Feng Ran finally compromised. Under everyone's watchful eyes, beside Xuanyuan Heng, she accepted the disgust and hatred from those people. They even wished they could replace her.
Replace her?
Right now, she most wished someone would step forward and tell her, "Feng Ran, please leave the Regent's side. This position should be mine." If that were the case, she would be overjoyed.
But in the end, no one stepped forward.
Feng Ran's ankle was hurting, and hurting badly. She could barely walk.
However, with Xuanyuan Heng by her side, she certainly couldn't say anything.
"What's wrong? Is it that painful to be by my side?"
From the moment she stood beside him, all his attention was on Feng Ran, as if he wanted to see right through her.
At this moment, Xuanyuan Heng didn't say much more. Instead, he directly grabbed her hand, his gaze icy as he looked at the person before him.
He held Feng Ran tightly, as if waiting for her explanation.
Feng Ran, however, calmly said, "Regent, you're hurting my hand."
No begging, no subservience, only a calm demeanor.
Xuanyuan Heng's gaze remained fixed on her face, as if trying to see through her.
Xuanyuan Heng looked for a long time, saying nothing, but still holding her hand, he walked forward.
"If it truly hurts, then I will let go of your hand," Xuanyuan Heng said softly.
Feng Ran's body stiffened, and she said nothing.
If it truly hurts, he would let go?
So, if she directly said it, he would let go of her?
Would he truly listen if she spoke up?
After some thought, she let out a self-mocking smile. Thinking back now, it was truly ironic.
If he had said such words to her back then, she would have been moved to tears. But now, she no longer felt that way.
Her heart was dead; he no longer existed in her life.
Since he hated her so much, wishing for her life, how could she fall for him again?
The best thing for her and Xuanyuan Heng was to have no contact whatsoever.
Let them each live their lives in peace from now on.
Before Feng Ran could even react to what had happened, Xuanyuan Heng pulled her back.
He was in the study, seemingly dealing with some thorny issue. In contrast, she sat to the side, utterly bored.
Yet, at this moment, they appeared to be in perfect harmony. If one didn't know what had transpired between them, it would be quite heartwarming.
"Go tidy yourself up. We're leaving the manor together."
Feng Ran hesitated, seemingly surprised that Xuanyuan Heng would say such a thing to her.
Feng Ran was about to refuse, but Xuanyuan Heng cut her off.
"Feng Ran, this is your fate. Oh, and the banquet is at the Lan family's residence."
"Naturally, if you don't want to go, and I don't want to go, I'll postpone it."
Lin Ran's eyes were bloodshot, filled with emotion. How was Lan Xian doing? When she was being tormented, Lan Xian had stood up for her, but those people had knocked Lan Xian unconscious right in front of her. For years, besides Lan Lan, her greatest concern had been Lan Xian.
She didn't know what Lan Xian's fate would be after so many years.
Her return, at Chunmanyuan, wasn't because she didn't want to see Lan Xian. But she knew better than anyone that if she went to see Lan Xian, and the Lan family discovered it, Lan Xian might suffer.
Moreover, she was an unlucky omen. If meeting Lan Xian brought misfortune upon her, she would never be at peace in this life.
She would only live in guilt.
A mocking smile played on Feng Ran's lips. What was the point of thinking so much? After all these years, perhaps Lan Xian had already married. And by going to the Lan family, she might not even see Lan Xian.
Xuanyuan Heng's voice then resounded like a demon's: "Feng Ran, be obedient."
"If I remember correctly, Lan Xian from the Lan family was your close friend, wasn't she?"
"Haven't you wanted to see Lan Xian all these years?"
Xuanyuan Heng said mockingly, "Ah, how could I forget? Back then, no one stood up for you, only Lan Xian from the Lan family spoke out for you. It is said that because of that incident, Lan Xian became a sinner in the Lan family."
"And because of that incident, no one in this entire realm dared to marry Lan Xian."
"After all, whoever stood up for you back then would be implicated."
Feng Ran's heart leaped with shock.
The way Xuanyuan Heng put it, Lan Xian must have had a very painful life all these years, and she was the cause of it.
She was like an executioner.
She hadn't killed people with her own hands, but they had died because of her.
Xuanyuan Heng's words made Feng Ran's heart ache even more. She thought that in this world, she wasn't the only one suffering. In places she couldn't see, Lan Xian was being implicated because of her.
Seeing Feng Ran's hesitation, Xuanyuan Heng felt that she was evading.
"Feng Ran, what's wrong? When you hear these words, do you want to escape?"
"Don't want to face it?"
"Feng Ran, your heart is truly hard. Lan Xian has suffered because of you, yet you can stand here so carelessly, not rushing to see Lan Xian."
"Feng Ran, where is your heart? Is it made of stone?"
"Tell me, if Lan Xian knew that the person she risked her life to save was so heartless, what would she think?"
"Feng Ran, if I recall correctly, Lan Xian considered you a good sister, and yet, this is how you treat her."
"Oh, and back then, you went to great lengths to marry someone else. Lan Xian also helped a lot for you to be able to marry me."
"And you can be so ungrateful?"
"Back then, if anyone dared to say a bad word about you, if anyone dared to slander you, Lan Xian was the first to stand up, glaring at those who bullied you. Even when she was punished by her family for your sake, she never uttered a word."
"I remember, even though the fault was clearly yours, Lan Xian directly took the blame, claiming all the responsibility as her own. She bore it all for you."
"And because of that incident, Lan Xian still carries the stigma."
"Feng Ran, Lan Xian was willing to risk her life for you, and yet, this is how you treat her. Your heart is truly hard."
Feng Ran simply listened quietly as Xuanyuan Heng accused her.
A self-mocking smile graced her lips.
Hearing these words, she almost felt like laughing, even finding it amusing.
She truly hadn't expected such words to come from Xuanyuan Heng's mouth.
So, he didn't know nothing. He knew everything, but he simply chose not to speak of it.
But for him to speak of it now, on this day, was truly surprising.