People on the street were still whispering:
“Chu Yuan? How does he know the Successor of the Immortal Dynasty?”
“It’s impossible, right? How could a piece of trash like him…”
“What business could the Successor want to discuss with him? What does he have to offer?”
“Could it be… that?”
“Don’t talk nonsense! Look at the Successor’s status. How could she possibly take an interest in him?”
“Then why did she call for him?”
No one could answer.
Everyone watched the young man.
Chu Yuan raised his head, meeting the gazes of the crowd, and returned to the teahouse. He began walking toward the stairs leading to the third floor.
Ji Xuanyuan stood by the window, watching his figure. For a fleeting moment, she seemed to see a scene from years later: the dog on the bridge coming back to life, led to its proper place by a snow-white silhouette.
Ji Xuanyuan’s smile deepened as she bowed toward Chu Yunlan. “Young Master Yunlan, may we meet again if fate permits!”
Chu Yunlan stiffly cupped his hands and bowed, barely maintaining his outward dignity.
As the window closed, he couldn’t help but violently flick his sleeve and return to the imperial carriage.
As soon as he sat down, Chu Yunlan saw Gu Qingwan’s hand let go of the carriage curtain.
The moment the curtain fell, she was completely isolated from the outside world.
Gu Qingwan’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by something.
It was a sensation she had never experienced before.
It wasn’t pain.
It was worse than pain.
It felt as if something was surging up from the deepest part of her heart, bit by bit. By the time it reached her throat, it stayed there, making it difficult for her to breathe.
She thought back to many years ago when she was still a little girl. Once, she had followed Chu Yuan into the mountains to gather medicinal herbs.
She had accidentally stepped into thin air and fallen into a deep pit.
The bottom of the pit was damp and cold. She had curled up in a corner, cold and terrified, crying out for “Brother Yuan.”
She called for a long time.
She called until her voice was hoarse.
Then, a figure appeared at the mouth of the pit.
Chu Yuan’s clean, handsome face was illuminated by the sunlight. He raised his small hands, which were covered in bloody scratches, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
When he looked at her, he gave a warm, sunny smile. “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
He jumped down, picked her up, and climbed up bit by bit.
He climbed from morning until noon. By the time they finally reached the top, she was almost asleep.
Bathed in the sunlight once more, Gu Qingwan felt warm all over. She saw the boy looking at her, his eyes bright and full of light.
At that time, she felt that in Brother Yuan’s eyes, there was only her.
Only her!!!
But just now, the figure in his dark eyes had been replaced by another woman. Perhaps he would never look at her that way again.
Gu Qingwan’s vision suddenly blurred.
She blinked, wanting to prove that those weren’t tears!
She wouldn’t cry! She couldn’t cry! What right did she have to cry?
She was the one who let go first. She was the one who left first. She was the one who personally said, “We aren’t a good match.”
It was right for him to look at others.
It was right for him not to look at her.
What right did she have to feel bad?
But she did.
It hurt as if someone had carved out her heart and placed it over a slow fire, roasting it until it was charred and cracked, until every single crack was seeping blood.
She remembered when she told Chu Yuan they were breaking up. He had looked at her with a gaze as calm as stagnant water.
At that time, besides being surprised, she felt a slight sense of relief, thinking: ‘It’s a good thing he didn’t realize I was acting. It’s a good thing he wasn’t sad. It’s a good thing he…’
‘It’s a good thing he didn’t care.’
But now she suddenly understood. The reason her Brother Yuan didn’t care was perhaps that he already had another woman.
The moment that thought appeared, Gu Qingwan’s vision blurred completely.
She tried her best to endure it, biting her lip hard, desperately trying not to let those things fall.
But they surged out anyway. Bit by bit, uncontrollably, they slid down her cheeks.
She lowered her head and messily wiped them away with the back of her hand.
Gu Qingwan didn’t know why she was like this.
Outside the imperial carriage, the sunlight was perfect.
The murmurs of the crowd gradually faded.
At the entrance of the teahouse, the young man’s back disappeared behind the door.
Inside the carriage, the girl lowered her head, gripping her sleeve tightly.
The sleeve was already deeply wrinkled, impossible to iron flat again.
Chu Yunlan, sitting across from her, silently watched the girl bow her head. Glistening tears, like bright pearls, fell and shattered against the fabric covering her shapely legs.
Chu Yunlan wanted to say something, but in the end, he chose to act as if he saw nothing, even silently pulling away.
As everyone knew, in a matriarchal society, boys had to protect themselves.
The more noble the family, the more one had to strictly observe Male Virtue. He had to be on guard in case Gu Qingwan took the opportunity to throw herself into his arms and get handsy.
In truth, Chu Yunlan had already looked down on Gu Qingwan, especially after seeing Ji Xuanyuan’s beauty.
Right now, he was like a child from the countryside who had seen the city’s glamour and could no longer find the local village beauty attractive.
Of course, seeing Fairy Gu weeping so bitterly while thinking about the favor Ji Xuanyuan had shown Chu Yuan, Chu Yunlan couldn’t help but feel a surge of jealousy.
‘Why?’
‘What charm does that trash have that makes women flock to him?’
The more Chu Yunlan thought about it, the more unsettled he felt. He secretly sent a Sound Transmission to his confidant:
[Go! Investigate! Find out exactly what business that trash Chu Yuan is discussing with the Successor of the Immortal Dynasty!]
The confidant scout immediately responded:
[Yes! Young Master!]
With that, the scout quickly moved toward the teahouse.
***
Third floor of the teahouse.
After re-entering the private room, Chu Yuan bowed. “Chu Yuan greets Your Highness.”
Ji Xuanyuan sat down and gave a slight nod. “Sit.”
“Yes!”
Chu Yuan sat down across from her as requested.
The tea fragrance curled from the table, and the light scent of agarwood drifted from the burner.
Ji Xuanyuan looked at him and suddenly realized that when this man sat, his back was even straighter than hers.
It didn’t look like the fear or awe one should have when facing the Successor of the Immortal Dynasty, nor did it look like a forced pretense of integrity. The ease radiating from his bones was completely different from the junior brother in her memories.
“I didn’t expect Your Highness to suddenly be interested in my business,” Chu Yuan spoke, his voice calm. “May I ask why?”
He looked at her, his gaze open and honest, without any hint of dodging.
Ji Xuanyuan was speechless.
Why was she interested in his business?
She didn’t know either.
She only knew that when she saw Chu Yunlan making things difficult for him from the window, something had pricked her heart.
The feeling wasn’t painful, but it made her speak up instinctively.
Inviting him upstairs and mentioning business was nothing more than an excuse.
She was just… just what?
Ji Xuanyuan couldn’t think of an answer.
She only knew that facing the young man’s honest gaze at this moment made her feel a brief moment of fluster.
Thus, she lowered her eyes, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip.
The freshly brewed tea was at the perfect temperature, neither too cold nor too hot.
Exhaling the fragrance, she set the teacup down and looked up at the young man. “What business do you wish to discuss with me?”
Chu Yuan didn’t waste time. He pulled out the piece of Iron Ore again, placed it on the table, and pushed it toward Ji Xuanyuan.
“Your Highness, please use your Divine Sense to examine this carefully.”
Hearing this, Ji Xuanyuan activated her Divine Sense to probe the piece of Iron Ore.
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