Phoniex Requiem
Chapter 5: There is Hope

Chapter 5: There is Hope

It was a bit difficult for Yun Ruoyan to get through the rest of the night. Having too many questions and almost no answers, she ignores dinner for the sake of leaning on the window sill, contemplating the past.

"Miss, may I ask what you think?" Xi Lan walked over with a tray filled with food. “Nona, do you know? The moment Miss Yi received her punishment, Young Master Pei actually came and secretly brought her some snacks!”

Yun Ruoyan was speechless. Pei Ziao had done the same in the past: when he was punished, he secretly brought food for him, and that one act of kindness stuck with him ever since.

It was all because he thought that he was the only one who did not seem to hate his birthmark, his lack of talent for cultivating. But that's not true, is it?

"Did Madam An know?"

“Of course he knows! But... she didn't say a single thing.”

Yun Ruoyan smiled coldly. When Madam An found her with food during her sentence, she locked her up and beat her to death. But now, when Yi Qianying did it, she was treated too differently.

Seeing her employer's face change, Peony quickly stuffed the snack into Xi Lan's mouth. "You're blabbering!"

Xi Lan did not seem annoyed by the gesture as she chewed on the osmanthus cake in her mouth. "Oh, this is delicious!"

Yun Ruoyan usually enjoyed their banter, but right now she was too busy with her thoughts. “Alright, relax. Let me alone for a moment.”

Xi Lan wanted to say something again, but the Peony pulled her back. After the evening's show, Peony realizes Yun Ruoyan's changing behavior and personality, and wants to help her at least a little -- even if the help is just to give her enough room to think.

Yun Ruoyan's mind bounced on her head.

When he was a child, he had been tested as a cultivation genius, but for some reason, his talent was declining by the day. Even now, he was stuck as a novice blademaster, unable to advance in the slightest.

On the other hand, her birthmark, which was barely visible at a young age, seemed to continue to spread and grow like her.

Why that? Could it be that he had subconsciously interacted with something that had changed his appearance and talent?

Yun Ruoyan's mind was interrupted by the sound of something heavy falling. He quickly stood up, grabbed a nearby candle holder for protection, and walked out of the hut. He had just passed through the door when he saw a shadow lying on the ground, a dark red wound on his leg bleeding out.

Yun Ruoyan looked at her surroundings carefully, examining the people. When he did not find it, he gripped the candle holder tightly in his hand, slowly creeping towards the shadow, and checked if he was still breathing.

He's alive!

Yun Ruoyan quickly rolled up her sleeves. He intended to drag her into his cabin, but he found that he did not have the strength to do so. And since the identity of this person was unknown, it would be unwise to ask the servant for help: who knows what kind of trouble he could face for doing that!

He started to fret, subconsciously trying to lift the person's collar, but suddenly, he grabbed his wrist.

Yun Ruoyan raised her head and met a sharp and different face. In the darkness of the night, all he could see was that person's bright eyes and reflected light. They glowed like dark pearls, but with a dangerous glint that frightened people.

Yun Ruoyan's heart was pounding fiercely in her chest. His grip was so strong that, if he really had bad intentions towards her, he wasn't sure he could escape.

The man in black did not speak. His eyes seemed to be shrouded by some sort of fog. It was only when he calmed down that Yun Ruoyan realized his strangeness. His body temperature was higher than usual, and although his grip was painful, it was, Yun Ruoyan could feel from her trembling arms that she had already tried so hard to restrain herself -- refraining from hurting him with her strength, from taking the next one. stepping!

The other party did not respond, but his grip grew stronger.

Yun Ruoyan struggled several times without success, finally deciding to give up and turning to verbal defense. “You're hurt pretty bad. Although I am the second daughter of this household, I have no real authority or power. I'll try my best to help you find a doctor.

After hearing the "second daughter", the man's arm trembled, and the strength of his grip made Yun Ruoyan feel like her wrist was going to sprain. In pain, he gasped, “What are you doing ?! Go!"

The man's eyes drooped as he frowned, as if trying his hardest to resist something. Only after a long while did he say, "Don't."

"Don't you?"

"Don't call the doctor."

As he finished speaking, Yun Ruoyan felt a patch of warmth on her lips. He opened his eyes wide. Was he... had he just been forcefully kissed?!

Almost unknowingly, Yun Ruoyan smacked her fist into the man's chest, but the man caught his fist midway! In a panic, he then kicked his injured and bleeding leg.

The man gasped and let go, but instead of getting angry, he laughed. "That's really you."

What do you mean, it's really me? His tone felt somewhat familiar to Yun Ruoyan, but in the heat of the moment, he could not discern the reason.

"Help me with my wounds." His tone of voice reigned, and it left Yun Ruoyan in endless frustration. After all, it was this man who had suddenly walked into Yun's estate out of nowhere, and he could ask a servant to expel him at any time. What right does he have to rule it?

Seeing Yun Ruoyan's displeasure, the man raised his hand and gripped Yun Ruoyan's neck, a real change from before. "You should, because I can kill you anytime, even if I get hurt."

Yun Ruoyan could not help but frown. He hated being threatened by others, and this black-clothed man's demeanor was extremely disliked. He replied in a joking tone, “What if you try to do something to me even after you recover? I dare not save you!”

The man's throat stiffened, and he felt the heat flowing all over his body. He had already tried his hardest to suppress the effects of the medicine, but this woman in front of him stimulated him even further! At this point, what he alluded to was not "what if" anymore!

How could Yun Ruoyan know what the man was thinking? All he could see was his slowly reddening eyes and sharp gaze, as if he wanted to eat them alive.

"Yun Ruoyan," said the black-clothed man suddenly, "Do you want to remove the birthmark on your face?"

Hearing the man mention his name and simultaneously bring up his birthmark, Yun Ruoyan's gaze became more alert than before.

The man continued, “I can help you think of a way to get rid of him. If you save me, I will help you. We will both benefit.

He had to say, this condition was quite alluring to him. Yun Ruoyan lightly touched the birthmark on her cheek. His eyes were bright, but his tone was cold. "What's the reason I should trust you?"

"You have been poisoned," the man concluded in an impartial tone, which made Yun Ruoyan's tongue wither. His gaze was as deep as the ocean, and Yun Ruoyan felt that his words were the truth.

Yun Ruoyan's birthmark continued to grow with her, and it had been with her as far as she could remember. He had never thought of the possible presence of poison, but this man was able to distinguish it with a single glance?!

In the end, Yun Ruoyan stared calmly into the eyes that were enveloped in darkness. "All right, I'll help you."