Broken Jade - Chapter 99

Chapter 99

Sheng Zhaoning did not answer him.

How was she supposed to face such passionate, sincere feelings?

Her identity was false, her motives suspect, and they belonged to opposing factions.

Everything about her was a lie.

How could she offer him her true heart in return?

Moisture quietly gathered at the corners of her eyes, but she ruthlessly suppressed the bitterness that had just surfaced within them.

Pretending to be calm, Sheng Zhaoning lowered her head, afraid to let him see the mist rising in her eyes.

But to Wei Heng, her silence looked like rejection.

A dense, prickling ache welled up in his heart, seeping into every drop of blood and coursing through his limbs until there was nowhere that did not hurt.

He forced a bitter smile. “It’s all right. You…”

“Your Highness.”

Sheng Zhaoning looked up and interrupted him.

Wei Heng swallowed the rest of his words.

His heart continued to pound forcefully. The breeze became a warm breath as her next words left her lips in a soft murmur.

“I need time to think. Is that all right?”

For now, this was the best answer Sheng Zhaoning could give him.

It wasn’t as if she had never considered it.

She had thought about it when he shielded her from the arrow at the altar, when she learned the origins of the Plum Blossom Vermilion Seal, when he favored her unconditionally, and when-even drunk-she had looked at that face so similar to another’s and still known it was Wei Heng.

She had thought about it the first time her heart beat for him…

Sheng Zhaoning had considered it.

She truly had.

She had wondered what would happen if she cast everything aside, forgot the past, betrayed them all, and chose to stand firmly by his side.

Perhaps her reputation would be ruined. Perhaps the Shadow Pavilion would hunt her down, and she would be condemned as a heartless ingrate.

But she wasn’t afraid.

She did not fear death, nor did she fear being denounced by every person in Liangzhou.

The only thing she feared was her identity being exposed-Wei Heng learning the truth and coming to hate her.

She was afraid he would regret it.

That was why Sheng Zhaoning did not dare accept his feelings, much less reveal everything she had kept hidden from him.

All she could do was avoid the matter for now.

Yet even that answer sent Wei Heng into raptures.

He restrained the urge to embrace her and, mindful of propriety, did not dare overstep again by so much as an inch.

“All right,” he promised.

He would wait.

He would wait until the day she was certain of her heart and could give him an answer.

Wei Heng struggled to his feet. His left leg had swollen badly and could no longer bear his weight, but he still forced himself to stand steady and carefully helped her up.

Sheng Zhaoning’s right arm was twisted at a grotesque angle, clearly broken.

Only after helping her to her feet did Wei Heng notice the horrifying injuries covering her body.

Countless boulders had lurked beneath the cold, violent current. Sheng Zhaoning’s right arm had been broken by the impact, and bloody gashes covered her from head to toe. Blood continued seeping through her torn clothes.

Before he could say anything, Sheng Zhaoning lifted her right arm with her left hand. Without so much as furrowing her brow, she gave it a forceful twist and snapped the displaced bone back into place, swift and decisive, as though she could not feel pain at all.

Wei Heng could hardly believe his eyes.

Then, under his stunned gaze, Sheng Zhaoning proceeded to treat the rest of her wounds one by one.

The entire process took less than eight minutes.

Wei Heng was speechless.

He regarded her with a complicated expression.

If he did not know she was merely a slender, seemingly delicate woman, he would have assumed she was a bandit who had spent years murdering travelers and robbing them of their possessions.

Just what had she endured to become someone so formidable?

Wei Heng could not imagine what she had been through, but he did not ask.

It was only natural that Sheng Zhaoning would have things she did not want him to know.

He simply felt that she should not have to be so strong.

She was allowed to cry out in pain. She was allowed to feel hurt and vulnerable.

Instead, she silently swallowed every hardship and every hurt alone, as she did now.

She had hidden herself completely inside a suit of impenetrable armor, refusing to let anyone draw near.

In the gentle morning breeze, the two figures leaned against each other as they walked side by side, following the current toward an unknown destination.

…

An autumn wind swept through the forest, sending fallen leaves swirling through the air.

A young woman walked among the trees, the dead leaves crunching beneath her feet.

A heavy bundle of firewood was strapped to her back. Set on the ground, it would have reached half her height, and its weight forced her to bend forward and support it with her back and waist.

It was almost noon, and the glaring sun hung directly overhead.

She glanced at the sun and estimated the time. It was getting late. She needed to hurry home and start cooking.

Otherwise, there was no telling what cutting remarks her stepmother would make.

Standing in the forest, she looked toward the path home in the distance and quickened her pace. Before long, she emerged from the trees and reached the stream she had passed countless times.

She followed the familiar path, every step made difficult by the firewood weighing down her back. When she happened to glance up, she suddenly froze. Not far ahead, two people appeared to be supporting each other as they limped along.

This was a remote place surrounded by mountains. Chenjia Village, where she lived, lay just a little farther ahead, and strangers were rarely seen around here.

Both of them were soaking wet, and their clothes were stained with blood. She guessed they must have accidentally fallen into the water and been swept here by the current.

She knew better than to approach strangers of unknown origin, but the sight of them struggling onward while leaning on each other filled her with sympathy.

The weather was so cold, and both of them were injured. If they did not know the way, they could easily become lost in the forest again.

With that thought, she hesitated no longer and hurried toward them with the firewood still strapped to her back.

Sheng Zhaoning was the first to hear the footsteps behind them.

She turned and saw a plainly dressed young woman carrying a massive bundle of firewood as she approached Wei Heng and her.

When the young woman saw them turn around, she faltered. Then, as soon as she got a clear look at their faces, her breathing quickened.

Her face instantly flushed scarlet. Clutching the hemp rope binding the firewood, she stammered for a long moment before finally managing a complete sentence.

“D-Did you fall into the water?”

The wariness in Sheng Zhaoning’s eyes gradually faded once she had taken in the young woman’s appearance.

“Yes.” She nodded, then asked, “May I ask where we are? Is there a clinic nearby?”

The young woman looked at her shyly and replied, “This is Wutou Town in Songping County, Shizhou. Chenjia Village is just up ahead.”

After a moment’s thought, she added, “There isn’t a clinic in the village. The nearest one is in town, over the mountain. If you don’t mind, you can come to my house first.”

Sheng Zhaoning glanced at Wei Heng. Given their current condition, this was undoubtedly their best option.

She did not stand on ceremony and instead offered her sincere thanks.

“Thank you for helping us. May I ask your name?”

The young woman wiped the sweat from her brow and smiled at her.

“My name is Chen Jin He.”