3. Chapter 3: We can pretend it never happened.
Jiang Zhishui stood there hesitantly for a while before speaking: "I practiced a secret technique, but I'm not very skilled. That day... that day, it was because my spiritual energy was unbalanced, and I couldn't control it, so I lost control."
Jing Qianheng remained silent.
Jiang Zhishui paused for a moment, then continued, "I'm sorry for what happened. It's all my fault. Once you're better, you can settle accounts with me however you want."
This is something that cannot be remedied or undone. Jiang Zhishui didn't know how to make it up to him, but she had to face him.
There's no use running away anymore; we can only think of the best way to deal with it.
Inside the cave, Jing Qianheng, whose spiritual power was weak, was no match for Jiang Zhishui's coercion. Jiang Zhishui dared not recall her out-of-control state, how shameless she could be in order to suppress the struggling Jing Qianheng.
She whimpered and cried out in pain, using the most delicate and coquettish manner to both seduce and coerce, practically manipulating people at will and tormenting them back and forth.
Force can suppress him, but they also want to win him over to his own depravity.
“I won’t tell anyone.” The clever Jiang Zhishui came up with a solution that was not a solution at all. “This matter is between you and me, and no third person will know.”
Jing Qianheng thought he had misheard and asked in a hoarse voice, "What...what did you say?"
This matter can only be buried deep.
Based on Jiang Zhishui's understanding of Jing Qianheng, he has extremely high self-esteem, and he would definitely not be able to get over such an insult.
No one else can know. If word gets out, he might try to drag her down with him.
Whether it was Qingyu Emperor's fault or her own loss of control that caused this embarrassing situation, Jiang Zhishui felt that she had to stay by Jing Qianheng's side no matter what, and she had to take responsibility for him no matter how much she annoyed him.
Seeing his pale face, Jiang Zhishui said timidly, "If you don't tell... and I don't tell, no one will know. We can pretend it never happened..."
Jing Qianheng was utterly incredulous. He was a prince who had lived for over a decade, and no one had ever dared to treat him like this, let alone say afterwards that nothing had happened…
How dare they toy with him to this extent.
He wished he could slap her to death.
Jing Qianheng trembled with rage. He stood up, his eyes wide, but after taking only a few steps, he suddenly vomited blood. The world spun before his eyes, and he collapsed to his knees, powerless.
Jiang Zhishui was initially flustered by his glare and was slipping backwards when she saw him vomiting blood. Forgetting her fear, she rushed over to help him and said urgently, "Don't be angry, don't be so angry... I really don't know what to do or what to say. You can do whatever you want, whatever makes you feel better. I'll do whatever you want, okay?"
"Don't touch me!" Jing Qianheng shook off her hand, braced himself on the ground, and in his anger, he vomited blood again.
——
Jiang Zhishui stood to the side, watching Jing Qianheng struggle to stand up and slowly walk towards the bed. Several times he was unsteady on his feet, and she instinctively wanted to go forward to help him, but when she remembered his angry face just now, she took a few steps back and quickly withdrew her hands, looking at him awkwardly.
Jing Qianheng sat on the edge of the bed, his hands supporting him on the edge, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
The room was silent, so quiet that only his breathing and the noise of the person next to him picking at his nails could be heard.
Su You went to brew medicine in the middle of the night, staring at the steam on the stove, and soon fell asleep from exhaustion.
Jiang Zhishui was unsure whether she should speak again. Every time she spoke, Jing Qianheng would get so angry that he would vomit blood, so she was hesitant to say anything more.
After a long silence, Jing Qianheng's fingers twitched slightly, curling up abruptly. His eyes flickered, his lips parted slightly, and after a long pause, he finally asked, "Who is Ayu?"
Jiang Zhishui lowered her head, picking at her fingernails, caught in a dilemma, wondering whether it would be better to go out or wait for Su You to return before leaving.
"Huh?" Hearing Jing Qianheng speak to her, she looked up abruptly and replied quickly, "Who? What?"
She didn't hear clearly.
This affectionate nickname must have come from someone with an extremely close relationship. The name she uttered in her infatuation was a misinterpretation of him at that moment.
The thought that she already had someone she loved filled Jing Qianheng with unbearable pain. Moreover, he had been used and manipulated by her as a substitute for someone else. Under this series of blows, he felt as if he were being torn in two by the pain.
Anger, sorrow, and a host of intense emotions left him dizzy and in pain all over. He lay alone in bed, the pain more intense than ever before, like being thrown into a furnace and being roasted, burning his bones with agony.
By the time Su You found him, he had already fainted from the pain.
He then remained in a dazed, unconscious state. Before coming to the Purple Sun Immortal Abode, he had rarely had such a severe attack. Su You was also very panicked and kept suggesting that they return to the Jin Kingdom.
But he couldn't go back. He hadn't made any progress on the matter he was investigating, and he couldn't just slink back like that.
It was already incredibly agonizing to utter that name that pierced his heart.
She finally managed to say it, but then she made him say it again.
Jing Qianheng stared intently at her, and Jiang Zhishui gasped, unsure whether to ask or not.
But she really didn't hear clearly.
“You…” Jiang Zhishui felt as if he was trying to chew her up when he enunciated her words. “You called someone’s name, you called her Ayu, who was that person?”
Jiang Zhishui understood, her hurried fingers trembled slightly, and she froze.
That night in the cave, her thoughts and reason were in complete chaos. She couldn't remember calling anyone's name; just thinking about it made her want to slap herself, so ashamed she wanted to strangle herself. She absolutely dared not relive the experience.
Her face turned pale, and she dared not move.
The more silent she became, the more bewitched Jing Qianheng felt. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to speak, persistently pressing for an answer: "Is it Lin Ye? Or someone else?"
Jiang Zhishui looked up and saw him staring intently at her. She looked away uncomfortably and denied, "You must have misheard me. I don't remember... calling any name."
Jing Qianheng was furious. He had finally swallowed his pride and asked this question that would make him feel ashamed, but the other party easily brushed it off with a simple "I don't remember".
Jiang Zhishui didn't want to continue discussing those unnecessary details with him, so she changed the subject, saying, "I know it's my fault, and I'm utterly to blame. Neither of us wanted this; it was just an accident. I... I'll try my best to make amends. Let's try to forget about it, okay?"
Jing Qianheng looked away with a dejected expression and did not answer. Jiang Zhishui was clearly not normal at that time, and he had struggled, but when he saw her in pain, he couldn't bring himself to push her away.
—Neither you nor I want that, how well said.
Jing Qianheng knew that Jiang Zhishui didn't like him; he had overheard her conversation with Elder Song An. Elder Song An had asked her to take good care of him, an outer disciple, and Jiang Zhishui had reluctantly agreed.
She disliked him from the start, deliberately avoiding him whenever they met, finding even a glance at him repulsive. Her repeated visits were merely to appease the elder's orders.
Ultimately, it was his own delusional desires that gave her the opportunity to play with him time and time again.
Jing Qianheng didn't know if he was tired or utterly heartbroken; he didn't even have the strength to be angry anymore. After a long silence, he weakly said, "Whatever."
His sudden, defiant tone intensified Jiang Zhishui's guilt. She stepped forward, wanting to say something more, but he looked up and said fiercely, "Get out!"
Jiang Zhishui paused, remained silent for a moment, and then walked away with a dejected look on her face.
How can you forget something you've already forgotten? It's clearly self-deception.
After that, Jiang Zhishui was always eager to take on tasks. Whenever a disciple took on a mission to exorcise demons, she would insist on going along. Before long, she would be away for a month or two, and she wouldn't have much time to stay at the Ziyang Immortal Mansion.
Lin Ye hadn't seen her for a long time and had been asking around. That day, he heard from the gatekeeper that Jiang Zhishui had returned, so he rushed to see her, only to run into someone causing trouble for Jing Qianheng on the way.
"Junior Brother Jing, do you think that because you are of noble royal status, Senior Sister Liu would take a liking to you?"
The outer disciples of Ziyang Immortal Abode are of a completely different status compared to the personal disciples of the sect leader and elders. Liu Chuxi is the sect leader's personal disciple and is the object of admiration and adoration for all the disciples of Ziyang Immortal Abode. Therefore, everyone wants to get closer to her.
Senior Sister Liu treats everyone equally, whether they are outer or inner disciples; she treats them all the same, without discrimination. It's just that some people are insatiably greedy and develop unwarranted jealousy, unable to bear seeing Senior Sister Liu treat others any differently.
In recent days, Jing Qianheng and Senior Sister Liu have been getting closer. Some disciples couldn't stand it and surrounded him to mock him.
Jing Qianheng didn't want to get entangled with them, so he took a step aside and said coldly, "Get out of the way!"
A burly disciple stepped forward and bumped him with his shoulder, puffing out his chest and saying, "I'm not moving aside, what do you want?"
Jing Qianheng was knocked back a few steps in a disheveled state, and the people surrounding him laughed.
"Haha, look at how frail he is."
"You're just good at playing the victim. Only Senior Sister Liu is kind-hearted enough to give you a second glance."
"Even if you are a prince, so what? Your cultivation is low and your lifespan is no more than a hundred years. Do you think that you can climb the threshold of immortals just because you have entered the immortal sect? Cultivation depends entirely on fate. You and I are no different. What does it matter if we are nobles or commoners? Compared with those immortals who are immortal and have profound cultivation, you and I are just ants."
The Ziyang Immortal Abode accepts disciples regardless of their social status, judging them solely on their talent, physical constitution, and spiritual veins. Those who become inner disciples are all promising talents, and outer disciples, if they diligently practice, may one day have the opportunity to enter the inner sect as disciples. However, few can endure arduous training and break through their own limitations, and they often remain at the bottom.
Among this wave of outer disciples were scions of noble families, members of royal families, and even ordinary people. As long as one cultivates to become an immortal and achieves immortality, one can instantly transcend social classes and escape worldly life. Such an opportunity is rare and hard to come by, but it remains a hope that draws countless people to pursue it relentlessly.
Climbing upwards is exhausting, but pulling someone down with you is easy. If they're right beside you, dragging one down gives you peace of mind; at least you're not the lowest, most pathetic one.
Jing Qianheng always kept to himself at the Ziyang Immortal Abode, rarely interacting with others. He was arrogant and not well-liked, and to make matters worse, he was frail and sickly, making his cultivation the worst among them.
Because of his many flaws, he often evoked sympathy and always received special treatment.
In the eyes of the other disciples, he was the most scheming, the most arrogant, and the most annoying target.
Upon seeing that he had gained the favor of Senior Sister Liu, everyone's long-accumulated dissatisfaction finally erupted, and they have been frequently picking fights with him lately.
Seeing that he was always unresponsive, these men started fighting after exchanging only a few words.
Jing Qianheng had just recovered when he was surrounded and attacked by several people, quickly finding himself at a disadvantage. He was being beaten one-sidedly, with everyone throwing punches and kicks, deliberately aiming for positions that were not easily noticed. However, some of them became more and more engrossed in the fight and stopped caring about anything else.
Lin Ye couldn't stand it and was about to make a move when suddenly several fish flew over and hit the disciples in the face.
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