Chapter 154

Since there was no escaping it, he might as well confront the difficulty head on.

Since he couldn’t preserve it, he might as well smash it to pieces.

The moment Fang Heng relaxed his mouth, the maid was overjoyed and scrambled up from the ground to lead the way, “Young master, follow me. The young lady will tell you everything. She won’t harm you. Young master, rest assured.”

Whether she would harm him or not was no longer important.

Fang Heng clasped his hands behind his back and followed with a wooden expression on his face.

At the street corner, they encountered the oncoming He prefect and his procession. Seeing the Wang family maid leading the way for him, He prefect was taken aback, then looked deeply at Fang Heng twice.

After they had walked some distance away, He prefect still didn’t move.

The teacher couldn’t help but ask, “Your Honor, aren’t you going to the Hairpin courtyard? Shouldn't you at least kick over a table? Otherwise, how will you explain to the Fang family?”

He Chengzhang clasped his hands behind his back and sighed, “No need to explain anymore. The Fang family must have left more than one contingency plan.”

Perhaps noticing He prefect's perfunctory attitude, or not wanting to put all their eggs in one basket.

In any case, the Fang family changed their mode of operation.

Outside Hairpin courtyard.

Jiang Sheng was also worried, “If we follow big brother’s analysis, then that young lady is a wolf giving New Year's greetings to a chicken. Wouldn’t third brother be walking into a trap if he goes? That won’t do. Eldest brother, fourth brother, fifth brother, you must help third brother.”

Xu Mo reassured her by patting her little bun head, “Don’t be afraid. Jiang Four has already gone to get help.”

With the exception of Jiang Three who had gone back to Xieyang County to propose marriage, the other seven servants were present, so safety was not an issue. Wen Zhiyun took out bottles and jars from his bosom, “I’ve already given Jiang One the commonly used medicines. I guarantee third brother will come back healthy.”

Chang Yan then got into the carriage, “Go to the Wang residence. I want to see Fufeng brother.”

As the head of the Wang family, Big Brother's abnormal behavior these past few days had already caught Wang Fufeng's attention.

The reason he held back and didn't act was because he didn't want to startle the snake in the grass.

When he learned that Wang Yuyao had taken the initiative to ask to meet Fang Heng, claiming she wanted to help Fang Heng, he couldn't help but laugh.

"As for this cousin of mine, sometimes when you think she's clever, she does something foolish. And when you think she's foolish, she may become a bit cleverer." Wang Fufeng leaned on a single hand, sitting lazily in the family master's seat, "But she overlooked one thing."

The six siblings of Hairpin courtyard were people that the entire Wang clan had never been able to defeat.

What made her, Wang Yuyao, think that she alone could accomplish it?

Outside Anshui city.

Fang Heng followed behind the little maid all the way to the west of the city.

Next to the city gate was a small hill with a little cliff. Since it wasn't very high, at most you would sprain yourself if you fell down, but there was no danger to life.

Fang Heng couldn’t imagine why Wang Yuyao would ask to meet him in such a place. He unconsciously knitted his brows.

When he saw the goose-yellow figure seemingly about to drift away with the wind as she stood outside the cliff, he became even more puzzled and bewildered.

“Brother Heng.”

Wang Yuyao heaved a long sigh, as if letting out all the bitterness of half her life, “You’ve finally come. I’ve been waiting for you for so long, so bitterly, do you know? The Fang family forced me to harm you, to lure you out and then silently kill you.”

“But I can’t do it. All these years, seeing how mother has been so vicious towards you, my heart has been suspended in my chest. And seeing you escape and then counterattack, I secretly heaved a sigh of relief for you. To tell the truth, I'm really not a filial person, but I only wish you well, Brother Heng. I only hope you can live well...”

This whole speech was genuine, the true feelings of a young girl, and the words she had kept hidden in her heart for a full three years.

“If possible, I really hope that auntie and uncle were still alive, that father were still alive, that everything could be as wonderful as before.” Wang Yuyao's voice was intermittent as if pouring out all the sorrows of her life, “But ‘if only’ are the palest and most powerless words in this world.”

“You and I both know it's impossible to go back. Is the reason you came because you knew Yuyao intended to deal with Brother Heng? Now that you know, why did you still come? Is it because you still care a little about your sister Yuyao?” Fang Heng pressed his lips together.

From the time he arrived, he hadn't said a word. It had all been Wang Yuyao's monologue.

Even now, when Wang Yuyao asked so earnestly, he still didn't speak.

“Hahahaha.” Wang Yuyao suddenly threw back her head and laughed loudly.

The servants hiding in the shadows - Xu Mo, Chang Yan, Wen Zhiyun, and Jiang Sheng sitting on Jiang Si's shoulders - all became alert, afraid that suddenly a group of villains would appear or that they would be splashed with poison.

“Alright, since you refuse to speak, it makes no difference. After all, I'm the one asking you for help.” Wang Yuyao tidied her attire and appearance, then suddenly knelt in front of Fang Heng. “Brother Heng, Yuyao begs you... begs you to disappear, begs you to die, okay?”

The people hidden in the shadows all changed expression.

But Fang Heng just gazed at her in a daze and finally opened his mouth, “You're asking this of me?”

“Yes, I beg you to disappear from this world.” Wang Yuyao's eyes suddenly turned cold and sinister, completely different from her former frailness. “Do you know how many people paid what price for you? Do you know the Fang family won't let up until you're dead? Right now it's just the Anshui Magistrate, but in the future there will be more and more officials, travelling thousands of miles to Anshui just to deal with you.”

“All of your lives, your money, even your brothers, and that sister you treasure like a precious jewel, none of you can escape.”

“But if you were gone? If you died? If you disappeared? The world would be at peace and everything settled. Everyone could go back to their original lives and live happily and peacefully. They wouldn't have to be nervous and fearful of each coming day.”

“It's all your fault, Fang Heng. It's all your fault for bringing this disaster. If you were smarter, why didn't you die earlier? Disappear from this world, never show your face again - the sooner the better.”

Wang Yuyao's voice grew louder while Fang Heng's complexion grew paler.

The once steady and upright youth faltered and took half a step back.

“This is bad.” Xu Mo hidden in the shadows reacted fastest. He immediately stepped out and called to the servants, “Gag this woman's mouth and throw her down the cliff.”

But it was too late.

Of all schemes, attacking the heart is paramount.

The people of Hairpin courtyard had prevented every possible harm, and even Wang Fufeng had sent over a dozen servants to surround the area in case of robbery or brawling.

But they hadn't expected the Fang family to resort to soft knives instead.

And this knife was wielded by the cousin who had once been closest to him. It could not be more vicious.

Even though Fang Heng had toughened his will through his wanderings, and thought himself as strong as iron, in this moment, as he took that half step back, the once solid rock of his inner heart still collapsed.