Chapter 4 — White Cat Leads Good Luck

The night wind was a bit cold, and there was not a single person on the long street. It's strange to say. Obviously there was someone following behind, but in my heart I felt extremely peaceful. This feeling is very strange. I remember the last time I traveled home at night, it was on the night of the Lunar New Year. Sister pulled Bui Thieu into the crowd to watch the fireworks. The two of them talked and laughed, walking faster and faster. I was pushed away from them by the flow of people. I called several times but no one turned around. Finally, an old ghost with a gentle face held a carp lantern and took me home. Before saying goodbye, she put the lantern in my hand, smiled and said:
"You've just been looking at this lantern for a long time, do you like it? Take it."
I really like it. The carp looked lifelike, with its tail curled up and its scales dotted with gold powder. Under the candlelight, it looked like it was about to swim out. But we haven't had time to look a few more times. After returning to the palace, father and mother sat down in the lobby waiting.
"Where are you running to? My sister is looking for you so impatiently, she's about to cry!"
Sister leaned on her mother's lap, her eyes red. I haven't even opened my mouth yet. Bui Thieu snatched the carp lantern from my hand, turned around and gave it to my sister.
"Chieu Nguyet couldn't play anything because he was looking for her. As for her, it's great that he bought himself a rare lantern like this."
He smiled and rubbed his sister's head, then turned to look at me.
"I'll buy another one to pay for it another day."
She didn't like that lantern at all. The next day, I saw her throw it to the ground and trample it. The carp covered in gold powder was crushed into pieces. That's exactly what she is, she'd rather destroy it than let me own it. What about Bui Thieu? He thinks that me not crying or making a fuss means I don't care, this is just a small joke between two sisters. He sees my patience as an inherent trait, and sees my sister's intentional trouble making as a harmless joke. Essentially, he and my parents are the same type of person. They all thought that Liu Zhaoling would not feel pain.
11
The footsteps behind me suddenly grew two steps faster. I stopped, turned around and looked. Tham Trong Dan ran a few steps forward, bringing an object in his hand to me. It's a lantern. The small, delicate bamboo frame is pasted with transparent silk paper, and on top is a carp with its tail curved and its scales dotted with gold powder. Exactly like the lantern of that year. I opened my eyes wide in surprise. Tham Trong Dan again started talking incoherently:
"It's just that this morning when I passed by the lantern shop, I saw it was beautiful so I bought one. If you like it, take it. If you don't like it, it's okay, I can exchange it for one..."
The palace gate was suddenly pulled open by the people inside. Orange light spilled out, illuminating a person's silhouette.
“Liu Chieu Linh.”
Bui Thieu called me by my full name.
"He made a fuss about canceling his marriage with me, but it turned out he had his eyes on someone else."
He smiled coldly, as if he had finally found a chance to expose my true face.
"What Chieu Nguyet said is certainly not wrong. She is truly a person with deep thoughts, even if the marriage was to be annulled, she had to find a dignified excuse, pretending that she had suffered all the resentments."
The night wind is very cold. But I stood there, looking at Bui Thieu's face distorted by anger. In my heart there is no anger, no pain, no sadness Even the bitter, suffocating feeling from before had vanished into thin air. I lifted Nguyen Tieu up in my arms and looked at him with almost searching eyes.
"You lost my cat and couldn't find it, so you randomly took one like it to deceive me."
"Even when you trick me, you're too lazy to put in a little more thought. Having been exposed, you can still stand here eloquently, changing black and white, criticizing my deepest thoughts."
"This selfish, fake appearance of yours really resembles Lu Zhao Yue."
I pulled the corner of my lips, showing an extremely cold smile.
"The two of you should become husband and wife, grow old together. Absolutely do not cause trouble for others."
“Cancel the engagement?”
Tham Trong Dan, holding a lantern, suddenly spoke:
“You broke off your engagement with him?!”
12
Only then did Bui Thieu pay attention to Tham Trong Dan. He looked surprised, then burst out laughing.
"Who do you think he is? Would he keep an eye on a quiet person like you? It just feels strange."
“You want to use him as a tool to stimulate me to change my mind?”
"I tell you, the person in my heart from beginning to end is Chieu Nguyet. That year, I was blind before you blinded me. Once the marriage is annulled, I will immediately go to the palace to pray for marriage, use an eight-person palanquin to carry Chieu Nguyet back home with dignity and integrity."
Having finished speaking, he glanced at me contemptuously.
"When that time comes, don't come crying and begging me."
What a loss of face. I was once engaged to this type of person, and even let Tham Trong Dan see the joke. The corner of my mouth twitched, temporarily not knowing how to arrange my words to scold an idiot. Tham Trong Dan took a step forward, blocking me behind. The aura on his body suddenly became overwhelmingly cold.