TPATTHU Chapter 45
by Volare“Fire! Someone, come quickly! Hurry!!”
The fire spread from the Zhao manor like water being splashed, the night wind blowing fiercely, and huge flames devoured every corner of the courtyard.
Zhao Jianji, draped in a water-soaked bedding that a servant had given him, ran out of the house, gasping for breath after only a few dozen steps, but fortunately, he had escaped with his life.
“Hah—a narrow escape means good fortune ahead, may the heavens protect me!!”
Basins of water were thrown into the fire one after another.
Just as Zhao Jianji was rejoicing that he had saved his life, a servant who often attended to Zhao Xiao Si appeared, looking extremely anxious. Seeing Zhao Jianji, he ran over and shouted, “Master, something terrible has happened! Master, something terrible has happened!!”
Zhao Jianji threw off the wet bedding, wiped his fat face covered in soot, and slapped the loud-mouthed servant, “What are you shouting about! It’s all your unlucky mouth’s fault. There’s a fire, why aren’t you quickly helping to put it out!!”
The servant covered his face and said, “No, Master! Young Master is missing!”
“What? Search! Hurry and search!! What are you still standing there for?!”
The Zhao residence was already in chaos.
Tonight was destined to be unsafe.
–
At that time, Han Weiwei was selecting an oil lamp in the room, under the lamp were several slightly yellowed medical history books, she was comparing the contents recorded in the books, while holding a brush dipped in ink, thinking and writing down her own views.
“Knock knock.”
At the same time, two weak knocks sounded outside the door.
Han Weiwei’s pen trembled, and the dripping ink quickly spread into a black blob on the paper. Because of Yang Sharen’s night intrusion into the inner house, she immediately became vigilant at the slightest disturbance.
“Who is it?”
After a long while, no one responded to her.
Han Weiwei then gradually relaxed, secretly comforting herself that perhaps she was too nervous and had misheard.
So she turned a page and began to write again.
“Knock knock knock.”
It was not an illusion, someone really was knocking on the door.
Who could it be so late?
Han Weiwei put down her pen and ink, cautiously picked up the stick placed behind the door, then opened the latch, swallowed her saliva, and was ready to stun the uninvited guest.
However, when the door opened, the person outside fell to the ground before she could do anything.
“Lord Xiao!”
Han Weiwei saw the person’s face clearly, immediately dropped the wooden stick, and exclaimed.
Xiao Zhinian relied on the last bit of strength to prop himself up, leaning against the wall, cold sweat soaked his forehead, and his face was already showing signs of cyanosis.
He covered his shoulder, which had just been injured by the man in black, and gasped for breath, almost exhausted, “Don’t tell Shen Zhejiang, I…”
Before he could finish speaking, his eyes went black, and he immediately fell into a coma.
Han Weiwei was taken aback, and immediately supported Xiao Zhinian’s limp body, and peeled back his hand to check the wound.
The skin was broken, and the blood flowing out was no longer bright red, but almost black.
He was poisoned.
Time was of the essence.
Han Weiwei spent a great deal of effort to move Xiao Zhinian to the bed, and hurried to find the wooden medicine box, glanced at the unconscious Xiao Zhinian, and said, “Lord Xiao, I apologize for this.”
–
Xiao Zhinian, trapped in darkness, kept walking forward unconsciously. He didn’t know where he was going, nor did he know where he was now, he was just walking.
Heaven and earth were in chaos.
“Xiao Zhinian.”
Someone seemed to call him.
The voice was very familiar and very pleasant.
Who was it?
Xiao Zhinian opened his eyes, and the intense, harsh sunlight suddenly stabbed into his eyes. He reflexively raised his arm to block it.
“Xiao Zhinian.”
He lowered his arm, and what came into view was a tall and magnificent flowering tree, blooming very luxuriantly, white petals adorning the branches, and with a gentle breeze, they fell gently, like snowflakes, blowing across his face.
There was someone under the tree.
Dressed in a green outfit, with a slender and upright back like bamboo, ink hair with a jade hairpin, the hem of his clothes swaying gently in the wind. Looking from afar, he was like an immortal from the ninth heaven.
Xiao Zhinian felt extremely familiar. He took two steps closer, wanting to see more clearly, but he heard the person’s clear and cold voice, “Stay where you are.”
Xiao Zhinian didn’t know why, but he obeyed and stopped.
At this time, the man slowly turned around. Amidst the fluttering falling flowers, Xiao Zhinian saw his face.
Shen Zhejiang.
“Teacher! How did you come to be here?”
Xiao Zhinian did not expect to meet Shen Zhejiang here at all. He was very surprised, his eyebrows full of joy.
However, Shen Zhejiang looked particularly indifferent, with a coldness that even the sky full of flowers could not cover, “Xiao Zhinian, I hate you.”
The bright smile on Xiao Zhinian’s face suddenly froze, and after a long time, he forced a smile, his tone already stiff, “Teacher, what are you joking about? This isn’t funny at all.”
“Why should the hundreds of people in my mansion be miserably scolded, while your Xiao family can sit brightly and beautifully, owning thousands of miles of rivers and mountains? The gap between me and you is already insurmountable, so how can I sincerely talk about romance with you? Impossible.”
Every word seemed to turn into a sharp cone, piercing Xiao Zhinian full of holes.
“No, it’s not like this,” Xiao Zhinian ran towards Shen Zhejiang’s direction, but no matter how hard he tried, he could never touch Shen Zhejiang, “We clearly agreed that I would clarify the Shen family’s affairs of that year to the world for you, I can make amends, Shen Zhejiang, please don’t say such things again.”
“Make amends? What will you use to make amends?” Shen Zhejiang lifted his eyelids, his eyes full of endless coldness, “Unless…”
“Unless what?”
He asked anxiously.
Next, Shen Zhejiang’s words made Xiao Zhinian’s blood run cold, chilling him to the core.
“Go die.”
Only by dying can he make up for the hatred in Shen Zhejiang’s heart.
Did Shen Zhejiang really want him to die?
Xiao Zhinian ran forward, he didn’t believe it, he didn’t believe Shen Zhejiang would be willing.
He must have misheard, he wanted to ask Shen Zhejiang clearly.
Suddenly, countless soft petals instantly turned into sharp blades, scraping across every part of his body, and he seemed to be running without knowing pain.
“Shen Zhejiang!”
The flowering tree was uprooted, tearing open a huge dark crack, and with a rumble, he suddenly fell into it.
“Shen Zhejiang!”
Xiao Zhinian screamed and sat up abruptly from the bed, the bedding slipping off his gauze-wrapped shoulder.
An unfamiliar environment suddenly broke into his vision.
…Where is this place?
Oh, he remembered.
That day he was injured by the man in black, and he didn’t pay much attention to it, thinking it was just an ordinary wound. He thought of going to the Zhao residence to see the situation of the fire, but he never expected that the man in black was so despicable and shameless that he had poisoned the sword. He had no choice but to change his route halfway and seek help from Han Weiwei.
“Lord Xiao! You’re finally awake!”
Han Weiwei heard the noise in the room and thought something had happened. She hurried over from the kitchen, and was delighted to see Xiao Zhinian wake up.
Xiao Zhinian rubbed his eyebrows, the scene in his dream still lingering in his mind. He asked, “Where is my teacher?”
“Mr. Shen heard that the Zhao family’s young master was missing, and has been helping to search for him these days. This humble girl tried to persuade him for a long time, but couldn’t.”
“What?!”
Xiao Zhinian immediately exploded when he heard this, threw off the quilt, got out of bed, and went out.
Shen Zhejiang was still injured, why was he foolishly meddling in the Zhao residence’s affairs? Was he trying to die?!
Han Weiwei immediately followed behind him, trying to stop him, shouting, “Lord Xiao, the poison in your body hasn’t been cleared yet, don’t act rashly!”
Xiao Zhinian couldn’t care less, even if the wound was bleeding, “I know my situation, I don’t need you to say more.”
He disappeared in a flash.
Han Weiwei chased to the threshold and shook her head.
Why was Lord Xiao so similar to Mr. Shen, even the words they said were almost exactly the same.