Peach Blossom Spring

After Jingrong and Su Ziluo left the palace gates, they came to this place.

At this moment, the two sat facing each other!

The young servant guarding Peach Blossom Spring hurriedly brought in a pot of tea.

He poured two cups. When one cup was placed before Su Ziluo—

“No need!”

The young servant retrieved the teacup, lowered his head, and obediently withdrew.

Outside, peach blossoms were everywhere. Pink petals occasionally fell inside, or were blocked by the white gauze curtains hanging at the corners of the pavilion.

Jingrong’s slender, handsome eyes remained fixed on Su Ziluo, carrying a kind of probing flavor.

His fingertips within his sleeves kept tapping lightly!

Neither of them had any intention of speaking first!

Su Ziluo’s eyes, which from the beginning had been like lake water, were calm yet carried a profound, mysterious quality.

Faintly silent!

Until—

Jingrong asked, “Has Master Su been to Dalin before?”

“What does Prince Rong mean?”

“Simply just wanting to ask.”

Su Ziluo shook his head lightly, “I’ve never been here.”

These words might be believed by others, but Jingrong wore an expression of complete disbelief. His sinister eyes lifted slightly upward, and the corners of his mouth curved into a smile.

He said, “There’s no one else here. Why doesn’t Master Su tell me the truth?”

Su Ziluo didn’t show any strange expression. On the contrary, with an interesting faint smile, he answered, “I truly have never been to Dalin, so where would the truth come from? Rather, it’s you, Your Highness—you invited me here. Could it be you only wanted to ask about this matter?”

“Not at all!”

His tone was somewhat hard!

Su Ziluo said, “Then Your Highness, why not be straightforward? Some words need not be roundabout. Listening to them makes one feel rather tired.”

Who isn’t tired!

Everyone is tired, alright?

Jingrong’s usual impatient temperament suddenly slowed down somewhat at this moment. Perhaps he was also trying to adapt to Su Ziluo’s pace.

After pausing briefly, only then did his brows press deeply downward as he opened his lips to speak, “The words Master Su spoke in court could be considered those of a straightforward person. This prince won’t beat around the bush with you either—I’ll just ask you one thing.”

“Mm?”

“Are you Ji Pei or not?”

The question came too quickly!

It came too suddenly.

Fortunately, Su Ziluo had already prepared himself before coming to Peach Blossom Spring. That Jingrong would ask this question was within his expectations.

He merely smiled. That refined, scholarly air also overflowed bit by bit, just like that smile at the corners of his lips.

Making one’s heart skip a beat!

A man like this was like a warm spring breeze, touching people’s hearts, creating a tingling sensation.

Even a handsome man like Jingrong felt somewhat jealous.

No wonder that Ji Pei could be so deeply rooted in Ji Yinshu’s heart.

He truly was too attractive.

Su Ziluo moved his wheelchair and went to the eaves outside the pavilion, looking at the courtyard full of peach blossoms, the falling petals drifting.

One of them landed on his shoulder.

He wanted to reach up to brush it away, but just as his hand touched that petal, he stopped.

So be it—he let it remain.

After a long while, with his back to Jingrong, he slowly opened his mouth to ask, “Ji Pei? That name disappeared two years ago—it no longer exists.”

Jingrong said, “To you, Ji Pei has indeed disappeared, but to others, it’s not like that.”

“Miss Ji?” Su Ziluo tilted his head slightly.

Jingrong wasn’t surprised that he had already seen through Ji Yinshu’s female identity.

So he nodded!

What he received in return was Su Ziluo’s shallow smile.

After quite a while, he said, “Being obsessed with a person who has already disappeared is a kind of pitifulness.”

Pitifulness?

Jingrong said coldly, “Are you pitying her for holding fast? Pitying her for enduring torment for two years waiting for a man? Or are you pitying her for being foolish?”

After these words were spoken, Su Ziluo turned his gaze away, concealing the sudden surge of guilt and heartache in his eyes.

On his face, he continued to appear calm and peaceful throughout.

But the hand within his sleeve clenched into a fist because of the words Jingrong had just spoken.

For a long time—

“Does Your Highness know that in a person’s life, there are too many helpless situations, too many choices, and each choice means that while you gain one thing, you must give up another? This is an eternal truth that no one can change. This is fate. Does Your Highness understand?”

This is fate!

Although the words were somewhat vague, in the end, Jingrong still understood.

This person was Ji Pei!

After a while, Jingrong rose from the table’s edge and silently walked to Su Ziluo’s side, following his gaze.

That peach grove was unreasonably beautiful.

He asked, “Then, can you really bear to give her up?”

Su Ziluo trembled slightly, his hands touching his own thighs. He smiled bitterly, “Looking as I do now, what qualification do I have to speak of bearing to give up or not?”

“You know she won’t mind!”

“But I mind.”

Su Ziluo’s tone was heavy.

Jingrong glanced at him with his peripheral vision but didn’t speak.

Su Ziluo: “From Jinjiang to the capital, Your Highness has been by her side the entire time. She will understand this devotion sooner or later. Now, the only person qualified to stay by her side is you, Your Highness. In the days to come, I must trouble Your Highness to take good care of her. No matter what mistakes she makes in the future, I also hope Your Highness can forgive her.”

“Even if you don’t say it, this prince will always stay by her side. No matter what happens, I will also always stand on her side.”

“I hope Your Highness can do as you say.”

These words clearly carried deep meaning, but one couldn’t guess the meaning within his words.

Not knowing how much time had passed, Su Ziluo said, “Today’s meeting between Your Highness and me—please don’t tell her about it.”

“I know.”

“Thank you.”

After Su Ziluo left Peach Blossom Spring, the attendant beside him pushed him away, then stopped and walked before him.

Using his hands, he made several gestures.

Su Ziluo’s brow furrowed slightly, “Lie’er, you won’t understand.”

The attendant called Lie’er made several more gestures, looking very anxious.

After finishing his gestures, he crouched down and looked up at him.

Making several “ah ah ah” sounds.

It turned out Lie’er was mute.

Su Ziluo reached out to touch his head and smiled, “Don’t worry, I’m fine. This decision was made two years ago.”

So Lie’er raised his hands and gestured several more times, his eyes reddening.

“Lie’er, you won’t understand. My father’s vengeance is unavenged, the matters the Great King entrusted haven’t been completed. Other matters are merely passing clouds. What’s past is past.”

“Ah ah…”

“Enough, don’t mention it again. Just remember this well—I am only Su Ziluo. You must not let Shu’er notice. Do you understand?”

Although Lie’er felt extremely regretful, ever since Su Ziluo had brought him back to Qujiang two years ago, he had been his master.

So he nodded, stood up, and pushed him away.

…