Chapter 178 - What's Inside The Box (1)
Chapter 178 - What's Inside The Box (1)
Ever since she got Kael out of the auction house and the Lin residence, she had been worrying about how she would hide him from the public while trying to teach him how to follow the right path. She didn't want him to grow up and turn into someone who was as blind as her.
At least by staying with Qu Xing Xu, Kael would learn a few things before he sets outside where the storm is coming and the wind will not blow him away.
Chu Chu began to speak, "Miss Lin-"
"Lin Xiaofei." Lin Xiaofei interrupted her..
Chu Chu paused for a second before nodding, "Lin Xiaofei, why don't you let that boy learn how to wield a sword?"
After Lin Xiaofei bought her freedom and contract from Bai Hua Lou, Chu Chu, who was already planning to kill herself found her reason to live on. Lin Xiaofei appeared before her and gave her hope.
Lin Xiaofei replied, "There are things in this world that even a sword can't pierce. Not everything would be solved by stabbing someone and slicing them down. It is better if that boy learns how the world's work before he ventures out alone."
After what she did in Bai Hua Lou, Lin Xiaofei finally got her head to think. She was slightly blinded because she saw what state Chu Chu had been in that day and stabbed someone, but even that didn't solve everything.
For as long as Yu Fangzhu still could stand at the end, her problems won't end. Her revenge on Yu Fangzhu might be her focus now but the worms inside the Imperial palace have multiplied and started to crawl its way towards the entire Zhou empire. It wouldn't be strange if the empire falls to the Chu empire tomorrow.
"Enough talk about the child. Why did you want to see me?" This wasn't the first time that Chu Chu wanted to speak with her. The first time she requested to meet her, Lin Xiaofei didn't want to see anyone and on the second time, she was preoccupied with something else that she wasn't able to let Chu Chu inside her room.
Having heard her, Chu Chu was reminded of what she came there for. She stared at Lin Xiaofei and said, "Yu Fangzhu… when will I get even with him? He took away the most important person in my life and made me regret not stabbing him the first time I saw him. Please let me know when will I ever be saved from the horrors I experienced?"
Chu Chu saw her smiling at her, "You don't have to wait for long. Almost everything is done and the day you've been waiting for will soon come." Lin Xiaofei's eyes gleamed brightly and the coldness in it that Chu Chu saw the first time they met was there.
"Thank you, Lin Xiaofei." Chu Chu thanked her and was satisfied with her answer.
Suddenly, Lin Xiaofei walked to the cupboards. She handed her a paper and said, "This is one of the stores that your friend left in my care. It's located near the southern borders far from the capital. I want you to go there and let the caretaker see this paper. They will identify you as its owner once you get there."
"But I don't want to leave before I see Yu Fangzhu being dragged down from his high horse." Chu Chu shook her head and wanted to refuse.
Truthfully, she was surprised to know that her dead friend even left something to her. And what's more astonishing was that she even left this to Lin Xiaofei. This only made Chu Chu wonder what was really the relationship between her friend and the young woman before her.
"You don't have to look so suspiciously at me. Your friend handed that out to me before Yu Fangzhu caught her." Lin Xiaofei sighed. If she could only say to Chu Chu that she was the friend that died a few months ago, it would be so much easier to explain. However, the truth must never be heard by anyone.
The parchment she handed to her was one of the few stores that Lin Xiaofei was able to hide from Yu Fangzhu. During her time with him, she didn't idly stand by his side to gain his favor. She was also trying her best to look for a way out by herself.
Yu Fangzhu might be a foolish man but his foolishness brought her down. Even the stupidity of a person could be the sharpest weapon someone could wield against everyone.
She saw Chu Chu reading the words written on the paper and frowned. Chu Chu must have been checking the authenticity of the parchment and signature on it.
Once she recognized that familiar handwriting, Chu Chu's eyes teared up and she held the parchment close to her heart, wrinkling it in the process of doing so.
Lin Xiaofei silently stared at her friend sobbing and mourning for her. She felt bad that she can't tell the truth to her.
Before Chu Chu left, she left a box on top of the table and said, "I will now entrust this with you."
Looking at the box before her, Lin Xiaofei didn't move from her seat to touch it. She didn't reach for it after Chu Chu put it on top of the table and only stared at it for a long time.
It looked like a plain old box that could be found in any home and didn't even have any gemstones encrusted around it. However, the outer appearance of it didn't matter as what was inside was far more important than the crown on top of Emperor Yun's head.
After a while, Lin Xiaofei finally moved. She stood up and walked to the door to lock it before she went to the painting of a river that was hanging on one side and the door that Qu Xing Xu would use to shamelessly enter her room.
She didn't know when will Qu Xing Xu appear before her and it would be troublesome if he comes in while she was looking at the contents inside the box. Hence, she decided to block the hidden door with a cupboard that stood tall right above her chest.
She struggled to push it since it was filled with other things and by the time she was done, her forehead was already glistening with sweat.
After she was done with that side, she closed all the windows. It didn't matter if someone saw her doing this since no one would question her here anyway. They might wonder what she was up to but no one has ever dared to ask her.
When the room was slightly dimmed after being deprived of the light that was coming from outside, Lin Xiaofei finally stood before the box. She didn't bother lighting a candle to illuminate the room as she tried to familiarize her eyes with the darkness.
After she hesitating to move, Lin Xiaofei took out the dagger that she always put under the table and on the side where she always sat.
And without further ado, she 1slashed her palm.