Chapter Seventy-Eight: Urgent as Wildfire

“So, you’re from my hometown too?” Feng Qiuji was so overjoyed she nearly threw her arms around him and kissed him hard.

“That’s right,” Ling Shuno replied, putting on an air of self-importance. “I’m the son of the chairman of XXX Corporation. Surely you’ve heard of it?”

Feng Qiuji thought for a moment, then stared at Arno with wide eyes. “XXX Corporation? Of course I know it! Isn’t that the most famous food company in the country?”

“Hmm, at least you have some common sense,” Arno said proudly. “That’s my family’s business. What do you think? Pretty impressive, right?”

“It’s amazing!” Feng Qiuji gazed at Arno with unabashed admiration, practically wagging her tail in excitement. “Big brother, can we discuss something?”

“What is it?”

“Well, since your family’s so rich, could you ask your father to give my family a hundred million? Treat it as a charitable donation, would you?”

“A hundred million?” Ling Shuno frowned slightly.

“If that’s too much, ten million would do,” Feng Qiuji realized she might have gone too far.

“Ten million?”

“Then just one million, really—I can’t ask for any less. Is that okay?” Feng Qiuji looked at him with pleading, starry eyes. After all, if he nodded, her family would be a million richer—how could she pass up such a windfall?

“Let’s talk about it if I ever get back home.”

“Oh, right,” Feng Qiuji said, suddenly recalling that their most pressing concern was returning home. “In that case, why don’t we find someplace to discuss how we might get back?” And perhaps talk about the money along the way.

**

The night wind carried a chill. Lu Wenwen was inside, packing his things, preparing to return to the Ling Dynasty with Ling Zetian and the others at dawn. He was weary of living away from home and longed to return, to see his parents. It had been years since he last saw them, and he worried about their health. Each time he thought of it, he felt guilty for all his years of study, unable to fulfill his duties as a son. Now, at last, he could set aside these regrets and see them again. A rare comfort settled over his heart, as if he was finally able to breathe freely after years of suffocation.

Among all things in this world, only affection is truly precious. Unfortunately, in his youth, he failed to grasp this truth, always believing he needed to achieve some great success before facing his parents. Looking back, he realized how much they must have worried for him over these years, perhaps wishing for his return every single day.

“Young Master Lu, are you still awake?” someone knocked gently at the door.

“Not yet asleep.” Lu Wenwen turned and opened the door to see Feng Qiuji standing there, her excitement poorly concealed.

“Miss Feng, is there something you need at this late hour?”

Feng Qiuji stepped in, composed herself, then broke into a radiant smile. “I came to tell you that I’m still pure.”

Lu Wenwen was taken aback by her excitement, unsure why she brought this up with him. “And then?” he asked.

“I…” Feng Qiuji had wanted to say that now she didn’t have to worry about not being worthy of him, but seeing his indifferent expression, she swallowed her words.

“Your Majesty the Empress,” Lu Wenwen, guessing her intent, deliberately emphasized the title, “whether you are pure or not is a matter between you and His Majesty. There’s no need to report it to me.”

“You!” Feng Qiuji’s excitement was instantly doused by his response. “Why are you so heartless to me?”

“Because I don’t love you. I didn’t before, I don’t now, and I’m certain I never will.” Lu Wenwen rubbed his temple in exasperation. The Prime Minister’s clever daughter was, sadly, single-minded to a fault. He recalled telling her clearly years ago, yet here she was, still not understanding.

He rejected her, just as he always had.

Feng Qiuji felt tears brimming in her eyes, overwhelmed by grief and helplessness. She turned and left quietly, her expression forlorn.

Lu Wenwen felt a pang of guilt, but he knew that softening now would only give her false hope. Matters of the heart are the hardest to explain. His own feelings were in turmoil too; he’d thought himself immune to emotional disturbance, yet seeing Qin Ruyan again had brought old memories flooding back, vivid and unforgettable. Yet, he didn’t know how to speak to her about it.

Rejected once more, Feng Qiuji was both sad and lost. Unable to soothe her wounded heart, she decided to seek out Ling Zetian.

If Lu Wenwen didn’t love her, then she might as well fulfill her duties as Empress and be Ling Zetian’s Empress in earnest.

At that moment, Ling Zetian was undressing for bed. The door suddenly flew open, and he looked up to see Feng Qiuji enter, tears already streaming down her face as she sat on the edge of the bed.

Seeing her cry, Ling Zetian’s frown deepened. After a long silence, he asked, “Did Lu Wenwen reject you?”

At this, Feng Qiuji wept even harder. She hated being rejected over and over; it hurt terribly. Lifting her teary face to Ling Zetian, she asked, “Do you love me?”

“Yes.” Only now did he realize, he truly did love her, deeply, and couldn’t bear to see her cry, for it made his heart ache.

Just then, the other Feng Qiuji, having finished her discussion with Ling Shuno, returned. Seeing herself there, she was startled and puzzled as to why the other was crying. When she heard Ling Zetian say he loved her, she felt both happy and desolate—happy to have confirmation of Ling Zetian’s feelings, but sad because she was not the one he loved.

“Though I don’t understand why you love him, since he doesn’t love you, you ought to let go, do you understand?” Ling Zetian, unable to watch any longer, pulled her into his arms.

Feng Qiuji felt some comfort in his embrace. She clung to Ling Zetian and murmured, “Since you love me, do you want me? I’ll give myself to you, would that be all right?”

The Feng Qiuji floating in the air nearly fell to the ground in shock. What? Give herself to him?

She began to suspect her hearing or the other’s mind was failing. How could this be? Ling Zetian didn’t love her—how could she let him have her? And if she did, what would she do?!

She hurried over, trying desperately to pull Ling Zetian away. She was terrified that if Ling Zetian lost his head and agreed, she’d be forced to watch the two of them together. She didn’t want that!

Yet, no matter how hard she tried, Ling Zetian and Feng Qiuji remained locked in their embrace, unaffected by her efforts.

What could she do? She absolutely could not allow this to happen. Now, her only option was…

Of course—find Ling Shuno and get him to stop this disaster.

With that in mind, she ignored the pair before her and rushed out to find Ling Shuno.

Ling Zetian was at first startled by Feng Qiuji’s words, but after his surprise faded, he released her, looked into her eyes, and said, word by word, “No.”

“Why not?” Feng Qiuji hadn’t expected his refusal.

“Because you’re not the Feng Qiuji I love.” Ling Zetian gazed into her eyes, but the familiar spirit was missing from them. “Though this body is still Feng Qiuji’s, every outward detail the same, it’s no longer her inside.”

“What?” Feng Qiuji clearly didn’t understand.

Ling Zetian actually laughed. “You don’t get it, but I know she’s gone. You’re not her and never could be, but I hope you’ll cherish her body. I can’t bear to see you mistreat it.”

“Her body?” Feng Qiuji grew even more confused. From the start, she hadn’t understood a word—this was obviously her body, whose else could it be?

“Just remember what I said. If you dare do anything to her body, I won’t let you off.” With that, Ling Zetian stood. “It’s late. Get some rest—we have a long journey tomorrow.”

Feng Qiuji watched Ling Zetian leave, closing the door behind him, his footsteps fading into the deep night.

Even Ling Zetian, who’d declared his love, said she wasn’t the Feng Qiuji he loved. Was she truly so unlikable?

Despair seeped into Feng Qiuji’s heart. Why did everyone treat her this way? Why? She just wanted to go home, to see her mother and father, to return to the warmth of her family. Here, she had no kin, and no one loved her.

With these thoughts, Feng Qiuji opened the door and stepped out. The moonlight was bright, and the Lu residence was silent.

When Feng Qiuji and Ling Shuno returned to stop whatever was happening between Ling Zetian and that other person, they found the room pitch-dark and empty.

“Hey, Feng Qiuji, are you sure this is the right room?” Ling Shuno eyed her skeptically.

Feng Qiuji floated out to check. “Yes, it’s this room. But where are they?”

“Why are you asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?” Ling Shuno replied, exasperated.

“Could they have gone to another room?” Feng Qiuji was on the verge of tears. “Let’s hurry and look for them!”

—End of aside—

So many things happened today.