Three days after Zhao Renshu and Ping'an returned home, Ping'an did very little in the house. She lay in bed all day, her world confined to the four walls of her room. She only got up to cook, wash her clothes, and use the toilet, then retreated immediately, locking herself away. She barely spoke to Zhao Renshu, spending her days cloistered inside her room.
Every time Zhao Renshu peeked through the window, he would find her lying motionless on the bed, a haunting stillness about her.
Zhao Renshu carried two plates of food into Ping'an's room, the scent of the meal doing little to penetrate the heavy atmosphere. He placed the food on the table and sat on the edge of the bed. Reaching out, he gently placed his palm on Ping'an's forehead.
"Are you feeling, okay?" he asked, his voice soft with concern. "You have a fever."
"I am tired," Ping'an murmured, her voice weak. "Please let me sleep."
"I'll go boil some medicine for you," Zhao Renshu began, his voice filled with a desperate need to help. "The last time when Baiyu was here, he gathered some herbal medicine...." He looked at her, and his words died in his throat as he saw tears silently dripping from her closed eyes, trailing down her temples. "I'm sorry," he whispered, standing up, his heart aching. "I will go boil the medicine."
Meanwhile, the Guo family gathered in their main dining room, a stark contrast of forced gaiety. Except for Guo Baiyu, everyone seemed boisterously happy, enjoying the lavish meal.
"Baiyu, is the food not good?" Master Guo asked, a hint of annoyance in his tone.
Guo Baiyu did not answer, his gaze distant, lost in thought.
"Da ge," Guo Mingyu whispered, nudging his elder brother, "father is talking to you."
Still no response.
"Baiyu!" Master Guo shouted, his patience wearing thin.
Guo Baiyu's head snapped up, his eyes unfocused for a moment. "I'm sorry, what is it?" he asked, his voice strained.
"I asked why you don't eat," Master Guo repeated, exasperated. "Is the food not good or what?"
"Very good," Guo Baiyu replied dully.
"Maybe he thinks too much about the wedding?" Second Lady Guo purred, a sly amusement in her eyes.
"Yingyu is getting married too," Fourth Lady Guo interjected, a hint of disdain in her voice. "He isn't even spacing out."
"He is very lucky that Lady Wu Meixiang picked him," Grand Lady Guo chimed in, her voice dripping with self-satisfaction. "You should be happy that you will soon become the son of one of the richest families in Capital City."
"It is really sad that Baiyu's mother is not around to see how successful he is now," Second Lady Guo continued, oblivious to Guo Baiyu's pain. "Who would have thought that a lowly woman like her would have such a successful son and become the heir of the Guo family? In her past life, she might have done too few merits; that is why she didn't live long enough to see her son's success."
"Yes," Fourth Lady Guo added, nodding vigorously, "Yingyu is not as lucky as him. In everything, he is always inferior to Baiyu."
"In any case, Baiyu must marry Lady Wu," Master Guo declared, his voice firm, bringing the conversation back to business. "As Wu's business partners, we can survive. If Baiyu and Yingyu do not marry the two ladies Wu, we will have to compete with them and other business owners. Think about all the money we will lose and they pocket."
Guo Baiyu could no longer stand their incessant, self-serving assaults. His jaw tightened. "I don't want to marry Lady Wu," he stated, his voice low but clear, shocking them all.
Everyone gasped, the sudden silence deafening.
"What do you say?!" Master Guo asked angrily, his face turning red.
"I said, I don't want to marry Lady Wu," Guo Baiyu repeated, his voice unwavering.
"You must marry her!" Master Guo roared, slamming his fist on the table. "If you don't marry her, she will choose another family, and we will lose this partnership! You have no choice!"
"Do you care if I am happy?" Guo Baiyu asked, his voice laced with bitter irony.
"Money is happiness!" Master Guo declared, a cold, hard glint in his eyes. "You have money, and everyone is below you!"
Guo Baiyu shook his head, a profound weariness settling over him. "I am not suitable for Lady Wu. There are still Jinyu, Hongyu, Heiyu, even Longtong. Why is it me?"
"Because Miss Wu chose you," Master Guo stated simply, as if that were the only justification needed.
"Just because she chose me, I can't say anything about it?" Guo Baiyu scoffed, a flicker of resentment in his eyes. "What if I don't love her? What if I have another woman?"
"I forbid you to meet the other woman!" Master Guo shouted, his face contorted with rage. "If I knew you left Lady Wu for another woman, I would kick you out of our family!" He pointed his finger directly at Guo Baiyu's right temple, a chilling threat.
The First, Second, and Fourth Ladies Guo all giggled, reveling in the public humiliation.
Guo Baiyu lowered his head, a bitter smile touching his lips. "Don't worry," he murmured, his voice barely audible. "She didn't choose me." He then turned and walked away, Xiao Mei, ever loyal, quickly following him.
After Guo Baiyu left, Master Guo, his face still flushed with anger, declared, "I am heading out. The wedding ceremony will change to the end of this month!"
Guo Baiyu walked directly to his small, private courtyard, a sanctuary from the family's avarice. He went straight to his study room. He took out a small, ornate box. Xiao Mei stood quietly beside him, her presence a comforting silence. He carefully took a letter from the box and held it over a small, flickering candle flame, watching as it curled and blackened, turning to ash.
"Young Master Guo, what are you burning?" Xiao Mei asked, her voice soft with curiosity.
Guo Baiyu smiled, a faint, melancholic smile. "Xiao Mei," he said, "it's your servant contract. I burned it, which means you have no obligation to this family. You are a free woman now."
"Young master, did you do this because Sister Ping'an didn't choose you?" Xiao Mei asked, her eyes filled with a sad understanding.
"Xiao Mei, even if she had chosen me, I couldn't make her happy," Guo Baiyu confided, a deep sigh escaping him. "I feel relieved she didn't choose me."
"Young master, why do you want to stay if you are unhappy?" Xiao Mei pressed gently, her youthful wisdom shining through. "Brother Renshu once told me that 'It doesn't matter where your beginning starts, you must live to the fullest because that is the most important part of living.' This sentence made me maintain a positive view of the world. I know the relationship between you, Sister Ping'an, and Brother Renshu."
"How?" Guo Baiyu asked, surprised by her insight.
"I was there outside the door that night," Xiao Mei said shyly, looking at Guo Baiyu with unwavering honesty. "Young Master, if you are happy to establish this relationship with them, then you don't have to care what others say. I know for sure Sister Ping'an will not care, and Brother Renshu won't care either. I think Sister Ping'an decided not to choose you is not because she does not love you, but I believe that she does not want to be the reason why you ruin your life's achievements because of her."
"Now it seems like your thinking is clearer than mine," Guo Baiyu admitted, a wry smile touching his lips.
"Young Master, if everyone is happy, then you should also be happy," Xiao Mei urged, her voice earnest. "This family is evil in nature. Once you are no longer valuable to them, they will cut their losses. I can promise if you walk out of here and go with Sister Ping'an and Brother Renshu, wearing only the clothes you wear, they will not look down on you."
Guo Baiyu smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through him. "Thank you for your kind words." He handed the small chest-box, now empty of the contract, to Xiao Mei. "Take the money and leave. You can leave tomorrow. This is an order."
"But Young Master," Xiao Mei protested, tears welling in her eyes, "it will be your wedding in two days. I want to see you..."
"This is the occasion I don't want you to be here," Guo Baiyu interrupted gently but firmly.
"I know," Xiao Mei whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I am leaving tomorrow morning. Thank you for everything you have done for me, young master."
Guo Baiyu smiled, a silent farewell in his eyes.
When Zhao Renshu was cleaning the withered flowers outside Ping'an's room, a strong, acrid medicinal odor assaulted his senses. He picked up a dead bloom, crushed it, and sniffed again. A terrible realization dawned on him: Ping'an had not drunk the medicine. She had been pouring it out the window, and the poison, potent enough to heal a man, had killed the flowers instead.
Since their return from Capital City, Ping'an had barely eaten. Her days were spent hidden in her room, a self-imposed prison. In the past three weeks, she had not uttered more than ten words to him. Yes, he had made the mistake of kissing Hu Qingge, but he didn't deserve this treatment. His frustration boiled over. He pushed the door to Ping'an's room open with a violent shove. He saw Ping'an still lying in bed, her eyes closed, and the sight fueled his anger further. He began to furiously pack her clothes into a small bag.
Ping'an's eyes fluttered open. "Renshu, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice weak and bewildered.
"Bringing you back to your lover," Zhao Renshu snarled, his voice tight with frustration and hurt.
Ping'an was confused. "What are you talking about?" She slowly sat up, a throbbing headache clouding her mind. "Where are we going?"
Zhao Renshu looked at her, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and desperation. "I am taking you to your lover!"
"Renshu, I won't go! I didn't choose him!" Ping'an protested, her voice rising.
"You didn't say you chose me either!" Zhao Renshu scoffed, his voice filled with bitter accusation. "You stay here miserably, cry every day, pour the medicine out the window, and don't eat. In the past three weeks, you have said no more than ten words to me! What do you want from me? Because you love him and want to be with him, why choose to come back here with me? Because without him, you can't live happily, why come back here with me?! I don't want your pity!"
Tears shed freely from Ping'an's face, her heart aching. "I never said that I love him more than you," she whispered, her voice broken.
Zhao Renshu scoffed angrily, his face contorted. "Your actions show that you love him more! This place no longer welcomes you. Your heart is not here, so you should not be here!" He tied her bag with a fierce yank, then looked at her, holding back his own tears, his voice softening with raw, undeniable love. "I love you, Ping'an. I know I will never undo my mistake. I will always carry that guilt with me. I want my lively Ping'an back! The one that always makes me happy! The one that takes away my anger and worries with just a smile! The one that doesn't have that sad face! Now get up!" He grabbed her right hand and, without waiting for a response, dragged her out of the door.
The lovers drove their horse carriage nonstop for one day and one night, pushing themselves, until they reached Capital City's gate. It was early in the morning, and the Capital City gate had just opened. Zhao Renshu stopped the horse carriage directly in front of the residence of the Guo family.
The front door of the opulent mansion had been decorated with a vibrant red bow. The two massive lion statues flanking the entrance each wore large red bows tied around their powerful necks.
Zhao Renshu pulled Ping'an out of the carriage, his grip firm, and dragged her towards the front door.
"Stop!" Ping'an pleaded, her voice raw with desperation, her eyes filled with tears. "I won't go in. Please... give me the smallest dignity I have left as a human being! I beg you..."
"Fine, you sit here," Zhao Renshu conceded, his voice still harsh, and pushed her down at the foot of one of the magnificent lion statues.
The door greeter, seeing the commotion, rushed forward. "You can't sit here!" he protested.
"Shut up!" Zhao Renshu shouted angrily, pushing the door greeter aside with a powerful shove.
The door greeter, indignantly, chased after Zhao Renshu. "You can't enter without an invitation!"
"GUO BAIYU! COME OUT!" Zhao Renshu roared, his voice echoing through the courtyard, filled with a furious demand.
Ten guards immediately rushed out, followed swiftly by Master Guo, the Guo brothers, and the ladies of the family, their faces alight with curiosity and irritation.
"Who are you?" Master Guo demanded, his voice laced with authority. "Why do you cause trouble in the morning?!"
"SHUT UP OLD MAN!" Zhao Renshu shouted angrily, his gaze fixed on Guo Baiyu. "Guo Baiyu, I brought Ping'an here to you today. You will marry her today!"
"How dare you?!" Grand Lady Guo shrieked, appalled.
"As a man," Zhao Renshu retorted, his eyes blazing, "if you do wrong to her, are you responsible for it?!"
"She chose you," Guo Baiyu said, his voice flat, broken. "Why are you here with her?"
"She loves you and chose you in her heart!" Zhao Renshu snarled, his voice thick with pain and resentment. "I am her scapegoat! Since we left, she has not eaten or drunk! She has a fever, and she is sitting outside waiting for you! Back home, all she did was lay on the bed crying! She lost all hope because she loved you so much!"
"Renshu," Guo Baiyu said, a desperate plea in his voice, "she did all that for you at Border Towns. You can go back now."
Zhao Renshu gritted his teeth; his eyes narrowed with furious resolve. "I am taking you with me today! Mark my words, anyone who dares to stop me, I will crush them to the ground!"
Guo Longtong, just arriving, rushed forward. "Zhao-xiong, please, today should be a happy day!" he pleaded, trying to de-escalate.
"It would be a happy day if Baiyu married Ping'an!" Zhao Renshu snarled, his eyes sweeping over the assembled family. "Otherwise, it would be a very sad day!"
"Guards, take him down!" Master Guo ordered, his face contorted with rage.
Zhao Renshu smirked at the ten guards, a chilling, contemptuous smile.
Guo Longtong turned to Master Guo, his face pale with worry. "Uncle, let your guards stand down! They are no match for him! He can kill many demon creatures alone!"
Guo Yingyu, brimming with self-importance, pointed a trembling finger at Zhao Renshu. "Don't think that you can put spells on everyone or think that you are above the law!"
"Try me," Zhao Renshu gritted his teeth, his eyes flaring. He held up his palm, and a radiant blue talisman floated on his right palm. Instantly, hundreds of razor-sharp icicles appeared rapidly, aimed at everyone except Guo Longtong. Except for Guo Baiyu, everyone's face turned pale and was consumed by fear.
"Zhao-xiong!" Guo Longtong panicked, his voice desperate. "How about we go out and meet with Ping'an? If she insists on marrying Baiyu, we can talk about it, but if she refuses, then you two can go home or stay as our honorable guests!"
"Don't act too harshly, young hunter," Grand Lady Guo whimpered, her earlier arrogance replaced by fear.
"Fine," Zhao Renshu said madly, a wild glint in his eyes. He crushed the blue talisman, and all the icicles immediately disappeared.
Many fragmented memories swirled in Ping'an's heart as she sat at the base of the lion statue, watching people walk by. She saw a mother and a father holding their child's hands, their faces alight with a simple, pure love. She wondered, with a wrenching ache, what she had done wrong, why she hadn't even had a chance to experience that kind of unconditional love.
The thought led her down a dark path of recollection. She remembered, with chilling clarity, when she was about six years old and had accidentally broken one of the family's plates. Her father had whipped her ten times, the blows cutting deep, and she bled for two days. It took fifteen agonizing days for the wounds to heal, and even now, those faded, ugly scars marred her back.
Ping'an stood up, tears blurring her vision, and stumbled into the street, her mind consumed by the most painful memories of her childhood and growing up.
In her painful memories, the little Ping'an cried, burying her face in Grandma Xiong's comforting arms, her small body trembling with pain and fear.
"What's wrong, my dear?" Grandma Xiong murmured, stroking her hair. "Why are you bleeding?"
"Grandma," Little Ping'an sobbed, her voice muffled, "if I am not his daughter, please tell me the truth!"
"Yes, you are," Grandma Xiong insisted gently, though her eyes held a hidden sorrow.
"Then why doesn't he love me like he loves Lifeng?" Little Ping'an wailed, her heart breaking.
Grandma Xiong comforted her, holding her tightly. "Oh, Xiao Ping'an, you still have a long life ahead of you. You must grow up strong because there is a lot of love waiting for you."
"Really?" Little Ping'an asked, a flicker of fragile hope.
Grandma Xiong coaxed, her voice soft with ancient wisdom, "Xiao Ping'an, remembering everything you endured today will make you stronger. When he yells at you, you pretend not to hear him, and you won't make him angry. If he shouts enough, he will stop and walk away."
Little Ping'an sobbed and said, "I just want a hug from him. I just want a little love from him. Am I asking too much?"
"Xiao Ping'an, we should be happy of what we have," Grandma Xiong advised, her voice tinged with resignation.
Little Ping'an sobbed loudly, clutching her grandmother. "Grandmother, how come nobody loves me?" she cried, her voice cracking, continuing to sob into Grandma Xiong's arms.
"Silly girl," Grandma Xiong murmured, stroking her hair. "I will always love you. Remember that the matchmaker in heaven will not let my sweet Xiao Ping'an be alone."
Little Ping'an, still tear-stained, wiped her eyes. "What is a matchmaker in Heaven?"
Grandma Xiong laughed softly, a comforting sound. "You will know when you grow up." She patted gently on the back of her head.
That raw, painful flashback unleashed a fresh torrent of tears in Ping'an's eyes. Since she was very young, the only person who had loved her unconditionally was her grandmother, until she met Guo Baiyu and Zhao Renshu. They had changed her life, given her a second chance, a taste of happiness.
In the past two and a half years, she had felt the happiest she had ever been. The deep scars of her past, for a time, had been overshadowed by the sweetness of their love, winning the battle of life and death within her. Yet, even as she thought about her happiest moments, the constant, cruel verbal abuse from her father and stepmother came flooding back to mind. She still remembered, with vivid clarity, that when she was about ten years old, she was punished by kneeling down all day simply because Xiong Lifeng's cat happened to fall down the stairs to its death.
"You are a child of the devil!" Boss Xiong had shouted; his face contorted with rage. "Everything around you are dead or broken! What did the Xiong family do to deserve someone like you?!"
Or that one time when the rapist took her grandmother as a hostage.
Boss Xiong had pushed her forward, like a piece of trash, into the arm of the rapist. "Go replace your grandmother!" he had snarled.
Or when they were at the forbidden wood, and he had hurled curses at her.
"I curse you to die a horrible death!" Boss Xiong had shrieked, his eyes burning with malice.
Or that time in the private dinner room when Zhao Renshu had asked Guo Baiyu, and he had replied he would marry Lady Wu within two months, his words echoing like a death knell in her heart.
Or that time when she looked Zhao Renshu directly in the eyes at the Border Towns festival, and he had answered her that if there had been no her, he may have picked Miss Hu, shattering a piece of her hope.
She stumbled forward, her feet dragging her towards the riverbank.
She stared at the flowing river, tears streaming down her face, a faint, resigned smile touching her lips. "Just like you said, Grandmother," she whispered, her voice barely audible, "we should be happy for what we have. I have been very happy for the past two and a half years, but all happy moments must end... Wait for me."
She untied her belt and tied one end securely to her right ankle. Then she tied the other end of the belt to a small stone, heavy as a pumpkin. She picked up the stone, its weight dragging her, and walked further and further into the river's depths. Finally, with a silent sigh, she disappeared underwater.
Sparks flickered, and then an ethereal woman in a vibrant green dress appeared on the riverbank, her eyes fixed on the spot where Ping'an had vanished.