Fate Trading System – Chapter 374

Plan B

Mandarin Ducks 4

Lin Suhuai turned her head, a little uncomfortable. It wasn’t the first time she had been praised, but never had a young woman complimented her appearance.

“Did I misspeak… You truly are more handsome than many men. If you were to change into women’s clothes, you would also be exceedingly beautiful.”

Su Xin explained dryly, feeling a bit helpless, diligently trying to act the part of a sincere young girl who was kind, innocent, melancholic, and also full of absolute bullshit.

“That lover of yours, what’s his name?”

“He is a faithless man¹!”

Su Xin’s expression was gloomy, her fingertips tightening until their once-pink hue turned white.

This is what Su Xin told Lin Suhuai: her lover had already pledged his life to her in private², promising to marry her as soon as he returned after earning an official title. She had prepared his travel expenses to the capital, but unexpectedly, after he left, three years passed and he vanished without a sound or a letter³. The day before, she received news and learned that her lover was a faithless man who was thin on affection and short on loyalty⁴; he had married the daughter of a wealthy family a year ago and was living a good life in the capital city.

“His name is Liu Yunyi.”

“Liu Yunyi?”

Lin Suhuai raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in her tone.

She knew of this person. The man who became the Prince Consort a year ago. On the day Princess Yuyuan was married, the Emperor was not the least bit happy. After all, this was the Tanhua⁵ he had personally selected. He saw that the man had some talent and intended to employ him, but didn’t expect him to have his winning hand snatched⁶ by the people over there.

But later, the Emperor felt somewhat fortunate. Lin Suhuai remembered the Emperor telling her that this Liu Yunyi indeed had some ability, but his heart’s art was not upright⁷. It was to walk on level ground up to the blue clouds⁸ that he got involved with Princess Yuyuan. He was not someone who could be entrusted with important duties. He appeared somewhat proper, but was in fact very slippery, definitely the type of person who is grass on top of a wall⁹, and his mind was sinister and cruel.

It wasn’t strange that such a person would do something like abandoning a girl from his hometown with whom he had pledged his life.

Moreover… Lin Suhuai’s lips pressed downward. It was also highly likely that Liu Yunyi hadn’t genuinely liked the woman before her back then, but had simply taken a fancy to the fact that her family was large and her enterprise great¹⁰, which could at least provide him with the travel funds to go to the capital for the exams.

If that was really the case, then this person’s cunning was extraordinary, and he does not choose his means¹¹, capable of exploiting any emotion.

“You know him?”

“I seem to have heard the name somewhere.”

“Last year, he became the Tanhua and married the current dynasty’s princess. Since you came from the capital, it’s natural that you’ve heard his name.”

“So, do you want to go find him?”

“Yes.”

“If you’re seeking an explanation, then the situation might not be very optimistic. I’ve heard the current princess has a willful and arrogant personality. She certainly won’t be willing to have you at her residence.”

“No.”

Su Xin shook her head.

“You’ve misunderstood. I do indeed want to go and demand an explanation, but not to make him fulfill the promise he made to me back then. Rather, it is to have our grace severed and righteousness ended¹².”

“He and the princess must be quite devoted to each other, so I want the princess to know what kind of person he truly is. That’s all. I wouldn’t debase myself like that. Knowing he has already betrayed my love, how could I possibly cling to him again?”

Su Xin’s smile was bitter as she lowered her head.

What entered Lin Suhuai’s sight was a small section of a fair, tender neck, and the thought of placing her hand there to gently stroke it arose inexplicably.

The sudden idea made her heart burn.

“So, I’m begging you, you must do me this favor. After you return to the capital, you can abandon me. I’ll figure things out on my own.”

Su Xin grasped Lin Suhuai’s hand, her eyes pleading.

“How could I do that?”

Lin Suhuai shook her head. How could she bring someone to the capital and then just leave her there alone? It would be so dangerous for a lone woman in a place like that.

It was just that her own situation wasn’t very optimistic right now either. She needed to handle her own affairs first before she could do these things.

“To me, you have the grace of saving my life¹³. I will definitely help you with this favor. You don’t need to beg me. It’s not a big deal for me. It’s just that after my injuries have healed, I need to take care of some of my own business.”

“You’ll have to wait for me for a while.”

“Alright. As long as you remember your promise, I can afford to wait.”

Su Xin nodded.

“Aren’t you going to ask me anything else?”

So unguarded?

“There must be a reason for what happened. Although our town isn’t anything grand, it has always been peaceful. Nothing that involves bloodshed ever happens. For you to collapse here, heavily injured, and having come from the capital, something major must have occurred. These things involve your privacy, so I won’t inquire.”

“I just need to leave this place and go to the capital. As for other matters, if you wish to speak, I will listen. If you are unwilling to disclose them, then I will not ask.”

“I see.”

Lin Suhuai nodded. It seemed this was not an ignorant and defenseless person, but rather someone with a meticulous mind and a clear goal, who knew what should and should not be asked.

A delightful person with an exquisite mind¹⁴.

“This place is very secluded; people don’t usually come here. You can recover from your injuries here in peace. If there’s anything you want, tell me, and I’ll bring it for you. I can come see you twice a day. If I don’t show up, it must be because my father won’t let me leave the house.”

“Alright.”

“I’ll go get you some wound medicine first, and then bring you some food. You wait for me here.”

“Alright.”

Su Xin straightened her clothes and walked to the door, but then suddenly turned back.

Lin Suhuai heard that person’s pleasant voice.

“Right, I still haven’t asked. What is your name?”

“My name is… Lin Suhuai.”

Lin Suhuai hesitated for a moment before speaking her real name.

Even though she knew this was an extremely dangerous move.

She was now being watched by the Empress Dowager’s faction like a tiger staring covetously¹⁵. She hadn’t expected that all of her trusted aides around her had been bought off.

Once she returned, she would need to conduct a thorough purge.

“A fine name.”

Su Xin left, giving Lin Suhuai only a view of her back.

Su Xin did not return to her residence. She had brought a veil with her when she left, so she put it on and went to the pharmacy.

She bought some necessities, then some food, and also made a trip to a clothier’s shop.

At the pharmacy, she paid some money to have someone help brew the medicine and put it in a small, sealed container. Carrying a food box and a parcel, Su Xin returned to that place.

Although the medicine was good, it wasn’t a miracle drug that could heal someone instantly.

“I brought you medicine, but this is ultimately inconvenient. Do you want to see a physician?”

“No.”

Lin Suhuai shook her head. Last night, she had fled through the night without knowing her direction and hadn’t properly concealed the tracks she left behind. She didn’t know if those people would find out she was here. There was a high chance they would come looking; they wouldn’t rest until they saw a body. Seeing a physician was too risky.

“Enemies?”

Su Xin looked up.

“Yes.”

Su Xin bent over slightly and took the items out of the food box, placing them on the table.

The place was very old, with dust settled in many spots. While Lin Suhuai was unconscious, Su Xin had given the table and bed a simple cleaning.

“Aren’t you afraid? Marrying me, in fact, comes with risks.”

Lin Suhuai once again felt her previous idea was improper. If the Empress Dowager’s people found out this person had been in contact with her, there would likely be danger. It was safer to keep her in sight.

“I’m not afraid. What I fear most is not being able to do what I want to do, having to obey my father’s arrangement to marry a stranger, then give birth to children, and watch my life pass by just like that, full of regret for a lifetime. That is what’s most terrifying.”

Lin Suhuai nodded, watching as the person walked up to her holding something.

One of Lin Suhuai’s hands was injured, leaving only one free to move.

“I’ll have to trouble you, Miss. Please help me hold this bowl steady. I can manage on my own.”

Lin Suhuai had only been fed by others as a young child. Ever since she was old enough to understand things, she rarely let people get close.

“Your hand is inconvenient. Let me. We are both women, you don’t need to be embarrassed.”

Su Xin first brought the medicine over and had Lin Suhuai drink it all at once. There was no need to sip medicine; it was bitter anyway, so it was better to down it in one gulp.

After Lin Suhuai finished, a trace of medicinal liquid remained at the corner of her mouth. She subconsciously wanted to wipe it away with the back of her hand but was stopped by Su Xin.

Su Xin took out an embroidered handkerchief¹⁶ and wiped the corner of Lin Suhuai’s mouth, then began to feed her the food.

Lin Suhuai felt extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes had nowhere to rest, so she could only fix them on the food in front of her, trying hard to ignore the heat rising in her face.

“This set of clothes is no longer wearable. I don’t know your size, so I could only roughly estimate and buy two sets.”

“Thank you.”

She was a very thoughtful young woman.

“After we finish eating, I’ll help you change. Isn’t one of your hands inconvenient? It must be difficult to get dressed.”

“This…”

Lin Suhuai was stunned and shook her head lightly.

“There’s no need. I can do it myself.”

“Are you shy? I changed your clothes and re-bandaged your wound before. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I’m afraid you’ll tear your wound open again.”

Lin Suhuai didn’t know how to refuse. If it were anyone else, she would definitely be unwilling in her heart and would manage it herself no matter what.

But for some reason, facing this person, the words of refusal seemed to be stuck in her throat, unable to come out.

Even her posture was not her usual self. She couldn’t maintain a cold expression; she could only be at a loss.

Perhaps it was because this person was a delicate¹⁷ young lady who looked so gentle, yet unintentionally tugged at one’s heartstrings. Or perhaps it was because this person was her savior, with such a kind and pitiful demeanor.

“What, are you afraid I’ll take advantage of you?”

Su Xin was all smiles as she fed a bite of food into Lin Suhuai’s mouth.

Lin Suhuai shook her head and swallowed the food.

Su Xin found this person quite amusing. She had probably never spent much time with young women, especially not with someone as gentle as water like herself. She didn’t even know what to do with her hands and feet, and there was a hint of bashfulness in her eyes.

Su Xin packed the things back into the food box, took out the new clothes, and began to unfasten Lin Suhuai’s.

Everything from the inside out had to be changed. Men’s clothes weren’t as troublesome as women’s, and Lin Suhuai was cooperative, so it was done quickly.

Su Xin didn’t let her eyes wander; she just focused on changing the clothes, which made Lin Suhuai feel much more at ease.

“Don’t worry, what you have, I have too.”

Su Xin took Lin Suhuai’s hand and placed it on her own chest, a hint of teasing in her expression.

Lin Suhuai froze, then snatched her hand back as if she’d been electrocuted.

Truly… audacious.

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