After soothing Luo Feiyan, Zhao Shuning placed her in a wheelchair and wheeled her back.
It turned out that Luo Qiu was such a lovely woman when she was young. Zhao Shuning wondered what on earth had happened later that made her become the legendary and decisive woman described in the ancient books.
Back in the house, Zhao Shuning carried Luo Feiyan into the yard and let her soak up the sun while she herself bustled about getting the barbecue grill and the ingredients for grilled fish.
Luo Feiyan watched Zhao Shuning bustling around in the yard. She thought how wonderful it would be if time could freeze at this very moment. She wouldn't have to shoulder those heavy responsibilities, nor would she have to face all the intrigues and troubles. If she could always be with her sister, even a mundane life would be so blissful.
"Sister, do you have someone you like?"
"Ah, yes."
Zhao Shuning answered while busy with her work.
"The person you like must be very outstanding, right, sister?"
"Of course. I like you too. You're outstanding as well."
Zhao Shuning had already set up the barbecue grill. She was washing the fish. After killing it, she took out the fish's liver.
Luo Feiyan forced a bitter smile.
"Sister, you don't need to comfort me. I know I'm no different from a useless person."
"How could that be? You don't know how amazing you'll be in the future."
Luo Feiyan smiled and said, "Maybe only sister is willing to believe in me like this."
"It's the truth."
She came from five hundred years later. How could she not know about Luo Qiu? So while "Luo Qiu" still had no spiritual power and still needed her, she must get on well with her.
"Sister, do you have people you care about?"
Zhao Shuning put down the fish in her hand and said, "Of course. I have my family. I love them very much. I also have many good friends. They've never left me."
Luo Feiyan said, "I knew it. Sister is so nice. There must be many people who like you. Sister treats me just the same as them, right?"
"It's still different."
"Ah?"
Luo Feiyan looked up with joy.
Zhao Shuning thought to herself that they were friends while Luo Feiyan was the person she was after. Of course they were different. One was for companionship and the other was for admiration.
"Really?"
"Of course it's true. Those little kids, I haven't even hugged them after they grew up."
Zhao Shuning continued to deal with the fish in her hand. She put it on the barbecue grill, started a fire and began to grill the fish.
Luo Feiyan put her hands under her chin and watched all this. The time was just right and the beauty was by her side.
"Sister, will you come back after you go to Changkong Academy?"
"Why do you ask this?"
"I'm just afraid. If you don't come back, I don't know what to do."
Zhao Shuning said, "You don't need to worry about that. I'll come back to see you once every three days."
"I'm troubling you, sister. This time, you have to rush around for my matter again."
"It doesn't matter."
"If Wu Xuan targets you again, you mustn't—"
Zhao Shuning waved her hand and Luo Feiyan stopped talking and looked at Zhao Shuning.
Zhao Shuning said, "You can rest assured. They can't bully me. I'll get back all the grievances you've suffered from them."
"But Wu Xuan is no ordinary person. She secretly killed an inner - sect disciple before."
Zhao Shuning frowned. Was this princess of Tianli really so overbearing?
Seeing Zhao Shuning's look, Luo Feiyan nodded seriously at her.
"Is she so bold? This is Changkong Academy. Those who can become inner - sect disciples are not simple."
"This is how fierce Wu Xuan is. Sister, that night, when I finished washing their clothes, it was almost midnight. I was going back to my room to sleep when I saw Wu Xuan secretly talking to someone in the outer courtyard."
"At first, I didn't want to eavesdrop. But I was afraid that if I moved at that time, I would attract their attention. So I had to stay in the corner and wait for them to leave before I went out."
"The person who was talking to Princess Wu Xuan was Xia Qingyan, the young prince of Hailing. What they were talking about was the matter that Wu Xuan secretly executed the inner - sect disciple Gu Xingran."
Gu Xingran? Zhao Shuning had no impression of this name at all. But since he had the surname Gu, he should have something to do with the future Cangwu Country.
"What exactly was it about?"
Luo Feiyan looked a bit embarrassed.
"Is it hard to say?"
Luo Feiyan said, "No. It's just that I think the reason is a bit absurd."
"Tell me about it."
Zhao Shuning turned the grilled fish over. The fish on it sizzled and the fragrance spread out.
Luo Feiyan told her what had happened that night.
The main idea was as follows. Gu Xingran once publicly said that he hated Luo Feiyan and that she got into the position of inner - sect disciple by relying on the destiny - chosen girl of Ruoqiang and was not worthy of sitting in that position. But Xia Qingyan had long expressed his admiration for Luo Feiyan and of course wouldn't allow others to slander her.
As time went on, Gu Xingran and Xia Qingyan got into a feud. During the teachers' classes, they often confronted each other in the classroom. It was said that later, in order to take revenge on Xia Qingyan, Gu Xingran even let go a green parrot that Xia Qingyan had brought from Hailing. That parrot was a gift from Xia Qingyan's deceased mother.
This completely triggered the conflict. Xia Qingyan rushed directly into Gu Xingran's yard that night and had a big fight with him. Later, the elders found out and punished Xia Qingyan with three days' confinement. When Xia Qingyan came out, Gu Xingran unexpectedly died suddenly.
Everyone thought Gu Xingran's death was an accident. It wasn't until that night when Luo Feiyan heard the conversation between Wu Xuan and Xia Qingyan that she knew Gu Xingran's death was caused by Wu Xuan.
"Gu Xingran deserved to die for treating you like that."
"Qingyan, I did all this for you."
"Qingyan, don't tell the elders about this. Otherwise, I'll be expelled from the academy and my father will kill me."
"Qingyan, don't you understand my feelings for you?"
Zhao Shuning got goosebumps all over.
"Are you saying that the shrewish princess of Tianli has a crush on Xia Qingyan, the young prince of Hailing?"
Luo Feiyan nodded.
"Later, I thought Wu Xuan wanted to kill me because she found out that I knew her secret. So I begged her not to do so and said I would keep her secret. But I didn't expect—"
"Didn't expect it would become your last death summons."
"Yeah."
Zhao Shuning now had a general understanding of what had happened. By now, the fish was grilled. She handed the fish to Luo Feiyan.
"Have a taste."
"Is it delicious?"
Looking at Zhao Shuning's expectant eyes, Luo Feiyan nodded.
"Finish it. I have to go and buy some things. You're in poor health. Unlike me, you can't bear the cold. I'll definitely be back before it gets dark."
"Okay."