Chu Yunlan’s proactive stance toward Chu Yuan caused Gu Qingwan to lower her head in guilt.
Her nails dug into her palms as her mind involuntarily conjured various scenes of Chu Yuan’s potential reactions—
Perhaps he would grab her hand and ask, “Why?” She could only grit her teeth and say, “We aren’t a good match.” He would look at her for a long time, so long that she could barely stand it, before smiling bitterly and saying, “Fine.” Then he would turn and walk away, his lonely silhouette resembling a dog abandoned in the wilderness.
Perhaps he would run back home in disbelief and sit alone in the darkness from dawn until dusk, without eating, drinking, or speaking. The next day, he would open his door and act as if everything were normal, though something unexplainable would linger in the depths of his eyes.
Or perhaps he would laugh at himself, offer them his blessings, and watch from afar as she boarded the imperial carriage. He would stand there like a fool for a very long time, until the sun dipped below the horizon, and then he would lower his head, his smile looking more painful than crying.
No matter the possibility, Gu Qingwan felt a wave of pity in her heart.
“Heh!”
Chu Yuan couldn’t help but let out a cold snort.
In his previous life, he would have been forced by the System to act out the grief of being dumped. Now, Chu Yuan had cast off those shackles. He said indifferently, “Fine, I understand!”
His tone was so flat that it lacked even a hint of regret or surprise.
Gu Qingwan looked up sharply, unable to believe that Chu Yuan would let go so easily.
The faint smile in Chu Yunlan’s eyes stiffened; he was also somewhat surprised by Chu Yuan’s reaction.
Chu Yunlan tested the waters by adding, “Brother Yuan is so magnanimous. I am truly impressed. If you ever need my help in the future, please don’t hesitate to ask…”
“No need.”
Chu Yuan interrupted him, his tone still flat, though his eyes held a touch of mockery.
‘You fake young master, you’d better enjoy your final days!’
‘In my last life, constrained by the System, I couldn’t deal with you. In this life, I have plenty of ways to settle the score!’
Thinking of this, a sense of superiority emanated from Chu Yuan’s very bones.
This superiority made Chu Yunlan instinctively uncomfortable.
‘What’s wrong with this trash? How can he be so happy after losing his childhood sweetheart? Has he lost his mind?’
‘Never mind! The task is complete. Getting angry at a piece of trash like this only lowers my status!’
‘Who am I?’
‘The future titan who will rule the entire Taixu Sacred Realm!’
‘There is no need to get angry at a stray dog by the side of the road and mess up my Dao Heart.’
Chu Yunlan withdrew his hand from Gu Qingwan’s waist, his warm smile remaining unchanged. “Qingwan, since Brother Yuan has said so, let’s go! We should let Brother Yuan process this on his own.”
Gu Qingwan didn’t respond. She just stared at Chu Yuan’s handsome, indifferent face, hoping to catch even a sliver of disappointment in his gaze.
Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
Gu Qingwan could only turn away, fleeing back into the imperial carriage.
The onlookers were somewhat disappointed.
“Tch! I didn’t expect this kid to be so tough… I thought there’d be some melodramatic drama to watch!!”
“Heh! What’s the point of being tough? Compare Young Master Yunlan’s status to his.”
“True. What can he do after being dumped? Just accept his fate!”
“He is a bit pitiful, but… who told him to be so incompetent??”
At that moment, a voice like a phoenix’s cry drifted down from the third floor of the tea house.
“Young Master Chu, I am quite interested in the business you mentioned just now. Please come up and talk!”
As soon as these words were spoken, Chu Yuan, and even Chu Yunlan, who was about to board the carriage, all looked toward the third floor.
—
Ji Xuanyuan stared at the thin figure below being troubled by Chu Yunlan, her slender fingers tightening involuntarily.
‘Junior Brother…’
Given her understanding of Chu Yunlan, he wouldn’t trouble a collateral orphan for no reason.
Unless… this orphan was destined to be his rival?
Seeing that both Chus seemed to have a deep connection with the dark-haired beauty, Ji Xuanyuan asked curiously, “Which family’s lady is that?”
Fang Henian, who was standing beside her, glanced at the silhouette outside the window and bowed to answer. “Reporting to Your Highness, that is Gu Qingwan of the local Gu family. I’ve heard that their family has deep ties with Medicine King Valley!”
Medicine King Valley?
Past memories flooded Ji Xuanyuan’s mind.
That year at Medicine King Valley, it was late spring, and the flowers were in full bloom.
As night fell, lanterns were hung among the flowering trees, stretching from the valley entrance to its depths like a flowing river of stars.
The light filtered through the gauze covers, blooming into gentle spheres of radiance that fell upon the faces of passersby.
It was the Shennong Grand Ceremony, held once every ten years, and the most bustling night in the valley.
Disciples of the valley walked by in groups of three or five, their laughter echoing through the air.
There were boys carrying lanterns, chasing after girls; there were girls holding their companions’ hands, pointing at distant riddles.
At that time, known as Li Shixue, she wore a plain white dress and stood on a small bridge, her long white hair pinned up with a white jade hairpin.
The moonlight fell upon her, but it was like falling on a block of ice—nothing could penetrate her.
She had been ordered to attend the ceremony with her junior brother.
As a cultivator who had begun to practice the Ruthless Path, the excitement beyond the bridge had nothing to do with her.
“Senior Sister!”
A voice suddenly came from behind, filled with irrepressible joy.
Li Shixue turned and saw a handsome youth running toward her.
He wore a navy blue robe, and his ink-black hair, tied with a ribbon, fluttered in the wind.
Once he reached her, the youth came to a stop, panting slightly while beaming with joy.
“Senior Sister!!”
His resolute face was slightly flushed from running, and his eyes were as bright as the stars in the night sky.
That smile was as brilliant as the sun, causing Li Shixue to subconsciously take half a step back.
“Senior Sister!”
The junior brother called out again, his voice tinged with hidden anticipation. “So you’re here! I’ve been looking for you for so long!!”
Li Shixue looked at him without speaking.
He didn’t mind her silence and continued on his own. “There’s a lantern festival tonight, it’s so lively! There’s a lantern riddle contest by the valley entrance. The winner can pick a flower lantern. People are releasing river lanterns by the stream; they say making wishes there is very effective.”
“There are also people selling food! The poria cakes and candied fruits are all delicious! I just tried a piece of osmanthus cake—it was soft and sweet. You’ll definitely like it, Senior Sister!”
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands, his eyes sparkling as he watched her, as if waiting for a response.
Li Shixue remained silent.
Seeing his senior sister’s lack of interest, the junior brother’s expression dimmed slightly, and his tone became a bit more cautious. “Senior Sister, do you… want to go and see together? Just for a little while, not very long. I’ll walk you back to your room afterward. It won’t delay your cultivation.”
He took a step forward as he spoke, then stopped, as if afraid that being too close would upset her. His words were filled with hope and an underlying nervousness.
Then, Li Shixue spoke indifferently. “No need.”
The youth’s dark eyes widened slightly, and the light in them instantly faded.
“Right! Your cultivation is more important, Senior Sister. Besides, the lantern festival isn’t that great—it’s just crowded and boring.”
He took a step back, clearing the way by the bridge.
“Then you should head back and rest early, Senior Sister. It’s cold at night; don’t catch a chill.”
With that, the youth stood there, waiting for her to leave.
Li Shixue instinctively glanced at him.
The smile remained on his face, but it no longer carried any warmth.
She turned and walked off the bridge. As she was about to turn the corner, she couldn’t help but glance back at the bridge one more time.
The junior brother was still standing there.
He was all alone, his back to the lantern lights, facing the direction she had gone.
The light from behind him outlined his silhouette clearly, but his face was obscured.
He stood there, his figure looking as thin as an abandoned dog.
Li Shixue felt a twitch in her heart, but she quickly retracted her gaze and continued into the shadows.
The night breeze blew past, carrying the fragrance of flowers and the bitter scent of herbs.
Many years later, as the exalted Empress, she had long since discarded the alias “Li Shixue.”
During another Shennong Grand Ceremony, she reunited with her Grandmaster.
Walking through the familiar yet strange lantern festival, she learned the truth from her Grandmaster.
That time, her junior brother had begged for a long time to get the chance for a two-person mission.
That night, in order to ask her to the festival, he had started preparing half a month in advance.
He had asked others about the arrangements for the festival, noting down all the places worth seeing.
He had learned how to make flower lanterns, failing a dozen times before finally making a decent one he wanted to give her.
He had exchanged all the Spirit Stones he had saved up for the unique snacks of Medicine King Valley, tasting them one by one to pick out the best ones for her to try.
He had waited for her on that bridge for a very long time.
From sunset until the moon was high in the sky, from the thickest crowds until the lights began to fade.
She hadn’t come.
When he finally found her, he worked up the courage to speak.
She had rejected him.
Then he stood there, watching her back slowly disappear into the night.
Until all the lights were extinguished.
Until he was the only one left on the bridge.
Ji Xuanyuan had shown no expression when her Grandmaster mentioned this.
That night, she sat in a private room of a restaurant at the festival, looking out at the bridge pier. For a moment, she thought she saw it:
The abandoned dog was still on the bridge.
Only this time, the departing snow-white figure’s heart softened, and she turned back to walk with him into the light of the festival.
However, when she came to her senses, everything was but a fleeting dream.
That dog had died long ago, and even his bones had weathered away with time, vanishing without a trace.
—
Back in the present.
The third floor of the tea house.
Fang Henian continued his introduction. “…I heard that this Fairy Gu and that Chu Yuan were childhood sweethearts. Who would have thought! Now it’s… sigh!!”
Seeing that familiar-looking figure being abandoned by another lady, Ji Xuanyuan wanted to do something.
Following her heart, she gathered her spiritual energy and parted her red lips.
“Young Master Chu, I am quite interested in the business you mentioned just now. If you don’t mind, please come up and chat!”
Hearing this, both Chu Yuan and Chu Yunlan, who was just about to board the carriage, were stunned.
The next moment, everyone on the street turned to look at the third floor.
The curtains of the long windows were partially rolled up, and the light filtering through was sliced into fine golden spots by the carved window frames, falling upon the lady’s enchanting face.
The crowd squinted, but they could not see her face clearly.
Even so, the beauty of being half-hidden already caused the hearts of many cultivators to ripple.
More importantly, there was a sense of imperial majesty within that phoenix-like voice. Chu Yunlan had a strong premonition that the speaker was no ordinary person. He immediately bowed and performed a greeting.
“I am Chu Yunlan. May I ask who you are???”