Chapter 307: Chapter 123 Birthday Gift_3
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The fireworks continued.
The old city wall on West Street, its gray, ancient bricks illuminated by the brilliant fireworks overhead, shone in myriad colors. When Pei Yunmeng left the Renxin Medical Hall, the joy of the Dechun Platform had not yet ceased.
The occasional laughter of children drifted from afar; Dechun Platform’s fireworks would burn until the latter half of the night. The commoners, who rarely had the chance to witness such splendor, would naturally want to revel in it today.
West Street was deserted, the crunch of boots on thin snow sounding crisp like grains of salt, unlike the sticky muddiness of wet clay.
Grave soil soaked with river water, tinged with the scent of incense and candles.
Pei Yunmeng stopped in his tracks.
A figure leaned against the wall in a nearby alley ahead, gazing up at the fireworks in the direction of Dechun Platform. Hearing Pei Yunmeng’s approach, the person stood upright and turned around, revealing a stern face.
"What are you doing here?" Pei Yunmeng asked Xiao Zhufeng, walking towards him.
"Weren’t you supposed to fetch someone from Renxin Medical Hall?" Xiao Zhufeng looked past him. The long street was empty, save for a single elongated shadow under the lamplight.
"Where is the person?"
Pei Yunmeng was silent.
Xiao Zhufeng knew about Qingfeng’s trip to Changwu County. Lu Tong’s identity and his relationship with the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion were no secret to Xiao Zhufeng.
"Couldn’t bring yourself to act?" The man nodded understandingly and then tried to pass by. "I’ll do it."
A hand clutched at his arm.
"Stop."
Xiao Zhufeng turned back.
Pei Yunmeng looked up, "She wants to target the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion, it’s none of our business."
"The Qi Family is currently useful, keeping her would be harmful."
"What harm can a single Female Doctor do?"
Xiao Zhufeng frowned, "What’s really stopping you from taking action?"
The magnificent fireworks illuminated Shengjing’s night sky; looking up into the distance, one could faintly make out a corner of Dechun Platform’s eaves. The young man lowered his head, and with an ambiguous smile, he shrugged.
"Debts of gratitude must be repaid, right? She saved my sister and Treasure Bead’s life."
"Is it a debt of love or a debt of gratitude?"
Pei Yunmeng clicked his tongue, "Do I look like someone who would lose his mind over a pretty face?"
"You’ve complimented her beauty," Xiao Zhufeng calmly accused.
Pei Yunmeng: "..."
Xiao Zhufeng’s expression was sour, "The Princely Heir is at a critical juncture right now; if the teacher finds out..."
Pei Yunmeng, looking at him with a smile, said, "Good brother?"
Xiao Zhufeng stared at him for a moment, then stepped past him, leaving only a cold remark, "I’ll cover for you this one time."
"Thanks."
The voice regained its lightness.
Xiao Zhufeng left, and the alley was left with only Pei Yunmeng.
The sound of fireworks persisted, as if the laughter and noise were carried by the wind. The smiling expression gradually faded from the young man’s face, and he became serene, leaning against the cold stone wall of the alley, gazing up at the distant night sky.
The splendid colors burst open from the center of the sky, turning into countless sparkling stars that shone brightly for a fleeting moment, like the warm teardrop that had fallen onto the back of the woman’s hand.
Quickly devoured by the darkness.
He remembered the cluttered medical clinic, the broken statues of Guanyin scattered across the floor, the incense and offering fruits rolled around, the grave soil mingled with river water, blood, and name lists.
The woman sat in the darkness, tilting her head back, letting the blood drip from her fingers.
"I’ll tell you what’s fair; Qi Yutai killed my sister, and I killed Qi Yutai. A life for a life, that’s what’s fair."
"I don’t need help; I can find fairness on my own."
She was clearly a woman who had killed many and whose hands were stained with blood and schemes, and he was well aware that she was far from as weak and helpless as she appeared. Yet, in that moment, he felt an untimely pang of compassion for her.
It was as if chaotic images surged in his mind.
Whose voice echoed in the empty ancestral hall, young, sorrowful, accompanied by uncontainable rage and fury?
"Without the Pei Family, without the title of Lord Zhao Ning’s Princely Heir, I would still seek revenge."
The youth coldly declared, "There’s plenty of time ahead, we’ll see."
Pei Yunmeng closed his eyes.
All the noisy tumult instantly faded, and before him was a silent, snowy street as white as jade.
The biting cold wind persisted, while the sky’s warm fiery blooms bloomed radiant and inviting. On this New Year’s beginning, some enclosed themselves to bask near stoves, some slept under cold quilts in ancient temples, some gathered with family, and some stood utterly alone.
Pei Yunmeng watched the night sky quietly.
The dazzling fireworks reflected in his eyes, shattering into countless bright stars.
In Shengjing, under the same expanse of fireworks, joy and sorrow remained distinct for each individual.
Just like at midnight, when countless households celebrated the instantaneous beauty of a starry rain, he, amidst the soil of graves, was moved by a single tear.