Falling Dreams Of Fang Hua

Chapter 35: Departure

Taking a deep breath, I backed away, only sparing a single glance inside. I told myself not to think too much and ran down the steps, calling a young eunuch to tell Nongyu to make two bowls of soup for sobering up.

The candles of the the Cold Palace had all been reserved for the main house.

Pitch-darkness covered the courtyard, but someone was quietly giving orders before everyone scattered to busy themselves with their tasks. Their footsteps were very light, and the soles of their shoes exceptionally soft, so that there was no sound when they walked.

My feet felt a little wooden, and my legs rather stiff. I couldn't help casting backward glances at the room with every few steps. Thanks to the rising wind, the paper coverings on the windows were rattling with noise.

I stood for a while before sitting on a stone bench to space out. A hand propped up my head as I looked at the candlelit reflections of two figures against the windows. Though I knew these were only shadows, the flickering flames distorted their shapes and made them seem very intimate.

There was a thread of bitterness within my heart.

I suppressed my grief as a sudden warmth rose up to fill my eyes. My sleeve roughly rubbed at my face as I stood up, feeling at a loss.

Yifu was mine.

He was Shao'er's Fang Hua.

My hands clenched, but the stuffy feeling in my chest remained.

"The soup was prepared long beforehand by the imperial kitchens, shall we deliver them now?" Little Li asked as he walked over, carrying two bowls. His gaze settled on me in astonishment. I ignored him, staring fixedly at a point as coldness penetrated to the depths of my heart.

The shadows in the window seemed to draw closer and closer to each other, and the shabby paper covering rustled in the wind, enough for me to vaguely discern that person's brilliant yellow robes.

Only then did I notice someone pulling at my own clothes, and lose my concentration.

"What's happened with you?" Little Li gave me a rather caring look.

"Nothing." I turned away, my heart filled with agony. Though I wanted to grin, just trying to move my lips made my eyes grow hot.

"You were fine just awhile ago, but who provoked you now?" he said and stopped, glancing in the direction of the room before smiling mysteriously. "How fortunate, we don't even need to deliver the sober-up soup this time."

What happened?

Why did he say that...?

My body shook as I followed his gaze to the room. There were no more shadows in the window, only darkness...the lights had gone out inside. Abruptly, my mind grew blank.

I didn't think of anything, nor could I think of anything.

I only knew that Fang Hua and Han Zichuan were the only ones in that room. I don't know where my viciousness came from, but I suddenly lost my head and seized the soup from Little Li's hands, valiantly pushing him aside to charge inside.

"You can't go in, hey...little ancestor[1], why aren't you listening to what I say?" Little Li's voice grew smaller and smaller until he shrank back and retreated...because I'd already used three parts of my internal energy to push against the door with a creak until it opened. Without a lantern, the lighting in the room was very dim. However, the moonlight coming in from another window was enough to illuminate everything.

The table was empty besides a single jug of wine.

My vision swept past to see Han Zichuan leaning over to lie on the bed. A pair of hands looped around his neck to rest upon his shoulders, but I couldn't see the expression of the person beneath him...