Frost shines on Qingcheng

The heavy rain came with the roaring sound, Shen Shuangzhao woke up suddenly, the brows that had been furrowed in the dream all night finally relaxed.

"After all these years, it seems like you still dream about those things."

Shen Shuangzhao turned his face blankly, only to see Luo Qi sitting there alone.

"It's still early, if you're sleepy, you can still sleep for a while." Luo Qi got up, sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her.

Shen Shuang didn't look at her, but just straightened her upper body, her long hair was scattered straight on her shoulders.She remembered the night when Shuilan City was captured four years ago, it also rained like this.

Luo Qi approached her, stretched out his fingers to brush away the hair hanging on the side of her face, and said playfully: "I heard you drank again last night?"

"Recently, I often suffer from insomnia at night. Drinking some wine will make it better." Shen Shuangzhao spoke without any ups and downs, and her tone was quite flat.

Luo Qi's eyes were fixed on her, and his eyes gradually moved down from her face, and an ambiguous smile appeared on the corner of his lips: "Which maid served the bed last night? Look—" Her hand stretched out to Shen Shuangzhao's chest, " I didn't even fasten my belt..."

Shen Shuangzhao was only wearing a gauze dress, and the ties on her chest were tied loosely. If she looked carefully, she could vaguely see something.She frowned again, blocked Luo Qi's overstretched hand with her hand without hesitation, and then tightened her gauze: "I'll do it myself."

She lifted the quilt, got out of bed and put on her clothes, and asked Luo Qi, "Since it's still early, what are you doing here?"

Luo Qi was still sitting by the bed, turning his head to look at her back: "I'm going back to Bihai today, and I came to see you before I leave."

Shen Shuangzhao dressed with her back facing her, and said nothing.

Luo Qi raised his eyebrows, deliberately playing with her heartstrings: "Do you want to go back with me to have a look? Since you left more than ten years ago, you have never set foot in Bihai City, I think..."

"I won't go back, not in this life." Shen Shuangzhao's tone finally changed, she raised her voice, with anger and hatred, and looked at Luo Qi with cold eyes.

Luo hoped to enter her eyes, was silent for a while, and said, "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm used to living in Shuilan City, I don't want to go there." Shen Shuangzhao explained.

"It doesn't matter, I'm leaving soon. When you come back in three days, you know what I'm going to say." Luo Qi stood up, and specially whispered in her ear "teaching".

Luo Qi took a few steps outside, but heard Shen Shuangzhao say: "There are so many people following me, why should you be afraid?"

Luo Qi just paused, ignored her, and walked out again.

Shen Shuangzhao covered her eyes with her palms, her head was still aching from the drunkenness last night.Her mood is particularly bad, or she feels that there is no hope in today's days.

For four years, she has been suffering in the abyss of pain every day and night for these four years.If it's possible... She smiled wryly, but she still didn't want to, she was deprived of the freedom to die.

After dawn, after the usual discussion in the main hall, Shen Shuangzhao walked aimlessly in the inner city for a while.

"City Lord, it's been cold and windy recently. Before the Lord returned to Bihai City last time, he specially asked the servants not to let the City Lord stay outside for too long." Jingyu bowed her head and said.

Shen Shuangzhao glanced at her and insisted, "Go to Qingcheng."

"But..." Jingyu wanted to say something more, but was choked back by Shen Shuangzhao's glance.

Today's Qingcheng and Shuilan City have long lost their hostile and heavily guarded attitude.A bridge was built on the river between the two cities, allowing people to pass day and night. If there is any difference compared to the past, it is that life and communication are much more convenient and smooth.

Shen Shuangzhao hadn't walked a few steps, but Jingyu said unwillingly: "City Lord, please stay. Since I'm going to Qingcheng, I'll arrange carriages and horses instead."

"You really care about me." Shen Shuangzhao stopped, and she couldn't tell whether it was irony or what she said, "But no need, I'm bored in the inner city these days, I want to go out for a walk, what about carriages and horses?" It's still free."

Jingyu frowned in trouble, and then followed her closely.

Shen Shuangzhao was much more familiar with the way between the two cities than these guard maids. She deliberately avoided the crowd and took the clean road.She didn't speak along the way, and neither did the rest of them.After walking for half an hour, they arrived at Qingcheng.

Qiurui lit the incense burner, and the thin green smoke filled Rong Yuexuan with the sound of the piano.Although Ling Yan plucked the strings, her thoughts drifted farther and farther away, and she didn't react until she accidentally plucked the strings hard.

Ling Yan looked at the broken string and couldn't help sighing.

"The string is broken, it can be repaired again, why sigh?" Shen Shuangzhao walked in from the door.

"Shuang Zhao, you're here..." Ling Yan stood up to greet her.

Shen Shuangzhao's expression was normal, and there was no trace of a smile on his face.Ling Yan looked at her and found that she had grown a lot taller than four years ago.At the same time, Ling Yan had to regret that the once clear-eyed, pure and gentle girl would never be seen again——Shen Shuangzhao had already "died" in that turmoil, under the betrayal of her lover, and died. In the despair woven by Luo Qi.

"Why did the string break?" Shen Shuangzhao looked down at the piano, gently stroking the string with her fingertips.If she remembered correctly, she had said something similar to Ling Yan here one day seven years ago.At that time, not long after she and Lu Qingrong first met... just thinking about it briefly, Shen Shuangzhao's heart was so sore.

"Perhaps it's been a long time since I played the piano, and my hand is raw." Ling Yan replied.

Shen Shuangzhao withdrew her hand, forcing herself not to think about that person anymore, it was too hurtful.She looked around: "where's my mother?"

Ling Yan led her to the inner courtyard: "Recently she likes to sit here very much."

Shen Shuangzhao followed her through the corridor, and saw Shen Wanrong sitting on a bamboo chair in the middle of the yard, staring blankly at the peach tree in front of her.Shen Shuangzhao narrowed her eyes, and tears soon filled her eyes.

Every time she came to see her mother's lifeless and dull eyes, she felt extremely uncomfortable.Today's Shen Wanrong is still beautiful, but she is no different from a piece of wood except that she is still alive.She couldn't speak, and couldn't communicate with others, like a delicately carved doll hidden in this deep courtyard.

"Is there still no response?" Shen Shuangzhao walked to her side and half knelt down, holding her hand, "Does the medicine I prescribed not work at all?" There was deep annoyance and powerlessness in the words.

Ling Yan stood where she was: "There is no rush for these things. City Lord Shen, she will always get better."

Shen Shuangzhao put Shen Wanrong's hand on her face, as if speaking to Ling Yan or talking to herself: "I really have nothing but her..."

Ling Yan frowned, she naturally knew.If Shen Wanrong hadn't been alive back then, perhaps Shen Shuangzhao... Ling Yan didn't know how to comfort Shen Shuangzhao, so she could only stand on the side in endless melancholy.If Shen Wanrong could get better, Shen Shuangzhao wouldn't be as depressed as she is now.

……

"I should go back." Shen Shuangzhao stood up and said goodbye.After lunch, she talked with Shen Wanrong for a while, even though she was talking to herself the whole time.

"I'll see you off." Ling Yan said.

Shen Shuangzhao's tone was cold: "No need." After saying these three words, she took a step forward.

Looking at her thin and tall back, Ling Yan felt an indescribable feeling in her heart.

"Shuangzhao!" Ling Yan said abruptly.

Shen Shuang stopped in response to the sound, but did not look back.

"I'm sorry..." Ling Yan was a little choked up, and she was considered Ling Yan's "accomplice" back then.So she has always been guilty, willingly placed under house arrest by Shen Shuangzhao in Rongyuexuan to take care of Shen Wanrong.

Shen Shuangzhao naturally knew what she was talking about, but she didn't express it, instead, she quickened her pace and left.

Seeing Shen Shuangzhao walking out, Jingyu bowed her head respectfully.

"Let's go back."

"Yes..." Jingyu nodded and followed.

Back in Shuilan City, it was almost evening.Shen Shuang brought the wine as ordered by the maid, and drank it alone in the bedroom.

"City Lord, you were drunk yesterday, how can you continue to drink today?" Jingyu waited by her side, she couldn't stand it anymore and stopped her.

Shen Shuangzhao was not drunk, but she would inevitably do some abnormal things after drinking.She asked Jingyu, "How long have you been with Luo Qi?"

"It's been 15 years." In the past, Shen Shuangzhao seldom talked to others, but now she asked about herself, Jingyu felt uneasy.

Shen Shuangzhao poured herself a glass of wine, and asked, "How is Luo Qi treating you?"

"My lord has always treated Jingyu well."

Shen Shuangzhao smiled and shook her head: "She has never been stingy with her 'dog'." Luo Qi is good when she is in a good mood, but she is also easy to vent her anger on others.Once he provoked her, in her eyes, he might be worse than that street rat.

Jingyu was startled and dared not speak.

"I want to lie down for a while, come and help me." Shen Shuangzhao looked at her, stretched out her hand and ordered.

Jingyu naturally agreed and walked over to help her. Shen Shuangzhao touched half of her body to the back of the bed, and suddenly turned over and pushed Jingyu down on the bed.

"City Lord!" Jingyu exclaimed.

Shen Shuangzhao's eyes were different from the usual dull eyes, now they were dark and bright.She pressed Jingyu's hand and trapped her under her body.

Jingyu sniffed the faint smell of alcohol on her body, for fear that Shen Shuangzhao would do something outrageous to her.She hurriedly begged: "Don't do this! City Lord, you are too drunk, please let go of Jingyu!"

Shen Shuangzhao bent down, brought her face closer to her, and the hot breath from her breath hit Jingyu's face.She smiled and said, "Even if I'm Luo Qi's puppet, it's too much to have a maid in bed?"

"No..." Jingyu almost cried.

The maids outside the hall vaguely heard crying, and thought something was wrong, but Shen Shuangzhao sternly shouted back when she walked in: "Who allowed you to come in? Go down! I want Jingyu to serve me tonight."

The maid looked at her and then at Jingyu, not daring to vent her anger, and finally retreated hesitantly.

After the maid retreated, Shen Shuangzhao let go of Jingyu.She lay on the other side of the bed by herself, closed her eyes and whispered, "I won't do anything to you, as long as you stay with me tonight."

It took Jingyu a while to recover from the shock, she stared at Shen Shuangzhao who was already asleep, and knew in her heart that when Luo Qi came back, they would not have any good fruit to eat.