Qin Duan sat dazed on the bed for a long time, so long that his legs had gone numb. He lowered his head in a trance, suddenly reaching out to touch his right leg.
A pair of perfectly intact legs.
Inside the main bedroom of the West Courtyard of the Prince Ding estate, the sound of muffled, suppressed sobbing echoed through the night.
A terrifying, miserable smile spread across Qin Duan’s face, and tears meandered along the lines of his smile, flowing into his mouth with the bitter, bloody taste of sorrow.
Had he been brought back to life? Otherwise, he should be lying in a cold coffin at this very moment. But even if he had been resurrected, why would he be here?
How could he possibly forget this place? This was the West Courtyard of the Prince Ding estate where he had lived back then, the place where he spent every night sleeping in tears.
And how could his right leg, which had clearly been crippled, be restored to its original state? Was he not brought back to life, but rather reborn?
The recent memories of this life overlapped with the memories of this same time in his previous life. Xie Zhengming’s drastically different attitude made Qin Duan almost certain of this hypothesis. Then, he suddenly realized that perhaps he wasn’t the only one who had been reborn.
Qin Duan’s hands gripped the quilt tightly, letting out a mournful cry like that of a young beast.
Yun’er, hearing the sound in the outer room, woke up bleary-eyed and got up to check. As soon as he entered the inner room, he saw his master sitting on the bed and hurriedly lit the lamp.
“Young Master, what is wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”
Qin Duan looked at Yun’er, this youth who, in his past life, had been so loyal that he was beaten to death by the household servants just for trying to protect him. Now, he was still alive. Qin Duan could not help but rein in the intense emotions gripping his entire being, revealing a sliver of tenderness.
“Yun’er, I’m sorry. I had a dream and woke you up.”
Yun’er shook his head, pulled over a small stool, and sat before Qin Duan’s bed. He said with a cheerful chuckle:
“Young Master, tomorrow is the joyous day for you and the Prince. Are you just too nervous, which is why you had a dream and didn’t sleep well?”
Yun’er was an orphan whose parents had both died, whom they had picked up on the road while marching toward the capital. Ever since they arrived in the capital and moved into the residence bestowed upon Xie Zhengming by the Emperor, the master and servant had stayed together; rather than master and servant, they were more like the only family each other had.
Qin Duan reached out to touch the top of Yun’er’s head. Yun’er’s hair was a bit messy from sleep, soft and fluffy, which eased the profound sorrow in Qin Duan’s heart upon waking from his rebirth.
“Yun’er, I don’t want to get married anymore.”
Yun’er was stunned, startled:
“Young Master, why?! What is wrong with you?”
Thinking Qin Duan was still trapped by the nightmare, Yun’er, too anxious to care about the hierarchy between master and servant, stood up and tugged at Qin Duan’s sleeve, attempting to rouse his master.
Qin Duan patted Yun’er’s arm.
“Good Yun’er, stop shaking me; I’m awake. More awake than I have ever been…”
Xie Zhengming had a good night’s sleep. As soon as the sky grew bright, servants, matchmakers, and others were waiting at the door with all the necessary items. Just as Xie Zhengming was preparing, full of joy and high spirits, to head to the West Courtyard to welcome Qin Duan, a maidservant who had gone to serve Qin Duan at his morning wash ran over, trembling in terror.
“Your Highness, the Young Master, he.”
Xie Zhengming grew instantly displeased at the sight of the maid who looked as if she were about to cry. Steward Liu, standing nearby, hurriedly said:
“Get up and speak. What day is it today? Do you know nothing of the rules! What happened to the Young Master?”
The maid stood up, shivering, and replied:
“The Young Master, he, he is not in his room.”
A wave of dread instantly surged in Xie Zhengming’s heart.
“What did you say?”
The maid’s legs gave out, and she knelt back down.
The world went black before Xie Zhengming’s eyes. He staggered back a few steps, and only by being supported by Zhuzi did he manage to stand steady.
Xie Zhengming released Zhuzi’s arm, channeled his lightness skills, and streaked directly toward the West Courtyard.
When he entered the room and saw the wedding robes neatly folded on the bed, his heart, which had been suspended in suspense, finally shattered completely.
He muttered to himself in a wandering, hollow voice:
“Duan’er, am I truly unable to see you wearing these wedding robes for me.”
Xie Zhengming walked over to the bed and reached out to stroke the pair of lovebirds embroidered on the wedding robes. Tears instantly plummeted, staining the bright red wedding garments with dark ripples.
Xie Zhengming asked the heavens over and over again: since he had been given a second chance, was it not meant as an opportunity to make up for the regrets of his past life? Was it only because he had died too easily in his previous life that he had to experience this utter heartbreak now?
Heh. Yes, in his past life, he had failed Qin Duan in so many ways. How could such a debt be settled so easily?
Xie Zhengming’s mind was in utter chaos. He sat in the bedroom of the West Courtyard, clutching Qin Duan’s wedding robes. The heart-wrenching pain of watching Qin Duan’s wedding in his past life, superimposed with the pain caused by Qin Duan’s flight from marriage today, left him dizzy, disoriented, and unable to think.
Xie Zhengming sat in a daze for a full hour before finally finding the strength to stand, his mind clearing slightly.
In this life, Qin Duan would not call off the wedding for no reason. After all, only a few days ago, the two of them were as inseparable as glue and lacquer, having pledged their lives to each other.
There was only one possibility.
Xie Zhengming’s expression shifted abruptly. He stood up and headed for the door. He went to the stables, flying onto his mount like a lone wolf casting all caution to the wind, and galloped toward the outskirts of the city.
Zhou Ji and the others had been following behind him and hurriedly tried to pursue him upon seeing this, but were rebuked by Xie Zhengming.
“No one is allowed to follow!”
The horse galloped along the small path leading out of the city; his answer lay there, that small farmhouse courtyard would give him the answer.
“Hiss~”
Xie Zhengming pulled the reins of his Night-Shining White steed tight; the horse reared its front hooves and came to a halt outside the small courtyard.
Xie Zhengming stepped hesitantly into the courtyard but did not see the person he had expected. He did not know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.
Qin Duan was not there, but this could not dispel his hypothesis. If Qin Duan had also been reborn, it was highly possible he had chosen not to live as he had in his past life. Perhaps this time, he would go far away, to a place where he could never be found again… or perhaps, in this life, he would seek an audience with the Emperor directly and reveal to the power-hungry monarch all the brilliant, history-altering strategies he had contributed to the rebel army.
He would leap to the top in one stroke and become the new Prime Minister.
That would be fine, but if Qin Duan disappeared from now on…
The more Xie Zhengming thought, the more terrified he became; his hands could barely grip the reins.
Even if Qin Duan hated him, harbored grudges against him, or despised him, as long as he could see him, he was content. He dared not imagine what he would do if Qin Duan were to vanish. What meaning would this second life have?
Amidst his chaotic thoughts, Xie Zhengming did not control the horse, letting the Night-Shining White lead him to the imperial road connecting the village to the outer county. Xie Zhengming looked up as if guided by instinct, and saw two people, one tall and one short, hurrying along in the distance. The tall figure caused his nose to sour and his heart to leap violently. He shook the reins and gave chase.
The city gates were locked at night, so Qin Duan and Yun’er had only left the city after dawn. Xie Zhengming’s thoughts had been churning; he had considered whether Qin Duan, knowing he had been Prime Minister in his past life, was on his way to seek an audience with the Emperor. But looking at things now, he seemed to have made a different choice, the one he feared most: he wanted to leave the capital.
So, this time, did Qin Duan truly intend to never meet him again for the rest of his life?
Duan’er, have you truly, completely cast me aside? Even after I truly repented and opened my heart to you these past few days, can I not win back even a shred of your soft-heartedness?
Xie Zhengming felt a surge of grievance welling up. The horse’s hooves stopped, and Qin Duan’s body stiffened to a halt. Yun’er, having heard the hoofbeats, turned back to look and had already spotted Xie Zhengming, yet he thought, take one more step, just one more.
Qin Duan closed his eyes. He should have stayed hidden in the city for a few days, so Xie Zhengming wouldn’t have found him so easily. Yet, he had chosen to set out as soon as the sun rose. He did not know, even now, why he had done such a thing.