Blooming of the Red Spider Lily: The Enchanting Pavilion Master - Chapter 45 - Surprise Attack

“Second Prince, it seems you still haven’t grasped the purpose of the Pavilion of Rebirth, so let me say it one last time. We are merely observers; those who come here do so to fulfill their own wishes. The Pavilion exists solely to make their wishes come true, and beyond that, we cannot do anything. Li Bai wants a heart, and Le Zimu is willing to give one. That is their own choice. I am not a good person; I don’t need to be responsible for their choices, nor do I need to get involved in matters that have nothing to do with me.”

Bi’an looked at Feng Moqing with a cold gaze, her words cutting like ice. Feng Moqing felt his heart sink into despair. Her words had completely overturned his previous impression of her. Whereas he had once thought Bi’an was soft-hearted, he now saw her as a completely heartless and unfeeling creature!

“Bi’an, how can you be so indifferent?” he said in disbelief, using his fan to hide his face and shield his emotions. He unconsciously loosened his grip on her hand and stepped back dejectedly, only to hear Bi’an speak even more coldly: “Second Prince, you yourself don’t care about anything. Your anger over Li Bai is merely misplaced frustration. You see Feng Mojin’s reflection in Li Bai, and that’s why you want her to find happiness. But you need to understand that Li Bai is not your sister; she is not Feng Mojin! As for the things you want to know, they have nothing to do with you, and you don’t need to know.”

Every word she spoke was devoid of emotion but hit right on target, stripping away his final facade. Indeed, he didn’t care about Li Bai; his concern was solely for Xiao Jin. He just saw echoes of Xiao Jin in Li Bai, and he felt that if Li Bai was unhappy, Xiao Jin would be too.

It was this reason that made it unbearable for him to see Bi’an knowingly allow this situation to lead to their tragedy without intervening. It was because Bi’an was hiding something from him that he felt anger rising in his heart. He realized that he had never cared for Li Bai and Le Zimu!

With a bitter smile, Feng Moqing staggered past Bi’an and headed outside; he couldn’t stay here any longer.

“Sorry, Second Prince.” Just as they brushed past each other, Bi’an suddenly reached out and struck Feng Moqing’s back with her palm.

Caught completely off guard, Feng Moqing felt a surge of warmth flow from her hand into his body. In an instant, his consciousness faded away, and he could vaguely hear Bi’an’s cool apology, which carried a hint of warmth, making him unable to resist a faint smile.

When Feng Moqing woke up again, he looked at the familiar decor of the palace and felt a sense of disorientation for a moment before finally remembering that he was in his own chambers. Rubbing his somewhat blurry eyes, he recalled the events leading up to his unconsciousness: Bi’an had apologized to him while ruthlessly attacking him!

However… Feng Moqing stood up and moved around for a moment, only to realize that he didn’t feel any discomfort at all. In other words, Bi’an’s strike hadn’t physically harmed him? So why had she ambushed him?

Suppressing his surprise, Feng Moqing called for a servant girl to come in and quickly change his clothes before heading to Feng Mojin’s quarters. According to the palace maid from earlier, Feng Mojin had been feeling down for days, and this had caught the attention of Feng Zihan, who was usually focused on state affairs, as well as Changsun Ran, who typically stayed out of matters like this. Like typical doting parents, they were very worried about Feng Mojin’s condition and were almost always by her side.

As a result, when Feng Moqing arrived at Feng Mojin’s chambers, Feng Zihan, who should have been in the court, was standing nearby, while Changsun Ran kept vigil by Feng Mojin’s bedside. Concerned words filled the air, along with the elderly imperial physician’s remark: “A heavy heart.”

A heavy heart? Apart from Feng Mojin herself, no one knew better where this burden lay than Feng Moqing. He had not anticipated that Mu Yang would hold such importance for Xiao Jin. He had thought it was just a fleeting encounter, that Xiao Jin only liked Mu Yang for the soothing fragrance she carried. A temporary sadness was understandable, but he had never considered how profoundly Mu Yang’s death would affect Xiao Jin.

Letting out a deep sigh, Feng Moqing strode over to Feng Mojin’s side. As she sat surrounded by concerned figures, he reached out his hand and gently said, “Xiao Jin, how about going out of the palace with your brother? Maybe something interesting will happen.”

Carefully coaxing her, Feng Moqing exchanged glances with Feng Zihan and Changsun Ran, who both nodded in agreement. Perhaps a trip outside the palace would be the best way for Xiao Jin to clear her mind right now.

With their approval, Feng Moqing decisively took Feng Mojin’s hand and led her out of the palace, continuously introducing her to the trinkets in the marketplace along the way.

For Feng Mojin, who had never been outside the palace, the world beyond its walls felt incredibly novel. Under Feng Moqing’s guidance, she explored every corner, her mood lifting significantly. Not to mention, some townsfolk who recognized her even gifted her little trinkets for free.

Holding a little figure that looked just like her, a smile finally broke through the long-held gloom on Feng Mojin’s face. Seeing this, Feng Moqing felt a quiet sense of relief, satisfied to accompany his beloved sister on this little outing, putting aside thoughts of Li Bai for the moment.

As the two of them walked and explored, they unwittingly found themselves standing at the entrance of the Pavilion of Rebirth. Staring blankly at the familiar sign, Feng Moqing suddenly lost the courage to step inside. The scene of his argument with Bi’an from the day before replayed vividly in his mind, even though he was the only one truly angry about it.

“Hey? Feng Moqing!” With keen eyesight, Hua Ning spotted Feng Moqing hesitating at the entrance, alongside his sister Feng Mojin, who was curiously looking around the Pavilion. She immediately ran over, and upon seeing Jiang Qing behind them, her face lit up with joy as she excitedly tugged Jiang Qing inside.

Feeling helpless, Feng Moqing had no choice but to lead the surprised Feng Mojin inside. As soon as they entered the Pavilion of Rebirth, he saw Bi’an lying on the soft couch as usual, seemingly indifferent to their arrival. However, for some reason, Feng Moqing felt as if he had caught a glimpse of movement when he entered.

But how could Bi’an possibly care about him?

Shoving aside these unrealistic fantasies, Feng Moqing lazily sat down at the side, allowing Hua Ning and Feng Mojin to excitedly discuss their favorite things while he casually gazed out the window.

“Brother, is that person Bi’an?” Feng Mojin suddenly poked Feng Moqing’s shoulder, pointing towards the unmoving Bi’an with an expression of surprise. “Even though I dislike her, I thought you two usually got along well?”

To be honest, although she didn’t like Bi’an for vying for her brother’s attention, it felt somewhat indifferent to see the two of them pretend to be strangers after once having shared such pleasant conversations. Moreover, she secretly wanted to provoke that expressionless Bi’an, thinking that if she could make Bi’an display even the tiniest bit of emotion, it would be quite an accomplishment.

“Xiao Jin, we’re fine. You don’t need to worry too much. Just enjoy your time with Hua Ning,” Feng Moqing said, ruffling Feng Mojin’s hair. He tried to smile nonchalantly, though his gaze briefly flickered towards Bi’an, who still showed no reaction.

If he wanted to, he could pretend as if nothing had happened, greeting Bi’an with a smile, but he just couldn’t bring himself to cross that line-especially when he saw Li Bai approaching the Pavilion of Rebirth in the distance.

Upon catching sight of the innocent-looking girl with her gentle smile and bright eyes, Feng Moqing couldn’t help but remember Le Zimu telling Bi’an that he would fulfill her wish. This thought filled him with undeniable guilt as he was reminded of Bi’an’s indifference and coldness, as well as his own selfishness-realities he didn’t want to confront.

“Second Prince, is the pavilion master in? I’m looking for a birthday gift for Zimu,” Li Bai’s round face suddenly appeared right in front of Feng Moqing, startling him so much that he nearly fell backward. Thankfully, Jiang Qing was quick to catch him.

Feeling a mix of fear and regret, Feng Moqing patted his chest and gestured toward Bi’an in the courtyard, then glanced at the joyfully beaming Li Bai. Suddenly, he was struck by the urge to tell her about Le Zimu being at the Pavilion of Rebirth. If Li Bai and Le Zimu were aware of each other’s feelings, perhaps the ensuing tragedy could be avoided!

As he opened his mouth to express this truth, Feng Moqing was horrified to realize that no sound would come out. He could shout Li Bai’s name, joke with Hua Ning, but when it came to talking about Le Zimu, his voice simply wouldn’t work! Just thinking about it made him mute!

Instinctively, he turned to look at Bi’an, who had just stepped out of the courtyard. When their eyes met, Feng Moqing finally understood why Bi’an had intercepted him-she aimed to prevent him from mentioning Le Zimu being at the Pavilion. Not only did she wish to accept Le Zimu’s heartfelt desire, but she also sought to eliminate anything that might disrupt their wishes. For the sake of the Pavilion of Rebirth’s so-called business, she was heartless and indifferent!

A birthday that should have been an opportunity for two people to grow closer suddenly involved a third person, which meant their hearts were bound to diverge.

As soon as Li Bai spotted Bi’an, she eagerly rushed over to ask about the birthday gifts without noticing the unusually charged atmosphere. Feng Mojin was about to make a sarcastic remark, but Feng Moqing shot a fierce glare at Bi’an, took Feng Mojin’s hand, and made as if to leave.

Bi’an remained indifferent on the surface, but a shadow seemed to pass over her usually bright, crystal-like eyes. She casually scanned the people around her, but her gaze lingered on Feng Moqing, clearly imbued with some unexplainable meaning.

Jiang Qing and Hua Ning were caught off guard by the situation. When Bi’an had sent Feng Moqing back with Jiang Qing the day before, they sensed something was amiss between the two. At first, they thought it was just a minor disagreement, but now it seemed evident that the issue was far more complicated than they had imagined.

Feng Moqing looked as if he wanted to leave, showing no desire to stay with Bi’an, who did not attempt to stop him in any way. Hua Ning, who knew Bi’an well, understood that although Bi’an appeared expressionless, she did care about both Feng Moqing and Jiang Qing. After all, she wouldn’t allow unrelated individuals to enter the Pavilion of Rebirth.

Even if Feng Moqing used the pretense of being an attendant of the Pavilion, without Bi’an’s tacit approval, Feng Moqing and Jiang Qing would never have been able to come and go so freely, especially since the Pavilion of Rebirth served as a bridge between life and death! It was easy for ordinary folks to accidentally find themselves dragged into another world.

Because of this understanding, even if Hua Ning often found Feng Moqing reckless and frivolous, she would never suggest to Bi’an that he be sent away. Instead, she sought to have Feng Mojin subtly probe Feng Moqing for information, knowing that to Bi’an, Feng Moqing was different from the other inconsequential guests.

However, with the two of them now engaged in a cold war, who was it truly benefitting?

Hua Ning glanced between Bi’an and Feng Moqing before giving Jiang Qing a helpless shrug. Just then, a youthful voice interrupted the silent exchange between Hua Ning and Jiang Qing.

“Second Prince, Third Princess, you should join us! It’ll be more lively to celebrate Zimu’s birthday together, don’t you think?” Li Bai suddenly spoke, halting Feng Moqing in his tracks. She smiled brightly at the two of them, holding a beautifully crafted gift box-no doubt a birthday gift prepared by Bi’an for her.

Here was someone who seemed heartless and indifferent yet had the leisure to prepare gifts for others, leading those unaware to mistakenly believe that she was kind-hearted.