Choices 2

Lingxi was more than a little annoyed when she realized that Qin Feng had barred his door, showing clearly that he was unwilling to meet with her. Or any other visitor, she reminded herself, as she turned to give the young woman beside her a look.

Xuan Mei's expression was horrible, to say the least. Not that Lingxi could blame her. She had clearly gone through quite a bit of apprehension, when she approached Lingxi with her little scheme, and this visit to Qin Feng's medicine farm was obviously humiliating for her. Given her proud nature, Lingxi did not need to guess what sort of embarrassment she must be feeling, to find the door barred against her and her practiced arguments.

Lingxi blushed, as she remembered just how those arguments had involved her. Well, she did agree to participate in this little scheme. And Xuan Mei had been rather generous too, when it came to ... her compensation.

Of course, if Qin Feng had agreed to this, and depending on his ... desires, she did stand a chance of ... losing all semblance of respectability. Lingxi's reputation would be seriously affected regardless, so long as he took part in this little ploy, so she was not too upset about that. Given her status in the Rear Gardens, it was not as if she was going to end up smelling of roses in any case.

And she had to admit that the benefits that Xuan Mei had promised her were very, very tempting. Which was why she had agreed to this in the first place.

However, Qin Feng's stand-offish behavior just now was enough to make her wonder if she had made the correct decision. Or if he had already some idea of what the two women were planning. Had he been insulted? That would explain why he was refusing to meet with the two of them, wouldn't it? Or was this caused by something else?

"What is wrong with him? Why isn't he answering the door? Has he ever been like this before, Lingxi? Has he ever shut you out?"

The woman shook her head at Xuan Mei, and wondered at Qin Feng's motivations herself. This was so unlike him. Most of the time, he would be more than pleased to talk an to make a deal. Which was why his peculiar behavior worried Lingxi. And not by just a little either.

Yet, none of that mattered in the least, given Qin Feng's current bad mood. And it was obvious that neither of them would be able to convince him to let them in, much less engage in a proper discussion about their plans.

Hence Lingxi did not waste any time, and gently tugged on Xuan Mei's sleeve, pulling her away from the young herb-grower's door. "There is no point in trying to talk to him now. I know Qin Feng and this seems to be a repeat of that incident back when he was new to the Medicine Gardens. Some senior had trashed some of his plants during the seasonal submissions back in the day, and Qin Feng had sealed himself up in there for close to twelve days.

"We will not be able to get through to him until he calms down."

Xuan Mei, however, did not seem discouraged by that at all. "Hmmph! Who is he to show his temper to this young lady? So what if he shuts himself up? I will simply get my father to summon him to the Elders' Court! That should put an end to this!"

Lingxi rolled her eyes at the younger woman. "It will definitely put an end to this, as you say. But not in the way that you are hoping for! Qin Feng will most likely reject your father and announce to the rest of the School that he will not marry you, regardless of what he offers! Tell me, would that suit your purpose? Or your father's?"

The girl looked at Lingxi with astonishment in her eyes, as though not believing what she had just heard. Which was enough to make the disciple from the Rear Gardens sigh.

"You haven't heard the story, I think. Of how he took revenge on the fool who had trashed his herbs? The boy's entire field was razed to the ground, and even the trees that were growing on his allocated patch of ground was completely destroyed. All in one night!

"In the end, that fellow was forced into the mines, to work off his debt to the School for losing such a precious medicine garden. Needless to say, he is still there now, almost a year later!"

Xuan Mei was still a little unconvinced, although Lingxi could sense her wavering. Her voice was however, firm when she demanded to know why no action had been taken against Qin Feng, if that was the case.

"Because on the night that the idiot's fields were destroyed, Qin Feng was out drowning his sorrows in alcohol with two other disciples in town. One of them was Chen Xing, and he was also the one who had to haul Qin Feng back to the School in his drunken state. So how could he be the one to set the fire? When he was stuck in the Outer Court Disciplinary Cells?"

"But ... How ..."

"No one knows who helped him to set the fire, or what he had to pay to get it done. Indeed, there was nothing to tie Qin Feng to the incident at all. But everyone knew the reason why everything that the idiot had was destroyed. All because he made Qin Feng really, really upset. And I think he is just as upset now. Perhaps even more so."

"Then ... You are saying that we should not ... disturb him at all?"

Lingxi took in a deep breath, and shook her head at the girl beside her. "I think it would be best if we ... left him alone for the time being. And try to find out what it is that got him into ... such a state. Didn't you say that he was doing something special for Elder Ming Guanhe and his daughter?

"Why don't we ask her? She might know the reason being his bad mood."

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