Chapter 73 Old Flame: Never Thought I’d See Xu Junzheng Again.

Chapter 73: Old Flame - Never Thought I'd See Xu Junzheng Again in This Life.

The weather was crystal clear. The purification ritual was held by the lakeside this time, surrounded by mountains on two sides, offering a vast, open view. About several dozen noble families came and went, dotted around like stars, making it a grand gathering.

Xie Tanwei soon left, while Tian Qin stayed by the water's edge for a while to watch the bathing ducks. The willow branches were cut into scissors by the east wind, and a cool breeze blew. She dared not linger too long, for being out of his sight too long, she'd be punished.

Tian Qin arrived at the hexagonal pavilion built by the Xie family specifically for the purification ritual. She had just sat for a moment when a man dressed as a peddler came up to strike up a conversation, his voice very familiar: "Miss, would you like a cup of wine? Osmanthus wine, home-brewed."

Tian Qin shook her head. Xie Tanwei wouldn't allow her to drink; getting the smell of alcohol on her would be troublesome.

After a while, the peddler still didn't leave, standing blankly by her side as if his feet were nailed to the ground. Strangely enough, at such a lavish gathering of dignitaries, a peddler had managed to sneak in.

Tian Qin found it odd and was about to drive him away when she turned around and was shocked to see the peddler with tear-streaked face, red-rimmed eyes, and fingers trembling violently: "Sister Tian."

Tian Qin was momentarily stunned, a chill running down her spine.

It turned out to be Xu Junzheng, who had disappeared without a trace for many days.

In this life, she had never expected to see Xu Junzheng again.

"How are you here?"

Her dark eyes grew wary, her voice dropped to a near whisper. Her first reaction was surprise, the second was overwhelming panic. She almost blurted out, "Did my brother-in-law send you?" — Subconsciously, she had already regarded Xie Tanwei's permission as a prerequisite for meeting Xu Junzheng again.

Yet that was not the case.

Seeing Tian Qin again stirred profound emotions in Xu Junzheng.

"After losing my official career, my mother urged me to return to Jiangnan as a farmer. I stubbornly refused and stayed in the capital as a teacher, all the while searching for traces of you, Sister Tian. When I learned you were taken in by the Xie family, I felt both joy and sorrow—joy that you had a place to rely on, sorrow that we might never meet again. The purification ritual was held by the lakeside, so I disguised myself as a peddler, setting aside all dignity to sneak in, hoping to see you one more time and clear up the misunderstandings from the past."

Xu Junzheng bit his lips until they bled in streaks, his voice choked with tears as he grew extremely agitated. He was much thinner and paler than before, looking as if he had endured inhuman torture.

Now it wasn't a matter of forgiveness; it was whether Xu Junzheng would survive if exposed. He was a weak scholar, yet he had such patience and guts to break into a noble banquet. If anyone else caught him, he'd just be kicked out. But if Xie Tanwei found out... Tian Qin's head spun; she dared not imagine the terrible consequences.

This place was full of eyes and ears. In broad daylight, Xie Tanwei would surely notice.

Tian Qin was in a tight spot. Quickly, she pulled Xu Junzheng behind some slender bamboo stalks near the hexagonal pavilion and warned him harshly: "Xu Junzheng, what happened that year is already settled. I don't care what purpose you have for coming here; leave immediately, without leaving a trace!"

Hearing this, Xu Junzheng trembled as if he'd fallen into an icy pit. He had thought she would be longing to see him as much as he was, but unexpectedly she was so heartless, not even giving him a kind look.

Looking at her closely, she seemed different from before.

She was draped in silk and satin adorned with southern pearls, wearing kingfisher-feather hairpins. Though she wasn't married yet, her hair was braided and coiled up, with only a single lock hanging over her chest—clearly a married woman's hairstyle.

Her peach-like complexion was lustrous, giving off the mature vibe of someone who knew the ways of the world. Her movements and attitude were like a young wife's.

Xu Junzheng felt as if struck by a thunderbolt, in great pain. Could she really have become Xie's concubine, just like the rumors said?

"Sister Tian, I went through hell just to see you. Do you know that my mother fell ill from anger over this? I defied her, spent all my money, and struggled to find a way here. You can't be so heartless to me..."

Xu Junzheng hid his face in his sleeves, heartbroken, speaking endlessly.

He was bitterly disappointed in Tian Qin. Did she have no choice, or had she willingly flown into that gilded cage, becoming a caged bird seduced by wealth and luxury?

With beauty to serve others, how long can that last?

Tian Qin was in no mood to listen. Xu Junzheng didn't know the severity of that man's power, but she knew it all too well. In this crowded purification ritual, Xu Junzheng needed to escape immediately.

"Xu Junzheng, our engagement has been called off; we have no further ties. Stop dragging me into this. Leave now, and I will leave too. From now on, we go our separate ways and remain strangers. Don't ever look for me in this life."

She gritted her teeth and uttered harsh words, cutting off all paths.

"No, Sister Tian!" Xu Junzheng almost begged. His knees went weak and he knelt on the grass, his washed-out long robe immediately torn by sharp stones. "How can you say such hurtful words? Are you still angry about the elopement? I'm sorry; that time I handled it poorly, leaving you alone. Forgive me. I'll even kowtow for you. We can try again; this time I promise to take you out safely."

Sister Tian must have her reasons.

Even if she had strayed, as long as she was Sister Tian, he was willing to pull her back and be the light in her dark path. His mother's orders, the world's judgment—he was ready to throw it all away.

Tian Qin's empty eyes reflected the past, without joy or sorrow, filled with deep frustration at Xu Junzheng's foolhardy courage.

People around were curiously looking over. Because of Xu Junzheng's entanglement, both had fallen into a dangerous situation.

If she walked away so heartlessly, Xu Junzheng would be too hurt emotionally, and there was no telling what disaster might come.

Tian Qin had to sever this relationship once and for all. She dragged Xu Junzheng further into the bamboo grove, giving him one last piece of advice: "I forgave you long ago for what happened that year. You don't need to apologize anymore. I'm doing fine in the Xie family now, dressed in silk and jewels. I won't go live a miserable life with you. Give up."

She knew Xu Junzheng was a powerless scholar. He couldn't lead her to elope, and could barely even protect himself, with an old mother as a burden. Even if she were to run, she would have to do it alone, definitely not with Xu Junzheng's help. Having maneuvered around the Xie family for so long, she knew the situation best; alone, her chances of success were greatest.

In comparison, she truly feared Xie Tanwei.

Xie Tanwei's power to control everything was nothing Xu Junzheng could ever match.

The chance to leave the Xie family wasn't ripe yet. She would rather endure for a while longer than rashly tip him off and face even harsher punishment for failure.

"Why..."

Xu Junzheng muttered, lost and bewildered. "Sister Tian, you've changed. Are you so scared of your brother-in-law?"

Tian Qin remained silent, only urging him coldly and evasively: "Stop talking. This is none of your business."

Xu Junzheng stubbornly tugged at her sleeve like a child, his fingers clenched tightly, veins bulging: "I actually sought Lord Xie once to ask for your hand in marriage, but I was rejected. Sister Tian, I too want to be open and aboveboard, but for us to be together for long, we can only leave the capital."

Tian Qin impatiently shook him off, trembling: "If you don't leave now, you'll get us both killed!"

"After all this time apart, you've become like a startled bird. Why are you so scared of your brother-in-law? As long as we have a solid plan, we can definitely leave without a hitch and live a carefree life from then on. Besides, he is your brother-in-law; he should want you to be happy."

Xu Junzheng more or less sensed the unusual relationship between Tian Qin and Xie Tanwei, but he refused to believe it—that a brother-in-law would break all moral rules to forcibly take his wife's sister, especially when that man was the most saintly person in the world, the teacher he respected most.

He was a refined scholar, concerned with face and propriety, adhering to seeing no evil, hearing no evil. Taking the risk to bring Tian Qin away this time was a tremendous decision he had made, worthy of the sun and moon.

"He is very formidable..." Tian Qin took a deep breath, her tone urgent. "Don't harm yourself, and don't drag me down. Xu Junzheng, think of your mother at home. Can you bear to let her grieve over a gray-haired person sending off a black-haired one? A true hero doesn't act recklessly."

"How would it come to grieving over a gray-haired one sending off a black-haired one?" Xu Junzheng was heartbroken, his eyes as if about to bleed tears of blood.

How could it come to losing his life?

There was law in this world; no matter how powerful the Xie family was, they couldn't just kill people.

Xu Junzheng had no idea of the Xie family's power. Tian Qin couldn't reason with him. She turned to leave, but Xu Junzheng remained kneeling on the ground, crying.

"Though your brother-in-law is good to you, he is too strict. I've been watching for two months, and you've never even gone out alone. Sister Tian, ask yourself: is this kind of prison life what you want?"

"He is worried about me," Tian Qin said with her back turned.

Xu Junzheng said tearfully, "You're lying. It's obvious you're not happy."

She could fool others, but not him.

The two had once pledged their lives to each other, but it had all become a bubble.

If he and she were united in marriage, he would surely give her the simple, worldly happiness of an ordinary life, rather than the eternally pristine, ice-cold grandeur of the Xie mansion.

He would hold her dear above all else, take her as his sole legitimate wife, and grant her love and warmth, sharing every hardship and joy—a true affection that the wealth and splendor of the Xie estate could never rival.

For a brief moment, Tian Qin truly entertained the thought of giving up on herself.

But only for that fleeting instant did she snap back to reality—if she left with Xu Junzheng, then she, Xu Junzheng, and his mother would all perish without a place to even be buried.

What kind of man was Xie Tanwei? She had seen his true colors enough over the years. This outwardly lenient but inwardly scheming powerful court minister controlled the very pulse of the dynasty, and, by extension, controlled the fates of her and Xu Junzheng.

Warmth was merely his facade; coldness was the true essence of his character. He was a master of disguise, wearing different masks for different people. The more indulgent and benevolent he appeared on the surface, the more ruthless and venomous he was within, carrying out the most heinous acts with the gentlest touch.

Xie Tanwei could always anticipate her resistance, and Xu Junzheng's so-called meticulous plan was likely as clear as glass to him. Moreover, Xie Tanwei had spent years navigating the official world, wielding leverage that ordinary people could hardly imagine.

Tian Qin could not share any of these concerns with Xu Junzheng. Her reborn life was too precious, and she had to tread carefully with every step.

"Tian Qin, you're wrong. Lord Xie cares about you—you are his greatest weakness."

Xu Junzheng clung to a last shred of hope, trying to awaken her from his perspective. "I am a man too, and I understand men best. He has you in his heart, which is why he stubbornly keeps you by his side. Let's just go, no fear. If something goes wrong on the way, we'll die together for love... Of course, not really—you just use yourself to threaten him; he can't just stand by and do nothing!"

Tian Qin found this absurd. His weakness? Xie Tanwei would never see her as his weakness.

From all past signs, he treated her only as a personal possession—fix her if she broke, discipline her if she was disobedient, retrieve her if she was lost. Perhaps there was a hint of attachment, but certainly not to the point of being a weakness.

"Stop dreaming. I've said all I need to say. Look out for yourself."

Frustrated and restless, Tian Qin felt time was running out—she really couldn't afford to drag this on any longer.

Xu Junzheng's tears flowed like a spring, his reluctance palpable. "I don't want to leave you, Tian Qin. I think of you day and night, barely able to get by. What meaning does life hold without you by my side?"

Just as the two were locked in their tug-of-war, a chill crept up Tian Qin's spine—a stare fixed directly on her, sending shivers down her back.

She turned around instinctively. Xie Tanwei stood in the pavilion, watching the two of them from above with a cold, detached stare.