Noticing my change in expression, Meng Li asked with concern, "What is it? Did something happen at home?" Forcing a smile, I handed her the letter. "It's nothing. Father just wants me to go back and see him sooner." Meng Li took the letter and scanned it quickly. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as if she sensed something amiss, but in the end, she said nothing and simply nodded gently.
Taking a deep breath to press down the surging emotions, I said to Meng Li, "I'm stepping out for a moment, I'll be right back." With that, I hurried out of the courtyard. Meng Li called out softly from behind me, "Come back soon, I'll be waiting." My footsteps paused. Without turning my head, I let out a soft "Mn" and left without looking back.
Following the directions Kong Fang had left in the letter, I hurried all the way to a secluded valley in the back mountains of the Wu Family. The bottom of the valley was shrouded in mist, resembling a fairyland, but I had no heart to appreciate the scenery. My heart felt as though it were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Chapter 54