Tome of Troubled Times-Chapter 853: What a Bethrothed Should Do

Faced with that question, even Zhao Changhe began to wonder whether the blind woman had deliberately lent a hand. The timing was just too perfect. She had come conveniently right after Huangfu Qing had suggested a damsel-in-distress scenario.

Even her moves in the fight felt like she had been holding back. She clearly had the upper hand, yet after just a single exchange, she withdrew as if intentionally giving face.

If one had to explain it, one could say she was avoiding entanglement with Piaomiao and the Four Idols, so after missing a strike, she opted to retreat. But was that explanation not a bit forced? The blind woman was no ordinary opponent. Someone like her should have had more than enough confidence to kill her target before reinforcements could arrive. Would she really be that cautious?

Which left one very likely possibility: Ye Wuming and Zhao Changhe had colluded to stage a “hero saves the beauty” act.

The realization left Zhao Changhe dumbfounded. She’s trying to sabotage me!

And it was hard to argue otherwise. In the past, he and the blind woman had worked together. In more than one battle, she had kept Ye Jiuyou pinned down while he handled other threats, and Ye Jiuyou knew this well. Worse still, Ye Wuming had shown more than a little interest in Zhao Changhe’s flirtations with Ye Jiuyou. She did have a motive to play along with such a charade.

If Ye Jiuyou now began to suspect they were still acting in concert behind the scenes, then the progress of the last few days would collapse on the spot.

Truthfully, without Ye Wuming’s meddling, Ye Jiuyou’s failed attempt at deciphering the carving and Zhao Changhe’s timely rescue would have been more than enough to rocket their relationship forward. There was absolutely no need to gild the lily. Now, it looked like he had dropped his pants into a pile of muddy water. How would someone as guarded and suspicious as Ye Jiuyou interpret this?

What now?

Ye Jiuyou saw Zhao Changhe stunned speechless by her single question. Her eyes roamed across his face for a few moments before she suddenly gave a soft pfft and laughed. “What’s the matter? Weren’t you glib and silver-tongued just a moment ago?”

Zhao Changhe wiped his sweat. “It really wasn’t...”

“Why are you answering on her behalf? Did you two discuss this ahead of time?”

“I—damn it...”

“Alright.” Ye Jiuyou lifted a finger and pressed it lightly to his lips. Her voice was unusually soft. “I know it wasn’t a setup.”

Zhao Changhe blinked, then lit up. “You believe me?”

“I saw the way you charged in with your saber. Whether it was an act or not, I’m not blind. Besides, such an unnecessary maneuver only casts suspicion on you. You...”

She hesitated a moment, then tilted her head and continued, “You’ve been advancing step by step, and in all honesty, you’ve been throwing my heart into chaos. Everything’s going far too well. Why would you jeopardize that by roping in Ye Wuming just to plant a seed of doubt?”

Zhao Changhe asked, “So I’ve thrown your heart into chaos, have I?”

“Why bother asking when you already know?” Ye Jiuyou sighed. “Sometimes I think you’re scarier than Papiyas. I’ve never been this emotionally unsettled in my life.”

Zhao Changhe said nothing. He simply activated the Rejuvenation Art and began healing her.

Ye Jiuyou did not resist his energy, letting him treat her in silence. After a while, she said softly, “If Ye Wuming is trying to sow discord between us... that means she’s afraid of you and me becoming truly united. Hah, so even she has something she fears...”

Her voice faded at the end. It was easy to imagine what she left unsaid. If she fears us being of one heart, then perhaps... we should become just that.

However, the feelings between them had not yet reached that stage. The words were too much and too soon, so she swallowed them.

Zhao Changhe felt something stir in his heart. Could it be that the blind woman actually wants that outcome? Is her interference perfectly calculated? But... why?

Forget it. Life isn’t always a stack of hidden schemes. Whatever she’s thinking doesn’t really matter. What mattered is that even under very plausible suspicion, Ye Jiuyou chose to trust me.

Being trusted felt good, and it carried weight, especially when that trust came from someone who trusted no one.

“Thank you,” Zhao Changhe suddenly said.

Ye Jiuyou turned and looked into his eyes, her gaze faintly amused. “You helped me, and you’re the one thanking me?”

“Mm-hm... Thank you for your trust.” Zhao Changhe smiled. “Since the beginning of our cooperation, I’ve been trying to earn it. Until now, the results have been minimal. You still made plans behind my back, and you were always ready to turn on me. But just now... maybe I finally achieved a small goal of mine.”

Ye Jiuyou gave a short “heh” and said nothing.

Zhao Changhe had not trusted her at the start either.

Her foundation was strong, and the injury was not severe. With medicine and the Rejuvenation Art, she had recovered most of her strength. Only a trace of weakness lingered. Zhao Changhe stopped using his energy and helped her sit upright. “I don’t deserve credit for helping you. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have gotten hurt in the first place.”

Ye Jiuyou’s eyes glinted. “Because of you?”

“It’s because you wanted to push back against my advances that you took a reckless risk... Don’t ever do something that stupid again. I’d rather give up the entire thing altogether.” Zhao Changhe placed the remaining deciphered characters from Piaomiao into her hands and stood. “Rest up for now. Whatever needs saying can wait until tomorrow.”

Zhao Changhe left the Abyss of Jiuyou, but he did not return to the Heavenly River. Instead, he sat cross-legged at the entrance to the abyss, guarding it. He was unable to feel at ease with her condition.

Ye Jiuyou could clearly sense his presence. She pursed her lips and lowered her gaze to the cloth in her hand where the translated characters were recorded. She could, in theory, now fully decipher the text. Yet she remained still, as though she had forgotten the matter entirely.

This was, after all, the first time she had ever placed this kind of trust in another person.

This was also the first time someone had come to her rescue and stood guard by her side like this.

If being trusted felt good, then what about being cared for?

Ye Jiuyou slowly stood and glanced at her reflection. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. The woman in the mirror looked paler than ever from her injuries; the rouge and lipstick she had applied earlier now seemed to have lost their meaning. She stared at herself for a long while before finally retrieving her cosmetics and quietly touching up her makeup.

Since he likes the look of someone with a more “human” touch, then so be it.

Unnoticed, dawn was breaking.

Ye Jiuyou left the abyss and emerged on the surface. At the same moment, the sun crested the distant horizon, casting its first faint rays of light.

This was not some kind of metaphor. She had deliberately timed her emergence with the coming of dawn. Meeting him in daylight—did that not make it a proper, formal discussion?

As she stepped into view, Zhao Changhe opened his eyes from meditation. He caught sight of her, neatly made up, and greeted her with a radiant smile. “Morning.”

It was the first time she had ever made a point to dress nicely for him. In human society, there’s a phrase for this sort of thing: “A woman tries to look her best for the one she cares for.”

Ye Jiuyou sat calmly across from him and handed over her portion of the translated text. “Give this to Piaomiao.”

Zhao Changhe did not even glance at it before tucking it away. “How are your injuries?”

“No issue.”

“Then shall we go have breakfast?”

Ye Jiuyou: “?”

Zhao Changhe added, “Are you thinking of saying that you don’t need to eat?”

Expressionless, Ye Jiuyou replied, “Are you going to say that I didn’t need to put on makeup either, but I did it anyway for you, so even if I don’t need food, I could still accompany you for breakfast?”

“Look at you, answering your own lines...” Zhao Changhe chuckled. “But that’s not the whole reason.”

“Then what is?”

“Always sitting face-to-face, cross-legged, having these serious, solemn conversations—it’s a bit stiff, don’t you think? Ordinary people talk things over with morning tea and idle chatter. Our relationship now... well...”

“Friends?”

“What do you want it to be?”

Ye Jiuyou remained expressionless. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm

Zhao Changhe stood up, still smiling. “If not even friends would do this, then couples certainly wouldn’t just sit across from each other like that. So, whether it’s friendship or whatever else you prefer, let’s go grab breakfast.”

Ye Jiuyou replied evenly, “It’s what you want.”

Zhao Changhe smiled. “Yes. It’s what I want...”

But you didn’t refuse.

Ye Jiuyou thought of that unspoken second half. She was beginning to forget the moment, days ago, when he bluntly confessed his intentions—and how she had been so caught off guard by his excuse that she had not even rejected him.

But today, her emotions were far more composed than they had been over the past two days. Calmly, she asked, “Chang’an again?”

“This time, anywhere you like. You choose.”

“...Chang’an works.”

“Conceal everything inside with illusions again, like before. This sheer gauze over the dudou is a bit... much. I want to be the only one who can get to see it.”

Ye Jiuyou’s expression turned strange. This man really is sick in the head... He must be utterly bored out of his mind. But clearly, she herself did not want others seeing her like this either, so she quietly cast an illusion over the inner layers of her clothing.

Zhao Changhe took her hand. The two of them vanished in a shimmer, space twisting as they stepped together into Chang’an.

The morning market had only just opened, and the streets below were still sparse with people. The two of them found a seat on the second floor of a small teahouse, by the railing. Zhao Changhe ordered a few pastries and two glasses of milk. Ye Jiuyou, however, simply tilted her head, gazing at the quiet street below.

“You’re not eating? Should I feed you?” Zhao Changhe sat beside her, lifting a pastry to her lips. “Try it. Human food is quite delicious. It’s not just cotton candy that we have.”

Ye Jiuyou seemed distracted. When the pastry reached her lips, she bit into it on reflex.

Soft, sweet, glutinous... It was good.

Her attention finally drifted back. She looked over at Zhao Changhe, seated beside her, feeding her pastries, and caught the waiter nearby grinning broadly.

Just then, several more people came up the stairs. News of King Zhao and the young lady from the Li Clan strolling hand in hand through Chang’an had already spread far and wide. With descriptions circulating, they were quickly recognized again.

“Isn’t that King Zhao and Miss Li?”

“Has to be. They say she bought that purple dress the other day.”

“They’re so sweet...”

“To think the legendary King Zhao, known for his ruthless might, could be so tender and affectionate.”

“The young lady of the Li Clan truly is blessed.”

Zhao Changhe glanced at Ye Jiuyou. She showed no reaction.

So, he leaned closer and said softly, “You chose Chang’an. You must’ve known that if this continues, the marriage alliance would essentially be set. At the very least, the young lady of the Li Clan is now publicly bound to Zhao Changhe. Guanlong will submit without a fight.”

“Yes,” Ye Jiuyou replied flatly. “As repayment for your aid last night, Guanlong is yours.”

“Even if that means letting others see you as the woman that King Zhao dotes on?”

Ye Jiuyou said nothing. She simply cradled the glass of milk and slowly drank.

Just two days ago, such gazes and gossip would have incited clear displeasure in her, even cold hostility. But today, she felt... nothing. As for whether she had truly come to Chang’an to hand over Guanlong, or whether she actually enjoyed being seen as “the woman King Zhao dotes on,” Ye Jiuyou herself was not sure.

She absentmindedly set her glass down, leaving a faint trace of milk on her lip. Zhao Changhe reached out and casually wiped it away.

Ye Jiuyou turned to look at him, her gaze meeting his.

The sound of whispering conversations came from the surrounding tables, echoing like they were drifting in from far away.

Zhao Changhe’s voice followed, low and close to her ear, “If you’re going to bear the identity of Miss Li... shouldn’t you also do something befitting that role? Otherwise, you seem too cold. It reflects badly on me.”

Ye Jiuyou hesitated, then picked up a piece of pastry and held it out toward Zhao Changhe.

He bit into it with a smile, then murmured, “Thank you, my lovely lady.”

The words were soft, but not so quiet that anyone missed them. The whole floor heard it loud and clear.

Ye Jiuyou knew full well he was playing this little trick. She said nothing, only gave him a sideways glare.

The surrounding tables broke into unconcealed and delighted laughter.

Their smiles were not just the fond looks of bystanders watching a young couple flirt. There was something deeper: a yearning for unity, a weariness of chaos. If these two truly came together, the countdown to the end of troubled times would begin in earnest.

Otherwise, no matter how famous a couple might be, they would never garner this kind of shared blessing from an entire city—this quiet, collective encouragement.

Ye Jiuyou had not quite grasped this layer two days ago. But today, she saw the mindset of the crowd with startling clarity.

Someone, emboldened by the mood, even called out, “Kiss her!”

Ye Jiuyou’s gaze snapped coldly in that direction. The heckler broke into a cold sweat, and his companion quickly pulled him back and motioned for him to shut up.

At the same time, a firm arm circled Ye Jiuyou’s waist. Zhao Changhe had pulled her close, not harshly, just enough to hold her back.

Truthfully, Ye Jiuyou had not intended to act out. That glare was more of a reflex. With Zhao Changhe’s quiet restraint, she played along and did not escalate things. She just let out a cold snort and lowered her head to sip her milk.

She forgot, however, that he had put his arm around her waist... And more telling, she had not even thought of shrugging it off.

Was it simply because she had been injured last night and held by him in just this way?

A sudden commotion rose from the street below, breaking through the murmurs of the crowd. The two turned to look down, just in time to see a lean young man striding down the avenue. He came to a halt outside the restaurant and cupped his fists in salute, his voice ringing clear, “Lin Yongle of Minzhong requests guidance from Brother Wei Zhijie!”

Laughter answered him from within the restaurant. Another youth leapt down from the second floor. “As you wish.”

Zhao Changhe looked down at the challenge playing out on the long street, eyes filled with a wistful nostalgia.

He had heard of these two. They were rising stars of the new Ranking of Hidden Dragons, part of the jianghu’s next generation. In barely three years, the cycle had turned again. A new age was taking shape, and he was already a so-called “senior.”

Ye Jiuyou’s voice came from beside him. “You like this kind of scene?”

“I do... I loved the jianghu of old. I was disappointed in it once, but now, looking back... those memories are beautiful.”

“So you never liked the world of demon gods, not even now that you’re in it yourself. What you’ve always admired was the passion and loyalty of the jianghu, not the cold machinations of demon gods.”

Zhao Changhe finally turned away from the flashes of blades and swordplay below to glance at her. “It’s more or less the same. It’s just a different battlefield. To put it bluntly, even daring to desire you... is its own kind of reckless chivalry.”

Ye Jiuyou could not help but laugh. “That’s not chivalry. That’s shameless lust dressed up as courage.”

“Now this is shameless lust.” Zhao Changhe’s arm around her waist tightened slightly, and Ye Jiuyou tipped forward on instinct, her shoulder landing softly against his chest.

“You...” She moved to push him away, but Zhao Changhe leaned in and whispered by her ear, “Right now, you’re my fiancée. Unless you’re taking back Guanlong, then even if this is just a performance, we have to play our parts.”

Ye Jiuyou’s hand faltered. He always knew exactly when to offer her an excuse, because the truth was, she did not need much. She only needed enough to persuade others... and herself, enough to soothe the pride of a top-ranked demon god.

Zhao Changhe did not give her time to dwell. “Who do you think will win?”

Ye Jiuyou decided not to fight it anymore, leaning lazily against his shoulder as she replied, “The cultivation of that Wei Zhijie is a bit further, but he lacks practical experience... If the fight drags on, I’d bet on the Lin kid.”

Zhao Changhe nodded. Wei Zhijie was likely a top talent from the Wei Clan, perhaps even Wei Changming’s son. The great clans always had this problem. They rarely let their heirs roam the jianghu alone. Just like Tang Buqi once faced that same choice, ending up mocked. It was part of why the aristocratic families were fading in this new age. They had inheritance and resources, but not the courage to face life and death.

People said Zhao Changhe had risen quickly. But how many scars marked that path? How many times had he brushed death?

The brave starve last. The reckless feast first. Combat was only one reflection of that. Even pursuing Ye Jiuyou—was that not its own kind of rebellion? Putting his head on the chopping block, defying all limits?

But now that she was truly in his arms... what triumph could compare?

Even if, for now, she was only willing to play the part of “Miss Li of the Li Clan,” allowing only these measured forms of intimacy... she had taken the first step. The rest would follow, and it likely would not take long.

Still, no matter how far they went... battles like the one unfolding in the street were worth remembering.

“Shall we go back and have a fight?” Zhao Changhe said, then caught Ye Jiuyou’s sudden, strange look and hurried to clarify, “Not that kind of fight...”

Ye Jiuyou: “...”

Zhao Changhe grew serious. “I want a proper duel with you. I’m trying to break through to the third layer of the Profound Control Realm, but I’m lacking real combat experience, especially against opponents of your caliber.”

Ye Jiuyou gave a quiet, amused laugh. “Alright... But be warned. If it’s a real fight you want, I won’t hold back. And if I don’t hold back, you might die. I might just go with the flow and kill you outright, ending this once and for all.”

“Are you afraid that you’ll truly fall for me?” Zhao Changhe smiled. “But I feel like you wouldn’t be able to do it.”