Xiao Jinglin finally reined in her horse impatiently, "What exactly do you want to do?"
Yun Wenting sighed, yet his tone remained gentle, "Nothing. Wherever you go, I'll follow."
Xiao Jinglin was taken aback for a moment, then she brushed away Yun Wenting's hand resting on her waist and said calmly, "I've decided to station myself permanently at Jiajing Pass, and Father has already agreed. Could it be that you intend to guard the border with me?"
"Why not?" Yun Wenting lowered his eyes and murmured softly, "Lin'er, it's inevitable for anyone to make mistakes in life. I'm an ordinary person, so naturally, I'm no exception. But does making one mistake mean there's no chance for correction?"
Xiao Jinglin fell silent for a moment, then dismounted from her horse and pulled Yun Wenting down as well.
Standing face to face, Xiao Jinglin frowned and spoke earnestly to Yun Wenting, "When I accompany my mother to watch plays, I've noticed that people always enjoy stories of reconciliation. I don't understand—if a relationship breaks, it means the conflicts between the two sides are irreconcilable, or after weighing the options, the relationship was abandoned. If that's the case, wouldn't the outcome be the same even if it started ten thousand times over? The conflicts would still remain, and what was abandoned would still be abandoned. Young Master Yun, you're a smart person. Why don't you understand this?"
Yun Wenting looked at Xiao Jinglin, his expression shadowed and his voice slightly hoarse, "Whether you believe it or not, I have never weighed you against anything. If I had, you would never be the one abandoned."
Xiao Jinglin stared at Yun Wenting expressionlessly, "So what? The conflicts are still there. They don't disappear just because you pretend not to see them. Can you avoid them once, and then a second or third time? You're an ordinary person, you make mistakes. I'm an ordinary person too, so I made a mistake when I was young, but I've already corrected it. I hope you can do the same."
After saying this, Xiao Jinglin swiftly mounted her horse. This time, she didn't give Yun Wenting a chance to climb onto her horse. With a kick of her heels, she rode off without hesitation, leaving a trail of dust behind.
Yun Wenting watched as the figure and horse gradually disappeared from his sight. He let out a bitter laugh and murmured, "A mistake?"
Yun Wenting stood there for a long time, until he sighed and placed his fingers to his lips, letting out a sharp whistle. Soon, the sound of hoofbeats echoed from the road he had come from, and the horse that Xiao Jinglin had driven away earlier quickly returned.
Yun Wenting patted the horse's head, then mounted it and rode off in the direction where Xiao Jinglin had disappeared.
Xiao Jinglin was in a foul mood because, not long after she arrived in Da'an City as agreed to meet with her subordinates, she discovered that Yun Wenting had followed her again. This time, Yun Wenting made no attempt to hide his tracks, openly trailing behind their caravan.
Most of Xiao Jinglin's subordinates recognized Yun Wenting and couldn't help but glance curiously at the eldest son of the Yun Family before turning their eyes to Commandery Princess Xiao. Fortunately, they could see that Xiao Jinglin was in a bad mood, so they refrained from asking any questions.
Xiao Jinglin wanted to hurry to Wuzhou to find Xiao Jingxi and had no time to waste on Yun Wenting. Since he insisted on following them, she couldn't be bothered to drive him away. She considered using force to knock him down, but Yun Wenting's skills were not much weaker than hers. Without going all out, she truly couldn't subdue him.After leaving Da'an City, Xiao Jinglin traveled day and night without rest, finally passing Xinzhou and arriving at the border of Wuzhou. Before even entering the city, a group of riders came out to meet her. At the head was a man dressed in a white scholar's robe, sitting upright on his horse, appearing both refined and heroic, causing many of the female officers in Xiao Jinglin's entourage to blush.
"General Min, any news?" Xiao Jinglin showed no particular reaction upon seeing Min Wenqing.
Min Wenqing was about to speak when he glanced over and saw Yun Wenting, who had dismounted and was walking over from a distance. His eyes narrowed slightly before he turned back to Xiao Jinglin with a smile. "May I ask the Commandery Princess to step aside for a word?"
Xiao Jinglin nodded and followed Min Wenqing to a secluded spot to talk.
Yun Wenting glanced over but did not have the tactlessness to follow.
Seeing that they were now far enough from the others, Xiao Jinglin stopped. "Alright, we can talk here."
Min Wenqing looked toward Yun Wenting standing in the distance and smiled. "Why has Young Master Yun come?"
Xiao Jinglin frowned. "I don’t know. You can ask him yourself. Now, let’s get to the main matter."
Min Wenqing looked at Xiao Jinglin, smiled slightly, then took out a letter and handed it to her. "Commandery Princess, please read this first."
Xiao Jinglin took the letter from Min Wenqing and unfolded it. The familiar handwriting made her pause for a moment. She glanced at Min Wenqing, frowned, then quickly read through the letter.
"When did he give this to you?" Xiao Jinglin looked up and asked Min Wenqing.
"After receiving news of the Second Young Master’s injury," Min Wenqing replied. Before Xiao Jinglin could ask further, he continued, "In the letter, the Second Young Master requested that the Commandery Princess come to Wuzhou as soon as possible to take charge of the situation and participate in the peace talks on his behalf. I feared that sending this letter to the Yanbei Prince's Mansion would take too long and might lead to unforeseen complications, so I decided to wait until you arrived."
Xiao Jinglin pursed her lips. "Where is he now?"
Min Wenqing sighed and shook his head. "The Second Young Master’s whereabouts... remain unknown."
Xiao Jinglin’s expression darkened.
Min Wenqing comforted her, "I believe the Second Young Master sent this letter to the Commandery Princess not only to convey instructions but also to reassure you of his safety. He is exceptionally resourceful and must have encountered unexpected circumstances on the road, altering his plans."
"The letter doesn’t mention his injury at all. I don’t know how serious it is."
Min Wenqing thought for a moment and asked, "Can the Commandery Princess confirm that this letter was indeed written by the Second Young Master himself?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinglin read Xiao Jingxi’s letter once more, then nodded. "It is his own handwriting."
Min Wenqing smiled at this. "Then the Commandery Princess can rest assured. It’s likely the Second Young Master was not injured, or if he was, it must have been minor."
Xiao Jinglin couldn’t help but look up at Min Wenqing.
"Although the Second Young Master did not mention his injury in the letter, earlier reports said he was shot in the right chest with an arrow." Min Wenqing pointed to the handwriting on the letter for Xiao Jinglin to see. "However, the strokes in this letter show no sign of hesitation or strain. As someone trained in martial arts, you should know that injuries to the chest or abdomen would more or less affect the strength and control of the hand. That’s why I believe this letter is, in fact, the Second Young Master’s way of reassuring you of his safety."Upon hearing Min Wenqing's words, Xiao Jinglin thought it over carefully and indeed brightened up. She put the letter away, saying, "I'll have someone deliver this letter to Yaoqi later. She'll surely understand Xiao Jingxi's meaning."
Min Wenqing gazed at the smile on Xiao Jinglin's face for a good while before chuckling, "Why trouble yourself so much, Commandery Princess? Wouldn't it be simpler to just inform the young mistress that he's safe?"
Xiao Jinglin shook her head, her smile fading. "Since he chose to report his safety in this manner, he must have his reasons. So, let's not spread the news that he's unharmed."
Min Wenqing gave Xiao Jinglin a thoughtful look. "Are you suggesting, Commandery Princess, that there are spies planted by the enemy around the Second Young Master?"
Xiao Jinglin replied, "Who knows? It's always better to be cautious."
Min Wenqing nodded. "Alright, I understand."
After their conversation concluded, Xiao Jinglin nodded to Min Wenqing and left without another word, leaving Min Wenqing with no choice but to follow helplessly.
Though Yun Wenting stood far away, his gaze never left Xiao Jinglin, including when she smiled at Min Wenqing.
Yun Wenting and Min Wenqing, who held mutual disdain for each other, met again. This time, the atmosphere was nothing like the tense standoff of their last encounter. In Xiao Jinglin's presence, they still exchanged polite greetings with smiles.
Yun Wenting took the water flask hanging from Xiao Jinglin's horse and handed it to her naturally. Xiao Jinglin accepted it without thinking, and both of them paused for a moment.
Yun Wenting looked at Xiao Jinglin with a hint of amusement in his eyes, while Xiao Jinglin took her flask and walked away expressionlessly to find Hongying and instruct her to deliver the letter.
Min Wenqing narrowed his eyes, watching Yun Wenting with a touch of mockery. "Young Master Yun, what act are you putting on this time?"
Yun Wenting was in a surprisingly good mood today, even willing to be amiable toward Min Wenqing. "Actually, I should thank you, General Min."
Min Wenqing curled his lips into a faint, insincere smile.
Yun Wenting smiled as well. "If it weren't for your appearance, General Min, I might not have come to my senses so quickly."
Min Wenqing raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I wonder what great realization Young Master Yun has had."
Yun Wenting looked at him and replied with a smile, "I've realized that I should let go of what needs to be let go and spend the remaining time cherishing what I cannot."
Upon hearing this, Min Wenqing sneered coldly. "Oh? And has Young Master Yun asked the person you cannot let go of about their wishes?"
Yun Wenting smiled slightly, though his tone held no warmth. "What business is it of yours?"
Just as Min Wenqing was about to retort, he noticed that Xiao Jinglin had already mounted her horse and was preparing to enter the city.
Yun Wenting paid no further attention to Min Wenqing, mounting his own horse without a word. Min Wenqing watched coldly as Yun Wenting got into his carriage, then mounted his own horse and rode up beside Xiao Jinglin, saying with a smile, "Commandery Princess, please follow me. I've already arranged a place for us to rest."
Then, he turned to Yun Wenting, his smile unchanged. "Young Master Yun, I assume you won't be staying in Wuzhou for long? Your wedding is in just a few days, and the Commandery Princess and I are occupied with official duties and likely won't be able to attend. I'll have someone escort you back to Yan Prefecture shortly."Yun Wenting, displeased by his repeated mention of marriage in front of Xiao Jinglin, replied calmly, "No need for the general to trouble himself."
Min Wenqing smiled and was about to say more when he suddenly heard a horse's neigh. Turning, he saw that Xiao Jinglin had already spurred her horse and ridden away.
Yun Wenting ignored Min Wenqing's provocation and rode after her.
Sorry, late again...〒_〒.
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