Chapter 245: Deep Within the Embroidered Bed (Part 3)
The crimson brocade quilt was pulled back up, once again concealing the woman’s wounds that she did not wish to reveal.
Meeting those tear-filled eyes, Liu Sheng couldn't help but feel a softening in her heart.
"What is your name?"
"My surname is Lu, and I am the fourth child. My family all calls me Si Niang."
Lu Siniang’s voice was melodious and pleasant, but unfortunately, she often struggled to catch her breath due to her frail body. Her voice was weak and intermittent, making her even more pitiable.
Liu Sheng, out of sympathy, even walked step by step to the side of the bed.
Little Tentacle, ever compliant, shrank behind Liu Sheng, its tentacles wriggling obediently in the air.
Ling Xiaoshu, meanwhile, clutched Liu Sheng’s arm, craning her neck to peek at the woman, admiring her beauty.
But Lu Siniang didn't see Ling Xiaoshu, only Liu Sheng.
Finally seeing Liu Sheng’s true face, and seeing that she was also a kind Da Meizi, the fear on Lu Siniang’s face faded, replaced by a hint of closeness.
"Da Meizi, you are truly beautiful."
Liu Sheng rarely blushed, and she shyly whispered, "You are even more beautiful."
Hearing Liu Sheng’s sincere words, Lu Siniang bloomed into a faint smile, as delicate and charming as a flower in early spring.
All of Liu Sheng, Ling Xiaoshu, Little Tentacle, and the world were so captivated by this smile that they couldn't tear their eyes away.
"So, Da Meizi, can you help me?" Lu Siniang’s eyes became even more moist, filled with supplication.
"Help with what?" Liu Sheng answered without hesitation.
"Help me… help me restore my complete body, so I can die with dignity."
Her voice was as soft as reeds by the water, tickling the heart with its tenderness.
"How do I do that?"
"Da Meizi, you should understand." Her timid voice, laced with allure and enchantment.
"Yes, I understand."
As these words fell, Lu Siniang and the deep, dark embroidered bed before Liu Sheng faded away like a tide, as if their colors were rapidly dissolving, quickly replaced by another hue.
A completely different carved wooden bed appeared before Liu Sheng, with light blue curtains hanging around it.
A person lay upon it, their pale, bloodless face somewhat familiar, eyes tightly closed, unconscious, with only faint breathing.
His neck was very white, his skin thin, revealing the blue of veins, as if a gentle poke would cause warm liquid to spray out, staining everything crimson.
Just then, a knife lay on the small table beside the bed.
It had no sheath, and its blade gleamed with a cold light.
A very sharp knife, truly thoughtful.
His internal organs should be complete, very suitable for Lu Siniang.
And his limbs.
Liu Sheng used Little Tentacle to lift the quilt and take a look.
His muscles had atrophied somewhat, how could it be so fast?
But it didn't matter.
She had originally found the man a bit too tall and robust, but now, thin and slender, he was just right for Lu Siniang.
"Yes, Da Meizi, that's the right way to think, just like that... help me..." Lu Siniang's soft, pleading voice echoed in Liu Sheng's ear, clinging stickily to her earlobe.
Liu Sheng’s hand slowly reached for the knife.
Lu Siniang’s voice also grew closer and closer, as if it were drilling through Liu Sheng’s ear canal and into her body, whispering her request against her heart.
Just as Liu Sheng’s fingertip was a hair's breadth from touching the knife handle, Lu Siniang’s voice quieted, leaving only heavy panting.
Liu Sheng’s hand stopped.
The panting quickened for a few breaths, then ceased.
"Da Meizi... what's wrong?" Lu Siniang asked weakly.
Liu Sheng, however, let out a chuckle and slowly withdrew her hand.
"What's wrong?"
"Why?"
She asked twice, her delicate voice almost unable to maintain its composure.
"Do you really think his limbs are suitable for you? The height difference is probably a foot, visually?" Liu Sheng countered.
"And his internal organs, if you put them in your chest cavity, the door wouldn't even close, would it?"
"You told me to think like this, don't you think it's unreasonable? Even a Weird Domain trying to deceive people should make some sense, right?"
The voice hidden within Liu Sheng’s body was momentarily silenced by this barrage of questions.
"Right, Sister is so beautiful, and this person is so ugly, it's not quite suitable." Ling Xiaoshu also chimed in.
"Where did you pop out from!" The voice, startled by Ling Xiaoshu’s sudden appearance, couldn't maintain its delicate tone and shrieked.
..."I've clearly been here all along."
This was Ling Xiaoshu’s eternal pain.
Liu Sheng patted her head: "Don't be prejudiced against appearances."
"Sister... you're worse, aren't you?" Ling Xiaoshu grumbled.
Noticing Liu Sheng’s calm demeanor at this moment, the voice sounded somewhat confused.
"So, you never..."
"Yes, I never believed you from beginning to end."
"Although you are truly beautiful, of course, I mainly mean your head." Liu Sheng no longer spoke with tenderness, but coldly said, "But unfortunately, my resilience is too high."
"In my eyes, you are merely an ugly, stinking corpse."
As Liu Sheng coldly spoke these words, the voice finally grew enraged.
"You don't understand at all! You don't understand anything!"
With a series of sharp, angry roars that reverberated in Liu Sheng’s heart, the scene before her eyes rapidly faded and receded again.
She distantly saw Jiang Caibin, lying on the bed, awakened by the noise. He opened his eyes, looking around in confusion.
But he saw nothing, because Liu Sheng had been dragged back into the Weird Domain.
In the room, only Jiang Caibin remained.
What was that sound?
It seemed to be a woman's shriek, very shrill, full of injustice and unwillingness...
It sounded like someone as miserable as him.
Perhaps, it was a dream.
These past few days, he had been plagued by nightmares, unable to get a good night's sleep.
Well, yes, how could he sleep soundly?
A bitter smile appeared on Jiang Caibin’s pale face.
From being born into an official family, joining the Honghu Plan, and being a promising young talent about to soar, he was now reduced to a disabled invalid who couldn't move.
His father had even made arrangements, just waiting for him to pass the Honghu Plan to give him a minor official position, starting with a good foundation and slowly climbing up, plus with the Jiang Family's backing, his ascent wouldn't be slow either.
"You definitely won't be worse than your elder cousin!"
His father had said that.
From a young age, Jiang Caibin had admired and looked up to his elder cousin, but as he grew older, he couldn't help but secretly compare himself.
Hearing his father say that, he was naturally filled with ambition, looking forward to the day he would confidently surpass the main branch of the family.
As a result, all his preparations came to naught.
His father had also aged a lot overnight, with prominent gray hairs at his temples.
But he said nothing, only that it was enough for Jiang Caibin to live well.
One night, Jiang Caibin closed his eyes and pretended to sleep, listening to his mother crying by the bed.
These past few days, whenever he didn't want to face his parents' sorrowful expressions, he would use this trick of feigning sleep.
But this time, he heard his father comforting his mother, quietly discussing when to adopt a child from the clan.
"The Honghu Plan quota, which was so hard to get, cannot be wasted."
His mother also said: "Yes, you even sent many gifts to Wen Shoufu... you can't get them back, so it might as well be..."
His father sighed: "It's just, I'm worried Cai Bin won't accept it."
"There's no other way, Cai Bin is already..." His mother said, choking back sobs.
Instantly, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.
Already useless, Jiang Caibin guessed that the unspoken words were probably this.
Yes, he was already useless.
Living only made his parents difficult, and he himself struggled in pain every day.
Thinking this, his gaze suddenly fell on the knife on the small table.
Where did that knife come from?
This question flashed through his mind for only a moment, then was quickly cast aside.
Now, he had no right to think so much.
His gaze sharpened, seeing the cold, gleaming tip of the knife pointing directly at him.
What a coincidence.
Perfect.