29: I want to stay

In the guest courtyard's quiet room, Su Qinger sat cross-legged, but her mind remained restless.

The breakup that day, that single word “scram,” seemed to have drained all her strength.

She didn't feel the imagined pain; instead, there was a sense of weary finality.

What she grieved and shed tears for was not the loss of Lin Fan, but the loss of the pure and beautiful memories she had cherished for many years.

The young man in those memories had, after all, changed.

Now, in her mind, another figure often appeared uncontrollably.

That figure, dressed in white like snow, standing in Tingxue Pavilion, descending from the sky in a moment of crisis.

That lazy figure, sitting in her sleeping quarters, speaking lightly, yet with eyes as clear as a mirror.

Jiang Chen.

This name, like an invisible thread, entwined itself around her heart.

She couldn't understand why he saved her, nor could she see through his contradictory and complex way of acting.

He was like a bottomless whirlpool, making her feel dangerous, yet she couldn't help but want to get closer, to explore.

Especially, whenever she thought of him, her heart would inexplicably race, and her cheeks would flush slightly.

This unfamiliar emotion made her feel flustered, yet also held a trace of inexplicable anticipation.

"Young Miss."

Uncle Wang's respectful voice came from outside the door, interrupting her thoughts.

"Come in." Su Qinger composed herself, returning to her usual cool and indifferent demeanor.

Uncle Wang and Elder Li entered the room together, both looking serious.

"Young Miss."

Uncle Wang bowed, speaking first, "You have been out for some time now. Since the matter with Lin Fan is concluded, the Family Elders have sent word, urging us to return soon."

Elder Li echoed, "That's right, Young Miss. The Holy Land is not our Su Family's territory after all. The longer you stay here, the more variables there will be. Especially... the rumors between you and Holy Son Jiang have already spread widely in the Holy Land. Staying longer will damage your reputation."

Their words made Su Qinger's heart sink.

Go back?

For some reason, when she heard those two words, a strong sense of reluctance surged within her.

She didn't want to leave.

This thought, once it appeared, even startled her.

Why didn't she want to leave?

What was there here that she cherished? Was it the harm Lin Fan had caused her, or the malicious gazes in the Holy Land?

No, it wasn't either of those.

She just... didn't want to leave like this.

She felt that if she left now, she would definitely miss something very important.

"Young Miss?" Uncle Wang, seeing her silent, called out softly again.

Su Qinger came back to her senses. She didn't answer directly; instead, she asked a seemingly unrelated question: "Uncle Wang, is the Hongtian Holy Land's Sect Grand Competition about to begin?"

Uncle Wang was momentarily stunned. Although he didn't know why the Young Miss suddenly asked this, he still answered truthfully, "Replying to Young Miss, it's in one month. At that time, it won't just be an internal competition of Hongtian Holy Land; many top powers from the Eastern Desolate will also send people to observe, making it a grand event."

One month later... A glimmer of light flashed in Su Qinger's eyes.

During the Grand Competition, Lin Fan and Jiang Chen would surely have a reckoning.

She wanted to see it with her own eyes.

She wanted to see what fate awaited Lin Fan, whose eyes were blinded by hatred.

She also wanted to see what actions Jiang Chen, whom she couldn't understand at all, would take.

"I've decided." Su Qinger looked up, her gaze clear and firm, "I want to stay and watch this Holy Land Grand Competition."

"What?!"

Uncle Wang and Elder Li exclaimed simultaneously, their faces filled with confusion and urgency.

"Young Miss, absolutely not!"

Elder Li said anxiously, "The Hongtian Holy Land Grand Competition is a mixed bag of people. You are a noble Young Miss; why bother joining in the excitement? What's more, the grievances between Lin Fan and Jiang Chen are no longer relevant to you!"

"That's right, Young Miss," Uncle Wang also quickly advised, "Your staying will only make those rumors escalate. By then, everyone will say you are lingering because you want to see Holy Son Jiang. This... if this gets back to the Family, how will the Family Head view it?"

They were truly anxious. Their Young Miss had always been well-behaved and sensible; why was she so willful this time?

They were almost certain that the Young Miss had fallen in love, and the object was precisely Holy Son Jiang, the one they should least provoke!

Facing the Guardians' anxiety, Su Qinger remained exceptionally calm.

She knew what they were worried about, and she knew how unconventional her decision seemed to them.

"Uncle Wang, Elder Li, listen to me."

Her voice was very soft.

"Firstly, the matter of Lin Fan began because of me, and I should witness its conclusion with my own eyes. I am not trying to interfere; I just need a result to completely sever the last bit of Karma between him and me. Otherwise, this matter will truly become my Heart Demon."

This reason was logical and reasonable, leaving the two Elders unable to refute.

"Secondly..."

Su Qinger paused slightly here, a blush appearing on her fair cheeks.

"Regarding the matter at Tingxue Pavilion, Holy Son Jiang saved my life. I must repay this kindness. Now that he and Lin Fan are about to duel, if I were to leave without a word, wouldn't that be ungrateful and ill-mannered?"

"I am staying to resolve old grievances and to repay kindness. Once the Grand Competition is over, I will naturally return with you and apologize to Father."

She packaged her decision grandly and flawlessly.

Uncle Wang and Elder Li exchanged glances, both seeing deep helplessness in each other's eyes.

They knew that everything the Young Miss said was an excuse.

What severing Karma, what repaying kindness – the real reason she stayed was only one: Jiang Chen.

Their Young Miss, whose heart was reputed to be Nine Aperture Exquisite and untouched by worldly affairs, had probably truly... fallen for him.

"Alas..." Uncle Wang sighed deeply in his heart.

Since things had come to this, what more could they say?

The Young Miss's mind was made up. If they forcibly took her away, it would only make things worse.

"Since Young Miss's mind is made up, then this old servant... will obey."

Uncle Wang finally compromised. He bowed and said, "However, this matter must be reported truthfully to the Family Head. Also, before the Grand Competition ends, please, Young Miss, do not have any private contact with Holy Son Jiang again, to avoid further trouble."

This was the biggest concession he could make.

"I understand." Su Qinger nodded, agreeing to their conditions.

The two Elders bowed and withdrew, their faces filled with worry.

Inside the quiet room, only Su Qinger remained.

She walked to the window, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards Holy Son Peak.

She knew that her decision to stay was impulsive and willful.

But she didn't regret it.

She just wanted to... see him a little longer.

To see the arrogant man who, inadvertently, had entered her heart.

What kind of scene would the Holy Land Grand Competition be one month from now?

For the first time, Su Qinger felt anticipation for the future.