Chapter 225

A draft swept around me, and the night was cold. However, this cold night became warm and bright because of Wen Chaoyu's arrival, and the chill disappeared.

Their lips met lightly, a fleeting touch leaving a lingering, crisp scent of wine. Ji Wan removed her outer robe and draped it over Wen Chaoyu's shoulders. After a moment of silence, she said, "I'm certainly happy to have you with me, but if you kneel here with me, I'm afraid they'll..."

“I’m afraid they’d rather not show their faces again,” Wen Chaoyu continued, “I know that, so I’ll kneel with you until dawn and then wait for you outside, so as not to make things difficult for you all.”

Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu felt a mix of emotions.

Difficult? What difficulty do they have?

The person who did wrong dared not face it, yet the person who suffered had to give in again and again. The more understanding Wen Chaoyu was, the more guilty Ji Wanshu felt.

“I know what you’re thinking. You don’t need to feel that I’ve been wronged,” Wen Chaoyu said. “I’ve already let it go and I don’t hate anyone. I just don’t want things to get too tense because of me.”

Ji Wanshu closed her eyes briefly and said wearily, "Get up, don't kneel anymore."

Wen Chaoyu still smiled: "I told you, I wasn't kneeling for them, I just wanted to be with you. You and I both know that getting them to accept my existence is an incredibly difficult thing, not to mention our current relationship. But I don't care whether they can accept me or not, and even if they were willing to see me, I don't really think it's necessary. I don't hate them, but I also have the right not to forgive them. And sometimes, whether to forgive or not isn't that important, and it doesn't necessarily have to be a clean break. We can just never see each other again."

Ultimately, what good is admitting fault? What good is forgiveness? No matter what she does, she can't change the fact that she's been abandoned. The past is gone forever, and can never be retrieved. Besides, Wen Chaoyu was so young back then, and she hasn't spent much time in the Ji family. To be honest, she has no feelings for this place. Even if the Ji couple were willing to apologize to her for what happened back then, and could accept her being with Ji Wanshu, she can never go back to this home.

The four of them were destined never to be a family again.

“There aren’t that many perfect endings in this world,” Wen Chaoyu said. “Imperfections, regrets, joys and sorrows, and disappointments—that’s what a life should truly be like. No one can boast that their life from birth to death will be smooth sailing and all their wishes will come true. I’ve let go, and I’ve accepted everything that fate has bestowed upon me. I’ve avoided you for so many years because of this, but thankfully you kept pursuing me and didn’t give up. That kind of affection is enough for me to stop. So this time, let’s consider it the final choice. I choose to stand with you, and I won’t care whether others agree or not, or whether they are happy or not.”

These words stirred up a storm in Ji Wanshu's heart, leaving him speechless for a long time.

The night deepened, but the cold wind never returned, only returning with the sunrise at dawn. The two knelt in the courtyard all night, neither showing any intention of getting up. Seeing the pale golden light cast on the ground, Ji Wanshu finally spoke, "I'll take care of the rest. Find an inn to rest first, and I'll come find you."

Wen Chaoyu said, "If they refuse to see you, will you just keep kneeling like this?"

“I’m kneeling not to force them to do anything, but to apologize for not being able to fulfill my filial duties,” Ji Wanshu said. “Since it’s an apology, how can it be done without some sincerity? You go first.”

Wen Chaoyu said, "You want me to leave you here alone and go to the inn to sleep? I can't do that."

Ji Wanshu turned to look at her and said, "Didn't you say last night that you would go out and wait for me at dawn? Go quickly."

“I’ve changed my mind again,” Wen Chaoyu said. “Even an ugly daughter-in-law has to meet her in-laws, not to mention they are my own parents. They are ashamed to see me, but I am ashamed to see them. So I’ll keep kneeling.”

Her tone was calm, but her attitude was firm. Ji Wanshu didn't want to persuade her any further, so she fell silent.

The house was quiet and still; even at noon, no one was seen moving about. The lamps in the Ji couple's room had been burning all night, and a faint light could still be seen. The maids and servants no longer came to the front courtyard; everyone tacitly avoided this place, using only side gates and side passages to enter and exit, and no one dared to pass by.

As time ticked by and dusk approached, Ji Wanshu could no longer kneel. Just as she was about to leave her parents' room, she saw the steward of the house go into the room before her. About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the steward bowed and came out to close the door. He then went down the steps and helped Ji Wanshu up.

"Miss, the master and madam sent me to tell you that you don't need to kneel anymore."

Ji Wanshu said, "Then..."

“Let’s go to the door,” the steward said. “The lady has something to say to you.”

Ji Wanshu stood up and helped Wen Chaoyu up the steps, but Wen Chaoyu stepped back and said, "I won't go with you two. I'll just wait for you here."

Ji Wanshu glanced at her, instructed the steward to bring a chair for Wen Chaoyu, and then went outside to kneel down again, calling out, "Mother."

The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the room was dimly lit. Madam Ji's eyes were red and swollen. A new lamp had been installed. Master Ji sat on the low couch, silent and sullen. Both of them seemed to have aged considerably overnight.

Both of them heard Ji Wanshu's voice, but neither of them responded.

She reached out and pushed the window open a crack. Madam Ji covered her mouth with a handkerchief and peered through the crack at Wen Chaoyu in the courtyard.

As dusk approached, the sunlight, like flowing water tinged with gold, spilled over the clouds and filled the entire courtyard. Wen Chaoyu sat on a wooden chair, one hand tucked into her sleeve and hanging at her side, the other gently rubbing her knee. Several birds landed on the open ground at her feet. Wen Chaoyu looked down at them, her profile clearly defined, quiet and serene, her eyes and brows radiating a kind of approachable goodwill.

She looks like a cheerful person.

Before she could speak, tears streamed down Madam Ji's face. She said in a low voice, "My lord, come and see! She looks just like you..."

Mr. Ji sat there absentmindedly, his eyes bloodshot, and he did not reply.

“It looks like the child has lost an arm,” Madam Ji said, leaning against the windowsill, a few conspicuous white hairs standing out among her disheveled hair. “How could his arm have been lost so suddenly?”

Master Ji wiped his face, looking exhausted, and said, "Stop looking. Before it gets dark, say what needs to be said and let them go."

Ji Wanshu called out again from outside the door.

Madam Ji looked sorrowful and stared at Wen Chaoyu for a long time before closing the window. She staggered to the door and said to Ji Wanshu through the two doors, "Wanshu, you've been kneeling for a day and a night. Get up, or you'll hurt your legs."

Hearing her mother's gentle voice, Ji Wanshu turned to look at Wen Chaoyu behind her and sighed softly, "I can't stay away from the palace for too long. There are still many things waiting for me to do when I get back. Please speak your mind. Now that we've finished... we should go."

Madam Ji was stunned for a long while, then gently rested her forehead against the door frame and whispered, "Let's go... let's go. Just be careful on the road, and remember to write a letter to us when you get to the palace to let us know you're safe."

Ji Wanshu said, "Aren't you and Father going to come out and see us?"

Madam Ji felt a deep sense of loss. Wiping away her tears, she said, "How should we meet him? And what's the point of meeting him? Wanshu, your father and I have thought about it all night and have come to a lot of conclusions, but we simply cannot bring ourselves to go out and meet you." She choked up several times, saying intermittently, "How can we have the face to see that child?"

Ji Wanshu frowned and said, bowing her head, "I understand."

“You came back this time not to seek our permission, but simply to inform us,” said Madam Ji. “So whether we agree or not is meaningless. Even if we stubbornly try to stop you from being together, you won’t listen to us. Since things have come to this, your father and I can only accept it. Who you are with is your own business. We can’t control it, and we have no face to interfere anymore. Your mother only hopes that you are happy, which is more important than anything else.”

Ji Wanshu said, "Mother..."

"Let's get back to the palace as soon as possible," Madam Ji cried, her heart breaking, yet she couldn't make a sound, so she could only suppress her voice and say, "We've granted your wish, and we won't interfere anymore. That's all your father and I can do. As for anything else, don't pressure us. Considering our advanced age, please give in a little. If we each take a step back, the sky will be clear, and we can both save face. Let's not make things too ugly, what do you think?"

Ji Wanshu paused for a moment, then kowtowed and said, "Very well... Thank you, Father and Mother, for your kindness."

“Whenever you have time, come back to visit often,” Madam Ji said. “Even if you become the head of Yunhua Palace, you will always be our daughter. Take good care of yourself while you are away. Whenever you miss home, you can come back anytime. Your parents are waiting for you.”

Ji Wanshu felt a dryness in her throat and a stinging sensation in her nose. She paused for a moment before standing up, her eyes lowered, and said, "I know. You and Father should also take care of yourselves. Whenever I have the chance, I will definitely come back to see you."

Madam Ji covered her mouth and sobbed, unable to speak any more. She turned to look at Master Ji, and the couple faced each other in silence, with tears streaming down their faces.

Footsteps faded into the distance outside the door, and Ji Wanshu's shadow on the door disappeared as well. Madam Ji staggered to the window, then carefully pushed it open a crack, gazing at it with tearful eyes.

“Let’s go,” Ji Wanshu said, her eyes slightly red, forcing a smile at Wen Chaoyu. “It’s already a great achievement that they agreed to let us be together. I’m not greedy for anything else. Although I can’t give you a legitimate reason to return to this family, I can give you another one. Our parents are getting old. They’ve lived a dignified life, and I can’t bear to see them unable to hold their heads high in their later years. I can’t criticize them to their faces, and I can’t ask for too much. My abilities are limited, and this is all I can manage. Will you… resent me?”

"Why should I resent you?" Wen Chaoyu held her hand and smiled gently. "This is the best outcome. It hasn't ruined the harmony of your family of three, and we can still be together. That's enough. I'm not greedy."

Ji Wanshu said, "I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Wen Chaoyu said, "We don't feel wronged. Besides, there are plenty of people who wish us well, aren't there?"

Ji Wanshu gazed at her with gentle eyes, then smiled softly and said, "Yes."

Author's Note: This chapter is for Wen Ji, the next chapter is for Qiu Xue.

If nothing unexpected happens, it should be finished the day after tomorrow.