Chapter 3, A Good Fate is Empty (I)

Before her words could finish, a strange female voice suddenly interrupted her: "Su Ying!"

The commotion had already attracted the attention of the guests, and many had gathered around. Gui'er caught a glimpse of two familiar figures out of the corner of her eye; it was the couple who had brought her food yesterday. With nowhere to hide, she could only quicken her pace.

Then do you... know about Qianlong Valley?" Su Ying's expression became even more peculiar

"Do you not recognize me?" Su Ying slightly turned her head, her brows still slightly furrowed

Before she could finish her words, the beautiful young man, whom she referred to as "Su Ying," had already deprived her of the opportunity to be further astonished and commanded, "Jin Rong, you go help A Yao keep an eye on the people of the Marquis's residence"

As she saw a man and a woman approaching, Gui'er could not help but exclaim, "Hey, you there..."

At this moment, the newly appeared bride has already captured the attention of all the guests. She is dressed in a maid's attire, and her presence among them is entirely appropriate

Gui Er exclaimed "Oh!" as she finally remembered! In the tavern of Yanzhou City, she had overheard someone next door talking about the marriage of the "most beautiful person in the world," Young Master Su San from Qianlong Valley!

It is actually him

By the time Gui'er realized that the words behind her were directed at her, her body had already been involuntarily pulled forward by him. His lightness of skill was truly remarkable, his steps elegant yet nimble, as if walking on snow, weaving through flowers.

Yuanbao blinked and asked, "Mother, what does it mean to swagger?"

Stranger ... ... Stranger ? ''

The slightly hoarse voice carried an undeniable resolve, and the bride no longer argued, merely furrowing her delicate brows as she looked at Gui'er. After a moment, she turned her body and followed Bai Luo Qinghui away

The crowd automatically parted to both sides, clearly indicating that someone was passing through the middle. From Gui'er’s position, she could not see the bride at all. She could not understand why there would be a wedding in the place where she was being confined, but this situation made her think of a way to escape

It must be an illusion, Gui Er thought, why does this woman, whom she has never met before, look at her as if she were a snake

The bride has arrived

Beautiful person

As soon as the words were spoken, their eyes met, and both exclaimed "Ah" in surprise.

Bailuo, stop!

She was momentarily at a loss for words, "It is about treating this place as your own home and regarding the people around you as the chickens, ducks, and dogs in your household"

Gui Er thought to herself, whom else could I possibly know, yet her face wore a smile: "Master Fu Yue and the library."

These four characters suddenly appeared on her lips, causing her to pause slightly. Out of nowhere, a flash of red swept past her; a woman dressed in bridal attire had already grasped the sleeve of the handsome young man, while with her other hand, she pulled off her veil and said: "Su Ying, what about me? What am I supposed to do?"

It is precisely this time, this place, and this person

It seems that I have seen this somewhere before... At some time and place, I was also immersed in this overwhelming sea of red, the surrounding sounds were almost surreal, shadows swayed, and someone was walking towards her

The gust of wind suddenly vanished, followed by the sound of a woman's puzzled voice: "Third Young Master, she ... ... "

She pulled over the ingot and whispered, "Son, do you see those people outside? When I open the door, you should walk out confidently and keep going straight until you reach the entrance of the big house to wait for me."

The sharp cry jolted her awake; she hurriedly pulled Yuanbao and stepped out through the small door, hiding behind the door of the side hall, peering outside through the gaps in the floral lattice.

I also want to know who she is, but not right now

She gritted her teeth and suddenly turned her head away

Gui Er honestly shook her head

She simply had no time to think about why she knew this; in any case, staying here would likely lead to greater trouble. Just as she was about to take advantage of the chaos to escape with the ingot, she had barely taken a step back when her wrist was firmly seized.

A tremor ran through Gui'er’s heart; in all the world, how many people can be called "Marquis"?

He finally stood firm and spoke

Gui Er blinked at him and said, "Young Master, you have mistaken the person."

I apologize, I have to leave for a matter

Third Young Master

Gui'er held the unconscious Yuanbao, her heart filled with anxiety, uncertain whether he recognized her as the person he had encountered during the Moonlit Festival. At this moment, all she wanted was to leave this place of turmoil as quickly as possible

She leaned against the door to listen for any sounds, and then slowly pushed it open. A strong red hue gradually seeped through the widening gap, immediately capturing her attention

At nightfall, she also heard the sound of the flute

Yuanbao, still somewhat naive, obediently nodded and peeked out to take a look. With a quick movement, the small figure squeezed into the crowd

Just a moment ago, Yuanbao was lively and full of energy, but now it lies half-reclined at the corner of the table, its little face pale, with white foam seeping from the corners of its mouth, already in a state of unconsciousness.

If I had ever encountered a person like you, I would certainly not forget it

With no other choice, I had to stuff two pieces of torn cloth into my ears, which finally allowed me to sleep soundly

However, the woman continued, "My young master has instructed that after tomorrow, you will be allowed to leave, so there is no need to worry."

Gui'er turned her gaze in the direction of the sound and saw a woman in a flowing red dress with a graceful figure standing behind her, though she did not know when she had arrived. Although Gui'er could not see her face clearly, she recognized her at once—because her face was completely covered by a piece of red silk, she was indeed the bride

Gui Er does not remember whether she used to know any acupoint striking techniques; in any case, she cannot recall even a bit of it now. Therefore, she can only take advantage of the moment when the young girl is placing down the dishes to deliver a swift chop to the back of her neck.

Gui Er immediately quickened her pace, parting the crowd as she searched, until someone shouted: "Whose child is this? Is he unwell?"

A person with only one year of memory truly faces various troubles; it seems as if they owe him thousands of gold pieces.

In that moment, she did not know how to describe the person she saw—such beautifully shaped brows and eyes, such a jade-like temperament—his features possessed a beauty that made one forget gender, yet there was a hint of indifferent coldness in his gaze, coupled with an aloofness that kept others at a distance—he was a man

Gui'er then lowered her head and walked out, casually picking up a jug of wine as she passed by the table. Her steps were hurried, appearing to be a maid serving wine, yet the corner of her eye remained vigilant, always keeping an eye on Yuanbao's figure, ensuring he did not stray more than ten steps away from her.

I never expected the face behind the mask to look like this

A child running around chaotically at a wedding banquet would go unnoticed by anyone

Stop right there

Only the beautiful young man said: "Bai Luo Qinghui, protect A Yao. You come with me!"

All actions were completed in the blink of an eye, leaving her no time to contemplate what to do next. The timing, direction, and intensity of her movements seemed as if she was naturally adept at this, flowing effortlessly without the need for hesitation

She rushed over in a few quick steps, but couldn't help letting out a low cry

Her method is to simply walk out through the front door

Gui Er suddenly remembered that this sound was indeed the flute played by the young man she encountered on the night of the Moonlight Festival

As the main entrance of the hall came into view, an unexpected commotion arose behind me. The crowd surged and became congested, and in the midst of the throng, Yuanbao vanished without a trace

"Hold on a moment." That low, slightly hoarse voice decisively interrupted the woman's words. Gui'er and *Tu* *Shu* heard faint footsteps behind them, and the surroundings suddenly fell silent. She could hear whispers, but could not concentrate enough to listen closely; all her thoughts were focused on the person approaching step by step.

"Seeking Plum Blossoms in the Snow"

Indeed, before the woman could approach, she shouted, "Where are you from, girl? Why are you still carrying a child? Raise your head!"

At this moment, it was too late to withdraw and take a closer look. Gui'er seized the opportunity to deliver a solid elbow strike to the big man's chest, causing him to widen his eyes and fall down limply.

Mother! The soft voice made her quickly gather her thoughts. She glanced at the small figure beside her, whose eyes were filled with panic. Without further delay, she picked him up and leaped over the railing into the garden

The woman frowned, seemingly unaware of such a notable figure in the residence. The man beside her discreetly nudged her and softly uttered a few words. The woman suddenly understood and replied calmly, "Both gentlemen have important matters to attend to today"

This move was once used to deal with the crazed wild boars in the mountains. Considering that the opponent was a girl, she reduced her strength by fifty percent. The little girl immediately fell to the ground without a sound. Gui'er checked her pulse and, confirming that there was no serious harm, quickly changed into her clothes, dragged her onto the bed, and covered her with a quilt. Only then did she slowly push open the door

Gui'er certainly would not lift her head; instead, she walked even faster.

The handsome young man furrowed his brow and turned his gaze away,淡淡地 instructed: "Bai Luo, Qing Hui, keep her here"

This time, a young girl with a topknot has been assigned, perhaps because those in charge believe that an ordinary mother and child do not require excessive supervision.

The woman's hand had already reached forward, her five fingers curled like claws, grasping at Gui Er's collar

I am Su Ying from Qianlong Valley," he briefly explained. Seeing that she still looked bewildered, he added, "I am the third in rank, and everyone calls me the Third Young Master.

Although those few words were spoken very softly, Gui'er still heard them clearly; the man said "Yuehou"

Not far away, a commotion arose. Amidst the chaos, Gui'er caught a glimpse of the handsome young man's gaze sweeping over the crowd, swiftly making a gesture. Then, a figure darted past. Gui'er saw clearly that it was the young man who called himself "Fu Yue"!

Gui Er's "ah" was due to the woman being too close to her, suddenly revealing a heavily made-up face that was truly frightening; yet the woman, upon seeing her, displayed a look as if she had encountered a ghost or a monster from a picture book, gasping in shock: "How can it be you? How is it possible that you are still alive..."

It seems she has heard of it, but she still shook her head

On the first day, it was a young man from the Xiaoyang Kingdom named A Yao who personally delivered the meals. He referred to himself as "Fu Yue" but did not disclose his name. Young Master Fu Yue was cheerful and carefree, fond of laughter and play. When he arrived, he would linger for half an hour, teaching Yuan Bao some games that boys from the Xiaoyang Kingdom played. The two quickly became engrossed in their games, forgetting even to eat. At this moment, Gui Er, while sipping tea, sighed deeply, feeling that having Yuan Bao call him "uncle" was indeed a disservice to him; with such a temperament, he was more suited to being an older brother.

He seemed to be aware of his own indiscretion, furrowing his attractive brows, yet his gaze did not leave her face.

The woman rolled her eyes and said, "Which young master?"

The sound was so piercing, as if the person screaming was enduring inhumane torture. Those who heard it felt a shiver in their hearts, looking around anxiously in search of the source of the sound, no longer able to pay attention to Gui'er and Yuanbao.

Su Ying, she ... ...

Momo! The beauty took a step forward, gazing intently at her. In her clear and indifferent eyes, there seemed to be a twinkling of starlight, making her appear somewhat lost and bewildered. Her voice was low, almost like a murmured soliloquy, "Momo... you have finally agreed to meet me... you ultimately... cannot let me go..."

The man suddenly realized someone was there, and as he opened his eyes, he exclaimed, "So fast..." Suddenly, a dark object flew towards him. Instinctively, he raised his hand to strike, but instead, he encountered shattered bamboo strips; that object turned out to be a bamboo basket

This was still her first time dealing with a living person, so by the time she landed and steadied herself, her palms were already slick with clammy sweat

It is not acceptable; you must leave before tomorrow

She quickly found the opportunity—on the evening of the third day, the person delivering the meals was changed again

She was completely unable to care about exposing her identity, hurriedly stepping forward to pick up the ingot. The small body in her hands trembled slightly, causing her heart to tremble along with it. In a flurry, she pressed her cheek against his face, mumbling incoherently, and was about to turn and leave.

The next day, the delivery was made by two unfamiliar individuals, one male and one female, both of whom were handsome and elegant, yet not very friendly

A curious person

It is certainly possible that I have seen it before but do not remember; however, this is a private matter and it is better to leave it unmentioned.

She also noticed that when Young Master Fuyue left, he made a gesture. The moment she saw that gesture resembling the one for books, the words "the plan has changed" appeared in her mind

At this point, whether one wants to or not, one must fight. She cradled the ingot in one arm, her body leaning slightly to narrowly evade the grasp, just as she was about to counterattack, a vaguely familiar voice suddenly rang out from the crowd

I never expected that he would be the groom today

Who

Yuanbao felt a deep sense of loss, and Gui'er quickly asked, "May I ask where that young master from before is?"

What appeared before her was a stunning red, and a face even more beautiful than that red dress

The handsome young man Su Ying continued to hold her wrist as they moved through the crowd. Gui Er cleared her throat and timidly asked, "Young Master, may I ask... who exactly are you?"

Even if the melodies differ, one can still discern who is playing. The beautiful woman's flute sound is deep and gentle, like weeping and lamenting. She has fallen asleep several times amidst the flute's notes, only to awaken again. In her hazy state, it seems she dreamt of something, yet upon waking, she cannot recall it, leaving only the traces of tears at the corners of her eyes, thin and lingering, chilling to the bone

In the past two days, they have eaten well and slept well, with no signs of neglect, except for the inability to go outside

However, this full name address does not resemble a wife calling her husband

Lunar Month

What exactly has happened in such a short period of time

He is a man, clearly possessing a beauty that surpasses that of women, yet he does not evoke the slightest sense of femininity.

Before the accusation of "unreasonable" could be uttered, a sudden scream erupted from the crowd that had gathered around.

Outside the door is a small side hall, where hardly anyone moves about, yet outside the hall, voices are bustling. Each lattice door and window is adorned with red characters, and Gui'er recognizes that character—it's the character "喜".

Today, Master Fuyue did not wear the attire of the Xiaoyang Kingdom, but instead donned a plain robe, which made him no different from the surrounding guests

The red drapery, the rich aroma of wine, the bustling crowd...! ... Outside the door, there is unexpectedly a wedding banquet!

She did not know which of the young masters from her family it was, but she had already unconsciously generated many thoughts in her mind, such as whether the so-called "departure" meant that she would be killed to silence her

Outside the door is a long corridor, where the lights are somewhat dim. Ten steps away stands a burly man in gray, currently leaning against a pillar and dozing. She turned back to signal Yuanbao, then, holding the food box, lowered her head and walked forward, picking her way through the shadows cast by the light.

Gui'er carefully led Yuanbao through the small garden, then turned into a dimly lit corridor, until a narrow little door appeared before them