Linfeng's dream (I)

The banquet continued livelier than usual. Aside from the Young Miss of Xiong outstanding performance. The Guan mighty figure came also to attend.

Those who attended were feeling fortunate for they not just expand their connections and know some Xiong, but also managed to somehow spoke to one of the heirs of Guan Family, Guan Gao Huan.

The entire night was full of happy murmurs. The elders were the happiest as their grandchildren were with them. Old Xiong and Old Guan were in their usual friendly arguments. The Xiong members were busy in basking with the crowd's honey words and praises.

Guan Gao Huan did not approach Xiong Zhi anymore. He busied himself to those people who had better status and wanted to have connections with the Guans.

Xiong Wuyue was doing the same. She did not want to approach Xiong Zhi as she felt mad by just looking at her.

So Xiong Zhi spent her time peacefully until they, the Xiong family members , escorted the guest out.

When the time for the Guan family to say goodbye, Xiong Zhi just bowed to them and wished them a safe journey. Like how she treated everybody else. Old Guan did not take it to heart as he thought that this little girl was like her grandfather. Stubborn and proud. But he liked it. This Young Miss of Xiong did not need to curry favor from them. If she did that, the old man would surely drive her out of the Xiong Mansion.

At this banquet a lot happened. This was the day that some people started a collaboration that would lead to upheaval in the future.

It's the day when some people's fate changed.

The day that one's heart got exposed out.

The day that people planted suspicions in their minds.

As Xiong Zhi said before. This day was just the beginning. And like that, the banquet ended.

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Linfeng was dressed in his pajamas and ready to sleep. He laid on the bed and stared at the ceiling. However, half an hour passed and he could not sleep.

His brow was furrowed and his heart was bothered. Usually, after every banquet, he would fall asleep easily as his body was tired because of the activity.

Yes. Socializing was tiring for him. But it was a part of his job.

But his mind today was fully awake and alerted. When he tried to close his eyes to sleep, an image of a girl in blue, white hanfu clutching at his robes and silently crying made him open his eyes wide.

Whenever that image came to his mind, he felt suffocated. His chest felt heavy.

He stands up and open his drawer. He took his sleeping pills that he got recently. He drank it and laid in the bed again. After some time, the sleeping pills took effect and he slowly dozes off.

But what he entered was not his slumber...

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****** I left the elders dumbfounded.

At last, we won. I won.

With sufficient evidence and with the internal struggles within the Xiong family the treaty was finally broken. I thought it would take more years to wait for this day. If the Old Xiong was here, this fight will take longer. Old Xiong's death was like a blessing in disguise. It might be bad thinking of this. But I have enough. It's not like I'm the one who killed him or let him die. I just took advantage of his death like everyone else did. I don't know for whom I reassure myself for that that what I was doing was nothing bad. An image of a girl came to my mind. But I shake it off. This feeling of mine will not take me anywhere. It will just stop me.

I left the Xiong Empire after that day.

The next day, as I expected, the news that the Zhou family will no longer work under Xiong erupted like crazy. It has been in history, since ancient times, more than 300 years that Zhou's work together with the Xiong. But in just a single night, everything has changed.

People wonder what happened. But no one can answer them. As the Xiong was busy with it's internal power struggles they don't have time to confront the media. And the Zhou family is under my control. All the elders of Zhou let me decide for the family.

I did not make any statement for the public either.

Some wise people knew that Xiong Family was under war right now. They could not help but shake their heads. The Xiong was mighty and unpertrubed for generations. No one would challenge them. Some jokes that the Old Xiong might be infuriated that he woke up from his grave to scold his descendants for making a big mess of Xiong .

But I don't care anymore of Xiong.

This is the start of my career. My own legend. I can finally do what I want. I will not be in shackles any more. No one will tell me that this is just how far I should go.

All my hard work for all these years...will be finally paid out.

I admired the scenery of the night.

There was no stars. I could not even see the moon. It was just dark. I felt like playing my guzheng. I back off from the balcony to get my favorite instrument when I remembered I'm not in the Xiong Mansion anymore.

Because of some matters these days, I did not pack my things from the Xiong Mansion. My favourite instrument, the used guzheng was in my room in that mansion. I am kind of man who only played in his own instrument. For I received the satisfaction I want in my own things.

I looked at my hands. I badly want to play a song with my guzheng right now. There's a feeling of lost. There's an emptiness in my heart. This day should be the happiest day for me, because this is the day I am waiting for. But the sense of loss and lacking was so strong. I can't believe not having my instrument by my side made me sad in the most happiest day of my life.

I vowed that in the next day I will retrieve my things in that mansion.

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It was early in the morning when I left the Zhou Villa.

The maids and butlers greeted me as they know who I am. We are even co-worker before.

I directly went to my room. Beside my bed was my guzheng and it's case. I caressed it and felt the satisfaction of having my own things in my hands.

Then I picked it up and ready to go.

My room is in the east, same wing with the Young Miss. The room above me is actually her room.

Maybe because of this that I want to be out of this mansion as soon as possible.

I walked downstairs and passed by the gardens. With just 5 minutes of walking and a turn around the corner I will be out of this mansion.

But my eyes caught her small figure.

In the east wing, on third floor, in the balcony, she was standing wearing her night gown. Her long hair swayed along the morning breeze. She was looking in my direction. She was seeing me off.

The loss I felt got stronger. My heart felt heavy. Like there's a hand that grabbed it roughly and squeezed it.

I quickly look away.

I had to.

I must to.

Because I know for sure, spending just a second here will make me run back to her.

But too bad. It was too late. I underestimate her spell on me. Because after a week, I returned to Xiong Mansion and pledge my loyalty to her again.

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