The Double-Chapter 660 - 204 Disbelief

Jiang Li stared blankly at his hand.

The jade pendant was unscathed, and the moonlight streaming in through the window covered it and his hand with a lustrous, pristine glow. It seemed as though the pendant, reminiscent of a stripe-necked cat, was coming to life, held by a stunning Spirit Demon emerging from a gloomy world. Bearing a bewitching token that mesmerized the mind, he offered it to her.

"This..." Jiang Li said, incredulously looking at him.

"You dropped this during the day," Jih Heng leaned back nonchalantly and said, "I forgot to give it back to you." Seeing that Jiang Li was hesitant to reach out and take it, he simply placed the jade pendant on the table.

Jiang Li slowly clasped the jade pendant in her palm, feeling a joy at its recovery, yet also a trace of doubt. But her doubt was quickly overwhelmed by the stench of blood emanating from Jih Heng. He was wearing red clothes, which under the moonlight didn’t reveal much, so she couldn’t tell if it was someone else’s blood or his own.

He had just evaded answering Jiang Li’s question, so she didn’t know where he had been or what he had done. The only thing she could ask was, "Are you injured?"

Jih Heng just smiled and said nothing.

Jiang Li took scissors out from her sleeve and laid them on the table, feeling like a child who had done something wrong, somewhat nervous but more so hoping to make amends. She said, "...Later when I saw blood on these scissors, I was sure they had hit that person...they had hit you, right? You..."

Jih Heng smiled as he looked at her and said, "You still don’t trust me, Ah Li."

Jiang Li faltered for a moment, instantly understanding what Jih Heng meant.

Jih Heng had been right there by her side at the time. Deep down she knew that he would intervene, but still, she had drawn the scissors at that moment. She hadn’t exposed all her vulnerabilities to Jih Heng, leaving herself an escape route. Despite her affections for him, she still didn’t fully trust Jih Heng.

All of this was seen by Jih Heng.

She apologized, "I’m sorry..."

"It’s not your fault," Jih Heng interrupted her, raising an eyebrow and saying, "You have, after all, died once."

Jiang Li fell silent. Jih Heng believed she was unwilling to easily trust others because she was hurt by Shen Yurong, making excuses for her, but Jiang Li knew her mistrust came not only from Shen Yurong but also from her own doubts about Jih Heng. Perhaps it was because Jih Heng’s initial appearance was so enigmatic and calculated. Even after getting to know him better, she instinctively protected herself whenever danger lurked, even if Jih Heng was near.

If Jih Heng were a sensitive person, he might be disappointed because of this. If he were not sensitive...he was not a fool and surely understood.

Jiang Li felt somewhat disheartened, but she mustered her spirits and forced a smile, saying, "So, are you hurt? If..."

"No," Jih Heng stood up, "I’m fine. You should rest early." He set out to leave the house.

"In that state, where will you sleep?" Jiang Li asked.

"Don’t worry about me." He left her with just that sentence and walked out.

Jiang Li wanted to follow him but couldn’t bring herself to move. A long while later, the moonlight was obscured by clouds and the room plunged into total darkness. Faint sounds from outside suggested people talking, likely Zhao Ke and Wen Ji. She sat on the bed with a thin blanket over her, feeling utterly forlorn.

Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. If Jih Heng thought she was such a cold-hearted and untrustworthy person, their connection would gradually wither.

In the end, it was fulfilling someone’s wish.

...

Outside, Zhao Ke lit a fire striker while Wen Ji found some clean water to tend to the wound of Jih Heng, who was sitting on a stone bench.

His sleeve was pulled back, revealing a gash on his arm. The wound, seemingly inflicted by some sharp object, wasn’t long but quite deep. Wen Ji carefully cleaned it, and Zhao Ke took a small medicine bottle the size of a palm from his bag. Wen Ji took it, sprinkling some medicine powder on Jih Heng’s wound.

Jih Heng remained still without showing any expression as if he didn’t feel pain. Zhao Ke asked, "My lord, did this happen while you were fighting with someone outside?"

Zhao Ke didn’t know the wound was an accidental injury from Jiang Li. Observing the strange shape, not resembling a blade or a hidden weapon and entirely without sophistication, it seemed like the work of someone without martial arts skills. Yet the blow was heavy. If a man had exerted his full strength, it wouldn’t have ended with just this. Could it be that a woman had fought with their lord? Zhao Ke’s thoughts ran wild as he considered that Prince Cheng’s troops would not include a woman. But if it wasn’t Prince Cheng’s men, what other enemies were there in the vicinity?