“Xiao Shao!” Jiang Ruan widened her eyes and suddenly awoke from her dream.
Oil lamps flickered like ink, and the burning charcoal in the room seemed especially warm in winter. A concerned voice reached her: “You’re awake?”
Jiang Ruan looked up to see the cold, handsome young man from her dream now sitting beside the bed. He had probably just been awakened by her as well, with some slight tension in his gaze. However, his eyes remained cold and dark as ink, like a tranquil deep pool that would irresistibly draw people in.
“You…” Jiang Ruan suddenly lost focus. That tragic past was just a dream, like a great dream spanning three lifetimes, witnessing the fates of various people. Seeing Xiao Shao now gave her a feeling as if lifetimes had passed.
Seeing Jiang Ruan just sitting on the bed in a daze, Xiao Shao was slightly startled and was about to stand up to pour her water: “Are you thirsty? You’ve been unconscious for over ten days. Drink some water.” Just as he was about to rise, Jiang Ruan grabbed his hand. Xiao Shao turned back, raised an eyebrow, and sat down beside Jiang Ruan again: “What’s wrong?”
His voice was gentle and reassuring, making one suddenly feel a trace of reality after experiencing the horrific nightmare. Jiang Ruan reached out her hand, appearing somewhat timid. Xiao Shao frowned as she touched his collar, as if wanting to confirm whether this person truly existed. After her hand paused at his collar, Jiang Ruan suddenly wrapped both arms around Xiao Shao’s neck, lunging forward and hugging him tightly.
Even now, Jiang Ruan’s actions were shocking. Xiao Shao was slightly stunned, freezing for a moment before looking at Jiang Ruan with some hesitation. Jiang Ruan’s head was buried against his neck, her arms holding extremely tight. After thinking, he reached out to gently pat Jiang Ruan’s back, softly saying: “Ah Ruan?”
“Xiao Shao,” Jiang Ruan’s voice was somewhat strange, as if forcibly suppressing some emotion, and her words were also odd: “I didn’t understand before, didn’t understand why it was you. Now I understand.” Her voice gradually lowered, almost inaudible: “So, you appeared long ago.”
There are no coincidental relationships in this world. In her previous life, she and Xiao Shao seemed to have no connection, yet in this life she always had entanglements with him. She had thought it was just coincidence, until in her dream it was like a great dream, with all past events reappearing before her eyes. Some things suddenly became clear in her mind. In her previous life, it was Xiao Shao who cleared her name and avenged her—could it be precisely because of this that in this life she must repay him with grass rings?
Did cause and effect truly exist in this world? Did they? Didn’t they?
Xiao Shao lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes falling down, concealing the meaning in his gaze so his emotions couldn’t be seen. However, his movements were gentle, only softly patting Jiang Ruan’s back. Even in silence, he provided peace of mind.
After a while, he felt something hot flow past his neck—was she crying?
Xiao Shao’s heart paused. He slowly supported Jiang Ruan’s shoulders with one hand and lifted her chin with the other. That face that always smiled brilliantly was now covered with tears, with one large teardrop hanging from her chin, crystal clear and about to fall, just like her current expression.
“You…” Xiao Shao was stunned by her expression. Just as he was about to speak, he saw the woman before him suddenly lunge forward. His lips felt warm as a soft touch came from her mouth.
His body stiffened. Xiao Shao’s handsome eyebrows furrowed. Jiang Ruan’s actions today were already very unusual. Setting aside whether she would normally do such things, such passion occurring with her was quite strange in itself. He wanted to pull Jiang Ruan away, but the woman held him even tighter, her slender arms embracing him as if afraid he would run away. Xiao Shao’s heart inexplicably softened. The woman seemed encouraged and her lips never left his, even becoming bolder.
A flush immediately rose on Xiao Shao’s pale, handsome face. When a beauty throws herself into one’s arms, especially a woman he admired, even a normal man wouldn’t remain unmoved. No matter how cold Xiao Shao usually was in his actions, no matter how gently he treated her, the predatory instinct and desire for conquest in a man’s bones had always existed. He was inherently a strong and domineering man, only usually concealed beneath his indifferent exterior and overlooked by others. At this moment, his arms tightened, pulling the person into his embrace. One hand gripped the back of the woman’s head as he turned defense into offense, kissing her fiercely.
Lips and tongues met. Unlike his gentle, cold exterior, the kiss was domineering and passionate, almost devouring. When emotions reached their peak, all suppressed feelings were released together. It seemed both tenderly lingering and desperately entwined. The stunning beauty tightly embraced the handsome young man, tilting her head back to receive affection spanning two lifetimes. Her posture was so beautiful that even snowflakes couldn’t help melting, like watching spring flowers bloom instantly in deep winter, ten miles of peach blossoms across a thousand-mile frozen plain—beautiful and intoxicating.
The door was suddenly flung open. Qi Feng and Xia Qing both froze seeing the scene before them. Xiao Shao moved extremely quickly, pressing Jiang Ruan’s head into his embrace with one hand while looking at the doorway with slight annoyance. Xia Qing’s face instantly reddened. He scratched his head guiltily: “Third Brother, I came to check on Third Sister-in-law. You two continue, continue.” He then tugged Qi Feng. Qi Feng withdrew his dim gaze, smiled and said: “Old Five and I will go see Master first.” After speaking, he closed the door and both went out together.
When Jiang Ruan heard the voices, she had already come to her senses. Now buried in Xiao Shao’s embrace with the man’s crisp fragrance filling her nostrils, she didn’t dare lift her head to look at Xiao Shao’s expression for a moment. She had been impulsive earlier and done such improper things. It was just impulse—she didn’t know what Xiao Shao was thinking now.
“Are you planning to suffocate yourself?” Xiao Shao felt like laughing, pulling the ostrich-like Jiang Ruan from his embrace. Jiang Ruan’s cheeks were burning hot. She pretended to be composed: “Where is this? What happened to me?”
Seeing her like this, Xiao Shao found it quite interesting. He reached out to stroke her head: “This is Jia Nan Mountain, where I study with my master. You were poisoned as a child. Someone drew the poison out, so I brought you up the mountain for treatment.”
“Poisoned?” Jiang Ruan was startled: “You said as a child?”
“Yes.” A trace of coldness flashed in Xiao Shao’s eyes: “Born with poison.”
“I understand.” Jiang Ruan smiled slightly: “After I brought down my legitimate mother, I once heard her say that to eliminate my mother and me when I was young, she had my fourth sister—now Jiang Zhaoyi—poison me. But later I was sent to the manor, so the poisoning was interrupted.”
This was the first time she had so actively told Xiao Shao about her affairs. Xiao Shao looked at her with some surprise. When he heard about Jiang Dan, he frowned again: “Your mother once raised Jiang Dan.”
“Unfortunately, she raised a wolf,” Jiang Ruan said indifferently. “She feared Xia Yan’s threats and originally only intended to harm my mother and fourth brother. But later, afraid I would steal her affection, she also poisoned me. Perhaps she wasn’t just afraid I would take her love—she was probably paving the way for the future.” In her previous life, Jiang Dan, a concubine’s daughter, eventually became a first-rank imperial wife, showing she had been scheming for a very long time. Perhaps even her poisoning was a conspiracy—who could know?
“Leave this matter to me.” Xiao Shao said indifferently: “You just focus on recovering.”
“No need.” Jiang Ruan spoke. Xiao Shao paused his movements. Jiang Ruan looked at him and smiled: “I want to handle this matter myself. I know who that person is.”
“What person?” Xiao Shao asked.
“The poisoner.” Jiang Ruan lowered her eyes: “I was careless. But I’ll be careful in the future.” She looked up at Xiao Shao with a smile. Though the smile was very faint, something seemed different. Xiao Shao sensitively detected that something had unknowingly changed. He was slightly startled, looking at her without speaking.
…
In the palace, in the consort’s chambers, a woman in brocade clothes appeared very comfortable. The hall was filled with warm atmosphere, incense curling upward, exquisite jade artifacts casually placed on partitions—clearly the mistress was extremely favored. Jiang Dan slowly picked up a plum from the crystal dish and put it in her mouth, looking at the gray-clothed person before her: “Anyway, I did as you said. Why exactly did you want me to say those things?”
The gray-clothed person’s long robes reached to his feet, his hat nearly covering half his face, revealing only a beautiful chin. His tone was somewhat slow and eerie: “People who know too much will only have greater troubles in the end. Does Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi truly want to know?”
Jiang Ruan’s action of picking the plum paused, a trace of barely perceptible nervousness quickly flashing across her face. She was a smart person and naturally understood the implication of these words. Unlike Jiang Susu, she never had to control others or place herself in the highest position. Before that, she always knew how to lie low and when to quit while ahead. The deep meaning in this person’s words was truly thought-provoking. Moreover, Jiang Susu had an intuition that the person opposite was not ordinary. She immediately laughed: “Why you wanted me to say those things—I don’t care, as long as you can achieve what you promised. Previously you said that if I spoke that way, Jiang Ruan could no longer exist in this world. Now it’s been a long time without news of her. You didn’t fail, did you?”
Previously in the palace, Jiang Dan had met this gray-clothed person through Xuan Li. The gray-clothed person had dismissed Xuan Li and spoken to her about Jiang Ruan. Strangely, he seemed to understand Jiang Dan’s wariness toward Jiang Ruan very well, proposing cooperation to make Jiang Ruan disappear from this world. With Jiang Dan’s cautious nature, she shouldn’t have so rashly agreed to the gray-clothed person’s request. But now Jiang Ruan was already Princess Jinying and seemed quite favored by Xiao Shao, which made Jiang Dan very uneasy. If she could resolve Jiang Ruan early, that would be perfect. Moreover, this matter didn’t require her to take risks personally—she only needed to say a few words. Though she didn’t understand what method the gray-clothed person used, clearly Jiang Ruan had unknowingly offended someone who seemed very troublesome, which was exactly what Jiang Dan wanted to see.
“Your suspicions are unnecessary.” The gray-clothed person said: “If you don’t trust me, Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi can do it yourself.”
Jiang Dan’s expression tightened, then she smiled: “I naturally trust you. I await your good news. After the matter is accomplished, I must thank you properly.”
“Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi should thank herself instead.” The gray-clothed person suddenly laughed. Though his expression couldn’t be seen, laughter could be heard in his voice, faintly brushing over one’s heart, truly somewhat chilling. He said: “If not for Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi’s methods from years ago, today’s matter couldn’t have been so convenient. So we must thank Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi’s schemes from years past.”
Each word seemed to heavily strike Jiang Dan. Her body trembled as if someone had glimpsed her deepest secret, nearly collapsing in her chair. She had thought that besides Xia Yan and Jiang Ruan, no one else in the world knew about this matter. Xia Yan was already dead and posed no threat. The only one to guard against was Jiang Ruan. Yet this stranger of unknown origin seemed to already know, as if he had known all along. How had he learned of it? What did he want to do?
She forced herself to remain calm: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The gray-clothed person slowly stood up, his voice carrying a trace of strangeness: “Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi need not worry too much. My purpose is the same as yours—we both want her to disappear. On this point, you and I are no different. As for other matters, I have no interest in interfering. Why should Imperial Concubine Zhaoyi worry?”
“Do you have a grudge against her?” Jiang Dan asked tentatively.
“In fact, I have no hatred toward Princess Hong’an.” The gray-clothed person’s answer made Jiang Dan’s heart tighten. Then she heard his voice: “But she has interfered with someone else, so she must disappear.”
The gray-clothed person’s answer made Jiang Dan breathe a long sigh of relief. She secretly suppressed her doubts and smiled: “Regardless, I await your good news.”
…
The scenery of Jia Nan Mountain was different from the capital—without a trace of bustling commercial atmosphere, it was more like a paradise outside the world. When Jiang Ruan first woke up, she discovered this place was extremely beautiful. Even someone like her who didn’t care about externals was stunned by the beautiful scenery before her. This place seemed isolated from the mortal world, completely untainted by worldly smoke and fire. It seemed that anyone stepping into this place would have the impure parts of their heart cleansed.
It was also at Green Willow Manor that Jiang Ruan met Xiao Shao’s master, Master Baqi. This was an old man who appeared very immortal and ethereal. Unlike the pretentious Daoist Xukong, Master Baqi had a quality that transcended the mortal world. He was gentle in nature, and after playing a game of chess with Jiang Ruan, he had already glimpsed her clear and exquisite mind—she was someone with great wisdom. Because Xia Qing hadn’t figured out the nature of the poison in Jiang Ruan’s body, he had been studying medicine intensively these past days, bringing out all the medical books from the previous pavilion at Jia Nan Mountain again, wanting to make up for his inadequate learning. He stayed in the pavilion all day without being seen.
Now that Xiao Shao and Qi Feng had gone hunting, only Jiang Ruan and Master Baqi remained in the vast Green Willow Manor. The chess board was exquisite. Master Baqi picked up a black stone and placed it, suddenly saying: “Ah Shao is very worried about you.”
Jiang Ruan looked up at Master Baqi, who smiled slightly: “Girl, watch the chess.” His expression was completely composed. Jiang Ruan couldn’t think of anything else, so she reached into the porcelain jar, picked out a black stone and placed it: “I know.”
“Does the girl like Ah Shao?” Master Baqi asked. This question from an elder to a junior was somewhat strange, especially since he was Xiao Shao’s master. Jiang Ruan didn’t want to hide from this wise old man and answered almost without hesitation: “I like him.”
“This old man has taken nine disciples total. Among the nine, Ah Shao has the coldest temperament.” Master Baqi didn’t raise his head as he placed another stone, his tone carrying long reminiscence: “Initially at Jia Nan Mountain, he studied medical arts. Even if Prince Jinying’s residence hadn’t encountered trouble, he carried many burdens, and though he studied medicine, he didn’t value it highly. In fact, he was the most spiritually gifted disciple. This old man’s nine disciples learned nine supreme arts.” Master Baqi smiled: “But later Prince Jinying’s residence met with disaster, and Ah Shao knelt before this old man, wanting to learn killing.” His expression became slightly melancholy: “Ah Shao’s nature wasn’t suited to being the world’s top assassin. This old man didn’t agree. That day it snowed heavily at Jia Nan Mountain. He knelt at the mountain’s base for three days and three nights.”
Jiang Ruan’s hand paused slightly before placing a stone. She had never seen Xiao Shao like that, but the disaster at Prince Jinying’s residence must have felt like when Zhao Mei and Jiang Xinzhi died for her—heartbreaking agony. Now Xiao Shao was composed and restrained, never showing joy or anger, as if nothing could shake his tranquil expression. But just imagining that noble young man slowly lifting his robes and slowly kneeling in the falling snow throughout the mountains, his spine straight—such a quietly silent scene was enough to move anyone.
“Later this old man agreed to him. Ah Shao was harsh on himself because he could become someone he fundamentally wasn’t suited to be. In all his years with the Jinyiwei, he never once complained. This old man believes this was his willpower. All these years, he seemed to have no weaknesses.” He looked at Jiang Ruan, his eyes full of smiles: “Girl, you are the first. You are his weakness.” He raised his hand and placed a stone, instantly changing the entire chess situation dramatically. He said: “However, this old man is very glad you could become his weakness, because this way, he looks more like a ‘person.'”
Jiang Ruan was silent for a moment, contemplating before placing a stone: “I won’t hurt him. He is my husband. If anyone gives him trouble, regardless of whether I can succeed, I will use all my strength to fight for him.” In her previous life, that person had shown her kindness. In this life, repaying with grass rings wouldn’t be enough. Moreover, in this lifetime he had helped her again—the debt owed could never be fully repaid. She might as well owe it for a lifetime, since she had already bound herself to Xiao Shao anyway.
Master Baqi stroked his beard and quickly placed a stone: “The girl protects Ah Shao so—is it because of past life karma?”
Jiang Ruan’s hand trembled, nearly unable to hold the chess piece steady. Her gaze instantly became cold and wary as she looked at the old man opposite without speaking.
“Ah Shao has always been decisive. When the girl was unconscious, she revealed some fragments. Ah Shao is very intelligent—he’s not unaware. He simply doesn’t want to actively ask. Since Ah Shao won’t ask, this old man must ask for him. This old man is Ah Shao’s master, but privately also regards Ah Shao as his own child. Though the girl is someone Ah Shao likes, in this old man’s view, you still aren’t honest enough with him.” Master Baqi spoke slowly.
Jiang Ruan’s heart seemed to surge with stormy waves. Xiao Shao actually knew. She naturally knew Master Baqi had no need to lie about this matter, so Xiao Shao very likely had guessed her secret. In her dream she had seen her previous life’s ending—perhaps she had unconsciously revealed something. In an instant, Jiang Ruan felt a sense of shame from being exposed, as if someone had peered into her soul. If others knew it wouldn’t matter, but that person happened to be Xiao Shao. How would Xiao Shao view such a wretched version of herself emerging from darkness?
“The girl needn’t worry,” Master Baqi seemed to see her concerns and said gently: “Since Ah Shao chose not to ask, he doesn’t care about this matter. The one who has always cared isn’t him, but you.”
“I don’t know how Master learned of this matter.” Jiang Ruan said with difficulty: “I didn’t intentionally hide it from him—I just can’t face it.”
“Is the girl unable to face Ah Shao, or yourself?” Master Baqi asked.
Jiang Ruan was startled: “What does Master mean by this?”
“Ah Shao doesn’t care about this matter. Whatever the outcome, he would accept it willingly. If you care about his thoughts, there’s no need, because he won’t develop any other emotions toward you because of this. What you can’t face has always been only yourself.”
“Master is right. I truly cannot face myself.” Jiang Ruan spoke: “I don’t fear others’ gazes, whether they see me as a monster or demon. But to place such a version of myself before him makes me feel ashamed.” Her tone was frank, without the slightest concealment: “I cannot face standing beside him as such a person, so I would never actively tell him this matter. If not for this incident, I would never reveal this secret in my lifetime. Some things only create more trouble when spoken—I don’t want to add that burden.”
“What about now?” Master Baqi smiled slightly.
“As Master said, if he doesn’t care, why should I care?” Jiang Ruan said indifferently: “Being in danger this time, I saw many things I didn’t understand and grasped some puzzles I couldn’t solve before. I feel I owe him greatly. Since some things are destined fate, why should I block them? Master can rest assured—I will tell him everything truthfully. After hearing these things, whether he dislikes me or doesn’t care, it’s his decision. I respect him.” After saying this, Jiang Ruan seemed to have shed a heavy burden she had carried for many years. The secret of rebirth had been buried in her heart from the beginning of this life. She had walked each step with difficulty, but never thought of sharing it with anyone, not even her closest Jiang Xinzhi. She had planned to bear it alone to the end. But now there would be another person to bear it with her. Perhaps the burden would lighten greatly, perhaps nothing would change—whatever the result, she would accept it willingly without feeling sad.
She spoke so frankly that appreciation flashed in Master Baqi’s eyes. He said slowly: “Congratulations, girl. You no longer have heart demons.”
Jiang Ruan was startled. Master Baqi said: “You said earlier that not telling Ah Shao was because you couldn’t face him. This old man now feels that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” The old man before her suddenly winked playfully, his tone full of teasing: “That at least shows you truly care about Ah Shao.”