She understood Jiang Shaoyan’s character – he was vicious, but toward her, he wasn’t entirely without genuine feeling.
He didn’t want her to die.
So even though she’d stabbed him, he still looked after her.
Then she would “die” for him to see.
On the exile road, Liu Xiniang would create a fatal accident to escape, ensuring the authorities wouldn’t investigate further.
When news of Liu Xiniang’s death reached Jiang Shaoyan, if he was willing to set up a memorial tablet as she requested, there would inevitably be cracks between Zheng Biyue and Jiang Shaoyan.
Moreover, people always cherish what they’ve lost forever.
Leaving behind the words “the road to the underworld is cold, I fear I won’t find His Highness” meant that to Jiang Shaoyan, she loved him until death.
He thought she would hate, but she loved.
He thought she would live, but she died.
Such unexpected turns could engrave themselves in someone’s heart, then deepen the impression again and again under the witness of that daily-visible memorial tablet. When his life path became increasingly difficult in the future, he would miss this lost person more and more.
If everything went as she hoped, this affection would become her blade.
If not, it didn’t matter either.
Realizing this, Luo Wanqing felt slightly bitter inside.
She’d never thought she’d one day use emotion as calculation, never thought she’d one day think so coldly about the relationship between Jiang Shaoyan and herself.
From age fourteen to nineteen, her greatest daily wish was to marry Jiang Shaoyan.
Now, her greatest wish was to kill Jiang Shaoyan.
She couldn’t help but smile bitterly, feeling this was indeed as Jiang Shaoyan said – whether love or hate, the most important thing in her life seemed to be him.
Luo Wanqing unwillingly closed her eyes, understanding this was Jiang Shaoyan’s open conspiracy.
But so what?
She would hate him for a lifetime, and she would make Jiang Shaoyan carve her name into his world for a lifetime, so that whenever he thought of the three characters “Luo Wanqing,” it would be like flaying skin and gouging flesh, wishing never to meet again in eternity.
Thinking this, she opened her eyes.
Ahead was the prison exit. Outside the exit was a high platform with an official standing there. When each jailer reached their turn, they handed their documents to the official at the gate. The official would read out names and crimes, and after confirming everything was correct, women would be fitted with iron shackles, men with iron shackles and wooden cangues, then sent out together.
Not far from the official, fire basins were placed on both sides to keep the official warm.
This was the place.
She steadied herself and looked up at her family.
She could only escort them this far before turning back to go where she needed to go.
She quietly watched Luo Wanqing’s family members leave one by one. Finally, when it was her turn, the official called loudly: “Next one, hurry up.”
Luo Wanqing’s heartstrings trembled. She didn’t speak, stepped forward, and silently touched the hidden dagger at her waist.
Her body trembled slightly, her gaze fixed on the fire basin. The feel of the scabbard seeped into her hand, the sensation of Jiang Shaoyan’s blood on her hands still lingering.
This cold touch suppressed her fear. Her steps became more urgent. Everyone finally sensed something was wrong, but it was too late.
She didn’t hesitate at all. Amid everyone’s screams, she crashed headfirst into the fire basin!
In the searing pain of flesh splitting open, what appeared before Luo Wanqing’s eyes was Jiang Shaoyan’s gentle smile as he rested his hand on his sword under the afternoon sun in Jiangnan.
In that moment, even the pain became irrelevant. She pressed herself to roll in the burning coals, tasting blood in her mouth.
She felt countless emotions pressing on her chest, finally exploding into a shrill, piercing wail that echoed throughout the prison.
“Ahhhh!!!”
“Save me ahhhhhh——!!!”
Author’s Note:
[Mini Theater]
Luo Wanqing: “My greatest wish now is to kill Jiang Shaoyan.”
Jiang Shaoyan: “In my future life, the name I’ll love most and hate most will be that same person.”
Xie Heng: “Heh, what can I say? Watch me crawl frantically and darkly between you two. Look at me! You’re all looking at me! I’m the strongest!”
Readers fanning themselves: “Crawl? Where are you crawling? Crawl to the front chapters a bit so we can see you!”
Xie Heng: “…”