135 Missing Someone

"XiaoJie! XiaoJie!"

YuShang's voice echoed in the entire courtyard. XuanRong, who was busy concocting a charm powder, raised her head and stared at the door.

YuShen, who was standing beside her, could not help but glare towards the front, as if she could see YuShang behind the doors and could not wait to cover her loud mouth.

*baamm!*

The doors flew open and a very anxious YuShang entered the outer room. She was panting, trying to grasp some air. When she saw XuanRong sitting on a long table with different herbs and liquid bottles, YuShang did not dilly dally. She strode forward in a haste, forgetting to give XuanRong a curtsey.

"XiaoJie!! *huff* *huff* Not—Not good!! *huff* *huff* palace!! *huff* *huff* celebration… *huff* *huff* XiaoJie---"

YuShang wanted to say everything but she could not stop from gasping.

'So tired ah. Even a person like me who practice qinggong would get tired after running from the entrance of the residence to XiaoJie's courtyard without using any internal strength. Ha.. so tired…'

Looking at YuShang who was panting like a fish out of water, trying to chase her breath, YuShen's eyes narrowed. She could not help but berate YuShang who was not acting with proper decorum.

"Xiao Shang[1]! What are you doing?? Is this how you behave in front of XiaoJie?! Such disrespect!! It seems like I have not taught you enough.."

Hearing YuShen's words, YuShang, who was still trying to stabilize her breathing, froze and immediately kneeled in front of XuanRong.

"This servant is guilty. May XiaoJie be lenient with this servant."

Looking at her two maidservants, one was kneeling while looking pitiful, the other one was roaring with thunders while standing, XuanRong sighed. She stared at YuShen. Waving her hand, XuanRong ordered YuShen to stop reprimanding YuShang.

"Okay, Okay. YuShen, stop it. Let it be. As I've said before you are my people. No need to be like this."

"But---" YuShen wanted to refute. Although YuShen knew that XuanRong did not treat them like normal servants but instead as her closest aids and would even sometimes indulge them, she knew that they should still behave appropriately. Besides, although XuanRong did not pursue that matter last full moon, YuShen knew that their white lie made XuanRong feel betrayed. She already regretted everything but unfortunately, it was already too late. They could no longer rebuild the trust XuanRong gave towards them.

Sensing YuShen's thoughts, XuanRong one again sighed. At first, she was angry towards them but later on, as she carefully thought everything, she knew that YuShen and the rest made that decision because they were only thinking for her own safety.

"No need to bother."

XuanRong turned her head and looked at YuShang.

"You want continue kneeling?"

YuShang shook her head and immediately stood up, not paying attention to YuShen's fierce glare.

"What's the matter ah? Why are you shouting in the middle of the afternoon?"

"Ah! That's right!"

YuShang remembered that she had to inform XuanRong the news she heard a moment ago at the residence's gate.

"XiaoJie! Bad news! Just now, this servant heard that the Emperor declared XiaoJie's marriage date with QingWang ah!"

Hearing the explosive news from YuShang's mouth, XuanRong subconsciously raised her eyebrow. The imperial edict last time was only for their engagement. An engagement with no particular date for their union. Although an engagement would mean that the two people involved were already tied with each other, still, an engagement could be broken anytime as long as there was a plausible reason for it. A marriage would mean that they would become a legal couple, sharing everything till death.

XuanRong was a bit skeptical. If the Emperor decided to bestow an Imperial Marriage, the matter should be known by those involved people first. How come the imperial edict has not yet arrived in their residence but everyone already heard the news?

Could it be….

"What did you hear? How's the reaction of the common people?"

"This servant heard that XiaoJie marrying into the Imperial Family is a good omen bestowed by the heaven, the palace court decided to give blessings to the commoners, even the wicked people inside the prison were given a second chance. The common people were celebrating. Almost everyone outside the residence were praising the Imperial Family."

After hearing YuShang's words, XuanRong immediately understood the scheme behind her Imperial Marriage with Xu Fei Yi. Thus, when the imperial edict came, XuanRong was calm and collected, as if the imperial edict was not for her. Even when the eneuch read the imperial edict, saying that she would wed Xu Fei Yi on the third lunar month of the year, a week's time.

When XuanLi returned from the palace, he immediately summoned XuanRong, giving her advices, saying that she was lucky and should feel honored. XuanRong repeatedly rolled her eyes inwardly while listening to XuanLi's antics.

When night came, XuanRong received a letter coming from the Chen residence. Reading the letter that was written personally by her maternal grandfather, XuanRong's heart stirred. She knew that her maternal grandfather did his best. She did not feel any resentment towards him for failing to stop Xu Ji Mo's scheme. XuanRong wrote a reply, saying that they should not worry for her and should focus on recuperating. Recalling her maternal grandfather's wound, XuanRong pursed her lips and cursed the assassin inside her heart. She vowed that once she finds the assassin who hurt her maternal grandfather, she would not let him off. Remembering the scene where Xu Ji Mo pushed her maternal grandfather forward, XuanRong almost broke the brush she was holding. She wanted to slice Xu Ji Mo into pieces, cursing him for having a dog's heart. Although her maternal grandfather was wounded, he still attended the court session because Xu Ji Mo summoned him in the palace.

When An Wei left, carrying the letter she wrote for her maternal grandfather, XuanRong stretched her body and walked towards the window. Staring at the darkness outside, XuanRong could not help but feel at loss.

She felt that she was missing something…

Someone…

Suddenly, a face of a man wearing a golden mask appeared inside her head without any rhyme nor reason, startling her soul.

XuaRong froze… few minutes later, she released a series of low laughs, as if she was mocking herself.

'What am I thinking ah? XuanRong, you must be out of your mind.'

XuanRong raised her hands and softly slapped her cheeks repeatedly, trying to wake herself up from daydreaming.

'It has been a while since you meet him. What did you expect? Hah… Maybe, for that man, you are nothing but a fleeting wind in his life.' XuanRong mocked herself.

Still, deep inside her heart, she was hoping to see him again before…. before it was too late.

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[1]. Little Shang

[Unedited Chapter]