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墨書 Inktalez
In the deep autumn of September, the dew was heavy and the night was dark. The prison cell was dim and isolated from the outside world; she had lost track of how many days she had been confined here. Facing the armored figure of Li Jinghuan, she suddenly felt a disorienting sense of being in another world.
The once vibrant youth was no more. Looking at Ling Long's crippled legs—rumored to have been broken after she offended Jiang Yuanfei—he revealed a look of sorrow and regret in his eyes. "Do you... regret anything?"
"Regret what?"
After he escaped from Jiang Yuanfei, he was taken in by Wang Zhenyuan, the Old Commander. The Old Commander had an eye for talent and entrusted him with important tasks, all of which he completed flawlessly. This included the recent case involving Jiang Yuanfei's private sale of inferior arms and covert support for the Japanese, which he handled single-handedly.
Perhaps she should regret not recognizing his talents sooner, not following him to the ends of the earth.
Ling Long smiled softly, leaning against his chest, her breath fragrant like orchids. "Regret? How could I not? For all these years, what I've thought about is you, General."
Li Jinghuan turned his face away. After so many years, he had seen enough of the world's coldness and had become ruthless. Now that he finally sat in Jiang Yuanfei's position, she still showed no signs of remorse—had she not changed at all?
He stood up, unwilling to waste any more words. Enough was enough after all these years.
"Jinghuan." Suddenly, her wrist was grasped tightly; he turned back, thinking it was just an illusion.
Ling Long's eyes were suddenly filled with tears, revealing a pitiful vulnerability for the first time before him. "Do you think I wanted this?"
"What do you mean?"
She explained that her initial approach to Simon was merely to provoke him, but unexpectedly found herself trapped. Simon claimed that her father was gravely ill; if they delayed for another year or so, it would be too late. Thus, he used this as leverage to force her compliance. Later, when he suffered a hundred lashes, it was entirely to protect him. That ambush had been arranged by Jiang Yuanfei when he discovered their closeness; it was a deliberate test to gauge Li Jinghuan's loyalty. If she hadn’t made it clear, he would have been quietly killed. Only by openly accepting punishment did he have a chance to escape.
After saying this, Ling Long began to cough violently. Li Jinghuan quickly bent down to pick her up, instructing others to prepare food and ginger soup as he carried her outside.
The room was filled with a faint incense, and his resolute and handsome profile, with gentle eyes like water, seemed to embody the essence of youth.
He held her tightly in his arms, as if trying to meld her into his very bones, as if this could make up for the indecision of the past and the regrets of many years.
Tonight there was no moonlight; the chill of autumn transformed into a warm spring glow within the exquisite room.
He called her name over and over, cherishing each moment. She lay in his embrace, reaching up to wrap her arms around his neck, asking, "What if one day I fall for someone wealthy and run away with them?"
He pinched her small nose and laughed, "Ling Long, no matter how many times you run away, as long as you say the word, I will accept you without hesitation. Call me old-fashioned or say I’m not manly enough; in front of you, I am just a child who counts every little thing and cries loudly when he doesn’t get any candy."
In the darkness, she did not respond but slowly opened her eyes. Suddenly, a cruel and cunning smile blossomed like a lotus.
“Ling Long... you—”
In an instant, pain shot through his chest as a chill spread throughout his body. The servants heard the commotion and hurried in to turn on the lights. Li Jinghuan's eyes widened as he saw the cold blade thrust into his chest. In a daze, he saw the woman before him laughing madly: “Jiang Yuanfei, I finally avenged you!”
So it was true; she had genuine feelings for Jiang Yuanfei. He had killed Jiang Yuanfei, and now she was willing to do anything to avenge him. Well then, dying at the hands of the woman he had pursued for half a lifetime was perhaps a fitting end.
Yet all these years, most of the time had been spent chasing after her wherever she went. Without her in the underworld, how lonely it would be for him.
His hand reached under the pillow and slowly pulled out a handgun. His grip tightened around the weapon before finally falling limp. In the end, he couldn't bear it—not because he couldn't bear her death, but because he couldn't bear her pain.
As consciousness faded, he closed his eyes and seemed to see, amidst the light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds, a young girl pouting her rosy lips, patting her belly and saying, "Don't be fooled by my slim figure; I might just be eating."
If only life could always be like the first meeting, how wonderful that would be.
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