This meeting, separated by five years.

Neither had changed.

Still the same as back then.

Su Ziluo’s deep, bright eyes gazed at Ji Yunshu. The woman stood by the window, her back against the thin light, hazy and indistinct, like an illusion. This made him involuntarily recall many years ago. That year, winter was warm and gentle, snowflakes drifted through the sky, the air permeated with a refreshing cool breeze. The plum blossoms in the back corner bloomed one after another against the vast snow. He stood beneath the plum tree, his face like jade, his brows like bamboo, a pair of gentle bright eyes watching the plum blossoms falling all around. He remembered reaching out to pluck a branch of plum blossoms and placing it in the palm of the woman beside him. That woman lowered her brows shyly, her smile blooming like flowers, her eyebrows delicately drawn. When the gentle breeze arose, it scattered the peach-colored plum petals dancing through the sky like clear water sweeping past the woman’s exquisite pale face—so beautiful to behold.

As if it were yesterday.

Even after all these years, whenever Su Ziluo recalled that scene, the corners of his mouth would naturally ripple with waves……

However, in the end, times had changed!

The past was ultimately the past!

From five years ago when they parted at the city tower in the capital, everything had already ended. All that remained was to bury those feelings in his heart.

Ji Yunshu gazed at that familiar face. She admitted that her heart still stirred with some waves, but it was no longer romantic love—rather the emotion and amazement when two old friends met again…… Su Ziluo pulled his thoughts back from that plum blossom grove. Facing the current “situation,” actually, from three years ago when he brought Jingrong here, he had already anticipated this. He knew Ji Yunshu would find her way here sooner or later, so he had made ample preparations!

He was also prepared to face all of this! Ji Yunshu silently hid the trace of tears rising in her eyes. Her ten fingers clenched tightly. Standing motionless by the window, she had no mind for reminiscing about old times, no mind to recall the various events of the past. At this moment, she only wanted to ask Su Ziluo, ask him why he brought Jingrong here? Why did he hide it from her?

Countless whys surged in her heart.

Su Ziluo rolled his wheelchair forward two steps. Looking at Ji Yunshu with eyes still as gentle as back then, he said: “Shu’er, long time no see.”

His voice still carried that magnetic quality.

So warm.

Ji Yunshu’s eyes deepened slightly, her beautiful brow furrowing imperceptibly. After a long while, she walked closer to him, standing before him, her red lips parting lightly: “Yes, long time no see. I never even imagined I would come to Qujiang, that I could see you again.”

“Since we parted that year, it’s been five years. To meet again now is also fate.”

“Perhaps……” Su Ziluo smiled faintly, the corners of his mouth rippling with clarity, like willow branches swaying in the spring breeze brushing over water—gentle and comfortable. He picked up the teapot on the table, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it across. At this moment, his lips still overflowed with a smile: “I have nothing to offer you. Have some tea, though… it’s gotten a bit cold.”

Ji Yunshu sat down beside him. Her fingertips grasped the cold cup wall, the coolness flowing along the fine lines on her fingertips, slowly spreading into her bloodstream, causing her heart to tighten involuntarily. Even so, she was still unwilling to release the cup in her hand. Her faint gaze watched the tea water swaying in the cup, a trace of sad cold laughter flashing across her face.

After a long time—

She asked in a soft tone: “Don’t you want to tell me anything? Or explain something!”

At this point, Su Ziluo didn’t plan to hide or conceal. He only responded indifferently: “Are you referring to Jingrong?”

Besides Jingrong, what could Ji Yunshu care about? Ji Yunshu looked at him and said: “I searched for him for three years. During these three years, everyone thought he was dead, but I didn’t believe it! So I searched for him north and south across the land, because I knew he was still in this world, waiting for me somewhere. So I searched desperately, all for the day we would reunite.”

“It seems in these five years, you two have experienced much.”

“Yes!”

“Then to you, is he more important than your life?”

“Yes!”

She answered very seriously, even though it was only one word.

Actually, even if Su Ziluo didn’t ask, he understood in his heart. He just refused to give up, wanting to hear it with his own ears.

“Good. Then I’ll tell you—Li Chuan is Jingrong. Three years ago, I was the one who saved him.” His tone was still so calm, as if talking about an insignificant matter.

Ji Yunshu’s hands tightened. The tears in her eyes could no longer be hidden. Her voice trembling, she asked: “What exactly happened during these three years?”

Seeing the tears in her eyes and the pain between her brows, Su Ziluo couldn’t help but feel heartache too.

But he only said: “Jingrong has already returned to the capital city of Yanjing. If you want to know the truth from back then, come back to the manor with me.”

……

When Shu Tian couldn’t find Ji Yunshu, he hurried back to tell Wen Che.

A trace of worry flashed across Wen Che’s face as he pondered: “She went out? At a time like this, where could she have gone?”

“This subordinate just searched around the manor as well, but didn’t see anyone.”

“Did you look carefully? Did you ask around?”

“I asked. Everyone said they hadn’t seen her.”

It was truly worrying. Luo Yang came over after packing his things in the room. Upon hearing that Ji Yunshu was missing, he tossed down his bundle, his eyebrows rising: “Then what are you still sitting here for? Hurry up and go find her! Forget it—relying on you is worse than relying on myself! I’ll go find her!”

Just as Luo Yang stepped out the door—a young servant came in from outside and reported: “General Wen, Lord Wen, that Miss Ji who came to the manor with you asked this lowly one to inform you that she has business and must descend the mountain first. She asks that you don’t wait for her. When she reaches the capital city of Yanjing, she will contact you again.”

Hearing this, Luo Yang reacted intensely: “That’s impossible! I just saw her earlier. If she had business, why didn’t she say so before? Are you sure she told you this herself?”

The young servant said decisively: “Yes, it was that Miss Ji who told me personally. This lowly one wouldn’t have the courage to lie!”

“But… where could she have gone?”

“That, this lowly one doesn’t know. The message has been delivered. This lowly one will go busy himself now.”

After the young servant left, Luo Yang paced anxiously in the room.

Wen Yu said coldly: “Can you stop pacing!”

Luo Yang put his hands on his hips: “You’re not worried, but I am.”

Wen Che was more composed. After thinking it through carefully, he said: “Since Miss Ji has business to attend to, let’s descend the mountain first.”

Luo Yang’s forehead burned with anger: “Just let it go then? She’s unfamiliar with the capital city of Yanjing, and she still has her cold syndrome. What if something happens?” Wen Che analyzed rationally: “Trust that Miss Ji knows what’s important. Since she’s already left, we can only descend the mountain first. When we return to Yanjing, you go first to the arranged place and wait. If Miss Ji finishes her business, she’ll come back to find you. Our worrying here is useless.”

The reasoning was indeed sound!

Luo Yang could only agree to descend the mountain first.

……

On another side, Li Shiyan searched all around the manor but couldn’t find any trace of Ji Yunshu.

Could she have already left?

A sense of loss surged up.

The Marquis of Kangding didn’t care what he was looking for. In the end, he forcibly dragged him onto the carriage to descend the mountain and return to the manor.

Because today’s case was resolved, the people in the manor were lining up one after another to descend the mountain. There was only one road, but many carriages.

Therefore, it was severely congested!

Sitting in the carriage, Li Shiyan’s heart was restless, with some anxiety.

His mind was full of thoughts about where Ji Yunshu was.

Could she be in one of the many carriages? The Marquis of Kangding looked at him and didn’t forget to instruct: “Shiyan, listen well. The marriage between our Li family and the Zhu family absolutely cannot be abandoned like this. I can see that Yao’er truly likes you. As long as you treat her sincerely, Minister Zhu will definitely agree.”

Li Shiyan sighed: “Father, I don’t like Miss Zhu. Please stop making things difficult for me.”

“I don’t care whether you like her or not. In any case, your marriage must proceed! As long as Yao’er insists, and Minister Zhu loves his daughter dearly, he definitely won’t speak of breaking the engagement then! Actually, what they said isn’t wrong either—the marriage alliance between our two families will also help your future. Everything Father does is for you.”

How ridiculous!

Li Shiyan naturally wouldn’t believe such nonsense! He was very clear that his father merely wanted to establish a firm foothold at court, so he had to use the marriage between the two families to win over Minister Zhu and gain support. Plus, Minister Zhu had his own faction, so once they formed an alliance, it would mean gaining a hidden power at court.

Yet he still spoke so righteously, claiming repeatedly it was all for him!