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<figure class="tmblr-full" data-orig-height="326" data-orig-width="490"></figure>Good riddance, I say! Jian Zhang should leave and never come back. Don’t bother to call because I won’t miss you and certainly don’t want to spend any more time thinking about you. What kind of man are you when you cannot even protect the woman you claim to love?
I have to say, the scene where Liu Shao slowly buttons up his jacket while greeting Jian Zhang was much better in the drama. The book just glossed over that part while in the drama, Wallace’s sexy smile just seemed to say: “That’s right, I did just spent a glorious night in bed with Jing Wan.” *drool*
Encountering Love: Chapter 31
When Jing Wan heard this, deep down, she was slightly angry. Murong Feng said: “He was worried about the state of your wound, so he began drinking to drowned his sorrows, causing him to become drunk so easily.” Jing Wan gave a sound of affirmation, while Murong Feng continued to say: “The doctor said that you can eat now, but you must be on a liquid diet. What do you want to eat? I will order them to prepare it for you.” Even though Jing Wan did not have an appetite, seeing that he was gazing at her so earnestly, she did not have the heart to defy his wishes, so she said without much thought: “Congee is fine.”
The kitchen worked quite rapidly, and after a short time, a lunch box with piping hot japonica rice congee was sent up, along with a small dish of six different kinds of pickled vegetables from Jin Zhou. The congee was lightly fragrant and the pickled vegetables were tastily salty. Murong Feng said with a smile: “I am also hungry.” At that time, Lan Qin was ladling a portion of congee for Jing Wan, but when she heard this, she quickly ladled some more into a bowl for him. The manservant asked from the main room: “Liu Shao, are you going to wash up here?” Murong Feng gave a sound of affirmation, going to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth. Because this place was originally his bedroom, the towel, toothbrush in the bathroom were prepared as before.
After Jing Wan was wounded, it was inconvenient for her to move around, so Lan Qin and another maid, Xiang Yun, one supporting a washbasin with both hands while the other was holding a towel, were helping her wash up when they heard the manservant outside say: “Good morning, Young Master Xu. Miss Yin had just woken up.” Jing Wan heard that Jian Zhang had arrived, and she was just about to speak when Murong Feng asked from the bathroom: “Jing Wan, who just arrived? If it is Jia Ping, ask him to wait outside for a bit.”
Xu Jian Zhang had just walked into the room, and hearing his voice, the expression on his face changed slightly. Jing Wan saw that the awkward situation, so she quickly said: “Elder Brother, it’s Jian Zhang who had just arrived.”
Murong Feng walked out, and while buttoning up his jacket, he nodded to Xu Jian Zhang, considering that as his greeting. He turned around and said to Jing Wan: “It is already seven o’clock, it seems that I won’t be able to eat breakfast with you.” Jing Wan responded: “Elder Brother should do what is most convenient for him.” She felt that the atmosphere was awkward, and could not help but to pay special attention to Xu Jian Zhang’s facial expressions, but she only saw that he was forcing himself to keep a nonchalant expression.
After Murong Feng left, Jing Wan gazed at Xu Jian Zhang, and seeing that he was also staring at her, she said: “Don’t misunderstand, Liu Shao and I are sworn brother and sister. Elder Brother has always treated me with courtesy.” Xu Jian Zhang gave a sound of affirmation, and repeated her words again: “You two are sworn brother and sister.” Jing Wan saw that his tone seemed distracted and his face was haggard, deep down, she did not know whether he was being angry or worried. Piqued, she said: “If you have anything to say, then say it outright. Anyways, I know that I did not do anything to betray you.”
The corners of Xu Jian Zhang’s mouth trembled slightly, his expression was extremely ugly, his eyes flickered away, and after a long time, he finally said: “Jing Wan, I’m going back to Qian Ping.”
Jing Wan felt her heart drop suddenly, after she was wounded, she had lost a lot of blood, so before there wasn’t much color on her face, but now, her face became deathly pale: “Why?”
Xu Jian Zhang coolly replied: “I didn’t leave before because I was very worried about you. Then, I heard that you had been wounded, so I couldn’t just leave you here alone. Now, it seems that you are just fine here, so I’ve decided to return home first.”
Jing Wan was both angry and agitated, so she asked: “You must have heard so rumors so you doubt me, right? Am I that kind of person?” She told him about all the circumstances after she arrived in Cheng Zhou, and also explained about Xu and Chang Tong Zhis a little, but in the end she said: “I only agreed to put on this act with Liu Shao to save you, there is nothing between us, and it is up to you whether to believe me or not.”
After Xu Jian Zhang hearing her explain this sequence of events so clearly and after hearing that in order to save him, she even risked her own reputation, the corners of his mouth moved slightly, as if he was about to say something, but in the end, he resisted. After contemplating this information over and over again, even though he had already clearly thought out how offending these powerful people could affect him, he knew that he must part with her, but seeing her eyes as clear as water, gazing at him, he almost wavered. He mind was like a roll of film, first thinking about the days he spent at Qian Ping with her, then thinking about his elderly mother and young brothers at home, he could not shirk from his responsibilities; finally, he thought about his days in jail, his body trapped in prison, no way to even see the sky, that kind of dread would make anyone’s blood run cold. He thought about Commander Yu’s words, which is more important…which is more important…
He thought about his father on his deathbed, tightly grasping his hand, breathing so feebly that he was unable to speak, and could only point to his brothers and sisters standing next to the bed. His mother, brothers and sisters have already lost their father, they could not lose him as well – if he risked it all, how could he face his deceased father in the underworld?
He sighed and finally was able to harden his heart: “Jing Wan, the Xu Family is a traditional family, I cannot bring my mother any more grief. In the nine provinces of the North, everyone is aware of the relationship between you and Liu Shao, my Xu family cannot be shamed like this. Jing Wan, even though you did not betray me, I can only betray you.”
When Jing Wan heard these words, it seemed as if someone had suddenly stabbed her in the heart, that kind of indignation and anger cannot be explained. Her hands were icily cold, her head ached, and even when she breathed, the pain was unbearable. Not only did her wound hurt, but her heart was also in pain, she could not breathe properly, and even her voice was trembling: “Xu Jian Zhang, how can you treat me like this?” Xu Jian Zhang did not utter a sound, her eyes blurred and could not focus on his features clearly, she could barely recognize her own voice: “You would throw me away just because of this?”
He clenched his lips tightly, seemingly as if he were afraid to open his mouth and say something. Her face was deathly pale but she only stared at him: “You are someone who has been educated in the Western ways, in this age, you would still use this kind of reasoning to deal with me?” There were thousands of worries in Jian Zhang’s heart, so he then said: “That’s right, I am truly an ungrateful person, but have you thought about me? You risked your reputation to save me, but I cannot accept such benevolence.” As the words left his mouth, seemingly as if he had just realized what he said, seeing her gazing at him so desperately, his face turned ashen and he clenched his lips tightly, refusing to utter another sound. The corners of her mouth trembled, finally, while rising slowly, she gave a cold smile: “Fine, fine, I actually thought so wrongly of you.” She choked on her sigh, and suddenly began to cough violently, bringing spasms of pain to her wound, she could not even breathe. Lan Qin had already entered, and seeing her moist with cold sweat, her face so red, she hastily propped her up, but she could not speak anymore. Lan Qin quickly called out “someone, come!” and the nurses hurriedly rushed in. A tumult of people encircled them, so Xu Jian Zhang stepped back, confused and upset. He wanted to get closer, but each step was heavier than a thousand catties [1], he could not take a single step, so he finally remained just where he was.
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[1] A traditional unit of mass used throughout East/Southeast Asia, one catty is approximately 500 grams.