Ashes to Crown

Chapter 136: Chapter 92: Leaving Word

What?

Chu Zhao frowned. For Liang Qiang to pop up out of nowhere and say something like that was baffling, but she understood in the next instant.

She glanced at Xie Yanlai.

Xie Yanlai looked back at her, one of his phoenix eyes arching as he grinned, revealing his pearly white teeth.

"I told you, you brought this on yourself," he said in a low voice. "This is what you get for clinging to me."

Chu Zhao shot him a glare, then looked back at Liang Qiang. Her expression wasn’t one of panic or unease; instead, it was sharp. "Mr. Liang, you have it backward. It’s precisely because of the rumors your Liang Family has spread about me that I’m standing here talking with Mr. Xie."

Xie Yanlai laughed. ’I knew this girl was fierce. Tsk, tsk... look at her, biting right back.’

Liang Qiang looked at the smile on the Xie Family’s son, and no matter how he looked at it, it made him uncomfortable—

"Miss Chu." He smiled as well. "You and this Mr. Xie don’t look like you’ve only just met. It would be far more plausible to say you saw Mr. Xie getting beaten in the street, couldn’t bear the sight, and stepped in to protect him. That would be a more logical story for how you met."

Xie Yanlai’s smile widened. He leaned toward Chu Zhao and whispered, "This kid’s sharp. You didn’t fool him."

He looked like he was about to burst into applause. Chu Zhao took a step forward and faced Liang Qiang, showing not the slightest panic at being exposed.

"Mr. Liang, things have already come to this," she said. "Nothing I say now can change your family’s situation, nor can it change your suspicions."

Her words were so blunt they were tantamount to saying, ’I can’t be bothered with you, so get lost.’ Liang Qiang looked at the girl before him, his chest tightening with a dull ache. ’She won’t even deign to make an excuse, to weave another lie, to placate me in the slightest—’

He stared at Chu Zhao, his gaze filled with bitterness.

"Miss Ah Zhao, was it all a lie when you praised my bravery before?"

’Praised his bravery?’ Chu Zhao paused, stunned. Beside her, Xie Yanlai leaned in again, his low laughter punctuated by a soft "tsk, tsk, tsk—"

"Mr. Liang, let’s not talk about before." Chu Zhao looked at the young man. "You are brave now, and you will continue to be brave in the future. You know what kind of person you are. How could that be a lie?"

The girl’s expression was frank, her eyes were bright, and her voice held no hesitation. She was telling the truth. Liang Qiang looked deflated, as if he’d thrown a punch and hit nothing but air.

"If you know me and you praise me, then why—" He gritted his teeth, his expression furious. "Why do you treat me like this?"

’That makes no sense,’ Chu Zhao thought, then asked, "And how am I treating you?"

’I’ve been perfectly polite to Liang Qiang. I didn’t kick him like I did Liang Qin, and I haven’t cursed him out in public. Plus, when Liang Siqing got into trouble this time, I didn’t add insult to injury.’

’I’ve been as merciful as a Bodhisattva to the Liang Family.’

Liang Qiang saw the girl’s furrowed brow, the confusion in her eyes. It was such a look of unfamiliarity—completely unlike the lively, casual, natural, and joyful way she acted around that Xie Family’s son.

He glanced at the Xie Family’s son again.

The Xie Family’s son shot him a taunting smile.

’How could the Liang Family possibly compare to the Xie family? The Liang Family is a sun setting in the west, while the Xie family is a sun at its dawn. And how could I ever compare to that Xie Family’s son? He can get away with murder and arson and still swagger about, his family’s prestige only growing for it. And me? My uncle commits one crime as an official, and our entire clan is implicated. We have to don prisoners’ robes and trudge a thousand miles to serve in the Border County—’

Liang Qiang looked at Chu Zhao and said, enunciating each word, "Miss Chu has been very good to me. I will remember you, Miss Chu. Until we meet again!"

With that, he turned and strode away.

Ah Le pointed at Liang Qiang’s retreating back. "Miss, he’s threatening you."

Of course, Chu Zhao had heard the threat as well. Liang Qiang was acting a little strange, but it wasn’t surprising. Her relationship with the Liang Family had always been poor; they were destined to be enemies for life.

"What’s this about being enemies?" Xie Yanlai laughed. "Chu Zhao, stop playing dumb. It’s obvious that boy’s love for you has turned to hate."

’Love turned to hate?’ Chu Zhao shot him a look. "What love? There was never any love between us—"

"How should I know?" Xie Yanlai said with a wry smile. "You probably used him as a human shield again, feeding him some lines about being together through life and death."

"Of course not," Chu Zhao said dismissively, then looked at Xie Yanlai with another smile. "Not just anyone is worthy of being my human shield."

’Heh, look at her.’ Xie Yanlai sneered. ’That kid from the Liang Family must have been possessed to fall for someone like her. You’ve made another enemy. What’s there to be so proud of?’

’An enemy?’ Chu Zhao smiled and glanced down the alley, but Liang Qiang was already gone. ’Even though I know how brave he was in that life, I would never try to win over or curry favor with the Liang Family.’

’If the Liang Family insists on being my enemy, I can just settle the scores from my past and present lives all at once.’

"I have many enemies," Chu Zhao said. "One less is nothing to brag about, and one more makes no difference."

Xie Yanlai nodded. "That’s right. Ever since I met you, you’ve done nothing but offend people and make enemies." He turned to leave. "Farewell, Qiu Xing."

Chu Zhao chuckled. ’There are stars of disaster and stars of calamity, but what in the world is a Qiu Xing?’

Watching the young man stride quickly away in the opposite direction, she hurriedly called out, "Hey, slow down! I’m not following you!"

The young man didn’t slow his pace or turn back, but he heard the girl shout after him again, "I’ll bring you medicine in a few days!"

’Is it really worth all this, just to deliver a letter for her father?’

Xie Yanlai quickened his pace, the pain in his back keeping him sharp.

’She’s tempting me. She knows I lack nothing and want for nothing. Except for—’

’In this whole world, there was probably only one person who would ever ask him...’

’Does it hurt?’

’But that person is gone now.’

...

...

"Hey!"

Since she hadn’t chased after him, Chu Zhao was immediately surrounded by Qi Leyun and her two companions.

"You... you and him—"

Qi Leyun glanced from her to the young man’s back. He was moving so fast, he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Chu Zhao cut her off. "What about us? I’ve been to the Xie family home and I’ve met Xie Yanfang. So of course I’m familiar with his younger brother."

Qi Leyun let out an "oh." That seemed to make sense, but—

"He—"

Chu Zhao pushed her hand back down. "Enough about ’him.’ We’re going to Wangchun Garden tomorrow. You should be worrying about yourself. Is your outfit ready? Make sure you don’t wear the same thing as someone else."

Now that was just looking down on her. Qi Leyun’s eyes widened. "My family might not be incredibly rich, but we’re well-off! We have our own seamstresses, you know."

Chu Zhao pushed them along. "Then hurry back for your fittings."

She was strong enough to push all three of them along. Then, without waiting for another word, she threw out a quick "I’m going to prepare my outfit too!" and ran off.

Qi Leyun finally came to her senses in front of the carriage, annoyed. "There is definitely something going on between Chu Zhao and Xie Yanlai!"

The girl beside her wasn’t angry. Her mind was on the young man they had just seen. "So that’s what Xie Yanlai looks like. If he looks like that, I can see why Chu Zhao might fall for him and give up on Xie Yanfang."

Qi Leyun seemed conflicted for a moment before finally waving a dismissive hand. "I still think Third Young Master Xie is better. This Xie Yanlai... he looks too fierce."

He’s obviously very handsome, yet you don’t dare look at him for too long. A second glance feels like staring into a harsh light—a fierce, piercing glare.

And yet Chu Zhao can still smile at him like that.

Then again, it wasn’t surprising.

"Chu Zhao is pretty fierce herself."

...

...

Chu Zhao didn’t care what the other girls were speculating, and she had no intention of explaining herself. With the turmoil about to rock the Capital City, these things were trivial.

At dawn, Chu Tang had the carriage ready. Chu Lan and Lady Jiang made a rare appearance to see them off—though it was mainly to lecture them.

"You must remember that you are not alone in this. If something happens to you, you’ll drag the whole family down with you," Chu Lan said gravely.

Chu Zhao smiled. "I remember. And Uncle, you should remember to protect your own kin. Don’t be like you were with my father, hiding away whenever trouble struck. If you, my elder, won’t even defend me, how can you expect others to believe I’m not in the wrong?"

Chu Lan’s face turned green with anger. ’Who is lecturing whom here? I only said one thing!’

"We should hurry," Chu Tang said timidly from the side. "Others can afford to be late, but we can’t."

It was true. The Third Prince already hated Chu Zhao to the bone. Poor Chu Tang would be implicated just by going with her. Lady Jiang quickly pulled Chu Lan back. "Alright, alright, that’s enough. You two, hurry and go."

Chu Tang gave Chu Zhao a discreet smile, motioning for her to get into the carriage.

Not wanting to make things difficult for her, Chu Zhao did as she was told and boarded the carriage.

Watching the carriage depart, Chu Lan sighed and looked to the heavens, wondering what fate awaited the Chu Family.

What a calamitous fate.

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