Xu Mo pushed open the door and saw a frail and pale young man lying on his side on the ground. The hand stretched out was pointed at the door, as if trying feebly to grab something, but gave up due to weakness.
Everyone was shocked and filled with grief.
Xu Mo reacted the fastest, rushing over to help prop him up, just as Zheng Ruqian and Jiang Sheng had propped up his legs that were completely broken back then, "Little Four, come quickly!"
Wen Zhiyun didn't dare to panic or hesitate. He threw away the medical kit and rushed over to take his pulse, check his pupils, and feel his breath.
Meanwhile, Fang Heng and Zheng Ruqian opened all the doors and windows wide to ventilate the air.
Chang Yan and Jiang Sheng squatted down on either side, not even daring to breathe loudly, for fear of startling this brother who was as delicate as finely carved jade.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Wen Zhiyun's hands trembled as he took up a silver needle, steadied himself, and stabbed it fiercely into Wang Fufeng's middle finger.
When he pulled it out, a stream of black blood gushed out. The pale young man who was so white he was almost transparent slowly opened his eyes.
"You guys..." He blurrily thought he was dead, "Are you here to take me away?"
Zheng Ruqian poked his big head over, "Young Master Wang, you can come with us if you want."
It was just a perfectly good room. Hanging grey cloths over the windows when the doors weren't even closed would suffocate even the liveliest people, let alone the innately frail sickly young master.
"It's you..." Wang Fufeng remembered, "My cousin's friend?"
So he wasn't dead. Who was around him? And who was holding him?
"My name is Xu Mo," Xu Mo said concisely, "Thank you for your investigation. Sun Yu has fallen."
Wang Fufeng was stunned, then smiled lightly. There was a faint dimple by the right corner of his mouth.
So this was the person who brought the light.
It was also he who accomplished the plotting and scheming that he had been working on.
"I heard that the Wang family locked you up, so we found our way here," Xu Mo added.
The dimple at the corner of Wang Fufeng's mouth disappeared. He lowered his thick eyelashes and sighed softly, "Given my condition, I'm just a burden even if I live. I might as well just die like this and save you the trouble of coming here."
It was clear he had no will to live.
Even the most brilliant doctor couldn't save someone determined to die.
Wen Zhiyun was anxious. Lacking eloquence, he could only clasp Wang Fufeng's hand and look around desperately for help.
Sensing Fourth Brother's anxiety, Chang Yan suddenly stood up and declared in a clear ringing voice, "So you're just going to leave like that? You coward!"
Everyone was stunned.
Especially Wang Fufeng, who stared fixedly at Chang Yan, as if trying to see through him, and through himself in the last decades of his life as well.
His frail body, his cold and aloof parents, the turmoil within the Wang family.
All of it wore away at his will to live.
The physicians had told him he could live until his twenties, yet now he nearly died at fourteen.
Six more years... That was still precious time.
Did he love this world? He must have loved it, otherwise why did he want to see the sunlight and the icy blue sky one more time before he passed?
Sometimes Wang Fufeng couldn't help wondering, if he had lived in a loving family with a caring mother, perhaps he could have lived until his mid or late twenties, or even thirties.
Even when the God of Death came for him, he would cling tightly to his parents' hands and refuse to let go.
"Hahaha..." Wang Fufeng suddenly closed his eyes and laughed.
He laughed at his own longing and futility, and his foolishness at giving up his life for them.
What did six more years matter? As long as he lived, he could properly see this world - see the flowers in full bloom, feel the warm sunlight, witness the harmony of wind and rain, experience heaven and earth blanketed in ice and snow.
After a long while, he stopped laughing. Calmly opening his eyes, he said, "Alright, I'll live."
No one could shackle a refined and elegant young master of his intellect and perception except himself.
The moment he decided to live for himself, the world opened its arms to embrace him.
Given how remote and crude this manor of the Wang family was, with Wang Fufeng's consent, Xu Mo disguised him and brought him back to Zhuhua Courtyard.
Wen Zhiyun carefully diagnosed and treated his illnesses, nourishing his health.
In just three to five days, Wang Fufeng's body transformed from translucent to gaining some human color. His hands and feet grew warm, and his lips reddened.
The siblings were quite delighted, especially Jiang Sheng. When she had first entered the Wang family manor and thought Young Master Fufeng was already dead, she had prepared herself to shed tears. But then he opened his eyes again.
It felt like Old Uncle Zhu's puppy was going to die, so they had already dug a hole to bury it. But right as they were about to bury it, the puppy suddenly barked twice.
It was shocking yet joyful, and also a little frightening.
Once Wang Fufeng's lips gained some faint color, although still very pale, Jiang Sheng already dared to cautiously approach him and ask if he wanted to eat persimmon cakes.
These past few days, Wang Fufeng also gained an initial understanding of the six siblings at Zhuhua Courtyard.
There was no need to elaborate on Xu Mo's excellence. Based on a decades-old cold case alone, he got the next Magistrate of Anshui County replaced.
As for Chang Yan, he was amazed by the young man. While recuperating these days, he had wanted to chat more with this little brother, but could never find him.
Only after asking Jiang Sheng did he know that Chang Yan was dragged off to train his body. Every day when he got back he was like a dead pig, too exhausted to be roused.
"Elder brother Fufeng, if you have anything to ask, I can help pass on the message," little Jiang Sheng's eyes shone bright like the night sky full of stars.
Wang Fufeng smiled gently, but before he could speak, Xu Mo strode in.
Without waiting for him to stop, Wang Fufeng casually remarked, "The Wang family found out?"
Xu Mo halted in his tracks.
As expected of the most clever person in the Wang family. He discerned the reason just from Xu Mo's pace and expression.
Indeed, the Wang family had discovered Wang Fufeng's disappearance five days after he arrived at Zhuhua Courtyard. They started searching all over the city for the Second Young Master, and put up notices everywhere.
Fortunately they didn't notify the authorities, otherwise it would have been a manhunt rather than a search.
"They wanted me dead, and now they're looking for me. Or perhaps, they want to see me die with their own eyes?" Wang Fufeng's lips curved mockingly.
If that was the case, he would set their minds at ease.
Before long, word spread in Anshui County that the Second Young Master of the Wang family had passed away in the wilderness. It was said that wild dogs gnawed his corpse until it was unrecognizable. No one could make out his original appearance.
The Wang family was devastated. Sobbing and weeping, they carried the corpse back and buried it in the Wang ancestral grave.
And thus, Wang Fufeng dissipated like the wind. Young Master Fufeng now rose with the wind.
It was around this time that Xu Mo and his siblings discovered that Wang Fufeng was not without means. On the contrary, he had assets, connections, and even a considerable number of loyal servants.
