She had chosen to leave, even at the cost of turning to dust.
Even more decisively than he had all those years ago.
Jin Xiu stared at her.
She truly did not hate him.
She had simply forgotten.
That little demon had been wild, untamed, brimming with spirit, yet also foolishly pure. He had once thought he understood every part of her, but now, he had no choice but to admit—when it came to this matter, she was more clever than any celestial maiden he had ever known.
She knew exactly how to punish him.
“I will forget you.”
For an immortal, forgetting was far worse than hatred.
And this was the cruelest retribution she could have devised—one that had left him burdened with guilt for a thousand years.
Once, in his youthful arrogance, he had been called affectionate, but over time, his name faded into obscurity within the quiet halls of Huazhao Palace. Those who had once hated him had long since become blurred memories.
Yet this one sentence—"I will forget you"—was the only thing that remained.
They had already parted ways, their fates entirely separate.
Now, defying destiny—what consequences would that bring?
Seeing his lack of response, Hong Ning frowned but could not be bothered to press further. “I don’t hate you anymore. You can leave now. A mortal’s fate should run its natural course. There’s no need for an immortal to interfere—least of all Lu Yao.”
Jin Xiu’s gaze flickered. “She came to see you.”
Hong Ning had no intention of hiding it. “She offered to look after me on your behalf. I must say, you’ve gone to quite some trouble.”
Jin Xiu was silent for a long time before he finally said, “That wasn’t my decision.”
Hong Ning laughed. “I was young and naive back then. But now, I’ve already figured things out. Zhong Tian King, why bother explaining? Do you think I’d still be jealous?”
Life was but a fleeting few decades.
A foolish young girl had quickly grown into a rational woman.
If she could now view the past with the clarity of hindsight, would she understand what once eluded her?
Or…
Would she still make the same choice she had back then?
A strange heaviness settled in his heart.
And yet, he smiled.
She claimed to have forgotten, but traces of her past memories remained.
This little demoness—was she, subconsciously, still resenting him?
A sudden irritation rose in Hong Ning’s chest.
She hated that smile—as if he could see right through her thoughts, as if everything was still under his control.
The smile of a victor.
She brushed past him without hesitation, her voice cold. “I’m going to rest now. Zhong Tian King, please help yourself.”
Since Zhong Wen Cai had already left, the fox-woman naturally wouldn’t be able to find him again. Hong Ning had been slightly concerned at first, but when she woke up the next morning and noticed nothing unusual, she finally let out a sigh of relief. As for Madam Hu, she did not mention her to Yang Zhen.
—
In the quiet alley, the sound of knocking echoed.
An elderly woman knocked on the door while calling out, “Madam Hu, are you home?”
After a moment, a plainly dressed young woman opened the door. “What brings you here in such a hurry, Aunt Cai?”
The old woman smiled. “I need a favor from you, dear. I have two distant nephews who often trade outside the pass and have some connections with ginseng merchants. Yesterday, they brought me two top-grade ginseng roots. But I’m an old woman with no children, and I’ve lived a bitter life. I don’t have the blessing to enjoy such fine things, so I thought I might as well sell them for a few taels of silver instead.
“You’re an educated lady—could you help me take a look? I don’t want to be swindled just because I don’t know any better.” As she spoke, she gestured with her hands. “They’re this thick—quite a rare find.”
Such high-quality ginseng was indeed uncommon. Hearing this, Madam Hu was delighted and quickly said, “If Aunt truly has such good ones, I still have some savings. I’ll buy them for my husband’s health.”
The old woman chuckled. “If it’s for you, dear, just give me a few taels—no need for more.”
Madam Hu shook her head. “I can’t let you suffer a loss.”
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