After lunch at noon, Su Yu casually made up an excuse and slipped out of the house.
As she strolled through the streets and alleys, even the vegetable vendor lady near the East Gate—who had always loathed her dandyish ways—clasped her hands together to offer her congratulations. One phrase praised her good luck, the next touted her great fortune, leaving Su Yu thoroughly bewildered.
She wanted to ask what this was all about, but seeing Auntie Bai’s flattering, mercenary smirk made her stomach turn. Shrugging her shoulders, Su Yu simply walked away without offering a polite word in return.
Watching her fade into the distance, Auntie Bai put her hands on her hips, her expression flipping in an instant. “What’s she so smug about? Did Miss Ning go blind or something, actually falling for an arrogant, overbearing playboy like her?”
Su Yu couldn’t hear her curses even if they made an iron tree bloom. She turned left and right, slipping like an agile fish into a narrow alley.
Walking for less than five minutes, she spotted a shop front hanging a wooden sign that read: Enter if Fated. Smiling to herself, she pushed open the door and stepped right in.
Beyond the doorway lay a world of its own.
The surroundings were bright and spacious, completely shutting out the noise of the outside world. Flowers rarely seen in this border town bloomed everywhere here, filling the air with a refreshing floral scent. Su Yu dusted off her sleeves and, catching sight of a bronze bell hanging upside down not far away, pulled the dangling rope with annoyance. “The man is decent enough, but he has way too many stupid rules!”
The chime echoed across the four corners of the courtyard, prompting a man to emerge with messy, disheveled hair. Seeing the visitor, his eyes instantly lit up. “A rare guest! A rare guest indeed! Miss Su is a busy woman of high standing—have you finally remembered little old me?”
He had been secretly pursuing Su Yu for eight long years, getting chewed out by her as “out of his mind” more times than he could count.
Reflecting on how, before she was even eleven years old, she had already experienced all eighteen tricks this eccentric guy used to win her favor, it had caused Miss Su to lose all interest in romance at a young age. Just thinking about it made her feel disgusted.
She sneered as she sized up the unkempt man, weighing whether or not to beat him up first.
Sensing her intent, the man took a cautious step back. “Woah, woah, hold on! You’re not a kid anymore, let’s talk things through properly!”
Ever since Su Yu mastered her martial arts three years ago, which of his beatings hadn’t left him bedridden for half a month?
His pathetic surrender was just as hilarious as always. Su Yu raised her hand in mercy, flicked her eyebrows, and unfastened the jade pendant from her neck. “Here, take a look at this for me.”
“What?” The man pushed aside the hair blocking half his vision, his movements freezing. Looking at the woman who, in recent years, had grown as dazzling as a crimson rose burning with wild passion, his speech faltered. “I—I—I, give me fifteen minutes!”
Afraid she would lose her patience and leave, he took off mid-air, frantically trying to fix his mistake: “No! Seven minutes! Just seven minutes! You must wait for me!”
How could he meet his beloved while looking like a total mess? No wonder he hadn’t managed to warm this cold, hard rock of a woman after eight years.
BANG! The door slammed shut.
Su Yu looked at the door and laughed lazily. The guy was still the same as ever.
If he hadn’t disgusted her over the years with his relentless courting, she wouldn’t have beaten him black and blue every time they met, given their childhood acquaintance.
To her, Shen Jun was half-master, half-friend. Wanting to take things a step further? Absolutely impossible.
Picking out a stone bench in the courtyard to sit down, she idly plucked at an ancient zither resting on a stone table. The strings vibrated, sending lingering notes through the air.
Before the song finished, the man emerged from the door looking remarkably handsome—clad in a white robe with black hair, a slender frame, and a refined brow that carried an otherworldly, graceful charm. “How’s that? Not bad, right? Having not come for so long, do you regret it now?”
As long as he kept his mouth shut, he was quite easy on the eyes. Su Yu didn’t bother arguing with him, throwing him a glare to tell him to shut up.
Not hearing any insults was enough to satisfy Shen Jun. He walked over with fluttering robes, and just as he reached out to inspect the jade pendant, Su Yu pulled her hand back in time. “You can only look, no touching!”
“I can’t even touch it?”
“It’s a maiden’s personal item. Wouldn’t it get dirty if you touched it?”
No matter how clean he washed himself, Su Yu still found him thoroughly repulsive—it couldn’t be helped, it was a shadow left behind by his courtship since her childhood.
Being despised to this extent by the young dandy he adored, Shen Jun felt like weeping without tears. “Then hold it steady, don’t shake your hand.”
“Stop talking nonsense and take a proper look.”
The Fated Abode only received those who were fated. The world-renowned Young Master Shen possessed a legendary pair of discerning eyes praised by all. These eyes could identify any object under the sun; from royal kin down to noble elites, countless people brought treasures begging for his review. This was because if Young Master Shen deemed a treasure good, it was guaranteed to be exquisite.
The moment she took this jade pendant from Lingmiao’s hands, Su Yu had thought of this old friend. An object she didn’t recognize would certainly be identified if brought to Shen Jun. Seeing him finally act serious, she instructed, “I don’t care if this thing is worth money or not. I want to know: what’s the significance behind it?”
“Significance?” Young Master Shen gasped in awe as he looked at it. “There’s far too much history behind this. Which part do you want to hear?”
“All of it.”
“Alright, alright. Let me think where to start.”
Shen Jun put on a show of tapping his head, looking at the young playboy with a somewhat complex gaze. He pondered briefly. “This is a Heart-Locking Pendant, a centuries-old artifact that hasn’t seen the light of day for a long time. When a woman gives this to the one she loves, it signifies locking her heart to prove her devotion—a pledge never to love another for the rest of her life.”
“Locking her heart to prove her devotion?” Holding the jade pendant, Su Yu suddenly felt it burning her hand. She wanted to throw it away, but managed to restrain herself at the last second.
Seeing her troubled expression, Shen Jun was astonished. “Who confessed to you that actually made you feel reluctant to part with it?”
“What do you mean ‘reluctant’? I’m not! You, you keep talking!”
Seeing her duplicitous behavior, Shen Jun felt a sudden ache in his teeth. As expected of the matchless treasure he had set his eyes on, this young dandy truly knew how to attract butterflies. He said gloomily, “It might be a good thing you didn’t throw it away. Look closely—is there a grain-of-rice-sized character for ‘Xue’ engraved on the inner rim of this jade pendant?”
“That’s right, there is a ‘Xue’ character.”
“Then that’s it.”
“What do you mean ‘that’s it’?”
Shen Jun sat opposite her and said unhurriedly, “I don’t know where you got this jade pendant, but since there’s a ‘Xue’ character inside, it must be the token that Master Huo gave to Scholar Xue back in the day.
Master Huo originally wanted to use a gold needle to prick a ‘Huo’ character inside it, but feared Scholar Xue wouldn’t accept it, so she changed it to ‘Xue’. There are countless people named Xue under the heavens, but only one could be addressed as Scholar Xue—the great scholar Xue Ling.
Xue Ling was Master Huo’s mentor. When they first met, Scholar Xue was already married. The sixteen-year-old maiden fell deeply in love with her mentor; unwilling to let her passionate affection go unexpressed, she spent three long years searching for the Heart-Locking Pendant to present as a gift, declaring that seeing the Heart-Locking Pendant was like seeing Huo Quyi herself!
By that time, Huo Quyi was already the undisputed head of the Huo family, immensely powerful and wealthy enough to rival nations. The Heart-Locking Pendant was given an even heavier significance, so Scholar Xue naturally refused to accept it.
The giver of the gift left in a hurry. By the time Scholar Xue personally gave chase, he was informed by a servant rushing over that his precious daughter—who was more important than his own life—suffered from an eye ailment. His mind instantly fell into total chaos.
It just so happened that fortune teller was passing by the Xue Estate and used the young girl’s destiny as a reason to persuade Scholar Xue to keep the item. This move was not without the intention of borrowing the Huo family’s power to protect the young girl.”
Old events, when spoken of, only brought sighs of regret. He let out a long sigh.
Learning the origin of the jade pendant, Su Yu’s expression darkened slightly. “Where did you learn about all this?”
“I was at the Xue Estate back then, listening to Scholar Xue’s teachings. I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears.
By the way, could the blind girl rumored in the streets recently be Scholar Xue’s daughter? That’s unbelievable. Scholar Xue died young, and his orphaned daughter went missing. Who would have thought she ended up in this border town? She’s blind—how on earth did she get here.
Ayu, take my advice. This jade pendant carries immense significance and cannot be accepted lightly. If you don’t want to accept her feelings, please return it.”
A sudden downpour arrived like rain from the heavens, wetting the blue cobblestone steps in an instant. Su Yu walked aimlessly down the long street, Shen Jun’s endless chattering still echoing in her ears.
Amidst the slanting wind and fine rain, she held the jade pendant tightly in her palm. Letting out a long breath into the storm, her mind suddenly became clear, and her pace quickened.
At the Su Estate, listening to the rumors A-Zhi had gathered from outside, the smile resting on the girl’s lips gradually faded. “Are you saying the General’s Estate intends to arrange a marriage with Ayu?”
“Yes, that’s what everyone is saying.”
“A-Zhi, tell me, Ayu won’t agree to it, right?”
“This, your servant does not know.”
“She definitely won’t agree to it!”
“A-Miao? A-Miao?” Su Yu stepped inside, her clothes dusted with a light layer of moisture.
“Ayu, you’re back?” The young girl rushed over happily leaning on her bamboo cane. Moving too fast, A-Zhi at her side didn’t even have time to support her. “Ayu, I have something to ask you.”
“Listen to me first.” Su Yu quickly placed the jade pendant—now tied with a red cord—back around her neck. “This is your protective amulet, I can’t take it.”
“What do you mean you can’t take it? Why can’t you take it?” Lingmiao reached out to feel it. Touching the token of love she had given away not long ago, her small face instantly turned pale as snow, and water mist gathered in her eyes between breaths.
Ayu had left in a hurry after lunch, undoubtedly to ask someone about the jade pendant. She had given her the Heart-Locking Pendant to lock her heart and prove her devotion—to tell Ayu that she was serious.
Yet Ayu had rejected her. She had returned the jade pendant.
Tears welled up in her eyes, leaving her so suffocated she could barely breathe. “Ayu, did you reject me because of Miss Ning? You don’t want me because you want to marry her?”
Seeing her lips devoid of color and her body trembling all over, Su Yu couldn’t help but pull the girl into her arms, letting out an amused laugh. “Why are you so timid?”
“Answer me. You don’t want me because you want to marry Ning Xi?”
Her reaction was truly unusual. Su Yu let go of her, speaking helplessly: “What nonsense are you talking about? Why would I marry A-Xi?”
“You won’t marry Ning Xi? Not in this lifetime?”
“I won’t.”
In a flash of lightning, who knew how many thoughts had raced through the little girl’s mind. Wiping away her tears, she decisively grabbed Su Yu’s wrist. “Take me there. Take me to the General’s Estate.”
“The General’s Estate? What are we going to the General’s Estate for? I just beat up Ning Zhou—Uncle and Aunt probably don’t want to see me right now.”
Leaning on her bamboo cane, the girl took the lead and stepped forward. “To see Ning Xi! To tell her that you have a marriage contract with me! A good woman never lacks suitors—tell her to stop coveting someone else’s fiancée!”