Sheng Yi looked at Feng Ran’s swollen eyes, knowing that while she had waited by the door for her to wake up, Feng Ran had actually woken up long ago. She had merely pretended not to, licking her painful wounds in solitude.
Having experienced too much, she no longer wished to face those events.
Yet, she had no right to avoid them. She knew better than anyone that this life, she could not escape. The days ahead would only become more miserable.
With Xuanyuan Heng present, how could she be easily forgiven? For the rest of her life, she would have to live under Xuanyuan Heng’s shadow.
After much thought, Feng Ran gave a self-deprecating laugh. Hadn’t she already known all of this?
Sheng Yi was someone close to Xuanyuan Heng. Should she trust her? Were some words meant to be spoken?
Feng Ran simply watched Sheng Yi, as if contemplating something seriously.
Sheng Yi smiled, her eyes full of joy. She had clearly seen the change in Feng Ran’s expression. Had Feng Ran forgotten that she managed Chun Man Yuan? What kind of characters hadn’t she encountered? To hold such a position, her ability to guess people’s thoughts was naturally no simple matter.
Therefore, how could she not know what Feng Ran was thinking at that moment?
But in her eyes, Feng Ran’s worries were perfectly understandable.
“Feng Ran, I know what you are worried about, what you are thinking. But Feng Ran, you can choose to trust me.”
“Sheng Yi, can I really trust you?” Feng Ran’s tone held a trace of uncertainty. Sometimes, she even doubted what she would say next, what she would do, or if she could truly trust herself.
Sheng Yi hesitated, looking at the person before her with confusion. Meeting Sheng Yi’s concerned gaze, Feng Ran suddenly realized why she had spoken such hurtful words.
She lowered her head, filled with guilt and self-blame, and offered Sheng Yi an apology.
However, she too had her difficulties. Many things were not as she wished them to be.
She even had her own direct struggles.
Sheng Yi’s eyes were filled with sympathy.
Sheng Yi thought that she herself had gone through similar experiences as Feng Ran back then, and she had slowly persevered. In the past, she had no one to help her, and everything she had today was earned step by step. She knew the hardships better than anyone.
Therefore, she truly couldn’t bear to see Feng Ran suffering alone.
She believed even more that Feng Ran had not done those things. If she had, she would have admitted it. Thus, she had been misunderstood all along. But even when misunderstood, and she explained, no one believed her. Sheng Yi knew well how helpless it felt to explain something and have no one believe you.
The once proud Feng Ran was now so humble. She must have lost all hope to be like this.
Sheng Yi also knew that some things, even if explained by Feng Ran, would not be believed.
If explanations led to belief, Feng Ran would not be in this state now.
“Feng Ran, let’s put this matter aside for now. Recuperate properly. We’ll talk when you’ve recovered.”
“Recover?” Feng Ran smiled, a self-mocking curve to her lips. Did she deserve to rest? No, she didn’t deserve to rest.
When Xuanyuan Heng left, he had instructed: Feng Ran, stop pretending. Whether you are truly unwell or not, since you are so eager to entertain guests, from tomorrow onwards, you will obediently do so.
“No, Sheng Yi, I don’t deserve to recuperate. How can my lowly life deserve it?”
Deserve it?
My lowly life?
How could she utter such hurtful words?
She wasn’t like this. She was such a good woman, so loving. How could she speak such hurtful words to demean herself?
How she wished she could loudly tell her, “No, Feng Ran, you were never that kind of woman.”
“No, Feng Ran, you are the best.”
Sheng Yi finally sighed helplessly, looking at Feng Ran and saying with a voice full of regret, “Feng Ran, I’m sorry. If I had gone with you that day, perhaps none of this would have happened.”
“Feng Ran, I truly never expected such a thing to occur.”
“I really didn’t expect the Regent to be so ruthless.”
“I worked for the Regent, but I never encountered such a situation.”
“Feng Ran, I’m sorry. I want to help you, but I am powerless. The only thing I can do is to be here to help you, to prevent you from being bullied.”
“Here, you can be at ease. No one will make things too difficult for you. However, if it concerns those powerful figures, then it’s hard to say.”
“Feng Ran, you know that in a place like this, those powerful figures are not people I can afford to offend.”
“Feng Ran, although everyone here respects me and obeys my every word, that is only because I am currently in charge here. However, many people covet this position, and some even wish to replace me.”
“Feng Ran, when the day comes that someone snatches this position away, even if I have the will to protect you, I’m afraid I won’t be able to.”
Hearing this, Feng Ran looked at Sheng Yi gratefully. How could she have lived so peacefully these past few days without Sheng Yi’s constant protection?
“Sheng Yi, don’t blame yourself. You have already done enough for me. If not for you, I probably wouldn’t be alive now.”
“If, even after all this, I were to not be grateful to Sheng Yi, or were to blame Sheng Yi, then I would truly be inhumane.”
Feng Ran grasped Sheng Yi’s hand and said with deep gratitude, “Sheng Yi, thank you for always helping me.”
She knew that ‘thank you’ was easy to say, spoken casually, but what could she offer? Besides words of thanks, she had nothing else.
“Sheng Yi, something has happened outside, and you need to go over there,” someone’s urgent voice called from outside the door.
“Feng Ran, I’ll be leaving then.”
…
Inside the Xuanyuan Residence.
The Yun family, dragging Yun Sheng, arrived outside the Xuanyuan Residence and forced Yun Sheng to kneel on the ground.
Yun Sheng’s father lashed Yun Sheng repeatedly with a whip. Xuanyuan Heng did not appear, but servants from the Xuanyuan Residence came out. However, the Yun family did not stop, continuing to strike with increasing cruelty.
“Regent, my son is young and foolish. He offended the Regent yesterday.”
“I will bring my son here to apologize to the Regent.”
“The Regent can punish him however he wishes, as long as my son’s life is spared.”
“I beg the Regent to be magnanimous and spare my son’s life.”
Half a day later, Xuanyuan Heng returned from outside.
The Yun family elder glanced at him, feeling somewhat displeased in his heart.
The servants of the Xuanyuan Residence were truly impolite. If the Regent was not home, they should have informed him. Yun Sheng shouldn’t have been beaten so much by the servants, and more importantly, they had struck so heavily just now.
Xuanyuan Heng glanced at the people in front of the mansion, his eyes showing no emotion.
“Do you intend to wash the gates of the Xuanyuan Residence with blood?”
The Yun family’s faces changed slightly upon hearing this. They had never expected to hear such words.
“Scram.”
The Yun family trembled.
“Regent, I beg you, spare my son this once. In the future, I will definitely keep a close eye on him and prevent him from causing trouble.”
Xuanyuan Heng, already extremely irritable, said coldly, “Disappear from my sight immediately.”
The Yun family knew that their lives had been spared.
Since their purpose for coming today had been achieved, they naturally would not linger and cause further offense.