Chapter 36

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“Rustle, rustle…”

The sparrows perched atop the pavilion roof were startled into flight, flapping their wings in disarray. Brown feathers fluttered and twirled in the air before drifting to the ground.

Gu Yan Fei’s gaze cooled as she watched the pavilion below, battered and teetering on the brink of collapse. Her heart felt as if struck by lightning, and in an instant, fragments of the past came together with startling clarity.

So it wasn’t due to a neglected structure or termites… The pavilion collapsed because Kang Wang and Fang Ming Feng were fighting over Gu Yun Rong.

And what about the so-called “life-saving grace” from the last life? What was the real truth behind it?

Her expression darkened. Slowly, Gu Yan Fei reached into her pouch and pulled out a talisman, holding it delicately between her fingers. The wide sleeves of her robe concealed the talisman from view. In her previous life, the Empress Dowager and Kang Wang had successfully used lies to obscure the truth because few people knew what had really happened.

But what if things spiraled out of control this time?

Suddenly, Gu Yun Zhen rose from her seat. Her usual gentle face was now clouded with visible worry. Without hesitation, she turned and said, “Second Sister, wait here for me. I’m going to take a look.”

And with that, she hurried off toward the chaotic pavilion.

As Gu Yun Zhen hurried toward the staircase, Gu Yan Fei’s calm eyes flickered with a quiet intensity. Her lips moved slightly, silently reciting an incantation.

Then, with a swift motion of her right arm, she flung the talisman from her fingers. Her sleeve billowed like a butterfly in flight, adding a touch of elegance to the subtle action.

The talisman floated gently through the air, as though it had sprouted wings, making its way toward the pavilion’s rooftop.

“Elder Sister, there’s a fire over there!” Gu Yan Fei pointed to the pavilion outside the window and shouted.

Gu Yun Zhen froze mid-step, her urgency turning into confusion. She turned back toward the window.

At that exact moment, the talisman landed softly on the pavilion’s glazed tile roof. As it made contact, it ignited spontaneously, flames licking at its surface before consuming it entirely in a blink, leaving nothing but ash.

Immediately afterward, a white plume of smoke erupted, resembling a mushroom cloud. The smoke spiraled upward and spread, delicate and wispy, like layers of sheer gauze draped over the scene.

By the time Gu Yun Zhen reached the window, what she saw was an ethereal sight: the pavilion and its three occupants shrouded in smoke, their figures blurred and indistinct, as though painted with watercolors.

“Fire! The pavilion is on fire!” came her alarmed cry.

The plume of smoke rising above the pavilion quickly drew the attention of others in the garden. Mistaking it for a fire, panicked cries erupted as people shouted warnings and rushed toward the scene.

The commotion grew louder as more people noticed the activity near the pavilion. A chaotic crowd surged forward like a flock of startled birds, creating a wave of noise and movement. Some shouted instructions, others ran to fetch water, a few searched for help, and many hurried over simply to satisfy their curiosity.

The uproar outside soon reached the three in the pavilion. Kang Wang and Fang Ming Feng both turned to the growing crowd, their expressions darkening as the situation became clear. Their gazes quickly landed on Gu Yun Rong’s torn sleeve, her disheveled appearance stark against the background of rising smoke.

The same thought struck both men simultaneously: Gu Yun Rong cannot be seen like this.

Her current state, with her sleeve ripped and her clothes slightly disordered, would undoubtedly lead to gossip if witnessed by so many people. Worse, their own presence in the pavilion could easily fuel scandalous rumors, damaging her reputation irreparably.

“Let go!” Fang Ming Feng barked at Kang Wang, his tone sharp and commanding. But Kang Wang, unwilling to yield, responded by thrusting his sword forward in a threatening motion.

Gu Yun Rong, her cherry-red lips pressed into a tight line, glanced at both men with an expression caught between frustration and resignation. Her dark eyes flickered, momentarily betraying her conflicted thoughts, before she steadied her voice and said firmly, “I’ll go myself!”

She flung her sleeve forcefully, shaking off both men. Instinctively, Kang Wang and Fang Ming Feng each reached out to grab her, unwilling to let her go.

As Gu Yun Rong moved forward, she continuously brushed off their hands, trying to free herself from their tugging. Amid the scuffle, her foot landed on a shard of broken tile. She slipped, her balance tipping, and before she could steady herself, she toppled backward toward the rose garden behind the pavilion.

The roses, vibrant and lauded as the “Queen of Flowers,” were beautiful but treacherous, their stems covered in dense, sharp thorns.

“Rong’er!”
“Rong Rong!”

Both Kang Wang and Fang Ming Feng cried out in panic, their faces ashen with fear. Almost simultaneously, they lunged forward in desperation.

Gu Yun Rong felt herself falling, the clear blue sky filling her vision as strands of her hair floated upward in the weightless moment of descent.

Just as she braced herself for impact, she felt a strong, firm arm wrap around her waist, supporting her back. Her gaze caught a glimpse of a soft, calming shade of blue, and the next moment, a rough, calloused hand gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her upward.

She gasped softly, startled.

In the next instant, the figure clad in blue brushed past her, their momentum carrying them straight into the rose garden. Her rescuer’s handsome face contorted in pain as their body crashed into the thorny bushes, sparing her the agony of the fall.

The entire sequence unfolded in the blink of an eye, too quick for anyone to fully react.

By the time Gu Yun Rong regained her senses, her feet were firmly back on solid ground. She looked up and met Kang Wang’s worried, caring gaze. “Rong’er, are you alright?” he asked anxiously.

Kang Wang’s grip was firm on her left wrist, while his sword lay discarded on the ground nearby.

Still shaken and pale from the near fall, Gu Yun Rong hadn’t yet answered when a panicked scream erupted from the northwest corner:

“Young Master Fang!”

“Young Master Fang fell into the flower bed!”

“Someone, help!”

The commotion from the smoke had drawn a crowd, who now arrived just in time to witness Fang Ming Feng sprawled in the thorny rose bushes. Their eyes quickly moved to the pavilion, where Kang Wang and Gu Yun Rong stood.

Kang Wang’s arm was steadying Gu Yun Rong, his expression etched with genuine concern. Gu Yun Rong herself appeared startled, her complexion pale as she struggled to maintain composure.

Among the onlookers, a few sharp-eyed individuals noticed the long tear in Gu Yun Rong’s left sleeve. Their gazes flicked meaningfully between each other, their expressions hinting at unspoken suspicions. Whispers and conjectures began to ripple through the crowd, the scene ripe with ambiguity and scandal.

“Fang Ming Feng!” Gu Yun Rong called out in alarm, her gaze darting anxiously toward the rose bed.

The crowd, drawn by the commotion, surged forward, their murmurs blending into a cacophony of voices. The scene became a chaotic flurry of movement as everyone tried to get a closer look.

Fang Ming Feng let out a low groan, his body sprawled amidst the brilliant, fiery roses. Though the fall hadn’t been particularly severe, the dense rose bushes were like a bed of knives. As he landed, countless sharp thorns pierced into his skin—his hands, face, neck, and even through the thin fabric of his clothing.

Propping himself up on one elbow, he tried to sit up, his lips pressed tightly together in an effort to suppress the pain. Gasps rippled through the crowd as they took in his injuries.

One side of his face was a bloodied mess, covered in countless pinprick-sized wounds. A thorny vine clung to his skin and tangled in his hair, its barbs embedded deep into the flesh. Crimson blood streaked down his face in a stark, horrifying contrast to his pallor.

A few young women in the crowd turned pale, their hands flying to their mouths in shock. Some couldn’t bear the sight, averting their eyes from the gruesome scene.

Gu Yun Rong stood frozen, staring at Fang Ming Feng. Her emotions swirled—pain, gratitude, worry—all tangled together, leaving her at a loss for words.

“Quick, call a doctor!” she finally exclaimed, her voice trembling.

Someone shouted for help, and a figure hurriedly ran off. Meanwhile, others, drawn by the commotion, trickled in, adding to the already chaotic scene.

From afar, Gu Yan Fei stood at the Moonlight Tower, her gaze fixed on the unfolding turmoil below. Her eyes glimmered with a flicker of understanding as she silently observed.

The smoke atop the pavilion began to disperse, carried away by the breeze, revealing Fang Ming Feng’s bloodied face in full view. The sight struck a chord deep within her, overlapping eerily with the haunting image of Gu Yun Zhen’s disfigured face from her past life. Both were equally shocking, equally unforgettable.

So that’s how it was.

The pieces fell into place in Gu Yan Fei’s mind, finally unraveling the cause behind Gu Yun Zhen’s ruined face in her previous life.