Li Mingke met He Banjian.
After Bie Chen escorted He Ban to the Li residence last time, he told him the whole story. Without exchanging a few pleasantries, he left without saying goodbye and hurriedly returned to Chan Mountain. Wu Xilan wanted to keep him for a few days, but he said that he felt the huge gap in strength between himself and the Demon Lord and that he needed to seize the time to cultivate.
Because it was Li Mingke's decision, He Banjian stayed at the Li family.
When I saw her again, she was playing with Yuju and the others, playing with the nine-linked rings.
Li Mingke watched from a distance, not immediately going over to disturb them.
She sensed the change in He Banjian.
There was no restraint or forced strength; she was very relaxed and at ease.
It was Youju who first discovered Li Mingke.
"Miss!" she jumped up.
He immediately put down the nine-linked rings and ran to her side like a rabbit.
The young girl jumped into her arms, exclaiming, "Miss has emerged from seclusion!"
The other maids also rushed over in a flurry.
"Congratulations on your successful completion of your seclusion, Miss!"
Li Mingke hugged them one by one, and through the laughter and merriment, she saw He Banjian standing in the distance, watching her.
He Banjian looked somewhat dazed.
What is she thinking?
"Halfway there!" she waved to her.
He Banjian seemed to awaken from a dream.
She walked over from the back of the crowd and said, "Congratulations... Mingke."
Li Mingke saw her quickly fall silent after her previous bliss.
Is it because of her?
"Are you settling in well here?" she asked her.
"Yes, I must thank Mingke." He Banjian lowered his eyes.
"I'm sorry, I came back in a hurry. Everything was arranged by my mother."
He Banjian shook his head vigorously, "Don't apologize, I came over without saying hello, the patriarch has been very kind to me!"
After He Ban had been with the Li family for a long time, he couldn't help but ask Li Zengqing, "Sir, I've come here so abruptly, is it because you...?"
She wanted to ask if she minded.
However, Li Zengqing simply responded, "I respect all of my daughter's decisions."
These words reassured He Banjian, but also silenced her.
Li Zengqing made He Banjian a maidservant for Li Mingke.
Although they were called maids, they were actually more respectable than the young ladies of small families outside. Not only were they dressed in gold and silver, but because Li Mingke was in seclusion, they had nothing to do and their lives were actually quite leisurely.
He Banjian thought she would be doing some menial chores like washing clothes and sweeping, but she found that the most tiring thing was just airing out books. The rest of the time she would read and drink tea. If she wanted to study, she could go to the clan's private school for classes. The teachers there were all great scholars, and she had audited classes many times.
Li Zengqing ignored her, and she quickly became friends with Li Mingke's original maids.
When she saw Li Mingke again, she felt a sense of disorientation.
She could clearly sense that the person in front of her had changed in demeanor.
That is the absolute confidence of the strong.
Because someone needed to stay in the room that night, Li Mingke left He Banjian behind.
One person sat on the main bed, and the other on the side bed; neither of them slept.
"Banjian, how have you been these past few years?" Li Mingke lay on his back, a luminous pearl swirling in a net beside the bed, neither too bright nor too dim.
"Okay, the Li family has been very kind to me."
The Li family is so large that few people would notice that there is one more person.
He Banjian pursed his lips. "Don't call me Banjian anymore. Can you call me by my real name?"
Li Mingke perked up, "What was your original name?"
“He Xun… My name is He Xun, it’s the name my father gave me.”
"He Xun? What a great name! It's both grand and concise," Li Mingke praised.
He Xun smiled wryly, "My father doesn't know how to choose names, he just calls them whatever comes to mind."
Her father asked her to find someone, but she refused.
"How old are you now?" Li Mingke asked curiously about her age.
"How old am I? I don't know..." He Xun stared at one spot, thought carefully for a moment, "I'm probably older than you, but... sigh... I can't remember exactly."
Her past was all painful, and there was nothing worth revisiting in her memory.
"To my shame, these past few years have actually been the most comfortable years of my life." He Xun pulled the blanket up to cover his mouth and nose, leaving only his eyes showing.
The quilt had been infused with the fragrance of fresh lilies by Youju and the others during the day, the scent permeating her nose and mouth, bringing tears to her eyes, and making her voice muffled through the quilt.
“My father died early, when I was six. I was still He Xunshi, relying on the kindness of others for food, sometimes not knowing where my next meal would come from. Back then… I wasn’t good-looking either, and no one was willing to give me food when I begged. If I encountered someone with a fiery temper, I would get beaten up. Later, I became He Banjian, and life got better, but many people who saw my appearance had ulterior motives…”
She murmured, "Whether you're ugly or beautiful, it's never easy for someone like me..."
Li Mingke listened quietly.
"You'll know what happened next." He Xun turned over and looked at Li Mingke. "Da Ye was selecting Yao maidens. I had some connections before, so I went to find you. At that time, I didn't know that you were the reincarnation of Lin Banjian. I only knew that you were a disciple of Immortal Venerable Jinyun. I thought that he must have taken you in because you had extraordinary abilities, so I was thinking that I could learn something from you and win his favor when I got to his side..."
Li Mingke also recalled that time, following her words, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.
"Later, your mother found me..."
"Yes, I know, so those eyes and that soul are with you."
Li Mingke's tone was flat, but He Xun seemed a little panicked, "If I had known from the beginning, I wouldn't have..."
"It's nothing," Li Mingke shook her head. Fate is so strange. Her voice lowered. "Besides, those weren't what I wanted."
He Xun remained silent.
"Thank you." He Xun looked at her. "I've encountered a lot of injustice in the past. After more than twenty years of ups and downs, I've finally found some peace." She closed her eyes. "I don't know how long this will last."
"A long time... if you want."
He Xun pulled the blanket up further, half-covering his eyes. "Thank you."
"By the way, don't you want to practice your special technique anymore?" Li Mingke pretended not to see her movements.
He Xun shook his head under the covers, "I don't know..."
"have no idea?"
"Yes, because the cultivation technique I practice requires a lot of love. Only with love can I rise step by step. I thought that becoming Lin Banjian would give me the love of the two most powerful people in the world, but I never expected it to turn out like this."
Not only did he fail to win her love, he almost lost everything.
Li Mingke sighed deeply:
Love...
"It has nothing to do with those two people. One day you will receive love that is pure and created just for you, without any other ingredients."
Following this arduous journey, we will reach the heavens.
Overcoming adversity, we reach the stars.
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