Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 57 Admiration 2

Chapter 57: Chapter 57 Admiration 2

"Is your injury healed?" Lin Xiao asked.

"Yes." Fengyu lowered her eyes, always keeping a distance from Lin Xiao, "Did you look for me for something?"

Lin Xiao had always been a playboy, acting on his own whims. Because Fengyu ignored him, he once used the favor of saving her life to coerce her, but now, he was too embarrassed to bring it up.

He felt a lump in his throat, as if a stone was wedged in his heart, suffocating him. What was it that he wanted to ask Fengyu for?

He simply wanted to see her.

"Do you hate my family to death?" Lin Xiao’s eyes were red, fists clenched, full of sorrow and restraint, "My sister almost killed you, my mother threatened you with your reputation, in your heart, we must be the same bunch of despicable scoundrels, aren’t we?"

Fengyu was puzzled. She didn’t understand why Lin Xiao was so dejected and sorrowful, "You saved me, and I’ve always been grateful. A favor is a favor, a grudge is a grudge; I won’t mix them up."

Lin Xiao suddenly raised his head, his eyes lit up, "Is that truly how you feel?"

"Yes!" Fengyu looked at his surprised eyes, and poured cold water on him, "Lin Xiao, I have enmity with your family, it’s best we stay out of each other’s way. If you want me to forgive Lin Yu Yan, that’s not going to happen."

The light in Lin Xiao’s eyes dimmed little by little, he asked Fengyu, "Do you dislike me?"

Fengyu had never disliked Lin Xiao. Lin Xiao had played tricks on her and said many harsh words, but on careful reflection, those harsh words were mostly aimed at Jiang Yang. His mischief never truly harmed her; it was merely the pranks of a wayward youth, harmless in nature, and he had even come to her rescue several times. In her heart, Lin Xiao was merely a capricious, unpredictable boy, not someone to be disliked.

"I’m grateful to you!" Fengyu, who never leaves debts unpaid, would certainly repay kindness as well as grudges, "You saved my life, so I will never be your enemy in this life."

"But you won’t be friends with me either, will you?" Lin Xiao looked at the elegant and bright young woman in front of him, feeling a stabbing pain in his eyes.

"Yes!" Seeing him dressed so lightly, looking so dejected, Fengyu couldn’t help but find him a bit pitiful, but she couldn’t be swayed by pity to say something she didn’t mean, "If one day Lin Yu Yan wants to kill me, what would you do? If I want to retaliate against Lin Yu Yan, what then? If you want to resolve the grudge between us, but Lin Yu Yan insists on a fight to the death, what will you do? You advise me to reconcile, but the knife wound is on my body, why should I listen to your advice to reconcile? Lin Xiao, how can we be friends?"

The autumn wind was desolate, leaves whirled about, a maple leaf fell on Lin Xiao’s shoulder, making his face look even more deathly pale. Fengyu’s words were like a knife stabbing into his heart. The ecstasy of having saved Fengyu felt like a fragile dream.

After he saved Fengyu, though he was heavily punished for his injuries, he was as happy as a fool, planning to ask Fengyu to ride and shoot after he recovered, go hiking, and ease the tensions between them. He had been too harsh to Fengyu out of jealousy of Jiang Yang, but he was determined to make it up to her, stop being mean, and after becoming familiar enough, he would confess his feelings.

He had liked Fengyu for a long, long time.

Years ago at Xiangguo Temple, he hid under the eaves, listening to her make a wish to Buddha, hoping only for great wealth in this lifetime. Lin Xiao found it amusing listening in the gallery, where maidens usually wished for a good husband and peace, he had never heard anyone wish for immense wealth.

Curious about which family’s young girl was so audacious, treating money like life, that one stunning glimpse left him awestruck and unforgettable. When Fengyu saw him, she hurried away, and Lin Xiao tried to find her, but never could. The memory haunted him day and night. He returned to Xiangguo Temple every day hoping to meet Fengyu again.

He came full of hope and returned dispirited until he eventually saw Fengyu at the Imperial College and learned that she was the Third Miss of the Feng Family, whom Li Pengfei and others gossiped about as dumb and lazy.

Having grown up disinterested in girls, mischievous, and aloof, Lin Xiao rarely went to the girls’ school. Fengyu, due to health reasons, often missed classes at the Imperial College, so they hadn’t crossed paths until he knew her identity and began visiting the girls’ school frequently, appearing to others like he was accompanying Lin Yu Yan. However, his eyes were always on Fengyu.

Fengyu was lazy and taciturn. Lin Xiao tried to speak to her, but she ignored him. The Second Young Master Lin, unskilled in interacting with girls, picked up tricks from somewhere and started pestering Fengyu, playing pranks on her. Seeing her angered and bewildered expression, he found her vibrant and lively, thus his pranks grew incessant until Fengyu couldn’t tolerate it and fought back. The more attention she paid him, the more excited he became, spiraling into a vicious cycle.

By the time Lin Xiao realized that others had misconstrued his actions into thinking he disliked Fengyu, he was extremely irate. Seeing others bully Fengyu, he would rush to her aid. For a time, he stopped teasing her, and occasionally Fengyu would show him a kind face. But when he learned that Fengyu was engaged, all his passion was extinguished by cold water, and out of jealousy, he became increasingly hostile to Fengyu.

Seeing him with reddened eyes, Fengyu became even more puzzled. The Lin Xiao she knew had always been aloof and fierce, she had never seen him so emotionally low and despondent.

Would he be this upset at her refusal to be friends?

"Lin Xiao, are you crying?" Fengyu asked nervously, as if startled by him.

"Who’s crying!" Lin Xiao wiped his eyes harshly, "It’s just the autumn wind in my eyes, not being friends doesn’t matter, who cares."

Lin Xiao turned and left, his silhouette desolate and isolated. He wanted to tell Fengyu that he was unaware of his mother’s coercion over her with reputation. When Mrs. Lin returned home, he had a confrontation with her and was almost beaten to the point of breaking his legs by Minister Lin, having taken twenty lashes, leaving him scarred. But he couldn’t say it aloud. Fengyu said a favor is a favor, a grudge is a grudge, but those who bore a grudge with her were his blood relatives, and their deeds would always reflect on him.

Those deep-seated affections could never be expressed now.

As December approached, Fengyu became extremely busy. The business accounts in the capital needed auditing, and social obligations required dealings; the Feng Family’s business relations were handled by the First Madam, who also arranged all social exchanges. However, Feng Shu kept a private ledger, maintaining the relations and social ties of the second branch of the family, giving gifts during festivals.

The letters from the First Madam and Fengyu arrived one after another in Feng Shu’s hands. She had packed and was about to return to the capital, but upon receiving Fengyu’s letter, she altered her plans, unsure if she could return by New Year’s Eve. In the letter, she instructed Fengyu on the interpersonal exchanges and matters to pay attention to during the year-end.