After Jiang Chuting finished speaking, Pei Jing beside him fell silent, staring at him with his eyes. After a long silence, his eyes reddened, he let out a soft breath and called out, "Master." Tears streamed down his face, making him seem like a completely different person from before. "I don't want to force you. Even if you feel it's sudden now, can you accept me slowly in the future? I will definitely treat you well. Do you believe me?"
Jiang Chuting quietly looked at his wet cheeks and aggrieved expression, and her heart softened a little. But when faced with this kind of situation, she couldn't back down no matter what.
Moreover, Pei Jing's whining and tears were mostly just an act to poke at his weak spot. Before, it was insignificant, and he could pretend not to know, but not now. He couldn't possibly soften his heart and accept this illicit relationship just because the child cried a couple more times.
He spoke in a low, gentle tone, advising, "Xiao Jiu, you are a chosen one, with a respected status. You can have anyone you want, so why are you so fixated on me?"
“But I just want you.” Crystalline tears slid down her cheeks. Pei Jing tilted her head and thought for a moment before saying, “I can only say that you were unlucky to meet me. As you said, I am stubborn, and once my mind is made up, it will not change.”
Jiang Chuting sighed softly, "Your feelings won't change, and neither will mine, so you'd better not waste your time."
"How do you know it's a waste of time?" Pei Jingdao retorted. "There will always be a resolution between us. Otherwise, do you think I would give up?"
Jiang Chuting couldn't reason with him, so she lowered her eyes and stopped wasting her breath.
Pei Jing stared at his long eyelashes, which trembled slightly like butterfly wings, as if that tremor had brushed against the tip of her heart, making her feel both itchy and numb.
Pei Jing no longer concealed his desire for him. His breath hitched, he leaned closer, his eyes darkening, and he called out in a hoarse voice, "Master..."
Jiang Chuting nimbly stood up, avoiding his hand that almost touched her, flicked her sleeve, and turned her back to him: "Xiao Jiu, I'm tired and want to rest."
Pei Jing stiffened. Although annoyed by his aloofness, he knew he couldn't push him too hard. Besides, it was normal for him to be tired after traveling all night. So he got up and said, "Alright, we can talk about it tomorrow. Go to sleep."
Jiang Chuting walked back to his room, and Pei Jing followed. When they reached the door, Jiang Chuting suddenly stopped. Because of the suddenness of the event, Pei Jing's bed was still in his room.
Jiang Chuting turned around, about to speak, but Pei Jing had already guessed what was going on. He placed a hand on the door frame, looked at him, and asked slowly, "I'll be leaving in five or six days at most. Are you trying to kick me out already?"
Jiang Chuting glanced back at him but didn't reply.
"Master, I've already promised not to involve anyone else, but you're trying to wash your hands of me again? Don't be so heartless to me!" Pei Jing's face was still streaked with tears. She seemed to smile slightly, and suggested in a very gentle voice, "Master, you're a smart person. You should know to at least leave me some hope, otherwise I'll go crazy..."
Jiang Chuting withdrew his gaze briefly. "Is that what you think?" He looked indifferent, turned around and went into the house, saying as he walked, "Then let it be. I'll keep you hanging on with hope. In the end, I won't be the one who gets hurt."
After taking a bath and changing his clothes, Jiang Chuting calmly lay down on the couch and went to sleep. Pei Jing, having finished his training, sat cross-legged on his own couch, staring intently in his direction. The intense heat in his eyes unrestrainedly transformed into a wave of heat that swept over him, scorching every inch of his body.
Pei Jing's eyes were practically glued to him—no, they were practically nailed to his body. Even with his composure, Jiang Chuting's heart still pounded under his gaze. His neck tingled slightly, and he couldn't fall asleep. He opened his eyes.
The young man's feelings were too unrestrained and too intense; he felt he couldn't bear them.
Pei Jing knew that he had caused him trouble. He blinked gently, and although he was reluctant, he lay down and stopped looking.
The flickering candle went out after burning out, leaving the room pitch black.
Jiang Chuting still couldn't sleep. He took out the bracelet that was pressed against his pillow and gently rubbed it in his hand. Even though Lin Zhi had told him to keep wearing it, to avoid Pei Jing finding out and adding fuel to the fire, he still took it off and put it away before going back to his room.
Remembering his words, "I can turn into a bracelet so you can wear it all the time, see you, and hear you," Lin Zhi silently curved her lips into a smile, then sighed wistfully. If she could truly see and hear him, Lin Zhi would probably only want to kill him.
She put the bracelet back, held the wooden hairpin in her hand again, and closed her eyes.
He was used to dreaming about Zique, but this time he dreamed of their initial encounter, only it was completely different.
At that time, the daughter of the richest man in Fancheng was getting married. The wedding procession stretched for miles in red, and the streets were packed with onlookers. A child was pushed and fell into the water, and a man jumped in with him to save him. That man was Zi Que, who had not long since escaped from the Lin family.
But in the dream, only he jumped into the water. When he rescued the drowning person, he discovered that the person who surfaced was not the little boy at all, but Zi Que, who was pale-faced.
Zi Que stared at him with cold, dark eyes, his face wet with what looked like water or tears. He sighed and said, "Chu Ting, never forget me."
Having finally managed to have a meal with his senior brothers, Jiang Chuting rested his head on his hand, lost in thought, barely touching the food on his plate.
Second Senior Brother Luo Shiming and Chonghua exchanged a glance, silently asking, "What's wrong with Junior Brother?"
Chonghua shook his head, he didn't know either.
Jiang Chuting was the youngest of his generation, and was pampered by his master and senior brothers. He was indeed quite clever, and his swordsmanship and martial arts skills surpassed those of his senior brothers. However, being overprotected since childhood and having a pure heart, he was sometimes prone to making mistakes and suffering losses. For example, he was deceived by Yun Zique and Mo Lin.
Therefore, even though Jiang Chuting is now thirty-three years old, he is still a child in the eyes of his fellow disciples, who are afraid that he will be bullied like he was back then. He is distracted at the moment, so he is worried that he is hiding something from everyone.
Ji Chun, being straightforward, couldn't help but call out to him and ask. Jiang Chuting snapped out of his reverie and realized that his senior brothers were all looking at him. He couldn't say that he was thinking about his dream last night, nor could he mention Pei Jing's matter. He simply replied, "Third senior brother, I was thinking about the matter I told you last time."
Ji Chun thought for a moment before remembering and asked, "The matter of the male prostitute who jumped off the building? There's still no progress?"
Jiang Chuting hummed in agreement, "Never."
Luo Shiming interjected, "What about a male prostitute who jumps off a building?"
Ji Chun gave a brief explanation, then waved his hand and said to Jiang Chuting, "There are too many strange things in the world. It's already good that you were able to investigate. Just eat your meal and don't think about it anymore."
Jiang Chuting: "Okay." She then focused on her meal and didn't get distracted again.
After the meal, Jiang Chuting looked at Chonghua. Usually, when they gathered together like this, Chonghua would ask him to stay and talk. After everyone else had left, Chonghua asked Jiang Chuting, "Judging from the time, your disciple's poison should be cured. Can you leave immediately?"
Jiang Chuting said, "It might take another four or five days."
"Another four or five days?" Chonghua frowned and said, "It's best not to cause any trouble in the end."
Hearing this, Jiang Chuting's heart skipped a beat. Yes, she wondered if Pei Jing would cause any trouble before he left.
Jiang Chuting did not go directly back to the wooden house, but went to the edge of Changchun Peak.
Mo Lin gazed at his slender and upright figure from afar. Dressed in a light blue robe, with hair as black as ink, he stood motionless on the cliff shrouded in mountain mist, ethereal and otherworldly, as if he had already stepped into a painting, making people dare not disturb him.
Mo Lin slowly approached and stood there for a while, until Jiang Chuting turned slightly to look back at him.
Jiang Chuting didn't know what he meant by standing there without saying a word, so she asked calmly, "What is it?"
Mo Lin remained silent, and Jiang Chuting asked again, "Did Xiao Jiu send you?"
“I came here on my own.” Mo Lin paused, then said, “For your own good, I want to advise you… you should accept the Ninth Prince.”
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