Chapter 89: With Sister Here, You Will Not Be Wronged Anymore
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Shu Yao never thought that she was just quietly watching the play, yet this fire could still burn onto her.
If Shen Lingyun was not there, then it would have been fine. But this person just had to be so unpleasant, actually exposing her secrets right in front of Shen Lingyun, making her unable to advance or retreat.
But no matter how flustered and nervous Shu Yao felt in her heart, her face still pretended to be calm as she directly met Li Xinyi’s gaze.
“What imperial sister? Your Highness, do not shout nonsense. A common woman like me cannot afford the crime of falsely claiming imperial kinship.”
At the same time, she clenched Shen Lingyun’s hand even tighter, afraid that Shen Lingyun would get angry because of this and let go of her hand.
After all, admitting it herself and having the truth come from someone else's mouth had a completely different impact.
At this moment, Shu Yao deeply regretted not confessing to Shen Lingyun before Li Xinyi. Now, in this kind of situation, it truly felt like riding a tiger and being unable to get off, making her heart panic terribly.
“Oh? How could this be nonsense?”
Before Shu Yao could refute, Li Xinyi took another step closer to her and lowered her voice with a smile, “Could it be that the fire two years ago not only burned your face but also burned away your memory?”
That fire...
Such a light and casual sentence wrapped around Shu Yao’s heart like a devil’s whisper, lingering and refusing to disperse.
Just as Li Xinyi’s words fell, fireworks suddenly bloomed in the sky.
Right after, a continuous series of firework explosions echoed.
That was the signal for the departure of the decorated riverboats, using fireworks to announce to everyone that tonight’s riverboat festival had officially begun.
At this moment, fireworks had been lit in all directions. It was the grand firework spectacle that the authorities had long prepared for the people of the city.
The whole city bloomed with fireworks, beautiful and dazzling.
It made the night even more romantic.
It also gave the men and women a little push.
But the fireworks, mixed with the smell of smoke, along with Li Xinyi’s words, did not bring Shu Yao any joy. Instead, they pulled her into painful memories.
That night was the same.
Fire filled the sky, thick smoke covered everything.
The pain, the despair, all came back.
The lanterns on the river and the fireworks in the sky were beautiful, but to Shu Yao, they were a nightmare.
She felt like she was back in that sea of fire.
All the fire around her seemed to turn into the same flames that once swallowed and trapped her.
It hurts, it really hurts.
Source: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3614052
This translation was originally posted on https://love4baihe.blogspot.com please read it there. and check out other stories too.
Her body hurt, her face hurt, even her eyes hurt. Everything hurt.
The burning was unbearable.
Shu Yao could not help but tremble.
There was no thick smoke choking her now, yet the gunpowder in the air still made her breathless.
“Cough… cough cough… cough cough…”
Shu Yao clutched her chest, struggling to breathe as she coughed.
The sudden suffocation and sharp pain made her eyes turn red.
She always said she did not care, that it was fine, that it did not hurt, that she did not hate.
It was because she feared the people who cared about her would worry. She feared they would act on her hatred, wasting their energy on revenge.
But in this world, what woman truly did not care about her face and body?
When her face was ruined and she lost an eye, if not for Shen Lingyun’s care, she would never have escaped that pain.
And now, this person—perhaps the one who started it all—dared to mock her wounds in front of Shen Lingyun.
She clearly wanted to take away her light!
She had worked so hard to earn Shen Lingyun’s forgiveness. If this person ruined it…
Thinking of this, Shu Yao could no longer hide her overwhelming hatred.
She clutched her chest, enduring the pain in her body and heart, glaring at Li Xinyi with deep resentment. She struggled to force out broken words: “You… you… cough cough… what are you saying… cough… I… cough cough… do not understand…”
Her hand gripping the sword trembled uncontrollably. But she could only pretend to know nothing, afraid of exposing herself in front of Shen Lingyun.
She truly feared that if she acknowledged Li Xinyi’s words, if she found out the truth of that night and who was behind it, she would not be able to stop herself from stabbing that person to vent her hatred.
But if she really did that… Lingyun would surely be disappointed…
The unbearable pain mixed with uncontrollable killing intent was too much to suppress. It was pure torment.
The suffocating feeling grew stronger, making Shu Yao even more miserable than before.
Li Qiubai and the others were startled by Shu Yao’s sudden abnormal state. They had no mind to care about anything else.
“A’Yao!”
Li Qiubai cried out in alarm and was about to step forward to support her, but Shen Lingyun had already helped her sister first.
The flower lantern that had been in Shen Lingyun’s hand was hastily discarded on the ground. With her hands freed, Shen Lingyun immediately took a small porcelain bottle from the cloth pouch she carried. She bit off the stopper and quickly placed it in front of Shu Yao’s nose.
“Take a few slow breaths first. Do not speak.”
As Shen Lingyun spoke, she gently rubbed Shu Yao’s back, helping her breathe smoothly. Only after Shu Yao’s breathing steadied did she turn her cold gaze to Li Xinyi and ask the question Shu Yao desperately wanted answered.
“How do you know so much? Could it be that you were the one who hurt her like this back then?”
Just that one sentence made Shu Yao’s body go stiff, and cold sweat instantly broke out.
It’s over. She still didn’t manage to hide it.
If not for the fact that the scene she had imagined—Shen Lingyun discovering her identity and leaving in anger—did not happen, Shu Yao might have gone mad on the spot.
Unfortunately, Shen Lingyun was no fool. Shu Yao’s guilty expression and the forced calmness in her tense demeanor naturally did not escape her keen eyes.
Moreover, when Shen Lingyun saved Shu Yao that day, she was burned beyond recognition.
The fact that she had survived at all was sheer luck.
That day’s burns were not only an unforgettable pain for Shu Yao but also a wound that Shen Lingyun could never get over.
The more she felt sorry for Shu Yao, the more she hated herself for not being skilled enough.
If her medical skills had been better, she could have lessened Shu Yao’s suffering that day and helped her recover more completely, instead of leaving behind scars that could never be erased.
Now, Li Xinyi’s words not only stabbed at Shu Yao’s wounds but also reminded Shen Lingyun of the events from back then.
No wonder rumors had spread after that day about the Third Princess being killed on her way to a marriage alliance. At the time, there were many speculations, but no one knew the true reason behind her attack. That was why Shen Lingyun hadn’t been able to guess the identity of the person she had saved.
But now, with Li Xinyi saying what she did and with Shu Yao so visibly terrified, what was there left to guess?
The confusion and bitterness that had lingered along the way now had a clear answer.
No wonder Shu Yao had said she returned to the capital to celebrate her elder sister’s wedding.
No wonder Shu Yao was always so concerned about Li Qiubai’s safety.
No wonder she would rather get hurt herself than let anything happen to Li Qiubai.
No wonder… No wonder she cared so much about the grievances between herself and the imperial family.
She hadn’t even changed her name—just erased the Li family surname.
Shu Yao, Shu Yao, Li Shuyao.
How ridiculous. She had been calling this name for so long yet never noticed anything unusual. Only now did she realize this was her true name.
Shen Lingyun was, of course, angry that Shu Yao had deceived her. But seeing Shu Yao’s pained and almost deranged expression, her heart was filled only with sorrow.
Some debts could be settled later. Before outsiders, she would never let Shu Yao suffer another injury.
However, seeing Shen Lingyun’s guarded and protective stance, Li Xinyi merely scoffed.
“If I were the one who did it, would she still be alive today?”
Not cutting the weeds at the root was never her style.
If she had set that fire, she would never have left Shu Yao a chance to escape.
Li Xinyi was about to say something else to further provoke the enraged little imperial sister, but before she could, Li Qiubai grabbed her by the collar and dragged her back a few steps.
“We need to talk.”
By now, the cool medicinal fragrance from the porcelain bottle had given Shu Yao a breath of relief. After taking a few deep inhalations to ease the suffocating feeling, she felt slightly better. Weakly, she leaned into Shen Lingyun’s embrace, gripping her clothes tightly while still glaring at Li Xinyi through gritted teeth.
But her trembling, barely holding-on appearance was truly heartbreaking.
“Lingyun, I will have to trouble you to take care of A’Yao.”
Li Qiubai had been secretly worried for Shu Yao, but upon seeing that Shen Lingyun neither turned against her on the spot nor hesitated to stand by her side, she finally breathed a little easier.
“Mm, I will take her back first.”
Seeing Shen Lingyun’s grim expression yet still willing to agree, Li Qiubai could not help but develop a deeper sense of appreciation for this sister-in-law.
She stepped forward and gently patted Shu Yao’s head, confirming that she was at least slightly better and no longer in a trance. Only then did she lean in, whispering softly into her ear.
“Do not worry. With sister here, you will not be wronged anymore.”
Perhaps it was because her elder sister's voice was too gentle at that moment, or perhaps it had been too long since she last felt the warmth of having family stand up for her. Upon hearing those words, Shu Yao could no longer suppress the grievances in her heart. She had originally managed to hold back her tears, but now they fell uncontrollably.
She quickly buried her face into Shen Lingyun’s embrace, using it to hide her embarrassing and unsightly expression. In a muffled voice, she responded, “Mm.”
Li Qiubai gestured, signaling two hidden guards to discreetly escort the two away. Only after that did she feel assured enough to pull Li Xinyi along and leave.
While Shu Yao received Li Qiubai’s meticulous care, Li Xinyi, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. She was forcefully dragged to the side of the river embankment and thrown near a willow tree.
If not for steadying herself against the tree trunk, Li Xinyi would have nearly been pushed to the ground by Li Qiubai.
Yet, she was not even angry. After finding her footing, she could still manage a smile.
“Tsk, we are both grandchildren of the same imperial grandfather, are we not? We are sisters, yet why is there such a stark difference in how Imperial Sister treats me compared to her?”
At this moment, fireworks were at their peak, and most people were gathered by the bridges and riverbanks to watch the display.
The spot Li Qiubai had chosen—beside the willow trees along the embankment—was deserted, making it the perfect place for a private conversation.
Facing Li Xinyi’s question, she could not be bothered to respond. Instead, she asked coldly, “You deliberately came to cause trouble in front of us. What exactly do you want?”
Hearing this, Li Xinyi curled her lips into a mocking smile and sneered, “Oh? You finally know urgency now? Were you not unwilling to even see me just a few days ago?”
Li Qiubai’s expression grew colder.
“Li Xinyi, I have no patience to waste words with you here. Just say it outright—what is the purpose of this act today? Also, who was the one that harmed A’Yao back then? Was it you? Was it the Prince of Yu’s Manor? Or was it someone else?”
“What if it was the Prince of Yu’s Manor? What if it was me? What, does Imperial Sister plan to kill us all just to vent her anger for Li Shuyao?”
The uglier Li Qiubai’s expression became, the more delighted Li Xinyi felt.
Seeing that Li Qiubai did not refute her, Li Xinyi took another step forward, closing in as she continued to provoke, “You cannot even avenge your own mother. Do you really think you can avenge Li Shuyao?”
To the current Li Qiubai, Li Xinyi’s words were not entirely false.
Indeed, even now, she had yet to avenge her mother. How could she even think about avenging Shuyao?
But even so, she absolutely could not allow her younger sister to suffer any further grievances.
Li Qiubai did not want to waste any more words with Li Xinyi. She only lowered her voice and rebuked, “Have you made enough trouble? If you have, then I ask you to stay away from A’Yao from now on. Li Shuyao is long dead. The one living now is Shuyao of the Jianghu. If you still have any conscience left, then for the sake of the bond we once had in childhood, I hope you will stop interfering in her life.”
“Why should I?”
Li Xinyi ignored the trace of grievance in her heart and only glared at Li Qiubai viciously. “What bond did we have in childhood? Was it the bond where I bullied Li Shuyao, and then you bullied me? Who do you think you are to me? Do you really think you are my sister? Do you expect me to listen to everything you say?”
Indeed, a person’s nature never changes. Li Qiubai would always be like this, just as she was in childhood. Every time she bullied Li Shuyao, Li Qiubai would always take Li Shuyao’s side.
The only difference was that back then, the lofty princess never spared her a glance, always looking down on her with disdain. Yet now, that same princess was standing in the cold night breeze, waiting for her answer.
Realizing this, Li Xinyi felt a bit more at ease.
"Li Qiubai, you truly have no conscience. If I had not cleaned up the mess for her back then, do you think the arsonist would have spared her? Do you think those people from Nanjiang would have believed she was dead? Do you think the news of her death could have reached the capital?"
Although Li Xinyi had not intended to help Li Shuyao at the time, she had merely pretended not to notice that among the charred, unrecognizable corpses, Li Shuyao was missing. She had simply concealed that most critical piece of information and chosen not to report it.
But even so, she felt that she had done enough to be considered that woman's great benefactor. Yet in the end, all she received were accusations, each more outrageous than the last.
Thinking of this, she once again scolded Li Qiubai with righteous indignation, "Are you even human? Forget about thanking me, but you actually have the nerve to stand here and blame me!"
Li Qiubai furrowed her brows and fell silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone had softened slightly. "If that is truly the case, I will make sure to send you a gift another day to express my gratitude."
"Heh, who cares about your filthy silver!"
It was rare to have the chance to humiliate Li Qiubai, and Li Xinyi was utterly delighted.
"Oh, right. I almost forgot to tell you," she said with feigned casualness. "The other day at Qingyang Gate, when I saw Li Shuyao, she looked somewhat familiar. So, I had someone look into her background. Unfortunately for you, the information I obtained also reached my father."
Seeing Li Qiubai's expression change drastically, Li Xinyi finally smiled in satisfaction. "Who told you not to see me a few days ago? Now that you are willing to, it is probably too late. The news that Li Shuyao is not dead has already been sent to the imperial court of Nanjiang."
She did not care what Li Qiubai thought, she only kept pressing on her sore spot.
"Judging by the days, the Nanjiang envoys should be arriving in the capital soon to demand her return, right?"
"After all, that fire back then caused quite a loss for those southern barbarians."
"Li Qiubai, tell me, do you think this time they will take double the repayment from her?"
Author's Note:
Where is everyone? Did I update too frequently these past few days and scare you all away? I even turned down all my dinner gatherings this week just to write! Why did you all disappear?!
