A secret?
Jiang Si’s heart skipped a beat.
Yu Jin lowered his voice: “However, this matter, just keep it to yourself after hearing it. Currently, apart from a very few people, no one else knows.”
Jiang Si looked up at him, detecting a hint of solemnity in his demeanor.
“If it’s not appropriate, then don’t say it,” Miss Jiang said, her words not matching her true feelings. She didn’t want him to say anything he shouldn’t, lest she be held responsible later. She only wanted to hear secrets, not bear responsibility for them.
Sure enough, hearing Jiang Si say this, Yu Jin hurriedly replied, “It’s most appropriate to tell you.”
For Seventh Prince Yu, naturally, nothing was more important than clearing up his beloved’s misunderstanding about him.
Glancing at the doorway, Yu Jin said in a low voice, “The Holy Maiden of the Wu Miao tribe in the Southern Frontier has long since passed away.”
Jiang Si had been waiting to hear what secret Yu Jin would reveal, and upon hearing this, her expression immediately changed.
The fact that Holy Maiden A’Sang was no longer in this world at this time was indeed a secret. Even within the Wu Miao tribe, those who knew of this could be counted on one hand.
She was one, Yu Seven was one, the Wu Miao Elder was one, and A’Sang’s maid was one.
The reason she had been able to survive in the Southern Frontier under the identity of Holy Maiden A’Sang was because A’Sang’s death had not been announced for a long time after her passing. The Wu Miao Elder’s explanation to the outside world was that the Holy Maiden was in secluded cultivation.
The Southern Frontier wasn’t just home to the Wu Miao tribe but to more than a dozen large and small tribes living together, with the Wu Miao being the most prominent. It could be said that the other tribes were led by the Wu Miao tribe, whether it was paying homage to the Great Zhou Dynasty or dealing with the neighboring South Lan nobility, the Wu Miao tribe always took the lead.
Yet this powerful Wu Miao tribe honored women because only women could master the unpredictable Wu Miao secret techniques.
The Holy Maiden was carefully selected and nurtured from among many qualified Wu Miao women. One can imagine that the death of the Holy Maiden was a heavy blow to the Wu Miao tribe. If word got out, it could easily stir up unrest among certain groups.
Day after day, year after year, who would be content to be ruled by others forever?
What surprised Jiang Si was not the secret of Holy Maiden A’Sang’s death, but the casual tone in which Yu Jin spoke of it.
In any case, the man opposite her speaking of A’Sang’s death in such a tone didn’t seem like someone deeply in love. If he was being so cold towards his true love just to deceive her, that would be terrifying.
The Yu Seven she admired wasn’t that kind of person.
It was a time of beautiful morning light. Although the main hall’s doors were closed to block out the sunlight trying to sneak in, it was still bright enough to see the subtle changes in a person’s expression.
Jiang Si was certain that she couldn’t find even a trace of sorrow on the face of the man opposite her.
The most handsome face, with lines not yet as cold as in her previous life, revealed a sense of regret.
“In short, the death of the Wu Miao Holy Maiden is an extremely significant matter for the Wu Miao tribe. Currently, only a very few people know about it, and the world is unaware. I came to know of it by chance,” Yu Jin said, pausing for a moment.
Jiang Si looked at him, countless questions swirling in her mind. But those questions were like burning coals stuck in her chest, causing her heart-wrenching pain.
Perhaps the most helpless situation was hers. To her, he had already spent countless days and nights with her, but to him, she was still just someone he had feelings for but wasn’t truly familiar with.
Could she ask: If you don’t love Holy Maiden A’Sang, why do you cherish and keep her portrait?
Or ask: If you don’t love A’Sang, why did you say you liked her in your past life?
Jiang Si felt she had walked into a dead end. It wasn’t her fault, nor was it his. It seemed as if fate had played a cruel joke on them.
She dejectedly thought: The events of the past life might never be understood.
At this moment, the young man opposite her said in a calm voice, “If I truly loved the Wu Miao Holy Maiden, I would certainly be willing to exchange my life for hers.”
Jiang Si’s whole body trembled, and she blurted out, “Exchange lives?”
Yu Jin resumed his usual playful demeanor, blinking his eyes, “I’m just saying. In any case, others in this world can misunderstand, but you can’t. Otherwise, I’d be too wronged.”
The Wu Miao tribe had many secret techniques, one of which was a miraculous art of exchanging lives, known only to a very few. The conditions were extremely strict. It was said that the catalyst required was the heart blood of a person, and it had to be given completely willingly.
Although he didn’t know the specifics of how the secret technique was performed, when he heard about it by chance, he was shocked. He knew that if this information spread, it would be a disaster for the Wu Miao tribe.
Resurrection from death was a temptation that those in power would not hesitate to overturn mountains and rivers, and sacrifice countless lives for.
Jiang Si looked away, a sense of joy quietly sprouting from the bottom of her heart, like spring water melting the snow and ice accumulated over the years in her heart.
She had to exert great effort to control the surge of tears threatening to overflow, but teardrops still quickly formed on her long eyelashes and fell heavily.
Yu Jin was at a loss.
Why was A’Si crying?
“There’s another thing I lied to you about…” Yu Jin began, steeling himself.
Since he had to say it sooner or later, it was better to do it early, especially since A’Si might already know.
Jiang Si looked at him, her eyes bright and dark after being washed by tears: “What?”
“Well… my surname is Yu…”
“Prince Yan, right?” Jiang Si asked calmly.
Yu Jin felt a wave of relief.
It was good that he hadn’t harbored false hope and continued to conceal it, otherwise, he would have been in trouble.
“I didn’t mean to hide it from you all. I was afraid that if Second Brother Jiang knew my identity, he would feel uncomfortable around me…”
Jiang Si tugged at the corner of her mouth: “Uh.”
If she had only met this guy in this life, she might have believed him. What nonsense about fearing her second brother would be uncomfortable; he intended to approach her discreetly, just like in the previous life…
As this thought flashed through her mind, Jiang Si’s expression changed slightly.
Whether in the previous life or this one, he had known Holy Maiden A’Sang first and her later. In the previous life, one could say that feelings developed between them through daily interaction, but what about this life?
From the beginning, she had shown him no kindness, yet he persisted shamelessly. Without having spent time together, could she have captured his heart at first sight simply because she had one less red birthmark than A’Sang?
This was impossible.
Jiang Si changed her posture from leaning on the table to resting her chin on her hand, asking with feigned casualness, “For rumors to spread about Prince Yan being infatuated with the Wu Miao Holy Maiden, she must have been a beauty, right?”
Yu Jin’s nervousness instantly dissipated.
Was A’Si jealous? If she didn’t have feelings for him, why would she care whether the Wu Miao Holy Maiden was beautiful or not?
This realization immediately emboldened him, or perhaps being bold and thick-skinned was his true nature.
Yu Jin nodded seriously: “The Wu Miao Holy Maiden was indeed a rare beauty.”
Jiang Si fell silent.
Yu Jin leaned in closer: “A’Si, are you jealous?”
Jiang Si looked up, giving him a cool glance: “Your Highness must be joking.”
She shouldn’t have wasted words with this nonsense-spouting scoundrel!