I feel the need to reflect on why I always get caught up in the moment, unable to control myself, and end up doing things that make me regret them to death.
Back when I left Lingbi City, the words I said to Lingshan, and later shouting in front of a strange girl that I would change the world… every piece of my dark history is the result of my own self-inflicted disasters.
With just a few words, my father sold me off to the old man, and as for me… with just a few words, I sold myself to Cao Cao.
“What a misfortune…”
The next morning, realizing I had essentially given myself away for free, I knelt on the ground in an OTZ pose under the bewildered gazes of the Bingqiao sisters, tears of a man streaming down my face.
After getting up and packing in the morning, I heard that Cao Song had gone alone to the Wei family to settle scores for his precious daughter, reportedly giving the Wei family’s young master a thorough beating.
What puzzled Cao Song’s family, however, was that the Wei family’s young master didn’t resist at all.
He even stopped his family from intervening, willingly letting Cao Song beat him up.
This left Cao Song unnerved, and he didn’t dare continue the beating.
In Cao Song’s words, “Could that brat have some strange fetish? Good thing I didn’t marry Zhener to him.”
Only I knew that the much-maligned Wei family young master had chosen to give up his beloved to prevent the separation of those close sisters.
But seriously, it was your family’s kid who ran away from the marriage and stole the bride, and you went over to beat someone up?
How much of a bully can you be?
After the farce, we packed our things and prepared to take our leave.
Upon hearing that we had walked all the way here, Cao Song didn’t hesitate.
He sent a few servants to prepare horses to carry us to Changshan.
But I’m certain the only reason he was so generous was because of his precious daughter’s request, deliberately showing off his magnanimity in front of her.
Back then, my father didn’t prepare horses for us, partly because of the old man’s request and partly because he wanted to toughen me up.
Now that Changshan wasn’t far away, I had no intention of training myself, and it wouldn’t be good to reject Cao Song’s enthusiastic offer.
So this time, the old man didn’t insist and accepted Cao Song’s kindness.
Everything was ready. I mounted a horse, sitting in front of a servant.
The old man, along with another servant, carried the Bingqiao sisters, and we prepared to bid farewell to Cao Song’s family.
“Thank you for your hospitality, my lord. We’ll take our leave now,” the old man said, saluting Cao Song from horseback.
“Take care on the road, and please look after that foolish boy, Elder Tong.”
“It’s my duty, my lord. Please return.”
“No trouble at all.”
Just as we turned to leave, a voice suddenly stopped us.
“Xiao Qing!”
I could tell that the young voice belonged to Cao Cao.
Cao Cao hesitated for a long time but still spoke softly to my back.
“I hope… you won’t forget.”
“…”
Before I could respond, I heard Cao Song crying out, “Huh? What? Forget what? What’s this? Is my precious daughter hiding something from me with this brat!? Hiding something from her dearest father…”
“Dear husband, please be quiet. This is an important moment for our daughter.”
Though I couldn’t see them since my back was turned, I clearly heard a loud clang of metal, and then Cao Song fell silent.
Knocked out by a frying pan again, huh…
I gave a wry smile, knowing I had to properly respond to Cao Cao.
After all, it was something I had promised, and there was no reason to back out now.
Without turning around, I nodded, then realized the servant behind me was blocking Cao Cao’s view.
I murmured softly, “Ah… I couldn’t forget even if I wanted to.”
With that, I stretched out my hand to the side and hooked my pinky.
Seeing this gesture, Cao Cao let out a relieved sigh.
The encounter with the young Cao Cao, the profound dialogue from that day and night—how could I forget it so easily?
“Wait.”
Just as we were about to leave, Cao Zhen suddenly called out, then turned to Cao Cao’s mother and said, “Aunt, let me see Elder Tong off. Besides, because of my situation, the Wei family won’t let things go easily. It’s a good chance for me to lay low.”
Cao Cao’s mother, who knew this child well, didn’t believe she was afraid of anything.
After a moment’s thought, she understood and smiled, “Alright, I’ll feel at ease with you going.”
“Thank you, Aunt.”
Cao Zhen spoke to the servant behind Leng Yu, “You, get down. I’ll go.”
“Yes.”
Cao Zhen mounted the horse, sitting behind Leng Yu.
After a moment’s thought, she turned to me, seemingly requesting but actually commanding, “Get down.”
“Huh?”
“Get down and sit here.”
She patted the spot in front of her.
Though her tone was light, there was an undeniable pressure that made me obey without any thought of resistance.
This girl doesn’t hold back her queenly aura when dealing with me.
I sat in Cao Zhen’s arms, with Leng Yu in front of me.
Though there were three of us, thankfully both Leng Yu and I were kids, and the horse was sturdy enough, so it wasn’t an issue.
Well, the horse wasn’t an issue, but sitting in Cao Zhen’s arms made me extremely uneasy.
It wasn’t that being in her arms was uncomfortable—quite the opposite.
It was almost too comfortable.
Her body was soft against my back, and my head rested on something even softer… cough cough.
In contrast to her soft body, mine was stiff as a board, not daring to move an inch.
Cao Zhen clearly noticed my discomfort and teased, “What’s wrong? Are you shy at such a young age?”
If she knew I was actually a thirty-year-old man who had already taken full advantage of her, I wonder if I’d get to see her shy expression…
Though the cost would likely be my life.
I thought she had something to say, but after we left Cao Song’s family, she didn’t say anything special along the way, just chatting casually with me or the old man about mundane things.
During the conversation, Cao Zhen casually mentioned the “Lady of the Lake” matter.
It originated with Cao Cao’s mother, Liu Huaiyu, who had once been by the lake and somehow earned the title.
Of course, that was from Liu Huaiyu’s perspective.
As for me, I could imagine that a woman as perfect as her—aside from a slight tendency toward cunning—would drive people wild in both senses, whether by a serene, beautiful lake or just taking a stroll outside.
Later, Cao Zhen casually mentioned that she had only recently been called the second-generation “Lady of the Lake.”
To her, it was surprising that she’d been chosen as the second generation.
She had always simply admired Liu Huaiyu, a woman of immense charm, and unconsciously imitated her.
Over time, perhaps due to subtle influences, some people—mostly men, I suspect—privately dubbed her the second generation, and the title spread among the locals.
Indeed, if you set aside her occasional queenly outbursts, she was a gentle beauty comparable to Liu Huaiyu.
The title “Lady of the Lake” suited her well.
Though the so-called “Lady of the Lake” title was just local gossip with no formal process or standard, it still reflected people’s recognition of their beauty.
Speaking of which, my mother was also Ros also a well-known figure locally.
Many said that in her youth, my mother, born into a prominent family, was both innocently charming and possessed a mature, virtuous heart beneath her naive exterior.
Most notably, her perfect and unique tea-making skills reportedly enchanted countless young suitors who tasted her tea, leading to a flood of admirers.
Unfortunately for them, my mother had long been devoted to my father, which apparently caused him no small amount of trouble.
In their words, my mother was so perfect that people thought it a waste for her to marry my father.
Thinking of my mother in my memories—someone who often hugged her son while crying and wiping her tears—I couldn’t deny her beauty but couldn’t quite connect her to the perfect, sought-after woman they described.
So, I reasonably suspected that these uncles, recounting her stories with dreamy expressions, might have been among her suitors back then…