Lu An and his son had already boarded. The carriage stood empty.

Ling Jingshu and Lu Qian stepped into the carriage one after the other and closed the door.

The noise and clamor of the dock outside was perfect cover. As long as they kept their voices low, no one would hear.

“Time is short — say what you have to say,” Ling Jingshu said, her smile gone, her tone flat and light.

No outsiders here — no need to keep up appearances.

Strangely, looking at her cold, indifferent expression, Lu Qian felt himself steadying. He didn’t beat around the bush: “You were leaving for the capital — why did you keep it from me? Were you deliberately avoiding me?”

Ling Jingshu answered with a question: “If you had known, would you have been content to watch me leave Dingzhou?”

Lu Qian: “…”

Of course not. Had he known earlier, he would have done everything in his power to obstruct it.

Lu Qian pressed his lips together — his expression had already said everything.

A trace of cold mockery rose in Ling Jingshu’s eyes: “So what choice did I have but to keep it from you?”

“The capital has many renowned physicians — perhaps there’s hope for A’Xiao’s eyes. Father pays no attention to A’Xiao, and Li Shi would be glad if A’Xiao remained disabled for life. The only person who could take him to the capital was me. This trip was unavoidable. Given your temperament, you’d have overthought everything and tried to obstruct it. So I kept it from you deliberately.”

The explanation was reasonable and coherent, and it eased the heavy oppression in Lu Qian’s chest somewhat: “Now that you’re gone, who knows how long you’ll be away — perhaps months, perhaps a year or two before you return. What about our betrothal?”

Ling Jingshu replied lightly: “Grandmother will handle that matter.”

Old Madam Ling would absolutely never allow this match!

But Lu Qian had no idea. He even took it as Ling Jingshu’s veiled hint that she had consented to the betrothal — joy bloomed in his chest instantly, and he said with delight: “A’Shu, do you truly agree? Wonderful! No matter how long you’re gone, I’ll wait for you to return.”

Ling Jingshu knew perfectly well he had misunderstood — and said nothing to correct him.

Ling Shi doted on Lu Qian more than life itself. Once Ling Shi learned from Old Madam Ling that Ling Jingshu had developed a strange ailment preventing her from being touched by men — without Old Madam Ling needing to say more — Ling Shi would extinguish all hopes of this match herself. By that time, Ling Jingshu would be far away in the capital. Even when Lu Qian learned the truth, there would be nothing he could do.

Lu Qian was still rambling on: “…The capital is far, but fortunately you’re traveling on an official boat with First Uncle — surely no reckless bandits would dare make trouble for an official vessel. Once you reach the capital, write me immediately to let me know you’ve arrived safely…”

Ling Jingshu suddenly cut him off: “That incident back then — was there truly no hidden circumstances behind it?”

Lu Qian, completely unprepared, his expression flickered — then quickly recovered, and he answered swiftly: “Of course not. If I hide so much as a single word from you, may heaven strike me down and curse me to a wretched death.”

Ling Jingshu’s gaze fixed on him: “Since you intend to swear an oath, swear a different one. If you know the truth and are deliberately concealing it from me — let it be fated that you and I shall never be joined in this life, never to meet again.”

Lu Qian’s face changed abruptly.

So there really was something hidden behind that incident! Lu Qian clearly knew everything — yet had kept his lips sealed and not said a single word… Could it be that Lu Hong had some unspeakable reason why he had stayed so long without returning to Jizhou?

Ling Jingshu’s heart was stirring with waves, but her face remained utterly still as she pressed: “You just said you weren’t hiding anything from me — so why won’t you swear this oath?”

Lu Qian’s thoughts raced. He feigned composure: “Very well — I’ll swear the oath as you’ve worded it.”

“Heaven above, I, Lu Qian, solemnly swear: everything I have said holds not a shred of falsehood. Should a single word of it be a lie, may Heaven punish me to spend this life in solitude, forever without the woman I love, never to meet her again.”

After the oath, both palms were slick with cold sweat — yet he raised a bright, radiant smile: “A’Shu, now you believe me, yes?”

Yes — she believed completely that he had been hiding a secret from her all along!

Ling Jingshu curved her lips — with a pointed, meaningful air: “Of course I believe you. Heaven above, the sun and moon as witness — if you’ve lied to me, Heaven will punish you in due course.”

Lu Qian’s back began to sweat as well, his smile twisting involuntarily: “How could I possibly lie to you.”

Ling Jingshu had no desire to look further at Lu Qian’s hollow, insincere face. “The hour is getting late — I should board the ship,” she said flatly, and stood up.

Regardless of what Lu Qian was concealing, it no longer truly mattered.

Even if Lu Hong had had every reason in the world, he had still betrayed her.

Between her and Lu Hong — separated by the suffering and degradation of a past life, separated by the detestable Lu family — there was no longer the faintest possibility in this life.

Lu Qian was reluctant to let her go but had no grounds to stop her — he could only follow Ling Jingshu down from the carriage and walk her all the way to the gangway, still unwilling to leave.

Ling Jingxian had some vague sense of Lu Qian’s feelings and teased with a laugh: “Cousin Qian, if you truly can’t bear to part, why not come to the capital with us?”

Lu Qian was sorely tempted — but he hadn’t gone so mad as to lose all reason. He steadied himself: “Cousin Xian is joking. I’ve seen Cousin Shu aboard — it’s time for me to go.”

He said it was time to leave, yet his gaze still lingered on Ling Jingshu’s figure with deep reluctance.

Even Sun Shi had noticed something, and coughed pointedly: “The boat will be departing shortly, yes?”

Lu Qian’s face may have been thick, but he could no longer stay and bear the embarrassment — he finally rose and took his leave. Before going, he looked back at Ling Jingshu with longing: “Cousin Shu, once you reach the capital, don’t forget to write and let me know you’ve arrived.”

Ling Jingshu gave a perfunctory mm.

When Lu Qian’s figure vanished from sight, Ling Jingshu suddenly felt the air clear, her spirits lift enormously.

Ling Jingxian had watched every shift in Ling Jingshu’s expression and laughed quietly: “You have a young man so wholly devoted and lovesick for you — can you really find anything to be displeased about?”

Though Ling Jingxian had kept her voice low, the cabin was not large, and Sun Shi and the others caught every word. Recalling Lu Qian’s lingering reluctance at departure, everyone allowed themselves a knowing smile.

Betrothal between cousins was a doubly joyful occasion. Though Lu Qian was two years younger than Ling Jingshu, they seemed well-suited enough.

Ling Jingshu, teased like this by Ling Jingxian, was neither irritated nor flustered — she only smiled faintly: “Cousin Xian is making fun of me. I regard Cousin Qian just as I do A’Xiao.”

So — one-sided affection, it seemed.

Ling Jingxian shrugged and finally let it rest.

The boat slowly set sail, departing from the dock at Dingzhou. Through the latticed wooden windows of the cabin, Ling Jingshu watched the city of Dingzhou grow distant and blur — and quietly let out the pent-up breath in her chest.

The Ling household was a gilded, exquisite cage — and she was nothing but a caged swallow, carefully fed and kept. Clothed and fed in luxury, yet imprisoned, unable to stir.

She had spent enormous effort to finally leave — leaving the Ling family, leaving the Lu family, behind her.

From this day forward: open skies, birds soaring, fish leaping freely.

This was the path she had chosen herself. Even if obstacles lay thick ahead, even if the future was dark and uncertain, even if one day she fell and shattered — she had no regrets.