If they hadn’t mentioned it, Wei Wei basically would’ve forgotten what bitterness she’d previously experienced because of the Flower Gifting Festival.
In the Dragon War Empire, the annual Flower Gifting Festival was the holiday that young girls looked forward to the most, because on this day, all the young lords from influential families would hold a white cherry blossom in their hands to give to a young lady they liked.
At that time, Wei Wei had just reached marriageable age (fifteenth birthday), and she had the fantasies that all young girls would have. She waited expectantly for her future husband to present her with a white cherry blossom.
For the sake of being beautiful that day, she even threw away her pride and approached Lady Su to ask for money.
She still remembered the sarcastic remarks those people by Lady Su’s side made.
They said even if she dressed up more, she’d still merely be wretched, spoiled goods.
Wei Wei clenched her hands tightly, swallowing the grievance stopped up in the pit of her stomach. Even if it couldn’t be swallowed, she must. No matter how unrestrained they rumored her to be in the capital, in reality, only she knew that within the Defense Division, she’d always had to watch out for someone else’s mood.
She was afraid that Murong Chang Feng would forget to bring the white cherry blossom, so she looked for his little manservant and asked the servant to deliver a letter for her.
Who knew, not only did that servant not send the letter, instead, he obeyed an order to take that letter and read it out loud clearly to the entire world under the sun and moon.
All of the young lords and ladies from influential families attending the Flower Gifting Festival learned of the contents of that letter.
What originally was a young girl’s bashful inner thoughts were, in this way, laid bare and displayed under a thousand staring eyes.
Young men started to regard her as being licentious and unrespectable.
The young girls holding their fans practically rolled on the floor in laughter.
She even remembered Helian Jiao Er’s laughing appearance at that time when she curved her red lips and said to her, “Oldest Sister, you must not, by any means, bear grudges against Lord Murong. He also didn’t think it would attract so many people to encircle and watch.”
At that time, she was young. Her brain spinned like a top, unable to think straight.
There obviously was someone who hiddenly made a move to destroy her reputation and her name stank from then on.
And during that time, Murong Chang Feng simply didn’t say anything. He just stood there high and tall, coldly smiling as if taking a glance at her would make him feel disgusted.
Wei Wei just stood there dumbstruck as she looked at all of this.
Everybody roared with laughter, like they were looking at a clown and mocking her.
But at that time, it’s as if she only had eyes left for that letter pasted on the wall and the white cherry blossom crumbled on the ground.
On that day, she was the only girl who didn’t receive a white cherry blossom. Even the Mei family’s young miss, who was three times as wide as her, received a flower that someone shared as a gentlemanly gesture.
Yet she, was instead visited by someone.
And that family’s young lord unexpectedly said to her, “Heh, I really couldn’t tell you were so licentious. How about coming along with this brother, hmm?”
Wei Wei was so angry at the time that she went berserk, took that white cherry blossom and threw it at his face, then ran away from the dinner banquet.
That person’s voice was faint, yet could still be heard, “I favored you. That’s your good fortune, yet you’re still unwilling. Just a plaything, trash to sleep with, and still being picky.”
They were all saying that she was ‘Licentious, undisciplined, even beating people up during this kind of festival, simply bringing shame upon womenfolk.’
Yet no one asked why she’d beat up someone.
Even Murong Chang Feng, when he looked at the tears on her face, only looked away and disregarded it as a matter of no concern to him, as if there wasn’t any relationship between her and him whatsoever…
So it turned out that this group of people had previously done such a thing to her.
As Wei Wei drew out her memories, she directed her line of sight towards Helian Jiao Er and a cold chill emitted within her pupils.
Without knowing why, Helian Jiao Er was now actually a bit afraid of this good-for-nothing and nervously smiled from time to time. She avoided the gaze and her shoulder shrunk back as if she suffered an attack, like she wanted to call for aid.
Miss Nie standing by her side encircled her shoulder in a natural manner, “Sister Jiao Er, don’t be afraid, we’re here. This person won’t be able to harm you!”
“That’s right!” One after another, people agreed and chimed in, “Sister Jiao Er, in a moment, Retired Emperor’s going to come, you should concentrate on how to respond at the banquet. Third Prince surely will present you with a white cherry blossom. As for the other person, it’s better that we just ignore her, what the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t grieve over!”
Helian Jiao Er softly ‘mm’d and gently smiled. Her body length dress swayed slightly as she arrogantly glanced at Wei Wei. Like a moon surrounded by stars, she turned towards the Superior Compound and left.
Wei Wei curved her thin lips as a faintly wicked aura spread, she turned her head to face Baili Jia Jue, “You already took the item. If it doesn’t fit your hands when you use it, come find me anytime to make adjustments. I should also go and grab a free meal. Bye.”
Twilight settled a bit more. A cool breeze brushed over. Baili Jia Jie looked at the rear view of that slim and carefree figure, his gaze slightly complicated. “Grab a free meal.”
Jeez, his consort selection banquet, she only thought of it as a place to go and grab a free meal?
“Master, the armament that the young woman just presented to you…” As soon as Wei Wei took out the item and gave it to Baili Jia Jue, the fire qilin* seemed like it was able to sense something and immediately made use of the teleportation array to come over from Spirit Forest, except that it had been hiding within the darkness and didn’t speak.
Baili Jia Jue knew what it wanted to say and responded in an indifferent tone, “Attack potential of rank ten or above. Power to absorb souls up to one hundred percent. I’m afraid it’d be very difficult to find a second one like it in all of the world.”
The corners of the fire qilin’s mouth twitched twice: “…”
[Since you already knew all of this, then, just now, what were you doing acting like you didn’t know! ! !]
What thanks to financial backer for the gift. Hearing him made the beast’s entire antler go soft, OK? !
“In a moment, I’m going to choose a consort. You don’t need to come along. Avoid creating trouble in being seen by someone.” Baili Jia Jue calmly issued the command, then took two steps forward before lowering his voice again, “Shadow.”
“Subordinate is here.” In a flash, Shadow kneeled respectfully on the ground.
Baili Jia Jue said in an emotionless voice, “During last year’s Flower Gifting Festival, what happened?”
“Ah?” Shadow stared blankly. Hadn’t His Highness always never cared about these kinds of things? In all previous years, he’d slept through the Flower Gifting Festival. Not to mention giving someone a white cherry blossom, when he arrived at the destination, he sat in the imperial concubine chair in a standoffish manner, too lazy to even open his eyes. Unlike the High Priest who loved to run among the crowds and joined in on the fun.
However, Baili Jia Jue still asked in the end, so he responsibly and diligently recounted everything that he’d seen and heard at once.
Within the recounting, it was difficult to avoid mentioning Wei Wei.
The more Baili Jia Jue heard, the more chilly his eyes became.
As it happened, the fire qilin was still at his side and recklessly lamented, “No wonder that girl rejected master in Spirit Forest! So it turns out that there’s already someone else in her heart. From the sound of it, she truly was infatuated, oh my.”
Baili Jia Jue’s steps paused, and glanced back at it meaningfully.
He was smiling extremely coldly!
The top of the fire qilin’s head became numb. It ducked with its tail between its legs and immediately tossed out a teleportation talisman to disappear within the thick fog!
It inevitably had a kind of misconception, and continued to stupidly blank out. Surely, his master couldn’t bear to personally roast him, turn him into a roasted qilin to eat…
It was night. Weeping willows brushed faces by the lakeside at White Academy. It could even be said that the scents floating from within the jackets became an assault of orchid fragrances.
All of the young misses from every prestigious family were dressed up even more finely compared to previous years.
The young girls sat on the ground sipping tea and admiring flowers. Where were the attitudes they used to mock Wei Wei with just now? They were all ladylike and much more gentle and quiet, holding a circular fan in their hands, from time to time, facing the pavilion to glance at that group of young lords within, their blushing faces saturated with dark red color…