176 Untitled (1/2)
”Mn?” Zhangsun Wuji laughed lightly, his smile as radiant and pure as the moon. ”I'll decide whether I want to forgive you after you speak.”
Meng Fuyao ground her teeth and mumbled, ”I've destroyed your perfect wedding, then realized I was wrong, I shouldn't have destroyed it, you two are too perfect for each other!”
”Oh?”
”You're both experts at lying!” Thinking about that lotus made Meng Fuyao lose her appetite. ”One doesn't have the map of Xuanji and yet says he does, one clearly has the map of Xuanji and yet says she doesn't!”
Zhangsun Wuji looked at her, his expression mixed as he said, ”Fuyao, please think carefully. From the time I met you until now, perhaps there were things that I did not explain clearly before, but as long as it was something I said, have I ever lied?”
Meng Fuyao rolled her eyes and searched through her memory carefully only to realize that… he really didn't.
”From now onwards, you've lied!” She bristled, her words unreasonable.
Zhangsun Wuji laughed and suddenly reached out an arm and held onto her, leaping forcefully off the ground.
”Aiya, what are you doing!”
Meng Fuyao had yet to finish speaking when she realized that she was already sitting on the wall. The wall of this courtyard was particularly high and sitting on top of it, she was able to see an endless array of streets, roads, buildings, commoners' houses and the majestic royal palace in the background. The cool evening wind blew by, and the flames of the tens of thousands of families flickered along with it, creating a scene that was both striking and satisfying to the heart.
”When a person is in a high position because the things he sees are even more complicated, his heart and mind will also become even clearer.” Zhangsun Wuji's words carried a deep meaning, and Meng Fuyao couldn't help but feel touched by his words only to be angered again as he added, ”So by bringing you up here to enjoy the wind, I hope you'll be able to refresh your brain.”
”I've always been clear-minded and rational, intelligent beyond comparison.” She turned around and pushed Zhangsun Wuji viciously, ”Go down, go down, the wall is narrow, you're blocking my vision.”
”When a person is your equal, they will never block your vision, many a time the one blocking your vision is actually yourself.” Zhangsun Wuji seemed especially sentimental today. ”Fuyao, is my lying really what you hate?”
”Naturally.” Meng Fuyao turned to face him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight like a pair of cat eyes. ”I'm not so pretentious to deny not liking someone.”
Smiling mildly, Zhangsun Wuji pulled out a cape seemingly from nowhere and placed it around her shoulders, saying, ”The wind is strong, be careful not to catch a cold.” Thereafter he continued, ”I really haven't received back the map of Xuanji that I sent as an engagement gift.”
”Mn?”
”Everyone thinks that there is only one map of Xuanji, but actually, there are two maps.” Zhangsun Wuji cracked a smile. ”It came from two segments of a single cape, each side containing half the contents. The real map of Xuanji contains 882 words, eight chapters in total, and the one I've given you is one of the halves.”
”Since the one you took out was the half that you held onto, then why wasn't the one you gave out in Lotus' hands?” asked Meng Fuyao suspiciously. ”She even took out the fake map of Xuanji and acted as though she had never seen the real one?”
”This was precisely why I wanted to break off the engagement.” Zhangsun Wuji looked at her, smiling meaningfully as he said, ”The one I met was someone I did not want to meet.”
”Do you mean, there's someone else who's your fiancée?” Meng Fuyao suddenly turned to look at him. ”Who?”
”No, what I suspect is that the reason why Feng Jingfan took out the fake map was because the real map was indeed lost and in desperation, she made a fake one to replace it.” Zhangsun Wuji seemed to be searching his memory as he glanced at her from the corner of his eye and said, ”Some things will reveal themselves sooner or later, but then again, Fuyao, I really have to thank you for finally settling things with that woman for me.”
”Shouldn't you feel that it's a pity?” Meng Fuyao teased, ”What a flawless and noble reputation, even her aura was just like yours, she really put in a lot of effort to copy you. Yet it was brutally destroyed by me, how despicable.”
”There are even more despicable deeds.” Zhangsun Wuji picked a blade of grass and nibbled at it as he said nonchalantly, ”I heard they left Tiansha the next evening. I ordered my men to wait at the border, whatever Zhan Nancheng tried to do to me, I am willing to return tenfold.”
”You sent someone to assassinate Lotus—” In that instant, Meng Fuyao understood what he meant, her body jolting upwards in shock and her eyes widened as she asked, ”Marriage tragedy in Tiansha?”
”It doesn't matter whether it's a marriage tragedy or not, but the point is for Feng Jingfan to just die.” Zhangsun Wuji glanced at her and played with her hair lightly. ”She must die as soon as possible.”
Meng Fuyao bit her lip, not saying anything — she was rather speechless. Although Zhangsun Wuji didn't explain clearly, how could she not know that he wanted to kill Lotus because of her? Given Zhangsun Wuji's personality, he actually despised assassinations, much less assassinating someone like Lotus. Yet, he still chose to go against his own principles and use the fastest solution, purely because he didn't want Lotus to have another chance to harm her.
In truth, there were many other more discreet and effective ways Zhangsun Wuji had up his sleeve to get rid of the marriage with Lotus, yet he let her pick the most dramatic way causing great hatred between the two and then clearing up after her.
The reason why he did so many seemingly foolish things was only because he wanted her to live more carefreely, more happily.
Meng Fuyao remained silent for a long time before turning around, her nose red as she sniffed. ”Sorry… I always don't trust you enough.”
”The reason why you don't trust me enough is because of me.” Zhangsun Wuji tried to evade the topic again, becoming extremely interested in her hair as he said, ”I'm always full of secrets, and I'm not open and honest enough. With this kind of character, I don't blame you for not trusting me.”