Chang Hong?

  How could he be injured? He should understand what was appropriate behavior and wouldn’t do anything dangerous.

  Wei Luo’s heart was panicked. She promptly pushed pass the servant and walked towards the courtyard!

  From behind her, Liang Yu Rong called out, “Ah Luo, walk slower. Your ankle hasn’t healed yet!”


  But how could she listen to her? Chang Hong had been injured and she didn’t know how serious the injury was. From that person’s words, it seemed very serious. Where was he injured? She was panic-stricken as she walked into the room. She saw two doctors at Chang Hong’s bedside. They were staunching his bleeding and applying medicine. There was an arrow stuck deep in the right side of his chest and his blood had dyed a big patch of his clothes red. His face was deathly pale, his eyes were tightly closed, his eyebrows were furrowed, and he was already unconscious.

  Wei Luo endured the pain from her ankle, walked forward, and asked Liang Yu, “Older brother Liang Yu, why did Chang Hong get injured?”


  Liang Yu had come back with Chang Hong. He should know what had happened.

  As expected, Liang Yu clenched his fist. He recalled that scene and slowly said, “It was Li Song…”


  At that time, he hadn’t been near Chang Hong so he wasn’t aware of the exact circumstance. He only knew that when he went over there, the arrow had already shot Chang Hong down and Li Song was on his horse and holding a bow. Liang Yu stepped forward, grabbed Li Song’s collar, and fiercely scolded him. Just as he was about to hit him, he saw that Chang Hong’s physical condition wasn’t good. He could only let go of him and hurriedly bring Chang Hong back.

  Wei Luo’s body trembled and she bit her lips tightly. Li Song. It was Li Song again. What did he want to do? Why couldn’t he die?

  Probably because Liang Yu could detect her unusual behavior, he comforted her, “Younger sister Ah Luo, don’t worry. The doctors said that the injury wouldn’t be fatal. As long as the arrow is taken out and he rests in bed for half a month, he’ll be fine.

  But, Ah Luo didn’t feel that way. Just because the arrow didn’t take his life, it didn’t mean that Chang Hong should endure this injury for nothing. This matter shouldn’t be left unsettled.

  She suppressed her anger and asked, “Where’s Li Song?”


  Liang Yu truthfully replied, “He returned from the hunting area with me. He’s probably in Eastern Crane Courtyard right now.

  She nodded. She already had a plan in her heart. She requested Liang Yu, “If Chang Hong wakes up, older brother Liang Yu, please help me take care of him. I have to leave for a little bit.”


  Liang Yu said, “Okay.” He immediately thought of something and anxiously asked where she was going. But, she didn’t reply. She turned around and disappeared behind the red sandalwood screen. Her slender and frail back showed unwavering ruthlessness.

  Ah Luo took down her jade and golden hairpin from her hair and hid it inside her sleeve. Step by step, she walked towards Li Song’s courtyard. The feeling of piercing pain continuously came from ankle, but it wasn’t as deep-rooted as the anger in her heart. She wished that she could kill Li Song right now by having him taste the feeling of an arrow through his heart and to never appear in front of them again.

  ——-

  At Eastern Crane Courtyard, Li Song was wearing his hunting clothing and standing in the middle of the courtyard. A faint trace of anxiety was showing in his eyes, “How is Chang Hong’s injury?”


  His servant reported, “To report to Young Master, I heard from other people that he hasn’t woken up yet and the doctors are staunching his bleeding right now…”


  His eyebrows furrowed. He didn’t reply for a long time, and then he twitchily waved his hand and swept the plates and dishes from the stone table. There was the sound of crashing porcelain on the ground. He said, “Is it serious? Is his life in danger?”


  The servant said, “No one has come out from his room. This subordinate isn’t sure either…”


  Li Song could only compose himself and ask about the other matter, “Was Xiang-er peacefully sent down the mountain?”


  The servant nodded, “It’s settled. Eldest Young Miss is already in the carriage and on the road back to Prince Ru Yang’s residence.”


  His complexion became a little better. He warned again, “If anyone asks, say that everything was because of me. You can’t mention Xiang-er‘s name to prevent harming her reputation.”


  So, it turns out that Wei Chang Hong’s injury wasn’t only related to Li Song, it was also related his younger sister, Li Xiang.

  Li Xiang had suffered a grievance yesterday and cried the entire night. This morning, her things had been packed away and she was prepared to go home a day early. At that time, it was still the hunting competition and she was walking down the mountain with only a servant girl. It was possible that she would meet danger.

  When Li Song received the news, he hurriedly rushed over there and persuaded her to let him escort her down the mountain. They hadn’t walked far before she had requested to shoot a rabbit to bring back with her. Li Song had hit her last night, so his heart felt somewhat guilty and he agreed in order to make her happy.

  Li Xiang had followed Prince Ru Yang since she was a child, so she was familiar with bows and arrows. Her posture when shooting was extremely proper. She aimed her bow at a grey rabbit that wasn’t far away. But, when she was releasing the arrow, she suddenly turned towards Wei Chang Hong who had come closer to them. The arrow was released.

  Wei Chang Hong was caught off guard. He only had time to move his body slightly to the side and he evaded the arrow from hitting his vital point. The arrow hit the right side of his chest instead. He fell down from his horse and heavily landed on the ground!

  Li Song was completely stunned, “Li Xiang!”


  Li Xiang hatefully flung the bow down to the ground. The edges of her eyes were red when she said, “Older brother, I hate Wei Luo! People from House Wei are all bad. Wei Luo set me up last night. I want to kill her younger brother…”


  Li Song quickly covered her mouth. This time, even though he had the intention of immediately teaching her a lesson, there wasn’t time. Soon, other people would be coming here. If other people found out that Li Xiang had shot Chang Hong with the intention of killing him, then her reputation would be ruined. He quickly analyzed the pros and cons of each plan, then he had the servants bring Li Xiang down the mountain and he stayed behind to take the blame for Li Xiang.

  Li Song finished recalling that memory. When he looked up, he saw a girl at Eastern Crane Courtyard’s entrance.

  Her small body was stretched taut and covered in sweat despite early spring’s cool weather. Her pink lips were tightly pressed together. Her gaze as she looked at him was bone-chilling cold. But then, her gaze unexpectedly became calm as if all of the hostility and anger was taken into her eyes and was waiting for the moment it would burst out.

  Li Song felt uneasy from her gaze. He stubbornly said with calmness, “Why did you come here? Shouldn’t you be going to see your younger brother?”


  Wei Luo clutched her sleeve, didn’t reply, and slowly walked to him. She looked up at him with her small face and word by word asked him, “Were you the one that injured Chang Hong?”


  He subconsciously took a step backward and said without hesitation, “It was me.”


  It was him. It was him as expected. Inside her sleeves, Wei Luo’s small hands were clenched. She hated him to the extreme, but was able to control her emotions and not seem too anxious. She lightly moved forward and he continued retreating, so she walked forward to be closer. Her petal-like lips simply asked, “Why?”


  Eventually, Li Song couldn’t continue retreating. His back was against a Chinese parasol tree. When he looked down, he would see her bright black eyes. Unfortunately, there was no emotion in those eyes right now. There wasn’t even the pretense of a smile in her eyes only coldness was left. After he thought for a moment, he disapprovingly said, “What reason could there be? This type of thing frequently happens on the hunting grounds. Originally, I wanted to shoot a rabbit, but because he suddenly came out from behind, I shot him accidentally. Couldn’t it be that he doesn’t know how to evade when he sees an arrow shooting towards him?”


  These words really made a person angry. Wei Luo smiled in anger. The smile didn’t reach her eyes; only her lips were slightly curved, “Are you blaming him for not getting out of the way?”


  Li Song didn’t express an opinion.

  Wei Luo has smiled enough. She raised her hand and the hairpin that she had hid in her sleeve was in front of his chest. She slowly smiled and brought the hairpin closer to him until the sharp end of the pin was pressed up against him and would be touching his skin if there weren’t a layer of clothing. He felt the ice-cold temperature of the hairpin.

  “Li Song, do you think that you can successfully avoid just because you want to?”


  There was too much meaning hidden in these words. Li Song’s eyes shivered with cold or fear. He fiercely glared at her, “Do you dare to injure me?”


  Why wouldn’t she dare? If they were allowed to hurt Chang Hong, why couldn’t she hurt him?

  The hate in her eyes was too obvious. Li Song had a bad feeling. He slowly said, “You…”


  Before his words were finished, the hairpin had pierced through the clothing on his chest and ruthlessly went into his chest! Li Song only felt a stab of acute pain. A sweet strong-smell welled up in his throat. He incredulously looked at Wei Luo. He couldn’t have expected that she would be able to act so ruthlessly. He hoarsely said, “Wei Luo…”


  The two of them were underneath the Chinese parasol tree. An outsider wouldn’t see the slightest anomaly. No one would know that the hairpin in Wei Luo’s sleeve had deeply pierced Li Song’s chest.

  Wei Luo held onto the hairpin and pushed the hairpin deeper. The hate in her eyes had exploded. She wished that he could immediately die. She looked at his painful expression and suddenly felt very joyful. Right now, was Chang Hong feeling the same pain? Could he be a substitute for Chang Hong’s pain? She took out her hand and gently touched his eyebrow. In short while, a sweet and touching smile appear on her face. “Li Song, why aren’t you calling for people? If you don’t call out soon, I won’t be able to resist killing you.”


  The girl’s soft fingers gently stroked his face and her sweet smile was right in front of him. The more he looked, the more dazed he became. He felt as if this moment wasn’t real.

  “You dare…”


  Wei Luo didn’t stop. Instead, she stood on toes and softly whispered into his year, “Why wouldn’t I dare? Haven’t I already done it?” As she said this, she gently and slowly rubbed his ear for a moment like a spoiled kitten. It tugged on his heartstrings.

  “Li Song, are you not calling for people because you like me?” When she said these words, her eyes were curved and her voice was sweet and soft.

  Li Song tightly gritted his teeth. Her loveable, soft body was right in front of him and made him think of that Spring Lantern Festival night. He had hugged her soft and small body in the crowd of people. She had seemed fragile enough that a single touched would shatter her. But he knew that this was his own misperception. She wasn’t a fragile, porcelain doll. She treated everyone else very well, but treated him with cold indifference.

  He had secretly considered. Was this because he had bullied her when they were children?

  But didn’t she viciously bully him back in return each time?

  He considered himself very contradictory. He clearly hated her to the point of gnashing his teeth, but he couldn’t help wanting to see her. It was normal for them to hate each other. But, why did she say that he liked her? How could that be possible?

  Li Song suddenly returned to his senses and firmly pushed her away. With a face full of sweat, he said, “Leave!”


  Wei Luo loosened her hand. She had prepared to step back in advance and stood firm afterwards.

  Actually, the words she had just said had only been a guess. The look in Li Song’s eyes when he looked at her was too familiar. In her previous life, this was the same gaze that the young men in Long Shou village would have when they looked at her. She knew that this look represented love and desire.

  How could Li Song love her? She didn’t believe it at first. However, at the moment when her hairpin stabbed into him, she had to believe it.

  If there wasn’t love, how could there be pain?

  Li Song was clutching his chest as he slowly slumped to the ground. His body was curled up as he said in a horse and powerless voice, “I want you to leave…”


  The servant in the courtyard finally discovered that there was something strange over there. Before, the servant had just thought that they were talking. Their voices had been low, so he couldn’t hear the detailed content. In addition, Li Song hadn’t called him to come closer, so he was doing his own tasks. But, now, when he turned his head, he saw that Li Song’s chest was covered in fresh blood. His face was full of surprise. “Young Master!”


  Li Song coughed out blood and weakly said, “Help me return to my room.”


  A servant saw the hairpin that pierced his chest, trembled as he helped Li Song up, and looked at Wei Luo, “Was it her? She…”


  Li Song closed his eyes. After a while, he finally spit out three words, “Have her leave.”


  The servant could only look away from Wei Luo and help Li Song go inside.

  Wei Luo was left standing in the garden. In a short moment, she controlled the emotions in her eyes and left Eastern Crane Courtyard. Her steps were slow. Every step brought pain.

  She had only walked a few steps, crossed the threshold, and her view suddenly opened up to a wide panorama.

  Zhao Jie was only a few steps away from her. He was wearing a light green robe with a persimmon pattern and his bearing was like a pine tree.

  She didn’t know how long he had waited at the entrance or how much he had seen.

  Seeing her leave the courtyard, he stepped forward, but he didn’t ask her anything at first. He raised his hand and stroked her head. In a tone that showed that his heart ached and felt helpless, he asked, “Didn’t I say you shouldn’t be walking? Ah Luo, why didn’t you listen to me?”


  (Note: Since Wei Luo is 23 years old (16 age she died in previous life + 13 current age – 6 age she woke up current life), I wonder if she’s old enough to know that it’s not a good idea to fall in love, so she won’t even let herself consider it. If she was a normal 13 year old, she would be having crushes like Liang Yu Rong, but she’s 23 years old. From her parents, Liang Yu Rong, and other people, she knows the negative consequences when people let their emotions dictate their actions.

  Plus, if she marries Li Song and he treats her badly, she can always complain to the father. Their families are equal in status. But, if she marries Zhao Jie and his feelings changed, no one will be able to help her. She also knows that Zhao Jie will become the emperor in the future, so maybe she just doesn’t want to become one of his hundreds of concubines. Unlike us, she doesn’t know everything about Zhao Jie.

  Or, maybe she’s just really dense and I’m overthinking. Anyways, in the following chapters, you’ll see more of Wei Luo’s thought about love and marriage.)