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墨書 Inktalez
After pushing the door open, several rooms were empty.
"Master Jinghui? Peach?" Mei Shuang called out, puzzled.
There was no response for a long while.
Feeling somewhat disappointed and contemplating whether to head down the mountain, Mei Shuang suddenly heard Peach's voice from outside, "Benefactor, you have returned. What is the matter?"
Mei Shuang turned around in surprise to see Peach standing at the door with her hands clasped together, her head lowered and eyes downcast, her demeanor calm.
Mei Shuang stepped forward, "I naturally came to thank Master Jinghui and you before leaving... You saved my life; how could I leave without expressing my gratitude?"
"A monk's compassion is nothing to mention; please do not take it to heart. However, Master Jinghui went down the mountain yesterday and will likely not return for a few days. Please head back," Peach replied lightly.
Compared to the enthusiastic girl from a few days ago, Peach now seemed somewhat distant. Mei Shuang felt puzzled; since she said Jinghui was not there, she could only glance at Nangong Nuo and said awkwardly, "Well then."
Suddenly, Mei Shuang raised her gaze and looked behind Peach, confused. "Master Jinghui?"
Clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in Peach's eyes as she instinctively turned around. By the time she looked back again, Mei Shuang had already withdrawn her gaze. "I must have just imagined it..."
Peach remained composed. "Please take care."
After seeing Mei Shuang and Nangong Nuo out and watching their figures disappear into the valley, Peach finally let out a slight sigh of relief. Lowering her gaze and pondering for a moment, she turned and walked into the backyard.
---
Night fell.
Aside from the whistling wind in the mountains, there was no other sound.
Mei Shuang and Nangong Nuo hid in the canopy of the thickest ancient tree in the temple, peering through the dense branches and leaves to observe the activity inside the temple.
Mei Shuang sighed, noting how unusual the weather was in the mountains. It was surprising to see such greenery in this season, providing them with just the right cover.
Since Peach left the temple at dusk, the two of them had been hiding here.
Sure enough, after a while, Peach returned with a load of firewood on her back.
After setting down the firewood, she cautiously looked around before relaxing and heading to the backyard.
Following the same method, she opened the small door covered with straw and gently said, "They've already left. Come out for dinner... These past few days, I’m afraid Miss will have to endure it here. It’s strange that she went and came back again, especially with Zhao Prince. Did she lose her memory?"
Hearing this from her perch in the tree, Mei Shuang's heart skipped a beat. It was clearly about her, and she mentioned Zhao Prince—did they already know each other?
Nangong Nuo understood now why Empress Dowager had received news so early; it turned out this place was under her control. But what could Empress Dowager possibly want with such a rundown location?
After a while, a soft female voice emerged from inside, "It is indeed different from before."
It was Jinghui's voice; she was indeed there.
Mei Shuang pondered; it seemed Jinghui must know her.
She slightly raised her gaze to glance at Nangong Nuo, who remained silent in the darkness.
Before long, Jinghui stepped outside, gently brushing off the weeds clinging to her clothes. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "No matter what, safety is what matters..."
In the moonlight, when Nangong Nuo finally saw Jinghui's face, his brows furrowed and his pupils suddenly contracted—so it was her?!
Excitement bubbled within him; it truly felt like he had stumbled upon something precious without any effort.
This trip had not been in vain.
Mei Shuang was somewhat puzzled about who Jinghui really was. It sounded like she was hiding in this place.
When her gaze fell on Nangong Nuo, a sudden realization struck her. All this time, it turned out that the person was not avoiding her but rather the one beside her. It seemed they were acquaintances, and likely ones that couldn't be seen in public...
Peach fell silent and walked to the front yard with Jinghui, after which candlelight flickered in the Buddha Hall.
Mei Shuang lowered her voice, "Do you know this Jinghui? Who is she?"
Nangong Nuo leaned closer. Mei Shuang thought he was worried about being overheard and hurriedly moved closer, only to be unexpectedly kissed on her cherry lips, stifling a gasp that got caught in her throat.
They were up in a tree, and even the slightest movement would surely attract attention.
It wasn't until Nangong Nuo had his fill that she heard his deep, seductive voice by her ear, "Your rival in love, Xiao Luo's beloved..."
This nearly made Mei Shuang fall from the tree.
Chu Xiruo?!!
After mouthing Chu Xiruo's name, Nangong Nuo nodded heavily.
It truly was a case of enemies being brought together! Was this the victim everyone believed Mei Shuang to be—the third party? The one who held Emperor Xiao Luo's heart?
With this revelation, everything became clear.
She recalled the complexity in Chu Xiruo's eyes when she saw her, having once asked if she was from the capital and what major events had occurred there. Then there was the sudden change in expression when mentioning the current Empress...
So that was it.
Thinking back to when Emperor Xiao Luo had asked her to reveal Chu Xiruo's whereabouts while she was in the Cold Palace, who would have thought that the person he longed for was right here? It could be said that she was hiding quite well; had it not been for this twist of fate bringing her here, finding her would have been impossible.
However, the two had a long-standing grudge, and she actually saved herself!
Mei Shuang looked at Chu Xiruo's slender figure reflected in the window and suddenly felt that her past self was truly despicable for having harmed such a kind-hearted woman.
The other party clearly knew her true identity but chose not to expose it at that time. The reason for this was that she and the previous Mei Shuang were indeed very different.
It seemed that she had truly bid farewell to the old Mei Shuang.
---
Unbeknownst to what Jinghui and Peach were doing inside the house, it was quiet except for the rhythmic sound of the Wooden Fish.
After squatting on the tree for a long time, Mei Shuang's legs went numb. She wanted to stretch but was afraid of making noise. Ultimately, she couldn't hold it any longer and slightly leaned forward. This slight movement caused her numb legs to be unable to bear her weight, and with a crisp sound beneath her feet, Mei Shuang was about to fall through the gap.
Fortunately, Nangong Nuo was exceptionally agile and caught the swaying Mei Shuang just in time. Even so, it startled the residents in the tree. The sound of cawing from an old crow echoed as it flapped its wings and flew away.
Mei Shuang's heart raced as she nervously watched the movements below.
The Buddha Hall remained quiet. After a while, Peach came out to check outside, squinting up at the tree. Seeing nothing unusual, she gently closed the door of the Buddha Hall and walked out.
Until late at night, when the candlelight in the Buddha Hall extinguished, Jinghui went to the front yard, and everything fell silent again.
Nangong Nuo jumped down from the tree with Mei Shuang in her arms and quietly left the temple.
On their way down the mountain, the cold moonlight illuminated the path as Mei Shuang stumbled along in silence.
Nangong Nuo appeared relaxed.
Suddenly, Mei Shuang stopped and sighed softly, "In such a beautiful age, yet having to spend it under the Azure Lamp and Ancient Buddha, it's truly a pity..."
Nangong Nuo walked leisurely, a smile that was neither here nor there on her face. "Isn't this exactly what you hoped for? To leave Xiao Luo behind, far from the palace, where competing for your favor is simply impossible."
"I've changed my mind..." Mei Shuang shook her head. "Now that I am in this situation, why should I let her waste her days like this?"
Nangong Nuo suddenly stopped, a hint of vigilance flashing in her eyes. "What are you planning?"
"Um... I haven't figured it out yet. But I just feel that a woman of such grace and elegance deserves a beautiful life of her own. This environment is truly unsuitable for her. At the very least, her acupuncture skills, though they may not be miraculous, are genuinely useful. Even if she can help others, that's still a good thing..."
Nangong Nuo remained silent, continuing to walk as if she hadn’t heard Mei Shuang's words.
Unwilling to give up, Mei Shuang hurried after her and said, "In fact, she really doesn't need to stay here..."
Nangong Nuo paused and turned to look at her.
Under the moonlight, Mei Shuang's long hair flowed gracefully, her eyes bright and clear.
"Do you think she wants to stay here to cultivate?" Nangong Nuo asked.
"......"
Mei Shuang was taken aback. "Why wouldn't she want to stay here?"
Nangong Nuo looked at Mei Shuang with a strange expression, almost with a sense of earnestness. "I know you, Miss Mei Shuang, have truly turned over a new leaf, but what does it matter where she is?"
"Isn't it because of me that she ended up in this situation?" Mei Shuang questioned.
Nangong Nuo let out a slight cold laugh. "Do you think just because she saved your life you owe her a debt that must be repaid now? Miss Mei Shuang, I really don't understand. You used to meet her with disdain and sarcasm; now you seem to cherish her so much? Think about it—Xiao Luo longs to see her so desperately that even as a ruler he has nearly dug three feet into the ground searching for her. Why do you think that is?"
Mei Shuang's black and white eyes showed a hint of confusion, and suddenly she understood, exclaiming, "Are you saying—someone doesn't want the Emperor to find her?"
"You're clever," Nangong Nuo replied lazily. "Why don't you guess who could do such a thing?"
"Empress Dowager!" Mei Shuang blurted out.
"Alright," Nangong Nuo glanced at the astonished Mei Shuang and then looked at the sky. "It's already the middle of the night; we should hurry..."
Mei Shuang fell silent and obediently followed behind, listening as Nangong Nuo continued to instruct her, "Even if you accidentally ended up here and learned the identities of those inside, you must not reveal a word to anyone outside. Otherwise, you should be careful for your head..."
Mei Shuang gasped in shock.
After being frightened by Nangong Nuo, an image of a sharp-tongued, ruthless witch resembling a certain Empress Dowager from modern times immediately appeared in her mind.
She became worried and said, "If the Empress Dowager is that formidable, can you guarantee that she won't force me back to the palace?"
"You used to serve the Empress Dowager closely, so you naturally understand her temperament. Why are you asking me this now?" Nangong Nuo looked at Mei Shuang, whose brows were tightly furrowed. "It's strange; with your character, you were still favored in front of the Empress Dowager, making many noble ladies envious. Heh heh, if the Empress Dowager wants you back in the palace, it might be because she misses you..."
Mei Shuang immediately reacted and hurried a few steps to Nangong Nuo's side. "You have to keep your word, right? You promised me just now that I wouldn't have to go back; how can you go back on your word?"
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