The rain drizzled down, and the sky was as dark as evening. Droplets gathered along the eaves, forming silver threads, as hurried pedestrians splashed through puddles, and the dimly lit boats quietly drifted on the small river.

Zizhu Pavilion, known as one of the finest tea houses in Lin’an Prefecture, was serene and tranquil. The gentle glow and elegant fragrance permeated every corner of the hall, making it a favored gathering place for many young nobles and high-rank cultivators.

Soft murmurs arose throughout the hall, their sound subdued and not too noisy, thanks to a special soundproof formation.

Disguised, Su Jinxuan sat alone in a corner, her plain looks making her unnoticeable. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly as she gazed out at the familiar yet strange Lin’an Prefecture, lost in thought.

The early summer breeze, infused with a coolness from the rain, carried the earthy scent of the bamboo forest, as the dim daylight scattered over the misty and rain-drenched ancient city.

This scene was all too familiar to her.

She was born and raised in this water town of Jiangnan, yet now she could find no trace of the past.

Twenty years ago, a sudden disaster reduced the bustling coastal city to ashes. Though its prosperity had been restored, the streets and alleys she had known were long gone.

And so it seemed to be quite fine...

Su Jinxuan thought to herself.

Jiangnan was her homeland, but it had left no fond memories in her heart.

The ties she formed in the first half of her life here were all illusory, and after returning to Jingjiang Prefecture due to her encounter with the young master, a chasm of blood feud had lodged in her heart.

She raised her gaze to look at the grey sky. The rain was gentle and soft, like smoke drifting in the air.

The cityscape had changed, but this monsoon season remained the same as before.

Su Jinxuan had always enjoyed this tranquility, accustomed to reading and playing the qin on a boat by the riverside amid the falling rain. Yet recently, she inexplicably started to detest this tranquility.

A disturbed mind naturally cannot enjoy peace.

Su Jinxuan reflected on the chaotic emotions within her heart.

She found herself somewhat pathetic.

She was certainly not the little girl she once was. Regulating her emotions had become as natural as breathing, yet as the wedding of the man she yearned for drew nearer, the growing restlessness continued to unsettle her heart.

He was getting married, and the bride would not be her.

Her chest felt tight, and Su Jinxuan grasped her chest, her breath trembling with sorrow.

She knew she didn’t need to dwell on these issues, for he would never push her away. All his life, he would allow her to stay by his side.

Moreover, Xu Yuan would indulge her whims, her little tantrums, her jealousy—he would even let her bully the Jiantian Pavilion Master.

But,

Su Jinxuan also knew well enough what his feelings for her were.

It was an affection,

a tie of interests,

a form of possession,

an indulgence in something forbidden,

an obsession with her body,

and,

a man’s responsibility for what he once did...

But in all these emotions, there was no love of the kind that binds hearts together.

Spring rain listened to wind, her graceful hair draping with dark strands.

Su Jinxuan lowered her eyelashes, sipping the slightly bitter tea in her cup.

She never doubted, that if she had been more reserved in her youth and not used her body to seduce him, their relationship would have remained that of a subject and his lord.

Looking back at the tranquil Jiangnan rain outside, Su Jinxuan slightly parted her red lips, her peach blossom eyes rippled with waves of discontent:

"If only... I hadn’t returned then."

This had been the haunting thought that lingered in her heart recently.

Her entry into his life was not late, perhaps even the earliest, yet she had perfectly missed the most critical years.

If...

If, when faced with the choice he offered back then, she hadn’t chosen to return to this water town but instead stayed by his side, would their relationship have been different?

At that time, few were around him,

even his playful nature had no beloved,

if she had chosen to stay by his side then, she would have gone into that Charming God realm with him, traveled the world together, and returned to Di’an with him.

Perhaps she would have gone to the Northern Frontier or the Western Desert with him, stood by him as he grew, witnessed his transformation, and experienced all the events he had...

Heh...

If it could truly be like that,

what could those three women compare to her?

After all, she was the renowned beauty, Su Jinxuan.

A breathtaking smile curled on her lips, attracting admiring glances from several men in the hall—even in the most inconspicuous corner, with her plain, disguised appearance.

"What are you thinking about, looking so happy?"

A young gentleman in splendid attire suddenly seated himself across from her, mocking as he poured and drank tea from the set on the table.

The familiar voice made her look up suddenly, and the instant she met those eyes entwined in her thoughts, the self-deceptive joy in Su Jinxuan’s heart vanished like a cloud.

Indeed,

yesterday could not return,

what she longed for could only ever be a dream...

She softly hummed, quickly reining in her emotions as she always did. Su Jinxuan tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand, and looked at him with a graceful smile:

"Thinking about you, young master."

"...."

Hearing her teasing, Xu Yuan instinctively wanted to retort. But the murmured conversations nearby caught his attention first.

"...Are you referring to the construction of the military harbor?"

"Yes."

"...Indeed, this matter is putting Brother Zhou in a difficult position."

Eavesdropping was unethical, but this had nothing to do with Xu Yuan. The soundproof formation in the tea house was useless to him, and the voices naturally reached his ears.