Chapter 60
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Chapter 60:
After saying goodbye to Xu Yanqu, Li Chunzhou felt even more bored. She was tired of the messy cycle and just wanted to get rid of it quickly.
While Li Chunzhou was staring out the window at the willow tree, a head with a small braid suddenly popped up from under the window, startling Li Chunzhou to step back a few steps.
Upon closer look, she realized it was Mi Hongbao.
Mi Hongbao, who was originally smiling, immediately stopped when he saw Li Chunzhou’s slightly red eyes, and asked with a furrowed brow, "Has someone been bullying you? Tell me, I will…"
"No one is bullying me," Li Chunzhou quickly interrupted him, not wanting Mi Hongbao and Xu Yanqu to start a fight again. She walked back to the window and talked to Mi Hongbao through the open green curtain, "Why did you come over suddenly… and dressed like this?"
Mi Hongbao was wearing a loose, comfortable, black silk robe with minimal silver embellishments. Compared to his previous outfits, it focused more on practicality and simplicity.
Li Chunzhou rarely saw him dressed so neatly and simply.
After a moment of hesitation, Mi Hongbao looked at Li Chunzhou and said, "Lady Chun, the Turks have attacked, and my grandfather has been summoned by the court. I plan to go with him."
Li Chunzhou understood that Mi Hongbao was dressed like that today for a long journey. She carefully observed him – Mi Hongbao had a black silk belt tied around his waist for easy movement, he was wearing soft boots for walking on rough mountain paths and muddy country trails. His outfit was both noble and comfortable, well-prepared for the journey.
"Do your family agree?" Li Chunzhou asked, pressing her lips together.
Mi Hongbao confidently lifted his chin and said, "No worries, I was planning to sneak away anyway! If things get rough, they won’t have enough people to bring me back."
His eyes sparkled as he spoke, and Li Chunzhou, though worried and wanting to stop him, couldn’t find the words.
Even though people in Shengjing City thought the young heir of the Northern Marquis family was a pampered playboy, Li Chunzhou saw him differently. Since they had become close, Mi Hongbao would excitedly share his progress in archery and martial arts classes with her every month.
Despite suspicions of fishing for compliments from Li Chunzhou, Mi Hongbao’s expressions when talking about these things showed that he didn’t truly see himself as worthless.
He had been quietly working hard when no one was watching, waiting for a chance to prove himself.
While others thought of him as lazy, Li Chunzhou knew that Mi Hongbao had a determined side to him. He had ambitions and wanted to climb higher. Even though his mother and elders wanted to make him a rich idler, that wasn’t what Mi Hongbao truly desired.
The opportunity had come, and Li Chunzhou knew he was about to leave.
但是她真的很想问问他，你对我曾经说的那些话，究竟有几分是真的？你明明说要给我赎身，说要来看我参加Oiran Contest，说要陪我一起逛街，说要一直和我在一起…
既然做不到，为什么还要那么纯粹地对我好，还要傻傻地给我那么多金银首饰，还对我许下那么多承诺？
Li Chunzhou低下头，她讨厌这种心情被别人牵动的感觉，也讨厌现在的Mi Hongbao，就像她刚刚讨厌Xu Yanqu一样——即使他们是完全不同的两种人。
Xu Yanqu和Mi Hongbao分别极端地站在人生天平的两端。
Xu Yanqu的生命很轻，因为他心里是空的，里面没有生活了十多年的戏班子，也没有这个国家，甚至没有他自己，只有对Li Chunzhou一个人的执念。
所以他不在乎Daliang，对攻打自己国家的突厥人也不厌恶，Xu Yanqu随时都准备抛弃自己现有的一切。
只要跟Li Chunzhou在一起，他根本不在乎自己将下来将要去往何种境地，而一旦离开了Li Chunzhou，他就会完全陷入世界本无意义的虚无当中，就像断了线的风筝，没有任何牵引，只能随风飘荡。
放弃这份羽毛般轻柔的爱后，他是个没有理想与自我的人。
因此Xu Yanqu的生命比一根羽毛还要轻。
Mi Hongbao’s life is very important. He carries a lot in his heart – his family, his country, his ambitions, and Li Chunzhou. Since he was born into this world, the responsibility of the Mi family naturally fell upon his shoulders.
Xu Yanqu is dull and gloomy, but Mi Hongbao is the opposite. He is bright and colorful, just like his personality.
Mi Hongbao has deep love for his family, understanding and companionship with friends, the dignity and honor as a noble, the belief in protecting his homeland selflessly, and the love he receives and gives to others. It is these countless and weighty things that make up who he is.
Mi Hongbao’s life is so significant that the only thing he would exchange it for is the survival of his country. Therefore, when it’s crucial, he would sacrifice everything about himself and all important things – including Li Chunzhou – for the country and his ideals.
Li Chunzhou looked at him without speaking. Mi Hongbao looked at Li Chunzhou’s disappointed face and said apologetically, "I won’t be able to accompany you the day after tomorrow, Lady Chun, I’m sorry…"
Before he could finish speaking, Li Chunzhou grabbed his arm and bit down hard.
Li Chunzhou bit off a tiny piece of flesh from Mi Hongbao’s arm, the size of a grain of rice.
Mi Hongbao let out a painful hiss, taking a sharp breath, but he didn’t pull his arm back. He felt it was his fault for breaking his promise first, so Lady Chun biting him was justified.
Li Chunzhou swallowed the bloody taste in her mouth along with the small piece of flesh that belonged to Mi Hongbao, and asked vaguely, "Are you leaving now, A’bao?"
Mi Hongbao’s face was always wearing a carefree smile, he nodded and said, "The imperial court gave my grandfather an urgent order, I sneaked out without telling anyone else…"
He touched his nose, looking a bit embarrassed, and blushing, he said, "…I just wanted to say goodbye to you, Lady Chun."
It was noon, a gentle breeze was blowing, the willow branches swayed gracefully, the willow tree by the window was adorned in fresh green leaves, swaying gently. The sunlight shone through the leaves, creating a colorful pattern on the ground.
Li Chunzhou gazed at him intently, as the breeze rustled through the willow leaves, bringing a coolness. Mi Hongbao nervously averted his gaze, afraid that if he looked at her any longer, he wouldn’t be able to leave – he just couldn’t bear to.
Li Chunzhou untied a long red ribbon from her hair and carefully wrapped it around Mi Hongbao’s wrist, one loop at a time.
Mi Hongbao’s slender hand remained still, obediently letting her add this touch of bright color to his all-black attire.
Li Chunzhou held his hand, smiling contently after a while, and said, "Let’s go, I’ll walk you out."
She wearing a veil, escorted him all the way to the entrance of the Spring Flowers Tower.
Mi Hongbao rode a tall horse and repeatedly lowered his head, telling her, "Lady Chun, wait for me to achieve merit on the battlefield, I will ask the Emperor to marry you, and then you can marry me in a grand ceremony!"
Li Chunzhou didn’t take it seriously, but still smiled and said, "Okay, I will wait for you, A’bao."
She looked up at Mi Hongbao, who was smiling, and suddenly realized that he had turned from a young boy into a dependable man without her knowing.
The vitality on Mi Hongbao seemed innate. When Li Chunzhou wasn’t paying attention, he had already overcome his confusion about the future and found the path he truly wanted to follow.
Li Chunzhou felt emotional, thinking that if there were no reincarnations or players, what Mi Hongbao was about to experience might become a grand part of history.
In the sunlight, the smile on Mi Hongbao’s face as he bid farewell was especially clear and determined.
As Mi Hongbao’s figure faded in the distance, Li Chunzhou leaned against the door, watching him leave without taking her eyes off him.
From Spring Flowers Tower to Pingkang Alley, a road that felt both long and short, Mi Hongbao never looked back once.
Li Chunzhou kept reminding herself in her heart that it was all fake, and she just needed to wait for the next reincarnation. But in that moment, she couldn’t help but feel sad uncontrollably.
A strong sense of reluctance suddenly filled Li Chunzhou’s heart. She blinked hard, covered her mouth with one hand, and tried to hold back the urge to shout his name. But unintentionally, she whispered through her fingers, "Come back alive…"
Li Zhexuan came closer, bent down, and slowly licked away the bloodstains on Li Chunzhou’s mouth under the veil. The taste of blood was fresh. Li Chunzhou turned her empty gaze towards Li Zhexuan’s face and saw a serene smile hanging on it.
So calm it was sickening.
Li Chunzhou had seen this expression on his face several times before, but each time she felt disgusted.
She knew it wasn’t Li Zhexuan’s fault, as he was a little creature that only knew how to mimic… His smile was imitating her usual expression.
Therefore, what Li Chunzhou found repulsive was not actually Li Zhexuan’s fake smile, but her own.
Li Chunzhou raised her hand and touched his cheek for a moment, then calmly said, "If A’bao can’t come back, bring him back… Bring him to me."
Upon hearing this, Li Zhexuan seemed very happy and licked the corner of her mouth again.
***
Chihong searched around the courtyard but eventually found Li Chunzhou in front of the Spring Flowers Tower.
She walked to Li Chunzhou, who was lost in thought, and said to her, "Miss, Gu Lingfan has left."
"Oh, left…" Li Chunzhou unconsciously repeated her words, her tired mind returning. When she realized the meaning of Chihong’s words, she spoke again with a questioning tone, "Where did she go?"
Chihong calmly repeated, "Gu Lingfan has already left the Spring Flowers Tower. She has redeemed herself."
"…"
Li Chunzhou remained silent, her brows furrowed in disbelief. The smile that usually adorned her face couldn’t even muster half of a fake grin at this moment.
With a deep breath, she lifted her skirt and turned around, rushing up the stairs in an uneven pace, bursting into Mama Li’s room.
Due to her fast sprint just now, Li Chunzhou gasped for air heavily, her voice almost trembling as she asked, "Mother, has Fan Nuo left?"
Mama Li looked at her with concern, hesitating before saying, "Just left. Before she departed, she asked me not to tell you about this…"
Li Chunzhou couldn’t hear the rest of the words. She ran to the window and looked around, spotting a carriage parked by the side entrance. Gu Lingfan was holding Bi Yuansi’s hand, about to board the carriage.