Chapter 5

Lin Wei Xi drifted home in the dark. She’d just opened the gate when a voice suddenly came from the pitch dark yard, “Where did you go?”

Lin Wei Xi was startled. She patted her chest and calmed her nerves. After identifying the person who’d spoken, she rolled her eyes inwardly and, following the wall, headed towards her room without a word.

Seeing Lin Wei Xi disregard him, Li Da felt very unhappy. He quickly moved forward to block Lin Wei Xi and couldn’t help sounding irritated, “I’m talking to you!”

Lin Wei Xi furrowed her eyebrows and scowled as she tried to walk past him, but when she took a few steps, Li Da kept following and blocking her. After doing this a few times, the distance between Li Da and Lin Wei Xi shrunk, and he grew interested, but Lin Wei Xi was fed up with it.

She looked displeased and said coldly, “Step aside.”

Li Da rarely stood this close to Lin Wei Xi, but seeing her displeased expression, he also felt angry. However, what kind of man could stay angry after looking at such a face. His voice couldn’t help but soften, “I’m worried about you! An unmarried girl like you went out alone on such a dark night, what do you think this looks like? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time and you only come back now. Do you think this is okay? Let’s say you want to go out and relax. You should’ve told me or my mother, and I would’ve gone with you.”

Lin Wei Xi gave a short laugh, her voice ice-cold, “There’s no need, I’m going back.” When she finished speaking, she walked forward, but was quickly blocked by Li Da. Lin Wei Xi tried two more times, all of which were firmly blocked by him. Her scowl deepened and she gently raised an eyebrow as she looked at Li Da, “What is the meaning of this?”

A beauty was a beauty, and she looked stunning even with disdain written all over her face. Li Da smiled apologetically and said, “Cousin, do you really not understand what I want? We cousins are ​​of the same age. Since ancient times, the best method of finding a good spouse is to marry your own relative. I know that you’re sad because Uncle is gone. Don’t worry, from now on, I’ll take care of you in his stead.”

Lin Wei Xi smiled lightly. When she smiled, her eyes curved slightly; it really was more dazzling than the stars in the sky. Li Da stared at her until he went a little crazy. But the next thing he knew, the beauty had stopped smiling, and from her cherry red lips spilled words as cold and sharp as ice, “And you can take over my father’s properties and wealth while you’re at it, right?”

Li Da flinched in embarrassment, “Cousin, what are you saying… … “

“What’s wrong big guy, you dare to do but don’t dare to be? Aren’t you perfectly clear the kind of vile schemes that you and your mother have? You really think of yourself as a philanthropist, someone who has accumulated good virtues and deeds, who took in a lonely and helpless little cousin? Hurry up and take back your hypocrisy. Without you and your mother, I can definitely live so much better.”

After Lin Wei Xi finished speaking, she coldly stared at Li Da and walked around him without looking back. This time Li Da didn’t stop her. He stood still for a while, and suddenly said to her as she was entering the room, “Cousin, I can’t help it if my mother has this kind of temper. I know she’s been cold to you all these years and made you feel wronged. Don’t worry, I’ll talk to her so that you  definitely won’t continue to be wronged. I sincerely want to marry you, and told my mother that I want to marry you long before Uncle’s rewards were delivered.”

“So?” Lin Wei Xi didn’t turn around, her expression still frigid, “She disagreed, so you didn’t say anything at all. Moreover, if my dad hadn’t been conferred as Marquis Zhongyang, you wouldn’t have said that you won’t wronged me in the future. How ridiculous, do you still fancy yourself infatuated? Did you invest yourself so much that now you can’t remove yourself from the situation? Oh, you just refuse to admit the fact that you’re a coward who has no opinion of his own and can’t defy his mother.”

After she finished speaking, Lin Wei Xi couldn’t be bothered to look at Li Da’s expression; she pushed open the door and walked in. Just as she crossed the threshold, she heard Li Da say, “Cousin, you’re so mean. If it weren’t for your pretty face, based on your temper, no man would be willing to marry you.”

Lin Wei Xi’s blood rushed to her head. Li Da and Aunt Lin indeed deserved to be tied together. It didn’t matter if they had no abilities to speak of but acted arrogant, but they constantly looked down on women. Did they expect women to gently flatter them with grace? Did Li Da and Aunt Lin fancy themselves part of the imperial family?

Lin Wei Xi felt stifled. Her failed marriage in her previous life was a thorn in her heart. In this life, the most unacceptable thing was for someone to say that she wouldn’t be able to get married or that her husband wouldn’t like her. Anyone who touched this landmine would die.

Lin Wei Xi turned around and even smiled at Li Da. She was beautiful beyond comparison, and her smile resembled a fairy, but the words that followed cut like a knife, “So what if no man wants to marry me? My father was conferred as Marquis Zhongyang by the imperial court and I have thousands of hectares of fertile land to my name. Even if I don’t have a man, I can live a life that’s a thousand times better than your own just by relying on myself and the inheritance left by my father.”

Li Da had always been spoiled by Aunt Lin as a child, so when he heard her words, he got so angry that his chest started heaving and he pointed a finger at Lin Wei Xi, “You… “

Lin Wei Xi raised her eyebrows slightly, “What ‘you’? Put your hand down, who allowed you to point your finger at me?”

When Lin Wei Xi was still Gao Xi in her past life, she’d been told off many times by the Duke Ying Lady because of her temper. The Lady often said that she herself was a Princess’ daughter, and had been pampered since young, but even she hadn’t developed a temperament like Lin Wei Xi’s, unreasonable and able to scold someone till they cried. Princess Royal Shou Kang laughed when she heard this, as people always saw their own children in a positive light. The Princess Royal then said that Xi’er was the eldest di granddaughter of a Duke and the granddaughter of a Princess Royal, so what if she had a temper? If someone made a mistake, they deserved to be scolded by her.

Back when Lin Wei Xi married into the Prince Yan Residence and became the Shizi Fei, being the daughter-in-law of an imperial household required her to be more docile, and she didn’t dare act presumptuously in the Prince Yan Residence. So she held herself back when she reprimanded the servants and took care of the family business. Even so, the senior servants in the residence still bore a grudge against her, and reported it to Gu Cheng Yao. Naturally, he became disgusted with her.

After Lin Wei Xi was reborn, she welled in her misery for a good period of time, and even wondered if it was really because of her terrible temper that she ruined the good hand she’d been dealt with and slipped into depression before finally dying. Perhaps Gao Ran’s personality was truly the type that pleased men.

Lin Wei Xi got over her misery after a month. She didn’t plan to marry again in this life anyway. Her rebirth was a godsend, she didn’t need to wrong herself because of others’ opinions. She knew she had the kind of character that others found unpleasant, so the only thing she could do was to not marry again and not destroy another family. As for her remaining lifetime, she would just live as she pleased.

However, Lin Wei Xi overlooked one problem. The people she berated in the past were too embarrassed to even raise their heads mostly because of her identity. Now she was without the protection of the Duke Ying Residence, Princess Royal Shou Kang, and even the Prince Yan Residence. When the person who was being scolded couldn’t retort, it was easy for them to take extreme measures in a fit of rage.

Li Da was like this. Every single one of Lin Wei Xi’s words felt like a sharp knife being thrust into his heart, but he couldn’t say a single word back. Li Da got angry and rushed at Lin Wei Xi with the intention of letting her know whether or not she really wanted a man. (T/n: r*pe)

Lin Wei Xi started when she saw the momentum of Li Da’s movement. She reflexively looked at the main building and found that the lights were already turned off in a deliberate show of silence. Lin Wei Xi understood that this family had long planned to have Li Da force himself onto her.

Lin Wei Xi was a little scared; her body wasn’t very healthy and she would cough every two steps if she walked too quickly. How could her strength compare to that of a young, healthy man like Li Da. She knew that she couldn’t get caught while inside the house, otherwise no one would come even if she cried for help. She didn’t see what she’d grabbed from her side, but she threw it directly at Li Da’s face. He was blinded by the oncoming bread crumbs and couldn’t help but stop to rub his eyes. Lin Wei Xi took advantage of the opportunity to run, and desperately rushed towards the gate. Li Da’s vision was blurry, so she could run past him while he wasn’t looking. When his eyes finally cleared, he grinned and chased after her.

Lin Wei Xi had just unbolted the door only to find that Li Da had already caught up. She panicked and slammed the door on his face, stumbling while running out.

But how much strength did Lin Wei Xi’s body have? She was quickly caught by Li Da. He could hold onto her with one hand, and no matter how she kicked or hit, she couldn’t break free at all. Everyone in this village all had the surname Li, and the villagers fiercely hated outsiders. Even if they heard the unusual sounds Lin Wei Xi made, no one would come to help her. She hated that she was weak. When it looked like she was about to be dragged back to Aunt Lin’s house, she suddenly had a thought amidst her anxiety. She’d once been the young lady of a Duke Residence, and these rich and influential families prioritised security the most, so they’d arrange for guards outside the courtyard’s wall day and night. If these rich and influential families were like this during times of peace, then what about Prince Yan?

Lin Wei Xi was at the end of her rope so she took a gamble. She discarded the noble demeanour she’d had for many years and yelled at the top of her lungs, “Your Highness Prince Yan, you promised to settle me in a good place, will you let me be bullied? Your Highness Prin-“

Before Lin Wei Xi could finish shouting, she felt a breeze graze the back of her neck and the hold around her arm loosen. Li Da had been knocked unconscious.

Lin Wei Xi blanked out for a moment, before quickly withdrawing her hand and furiously rubbing at the place Li Da had touched. The person who’d made a move was as silent as an iron tower, with a dark aura hanging over him. If he hadn’t just saved Lin Wei Xi, she would’ve been scared to death.

“Thank you… ” Lin Wei Xi looked at the person in front of her and couldn’t help swallowing her saliva. She tried her best to smile warmly and gently, totally different from how she looked a while ago. “May I ask what this hero’s name is?”

“Zhou Mao Cheng.” The bear-like man had a strange look in his eyes as he looked at Lin Wei Xi. He endured until he could hold it no longer, “Were you calling the Prince◇ just now?”

◇

“Yes.” Lin Wei Xi smiled gently and tried her best to show her gentle side to her benefactor, “Benefactor Zhou, could you send me to Prince Yan? As you’ve seen, this place… I probably can’t stay here anymore.”

The way Zhou Mao Cheng looked at Lin Wei Xi couldn’t simply be described with words. Under such a stare, her smile grew stiff. What did this mean? Did she scold someone too harshly and leave a bad impression?

Zhou Mao Cheng had been sent by Prince Yan to guard Lin Yong’s daughter, and he felt very strange when he received this task. Why would the Prince pay attention to a little girl? Immediately, he remembered that Lin Yong was their comrades, their brotherly bond strong like iron. Lin Yong’s daughter was also Zhou Mao Cheng’s daughter, so it was reasonable to guard the little girl all night. Martial artists had sharp eyes and ears, so as he squatted outside while listening to Lin Wei Xi scolding someone, he felt that Lin Yong’s description of his daughter wasn’t very accurate and his embellishment of his daughter was too much. But he had to say, listening to this little girl scold someone was pretty satisfying.

When Li Da later became restless, Zhou Mao Cheng cursed internally and immediately came to save Lin Wei Xi. However, he didn’t expect that he would hear such unexpected words from Lin Wei Xi a moment later.

Who did Lin Wei Xi call? Prince Yan?

Zhou Mao Cheng’s expression was as dark as a bear, but the scene repeated itself in his mind. Along the way, Lin Wei Xi felt that this warrior was glancing at her over and over again, and her heart couldn’t help but beat faster. Did she say something wrong?

In the village head’s house, Gu Hui Yan was still checking the letters from the capital under the light of the lamp. He couldn’t leave the army and capital affairs to someone else at the moment. Not to mention, he might not be able to catch up with the rest of the army the next day as planned. All the more reason to properly settle these issues.

After an unknown period of time, someone knocked on the door three times. This was a rule in his army. Gu Hui Yan said without lifting his head, “Come in.”

Zhou Mao Cheng entered and said with a sullen face, “My Prince, Lin Yong’s daughter wants to see you.”

Gu Hui Yan paused for a moment before making the connection between Lin Yong’s daughter and Lin Wei Xi. He couldn’t help but rub his temple when he thought of that little girl, “What’s wrong with her?”

“She said that since she’s going with you tomorrow, she won’t return today and wants to stay here.”

Zhou Mao Cheng’s face was tense, but he secretly snuck a look at Gu Hui Yan. He watched as the Prince, who’d always been unreasonable, pressed his temple and sighed lightly, “I said I won’t leave her behind… Forget it, since she doesn’t feel at ease, just let her stay. Ming Da, pack up my room and let Lin Wei Xi stay in it. Arrange for a few people to patrol the room tonight and replace them frequently.”

Gu Hui Yan paused after he finished speaking, then added, “Ask the village head for a few new beddings, add it to my tab, and pay for them together tomorrow.” After speaking, Gu Hui Yan felt a little bit unsure, “What else do I need to care for this little girl? Do I have to buy dresses and makeup too?”

This question stumped the men. They were clear and logical when it came to military matters, but a little girl as delicate as Lin Wei Xi…

Gu Hui Yan knew he couldn’t count on the people in the room when he saw their expressions. He tried hard to recall the organization of the Prince Yan Residence, and said, “Let the village head’s wife settle it. Right now we aren’t able to purchase a lot of items, so we’ll revisit this when we reach the county mansion tomorrow.”

After Gu Hui Yan gave his orders, he found that Zhou Mao Cheng hadn’t moved an inch. Gu Hui Yan raised his eyebrows, and he unhurriedly asked what seemed to be an ordinary question, “What is it?”

Zhou Mao Cheng woke up from his daze, immediately stood up to give Gu Hui Yan a military salute, and neatly stepped back, “Yes Sir.”

Lin Wei Xi waited outside the courtyard for a while before being led to a spacious room by the village head’s daughter-in-law. Although she felt that the gazes of the people around her were a little strange when she entered the house, she didn’t take it to heart. She silently lamented that the village head’s family really was wealthy, where even the temporary room provided for her was so spacious and warm.

Lin Wei Xi already told Zhou Mao Cheng on the way here that there was no need to tell Prince Yan about what had happened under Aunt Lin’s roof. It’s not like Lin Wei Xi didn’t care about her reputation regarding this kind of shameless thing. She just felt that Prince Yan was her childhood idol, and she didn’t want to tell Prince Yan about her unsavoury personal affairs.

Lin Wei Xi sat on the soft bedding, thinking back to what had happened that day, and reality finally came crashing in after surviving a disaster. At the moment, she felt a little afraid of what had just happened. Lin Wei Xi fell backward onto the bedding, her nose filled with the unique scent of  a sun-dried mattress. She stared at the top of the bed for a while before suddenly bursting into a huge smile.

Her isolated, nightmare-like life was finally over. Lin Wei Xi didn’t care whether Aunt Lin’s family lived or died from now on. Tomorrow she will get up early and keep an eye on Prince Yan. Anyway, she needed to rely on Prince Yan to take her away. After finding a quiet and simple town, Prince Yan would no longer have anything to do with her. From then on, when Lin Wei Xi copied scriptures and prayed for Lin Yong and her mother, she would definitely burn longevity incense for Prince Yan as well. His son harmed her so terribly, but Lin Wei Xi was only asking for Prince Yan to get her out of this mess, so this shouldn’t be asking for too much right?

Lin Wei Xi agonized over her thoughts for a while before falling asleep. Since her rebirth, this was a rare instance for her to have a peace of mind, and she slept until dawn. When she opened her eyes and saw the dazzling sunshine outside, her mind was foggy for a moment before she abruptly woke up.

Oh no! Lin Wei Xi hurriedly tied up her hair and pulled on her clothes before running out. As soon as she opened the door, she saw the man in the yard and was startled.

Gu Hui Yan turned his head around when he heard the sound. The sun shone on him, colouring him in gold, “You’ve woken up?”

Lin Wei Xi stared at him blankly for a moment, and silently closed the door.

Gu Hui Yan turned back and continued combing Zhao Xue’s mane, but there was a slight smile on his face. Zhou Mao Cheng was puzzled when he saw this, “What’s up with the Lin girl? Why did she go back?”

Gu Hui Yan only chuckled and shook his head without a word.

After a while, Lin Wei Xi came out of the room again. This time, her cheeks were clean and her hair was neat. Although she didn’t apply powder, her appearance was more dazzling than the sun. Gu Hui Yan had found her a carriage from who knows where; she raised her chin slightly and boarded the carriage elegantly with the air of a noble lady. When he saw this, his eyes, which had stayed emotionless for many years, smiled. Seeing that everyone was ready, he took the lead and straddled Zhao Xue, his voice clear and majestic, “Move out.”

“Yes.” The response was loud and full of virility, their voices rang in unison, resounding in the sky. It was followed by the orderly sound of men mounting their horses. Zhou Mao Cheng felt it was weird even as he sat down on his horse. What was His Highness laughing at? What was so funny?