"Stop... stop, old man..." A group of people were chasing an elder with white hair.
The elder dodged everywhere, holding something in his arms, muttering, "Don't hurt my..."
The people behind him were relentless, and finally, the elder couldn't run as fast as them. He stumbled and fell to the ground. The things in his arms scattered, revealing children's toys.
The pursuers caught up and began to beat the elder.
Xue Zining couldn't bear to watch and stepped forward, saying, "How much silver? I'll pay for it."
One of them looked up and said, "He stole my young master's toys. No amount of money can buy them back."
Xue Zining pulled a hairpin from her hair and threw it over, "Is this enough?"
The man looked at the hairpin in his hand. It was made of pure gold and was uniquely crafted. He gestured to the rest of the group, "Let's go."
After they left, Xue Zining squatted down and said, "Elder, how are you? Can you walk?"
"These... these are all for my child with Xin'er."
Xue Zining smiled, extended her hand to help the elder, "Where is your home? I'll take you there."
The elder suddenly looked up. Xue Zining met his gaze, her smile fading, replaced by a frosty expression. She spoke coldly, word by word, "It's you, Fan Min..."
Xue Zining stood up and said coldly, "It's the most merciful thing I could do not to kick you while you're down. You should leave!"
If it weren't for Fan Min back then, none of this would have happened. However, she couldn't bring herself to harm Fan Min, who was now so deranged.
Just as she turned to leave, someone grabbed her sleeve. "Take me home, please..."
Xue Zining was startled and immediately shook off Fan Min. "If you follow me, I'll kill you."
Upon hearing this, Fan Min chuckled, "You won't, because you can't kill me."
Xue Zining frowned, looking at Fan Min, who didn't seem so deranged at the moment.
"You should leave!" She turned and left.
When she reached her doorstep, she saw Fan Min still following her. "Don't follow me anymore."
"Your meridians are not damaged. You can recover," Fan Min suddenly said.
Xue Zining ignored him and closed the door. She was just an ordinary person now.
"A Ning, you're back." Hua Yunjin came out with two bowls of noodles.
Xue Zining walked over and saw the two bowls of bland noodles on the table. Hua Yunjin seemed a bit embarrassed. "We'll have this today. We'll have money tomorrow."
Xue Zining nodded. Hua Yunjin had given most of his money to buy her medicine.
The Soul Crossing Technique had not only absorbed her cultivation but also destroyed her meridians.
"I've found a job. I can earn a thousand coins a day," Hua Yunjin said excitedly.
"You really don't have to. You could go back to the Hua Kingdom..."
"A Ning, tomorrow you'll be home alone. Don't go out. Wait for me to come back." Hua Yunjin interrupted her.
Xue Zining knew Hua Yunjin disliked her speaking like that. But for her, a cripple, it wasn't worth dragging him down.
"Yun Jin, have you ever thought that I might be like this forever? It's not worth it for me."
She looked up at Hua Yunjin.
Hua Yunjin looked up and met her gaze. "A Ning, I'm already very happy to be by your side."
"Yun Jin..."
"A Ning, don't say anything more." Hua Yunjin interrupted her.
She said no more. Once she could live on her own, she wouldn't be a burden to Hua Yunjin anymore.
As night fell, Xue Zining was alone in her room. Once she quieted down, she couldn't help but recall the past.
She stayed awake until some unknown time, only to be startled awake by nightmares.
She woke up, and it was still dark. She got out of bed and walked out. Hua Yunjin's room light was still on.
A moment later, she saw Hua Yunjin emerge from it. She hid and watched him walk out the door.
For some reason, she wanted to see what he was doing. She followed him to the ferry crossing and saw many people carrying goods and unloading them onto boats docked by the shore.
And he, like those people, was carrying heavy cargo onto the boat.
The once elegant young man was now like the people here.
Xue Zining's eyes widened, but her gaze soon dimmed.
She turned and left.
After a few steps, she started walking faster and faster. She pushed open the door and sat on a stone chair in the courtyard.
She tilted her head back, trying to force her tears to flow back, but they eventually fell.
"Are you unwilling?"
She was startled and looked up to see a person standing in front of her. Who else could it be but Fan Min?
"Get out..." she said coldly.
Fan Min chuckled, "I'll teach you martial arts. Will you keep me?"
"Fan Min, if you don't leave, I'll report you to the authorities. I believe Xue Chang'an would want to see you." Xue Zining said coldly.
Fan Min smiled, "Xue Chang'an would rather see you."
Xue Zining frowned and said coldly, "What exactly do you want?"
Fan Min said, "I already told you, keep me, and I'll teach you martial arts."
"I don't need it." Xue Zining refused.
She had been terribly wronged by Fan Min and wouldn't trust his words anymore.
"Don't rush to refuse. You might not know, but the King of Northern Territories has been brought to the capital and will likely arrive in the next couple of days," Fan Min said, word by word, looking at her.
Xue Zining trembled all over. "How did you know?"
Fan Min stopped chuckling and seemed much more rational. "I have my channels. Xue Zining, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Your goal and mine are both Xue Chang'an. Cooperating with me is your best option."
"I don't trust you." Xue Zining said directly.
"You don't need to trust me. I hate Xue Chang'an, and I will definitely have the person she most wishes to die kill her. Don't you hate her? Everything she has now should be yours."
Xue Zining's gaze dimmed.
Fan Min continued, "She sits on your throne and is about to marry your beloved. Don't you hate her?"
"So what? I am an ordinary person now." Xue Zining raised her head, her eyes calm and serene.
Fan Min fell silent. "I thought you hated Xue Chang'an, but I was wrong. You are just a coward who retreats when faced with difficulty. I misjudged you."
He turned and left without looking back.
Xue Zining sat there quietly for a long time before finally getting up.
In the evening, Hua Yunjin returned. He was wearing the same clothes he had on when he left that morning. If she hadn't followed him out, she wouldn't have known what he had been doing.
Seeing her sitting in the courtyard, Hua Yunjin smiled. "A Ning, are you hungry? I'll go make you something to eat. I bought fish today."
He carried the fish towards the kitchen. She stood up and followed him into the kitchen.
She watched as the once noble young man, who wouldn't have touched such things, now exuded a sense of everyday life, skillfully preparing the fish and putting it into the pot.
"Why?"
Hua Yunjin was startled and looked up. She asked again, "Why are you so good to me?"