“Who? Who’s there?” Suzhen called out tentatively.

Suddenly a light appeared in the darkness, in the other person’s hand – this person had lit a fire starter. The newcomer’s outline flickered in the firelight – Suzhen was stunned: “Is that you?”

The other person didn’t speak, their deep gaze examining her from head to toe. Then they extinguished the fire starter, walked over in a few steps, and grasped her hands in their palms.

“Does it hurt? Are you tired?”

A low voice came through the dimness, the helplessness and sighing in those words like long-missed warmth, making Suzhen’s nose slightly sour, and she forgot to struggle free.

Silent and soundless, after a good while, the other person gripped her hands more tightly, gently rubbing them. That unusual sensation between man and woman made her whole body tremble as she quickly pushed away.

The other person didn’t force it, letting go as she wished.

The exhaustion and weakness in her eyes, her rough and damaged hands, even her thin and worn palace maid clothing – all made his breathing quicken and his heart ache involuntarily.

He should have come to see her earlier.

Actually, he could have, but he had selfish motives – he hoped to appear when she was more desperate and helpless. That unspoken thought in his heart wasn’t without some despicable elements.

Sometimes he was puzzled – how could he be so persistent about her? She wasn’t some great beauty, and though her intelligence was superior, there were plenty of clever women in the world.

She was clear-headed, repeatedly drawing boundaries with him, yet he still couldn’t let her go.

Suzhen didn’t know what he was thinking in his heart, but could feel that deep, burning gaze constantly hovering over her.

These ten days felt like ten years. Who said that for someone already in extreme pain, physical torture was no longer torture? Her whole being was stretched taut like a string ready to snap at any moment.

Having a familiar person appear was undoubtedly a comfort to her, but it wasn’t appropriate for them to meet often.

“Prime Minister, thank you for coming to see me. But don’t come again in the future. I know you have methods, but you needn’t take this risk for me.” She turned around, about to leave.

A strong wind swept past behind her, and her arm was immediately gripped tightly in his hand.

“Feng Suzhen. I don’t have any great methods. Do you know why Li Zhaoting called me back?” He suddenly laughed.

“To check Wei Chenghui.” Suzhen didn’t hesitate.

“You truly understand.” He laughed again, then said: “So my coming to see you today is indeed risky as you said. I borrowed the opportunity of entering the palace to discuss official business with Li Zhaoting to come here. If discovered, you’ll suffer, and I’ll suffer equally.”

“Then you should leave even more.” Suzhen felt somewhat stifled – she didn’t want him taking risks for her. She couldn’t repay him anything.

He didn’t speak, his five fingers like iron. Let alone her body being worse than before – even previously, if he used force, she couldn’t break free. She paused and smiled bitterly: “Quan Feitong, why do this? That Female Official Qi is your person, isn’t she? She should have arranged everything properly. It’s not too late for you to leave now. Gu Xi Luo and the Wei family are secretly watching my every move – don’t let something really happen.”

“You would worry about me too?” Quan Feitong asked lightly in return, then suddenly used force. Suzhen cried out softly as she was pulled into his embrace.

His arms tightened firmly, his chin pressed against the top of her head, occasionally lowering his head to smell the scent of soap pods in her hair. Though it wasn’t intoxicatingly fragrant, it moved his heart and made him both angry and heartbroken.

Suzhen pushed against him forcefully but didn’t dare easily make sounds that people might hear – that wouldn’t be amusing. The two silently grabbed and tangled with each other when Quan Feitong’s lips suddenly fell to her ear: “Let me hold you for a moment. My teacher is gone, and my heart feels bad.”

Suzhen was shocked. After a long time, she finally squeezed out some sound: “Master Ting Yu, he…”

This great scholar had told her his life was running out, but hearing this news suddenly still made her feel especially bad. Finally, she lowered her hands and didn’t move, letting him hold her.

This person Quan Feitong was hard to distinguish between good and evil, but regarding his teacher, she didn’t think he was an unfeeling person.

“The old man previously forced a divination for the Great Zhou’s national fortune and Lian Yu, thus damaging his lifespan. From the start of the war, he had been ill. Now that Li Zhaoting has ascended the throne with everything settled, Ming Jing and Shi Yu wanted to take him back to the study to use the ancient method of seven-star lamps to extend his life by three years. But midway they received my letter knowing you were trapped in the palace, so he turned back. But before he could arrive, he died on the road. Wu Qing came to find me. I knew he had pleaded with Li Zhaoting, but Li Zhaoting wouldn’t agree. I knew very clearly that if I went it would be the same, so I thought of the old man.” His usually cynical voice carried a trace of self-mockery.

“I originally hoped he would return to extend his life first, then come back to plead with Li Zhaoting for you. But the old man seemed worried about your safety and actually turned back.”

It took Suzhen a long time to recover.

“It was I who harmed Master Ting Yu. Lian Yu was also killed by me.” She opened her mouth soundlessly, and after a long while, she spoke hoarsely.

“Their deaths have nothing to do with others – they were all results of their own choices. Besides, if we’re really assigning responsibility, it should be mine. I wrote the letter – it has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m telling you this not to make you feel guilty, but hoping that no matter what, you absolutely cannot give up hope. That’s the Feng Suzhen I know. I’ll continue thinking of ways for you.”

“This Female Official Qi isn’t my person. The current me no longer has such vast supernatural powers. I had Chao Huang outside capture her father to threaten her.”

He held her tightly, speaking softly word by word. Suzhen was truly exhausted and actually forgot to struggle, only saying instinctively: “Prime Minister, I have no way to repay you.”

“Can’t I not need your repayment? Can’t Quan Feitong be lowly on his own? Can’t I admit I’m unlucky to have gotten involved with you, Feng Suzhen? If one day you could forget Lian Yu and we…”

She didn’t push away. Her fullness in his embrace suddenly aroused a restless desire in him. Only after the words left his mouth did he realize what he had said. But having said it, he wouldn’t take it back.

But Suzhen seemed stung, trembling as she pushed him away.

“I can never forget him.” Her tone was so resolute as she walked several steps to the courtyard gate. “Even if I have no more options, I won’t accept your help.”

Quan Feitong’s hands clenched tightly, a trace of gray coldness flashing through his eyes. He looked at her back: “When you were captured by Wei Chenghui, Lian Yu once came to find me. He said: Quan Feitong, you’ve already abandoned her twice. This time I hope you won’t abandon her again. That was then, this is now – the situation is different, but for me it’s the same. I don’t want to let go again.”

“Last time I asked if you would be willing to leave with me if I found a way to rescue you. You refused me. I hated you terribly then, but no matter how much I hated you, I couldn’t just watch you suffer, couldn’t make myself not care about you.”

At the gate, Suzhen stopped, slightly closing her sore eyes without speaking. Not responding was the best answer.

At this moment, even Lian Yu mentioned in his words stirred her longing. Among those she had loved or who had loved her, when she was in trouble, only this man would spare nothing – life, dignity. Once, he had even knelt to this person.

She was grateful to this person, but time past was past.

Seeing that she was about to push the door and leave, his voice came heavily from behind.

“If you don’t like hearing these things, I won’t say them anymore. I just want you to understand my feelings. As for what you think, I can’t control that! But you must listen to a few words before leaving. I forcibly ‘bought’ Female Official Qi, having her continue following those people’s instructions to make things difficult for you on the surface, but secretly she’ll reduce your workload and give you some help. But the deep palace is treacherous. Besides that man above all others, the most powerful people now are all scheming against you. For safety’s sake, I’ve also bought a palace maid in the Laundry Bureau named Chen Cai. This servant is quite clever. You should find this person – you needn’t acknowledge each other, but be sure to remember her appearance.”

He spoke while gently whistling several notes.

In the night, it seemed as if suddenly larks were singing and flowers blooming with subtle resonance, both obscure and melodious.

“Learn it. In critical moments, if even words cannot be conveyed, whistle like this. When she hears it, she’ll immediately leave the palace to notify me, and I’ll storm the palace to help you at the first opportunity.”

After whistling, he carefully instructed her, then the whistling sounded again three times in succession, as if afraid she wouldn’t remember.

Suzhen suddenly remembered long ago in the music shop, under red flowers and green trees, his figure in white fur bending his head to play the qin, over and over, as if tireless.

Whether Li Zhaoting or Lian Yu, she had pitied them both.

Only this person…

He was never a good person. During those days when he told her stories by her bedside, she seemed never to have asked much about anything.

But now there was no way to respond no matter what.

She tightly closed her eyes.

If she wanted to memorize something, even a book she’d only glanced through once she could recite most of within a short time, let alone these few notes.

This memory, even Li Zhaoting couldn’t compare.

Moreover, just these few melodic phrases – even if she wasn’t proficient in music like other young ladies from noble families.

Soon, she imitated and whistled it once, then disappeared into the dark path ahead.

“If you truly reach the end of your rope, find a way to see Li Zhaoting and tell him you still… love him. That’s your best…”

“Weapon. He’s fallen for you. I won’t… be wrong!”

The moment that thin, desolate figure disappeared from view, Quan Feitong’s jaw tightened, and a sentence he’d long buried in his heart finally came out.

He didn’t know if she had heard it.

Heh.

Then, not knowing how long passed, he lit the fire starter again, wanting to find his way out.

But until the sizzling sound came and sharp pain shot through his hand, he realized he’d forgotten to move – his hand had somehow gripped the flame.

He seemed unaware of pain, looking at his hand indifferently. After a long while, he extinguished the fire starter again and slowly felt his way out in the dark.

Two days later.

This morning when dawn first appeared, Suzhen was doing her work as usual. Around her, palace maids were also busy, occasionally chatting with each other about things like which consort’s palace His Majesty had spent the night at, how His Majesty doted on the Empress, their intimate entanglement.

Suzhen had no interest in any of this. Toward this young, handsome new ruler, she felt none of the admiration and fantasies these young women had. Toward this person, she now had only hatred nearly equal to that for Wei Chenghui.

“Something big, something big has happened!” Just as everyone was talking enthusiastically, a palace maid suddenly ran in from outside the courtyard, her face showing terror and shock. “The former… Emperor and rebel general Huo Chang’an – both their corpses have been removed from the palace ice cellar. I heard His Majesty and the First Rank Marquis want to parade them through the streets for public display!”