Heartless Rejection

Wandering along, she found herself unconsciously walking toward the front hall. Yun Xueyan stood in the distance, looking toward the center of the hall. Feng Xilou was dressed in white surpassing the snow, his pitch-black hair gathered into a topknot, bound by a silver-white ribbon at the crown.

Yun Xueyan’s eyes widened instantly, an indescribable feeling rising quietly in her heart, staining every inch of her consciousness. That ribbon... was hers! How could it be with Feng Xilou?

In a trance, everything else vanished, and the world was left with only that elegant, handsome man sitting alone in the courtyard, drinking by himself, untouched by the dust of the mortal world.

All the surrounding splendor failed to render him; he stood as unassailable as a deity.

The corners of her eyes moistened, and she reached out to wipe them gently, only to see Feng Xilou slowly rise from his seat. Not until that white figure vanished did Yun Xueyan recover her wits, offering a faint, bitter smile. She... closed her eyes, letting out a feeble sigh. The pitch-black night sky, devoid of a single star, descended and cast a shadow over her heart.

He would forget her. It was... only a matter of time. Everything, absolutely everything, would eventually fade from his memory.

Dragging her stiff footsteps, she walked toward her courtyard. The winter night was exceptionally cold and desolate, and Yun Xueyan pulled her cloak tightly around herself to ward off the chill.

She was too cold... shivering with cold.

A heavy, suffocating pressure weighed on her chest. She struggled to breathe, and even the breath she exhaled seemed to freeze instantly into ice.

Lowering her head, she quickened her pace, only to collide abruptly into a warm embrace. There was a broad chest and a faint, familiar fragrance—sensations she knew, far too well.

She did not dare to raise her head, keeping her gaze fixed on the snow-white ground. "My lord, I am sorry," she apologized in a panic, her voice distant and aloof.

"You knew it was me without even looking?" Feng Xilou smiled faintly, the corners of his lips curving as he looked at the person before him. She was so much like her... Just now, as he watched her retreating figure, he had thought she was her!

Yet the tone of her voice was not hers. He scoffed inwardly; was he missing her so much that he mistook anyone with a similar silhouette for her? This was not the first time he had made such a mistake, but he was unwilling to give up, repeating it over and over again, even to the point of being regarded as a madman.

Yes! He was truly going mad. In his search for her, he was driving himself insane. His heart... was crumbling into dust. He would rather be mad than feel this agonizing pain!

Panic seized Yun Xueyan. Her steps faltered and she retreated a few steps, failing to notice the look of profound agony on Feng Xilou's face. Keeping her gaze lowered, she suddenly lost the courage to look up at him. She was afraid that if she saw that face full of sorrow, she would not be able to help throwing her arms around him and telling him... that she was still alive. "Jueyan was only guessing. If my lord has no further instructions, Jueyan will take her leave."

Jueyan?! Feng Xilou froze in astonishment. Her name also contained the character for *yan*. Was this a coincidence, or... the cruel mockery of fate?

Taking advantage of Feng Xilou's silence, Yun Xueyan swept swiftly past his side. As the hem of her garment brushed against him, her wrist was suddenly caught in a firm grip. Her entire body stiffened, and her blood seemed to freeze.

The hand clutching her wrist made her whole body tremble slightly. Her fragile gaze was masked by detachment, but within her eyes burned a resolve as unyielding as iron. The moment she raised her head to look at Feng Xilou, she froze completely. The gentle phoenix eyes looking back at her were brimming with sorrow, yet his elegant posture carried a desolate, ruined aura for no reason at all. Her face turned deathly pale in an instant, and the sharp, biting words resting on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back down.

"My lord, what is the meaning of this? A man and a woman should not touch when giving and receiving things." She deliberately reminded him, only then feeling the pressure on her wrist ease.

Feng Xilou's gaze suddenly darkened. She truly was not her... The indifference and detachment in her eyes were simply not her!

Yun Xueyan forced her breathing to steady, feigning composure as she let out a light laugh. She knew how cruel her smile was, but she had no choice... not to do this. To reiterate: his future and his prospects were vast and bright, whereas she was long since unworthy of him.

"Did my lord catch sight of an acquaintance?" Striking straight at his vulnerable spot, she thrust into the matter without leaving any room for retreat. "Could it be the general's deceased younger sister, Yun Xueyan?"

Feng Xilou remained silent, offering a faint smile as he struggled to rein in the shattering pain within his heart. "It seems Lady Jueyan knows of her as well."

"Yes, I heard of her during my first few days at the general's estate. May my lord accept my condolences; I have matters to attend to and will not linger." She bit her lower lip to keep the tears from falling, lest the resolve she had just forged be reduced to nothing. Turning away, she strode toward her quarters. The deathly pallor of her face had now turned to an ashen gray. She had succeeded.