After a day, little daze stopped somewhere in the wild.
They had traveled quite the distance, and Lu Mingshu only stopped when she made sure the emperor was no longer chasing them. They had traveled a huge distance, and the emperor had probably given up by now.
Lu Mingshu dismounted from little daze and went to Jiang Wan. “Prince Jiang, are you okay?”
Jiang Wan’s was leaning on little daze’s back, and she was as pale as a sheet of paper. She took a deep breath and coughed.
“No more prince Jiang, please.” She panted.
“Miss Jiang?”
Seeing Jiang Wan nod, Lu Mingshu patted her back to make her feel better. “Why are you here? Where’s the floating cloud gentleman?”
“We aren’t together.” Jiang Wan shook her head. “After that day, I left as soon as I recovered. ”
Lu Mingshu looked at her in shock.
Jiang Wan laughed. “I’m now a lone cultivator. I wander around without a home. Days are harder, but I think I am happier?”
She does indeed looks happier, so Lu Mingshu smiled and nodded. “That’s good.”
“Congratulations, though.” Jiang Wan looked at the both of them and nodded. “To be honest, I thought you were both dead. Thank god, lady luck is on your side. I won’t feel guilty either.”
Lu Mingshu smiled in return. They had a great time in the formation. But they weren’t close, so Lu Mingshu didn’t see a need to inform her.
“Anyway, I’m still confused. Who are you guys, actually? I’m no longer prince Jiang now, so it’s okay to tell me, right?”
“All I can say is that we aren’t natives.”
“Foreigners?”
But before Jiang Wan could continue, Xie Lianzhen flashed her a smile and cut her off. “Miss Jiang, we’ve offended the emperor, so I don’t think that it’s a good idea for me to stay here any longer. See you again, if we ever have a chance.”
He pulled Little daze away immediately, not letting her have a chance to speak.
“Haish….”
Watching the both of them leave, Jiang Wan increased her volume and shouted. “Just tell me your names, is that too much?”
Lu Mingshu looked back and waved. “My surname is Lu. Hope to see you again one day, Miss Jiang!”
The pegasus lifted off and disappeared into the clouds.
In mid-air, Lu Mingshu slapped Xie Lianzhen’s hand away coldly, “What are you trying to do?”
He wanted to seize the chance to hold her, but unfortunately, she saw through his intention. “I’m afraid of heights…”
“Fuck off.”
Now, Lu Mingshu contacted Xiao Sang. After being certain that she had enough points, she told Xiao Snag to send her back. “Xiao Sang, send us back.”
“Okay.” Xiao Sang replied monotonously. If one paid close attention, they would realize that the pegasus suddenly disappeared together with the two-person it’s ferrying.
They returned where they left.
Back then, the queen sent people to search for them, but they didn’t find anything, so the troops left.
Now, what they saw was only a deserted island.
They walked out from the cave, all the way to the Ming river, yet they didn’t see any living creature.
“Shall we return?” Xie Lianzhen looked at her.
But Lu Mingshu didn’t reply. She stared at the water, seemingly with something on her mind.
Seeing her deep in thought, Xie Lianzhen didn’t continue and stood there quietly.
She let out a deep breath, and it turned white in color.
The air froze her skin, and beneath her shoes was fluffy white snow. But the water of the Ming River was still unfrozen.
“Xie Lianzhen, I lied.” She murmured. “Whatever I said about needing energy to return, it’s all a lie.”
“I already know.” Xie Lianzhen shrugged. “I realized when we discovered the Yuan crystal mine.”
“But why…..”
“I said it.” He flashed a smile. “As long as it’s something you said, the truth doesn’t matter.”
But before Lu Mingshu can continue, he threw his hands into the air and laughed. “The person you are lying to is him, not me anyway.”
Seeing him smiling sweetly, Lu Mingshu gritted her teeth and stopped herself from slapping him. ~What the fuck, taking another character in him as a love rival. Is he insane?~
Lu Mingshu took a deep breath, and when she has calmed down, she turned to look at him. “I think we need to talk.”
“Okay, about what?” The reply came so fast, with a smirk that Lu Mingshu wanted to slap off.
She breathed in and out to calm herself down. ~ He’s crazy. You can’t argue with crazy people.~
“Xie Lianzhen, do you think that you’re normal?” She gritted her teeth.
“Normal?” Xie Lianzhen raised his eyebrows. “Since when? Maybe before I was twelve? I don’t know.”
“…..” ~How the fuck am I supposed to communicate with him…~
Lu Mingshu bit her lips and sighed. Who would be willing to talk to a mental patient? Back in the other world, they only had each other so she could put it off. But now, since they returned, Lu Mingshu needed to settle the matter.
“Do you remember the day when we first met at Tianyun city?” Before Xie Lian Zhen could reply, she continued. “You were sneaky, cold, arrogant, and extremely self-centered. Everyone was a chess piece to you back then, and you looked down on everyone. But look at you now, are you still the Alioth star-lord I knew?”
“When we met?” Xie Lianzhen burst out laughing. “You’re insane! Didn’t you hate me so much that you would strangle me if you could?” Seeing her staring coldly at him, Xie Lianzhen shrugged and mumbled. “Well, I didn’t have a goal in life back then. But now I have. Isn’t it great that I’m living like a normal person right now?”
“Normal person? A life goal?” Lu Mingshu huffed. “So, what’s your goal in life?”
“Marry you!” He chuckled! “I love life more when I’m with you.” He winked.
However, Lu Mingshu didn’t give him any reply but continued staring at him.
Seeing that, Xie Lianzhen stopped fooling around and shrugged.
“Okay, okay.” He muttered. “You really don’t like the idea, huh…? ”
She sighed and shook her head, exasperated. “Why are you living for me? What if I refuse to be with you? Are you going to commit suicide?”
Xie Lianzhen stared at her so hard that his eyes looked as if they were falling out, looking for signs that she was joking, but he didn’t see any.
“You…..” he coughed. “Like him?”
“I….’
Before she could respond, he smiled grimly and shook his head.” Ah, that’s fine too. If you do, I’ll let him out more. As long as he makes you happy.”
Lu Mingshu bit her lips and shut her eyes. For someone like her, who was abandoned since young, would obviously crave love and attention. And it felt extremely nice to have someone who didn’t even care about the world but only you.
But she knew that this wasn’t a good thing. A person should not obsess over someone else to the point of not caring about himself. Or make himself someone that others wanted. He shouldn’t be someone who “lives for Lu Mingshu.”
He should be someone who lives for himself.
“Xie Lianzhen, I don’t want to date a puppet. If you want to be with me, then be a human. I get it that you are sick. But you are still not living for yourself. I’m not going to trust anything you say now because you aren’t you. If you are genuine in dating me, try again when you mean what you say.”