The Twelve Spirits: Ugly Spirit

[4]

Later, Xiao Yan returned.

Xiao Yan – her playmate in their childhood, the Prime Minister's precious daughter. When they were eight, Ning Xishi shielded her from that pot of boiling water and was left permanently disfigured. Since then, Xiao Yan had been forbidden from leaving her family's manor. Later, rumors spread across the common folk that Xiao Yan was forced to refuse all visitors as she had contracted a strange disease, until, at nineteen years old, she was fully cured and could finally re-enter society.

And now, two years later, Xiao Yan had been bestowed marriage to the Great General Xie Huan in a ceremony that was celebrated by the entire nation. Even though the two of them had not met in eleven years, when Ning Xishi thought about her old friend, she still prayed for her happiness.

Ning Xishi originally intended to attend Xiao Yan's wedding, but as she was feeling unwell that day, she had to entrust Su Zicheng to deliver her gift on her behalf, while she recuperated within the manor.

Su Zicheng brought her gift and paid a visit to Xiao Yan's family manor. He stood at the long corridor, preparing to hand the gift over to a servant of the Xiao family. Yet he raised his head – a careless action – and his gaze fell upon Xiao Yan.

That day, Xiao Yan had been dressed in a beautiful gown, her face lit in a warm smile.

At once, Su Zicheng was stunned. He stood rooted on the spot, his hands still clutched around Ning Xishi's gift.

A second later, he shoved the servant aside and dashed across the corridor towards Xiao Yan. The guards of the Xiao manor swarmed towards him, restraining him, while Xiao Yan stood there, staring at him through perplexed eyes, her brows furrowing.

– –

'Did you know, that day, it was His Majesty himself who decreed a restraining order? He actually attempted to use his personal troops to stop the wedding...' Ning Xishi's words trailed off and she laughed, yet her laughter was broken like cries.

'His Majesty summoned me into the imperial palace, hoping I could dissuade him. But how could I have succeeded?'

When Ning Xishi returned to their manor from the palace, she saw the wine bottles that had been scattered across the ground and Su Zicheng in a drunken state of misery.

That warm and cheerful youth of her memories; the powerful and confident man she had married had been reduced to a child as he locked himself in his room, wailing to the heavens.

She walked towards him, and he immediately clutched her, words spilling forth from his lips, 'Xishi, do you know... she has forgotten me. Her servants told me that she had once been assaulted by kidnappers, and her memories are distorted. She has forgotten me! Just like that – she has forgotten me!'

He said, 'Xishi, I refuse to give up, I refuse to give up... I should have gone to see her earlier. I should have met her earlier.'

Ning Xishi did not speak. Under the darkness of the night, she reached out, holding him close within her arms.

– –

In the days that followed, Su Zicheng was frequently away from his manor. Rumors said that Xiao Yan's husband did not treat her well, so Su Zicheng often found trouble with him. Day after day, he entrusted a servant to deliver his gifts to Xiao Yan; day after day, he waited for her but was only ever met with rejection.

Su Zicheng was convinced that Xiao Yan had only forgotten him and that one day, she would eventually remember him. And... in truth, regardless of whether Xiao Yan remembered him or otherwise, his love towards her would remain unchanged.