Standing at the entrance of the tavern, Xia Wenjin paused slightly. She lowered her head, opened her hand, and gently released the grasp in her palm, revealing the Jade Pendant. Her mind was sowhat blurred; in her past life, this was her possession. An old monk had given her this Jade Pendant.
If this Jade Pendant was a family heirloom of Huang Zheng, given to him by his mother, why did it end up in soone else’s hands in her past life?
Did sothing happen to Huang Zheng, making him unable to keep the Jade Pendant, or did it end up like this ti, where soone like her took it so easily, causing it to fall into others’ hands?
No matter what the outco, now she would return the Jade Pendant to its rightful owner.
However, after returning the Jade Pendant, she and Huang Zheng would truly have no more connections. From then on, bridges are bridges, roads are roads; perhaps... they would never et again!
That pure youth, from a blank slate just entering the Jianghu, to now calm and poised, perceptive and bright. He had genuine kindness in his heart, carrying a heart of innocence; such a radiant and bright young man deserved a better life!
Xia Wenjin put away the Jade Pendant and walked into the tavern.
On the second floor by the window, Huangfu Jingchen was waving at her.
Xia Wenjin’s beauty was so stunning that many guests stared at her. However, they only looked; seeing Xia Wenjin walk to the table, a youth with picturesque features was waiting. Moreover, that youth exuded grace and an extraordinary presence, clearly from a wealthy background. Many thought, this pair of young man and woman truly appeared as a golden couple, perfectly matched.
However, they didn’t know that at the table, the two were bidding farewell to each other.
Huangfu Jingchen said, "Wenjin, what are your plans next?"
Xia Wenjin, without thinking, replied, "Wandering the Jianghu, making a ho of the four seas!"
She told Xia Wanqing that saving ten thousand people could avoid the death tribulation at twenty-four; that was just to comfort Xia Wanqing. Maybe she really wouldn’t live past twenty-four, maybe she’d live longer; who could predict? After all, her so-called fate had already been completed in her past life — in this life, she was drifting outside of destiny.
Living one more day was a gain!
Huangfu Jingchen eagerly suggested, "Then why not visit Yunzhou? Since you make a ho of the four seas, Yunzhou can be part of that!"
How many tis had he invited her now?
Ah, Yunzhou — Xia Wenjin did want to go, to see the legendary Prince Cheng and his wife, and those siblings who faced hardship with generosity. However, glancing at the eager eyes of the youth before her, she avoided his gaze.
She couldn’t go with him.
The young man’s feelings were so straightforward, his affection so plainly written on his face.
To be treasured by soone is supposed to be a heartwarming thing, yet her heart...
An old, weathered heart was unworthy of such beauty.
Moreover, after experiencing Huangfu Yuxuan, she doubted whether she could love again.
Even if her heart occasionally beat faster, was that truly infatuation? Could she ever again devote her heart so fervently like in her past life?
Naturally, she couldn’t; since she couldn’t, how could she deserve true affection?
She smiled and said, "No, I have other places where I want to go!"
"Where is that?"
Xia Wenjin smiled and said, "Huang Zheng, encounters in the Jianghu happen by fate, as do separations. Let’s go with the flow!" She took out the Jade Pendant and placed it on the table, gently pushing it towards Huangfu Jingchen, "Earlier was my mischief that caused you trouble, forcing you to run around with . Luckily, I’ve gotten it back now, so you can rest assured and return ho!"
Huangfu Jingchen’s heart felt hollow; Wenjin’s gentle refusal made him feel disappointed, but he also understood that Wenjin was avoiding; she didn’t want to walk the sa path with him, didn’t want to be too deeply involved with him.
This made him feel defeated. He could still try to be with her, not return to Yunzhou, wander the world, but what if doing so made Wenjin unhappy?
Should he give her so ti, or continue to seek opportunities to breach her heart’s defenses?
While pondering this, there was suddenly movent on the floorboards; soone was coming up.
Xia Wenjin saw who it was and glanced at Huangfu Jingchen.
She recognized this person was Huangfu Jingchen’s attendant, that chatterbox called Jiang Ning.
Huangfu Jingchen sensed her curious gaze and looked over, frowning slightly. If nothing was up, Jiang Ning and the others wouldn’t co to find him since they would only blend in with the crowd by his side, not appear around him.
He stood up, saying, "I’ll take a look!"
Xia Wenjin nodded and picked up chopsticks to eat.
She had no intention of prying into Huang Zheng’s privacy. If Huang Zheng wanted her to know, he wouldn’t have left to ask.
Since deciding to leave, there might not even be a chance to et again. Huang Zheng understood this; she should be relieved.
Upon seeing Huangfu Jingchen approach, Jiang Ning stopped in his tracks. As he got near, he whispered a few words to him, looking at Xia Wenjin’s direction from afar, sowhat stupefied. His young master dining with a pretty girl?
It seed he had unwittingly stumbled upon the young master’s secret?
Once delivering the ssage, Jiang Ning dared not approach further and turned to leave in a hurry.
Huangfu Jingchen returned but did not sit down. He said to Xia Wenjin, "Wenjin, since you don’t want to go to Yunzhou, are you willing to visit the Capital City?"
Capital City?
Hearing those two words, Xia Wenjin felt uneasy all over.
In this life, she was determined to stay far away from the Capital City.
By not going there, she wouldn’t et that person and wouldn’t fall into the sa dilemma as in her past life.
She shook her head, politely declining, "Are you going to the Capital City? Sorry, but I feel the Jianghu is more fitting for !"
Huangfu Jingchen was sowhat disappointed. He invited her to Yunzhou, and she refused; he asked her to the Capital City, and she still refused.
She claid that she made a ho of the four seas.
Does that an there are many places she wants to go, maybe including Yunzhou and the Capital City, but she simply doesn’t want to go with him?
Suppressing his inner disappointnt, he said in a low voice, "Wenjin, I have so matters and must part now. If we are fated in the Jianghu, we shall et again!"
Xia Wenjin smiled and nodded, pointing at the Jade Pendant as a reminder, "Your Jade Pendant!"
Huangfu Jingchen’s gaze swept over the Jade Pendant, then looked at the young girl’s smiling face. Although he had urgent matters to leave for, to leave just like that? Though they said fate would let them et again, amidst the vast sea of people, in such a big world, would they truly et again?
A sudden surge of loss flooded his heart again. He didn’t pick up the Jade Pendant but looked intently at Xia Wenjin’s face, as though engraving this smiling face into his heart. His voice carried the light sorrow of impending parting, "Having t once, who knows when we’ll et again. Keep this Jade Pendant as a nto!"
With that, he turned and left!
Parting is the most helpless and lancholic emotion. He didn’t want her to see the reluctance and yearning in his eyes, or worse, for her to refuse to keep the Jade Pendant, which would an there’d be no ties left between them.
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