A Fantasy Love Story Across the Warring States Period

Chapter 4: The Turmoil in the Capital and the Rising Tide of the Heart

Wanru stood to the side, watching the woman named Xueying intimately link arms with Huanmo, and the sense of loss in her heart grew stronger. She lowered her head, trying to hide the emotions in her eyes, but her heart felt like a jumbled mess of feelings.

"Who exactly is this Xueying? Seeing how close she is to Young Master Huanmo, their relationship must be quite special." Wanru wondered to herself, and couldn't help but secretly glance at her again.

Xueying wore a pink, floor-length gown embroidered with exquisite butterfly patterns that seemed to flutter and dance as she moved. She had a beautiful face, snow-white skin, and large, bright eyes that sparkled with liveliness and playfulness. She was currently gazing at Huanmo with a beaming smile.

"Brother Huanmo, did your trip go smoothly? Did you encounter any fun things?" Xueying's voice was soft and melodious, like a nightingale singing in a valley.

Huanmo smiled and replied, "It went fairly smoothly, but we encountered some bandits along the way, and it took some effort to deal with them."

"Oh dear, that was really dangerous! Is Brother Huanmo alright?" Xueying looked Huanmo up and down with a worried expression, her concern making it seem as if Huanmo was her most precious treasure.

Wanru listened to their conversation silently, feeling like an outsider, completely out of place in the lively atmosphere. She couldn't help but feel a little self-deprecating: "What am I expecting? Young Master Huanmo saved me and took me in, but it was only out of his kindness and pity. We are from completely different worlds."

Huanmo seemed to notice Wanru's unusual behavior. He gently pulled away from Xueying's arm, looked at Wanru, and said, "Wanru, this is Xueying, the daughter of my uncle's family. We grew up together since we were little."

Upon hearing this, Wanru forced a smile, bowed slightly, and said, "Greetings, Miss Xueying. My name is Wanru. I am new here and hope you will take good care of me."

Xueying then turned her gaze to Wanru. She frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes, as if she were examining a novel object.

"Is this the person you brought back, Brother Huanmo? Her clothes and appearance are really strange. Where did she come from?" Xueying asked directly, not hiding her curiosity.

Wanru's heart tightened. She didn't know how to answer and subconsciously looked at Huanmo.

Huanmo paused slightly and said, "I met her in the mountains. Her family suffered a misfortune and she is now all alone, so I brought her back so that she can be taken care of."

Xueying listened and gave a soft "Oh," her doubts not completely disappearing, but she didn't ask any more questions. She then turned to Huanmo and said, "Brother Huanmo, you must spend more time with me this time you're back. I've learned a new piece of music and I'm thinking of playing it for you."

Huanmo nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll come find you after I've settled Wanru in."

After saying that, Huanmo led Wanru back to the mansion, while Xueying stood still, her gaze following their backs, a subtle and unsettling glint in her eyes.

Wanru followed Huanmo into the mansion, trying her best to calm herself down along the way. The mansion was even larger than she had imagined, with pavilions and towers arranged in a well-organized manner, and the flowers, plants and trees in the garden were lush and green, exuding an atmosphere of wealth and elegance.

Huanmo arranged for Wanru to stay in a secluded courtyard and said, "You can stay here for now. If you need anything, just let the servants in the mansion know."

Wanru looked at Huanmo gratefully and said, "Thank you for the arrangement, young master. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Huanmo waved his hand and said, "It's alright, you should rest well first. I still have some things to take care of."

After saying that, Huanmo turned and left. Wanru watched his departing figure, feeling a pang of disappointment. She walked into the courtyard, looked at the unfamiliar surroundings, and couldn't help but sigh.

"In the end, I still have to face all of this alone," Wanru thought to herself. She looked around the small courtyard; the room was simply furnished, but it had everything she needed. She sat on the edge of the bed, her thoughts drifting.

Having transmigrated from the research lab to the Warring States period, experiencing so many dangers and twists and turns, she finally arrived in the capital, hoping to find a peaceful place. However, she unexpectedly encountered this situation. Xueying's appearance made her clearly aware of the gap between herself and Huanmo, as well as her loneliness and helplessness in this era.

Just as Wanru was lost in her thoughts, suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the door. Then, the door was gently pushed open, and a young girl who looked like a maid walked in.

“Miss, I’m here to serve you. My name is Xiaozhu. Please feel free to ask me for anything you need,” Xiaozhu said respectfully.

Wanru snapped out of her reverie and looked at the well-behaved little girl in front of her, a warm feeling welling up in her heart. She smiled and said, "Thank you, Xiaozhu. I don't need anything for now, you can go now."

Xiao Zhu nodded and said, "Then you should rest well, young lady. I'll be right outside the door. Just call me if you need anything."

After saying that, Xiaozhu left and gently closed the door.

Wanru sat alone for a while, feeling a bit bored, so she decided to go out for a walk and familiarize herself with the surroundings of the mansion. She walked out of the courtyard and slowly strolled along the corridor, looking at everything around her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

People came and went in the mansion, each seemingly having their own things to do. Wanru tried not to disturb them, but simply observed them silently.

Just as she reached the corner of a garden, she suddenly heard a faint arguing sound. Curious, she followed the sound.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out that Xueying and a maid were arguing. The maid had her head down, looking aggrieved, while Xueying had an angry expression and was pointing at the maid and scolding her.

Wanru didn't want to meddle and was about to turn away when she heard Xueying say, "Hmph, who exactly is that Wanru? Why did Brother Huanmo bring her back? She doesn't seem like a good person!"

Wanru was startled; she hadn't expected Xueying to speak of her like that behind her back. She stopped in her tracks, a surge of anger and resentment welling up inside her.

"What did I do to offend her? I'm just a pitiful person with no one to rely on. Young Master Huanmo kindly took me in, so why is she slandering me like this?" Wanru thought indignantly.

Just then, Xueying seemed to sense someone nearby. She turned around abruptly and saw Wanru.

Xueying's face immediately turned somewhat embarrassed, but she quickly regained her haughty demeanor. She looked coldly at Wanru and said, "Hmph, eavesdropping on other people's conversations is not a good habit."

Wanru took a deep breath, trying to remain calm, and said, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop; I just happened to be passing by and overheard. Miss Xueying, I don't know what I did to offend you, so why are you slandering me behind my back like this?"

Xueying sneered and said, "I slandered you? I was just telling the truth. You're a stranger of unknown origin, who knows what your intentions are? Brother Huanmo only took you in out of kindness, don't think you can do whatever you want in this mansion!"

Upon hearing this, Wanru felt even more aggrieved and angry. Just as she was about to retort, a voice suddenly came from behind her: "What are you doing?"

Everyone turned around and saw that it was Huanmo. Huanmo frowned, looking at the tense scene before him, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.