Chapter 267: Stirrings of Affection
Zhang Ruochen rubbed his chin and said, "There's another way. Senior sister, you could take the initiative to break off the engagement... Senior sister... you..."
Huang Yanchen suddenly stood up, trembling with rage. A wave of icy true qi surged from within her, causing the entire room to freeze over with crystalline frost.
"Did... did I say something wrong again?" Zhang Ruochen felt her fury and was utterly bewildered.
"Whoosh!"
Huang Yanchen struck out with a palm aimed at Zhang Ruochen's chest.
Zhang Ruochen, still seated on the chair, swiftly extended five fingers and caught her wrist. "Senior sister, your temper is too fierce! Even if you want to fight, at least tell me why? Senior sister, you... why are you crying?"
Huang Yanchen bit her lip tightly and, without warning, threw herself into Zhang Ruochen's arms. Her snow-white arms, like lotus roots, wrapped around him as she buried her face against his chest. Tears streamed from her eyes like rain, and she sobbed uncontrollably.
Zhang Ruochen felt as if he had turned to stone. Sensing the warm, fragrant softness in his embrace, he never imagined that the ice-cold Huang Yanchen would act like a fragile young woman, throwing herself into his arms, crying and gently pounding his chest.
This feeling... it was too unreal!
Was this really the domineering female demon of the Western Courtyard, Huang Yanchen?
Was this truly the arrogant and aloof princess of Qianshui Commandery, Huang Yanchen?
"Senior sister, you..."
Zhang Ruochen sat frozen on the chair, not daring to move a muscle, his mind a complete blank.
To be honest, Zhang Ruochen was just an eighteen-year-old youth. No woman had ever thrown herself into his arms like this before.
The sensation was so unfamiliar that he was utterly at a loss.
Huang Yanchen cried like pear blossoms drenched in rain, sobbing, "Zhang Ruochen, I don't want to break off the engagement... I just don't..."
"I don't know when it started. Maybe it was in the number one underground chamber, by the bath, when I punched you and seriously injured you—that's when fate tied us together. Or maybe it was during our training in the Red Void Secret Realm, when we practiced the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow together, or when you rescued me from the Poison Spider Merchant Guild. I don't know why... I don't know why I fell into this."
"When I heard you were being hunted by the Poison Spider Merchant Guild and the experts of the Four Directions Commandery, I was terrified—afraid I would never see you again. After all, you were so young; how could you possibly defeat those treacherous evil path masters? It was only at that moment that I truly understood my own feelings and solidified my resolve."
"But... why... why are you so cruel, pushing me away? Why? Does it have to be a broken engagement? Why?"
Huang Yanchen clutched Zhang Ruochen's robes, questioning him repeatedly, her voice filled with pain, turning into a tearful mess.
Hearing her heartfelt confession, Zhang Ruochen's gaze gradually softened.
At this moment, Huang Yanchen was not the unreasonable ice beauty but a woman in need of care.
Given her pride, choosing to express her feelings so vulnerably was already incredibly rare.
It was mainly because he himself was too inexperienced and ignorant in matters of the heart that he had failed to notice the affection Huang Yanchen had shown. If it had been a seasoned playboy, he would have long seen through her intentions. Why did Huang Yanchen have to spell it out so plainly?
Once the words were spoken, there was no turning back.
Should he refuse or accept?
If he rejected her, would she be even more heartbroken, and would they become strangers from then on?
If he accepted, would he really have to marry her someday?
Zhang Ruochen wasn't ready for that. After all, he was only eighteen. And he hadn't expected that some of his unintentional actions had planted seeds of love.
Unsure how to resolve this, he hesitated for a long time before saying, "Senior sister, the truth is, there's already someone in my heart. It's unlikely I'll have room for anyone else anytime soon."
Huang Yanchen's face was streaked with tears as she looked up. "Who is it? Chen Xi'er? Duanmu Xingling? Or Han Qiu?"
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "It's none of them. Senior sister, don't worry. From now on, I won't bring up breaking off the engagement again. As you said, since I agreed to the betrothal back then, there's no such thing as backing out."
"Are you pitying me?"
"I..."
Huang Yanchen's gaze turned cold. She stood up, straightened her disheveled clothes, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and turned away, unable to meet Zhang Ruochen's gaze.
"I'm sorry," Zhang Ruochen said softly with a sigh.
Even though he knew of Huang Yanchen's feelings for him and had some fondness for her himself, how could he simply forget the person he once loved?
Whether it was love or hate, both were so intense.
Until he figured out what had happened eight hundred years ago, Zhang Ruochen would only focus on the martial path, trying not to let emotions hold him back.
If, someday, he could truly let go of Chi Yao, perhaps he would find a kindred spirit to be with—a pair of immortal lovers, flying together. That didn't seem like a bad idea.
"Zhang Ruochen, what just happened—you're not allowed to tell Duanmu Xingling or Chen Xi'er. No, you can't tell anyone. You need to know, I've never cried before," Huang Yanchen said coldly, her eyes red.
"Alright. I should be going now," Zhang Ruochen said, taking his leave.
His mind was in turmoil, recalling many things from the past. He needed to find a place to calm down.
Huang Yanchen didn't try to stop him. In fact, she never even turned around.
Only after Zhang Ruochen had left the training mansion did Huang Yanchen stomp her foot in frustration and angrily tap her own head. "What was I thinking just now? How could I hug Zhang Ruochen and cry, and say all those things to him? Does Zhang Ruochen think I was begging him? He must be laughing at me in his heart."
"Damn it, who is the woman in his heart?"
Huang Yanchen's inner strength was formidable. She would never give up easily. She firmly believed that as long as she kept trying, she would one day find her way into Zhang Ruochen's heart.
Huang Yanchen didn't care if there was another woman in Zhang Ruochen's heart. Which powerful man didn't have multiple wives and concubines?
Take her father, the Qianshui Commandery King, for example. He had married not only Huang Yanchen's mother but also other consorts, fathering dozens of children. This was perfectly normal!
The key was that Huang Yanchen felt she had to carve out a place for herself in Zhang Ruochen's heart, so that another woman wouldn't completely monopolize his affections.
"Since he's agreed not to mention breaking off the engagement again, there are still countless possibilities."
Huang Yanchen clenched her fists tightly. "No matter who that woman is, I refuse to believe she's so perfect that she can't be surpassed. At least for now, I am Zhang Ruochen's nominal fiancée—that's my greatest advantage."