Jiang Liu handed over the Tuo Gu Xiang to Miao Yan and started packing up for the move. Having moved so many times, he was used to saying goodbye, and he didn’t feel much about it. He also had no expectations for a new life. As long as Xiaosi was by his side, that was enough.
For many years, he had often wondered, if he had ended up with Liu Zhi, would there have never been Zhao Bing? Would Liu Zhi have avoided so much suffering and ultimately not died?
Zhao Bing could give her love, but not a simple, happy life. He could have given her that, but in the end, he had watched as she was handed over to someone else. It wasn’t because he didn’t love her—on the contrary, he loved her too much. That’s why he let her go. All the pain and reluctance turned into something worthwhile when he saw her happy, smiling in Zhao Bing’s arms. He wasn’t a saint, and if Liu Zhi had loved him, he wouldn’t have let go no matter what. His mistake was seeing things too clearly.
But in the end, his sacrifice didn’t save her; Liu Zhi still died. He knew it wasn’t Zhao Bing’s fault, but he couldn’t help but resent the man who always prioritized the greater good. If it had been him, for Liu Zhi’s sake, he would have given up anything, even his own life or an entire kingdom.
The first time he saw Shen Mo, he felt that Shen Mo was similar to Zhao Bing. Though one had pride deep in his bones, and the other coldness, both were people who would sacrifice love for their principles without hesitation.
Initially, he allowed things to unfold because he believed Xiaosi’s infatuation with Shen Mo stemmed from the allure of RH blood. Even if she did develop feelings for him, Shen Mo would never see her as more than a child. As time passed, Xiaosi’s feelings would naturally fade, just like how she had inexplicably fallen for Zhang Qi and then quickly broken up with him. It was like her parents: once, they had loved each other deeply, eloped despite all obstacles, and endured so much to be together. But in the end, their feelings had evaporated, and they had each found new passions. Over the centuries, he had witnessed such things countless times.
No love could last forever.
Those who swore they would love until mountains crumbled and the earth split apart had never truly experienced the passage of time. They didn’t understand that no matter how passionate or deep a love was, it couldn’t withstand the test of time. Those who still loved had simply not been through enough of it.
After enough time had passed, he had almost forgotten Liu Zhi. He didn’t know when it had started, but her image had gradually faded in his mind, as had the feelings he had for her and the heart-wrenching pain when she died.
What he held onto all this time wasn’t love, but a promise. Sometimes, a promise could outlast love.
Now, the most important thing to him was Xiaosi.
But Shen Mo had developed feelings for Xiaosi, just as Zhao Bing had once fallen in love with Liu Zhi. How could you stop two people in love? In their eyes, anything done in the name of love was justified, and all obstacles were just part of the trials they had to endure.
That’s why many lovers in the world end up more like friends—they can weather hardship together but can’t stay together through prosperity. They can endure a difficult love but can’t maintain a simple, peaceful one.
The more he tried to stop them, the closer it would push the two of them together. If he took Xiaosi away, her heart would remain behind. That was the outcome Jiang Liu most wanted to avoid, so in these days, he hesitated. Perhaps letting Xiaosi make her own decision was for the best. When it came to matters of the heart, he had never been able to control them.
Shen Koudan, disguised as Xiao Tang, strutted around everywhere daily, hoping to lure Lu Xiaowan out.
Jiang Liu’s plan to move was something she learned from Yuchen. She didn’t have many friends, and Jiang Xiaosi was younger, but Yuchen, being a zombie herself and unafraid of spirits, was willing to drink with her. Over time, they had become close. Initially, Yuchen was afraid of her, but after getting to know her, she realized that Shen Koudan was straightforward and had no prejudice against non-humans, and they became even closer. Yuchen would often chatter about Jiang Liu to the point where Shen Koudan’s ears were almost worn out.
Since Jiang Liu was moving, Yuchen naturally had to move too. Over the years, she had followed Jiang Liu and his family discreetly during their many relocations, so Jiang Liu would always “coincidentally” run into her wherever he went. Despite this, Yuchen was shy and knew that Jiang Liu only loved Xiaosi’s mother, so she never dared to confess her feelings.
Shen Koudan felt sad and reluctant. She was vaguely aware that she had developed feelings for Jiang Liu, but Jiang Liu was a zombie, and they couldn’t be together. Yuchen was likely more suited for him, so she tried hard to push away her feelings. Still, after all the times Jiang Liu had helped her, she felt she owed him a parting gift. But what could she give him? He wouldn’t be impressed with ordinary items, and ancient treasures and paintings were already abundant in Tuo Gu Xiang.
As she thought about this, she strolled through Baili Street with Yuchen. Suddenly, an antique-style sign reading “Yintian Pavilion” caught her eye, and she brightened up, deciding to head inside.
As she walked out, a woman with a ponytail, dressed in a pink dress, stood in front of her, glaring angrily at Yuchen. “Xingzhi, who is this woman?”
Shen Koudan paused, then looked closer. Who else could it be but Lu Xiaowan? Calmly, she replied, “Of course, she’s my girlfriend.”
Yuchen nearly burst out laughing but was discreetly pinched by Shen Koudan.
Lu Xiaowan was furious. She had been secretly following him for days but hadn’t dared to reveal herself. Today, seeing him shopping hand in hand with another woman, she couldn’t hold back any longer and had jumped out recklessly.
“But we’re already married!”
“You forced me into it. It doesn’t count.” Shen Koudan replied coldly.
“How can it not count? We’ve already bowed to heaven and earth!”
“If there’s no marriage certificate, it doesn’t count.”
Lu Xiaowan was momentarily speechless, her eyes filling with tears. “How did you get out of the village? Are you going to abandon me again? Then I’ll kill this woman first!”
Her fingernails grew long, and she aimed a deadly strike at Yuchen. Shen Koudan quickly pulled Yuchen into her arms, exposing her back to the attack. As expected, Lu Xiaowan hesitated, but she didn’t expect that the person she saw as Tang Xingzhi would suddenly turn around, form a seal, and touch her forehead.
“Xingzhi, you…”
Lu Xiaowan froze in place, unable to move. When had he learned such powerful techniques? Was it that cursed Daoist or that annoying monk who taught him?
Shen Koudan was thrilled that they had finally caught her, but then she saw a faint spirit slip out of Lu Xiaowan’s body and disappear into the air. She frowned, “She escaped again.”
Yuchen gasped, “She can ride the wind?”
“Lu Lin gave her a wind-collecting tube, formed from his branches, which has gathered centuries of wind. That’s why she always escapes so quickly. Spells don’t seem to work; we’ll need a different method to trap her.”
“She still hasn’t realized that this Xiao Tang is a fake?”
“People consumed by love often can’t see the truth. Besides Xiao Tang’s appearance, how much does she really know about this reincarnation?”
“She’s so silly, even sillier than me. What if she returns to Xiaoli Village?”
“Master Yixiu has set up an array at the lakeside. She won’t dare go back, or she’ll be trapped like a turtle in a jar.”
“Sigh, running and hiding like this every day is so boring. She should just return the spirit soul. If she hasn’t done anything too terrible, no one would make things difficult for her.”
“She doesn’t want Xiao Tang to leave.”
“But they still can’t be together now.”
Shen Koudan shook her head. Women’s thoughts were always so mysterious; she couldn’t understand them.
“What should we do with this body? We can’t just leave it on the street, right?” Yuchen poked Lu Xiaowan’s face, noting how soft and elastic it was. She wished she had a body like that and didn’t want to be a zombie anymore.
“Take it back. Lu Xiaowan will come looking for it again. We’ll set a trap and wait for her.”
Jiang Xiaosi continued to go to class as usual, though she searched for Shen Mo several times without success. Chen Anyuan told her he was on a business trip. She couldn’t help feeling disappointed. Was he avoiding her, not even willing to see her one last time?
On her way home, she felt as if someone was following her. The feeling of being watched seemed to linger whenever she was alone, but this time, it felt a little different.
It was late, and her dad still wasn’t back. Jiang Xiaosi looked at the boxes of packed belongings, even her computer was already in a box. She randomly grabbed a textbook to flip through; inside were doodles she had drawn during class—Q-version sketches of Shen Mo, frowning with his arms crossed, looking cold and aloof. Frustrated, she went to take a shower. When she came out, lost in thought, she left her pearl on the sink and forgot to put it back on.
The wind outside seemed especially strong, making the wind chimes ring incessantly. Jiang Xiaosi had just closed the window when she heard the door creak open. She thought Jiang Liu had returned, but no one entered. She opened the door, and as soon as she stepped out, a shadow pounced on her. Everything went black.
Lu Xiaowan was triumphant. She had been following Jiang Xiaosi all the way, unable to possess her, not knowing what was protecting her. But then she noticed the golden light around her had disappeared, and she carried a faint aura of death—an opportunity she couldn’t pass up. With a single move, she had succeeded.
Unfortunately, this body was too small, and staying inside felt suffocating. After a while, she realized Jiang Xiaosi was half-zombie, yet had no powers at all. This child was so useless!
Seeing that Xiao Tang and Jiang Xiaosi seemed close, Lu Xiaowan thought she could just use Jiang Xiaosi’s body to get close to him. If he liked Jiang Xiaosi in this form, she could marry him again, but this time, she would make sure to get the marriage certificate and have the wedding in a church so he couldn’t escape.
Gleefully imagining her plan, Lu Xiaowan, now wearing Jiang Xiaosi’s bathrobe, brazenly strutted down the street.
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