Jiang Shaoxing's clear eyes darkened slightly. He lowered his head and took a sip of tea, his voice also dropping, like a withered gray vine under the frosty sky at this time of year: "Is he really that good?"
He didn't understand.
Why did she have to choose Wei Qinglou?
What's so great about Wei Qinglou?
Zhu Jiayu chuckled softly: "How is he?"
"I don't think so. In my opinion, he's impulsive, immature, and a bit petty."
"Then you still like him?" Jiang Shaoxing asked anxiously.
“Yes, I like him,” Zhu Jiayu nodded, recalling what Wei Qinglou had said, and said to Jiang Shaoxing, “I love his youthful vigor, so I forgive his impulsiveness; I love his pure heart, so I naturally accept his naivety…”
Jiang Shaoxing listened to her words with almost self-torture, but finally couldn't take it anymore. He stood up, forcing a smile, and said, "That's enough, I understand, sister."
"Do you really understand?" Zhu Jiayu asked him with a smile, then added, "It doesn't matter if you don't understand. You are still young. In a few years, when you meet someone you cherish, you will naturally understand my current state of mind without needing anyone to tell you."
She raised her teacup to him, saying, "I'll offer you this tea instead of wine, wishing you to meet someone who is a perfect match for you, so that you can live a long and harmonious life together."
Jiang Shaoxing suddenly felt embarrassed.
She found out anyway.
She knew he loved her and longed for her, which is why she said those words to put him on the spot.
She wasn't wishing him a smooth love life in the future; she was clearly telling him to give up on his feelings for her as soon as possible.
This thought lingered in his mind for a long time, refusing to leave. He felt a tremor in his heart, yet at the same time, he felt much lighter.
It's better that he knows; he can't keep it a secret for long anyway.
Recalling the figure he saw on Zhonghe Street, Jiang Shaoxing suddenly felt that even if he couldn't be with her, seeing her doing well would be enough for him.
As long as she doesn't repeat the mistakes of his dream, rekindle her entanglement with that man, and end up committing suicide on the city wall, her life extinguished like a fragrant flower, then anything else is fine.
He slowly tightened his grip on the teacup in his hand, offered her a toast, then tilted his head back and drank the tea in the cup.
The warm tea flowed down his throat and into his lungs. He took a deep breath and said softly, "Then I'll take your kind words, sister."
After saying this, he stood up and said to Zhu Jiayu, "Sister, it's getting late, I should go back. But I noticed that you've lost a lot of weight. It's the end of the year and the weather is getting cold, so I hope you take good care of yourself, eat well, and wear warm clothes."
Zhu Jiayu nodded: "You too."
After she finished speaking, she made a move to get up and see him off, but Jiang Shaoxing quickly stopped her: "Sister, please stay. I will go back on my own. There is no need for you to see me off."
He left the Zhu residence and stood at the foot of the steps, refusing to go any further. A light rain had begun to fall from the sky, falling finely and densely on his clothes, quickly wetting his hair and robes, the cold dampness seeping into his skin and hair along with the rain.
As a child, he was playful and got caught in many heavy rains, but he never felt cold.
Later, he fell seriously ill. During and after his illness, he dreamed every night of a woman in red committing suicide on the city wall, falling like a butterfly.
He awoke with a start from his dream, feeling extremely cold.
But all those countless moments of running in the rain, all those moments of nightmares in the night, couldn't compare to the chill in his heart at this moment.
After an unknown amount of time, a servant dressed in brown finally came looking for him with an umbrella. Upon seeing him, he hurried over and held the umbrella over his head.
"Young master, why are you so wet? You must have been soaked for a long time. Why didn't you send a servant from the Zhu family to inform me? I could have come to pick you up with an umbrella earlier. Hurry, let's go back quickly. I'll have the cook make you some ginger soup in a little while. Don't catch a cold!"
...
As the rain intensified, fewer and fewer carriages and pedestrians appeared in Yujing City, and the streets and alleys became deserted. On Zhukong Mountain outside Yujing City, even the crows and sparrows fell silent.
Rain falls on the mountains, and wisps of smoke rise from them.
Looking out from the railing, the entire mountain seemed shrouded in mist, hazy and distant.
"Young Master, Master Liaoshan still refuses to see you." The guard carrying a long sword knelt down in front of the man leaning on the railing and said in a stern voice.
The person he called "Young Master" turned around, revealing a pair of gentle eyes.
Those eyes, like the mountain itself, seemed to hold a thin mist, still carrying a lingering warmth when they glanced over. Yet, beneath that warmth lay an endless chill and sharpness.
That was Rong Heng.
Since the incident with King Hu, he came to Zhukong Mountain, where he has been recuperating for nearly half a month. His injuries have been treated, and he no longer needs to stay in bed. However, his heart feels empty, as if there is a gaping hole that cannot be filled or concealed.
He couldn't help but think of Zhu Jiayu.
He was not a good person, but he never really hurt Zhu Jiayu. Not only that, he didn't even expose her pretense in front of Hu Yanwang.
He committed numerous evils throughout his life, but when it came to Zhu Jiayu, he could be described as being extremely kind and righteous.
He couldn't understand how Zhu Jiayu could be so ruthless.
This is the second time; he almost died at her hands a second time.
The guard lowered his head, not understanding why the young master insisted on seeing this Master Liaoshan.
Young Master Ming has never believed in gods or Buddhas, and he thinks that the idea of cause and effect and retribution is all nonsense... Could it be that this Master Liaoshan is hiding some incredible secret?
Rong Heng sneered: "It seems that our Master Liaoshan thinks I, Rong, am a kind-hearted person."
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