Jingrong met her gaze and walked over, his expression still characteristically cold, revealing no emotional fluctuations, giving people a sense of distance.

Seeing him safe and sound, Ji Yunshu’s worries eased. She asked, “Where did you go?”

“I’ve been here all along.”

Been here all along?

What did that mean?

Ji Yunshu’s brows furrowed lightly as she looked at him with puzzlement, wanting to know the answer.

Jingrong seemed unwilling to explain and remained silent.

“Master Su sent people everywhere looking for you. Where exactly did you go? Leaving without a word like this—do you know how worried I was?”

“I told you, I’ve been here all along. I never left.”

“Never left? So you’re saying you knew about me being abducted to Cuiyue Pavilion.”

Jingrong chose silence, which was tacit acknowledgment.

“Since you knew, why didn’t you come out to save me?” Ji Yunshu’s brows knitted tightly. She truly didn’t understand what was going on. Her eyes full of confusion, she stared firmly into Jingrong’s eyes, wanting to hear him explain clearly.

Jingrong moved sideways and took a few steps, stopping beneath a tree in the courtyard. His eyes, deep as obsidian, were unfocused. After a long pause in his throat, he finally said, “I just had some things I hadn’t quite figured out yet, so I wanted to calm down alone. Knowing the people at Cuiyue Pavilion had no intention of harming you, I didn’t plan to show myself. Besides… didn’t General Su already find you?”

His last sentence seemed somewhat sour.

Ji Yunshu looked at his back and slowly approached with measured steps. Her previously puzzled expression had already relaxed, and a barely visible smile appeared at the corners of her mouth as she said, “But I hoped the person who found me would be you.”

“I’m afraid if you truly got lost, the only person who could find you would be General Su.”

“Are you jealous?” Ji Yunshu blurted out this sentence.

Jingrong’s back trembled sharply, and for a moment he was speechless.

Jealous?

How could he be jealous?

Impossible!

His eyes flickered slightly, and the hand gripping his sword involuntarily tightened as he said, “Don’t casually speculate about my thoughts. I’m not!”

“Why deceive yourself?”

“I’ll say it again—I’m not!” Jingrong turned around, his eyes looking at her seriously, grave and completely clear as he told her, “Whether you live or die has nothing to do with me. No matter what happened between us before, that’s all in the past. Even if I truly remember everything, we still couldn’t be like before. I only know…”

Before he could finish, Ji Yunshu had already thrown herself into his arms.

Holding him tightly.

Burying her face in his burning chest.

Jingrong froze for a moment. Just as he was about to reach out and push her away—

She said, “I can’t care about so much, and I don’t want to think about so much. You are Jingrong, the person I’ve waited so long for, searched so long for. In my heart, no one can replace you, not for my entire life. Even if you push me away again and again, it doesn’t matter—I’ll still be by your side. Wherever you go in the future, I’ll follow. For the rest of your life, even for lifetime after lifetime, don’t even think about leaving me.”

Similarly, she spoke clearly and plainly, every word enunciated distinctly.

Regarding Jingrong’s earlier words, she wasn’t saddened or angered—partly because she’d grown accustomed to it. From the moment she found Jingrong, she knew their path ahead would be extremely difficult. However, she had already made all the necessary preparations. No matter how he pushed her away or what he said, she would shamelessly stick to him. Don’t even think about pushing her away.

Even though Jingrong was such a strong-willed man, even though he had told himself countless times that he couldn’t possibly fall in love with the woman before him again, no matter how his heart resisted, no matter how harsh his words, in the end, in front of Ji Yunshu, everything involuntarily dissolved into a traceless wisp of mist.

Perhaps one could say that having completely forgotten the past, he had unknowingly fallen in love again with this persistently clinging woman.

It was just—

He was unwilling to admit it.

Ji Yunshu looked up at his jaw, her bright black-and-white eyes as beautiful as stars in the sky, her cheeks tinged with a blush, and said, “This is just like you—clearly worrying about me more than anyone else in your heart, yet always refusing to admit it! Am I not good? Or am I not good enough? That you appear so conflicted when you’re in front of me!”

“…”

“Actually, you don’t need to think so much. Shall we return to Dalin? I believe once you recover your memory, you’ll remember everything from before. Stop avoiding me—let’s go back, shall we? Please?”

The next moment, Jingrong reached out and pushed her away, taking a step to the side, his brows furrowing: “Do you really want to leave that badly?”

Hmm?

Ji Yunshu seemed not quite to understand the meaning in his words and asked, “Why ask that?”

Jingrong took a deep breath. After a brief silence, his eyes darkened somewhat, and he said gravely, “If I really leave here with you, then all those questions in your heart will never be answered!”

Uh!

Indeed, no matter what she was thinking in her heart, Jingrong could always see through it. He was like another version of herself, firmly grasping all her thoughts. And there were indeed many, many questions in her heart—like what exactly happened on Su Ziluo’s journey back to his country? Why would he discard such an important tassel? Where had Lie’er gone? And why conceal the matter of Jingrong being rescued…

Everything!

All of it had become things she couldn’t figure out.

Things Jingrong couldn’t figure out either!

And if they truly left here, then all these questions would become eternal mysteries.

“So this is why you’re unwilling to leave with me?”

Jingrong no longer concealed his thoughts and told her, “Yes. I can’t abandon all this and leave with you. Even if I truly agreed to leave with you, I must first understand the reasons behind it all. Since you also have these same doubts, you should be like me and get to the bottom of the truth.”

The truth!

Such a phrase seemed somewhat grave!

Ji Yunshu chose silence. It seemed a strong premonition in her heart was telling her that the truth would be a deadly wound. She had to admit that although she wanted to know everything, she was also afraid of knowing everything. Moreover, she only cared about Jingrong in her heart and didn’t care about anything else—so much so that she could completely ignore even the “truth.”

This really shouldn’t be!

Only now did she suddenly realize this. Her expression grew solemn as she said, “Yes, I should get to the bottom of the truth.”

“So now, do you still insist on wanting me to leave with you?”

“…” She opened her mouth but couldn’t quite speak, feeling as if this man had outmaneuvered her.

Seeing her at a loss for words, Jingrong understood her thoughts and said, “You should know what you need to do now, right?”

She knew!

She should get to the bottom of the truth!

Seeing her still not speaking, Jingrong said, “It’s already very late. You should rest early.”

Having said this, he prepared to leave—

Wait!

His steps paused!

He thought Ji Yunshu was about to say something, but instead she blurted out, “Take me to the Wen Manor.”

What a leap!

Just moments ago they were discussing the issue of “truth,” and now suddenly she was talking about going to the Wen Manor?

Moreover, it was so late!

Besides, Jingrong had previously nearly taken Wen Yu’s life. If he encountered Wen Yu, he would definitely be recognized, and an inevitable fierce battle would follow!

Too risky!

However, he knew her purpose for going to the Wen Manor, so he said, “You want to go find Wen Cong to help you save someone?”

Ji Yunshu wasn’t surprised he knew her thoughts, because he had said he’d been here all along, by her side all this time—which meant he knew she had promised the matchmaker she would find someone to treat Huazheng.

“That’s right. I want to ask Divine Physician Wen to help save Miss Huazheng. Originally I wanted to ask Master Su for help, but he’s now entered the palace and won’t return for a while. I can only make the trip myself. But I don’t want the Wen brothers to know, so I can only have you take me. Don’t worry though—I know taking me there is somewhat risky for you. Just escort me there and then leave. I’ll find my own way back.”

Years ago, Wen Cong had saved Jingrong—he was Jingrong’s life-saver!

It was just that after parting that year, they had never seen each other again.

Jingrong remained silent for a long time, but Ji Yunshu knew he would agree. And the result was just as she expected.

Jingrong agreed!

He went to the stables to fetch a horse and, taking Ji Yunshu while avoiding the manor’s people, headed toward the Wen Manor.