"Young Master!"
Song Mo was startled awake by the commotion inside and hurriedly pushed open the door. He saw Lu Zhennian sitting on the bed, clutching the corner of the blanket, panting heavily.
He quickly lit a lamp and approached, only to be shocked by the sight of Lu Zhennian's pale face.
"Young Master, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"
Song Mo noticed the cold sweat rolling down his face and, just as he reached out to wipe it away, it seemed to wake the man on the bed.
Lu Zhennian suddenly flung his hand, pushing Song Mo aside. Unprepared, Song Mo hit the bedpost with a cry of pain as the oil lamp in his hand fell to the floor.
When Lu Zhennian raised his head, his eyes were bloodshot. It was as if he didn’t even see Song Mo. He threw off the blanket, barefoot, and strode toward the door.
"Young Master!"
Song Mo quickly rushed forward to block his path. "It's late at night, where are you going?"
He assumed Lu Zhennian was planning to see Lu Chongyuan and the others, and tried to calm him down. "Young Master and the others are probably resting by now. If you want to see them, it can wait until tomorrow..."
"Move aside!" Lu Zhennian's eyes were bloodshot. "Tangning is hurt!"
So much blood.
Tangning was calling him.
She was in so much pain, he had to see her...
Song Mo froze at his words. "Miss Song?"
Lu Zhennian pushed him aside, still in his nightclothes, his hair in disarray, and dashed toward the door in panic. Song Mo hurried to grab him.
"Young Master, are you out of your mind? Miss Song is fine. The injury on her face has long healed. Besides, she just kicked you and the Young Master out of her home earlier today, after saying all those heartless things. Even if you go to Jiyun Lane now, you won’t be able to see her."
Lu Zhennian paused. "Jiyun Lane?"
"Yes, Jiyun Lane."
Song Mo assumed his master was delirious from a high fever and continued to hold him back. "Have you forgotten? Miss Song moved to Jiyun Lane after returning from Qishan over a month ago. Even Princess Cheng moved with her to Tang Manor."
"With the help of that eunuch, Xiao Yan, she sent the entire Song family to prison. Just two days ago, she made a scene about annulling your engagement, publicly humiliating you and our entire Lu family..."
Lu Zhennian's expression became dazed. "Tangning... wants to break off the engagement..."
He stared blankly at Song Mo, as if his mind was gradually clearing from the muddled state caused by his dream. As his rationality returned, he suddenly recalled the harsh words Song Tangning had thrown at him today in Jiyun Lane.
It was like a thunderclap splitting the sky. His face turned ashen, and he covered his forehead with his hand. Instead of feeling relieved, the image of the blood-filled basins from his dream became even more vivid, seeping deeper into his heart, filling his vision with an overwhelming crimson.
Why...
Why did he see that scene?
Why did Tangning appear so blood-soaked in his dream?
Her cries of "Brother Lu" echoed in his ears, the bloody vision so grotesque that no amount of head-shaking could dispel it.
It felt as though someone was violently tearing at his brain, the pain so intense he wished he could lose consciousness. He bent over, clutching his head, groaning in agony.
"Young Master!"
Song Mo panicked and rushed to call for help, shouting, "Someone, come quickly!"
"Don't call anyone." Lu Zhennian grabbed Song Mo's arm.
"But Young Master..."
"I'm fine."
Lu Zhennian was in such pain that his grip tightened, his nails digging into his flesh. His head felt as if someone was slicing through his mind with a knife. He clutched Song Mo, his voice low and trembling. "Prepare the carriage. I need to go to Jiyun Lane."
"Young Master?!"
Song Mo was stunned, seeing the cold sweat pouring down his master's face and how weak he had become. He couldn’t help but protest in a panic:
"Why would you go to Jiyun Lane? It’s already dark, and curfew is about to begin. If you leave the manor now and run into someone, it’ll only cause more trouble."
"Besides, Miss Song just humiliated you and the Young Master earlier today. Everyone in the manor is furious with her. If they find out you're going to see her now, they’ll be even angrier..."
Not to mention, with how cold-hearted Song Tangning was toward the Young Master, she certainly wouldn’t see him.
But Lu Zhennian ignored every word. Fighting through the throbbing pain in his head, he simply repeated, "Prepare the carriage."
"Young Master..."
"Did you hear me? Prepare the carriage!"
Lu Zhennian lifted his head, his eyes bloodshot, his voice trembling with rage. "Are you refusing to obey me now? If you can't tell who your master is, then get out of this courtyard. I'll go myself!"
He had to see Song Tangning!
With a hoarse shout, Lu Zhennian pushed Song Mo aside and strode toward the door.
Song Mo panicked and quickly chased after him, calling out urgently, "Young Master, please don't be angry! I'll go get the carriage ready right away."
Only then did Lu Zhennian settle. "Don't alert Grandfather or the others. Do it quietly."
Song Mo nodded. "Understood."
…
By the time Lu Zhennian's carriage arrived at Jiyun Lane, the once-bustling capital had already fallen silent for the night. Only a few hurried passersby could be seen occasionally.
Lu Zhennian, wrapped in his outer robe, leaned against the side of the carriage, his eyes closed as if resting, but his pale lips trembled. His hands gripped the fabric of his robe tightly, as though someone was drilling a spike into his brain, the pain at his temples pulsing with each beat.
The carriage moved smoothly, only jolting slightly as it slowed to avoid pedestrians. In that moment, Lu Zhennian's mind flashed once more.
A dark, dimly lit room. The overwhelming stench of blood filled the air. The bed looked so fragile, as if it could collapse with a single touch.
"He" held a tearful Song Shulan in his arms, full of pity for her. Across the room, on the bed, lay Song Tangning, her face deformed and covered in festering sores.
"It wasn't me! It really wasn't me, Brother Lu, I didn’t hurt her."
The tattered bedding covered her legs, and her waist seemed immobile. She clung to the edge of the bed, her face twisted in sorrow. Her almond-shaped eyes, once bright, were now cloudy with tears.
Tangning's voice was hoarse and grating. "I didn’t touch her, I didn’t... Please believe me, Brother Lu..."
"Don't call me that!"
The man in the scene ignored her tears entirely. Her crying face filled him with revulsion. Cradling the fragile woman beside him, he lashed out sharply:
"If it wasn’t you, then who was it? Lan’er herself? There were only two of you in the room! Lan’er personally bled herself to make medicine for you, feeding it to you with her own hands, yet you still fought with her?"
Lu Zhennian heard his own voice in the dream, filled with cold anger:
"Song Tangning, you’ve always been narrow-minded and selfish. It was your own willfulness that caused you to fall from the cliff and scar your face. We all felt guilty and let you act out, but you just kept pushing it, thinking the whole world owes you."
"These past days, you’ve turned the Song family upside down, and Lan’er has been hurt by you countless times. Yet, despite everything, she still begged doctors for you, prayed for your recovery, even wished she could take your place. What more do you want from her?"
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Merry Christmas everyone!
You can read ahead to chapterr 200 here
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