Zhao Pei raised his palm high, his palm was burning with pain. Time froze at that moment, he tilted his head slightly, and a red mark slowly appeared on his face.
"I hate you... I hate you! I hate you! I hate you..." Zhao Pei retreated while shouting with all her might, as if the louder she shouted, the deeper her hatred became. Xiao Tong stood there, silent. His thick eyelashes drooped slightly, hiding all the emotions and thoughts that were about to flow out. I'm sorry, Pei Pei. I know that in this life, I have failed you so much.
Zhao Pei retreated again and again, wanting to turn around and run away, but she no longer had the strength. She once again stared at the figure that lingered in her dream, and felt the dull pain and swelling in her palms, and she actually laughed softly. Xiao Tong... Why did you appear... .
She slowly collapsed in the arms of Ji Jiang who had just caught up with her, and it was unclear whether she was crying or laughing.
》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》》
It was raining outside the window. Hanzhen sat on the second floor of the tavern and looked out. The pavilions and towers were blurred in the rain, and she couldn't see anything clearly. She propped her head up in silence, and her appetite was gone as she held the chopsticks in her mouth. Ye Feifan, who was sitting opposite her, smiled and said, "I heard that the crystal cake in this store is very good. Would you like to have one?"
Hanzhen glanced at him and said calmly, "No, I can't eat."
Miyun was nagging at the side: "Miss, didn't you keep complaining about being hungry just now?"
Hanzhen drooped her eyelids and didn't answer. She didn't like the rainy day. The gloomy mood also soaked her. Ye Feifan smiled again and said, "Why don't we go to the market to watch a play? I know there is a shop called 'Yunxiang'..." Seeing that she was not interested, Ye Feifan shut up tactfully.
Hanzhen lazily lay on the table, grumbling: "I miss my mother and He. I also miss Deng, Ruhua, Ziye... I even miss that showy goblin named Ji."
As soon as she finished speaking, she heard someone calling her from afar: "Zhen'er, I finally found you." Hanzhen looked up and saw a man in blue standing by the stairs. His brows were calm and gentle, and his faint smile showed his elegance.
Han Zhen was stunned for a moment, rubbed her eyes and then jumped up and rushed over with a scream, grabbed his neck and shouted: "Uncle He! I was just talking about you. You finally came. That's great, I missed you so much!" She hugged He Hui affectionately, without any taboos between men and women.
He Hui smiled and rubbed her head: "Zhen'er, you must be tired after playing around for so long."
Ye Feifan stood up and silently watched the two of them snuggling together intimately. Han Zhen showed a rare genuine smile on her face, and for a moment he was a little annoyed.
"Miss Xiao, who is this...?" Ye Feifan walked over gracefully and pulled Hanzhen over without saying a word.
Hanzhen smiled and introduced him: "Uncle He, he's as good as my real dad." She glanced at Ye Feifan again and muttered to He Hui: "This person is Ye Feifan." There was no other words. Ye Feifan was very touched that she didn't directly say "Ye Pingfan" and almost shed tears of excitement.
He Hui looked him up and down and nodded repeatedly: "Zhen'er has a naughty personality. It's really difficult for Master Ye."
Ye Feifan quickly bowed and said respectfully: "It's not difficult, it's not difficult. I'm happy to do it." Since Han Zhen said that it's as good as his own father, he must not offend him.
Hanzhen ignored the politeness between them, shook He Hui's arm and asked, "Uncle He, why are you here? Are you alone? Or are mother and that guy here too?"
"Madam Wang... is still in Yaoguang Temple. She was worried about you and asked me to come and look for you and accompany you." He Hui looked at Ye Feifan with a smile and said meaningfully, "It seems that it is completely unnecessary now." Han Zhen looked a little embarrassed, and glanced at the smiling Ye Feifan and asked, "By the way, Uncle He, I want to ask you something. Is mother okay now? Has she met Master Zhitong?"
"Master Zhitong? I never had the chance to meet him." He Hui thought for a moment and answered immediately. After a while, he asked again, "Why is Zhen'er so concerned about this matter?"
Hanzhen bit her lip with a look of frustration, muttering, "Youan, that brat, didn't complete the task assigned to him." Without waiting for He Hui to continue asking questions, she quickly pulled him downstairs, "Uncle He, let's go back to Yaoguang Temple together. I want to see my mother and Master Zhitong!"
Seeing this, Mi Yun hurriedly picked up her bag and followed them downstairs. Ye Feifan chased after them and asked, "Can I go with you?"
Hanzhen, who had rarely left the tavern, turned around and said in a good mood, "It's up to you." Upon hearing this, Ye Feifan hurriedly ran after her.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The rain was still coming down, and the mountain in late autumn looked particularly lonely and desolate after being wetted by the rain. The two people sat facing each other in the pavilion for a long time without making any sound, and only the sound of the drizzling autumn rain disturbed their mood.
Her eyes finally intertwined with his, twisted and entangled, heartbroken and tired. She never thought there would be such a day, she could sit with him and listen to the rain, even though there were already stars on her temples, even though he had left the world.
I don't know whether I should hate him or blame him. After all, he brought her endless pain. That kind of... empty thought and a scam.
Xiao Tong spoke first: "That year, it was my third brother who helped me leave. I asked him not to tell anyone."
"Why did you leave?" Zhao Pei looked at him steadily and asked the question that had been lingering in her mind for nearly twenty years. "Or, why did you choose to leave in front of me? Do you know the pain I have suffered over the years? I think back to that scene from time to time, and every time I feel so heartbroken that I can't fall asleep, and I even don't want to see Lianhua again. Do you know all this?" Zhao Pei tried her best to control herself, but her voice became more and more agitated.
Xiao Tong lowered his eyes, his thick eyelashes hiding the emotions in his eyes. He twisted the Buddhist beads in his hands, feeling half guilty and half disappointed: "I know... I'm sorry for you. At that time, I just wanted to leave... I didn't consider your feelings, I'm sorry."
Zhao Pei stared at him with her mouth slightly open, feeling that it was redundant to talk about the past now. No one could go back, so why bother talking about it? Between them, besides time, besides status, besides grudges, there were also thousands of mountains and rivers blocking them. It was impossible to force it anymore.
Their past had changed beyond recognition the moment he chose to leave and abandon himself.
Zhao Pei sighed. Whether they loved or not, they all seemed so passive. The only thing they could do was to accept the outcome given by fate. They were powerless.
"Third brother took on everything for you. He became the crown prince for you, the emperor for you, and... drank the poisoned wine for you... I was in the palace at that time, but I was powerless." Zhao Pei softened her voice and murmured, "Third brother, Liuzhen, eighth brother, Xiao Dong, Yuanzhao, and my Fangdeng, brother, father, sister-in-law... They all left me one by one. The Xiao family today is no longer the original Xiao family. It is stained with the blood of desire. Now only Xiao Yi and Zhao'er are left. But there will be a fierce battle between them. Sometimes, I'm so glad that you didn't see... You know? I think of them from time to time, and think of how carefree we were when we were young, and now... It hurts so much here..." She pressed her chest, and tears ran down her face without knowing when, "It hurts so much... Deshi... Did you leave because you thought about this day... Did you choose to leave because you didn't dare to face it?"
Zhao Pei was looking for excuses for him.
She stared at the pair of sad eyes like the moonlight through the mist. He didn't want to see her eyes that were so hot and painful, so he said nothing, full of sorrow and pain: "It's all over. Pepe... Life goes on."
When Zhao Pei heard this, she didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
She didn't want to think about it anymore. She looked at him for a long time and smiled softly: "Zhen'er must have recognized you."
Xiao Tong raised his eyebrows and smiled faintly: "She was very young at that time."
Zhao Pei replied complacently: "My Zhen'er has been extraordinary since she was a child. She must still remember you." People like him, no matter who they are, will never be forgotten after just one look at them.
The rain continued to fall. They were silent for a long time. Zhao Pei finally spoke: "No matter what... I have no regrets in my life... now that I can see you." Xiao Tong looked up at her steadily. There was no pity or unspeakable emotion like a long time ago, but only clarity. She knew that nothing could go back. Everything was completely different.
Her heart moved, and she spoke softly: "Deshi... Can I hug you again?"
Xiao Tong just smiled and stood up without saying anything. Zhao Pei smiled brightly and took a few steps forward to bury herself in his arms. That warm embrace had the flavor she had always dreamed of, a faint fragrance and sadness. Xiao Tong hugged her and tightened his grip. Zhao Pei leaned against his thin body and hugged him tightly. Let the dreams and pain of most of her life end in his arms.
The past is like smoke, and now he is standing under the monk's hut listening to the rain with gray hair. Will he still remember the rosy cheeks of the girl and the brilliant fireworks in the sky when they first met
In the misty rain, I heard her ethereal and indifferent voice: "From now on, in Zhao Pei's heart, there is no Xiao Tong, no De Shi, only Master Zhi Tong."
He originally thought that this clear and calm heart of Buddhism would not be hurt. But he miscalculated. (To be continued)