sovbooks Chapter 54 The Cage
Chapter 54 The Cage
Chapter 54 The Cage
The Snow Maiden first slightly turned her head, avoiding Zhao Heng's gaze. After a moment, however, as if she had made up her mind, she turned back, her light blue eyes looking at him, and said, "What makes you so, young master?"
Zhao Heng casually plucked the strings of his zither, his posture seemingly relaxed, but his eyes were fixed on Xue Nu: "Just as you said, it feels like... But this explanation is ultimately somewhat far-fetched."
He said, "I can see that on that day at Zuiyue Tower, you agreed to be my teacher. Although it was because of Jianxin Jun's coercion, you did have a sense of gratitude for my help, or rather, you had the intention of communicating with me through music."
However, due to trivial matters, I did not immediately fulfill my promise. Madam Wu first took the initiative to inquire, and now she has proposed that you stay at her residence. This gradual progression is quite different from Madam Wu's attitude in the building that day.
"Aunt Wu, she—"
"Of course, you could say that Madam Wu is just overly concerned."
Zhao Heng didn't give her time to explain, and continued, "But just now when she mentioned that Jianxin Jun might cause trouble again, you didn't seem very afraid. On the contrary, you seemed quite weary and helpless about her letting you stay in my residence temporarily. Therefore, can I speculate that your intention in this trip was more to comply than to act on your own? Or perhaps, there is some other pressure forcing you to cooperate with Madam Wu and get close to me, Zhao Heng?"
Xue Nu listened to Zhao Heng's words, pursing her lips slightly. This time, however, she didn't look away, remaining fixed on Zhao. After a long while, she whispered, "Why do you know so much?"
"It seems I was right."
Zhao Heng didn't dwell on it, but simply leaned forward slightly, closing the distance a bit: "Then let me guess again. Are you disgusted by me? Or are you disgusted by the pressure that forced you to act this way?"
The Snow Maiden seemed somewhat bewildered by Zhao Heng's sudden transformation from a handsome young man to such a domineering one. She lowered her eyes again and, after a long while, replied, "I—I don't know how to tell you."
Zhao Heng narrowed his eyes and said directly, "Is there someone who hopes you can use this opportunity to get close to me? Is there someone else behind Madam Wu?"
The Snow Maiden abruptly raised her eyes, her light blue pupils contracting sharply. However, she neither admitted nor denied it, but simply shook her head vigorously: "I can only tell you, young master, that my initial intention in teaching you the art of telepathy was absolutely not to deceive or mislead. I am grateful for your help that day. As for anything else—"
She paused for a moment, as if she had exhausted all her strength, before looking at Zhao Heng and saying, "I am certain that I will not do anything to harm you, young master."
Zhao Heng remained silent, gently tapping on the zither table.
Before he could say anything more, the Snow Maiden suddenly closed her eyes gently, her voice unusually calm: "Young Master, let's begin."
Zhao Heng was momentarily surprised: "Make a move? What are you going to do?"
The Snow Woman opened her eyes in surprise, and seeing Zhao Heng's puzzled expression, she pretended to be mature and explained, "Since you've already seen through my ulterior motives, and whether I approached you or was forced by someone, shouldn't you have someone kill me immediately to prevent future troubles?"
Zhao Heng was taken aback at first, then looked at her with amusement: "Kill you? And then what?"
He stood up and paced slowly half a step in the music room: "Send someone to Zuiyue Tower again to kill Wu Ji, your adoptive mother who raised you and knows the truth, to silence her as well? Or should we slowly torture and interrogate her to pry out the real mastermind behind her?"
The Snow Maiden's face paled instantly. She gripped the jade flute tightly and remained silent, but the slight trembling in her body could not be concealed.
That Wu Ji was indeed the Snow Woman's weakness.
Zhao Heng continued pacing, his tone suggesting he was genuinely pondering the matter: "Hmm, judging from the rumors surrounding Madam Wu, she must be a woman of deep affection and unwavering resilience. Ordinary torture and intimidation might not be enough to make her easily reveal who's behind her. Let me think, what method should I use to get her to talk? Should I make her watch you suffer before her eyes? Or should I start with other concerns she might still have?"
"No!"
The snow woman suddenly looked up and interrupted her in a trembling voice.
She stared at Zhao Heng with wide eyes, a thin layer of tears welling up in them.
It seemed that only now did she truly realize what a calm, even ruthless, side might be hidden beneath the ever-smiling young prince before her.
Seeing her violent reaction, Zhao Heng merely glanced at her sideways and said, "What, still want to die? Are you willing to gamble your life on whether I'll let go of the investigation into Madam Wu behind you, and the bigger secrets she might uncover, just because I find it troublesome or because I'm feeling soft-hearted?"
Snow Maiden's eyes were slightly red as she stared at Zhao Heng, biting her lower lip tightly: "It has nothing to do with Aunt Wu, it was all my—own idea."
However, these words sounded weak and unconvincing, and even she knew they were not convincing at all.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Heng knew that the time had come and he could not push her any further. So he chuckled, the coldness on his face suddenly vanished, and he turned and walked back to the zither table.
However, instead of sitting back properly, he casually sat on the edge of the zither table, propped one leg up, and leisurely watched the Snow Maiden.
"Didn't you bring up the topic of life and death first?"
Zhao Heng's tone became more relaxed, as if his previous threat was just a casual joke: "I was just going along with what you said and helping you think about what might happen after you die."
The Snow Maiden was stunned, not immediately realizing the reason for Zhao Heng's change in attitude. She just stared at him blankly, her eyes still red.
Zhao Heng's joking expression faded, and he pondered, "I can tell that you approached me under pressure, not because you wanted to harm me, and that's enough. As for the questions I asked earlier, it wasn't because I really wanted to do anything to you or Madam Wu. Just as you said, you had no ill intentions when you hired a teacher; and when I invited you, it was truly because I appreciated your flute playing, and I had no other motives."
Then he added, "Furthermore, regardless of the motives of those behind you, since they allowed you to approach me, from the moment you stepped into the Chunping Lord's residence, in some people's eyes, your safety and situation have been linked to mine to some extent. If you suffer a loss, it might be interpreted as a signal that is unfavorable to me; if something happens to me, you will also be implicated. We are already passively bound together."
As Xue Nu listened, the wariness in her eyes eased slightly, but her confusion deepened. She didn't understand what Zhao was trying to say.
Looking at the slender young girl before him, Zhao Heng finally stopped beating around the bush and said directly, "It's strange that someone so young would be so eager to die. But I don't want to pry into what injuries you suffered. Tell me, what do you need me to do so that you can truly dedicate yourself to teaching here without constantly worrying about the pressure behind you, without being forced to do things you don't want to do? Or rather, how can I temporarily relieve the pressure behind you and give you a chance to breathe?"
He looked directly at the Snow Woman: "I don't need to know all the secrets, but I want to know, within my power, how can I make things a little easier for you? At least, in the matter of teaching music, we can maintain a relatively pure exchange."
Xue Nu stared at Zhao Heng in a daze, even ignoring the slight incongruity of him speaking to her in such a mature tone despite his young age.
After a long silence, she finally spoke with difficulty: "You don't need to do anything for me. And judging from the talent and knowledge you just displayed, I may not be much of a teacher in music. But if you are still willing to learn, I will do my best to impart all my knowledge and understanding to you, as I have already promised.
As for the rest—Young master, simply remember that the Snow Maiden is here, and every tune she plays comes from her heart. If one day the music changes, it is because she has no choice in the matter. At that time, young master, you need not show mercy. The Snow Maiden will have no complaints.
Zhao had intended to subtly elicit some information from the Snow Maiden, but he hadn't expected her to be so candid, and thus fell silent for a moment.
However, he did understand the helplessness in the Snow Woman's words.
This is the story of a young girl caught in a whirlpool, powerless to act on her own, trying her best to maintain her last shred of dignity and bottom line, and making the greatest possible honesty and compromise.
"I see."
After a moment, Zhao Heng nodded slightly: "Today's performance of 'Guangling San' showed a spirit of resistance and indomitable will, which can be considered my gift to you. I hope that in the future, every time we play the qin and xiao together in this room, or when you play a solo, it will be a piece that comes from your heart. Before you are forced to do as you please, I will do my best to give you a place here where you can play freely."
The snow woman's long eyelashes trembled violently. She stared at the ground, a complex emotion suddenly welling up in her heart—a mix of bitterness and bewilderment—something she had never experienced in her entire life.
She ultimately said nothing, or rather, there was nothing left to say.
Zhao Heng squinted, pondering, knowing that the girl's mind was in turmoil. Just as he was about to speak again, Fu's mother's voice came from the outer corridor: "Young master, a distinguished guest has arrived in the front hall. Madam requests that you go and meet him immediately."
Zhao Heng's tone immediately softened: "It seems today's lessons will have to be postponed. Miss Xue Nu is new here, so you may rest here for a while and familiarize yourself with the surroundings. If you need anything, just tell the maids outside."
He took a few steps outside, paused, then turned back and added, "What you just said is what I heard. Don't worry, young lady."
The Snow Maiden snapped out of her daze, and without looking up, bowed slightly: "Please proceed, young master."
Zhao said no more, turned and walked out of the music room, closing the door behind him.
Outside the door, when Madam Fu saw Zhao Heng come out, she stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, it's Li Lingcheng from the palace who has arrived. He also brought a man who looks like a general, saying that he has come on the orders of the King. Madam is already in the hall keeping him company, but Li Lingcheng has made it clear that he wants to see you immediately."
Zhao Heng was slightly surprised, but simply nodded.
He followed Madam Fu a few steps toward the front hall, then suddenly stopped, glanced back at the music room, his eyes narrowed as if deep in thought, and then whispered to Madam Fu, "Have Luan Ding come to see me later."
Although Madam Fu did not understand his meaning, she immediately agreed.
Inside the music room, the Snow Woman was alone.
After Zhao Heng left, the music room returned to silence, even more empty than before.
The snow woman remained standing in the same spot, motionless for a long time. Only when damp patches appeared on the ground did she gently sniff, raise her head, and survey the bright and clean music room.
She remained silent for a long time, then, holding the jade flute, slowly walked to the window.
Outside the window is a quiet courtyard, where emerald bamboo sways, and the spring sunlight filters through the bamboo leaves, casting dappled light. Further away, the towering walls of the Chunping Lord's residence rise.
The Snow Woman closed her eyes, took a deep breath, wiped her eyes, and then turned around to carefully examine every corner of the music room.
It was as if she was silently confirming the authenticity of this place that might become her temporary haven, and getting to know this place where she would be staying for some time to come, a place that was hard to tell whether it was a cage or a paradise.
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