In his previous life, Ye Chu had indulged in every pleasure of wine, women, and song, remaining calm and composed with countless women. Yet now, looking at the woman before him, his heart actually began to race. In this moment, he could feel that inexplicable tension. Ye Chu knew very clearly that this feeling came from another soul left behind within him.
Su Rong looked up and met Ye Chu’s steady gaze. In her mind flashed the scene of Ye Chu clashing palms with the leader of Sha Kingdom, the image of him effortlessly wielding a brush to inscribe words on a plaque, and the sight of his unrestrained, wickedly charming smile.
At the same time, memories surfaced of Ye Chu bullying men and dominating women, smashing, burning, looting, and robbing.
These two contrasting sets of images overlapped, leaving Su Rong somewhat dazed. In her memories were scenes she admired and liked, as well as those she despised to the extreme.
As a child, Su Rong had fantasised about her prince charming being accomplished in both literature and martial arts, admired by the world, capable of saving countless people from misery. Of course, she knew it was just a fantasy, but which woman has never dreamed?
Ye Chu had a back view that made her heart flutter, and now even his unrestrained, wicked smile felt warm to her. Sometimes when she thought of Ye Chu, her cheeks would flush faintly.
To go from a notorious scoundrel to this point had already won Su Rong considerable favour.
But he still fell short of the prince in her dreams. Her prince should be a true hero, not someone so unrestrained, carrying a wicked charm, and burdened with endless curses.
In her memory, her prince should enjoy universal praise and admiration.
Ye Chu was far from that. Though this young man’s occasional lonely figure could still make her heart race, he was ultimately not her prince. He could not carry her soaring into the ninth heaven to embrace the radiance of the sun and moon.
“I’m sorry.”
Su Rong spoke in a low voice. She gave Ye Chu one final glance, let go of the balcony railing, stepped forward, pulled back the curtain, and walked into the hall.
The crowd in the hall had still been discussing Ye Chu and Su Rong, but the moment Su Rong stepped out, the voices stopped abruptly. Everyone stared blankly at Su Rong as she emerged, and at Ye Chu standing motionless on the balcony.
Ye Chu watched Su Rong pull back the curtain and leave. He could not help exhaling deeply, as though something in his soul had finally been released. Looking at Su Rong’s graceful departing figure, Ye Chu smiled, turned around, and continued facing the cold lake. From the perspective of others, his back view appeared lonely and desolate.
Seeing this scene, everyone exchanged glances. The bewildered group of young men and women seemed to understand something. “Su Rong rejected Ye Chu?”
The thought surfaced, and everyone’s gazes snapped towards Su Rong. Some of the women could not help sighing, thinking that even now, with the transformed Ye Chu, Su Rong still looked down on him. Just who in the world could she possibly fall for?
“Su Rong truly is an impregnable fortress, high above everything, impossible for any man to conquer!”
The hearts of the men were utterly shattered. Even a man like Chen Bowen, laden with honours, had his wings clipped by her. Even someone like Ye Chu, wicked yet melancholic and cool, could not win her over. In this world, perhaps no man could conquer her. Anyone who dared harbour thoughts about her would probably be mercilessly crushed.
Under everyone’s gaze, Su Rong’s eyes involuntarily drifted to that figure gazing at the cold lake. A sudden pang of bitterness welled up in her heart, but she quickly suppressed it.
Su Rong did not know that in many years to come, she would often recall this day, recall the words “Do you hope that it is true?”, recall the shimmering waves of the cold lake that day, and most importantly, recall that lazy young man leaning on the balcony. In the future, she would occasionally wonder what her life would have been like if she had made a different choice that day.
Would she still tear up every time she remembered this scene?
…
When Ye Chu returned to the hall, Su Rong’s gaze happened to meet his. Ye Chu smiled at her. Naturally, he did not take Su Rong’s recent rejection to heart.
This was an outcome the previous soul had already anticipated long ago. Confessing his feelings to Su Rong was something he had always wanted to do, but back then he lacked the courage. Now Ye Chu had done it on his behalf, fulfilling one of the previous regrets. At this moment, Ye Chu felt a sense of release, as though his body had become several degrees lighter.
Seeing Ye Chu still so carefree as he smiled at her, Su Rong felt relieved. However, her cheeks burned, so she quickly turned her head away, not daring to meet Ye Chu’s eyes. In her heart lingered an indescribable, unclear feeling.
Ye Chu walked over to Liang Shan’s side, patted him on the shoulder, then turned his gaze to Su Rong and smiled. “Perhaps this will be our last meeting. In a few days, I will be leaving Yao City. Today I came specifically to say goodbye to everyone.”
“What?” The single sentence plunged the entire hall into pin-drop silence, deathly quiet. All eyes shot towards Ye Chu.
A group of women shifted their gazes to Su Rong, some even showing displeasure.
In the eyes of many present, Ye Chu’s decision to leave Yao City now was precisely because of Su Rong’s rejection. Even Liang Shan thought the same, because before this, he had never heard Ye Chu mention leaving Yao City.
“Su Rong has truly hurt Ye Chu deeply!” Looking at the not particularly tall figure standing there, some women could not help feeling heartbroken.
After three years away and returning transformed, facing endless curses, all for the sake of pursuing his old crush, only for every effort to turn to ashes. The thought alone was painful. Some even wondered if Su Rong had been too cruel.
“So then, farewell!” Ye Chu smiled at the crowd, turned without pausing, and walked out of the main door together with Pang Shao.
Only after Ye Chu stepped through the door and it closed with a heavy thud did everyone snap back to reality. Staring at the now empty doorway, they exchanged bewildered looks. Some of the young women’s eyes could not help turning red.
Su Rong stood frozen in place, staring blankly in the direction of the door. Only when she saw Liang Shan rush out did she react and hurry after him. Yet outside the door, there was already no trace of Ye Chu or Liang Shan.
“Ye Chu really left?” Several young women also ran out, staring blankly at the empty alleyway and exchanging glances.
Zhang Su’er had always disliked Ye Chu in the past, but at this moment her heart was inexplicably moved. Remembering how Ye Chu always liked to gaze at the cold lake alone in his loneliness, her eyes could not help reddening.
“Su Rong, go after him! Maybe Ye Chu will be willing to stay!” Zhang Su’er said. “The current Ye Chu is no longer the scoundrel from three years ago.”
“Yes, yes! Su Rong, can you really bear to reject him? If it were me, I would go with him.” One woman sighed beside her. “But he came back for you.”
“Su Rong! I think Ye Chu is pretty great. A bit melancholic, a bit handsome, skilled in both literature and martial arts, always with that wicked edge, romantic and willing to go crazy for someone. He’s so attractive to girls. I really can’t understand how you rejected him.”
“…”
Glancing at the empty alleyway, Su Rong felt an inexplicable restlessness. Surrounded by Zhang Su’er and the others chattering away, she could not clearly hear what they were saying. She only nodded reflexively.