Yu Changxuan nodded. Pingjun said to Qiu Luo nearby, "Go get another bowl of porridge." Yu Changxuan interjected, "No need, I'm not hungry anyway. I'll just finish this half bowl of yours." When Pingjun turned back, she saw Yu Changxuan had already taken her remaining half bowl of porridge and eaten a few mouthfuls. Watching him, Pingjun smiled.
Yu Changxuan asked, "What's wrong? Is there something on my face?"
Pingjun shook her head, still smiling, and picked up a slice of Cloud Leg with her chopsticks for him. Yu Changxuan said, "What are you doing tomorrow?" Pingjun replied, "I originally had plans to go out with Sister Jin Xuan, but she just called saying Ze Ning is sick and she can't get away. So tomorrow I'll have to go to 'Jiang's Tailor' myself to pick up the cheongsam I ordered last time."
Yu Changxuan was initially somewhat concerned, but seeing her cheerful expression and knowing she rarely had opportunities to go out, he couldn't bring himself to refuse. He only said, "Then you must take several guards with you."
Pingjun had always followed his advice in such matters, so she smiled and nodded in agreement.
The next day, Pingjun took Qiu Luo to "Jiang's Tailor" to collect the previously ordered cheongsam. The car stopped outside the shop. Not particularly fond of such formal arrangements, Pingjun said she would go in alone to get the clothes and didn't need the guards to follow. She only led Qiu Luo through the door of "Jiang's Tailor." The shop owner, who always remembered important customers like the Yu family's Second Young Miss Jin Xuan, naturally couldn't forget Pingjun who often accompanied her. Seeing Pingjun enter, he approached with a beaming smile, first invited her to sit, then called an assistant to fetch the clothes from upstairs. Meanwhile, he personally brewed Lotus Heart Tea, served it in a Blue and White Porcelain Teacup, and noticing Pingjun's tied-up hair, addressed her as "Young Madam, please have some tea." Pingjun, touched by his courtesy, felt it improper to decline. She accepted the teacup with both hands, took a sip, smiled, and then set it down.
Ye Pingjun noticed a small wine cup on the counter. Catching its scent, she suddenly smiled and said, "Is that Three White Wine? Is the owner from Black Bridge?"
Three White Wine was indeed a specialty rice wine from Black Bridge. The owner was delighted, "Is Young Madam also from Black Bridge?"
Ye Pingjun smiled, "I used to live in Black Bridge, and there was an elderly nanny who lived with us who was also from there. She often brewed this Three White Wine, so I've been smelling it since I was a child. The White Orchids in Black Bridge cover the mountains and fields, blooming like a sea of snow—absolutely beautiful."
The owner laughed, "Black Bridge is so close to Golden Mausoleum. If Young Madam wishes to visit, just take the family car—it's only two or three hours away. You could enjoy all the beautiful scenery to your heart's content."
Pingjun was still smiling when suddenly there was a commotion outside on the street, followed by chaotic footsteps and people scrambling in panic. A gunshot rang out, startling Pingjun so much she stood up from her chair. The owner's face instantly paled, and he pointed at the assistant by the door, "Quick, quick, close the door!"
The assistant rushed to shut the door, but before he could bolt it, with a crash, two men burst in, barging through like bandits. Ye Pingjun initially stepped back in fright, but when she got a clear look, her face turned deathly white, and she was utterly terrified. One of the two men who had forced their way in was none other than Jiang Xueting.The moment Jiang Xueting caught sight of Pingjun, he was utterly stunned. Unconsciously, he took several steps toward her but was immediately pulled back by his companion, who shouted, "They're catching up from behind—upstairs!" When the companion's tug failed to move Jiang Xueting, who stood there dazed, he yelled, "Mr. Jiang!"
Only then did Jiang Xueting snap out of it, allowing himself to be dragged upstairs. But the delay had cost them precious time. Four or five military police armed with batons and firearms stormed in, their menacing aura as fierce as wild beasts. The leader spotted Jiang Xueting and his companion rushing upstairs and, without a word, drew his gun and fired!
In that instant, Pingjun's mind went blank. Driven by pure instinct, she lunged forward and slammed into the shooting officer's arm with such force that he stumbled and crashed into a nearby doorframe. The shot went wild, shattering a full-length mirror diagonally across the room with a deafening crash of glass. By then, Jiang Xueting and the other man had fled upstairs. The remaining officers charged after them, but the one Pingjun had shoved aside was livid. He stormed over and kicked her hard, snarling, "You bitch! Tired of living? How dare you block my shot!"
The kick landed squarely in Pingjun's abdomen.
Her body flew backward, crashing into a chair with a loud thud. Qiu Luo cried out in horror, "Miss Ye…" and rushed to help her. Pingjun was already ashen-faced, clutching her stomach tightly, unable to speak. Just then, several officers who had gone upstairs came running back down and reported to another, "Captain Cai, that Jiang fellow jumped out the window and escaped." Cai Fuhu, captain of the Fourth Squad of the Military Police, erupted in fury. "Damn it! After chasing him for two days, he slips away again! Get out there and hunt him down!"
The officers charged out. Cai Fuhu turned and strode over to Ye Pingjun, who was writhing on the floor in agony. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her up, snarling, "You wretched woman! You cost me a golden chance to earn merit. Today, I'll take your life!"
Pingjun, barely breathing, clutched her stomach as beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She strained to speak but could make no sound. Qiu Luo knelt nearby, weeping and pleading, "I beg you, don't hurt our young lady! She's with child—you mustn't touch her! Please, have mercy…"
Cai Fuhu let out a cold laugh. "With child? Even better!" He lifted his foot and delivered two or three brutal kicks to Ye Pingjun's abdomen, each strike more vicious than the last. Ye Pingjun's face turned deathly pale, the taste of blood rising in her throat. The pain felt as if something were being torn from her body, so unbearable she wished for death. Tears streamed down her cheeks unconsciously, and a cacophony of noises roared in her ears. She struggled to open her mouth, but Qiu Luo's desperate cries drowned her out: "Don't hurt our young lady… I beg you, spare her…"The shopkeeper, who had been kneeling in terror without daring to move, suddenly cried out, "Blood! Blood!..." Bright red blood was seen slowly flowing from beneath Pingjun's cheongsam, quickly pooling into a large puddle on the ground. Pingjun curled up, convulsing. Cai Fuhu bared his yellow teeth with a lewd expression, drooling as he laughed, "Losing this one is better! Big brother will just make another with you, consider it payback!" He aimed another kick at her abdomen. The shopkeeper couldn't bear to watch any longer and rushed forward, desperately clinging to Cai Fuhu to prevent him from advancing further. "Sir, please stop kicking! This is a human life!"
Qiu Luo was still crying, repeating the same pleas, "Spare our young lady, I beg you..." Seeing Ye Pingjun in such a miserable state, the shopkeeper forgot his own safety and desperately grabbed Cai Fuhu, shouting loudly, "Sir, please stop! Regardless of anything else, this young madam is connected to the Yu family. She's with the Yu family's second young lady..."
He had only uttered the word "Yu" when Cai Fuhu suddenly froze in place, transforming in an instant from a ferocious demon into a wooden statue. Ye Pingjun lay curled on the cold ground, her vision suddenly growing dark. Unbearable pain dragged her consciousness downward. Struggling, she parted her dry, cracked lips and let out a faint sound.
"...Yu...Chang...Xuan..."
Cold tears streamed down her cheeks. Violent pain wracked her body with continuous convulsions, her tightly clenched teeth chattering uncontrollably. His voice echoed in her ears, saying, Pingjun, this is our first child. I promise you, everything I possess in the future will belong to him.
Her head tilted weakly to the side, disheveled hair clinging to her cold, pale face. Her body gradually grew lighter, her vision completely darkening. The surrounding temperature cooled steadily, while warm blood flowed from her body—carrying a small life... flowing away...
Yellow flowers covered the ground, frost damaging their fragrance
The rainy season in Golden Mausoleum was gloomy and desolate, the dampness seeping into one's bones. The pattering rain beat against the pines and maples of Maple Terrace in a chaotic rhythm. The downpour had stripped large clusters of oleanders in the courtyard, scattering pink petals across the ground. Even the lotus flowers in the pond had lost several petals. The White jade hairpin flowers growing against the wall in the shade were veiled in mist and chill, their tender green tinged with cold.
When the sixth squad leader Feng Tianjun returned to Gu Ruitong's office, he found Gu standing grim-faced before the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of tea. Feng Tianjun reported, "Commander Gu, those guards are locked up in the military police unit. How should we deal with them?"
Gu Ruitong roared in anger, "Beat them! Beat them to death! Those worthless scum! They were ordered to protect Miss Ye carefully, yet they dared neglect their duties to go drinking, causing such a massive disaster! Do they still expect to live?!" He randomly threw the teacup in his hand to the ground, startling Feng Tianjun. The sound of footsteps came from outside as Wu Deputy entered with several guards, all drenched from the rain. Wiping water from his face, Wu Deputy said directly, "Commander Gu, we've captured them. We caught them in the southern suburban cemetery."Gu Ruitong looked up to see Cai Fuhu, who had been on the run for a day and a night, being shoved into the room tightly bound. Covered in wounds, the moment Cai Fuhu spotted Gu Ruitong, his murky eyes lit up. He dropped to his knees with a thud, trembling as he cried out, "Officer Gu, I recognize you, Officer Gu! You're a good man! You spared my brother when he got into trouble. Please save me! I truly didn’t know that wretched woman was Fifth Master’s... no... that young mistress... If I had known, even a hundred guts wouldn’t have been enough for me to dare..."
As he continued to plead incoherently, Gu Ruitong strode coldly over to him and delivered a powerful kick to Cai Fuhu’s face. The force of the blow sent Cai Fuhu tumbling backward, unable to utter a word. Not only was his jaw dislocated, but he also spat out two bloody front teeth.
After landing the kick, Gu Ruitong looked up and ordered the two Guards, "Drag this beast to see Fifth Master!"
Two Guards stepped forward and began dragging Cai Fuhu toward Yu Changxuan’s study. Gu Ruitong walked ahead and, upon reaching the study door, knocked and announced, "Fifth Master, we’ve caught him." With a wave of his hand, he grabbed Cai Fuhu by the collar and flung him into the study. Immediately, a gunshot rang out, the sound exploding right beside Gu Ruitong’s ear.
Gu Ruitong’s heart nearly skipped a beat. He saw Cai Fuhu, hands bound behind his back, forehead pressed to the ground, brains splattered as he lay twitching and convulsing on the carpet. Gradually, a large pool of blood spread from beneath his forehead. Yu Changxuan stood in front of the sofa, gun raised, and fired four more shots—bang, bang, bang, bang—into Cai Fuhu’s body. Gu Ruitong rushed forward and lifted Yu Changxuan’s arm, shouting, "Fifth Master, that’s enough!"
As he raised Yu Changxuan’s arm, two more shots rang out—bang, bang. Yu Changxuan’s finger remained tightly clenched on the trigger, the last two bullets shattering a pair of Ge-Glazed Famille Rose Ball Flower Lion Head Vases. This time, Gu Ruitong firmly held Yu Changxuan’s arm, repeatedly exclaiming, "Fifth Master, he’s already dead."
It felt as if a sharp knife had been plunged straight into his chest.
Yu Changxuan gripped the pistol tightly, his breathing ragged and hurried. He muttered a single word, the sound carrying a chilling despair, "Dead..."
His gun-holding arm remained rigidly straight, his gaze as cold and piercing as the tip of a needle. The doctor had also told him—the child was dead! It was as if a heavy blow had struck him, leaving him with no strength to fight back. How could it be dead? He had cherished that child so deeply—it was his first. He had even enthusiastically envisioned its entire future, firmly believing that this child was the beginning of his and her happiness...
OpenNovel