Xiaotian hadn’t slept all night after the incident. Before the young master awoke, she placed the letter she had written in advance on the table, along with her cherished necklace and a silver note of one hundred taels, which she had requested from Guo Feng out of fear that the young master wouldn’t make it through. After making sure everything was in order, she left without a trace.
Having experienced the pleasures of the flesh for the first time, Li Fugui slept soundly through the night. By the time he woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. He threw off the covers and stepped down from the bed, only to spot the red imprint Xiaotian had left behind.
What was this? Xiaotian hadn’t been mistreated; she was still the unblemished Xiaotian.
He was elated, and got up to go outside. But Xiaotian was nowhere to be seen, and his heart skipped a beat as if forewarning of some misfortune about to unfold.
He hurried back to his room and found the items Xiaotian had left on the table.
He quickly picked up the letter, his hands trembling.
"Fugui, please forgive me for leaving without saying goodbye. I don’t want to become a burden to you. Forgive my actions last night. I fear that once I leave, we may never see each other again. The necklace was the only thing my parents left me; I’m leaving it with you as a keepsake. The silver note is for you to use in times of need. Do what you wish and don’t look for me."
Li Fugui held the letter, his body swaying as if about to fall. So this was the truth of the matter, it was all a misunderstanding.
His Xiaotian, whom he had just won, was about to be lost to him forever.
Like a madman, he ran out of the door onto the streets, desperate to find her. But his efforts were in vain, she was nowhere to be found.
Helpless, he sought out people he used to know and eventually came across a friend, "Brother Wang, I need your help with something..."
But before he could finish his plea, he was cut off by Wang’s words, "Go away, you beggar. Hurry up and leave."
The man had clearly recognized him, yet he dismissively walked away after uttering those words, leaving Li Fugui utterly abandoned with none willing to help.
Returning disheartened to his rented courtyard, Li Fugui discovered people removing items from his house.
"Who are you? What are you doing?"
An old woman emerged from the house, "Ah, Young Master Li, you’re back. Hurry up and pack your things to leave."
It never crossed Li Fugui’s mind that he would be evicted. This was the only place carrying his and Xiaotian’s memories; he couldn’t leave. If he did, Xiaotian would truly be untraceable.
"I’ve sold the house to someone else, so you better move out quickly."
"To whom have you sold it?"
"Humph, I might as well tell you, it’s been sold to the Li family’s second young master."
Li Fugui felt as if he had been struck by lightning. Li Fuyou was cutting him off completely, not even leaving him a place to stay. How cruel he was.
Li Fugui went inside to gather his things, but as soon as he entered, he saw someone holding Xiaotian’s silver note and necklace.
"What are you doing? Give me back the silver note and necklace!"
Li Fugui lunged forward to grab the items from their hands, but a few men overpowered him.
"What silver note? Where did this silver note come from? Does it have your name on it?"
Li Fugui struggled to his feet to wrestle them back, only to be stopped again by the men who then started beating him.
He was beaten until he could barely move, and they didn’t even let him collect his belongings; they just threw him out onto the street.
"Hey, give me that necklace," Li Fugui cried out with a gush of blood, shouting at them.
Everything else was dispensable, but the necklace was non-negotiable; it was the only thing Xiaotian had left him.
The door opened, and they flung the necklace and his tattered possessions right into his face. "A worthless necklace, what’s so precious about it?"