Original and most updated translations are from volare. Please don’t read elsewhere and stop supporting theft.
In the crowd of hurried passerbys, she saw him. In an instant, her mind blanked. She tightly gripped the clothes in front of her chest. Her eyes swept the crowd, in search of that familiar yet fleeting face she had only glimpsed at.
‘It’s him! It’s him!’
Her legs seemed to have a mind of their own, as they carried her to the spot where she had seen him. She bumped against the shoulders of others numerous times, but she persisted, like a stubborn child, using all her might to make her way to that place.
Suddenly, a sedan passed by, separating for a moment Ji Yunshu and her guards and within that instant, they lost sight of her. “No good! We have to quickly find Teacher Ji. If something happens to him, his Highness will blame us and if we can’t find him, don’t even dream of keeping your life!”
“Yes!” The guards immediately dispersed in all directions.
Meanwhile, Ji Yunshu was closely following behind Su Ziluo. Their paces were neither hurried nor slow. Sui Shi sped up as he pushed Su Ziluo’s wheelchair, Ji Yunshu followed suit and picked up her pace. If he slowed down, she also did the same, always maintaining a certain distance between them. From the start, she had no intention of catching up to them. Perhaps, it was fear that held her back; Fear of disappointment; Yet, the fear that he could be Ji Pei superseded the fear of her being mistaken.
If he was Ji Pei, then why didn’t he return to find her after all those years? Her expression revealed the turmoil and confusion inside of her. Soon they reached a garden of plum trees and stopped on a red bridge with a stream flowing underneath.
Su Ziluo raised his hand and lightly waved. Sui Shi withdrew. The small bridge overlooking the stream stood in the middle of the plum trees garden. The man on his wheelchair indifferently watched the ephemeral and colorful petals falling like a drizzle. Time slowly passed, Su Ziluo suddenly, vigorously thrust out his fingers, breaking a branch full of bloomed red plum blossoms and pinched it between his fingers.
Ji Yunshu stood there, observing him carefully. After a certain period of time, she heard Su Ziluo’s voice. “Gentleman, you have been following for a while, do you want anything from me?” This gentle voice, if he wasn’t Ji Pei, then who else could he be?
Ji Yunshu immediately felt her eyes reddened. The tense feeling in her suddenly snapped like a bowstring that was pulled too far, a heartache gripped her. She timidly stepped forward, walking on the bridge, but she didn’t dare to go further.
“For what reason did you follow me here?”
“Your legs…”
“You follow me only to ask this question?”
“No!” She vehemently denied, feeling the sweat build up to coat her palms. “Do you know the Ji family’s Ji Yunshu in Jinjiang?” She questioned him further.
“Ji Yunshu?” Su Ziluo showed a bewildered expression, he squinted his eyes pensively before shaking his head.
“You really don’t know her?”
“That’s right, he is dead, you are not him.” Her voice was choked with emotion.
Su Ziluo coldly watched her. “So, you thought I was him.” He spoke.
Sui Shi returned, took the handles of the wheelchair and was about to push Su Ziluo away.
Su Ziluo’s sight fell on Ji Yunshu’s mask. His eyebrows wrinkled in a frown. “You might be someone with a story to tell, if one day we have the opportunity, I certainly must heard about it.”
Ji Yunshu chased a bit after him, then she stopped. ‘He isn’t Ji Pei! He is not!’ She convinced herself. They merely had the same face, but that’s merely his appearance. Their inner selves were different. She watched as he disappeared into the distance. Her heart gradually calmed down as their distance grew. After a while, she strode back with heavy steps, walking to the fallen branch, a gust of wind blew as she tried to grab onto it.
Unfortunately, all she grabbed onto was the empty air. The branch fell into the water and floated on the surface to a distant place. Suddenly, it felt as if all the time she waited for Ji Pei was a mere dream. She stood for a long time on that red bridge, letting the cold penetrated into her bones. Suddenly, everything became clear. Her vision blurred. She pondered for a moment, then quickly left. She quickly ran to the inn where Li Shiyan stayed.
Since Li Shiyan was given an ultimatum by Su Ziluo and was forced to return to Qujiang, he had nowhere else he could go. He couldn’t even secretly escape as the people watching over him had discovered him before he even reached the city gates and dragged him back.
In short, escape was pointless, obediently go back to Qujiang.
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