Tang Jianxi was not a coward. On the contrary, she was braver than most people in this world. She could grit her teeth and overcome many thorns that would easily restrain others.
To a large extent, that was because she wore the armor of her convictions, which allowed her to withstand a great deal of harm.
But this time was different. This time, the thorns grew from her armor itself. She needed to take a moment, find a safe place to remove this tainted armor, and pull out the thorns.
And in this world, when it came to safety, the first option that came to Tang Jianxi’s mind was Yun Chuji.
Xiao Ji will be with me, she thought. And I have to apologize to her. I didn’t figure out the truth, and I let her forgiveness be exploited by a villain.
Tang Jianxi sent a message to Tang Jianshen on her optical computer, briefly explaining the situation, then headed straight for the station and chose the fastest train.
But even though transportation in this era had undergone earth-shattering changes compared to Yun Chuji’s time, as a means of physical transfer, it required too much energy and preparation. Thus, it couldn’t compete with the spread of non-physical information.
Sitting in a private compartment, Tang Jianxi watched the “evidence” spread across the star-net.
She gave a bitter smile. Well, that settled it. There was no need for her to question anyone anymore—not Marco, not anyone else. The evidence was out. The story of Yun Chuji’s assassination attempt was once again a hot topic, but this time, the blame was no longer pointed at Spartacus, but at Prince Clarence, who had just stepped down as its leader.
The leader of the omega rights movement assassinating the founder of A-Virtue. Without a doubt, there was no room for belief or morality in this equation. Anyone could see at a glance that this was a naked power struggle.
Coupled with recent news of Clarence’s frequent meetings with the heirs of major alpha families, he was firmly nailed to the chair of an ambitious schemer—a chair that should never have been exposed to the light of day.
Tang Jianshen’s reaction was also swift. He quickly cut ties, issued a harsh condemnation, and apologized to Yun Chuji on behalf of Spartacus. Given the close relationship between the Tang family and Yun Chuji, no one doubted the sincerity of the apology.
Only Clarence was cast into the abyss, along with his ambition and his grand, unrealized plans.
Tang Jianxi didn’t know how Clarence would handle all this. He had called her several times and sent many accusatory messages—he suspected Tang Jianxi was behind it.
Tang Jianxi replied with a curt “Get lost” and blocked him.
She felt an even more urgent need to see Yun Chuji.
She told Yun Chuji she was coming back and mentioned the sudden exposure of Clarence’s plot. Perhaps out of consideration for Tang Jianxi’s feelings, Yun Chuji brushed lightly over the matter of Clarence, only saying cheerfully that she would go pick her up.
However, this instead gave Tang Jianxi a feeling akin to the anxiety of returning home after a long absence. The maglev train was fast, and everything outside blurred into a meaningless wash of light and shadow. Through the window, Tang Jianxi saw the reflection of her own pale face.
Before getting off the train, she put on some makeup to make herself look healthier.
Yun Chuji was already waiting at the station entrance.
She was bundled up tightly in a long black trench coat, a black mask, and black sunglasses. It was an outfit that looked like it had been put together by an AI, which ironically made people around her glance over from time to time, wondering if she was some big celebrity.
Yun Chuji seemed to understand the error in her decision-making. She looked a little anxious, wringing her hands until she finally met up with Tang Jianxi and relaxed.
She took Tang Jianxi’s hand and hurried toward the hovercar.
Once they were settled inside, she took off everything covering her face. The truth was, her face was now no less recognizable than a celebrity’s, and unlike stars who only had to deal with the harassment of crazed fans, she had to face far more complex situations.
However, you couldn’t see any negative feelings about her current circumstances on her smiling face. Right now, Yun Chuji was like a little puppy wagging its tail incessantly after finding its owner.
Heaven knew how long Tang Jianxi had neglected her while busy with Spartacus matters!
Yun Chuji had been so lonely lately that she’d started talking to the plants.
“I told Auntie Chen you were coming back, and she’s already started simmering the soup. It’ll be ready for you when we get home. Oh, and I changed the curtains in our room. They’re ice-blue, but there’s no iceberg pattern on them. I knew you definitely wouldn’t agree to anything with icebergs, so the pattern is orchids instead. I remember you like orchids a lot.”
“Um, also, our flowers are growing really fast now. They have so many leaves. Auntie Chen said if they keep growing, we’ll have to move them to a bigger pot.”
“I picked out some flowerpots on the star-net. I’ve already chosen one for my plant, but I was planning to wait for you to get back to pick yours. It only takes a few hours for them to arrive anyway, so we can repot them together then.”
…
Tang Jianxi listened to Yun Chuji’s endless chatter, which ranged from the furniture at home to Auntie Chen’s beta daughter recently having her first child. They were all unimportant things, but they were relaxing to listen to.
She snuggled into Yun Chuji’s embrace, which made Yun Chuji pause for a moment before she resumed her chattering, showing none of the demure and virtuous grace of the former Miss Yun.
But it was very reassuring.
As expected, this was the safest place in the entire world.
Amidst Yun Chuji’s chatter, Tang Jianxi gradually closed her eyes. She had barely slept on the train these past few days, and beneath her eyes were dark circles that even makeup couldn’t hide.
She doesn’t look well at all, Yun Chuji thought.
She stopped chattering and pulled the other woman tighter into her arms, pressing her cheek against Tang Jianxi’s slightly cool face. She figured the soup would have to wait; Jianxi needed to get some proper sleep first.
When Tang Jianxi next awoke, it was already dawn the following day.
The faint light just breaking through the clouds and the perpetually brilliant streetlights were firmly blocked out by the ice-blue curtains Yun Chuji had mentioned. The room was dimly lit, and she could only faintly make out the profile of Yun Chuji sleeping beside her.
Tang Jianxi snuggled deeper into the blankets, feeling Yun Chuji’s hand resting on her waist. She stared at the ceiling, her mind wandering through random thoughts.
For instance, why hadn’t Yun Chuji woken her up to take a shower before sleeping? And if she wasn’t going to shower, why was Yun Chuji sleeping with her? Didn’t she find her dirty?
Wasn’t she a neat freak?
Even she herself felt grimy.
Though she thought this, Tang Jianxi didn’t get up and leave the bed. She merely thought about it.
Finally, she came to a conclusion: it was too late to complain about her being dirty. After all, they were getting married.
And so, with a clear conscience, Tang Jianxi leaned against Yun Chuji and fell asleep again.
When she woke again, Yun Chuji was no longer in bed, and Tang Jianxi had lost her reason to sleep in.
After a good, long soak in the bath, Tang Jianxi changed into some loungewear and went downstairs.
Yun Chuji was watering the flowers. She looked very focused, her mouth moving as if she were counting down. After reaching one, she righted the watering can and started on another plant.
Tang Jianxi stood about three meters away, watching her quietly. That feeling of tranquil reassurance once again filled her heart.
But Yun Chuji didn’t let her watch for long. The scent of her pheromones gave her away. In less than five seconds, Yun Chuji turned around and asked with a smile, “Do you want to water the flowers?”
Tang Jianxi rubbed her stomach and shook her head. “You do it. I’ll watch you, and then you have to take me to have some soup.”
“Okay.”
“Auntie Chen made some wontons. I’ll have her get them ready for you first.”
“No need. You water the flowers first.”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“I am, but watching you water the flowers is filling enough.”
“Ah…”
Yun Chuji considered herself a romantic, but faced with Tang Jianxi’s starve-yourself-for-romance behavior, she, while not showing explicit disapproval, still sped up her watering.
Tang Jianxi let out a sigh of regret before being dragged off by Yun Chuji to eat.
Auntie Chen had basically watched Tang Jianxi grow up and knew her tastes even better than her own daughter’s. She had made a fresh pot of the soup Tang Jianxi had missed yesterday and served it with her homemade wontons, giving Tang Jianxi a wonderful meal.
Auntie Chen, however, wasn’t quite satisfied. Perhaps due to some sort of elder’s filter, she felt that Tang Jianxi had gotten much thinner. After Tang Jianxi refused the offer of a second bowl of wontons, Auntie Chen muttered that she needed to be properly nourished.
Tang Jianxi helplessly pinched her own wrist and protested, “It’s only been seven or eight days. How much weight could I have lost?”
Auntie Chen, as unreasonable as a typical elder, ignored Tang Jianxi’s evidence and logic, saying to herself, “I just think you’ve lost weight. You don’t look as lively as before.”
“…That’s not true at all. Don’t let your imagination run wild. I’m strong enough to fight an alpha.”
Auntie Chen looked her up and down for a moment, then shook her head and said to Yun Chuji, “Xiao Ji, you have to keep a good eye on her. She’s just like Xiao Shen—when they get busy, they neglect everything else.”
Yun Chuji smilingly agreed, and was then pulled away indignantly by Tang Jianxi to the garden.
It was called a garden, but it was actually an indoor glass conservatory where some flowers and plants were grown. Auntie Chen usually took care of it, but recently it had become a place Yun Chuji frequented.
Yun Chuji’s injuries were mostly healed. In a few days, once the medical tape was removed, there wouldn’t even be a scar left. Aside from a faint trace of post-illness fatigue on her face, there were basically no signs of her injuries.
The two of them sat together on a wide lounge chair—Yun Chuji sat on the chair, and Tang Jianxi sat on Yun Chuji.
Tang Jianxi carried the fresh scent of her bath, the savory aroma of wontons, and the scent Yun Chuji knew best—that sharp, icy fragrance that was almost unnoticeable.
The two of them nestled on the chair, and the sun lamp overhead automatically adjusted to cast a gentle sunlight over them.
Like a belated spring.
Tang Jianxi rested her head against Yun Chuji’s chest. After hesitating for a moment in the tranquil atmosphere, she finally whispered, “I’m sorry.”
Yun Chuji stroked her hair, then gave it a kiss.
“I didn’t make that decision because of him, and you didn’t start down this path because of him either.”
“So don’t feel guilty, Jianxi. We have to do our own things.”
Hearing this, Tang Jianxi propped herself up slightly and studied Yun Chuji thoughtfully for a moment before lying back down, muttering, “Somehow, I feel like you’ve matured.”
“Hmm, maybe it’s because an injured Jianxi naturally becomes a bit like a child?”
“…Shut up.”
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