Chapter 49 Returning from a Thousand Li Journey

nergy into herself, feeling a surge of power in her lower dantian. She was immediately overjoyed. Not sure if she could fly like an airplane burning hydrogen gas, she hoped that the air in her stomach...Chapter 49 Returning from a Thousand Mile Journey

A man sat with his back to the window by a desk in the room. From his silhouette, he appeared very young, wearing a light blue satin robe and black hair like ink. A jade hairpin on his head emitted a faint green glow. One hand rested casually on the table while the other held a cup of tea, sipping it slowly. Just from this posture, one could tell that he was holding not just any tea but something as precious as nectar.

"Heh, so my Shallow Moon Pavilion has a distinguished guest!" Yun Qianmo leaned against the door frame lazily and smiled at the man sitting comfortably in her room as if it were his own home.

The man didn’t hurry to turn around; clearly he had known that Yun Qianmo would return. He slowly put down his tea cup, turned around without standing up, and looked at Yun Qianmo with a faint smile on his face, showing no sense of intrusion or embarrassment in someone else's private quarters. "This is Cang Ting of the Cang family!"

"The young master of the Cang family! We have met." Yun Qianmo nodded with a smile and felt no surprise at the man’s ease. Some people are naturally composed and graceful under any circumstances, like Rong Jing. But besides Rong Jing, Cang Ting was the first person she had seen who could embody grace so perfectly. It was hard to imagine how elegant he would look if he were holding a sword instead of a tea cup.

"You’re referring to Qi City; I met you ten years ago on Tian Shan Mountain." As Cang Ting’s fingers lightly tapped the table, his tone remained flat.

Yun Qianmo was taken aback. "Ten years ago On Tian Shan"

"Yes, ten years ago on Tian Shan," Cang Ting nodded firmly.

"Indeed, I did go to Tian Shan ten years ago." Yun Qianmo smiled and recalled the time when the Wen Bo Marquis Manor was destroyed overnight, and she saved Rong Feng, sending him off to Tian Shan. She raised her eyebrows slightly as she looked at Cang Ting: "However, I don’t remember meeting the young master of the Cang family."

<

Cang Ting lowered his head without speaking.

"I pride myself on my memory!" Yun Qianmo searched through her memories and indeed found no such man. No, at that time, this man was just a child. She was certain she had never met him when he was a boy.

Cang Ting raised his head slightly and looked at Yun Qianmo with an expression as if deep in thought.

Yun Qianmo felt rather perplexed being stared at by this man who had somehow entered her room, claiming they had met ten years ago, and someone who should have helped the Blue Mist but instead sided with Chu and Feng families to withdraw the Cang family’s support for South Liang. She only knew him from Qi City, recognizing him as the young master of the Cang family based on his resemblance to Cang Lan—this gentlemanly figure she had seen in the mirror mechanism of Room 101.

After a brief silence, Cang Ting suddenly smiled awkwardly. "At that time, I was discussing chess with the old man of Snow Mountain."

Yun Qianmo rubbed her forehead and suddenly recalled: "Oh right, back then, the old snow mountain man said someone had come looking for him to settle their score by a game of chess. The one who played against him was you."

"Correct!" Cang Ting replied, "I should have won that game, but due to you, I lost."

Yun Qianmo fell silent for a moment: "Of course I couldn’t let the old snow mountain man die. If he had died, someone would be left without their teacher! Therefore, sending him all this way to Tian Shan would have been in vain. So naturally, the old snow mountain man could not lose or die."

"So you stepped in and played that game of chess for him." Cang Ting said with no particular emotion.

“Yeah, just as you represented your grandfather, I can represent Snow Mountain Old Man.” Yun Qianmo responded.

"Indeed!" Cang Ting sighed suddenly. "Later when I lost to you, my grandfather took his own life."

Yun Qianmo fell silent; although she hadn’t seen the person behind the heavy curtains back then, it had left a deep impression on her mind. Especially after winning that game of chess and hearing laughter from behind the curtain followed by a heart-wrenching cry of "Grandpa" in a child’s voice, she smelt thick blood before being pushed out by Snow Mountain Old Man himself. By the time she returned inside, everyone had left.

Afterwards, Snow Mountain Old Man took Rong Feng under his wing; Yun Qianmo bid farewell to Tian Shan and did not return for ten years. With too many things happening around her, that incident gradually faded into obscurity. She hadn’t expected to meet the person who had played chess with her ten years later. No wonder it was so secretive back then—turns out they were from one of the Ten Hidden Families. She smiled faintly and raised her delicate eyebrows: "Are you here to seek revenge After all, your grandfather died because of me."

Cang Ting shook his head: "That match was a life-and-death game; winners take all, past grievances are settled."

"Then what about today" Yun Qianmo looked at him.

The corners of Cang Ting’s beautiful lips curled into a slight smile. His gentle eyes glinted with intensity: "Although the old grudges between my grandfather and Snow Mountain Old Man have been resolved, but I believe there is still unfinished business—another game of chess.

Yun Qianyue suddenly understood and raised her eyebrows, "Are you still不甘心 after losing back then"

"Mm-hmm!"

"Today did you come to me to play another life-and-death chess game To stake your own life on me or mine on you" Yun Qianyue's slender fingers lightly tapped against the door frame, creating a ringing sound. She asked with a smile.

Cang Ting was silent for an instant before asking, "What if I say yes"

"Sorry, I won't join in!" Yun Qianyue shook her head, clearly refusing.

"Why not" Cang Ting asked again.

"I don't do things that aren't beneficial to me," Yun Qianyue said.

"Huh..." Cang Ting suddenly laughed. His noble and cool appearance seemed even colder, but his smile dispelled all the chilliness. Looking at Yun Qianyue with focused eyes, he asked seriously.

Yun Qianyue blinked her eyes and reminded him, "Young Master Cang, it's not right to look at a woman who has someone else in such a way!"

"You're really dedicated to Prince Jing," Cang Ting said, still focused.

Yun Qianyue avoided his gaze and looked up. She saw that there was a swallow's nest under the eaves of her house. With interest in her eyes, she recited those two lines of poetry unconsciously, "Olden-time swallows that used to perch on the halls of Wang and Xie fly into common folks' houses." After saying this, she couldn't help but sigh, "This swallow living under my roof will one day leave. This Cloud Manor and this Qianyue Pavilion may eventually belong to someone else. No longer bearing our name."

Cang Ting followed Yun Qianyue's gaze but saw nothing due to the angle and the door frame blocking his view. He smiled faintly, "It seems you're not confident about your future."

Yun Qianyue retracted her eyes from under the eaves and looked at Cang Ting, asking, "What does it mean to be confident"

"You don't feel confident in your future with Prince Jing," said Cang Ting.

"Who said so Just because I saw a swallow's nest and sighed about the impermanence of things, you think that means I'm not confident" Yun Qianyue laughed.

"If you're so sure, why won't you play another chess game with me then How do you know playing a life-and-death game against me isn't within your control" Cang Ting asked with a smile.

Yun Qianyue chuckled and shook her head as she analyzed, "Staking our lives on each other, I think nothing is more precious than my own life. Even if I win, what use would be the opponent's life to me If I lose, it wouldn't make sense at all. Not only would I give up my own life but also those of people who care about me."

"Who says a life-and-death match must involve staking lives" Cang Ting raised his eyebrows.

Yun Qianyue said, "Oh"

Cang Ting looked into Yun Qianyue's eyes and asked with a smile, "What if we bet the world instead"

"Haha!" Yun Qianyue laughed again and looked at Cang Ting. She said, "If you weren't Young Master Cang, I would think you were crazy. Talking nonsense about betting on the whole world is absurd. How can two people decide such a matter But since you are Young Master Cang, how could someone like him be insane"

"Of course I'm not insane!" Cang Ting disregarded Yun Qianyue's words and said, "Is it impossible for two people to bet on the world The current realm is a large chessboard with countless players. Why can't you and I play one game too"

Yun Qianyue became interested. This was the first person who invited her to gamble over the whole world, and it sounded exciting just to hear about such a bet. Furthermore, this person had been entangled with her in blood ten years ago. Excluding their brief meeting recently, he remained an attractive man worth admiring.

"For instance, Emperor Night Tianyi of the Heavenly Saint Dynasty likes you and wants you as his wife," Cang Ting said slowly.

Yun Qianyue's long eyelashes lowered and then lifted again. "So what"

"Are you truly heartless" Cang Ting smiled as he looked at Yun Qianyue, wearing a thoughtful expression.

"Young Master Cang, it seems that you care greatly about my桃花運[windfall luck]! If I were more self-centered, I might think you like me." It appeared that Yun Qianyue was tired of standing; she walked into the room and pushed open the door curtain. The crystal clear sound of the curtains followed as her steps grew lighter and she lay down on a soft couch. She treated Cang Ting as an old friend, commanding him without reservation, "Pour me a cup of tea, thank you!"

Cang Ting turned around and poured Yun Qianyue a cup of tea according to her request. He lightly pushed it away; the tea flew through the air toward Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue reached out and gently caught it; the teacup was steady, and the tea full, without any spillage. She tilted her head back and drank all of it, then tossed the empty cup back to Cang Ting with her hand. Closing her eyes, she said, "See I am a person who is careless and rough. It's just that ten years ago I won one game of chess from you; why must you come looking for me now"

"Ten years ago, my grandfather even died!" Cang Ting caught the tea cup and slowly put it down.

Yun Qianyue remained silent for a moment before she said, "Didn't you say that the game was about life and death Life and death is predetermined by fate; success or failure lies in heaven's hands."

"Before my grandfather died, he told me something. It was his only last words. Do you want to know what they were" Cang Ting fell silent for a moment before suddenly asking.

"If you are willing to share the information, I can listen." Yun Qianyue thought that this might be why he came looking for her.

Cang Ting suddenly stood up and smoothed out his light blue brocade robe. He walked slowly over to where Yun Qianyue was lying on a soft couch, looked down at her, and said in a gentle voice, "He told me, 'Ting Er, remember: In the future you must marry this little girl.'" His eyes did not leave Yun Qianyue's face.

Yun Qianyue opened her eyes suddenly.

"This is the first half of what he said. The second half was, 'If you can't marry her, kill her.'"

Yun Qianyue looked at Cang Ting and was momentarily speechless.

"One: I'll marry you; I can do it now if you want. We would just have to kneel down for three bows before heaven and earth, and that's all it takes to get married. Even though Prince Jingshi is far away, he wouldn't be able to stop this from happening once we're already married. Two: I'll kill you; right now, I'm the closest person to you; your maid is outside, and even if Jingyue Pavilion has countless hidden soldiers guarding it, it would still be very easy for me to kill you. Your martial arts haven't recovered yet, and even when they do, you may not necessarily be my match. Three: we can play another game of chess with 'the world' as the theme. Which one will you choose" Cang Ting said this in a mocking tone.

"How did you get into Jingyue Pavilion" Yun Qianyue didn't answer, but instead asked him how he entered.

"My elder brother Cang Lan is now one of the Red Pavilion's seven elders. Do I look like him" Cang Ting said, "Even though everyone in this Jingyue Pavilion belongs to Prince Jingshi, you and Prince Jingshi may be close, but your respective forces don't overlap with each other at all. To get into Jingyue Pavilion isn't difficult for me; I only need to say that I'm Cang Lan."

"But what if Cang Lan suddenly runs back and takes your position as young master What will you do then" Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes.

"I don't fear it! After all, he is still a part of the Cang family. Whomever manages the Cang family is fine as long as they aren't outsiders." Shaking his head, Cang Ting looked at Yun Qianyue and said, "Have you decided Do you want number one, two, or three"

"What if I don't choose any of them" Yun Qianyue stared fiercely at Cang Ting. "I hate threats the most in life."

Cang Ting suddenly smiled and waved his sleeve; a fan appeared in his hand. It had twelve ribs, with a jade pendant hanging from its tail end. He fiddled around with it for a bit before snapping it open like a butterfly's wings—it landed on Yun Qianyue’s head—and he bent down to lie over top of her.

This sudden change was too quick; Yun Qianyue couldn't even get the red thread in her sleeve out once, let alone use it. She felt an immense pressure bearing down upon her, and though she had regained half her martial arts skills, she couldn’t move at all; just one flick of this man’s finger and she would die immediately. She looked up at Cang Ting—though he appeared graceful and noble, now he was dangerous everywhere. She realized that she underestimated him; he wasn't a docile Persian cat.

"How is it Do you want to think about what I said" Leaning down over Yun Qianyue, Cang Ting looked at her as if she were his dream girl. The fan in his hand was positioned above her head, seemingly providing shade; his hand casually supported a corner of the couch, but also held Yun Qianyue's body close to him—yet they weren't touching each other in such an intimate position.

"Do all young masters from the top ten families have such high martial arts skills" Knowing she couldn’t win against him, Yun Qianyue was lazy and asked indifferently. She seemed not to be aware of how dangerous her current situation was—just one finger from above could kill her.

"I practiced hard for ten years!" Cang Ting said.

Yun Qianyue let out a sigh, then suddenly laughed: "So you trained all that time just to deal with me"

Cang Ting nodded and replied, "Yeah."

"I am truly honored! It's a pleasure to receive such concern from Young Master Cang. You seem to remember most clearly the last half of your grandfather’s final words to you: 'Kill me.' But you never once thought about marrying me. So instead, you spent ten years honing your martial arts skills in order to take my life." Yun Qianyue asked with a smile.

"Seems so!" Cang Ting nodded again.

"What if I don’t agree to any of your three conditions" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow, "How would you react then"

"Let me think…," Cang Ting lowered his head and looked at Yun Qianyue with seriousness. After a moment’s thought, he said: “I’ll marry you first, and then kill you! That way it’d be more worthwhile.”

Yun Qianyue let out a snort of laughter and suddenly moved her fingers. She produced a golden needle and aimed it at Cang Ting's forehead. With another snort, she said: "Young Master Cang, do you want to try whether my gold needle will pierce your brow faster than the speed at which your fan falls"

"I knew that even in your weakest state, you are a little cat with sharp claws. That could be seen from ten years ago when we played chess. Even though you were on death’s door, you still kept a sharp sword hidden to revive yourself." Cang Ting suddenly smiled and seemed unconcerned about the golden needle at his forehead, speaking in an unusually gentle tone as if he was whispering sweet nothings to someone.

Yun Qianyue immediately felt a chill run down her spine. She shuddered and said: "Young Master Cang, you can talk normally. Otherwise I’ll be killed by your voice even before your fan kills me."

Cang Ting chuckled lightly, as if he was discussing something with Yun Qianyue: “How about we give it a try”

“Try what” Yun Qianyue couldn’t follow his train of thought.

“Let’s see whether my fan reaches your forehead faster than your golden needle pierces mine!" Cang Ting said seriously all of a sudden.

"You want to die that badly" Yun Qianyue raised an eyebrow.

"A little," replied Cang Ting.

“Is it because of Lan Yi I heard you two were close since childhood. Now she’s betrothed to Nan Lingrui, have you suffered a heartbreak So you came to me hoping to end your life and be done with it" Yun Qianyue asked in return.

Cang Ting was stunned for a moment, then his voice turned indifferent: "You believe this"

“Otherwise” Yun Qianyue thought that this was quite a reasonable reason.

"How do you know I’ll die before you And not the other way around" Cang Ting suddenly moved his fan.

The tip of Yun Qianyue’s golden needle also advanced an inch, firmly declaring: "I’m certain you will die before me."

"Oh" Cang Ting smiled and leaned closer. His clothes were now close to touching Yun Qianyue's clothing. He shook his head and said: “I don’t believe it!”

“Rong Feng, convince him,” sighed Yun Qianyue.

No sooner had she spoken than a sword appeared on Cang Ting’s shoulder from behind, its blade reflecting cold light. Cang Ting did not say anything and showed no surprise; he merely raised an eyebrow as if he’d expected Rong Feng to arrive all along.

"Let her go!" Rong Feng's voice was like ice and snow on a mountain top. When he spoke, his tone was icy cold.

“Was it for him” Cang Ting ignored Rong Feng.

"Yes," Yun Qianyue glanced at Rong Feng, thinking that he had returned from the Hong王府 rather quickly.

“The Young Master of Wenheng Marquis Family’s residence, Rong Feng!” Cang Ting suddenly smiled and said to Yun Qianyue: “I always believed you liked the young master of the Wenheng Marquis Family. Otherwise, why would you travel a thousand miles to the Heavenly Snow Mountain for him”

“I do like Rong Feng,” Yun Qianyue’s eyes glowed warmly. “Why wouldn’t I like such an excellent person as Rong Feng”

"Anyone can be liked in your eyes" Cang Ting smiled at Yun Qianyue, his gaze deep and penetrating. "Including the Prince Si Jing Back then, the little girl showed determination and decisiveness on the chessboard; I never expected her to have such delicate thoughts."

What does it mean to have meticulous and even thoughts Is this implying she's fickle Yun Qianyue’s face immediately turned cold. "Young Master Cang, if you die today, I seriously doubt anyone will come to collect your body."

"Probably not!" Cang Ting shook his head. "I’ll do it myself!"

“You really have a big nerve!” Yun Qianyue suddenly lost interest in playing around and withdrew the golden needles, waving her hand to knock off the twelve-bone jade fan that was covering her head. She coldly said, “Let me tell you, love is different from liking. I don’t regret anything about what happened back then. If I had the chance to go back in time, I would still replace Snow Mountain’s old man and play that one game of chess with you. The Life-and-Death Arena was a mutual wish between us; if you die now, my grandfather won't blame me. To me, it's just an event of the past. You invited me to play chess ten years later and I refused. Now get out! If you like Lan Yi, go ahead and fight for her with your own abilities. Don’t come looking for trouble from me.”

Cang Ting’s expression changed momentarily before he suddenly straightened up and gently separated Rong Feng's sword with his fingers, slowly turning around to look at Rong Feng intently. He suddenly smiled. "Prince Si Feng looks quite like Prince Si Jing."

Rong Feng’s face was cold. "Young Master Cang should know better than to act impolitely towards a weak woman, tarnishing the glorious reputation of the Ten Great Clans for hundreds of years."

"A weak woman" Cang Ting raised his brows and brushed off his sleeves, smiling gently. "Prince Si Feng must be joking!"

“She is currently just a weak woman!” Rong Feng coldly said.

"This ‘weak woman’ has such sharp claws that it’s tempting to bully her. No wonder Prince Si Jing always wants to bully her," Cang Ting glanced out the window and waved the jade pendant in his hand at Yun Qianyue, saying, "I’ll take this as a gift from Miss Shallow Moon upon meeting me. From today onward, we will start that game of chess!"

Yun Qianyue was taken aback; she touched her neck and found it empty. She looked at Cang Ting in disbelief as he had taken the pendant off her neck without her noticing. If he wanted to kill her just now, it would have been easy for him. Her face darkened. "Taking something without asking is theft. Young Master Cang, is this your upbringing"

"My upbringing is actually quite good, but when it comes to you, I’m an exception!" Cang Ting laughed and stepped out the door.

Rong Feng’s sword shattered with a cold cry of, "Give it back!"

“Is Prince Si Feng going to smash this jade plaque Since it’s not mine, I don’t really mind.” Cang Ting didn't turn around and continued walking towards the door without paying attention to the sword behind him.

Rong Feng's sword stopped just at the back of Cang Ting. He turned his head to look at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue helplessly waved her hand and said, "Let him go!"

Rong Feng withdrew his sword; Cang Ting slowly stepped out.

Yun Qianyue rubbed her forehead with her hand and muttered to herself, “The Ten Great Clans actually produced such a formidable figure. How does his martial arts skill compare to Rong Jing’s At the very least, it should be as good as Night Tianyi's.”

“Yes, I’m not his match!” Rong Feng firmly stated.

"Indeed, ten years of hard training!" Yun Qianyue smiled and touched her empty neck. “Fortunately, the jade pendant that was taken was one I’ve worn since childhood rather than the one he snatched from Prince Si Jing. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have escaped his wrath.”

"If it were his jade pendant, it might not be so bad, but losing your own jade pendant is troublesome." Rong Feng sighed and retracted his sword before looking out the window. His body suddenly stiffened as did his tone when he said, "Prince Si Jing"

Yun Qianyue’s body also stiffened upon hearing this; she turned abruptly to see a shadow of a person standing under the dark shade of a cinnamon tree outside the courtyard. He wore moon-white brocade robes and had an elegant posture with a face as beautiful as a painting. Standing next to the tree, he was like a bamboo growing beside a camphor tree. She blinked her eyes twice; when she saw that the person hadn’t disappeared, she stood up abruptly and rushed out. Due to the urgency of her steps, she tripped on her skirt and almost fell.

Rong Feng woke up from his daze and immediately caught her in a swift move. "Slow down!"

Yun Qianyue steadied herself; Rong Feng withdrew his hand. She then suddenly didn’t rush anymore, stepping calmly towards the door. Once she stepped out of the door, she could see more clearly that a person was standing in the courtyard under the cinnamon tree. She walked down the steps and approached the tree.

The fragrance from all the cinnamon trees masked any other scents like snow or lotus flowers.

Yun Qianyue walked closer step by step, finally recognizing Rong Jing; he should have been in River Valley County but now appeared suddenly before her, making her almost think it was a dream. The light and shadow from the cinnamon branches cast on his face made him look like an artist's painting. She suddenly couldn’t wait any longer and quickly walked over to grab onto Rong Jing’s sleeve, looking up at him with urgency in her eyes, "Rong Jing!"

Rong Jing's face showed no expression; he just looked at Yun Qianyue indifferently without saying anything.

Suddenly, Yun Qianyue sensed the cold aura around Rong Jing. His sleeves felt chilly too. He was enveloped by the rich fragrance of osmanthus trees, making Xuelian perfume seem very faint. Her heart tightened as she gripped his sleeve tightly and called out, "Rong Jing!"

Rong Jing's indifferent expression suddenly turned absent-minded, "It’s me!"

"When did you come back" Yun Qianyue, seeing that he answered her question, couldn't help but lower her voice.

"The moment he approached you!" Rong Jing's gaze was veiled by a layer of fog, making the color unclear. His tone became even colder.

Yun Qianyue knew who he referred to. So when Cang Ting walked near her couch, did that mean he had returned then She suddenly felt guilty and angry, yelling, "Why didn't you intervene if you were here at the time"

Rong Jing's eyes flashed with cold light as he squinted his eyes. "Yun Qianyue, have I been bullied by him" Yun Qianyue pursed her lips and looked at him, saying, "Aren't you right here How could you not see whether or not I was being harassed"

"I didn’t know! The view from this spot isn't clear enough!" Rong Jing coldly shook off Yun Qianyue's hand that held onto his sleeve.

Yun Qianyue involuntarily stepped back. She raised her eyes and saw the icy aura around him intensify. She slowly turned to look at the window of the main room. From this angle, the scene near the couch was partially obstructed by half-drawn curtains but not entirely unclear. The grid windows allowed a glimpse of faint images. Recalling Cang Ting approaching her closely, did he know that Rong Jing had returned then With his high martial arts skill and hers lost, even when she wasn't without it and he concealed his aura, she wouldn’t have detected him. Even less so now with only half her original skills remaining. Anger flared up in her heart, "Rong Jing, are you an idiot"

"I am an idiot! Only an idiot would travel thousands of miles just to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival with you!" Rong Jing said coldly.

Yun Qianyue choked and became speechless.

"Only a fool would surprise you without prior notice, only a fool would come upon seeing you playing love scenes with others and enjoy it," Rong Jing’s voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, as cold as broken frost and ice.

Yun Qianyue opened her mouth but was frozen by his icy tone and couldn't say anything.

Rong Jing looked into her eyes. "Only a fool would keep himself pure, not allowing any woman to get close, just so that he can preserve her purity for her alone. Only a fool would have only one person in mind while letting them repeatedly abuse him, only a fool can endure their emotional distractions. I don’t understand why love should be so different between us; my eyes can only see you, but your eyes can see countless others. To me, I'm just a part of it."

"That's not how it is!" Yun Qianyue’s face changed as she suddenly shouted out in urgency.

"Then what is it Yun Qianyue, tell me, what is it" Rong Jing’s voice was suddenly very light. His brows, body, words, even his fingertips seemed to be frozen by the snow on Tian Shan mountain, cold and icy to an extreme degree, as if the chill emanated from his heart, freezing the osmanthus trees.

Yun Qianyue’s body was also covered in this cold. She bit her lip and took a step forward to grab Rong Jing's sleeve, saying each word deliberately, "We agreed not to fight anymore; we’ll be good from now on. I'll explain it to you!"

"Explain" Rong Jing dodged Yun Qianyue's hand and suddenly smiled thinly, "Yun Qianyue, since we've known each other, your explanations seem too many! Too numerous for me to count!"

Yun Qianyue’s body trembled.

"What do you want me to explain when I’ve seen and heard everything with my own eyes" Rong Jing's voice was cold without any fluctuations, his jade-like face seemingly frozen by ice, with faint chilliness. Suddenly he reached out to break off a branch of osmanthus flower, thrusting it into Yun Qianyue’s hand before turning away, leaving no trace of lingering affection, "Consider that I didn’t return today!"

Yun Qianyue reached out to take the osmanthus and pulled Rong Jing's arm tightly, her voice trembling slightly, "Rong Jing, you ran back just for a fight with me on this Mid-Autumn Festival day, then left in anger. Are you going to torment yourself by returning home"

Rong Jing remained silent and shook off Yun Qianyue's arm.

Yun Qianyue tightly held onto his arm not letting go, stepping forward with the hand holding osmanthus flowers embracing him around the waist. Her tone was filled with annoyance, grievance, stubbornness, and helplessness, "Ten years ago because of me, Cang Ting's grandfather committed suicide; ten years later he’s coming to cause trouble for me. Rong Jing, you can’t just be angry at me like this; it’ll make me feel that I didn't take him seriously before but now you’re making me do so... You're so smart how could you have done such a silly thing… His grandfather left instructions for him to marry me... If by chance you push me away, and I inadvertently agree to his proposal…"

Rong Jing suddenly turned around, his voice cold as he gritted his teeth, "You dare!"

––– Extra Text –––ive; he dodged Lan Yi's attack and stepped into the room. Although his steps were somewhat unsteady, they skillfully avoided the array formations set up in the room. In just two strides, he stood befo...