This was a debt she owed, one she could no longer repay, and she wished to owe no more.
She did not want innocent people to be implicated because of her.
Xuanyuan Heng’s face was a dark thundercloud. To think that for someone insignificant, she would kneel and beg so abjectly.
Then how could she have been capable of harming Wanyan back then?
Heh, Feng Ran had always been a master of acting. How could he have forgotten? This was likely another act of hers.
He had almost believed her words. It was too laughable.
He had to admit, Feng Ran was an exceptional actress. Yes, it was precisely because she was so good at acting that she had been able to harm Wanyan and succeed.
He had said: "Feng Ran, help this king take care of Wanyan. She carries this king’s flesh and blood."
At that time, Feng Ran had magnanimously and gracefully replied: "Your Highness, leave all matters within the estate to me. You may serve the court with a clear conscience."
Back then, he had believed Feng Ran.
But when he returned victorious, Wanyan was dead, a life and her unborn child lost. The murderer was Feng Ran.
At that time, he regretted it to the extreme. He even thought, how could he have been so foolish as to believe Feng Ran's words?
Later, Feng Ran had paid a bloody price. The Feng family and all those associated with Feng Ran were eradicated by him, one by one. But was that enough?
He wished Feng Ran could be torn to shreds, yet he felt that letting her die would be too merciful.
So he kept her alive, letting her suffer torment. Placing her in a place of carnal pleasures was a humiliation beyond compare for the once-lofty Feng Ran. To prevent Feng Ran from committing suicide, he had people watching her at all times, ensuring she could not die.
A year, two years passed. Feng Ran had a strong will to survive and never once thought of dying. Later, he withdrew those people.
Heh, it seemed now that she was living quite well at Chun Manyuan. Judging by her rosy complexion. It seemed he had been fooled by her back then.
She was indeed a master of deception.
Xuanyuan Heng said sarcastically, "Feng Ran, this king underestimated you. You are a better actress than those on stage."
"But this king despises you. You are utterly shameless."
Despised? Shameless?
Feng Ran knelt on the ground, her head lowered, a bitter expression on her face.
Despised, so what? If he despised her, would he let her go?
Shameless? Was she shameless? She shook her head vehemently. She had never been shameless; her actions had always been guided by a clear conscience.
But before the person in front of her, was there any need for explanation? No, not the slightest bit of need.
Her humble pleas and compromises were solely to prevent innocent people from being dragged into trouble because of her.
She closed her eyes in pain, tears streaming down her face.
She had once sworn to the deceased child that she would live well. She would avenge him.
That child in her womb, before it was born, before it could see the world’s grass and trees, had died.
It was her incompetence, her failure to protect him.
If not for her foolishness, if not for her stubbornness in staying in the manor to wait for Xuanyuan Heng’s return, thinking of explaining, thinking of keeping him. All of it was due to her foolishness that this outcome occurred.
Things that should never have happened, had happened.
She was the one who should have died, she was the one burdened with heavy sin.
But she, who should have died, was living well.
And the one who should have lived well, died because of her.
She did not owe Xuanyuan Heng, but she owed her parents.
And Feng Jin. Her brother, was still alive. She had to stay alive to find Feng Jin.
One day, she would make those who hurt her and harmed her pay with blood.
She remembered her brother proudly saying by her side, "Sister, whatever you want, just say the word, and your brother will find it for you."
Back then, when she insisted on marrying Xuanyuan Heng, both parents objected, and even her brother, who had always supported her, objected.
But later, her parents could no longer bear her distress, and her brother, seeing her heartbroken every day, finally relented.
Her parents had said Xuanyuan Heng was not a good match. She didn't believe them. But now, she had finally received her retribution.
On the day of her wedding, her brother had pleaded with the Emperor for an imperial decree: no matter what happened in the future, Feng Ran must not die.
Perhaps the reason she was still alive, and Xuanyuan Heng had not relentlessly pursued her end, was partly due to this.
She regretted it, but even if she spent the rest of her life atoning, her closest loved ones would never return.
"Sister, what’s so good about Xuanyuan Heng? You insist on him, it's impossible."
"Sister, I think Xuanyuan Heng is not a good match. He just wants to use you."
"However, since Sister likes him so much, let it be as Sister wishes."
"Sister, if Xuanyuan Heng treats you badly, you must tell me, and I might beat him. If Xuanyuan Heng makes you suffer, Sister, do not tolerate it. You must tell your brother. Your brother will stand up for you."
"Sister, do you understand?"
Feng Ran's tears continued to flow.
All the good things, she had destroyed them herself.
She remembered that day, Xuanyuan Heng had taken her and made her stand outside the Feng mansion. He had relentlessly slaughtered everyone inside. Her parents died before her eyes. And all the maids and servants were killed. The Feng mansion was engulfed in flames all night.
She wanted to close her eyes, cover her ears. If she didn't see, didn't hear, would it be as if it never happened?
But Xuanyuan Heng held her tightly, forcing her to open her eyes and watch everything the Feng family endured.
At that time, a soldier came to report. The soldier said Feng Jin had not been found.
At that time, Feng Ran felt a little happy. If her brother was not in the manor, would he be able to escape disaster?
But just then, Feng Jin appeared.
Upon seeing the state of the Feng family, her brother seemed to go mad. He attacked those people. And when he saw her captured by Xuanyuan Heng, her brother directly rushed at Xuanyuan Heng with his sword. The sword was just a hair's breadth away from striking Xuanyuan Heng’s vital spot, but Xuanyuan Heng directly pushed her forward to block the attack.
Feng Jin withdrew his sword.
And because of this, Feng Jin was captured by Xuanyuan Heng’s men.
Xuanyuan Heng’s sword directly pierced Feng Jin's vital spot.
In front of her, and she, as if driven mad, struggled.
She managed to break free, but she knew clearly that Xuanyuan Heng had deliberately let her go.
She held Feng Jin in her arms, her hand pressing on the wound, but the blood continued to flow, unstoppable.
Feng Jin's face was extremely pale, and even speaking was difficult.
Feng Jin, enduring the pain, said in a small voice, "Sister, you must live. For the child in your womb, for the Feng family, for me, live well, okay?"
Feng Ran agreed.
Before Feng Jin could finish speaking, Xuanyuan Heng forcibly dragged her away. She pleaded incessantly, wanting to rush over to staunch her brother’s bleeding, but she was powerless. She could only watch her brother’s figure disappear from her sight.
The child was gone, her brother was gone, the Feng family was gone.
But to fulfill her promise, no matter how bitter, she would cling to life.
Whatever he asked her to do, she was willing.