"Feng Ran, if you see Xuanyuan Heng in the future, you should avoid him when you can."
"In front of Xuanyuan Heng, a humble bowed head, sometimes that posture doesn't harm yourself, but on the contrary, it saves yourself."
"You should know better than anyone how much Xuanyuan Heng resents you. If you get into unnecessary arguments with him and become his enemy, you will be the one who suffers, Feng Ran, do you understand?"
"From now on, if you can avoid it, avoid him. If you really can't avoid it, then bear with it, say nothing, and do nothing."
"I suppose Xuanyuan Heng won't act recklessly."
Upon hearing this, a sarcastic smile tugged at the corner of Feng Ran's lips.
"I suppose Xuanyuan Heng won't act recklessly?"
But it was always Xuanyuan Heng who made things difficult for her whenever she was troubled.
However, at this moment, she no longer wanted to respond to these questions.
After all, no matter how much she said, it would be useless.
Everyone thought she was the one pestering Xuanyuan Heng.
But the truth was quite the opposite; it had always been Xuanyuan Heng who bothered her.
Xiao Lanjue looked at Feng Ran. Her complexion seemed less than pleasant, and her face was full of a mocking smile.
He even wondered if he had said something wrong.
"Actually, Xuanyuan Heng is not usually like this. His character is not as cold-blooded as rumored."
"However, he is very concerned about Yu Wanyan's matter, so..." As Xiao Lanjue spoke, he realized that what he had just said seemed somewhat inappropriate. After a long pause, he finally spoke, "It's nothing. Pretend you never heard what I just said."
"Even, you can pretend I never appeared."
"Feng Ran, in a place like Chun Manyuan, the days ahead will be very difficult for you. Many people sympathize with you, but many also resent and detest you."
"All of this is very painful for you, but Feng Ran, it is all your own doing."
"It is what you deserve."
"I know that what I am saying might not be pleasant for you to hear."
"But Feng Ran, what I am saying is the truth."
Upon hearing this, Feng Ran's lips curved into a self-mocking smile. She stared fixedly at Xiao Lanjue and said, "You know nothing about what happened back then, and you are even less qualified to judge."
"Let me say this directly: I did nothing wrong."
"Of course, whether you believe it or not is up to you."
Did Yu Wanyan die unjustly? But in Feng Ran's opinion, Yu Wanyan truly died without any injustice. The poison was something she took herself. As she drank the bowl of poison, she even laughed triumphantly and said, "Feng Ran, you will never defeat me in this life."
She looked at Yu Wanyan, even somewhat disbelieving: "Did you really drink that poison? Yu Wanyan, don't you want your own life anymore?"
She remembered clearly that Yu Wanyan was unusually triumphant at the time, laughing and saying, "Feng Ran, do you think I would be so foolish as to really drink the poison? This poison was specially prepared by me. It would only cause poisoning but have no effect on me."
Now, thinking back to Yu Wanyan's words, she even found it a bit amusing.
Yu Wanyan probably never expected that she would die by the poison she herself administered.
Truly, only heaven can deal with wicked people.
Yu Wanyan brought about her own demise, but all the blame fell upon her.
"Xiao Lanjue, do you really think Yu Wanyan was that kind?"
"The poison on her body was self-inflicted. Her intention was to drive me out of the Xuanyuan mansion so that she could occupy the position of Consort Xuanyuan. However, she never calculated that her own life would be ended by the poison she administered."
She said it with unusual firmness. This was the first time she had spoken such words to an outsider. In fact, even she herself was unsure why she was telling Xiao Lanjue these things.
In reality, after saying such things, Xiao Lanjue would certainly not believe her.
Perhaps she would only be ridiculed even more.
But fate seemed to play a cruel joke on her.
She spoke, but no one believed her, and she was even more disliked.
"Feng Ran, that matter was originally your fault."
"Yu Wanyan was such a good girl; she wouldn't even bear to step on an ant. Yet the person you speak of is so venomous."
"Feng Ran, perhaps Xuanyuan Heng treats you that way for a reason."
"At first, I was thinking that Xuanyuan Heng treating you that way was truly unfair to you. But now, it seems that Xuanyuan Heng's treatment of you has a reason."
"Feng Ran, hah, I even felt sorry for you and thought about whether I could help you."
"But now it seems that people like you are not worth anyone's help."
At this moment, Xiao Lanjue's gaze towards Feng Ran was filled with disdain and displeasure. In fact, his attitude was completely different from before.
"Feng Ran, it seems even I can misjudge people sometimes."
"Feng Ran, from now on, please do not appear before me again."
After speaking, Xiao Lanjue left directly.
Feng Ran let out a soft scoff. Hah, is that so? Not to appear before him. It had always been them who appeared before her.
In reality, she longed for a peaceful life.
She didn't want to be involved with people or things from her past.
However, these people seemed unwilling to let her go, appearing before her at all times. And she had no choice in the matter.
Xiao Lanjue left, but the words he spoke had no effect on Feng Ran.
To Feng Ran, these were just a minor interlude.
...
Xuanyuan Heng appeared. Feng Ran, who was still recuperating, was directly grabbed by the hand and forcibly dragged out, only to be thrown to the ground.
Feng Ran raised her eyes and met Xuanyuan Heng's ice-cold aura.
"Feng Ran, you are truly shameless. Even at a time like this, you can still slander Wan Yan."
"You truly have a death wish."
The man's gloomy and sharp voice echoed in her ears, like a devil.
Feng Ran struggled to prop herself up, leaning against the corner wall. She raised her eyes and met the man's gaze.
The man's eyes were filled with crimson light, and his fierce demeanor made one tremble uncontrollably.
Feng Ran pretended to be resolute as she looked at the man before her, but the hand hidden behind her was trembling.
Her face was ashen.
"All these years, you haven't learned anything except how to slander Wan Yan."
"Wan Yan was killed by you. Not only do you not feel any guilt, but you are also slandering Wan Yan."
"Feng Ran, in fact, you are the one who deserves to die and go to hell the most."
"Why are you, so wicked, so lucky?"
Listening to Xuanyuan Heng's endless humiliation, Feng Ran let out a self-mocking laugh.
It had always been like this. Even back then, as long as Yu Wanyan was present, she was always the one forgotten, always ignored and scolded.
Feng Ran scoffed. She told herself that the person before her was of no importance to her anymore. She would pretend she never knew him.
She had to protect her own life, because her life was not her own.