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墨書 Inktalez
The night was silent and still.
For some reason, I suddenly opened my eyes. Ever since I woke up five years ago, I had been a light sleeper; any noise or the faintest hint of danger around me would jolt me awake, and in the darkness, my eyes would be sharp and alert like those of a night owl.
I sensed an unfamiliar presence nearby. The feeling made me uncomfortable, and I knew that there were others in this palace besides myself.
In the next moment, my sixth sense was confirmed. A cold blade was pressed against my neck.
In the darkness, I couldn't see his face clearly, but one thing was certain: he wasn't hiding his features behind any cloth. He clearly didn't mind if I saw his visage.
Could we be old acquaintances? I speculated silently to myself.
He forced me to rise.
I calmly asked him, "What do you want?" If he intended to kill me, he could have done so just now; his skills seemed to match mine. The fact that he hadn't killed me indicated that his intentions lay elsewhere.
I obediently got to my feet as a robe was thrown at me. I complied and draped it over myself while he led me to a nearby desk—the place where I usually sketched.
Suddenly, a small light flickered before me; it was a firestarter. My eyes, accustomed to the darkness, struggled to adjust. It was indeed strange for someone who had taken a hostage to light a fire for their captive to see.
However, in the next moment, I understood why he had done this.
The terrifying and ugly scar on his neck reminded me that he was a mute slave.
He couldn't speak at all; he didn't even have the ability to make a sound.
No wonder I felt strange just now. Although I sensed someone nearby, there was not even a sound of breathing; the atmosphere felt chilling, reminiscent of that palace, silent and eerie. It was quiet, as if the place were a lifeless underworld. There was no hint of vitality. The coldness that crept up from my bones made my entire body feel frigid, as if I were in another world, detached from reality.
This person gave me the same impression.
I looked at him; his face bore no expression, still numb and devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
Gazing at this elderly man, whom I had encountered once before, I said coldly, "What are you doing here?"
I remembered that day when I intruded into Liuwang Mansion; it was this old man who discovered me and used a strange long whistle to summon numerous guards to find me.
He remained expressionless. It was only then that I understood why he held the lamp. He leaned down and quickly scribbled a few words on my white paper for me to see.
I looked at him suspiciously, then obediently glanced at the paper. It read: "Come with me to Later Qin to see him."
See him? The image of that stunning figure in seductive red flashed through my mind...
I quickly snapped back to reality and sneered, "Why should I go? I have no ties with him anymore. Is he still upset that I harmed him?" After saying this, I couldn't help but smile charmingly.
A flicker of coldness passed through his eyes, and his mouth twitched as if he were struggling to contain his rage.
With a fierce grip on the dagger in his hand, I felt a sudden warmth and pain at my neck, followed by liquid trickling into my collar. For the first time, a hint of emotion appeared on his previously frozen face.
I continued to stare at him without flinching. Was he threatening me?
If so, I thought he had chosen the wrong method.
He gazed at me coldly, staring intently as if he couldn't comprehend the kind of heartless person I was, as if he didn't understand more.
Then he withdrew his dagger and wrote: You must go. I give you three days to consider. If you refuse, then do not blame me.
I took the piece of white paper, impatiently crumpled it into a ball, and tossed it aside. Then I replied indifferently, "No need to wait. My answer is no. I will not go. It won't change in a day, a month, a year, or even ten years."
He stood there staring at me for a while, then suddenly let out a chilling laugh. For some reason, I felt a shiver run down my spine. If you saw someone whose face was smiling, whose lips were curled up in laughter, even revealing their stark white teeth, yet no sound came out, you would understand.
Just as we were locked in this silent standoff, a voice suddenly intruded: it was Xiao Quanzi. "Master, what happened? Why are you up?"
I turned to look at Xiao Quanzi, and the old man instantly vanished into the night.
I turned back to reassure Xiao Quanzi, "I'm fine; I just couldn't sleep and got up to read."
Xiao Quanzi shot me a reproachful glance. "Master, it's late; you should rest. You can read tomorrow."
I smiled at him and nodded obediently. "Alright."
"Master!" Xiao Quanzi exclaimed in shock. "What happened to your neck? Why is it bleeding?"
I glanced at the small wound that was still bleeding and softly said, "It's nothing; I must have accidentally scratched it."
Xiao Quanzi looked at me with pained eyes, as if he knew I was lying to ease his worry. Tonight was too unusual.
He didn't ask further, and I didn't say anything more.
In fact, my heart was filled with questions. Logically speaking, I had no direct conflict with that old man, so why did his gaze hold such deep hatred for me?
Moreover, why was he so determined to take me to see Later Qin?
Was he sent by his master, or was it his own decision?
The likelihood of Yuwen Ruojian sending him was low because he was self-aware. Although I owed him nothing, I had no desire to see him in this lifetime. He had made Azure Thorn leave Jun Jin, leave me. I could not forgive that.
If he had come all this way without informing his master, what could be his motive?
After thinking for a while and finding no answers, I realized it was late and I was extremely tired. Since I had already decided not to go, there was no need to delve deeper into it. Others' affairs were none of An Jin's concern.
With that thought, I asked Xiao Quanzi to extinguish the lamp. Yawning, I climbed into bed, ready to continue my sweet dreams.
Xiao Quanzi stood at a distance, watching me for a long time. Finally, he let out a soft sigh and turned to leave.
**************************************************************************
The next day, I woke up very late.
Before I even opened my eyes, I heard Shaoshao joyfully come in and call me to get up, saying he wanted to show me something fun and interesting.
Still half-asleep and with my eyes barely open, he pulled me up and had Xiao Quanzi help me put on a simple white outfit. After washing my face and rinsing my mouth, he personally styled my hair into a casual yet refreshing look.
Looking at my reflection in the mirror and seeing that it didn’t look bad at all, I casually praised him, "Not bad at all. Which girl will be lucky enough to have you tie her hair for a lifetime?"
His face turned slightly red as he whispered, "If Mom likes it, Shaoshao will tie her hair for a lifetime."
I turned around and tapped his head. He had grown taller, and I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach him.
I laughed and said, "What are you talking about, Brat? I'm your mom; if anyone's hair needs tying, it should be for your future wife."
His face turned as red as a tomato, but he still hurriedly replied, "Why not... Shaoshao is..."
"Let's go, let's go." I interrupted him before he could finish. Then I led the way out of the palace.
I didn't notice the fleeting depth in his eyes.
I stretched lazily and basked in the sunlight; it felt so good.
"Aren't you coming? Didn't you say you would take me to see something fun?" I turned back and smiled at him mischievously.
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