Flame Stones and placed them in the water. Their fiery Yang energy warmed the lake, allowing the lotuses to bloom as though it were midsummer.”
“Crimson Flame Stones? What are those?”
“A rare stone that has only recently appeared in the martial world. It contains intensely fiery Yang energy. An ordinary person who touches one carelessly may suffer burns at best and have his flesh seared open at worst. They can supposedly be used in medicine and are extremely expensive. I had to call in favors through several connections to purchase this batch. But if they make you smile, they are worth it.”
Naturally, Ding Fufu was delighted to receive such devotion from a handsome young gentleman. She put aside her petulance and offered him a smile lovelier than the flowers.
Li Yuanzhi’s heart stirred. Taking her hand, he asked, “Fufu, the date our elders selected for our marriage has long passed. When will you marry me?”
She blinked mischievously. “When you earn my brother’s approval.”
Li Yuanzhi sighed with a headache.
Ding Yanyu had always guarded his sister fiercely. After she fell into the water, lost consciousness, and later awakened, his indulgence grew even more extreme. He would have preferred to watch her day and night to keep her from running wild.
Li Yuanzhi often felt that Ding Yanyu was especially wary of him. Had Ding Yanyu not been busy reviewing accounts across the city recently, Li Yuanzhi would never have found an opportunity to invite Ding Fufu out.
“Hey, female ghost. How much longer will you waste?”
On a nearby street, the young Daoist Master stood with both arms around his sword and glared at the figure hiding behind a willow.
Ordinary people could not see wandering souls, so passersby probably thought he was a fool talking to himself.
Ding Ling timidly revealed her head. “There… there’s a dog. Daoist Master… I’m afraid.”
A small yellow dog sat nearby gnawing a bone. It ignored everything around it and looked entirely harmless, yet the female ghost hid far away and refused to emerge.
Yan Yanchi’s patience wore thin. “If I hadn’t stopped to capture a harmful Yaoguai, you would be home already. Stop wasting my time and come out.”
Sensing his foul mood, Ding Ling summoned the courage to reveal half her body.
The little yellow dog suddenly dropped its bone, raised its head, and barked.
The half of her body that had appeared vanished behind the tree. Now even her face remained hidden, and only her quiet, gasping sobs emerged.
“Daoist Master… I really am afraid.”