Blooming of the Red Spider Lily: The Enchanting Pavilion Master - Chapter 51 - Something Feels Off

“Bi’an-Jie, I feel like something is not quite right,” Feng Mojin said, tugging at Bi’an’s sleeve and lowering her voice as she watched Le Zimu continue to attend to other guests. She had initially made a sarcastic remark about Le Zimu standing up for Li Bai, but to her surprise, Le Zimu didn’t seem embarrassed at all; instead, he appeared completely oblivious.

“He has already forgotten Li Bai!” Bi’an glanced casually at Le Zimu and asserted, “I’m afraid you’d have to ask the bride about that.”

At that moment, the bride, Hongxiao, was anxiously sitting in the bridal sedan chair, still struggling to believe how smoothly everything was going! She didn’t want to hurt Le Zimu and couldn’t find a way to make him forget, but upon returning to Le Mansion, she realized that Le Zimu had completely forgotten Li Bai! That person had entirely vanished from Le Zimu’s memory, as if the heavens were helping her.

Due to suspicions about Li Bai’s background, Le Zimu’s father was pleased that his son had no memory of that girl. He sternly warned everyone at Le Mansion not to mention Li Bai again, which aligned perfectly with Hongxiao’s wishes. Even more exciting for her was that Lansheng had returned that day; she successfully handed the invitation to Lansheng’s servant. Now, as long as Lansheng understood her feelings, her wish would be fulfilled!

The sedan chair came to a halt, and Hongxiao smiled, raising her chin slightly as she offered her hand to Le Zimu, letting him carry her over the firepan into the hall. Under the veil, she glanced around, and when she spotted a familiar pair of shoes, her smile became even brighter.

“Bow to heaven and earth!” The voice of the matchmaker rang in her ears. Hongxiao turned around, ready to bow when suddenly, someone wrapped their arms around her waist. Accompanied by a cool voice, it said, “Hongxiao won’t marry Le Zimu.”

The person holding her withdrew slightly, causing the red veil to flutter to the ground. Hongxiao turned her head and saw a pair of deep black eyes, reflecting her figure in them.

The intertwining of love and hate runs deep, just as deep as memory. Those memories, etched into one’s bones, can be suddenly recalled even after being forgotten for a time.

Locked in a gaze, Hongxiao saw her own reflection in Lansheng’s eyes; from those dark pupils, she sensed a passionate love lying beneath the calmness, much like an aged daughter red wine, its rich aroma intoxicating her.

With her heart racing uncontrollably, Hongxiao allowed Lansheng to pull her into his arms as he carried her towards the exit. It wasn’t until they were about to leave the hall that the stunned guests suddenly came to their senses.

Le Zimu’s father and the other aunts kept questioning the in-laws nearby, and upon seeing this, Hongxiao’s father found it difficult to rebut and felt a surge of anger rise within him. He suddenly couldn’t catch his breath, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted instantly, causing chaos in the hall.

Unfortunately, at that moment, Hongxiao’s mind and heart were completely occupied by Lansheng. She could no longer hear the voices of others; all she heard was Lansheng softly asking in her ear, “Do you really want to marry Le Zimu?”

“How could that be? I just want you to realize your own feelings. I like you, Lansheng.” Fearing that Lansheng might misunderstand, Hongxiao tugged at his clothes, her face flushed with shyness. As her words fell, she wrapped her arms around Lansheng’s neck, leaned in, and kissed his lips.

Seeing the beauty in his arms so enchanting, Lansheng quickly set Hongxiao down, holding her waist with one hand while gently cupping her head with the other, leaning in for another fierce kiss.

When Hongxiao felt Lansheng’s eagerness, her confidence in her own charm increased. She leaned in closer to Lansheng, slightly parting her lips, allowing Lansheng’s tongue to slip inside, claiming the sweetness in her mouth.

As their lips and tongues intertwined, just when the passion peaked, Hongxiao suddenly bit down hard on Lansheng’s lower lip, causing blood to spill into her mouth. Lansheng frowned involuntarily, but Hongxiao stubbornly refused to let go, biting his lip and playfully declaring, “I want you to remember, you are mine for this lifetime, and no one can take you away.”

“You truly are a little enchantress,” Lansheng replied with a faint smile, leaning in for another deep kiss.

With a bright smile in his eyes, Lansheng watched Hongxiao’s alluring demeanor, a hint of nostalgia flickering in his gaze. Then, he glanced at the chaos unfolding in the hall. According to common sense, someone who had stolen the bride should have hurriedly left, yet Lansheng stood there leisurely, observing the flustered crowd. He slowly scanned the surroundings before his gaze landed on a beautiful woman with an icy demeanor.

The woman wore a solid red outfit, the sleeves intricately embroidered with elaborate flowers that seemed to grow directly from the fabric, the craftsmanship so exquisite that it was truly rare.

The Soul Guiding Flower at the edge of the Naihe Bridge? Lansheng inexplicably smiled, looking her up and down with interest. But his eager gaze sparked a sense of panic in Hongxiao, which intensified when she finally recognized the woman he was appraising.

Biting her lower lip tightly, a flicker of barely perceptible hatred flashed in Hongxiao’s eyes.

“Someone, seize her!” At some point, Hongxiao’s father had awakened and slammed his hand on the table, glaring fiercely at the servants while directing his orders. His eyes were filled with disappointment as he stared at Hongxiao, but she was consumed with unease and hatred.

“Really unsettling, isn’t it?” Lansheng feigned a complaint, pulling his gaze away before picking Hongxiao up again. He skillfully evaded the guards’ attacks with a graceful leap. However, he didn’t expect Le Zimu, who had been quiet, to suddenly charge at him upon landing!

Hongxiao gasped in shock. To make the amnesiac Le Zimu willingly help her put on a performance, she had lied to him, claiming they had once been loving partners who promised to remain loyal to each other until death. But in Le Zimu’s eyes, their current situation made it seem like she had betrayed him, humiliating both him and the entire Le Mansion!

“Lansheng, don’t hurt Zimu!” Hongxiao instinctively tugged at Lansheng’s arm, panic seeping into her voice. She knew Le Zimu was just a scholar, with no real strength, while Lansheng was a concealed master. If they fought, it would undoubtedly be Le Zimu who got hurt!

Though she was selfish and ruthless, Le Zimu had never wronged her. Growing up together had created a bond between them that, while unable to rival her love for Lansheng, was still significant. At the very least, she couldn’t bear to watch Le Zimu get injured by Lansheng!

“What if I don’t harm him, but he wants to harm me?” Lansheng chuckled lightly with an ambiguous expression, but his gaze slowly scanned the crowd. A group of people with sticks stood menacingly before them, while most of the other guests had already been led away during the chaos. Only one table of people remained leisurely sipping tea and enjoying their food, seemingly indifferent to the scene around them.

Lansheng had noticed that table as soon as he entered the hall. The group was undeniably striking, each person exuding an aura that distinguished them from others. Among them, two elegantly dressed figures stood out so much that it was impossible not to recognize them across Fengli City.

However, this group was far too calm. Here they were, witnessing a rivalry between two men over a woman, yet they showed no interest whatsoever, casually eating as if the chaos didn’t concern them. One couldn’t help but wonder whether to admire their composure.

But… Lansheng slowly narrowed his eyes, refocusing on Bi’an. He had already picked up on her quiet demeanor among the group, which seemed to have a calming effect on those around her. People like her often made one want to peel back the layers of their apparent indifference, revealing what lay beneath!

With an increasingly charming smile, Lansheng wrapped his arm around Hongxiao’s waist, effortlessly dodging Le Zimu’s next attack as he leaped toward the group where Bi’an was standing.

Seeing this, Hongxiao felt a surge of irritation. But suddenly, a glimmer of light caught her attention, and turning in surprise, she saw that the usually gentle Le Zimu had, without her notice, acquired a dagger. The surrounding guards were too focused on pursuing them and hadn’t noticed the sharp blade in his hand. Hongxiao’s eyes brightened with an idea.

“Lansheng, let me down. They won’t harm me. You should handle them first and then come back for me, okay?” Her soft voice carried a hint of coaxing as her gaze bore into Lansheng’s.

Lansheng nodded slightly, setting Hongxiao down and then turning to Bi’an, who was not far away. He said with a faint smile, “Could you please take care of Hongxiao?”

With that, he quickly dashed back into the fray. Although he wasn’t armed, every move he made sent a guard staggering in pain, his speed leaving onlookers astonished. As guards fell one after another, Le Zimu drew closer to Lansheng. Hongxiao furtively glanced at the indifferent Bi’an beside her before finally raising her voice, “Zimu, have you ever wondered why I left you on the day of our wedding?”

The words drew everyone’s attention to Hongxiao, who merely locked eyes with Le Zimu, appearing somewhat wronged while making a series of ambiguous gestures with her hands.

This was their childhood signal; even though Le Zimu had lost his memory, Hongxiao believed that after years of using their secret code, he would have at least some recollection of it. If he could grasp even a part of it, victory would be hers! She had only one method left to eliminate the impending danger.

“Li Bai? Are you talking about Li Bai?” Sure enough, Le Zimu paused for a moment before comprehending what Hongxiao was trying to convey.

She was telling him that there once was a girl named Li Bai who had loved him wholeheartedly. She was revealing how cruelly she had shattered that girl’s only hope and explaining how Li Bai had disappeared from his world.

“Li Bai… Li Bai…” Le Zimu called the name over and over again, his own feelings of deep longing and despair mingling with confusion. But the call resonated like a spell, stirring up memories buried deep within him. Familiar scenes flashed before his eyes, yet they were shrouded in a fog, indistinct. The only clear image was that of a scattering of red silk ribbons, along with the words that echoed in his mind, as Hongxiao had told him through their code: only Bi’an could possibly know where Li Bai was.

Where is Li Bai? Where are my remaining memories? Where is my past? These questions echoed incessantly in Le Zimu’s mind. His memories were locked away, but he believed Li Bai was the key-the key to unlocking all of his memories!

“Tell me where Li Bai is!” Suddenly, in the stunned silence that enveloped the room, Le Zimu shouted and charged toward Bi’an, repeatedly demanding an answer as the dagger in his hand gleamed menacingly, striking fear into those around him.