Chapter 196 (1/2)

”When you have made your decision, go to Mount Guan with Sonorous and play the piece 'Blue-Flower Porcelain'.”

The night Feng Luodi obtained Sonorous, the Grim Reaper, Phantom, suddenly appeared and told her this.

Feng Luodi had always been caught in a dilemma and had been hesitating to make a choice. Just like that, more than a month had pa.s.sed. When Qi Jianqiu had given birth without a hitch, her mother's const.i.tution had gotten better, and those beside her no longer forced her to get married to Situ again, she made a decision.

Feng Luodi told herself: I can't say 'see you again' to Situ. I can't let my tears fall in front of him.

But, despite walking very far into the distance, she could still feel his burning gaze on her.

Her tears were suddenly like a spring gus.h.i.+ng forth and blurred everything before her eyes.

Feng Luodi thought: If G.o.d is watching, then I would definitely be punished by G.o.d for giving up such a wonderful man, for giving up a man who loves me deeply and whom I also love deeply. I chose to return to the 21st century simply because I have to take care of my parents and settle those favours my friends had showered me with, but I have no choice but to take Situ's feelings away. I will stay single for the rest of my life and die alone.

Feng Luodi told herself again. Before I leave, I mustn't recall my past memories with Situ. However, memories like to pull people's legs. The more I try to avoid everything related to Situ, the more those scenes come into view as thick as a hail of snowflakes.

The first time my heart was moved. The lingering kiss. Those pair of deep eyes. Those words of endearment.

The scene that emerged first was how Situ would climb the wall every day to look for her after giving in. He would bring different flowers and drink Autumnal Ombre's wine every day. He would watch her play the guqin and use his inner force to create a rain of petals.

That man wanted to complete all the romantic things they could do in one month, things that could originally have been done in the future. The heart of the person drinking wine was aching and the heart of the person playing the zither was aching. Yet, the two still wanted to smile at each other and pretended as if they were having a great time and that they were very happy.

Situ was helping her to accomplish her selfish wishes. She had always used her selfish conduct as an excuse.

She would rather have Situ say that he hated her very much. She would rather Situ be the first one to bring up ending their relations.h.i.+p.

But, no matter how selfish she acted, Situ had always been very forgiving and he had always urged her to stay.

Feng Luodi didn't know how she'd managed to find the place that Phantom had told her about.

With her hazy, teary eyes, she walked towards an open s.p.a.ce area surrounded by wildflowers and weeds. Phantom, clad in solemn black clothes, was standing there, his black eyes staring deeply at her. Everything in the surroundings was like a backdrop, incompatible with Phantom.

”You came in the end.”

Rather than as an icy-cold statement, his words sounded more like a sigh.

”I'm here.”

Feng Luodi wiped the tears at the corner of her eyes and smiled at Phantom, just like how she smiled when Phantom informed her about the mission and rules back then. After that, she transmigrated all the way to the Xuan Dynasty.

”Do I simply need to play a piece?” Feng Luodi hoa.r.s.ely asked, her gaze fixed on Phantom.

Phantom's expression remained indifferent as he nodded.

Feng Luodi looked around but she didn't see where she could place her guqin. Thus, she simply sat down and placed Sonorous on her knees with both her hands pressing on the zither strings. She didn't move for a long time.

”You can still change your decision now.”

Phantom stood about fifty meters away from Feng Luodi, his voice as chilly as the frigid wind.

However, his words helped Feng Luodi harden her heart and proceed.

The sound of the guqin was as mellifluous as it had always been in the past. Yet, it was laden with grief and lingering with the pain of not able to wait for her lover as well as an unimaginable amount of desolateness in her heart.

Is it raining and misty in Jiangnan?

Is my lover on the other side of the sh.o.r.e?

Those zither strings were like knives, cutting her hands until they were bleeding but she didn't stop for a rest.

This was a tune she had memorised with her heart. It was the tune she brought from the 21st century and also the tune she used to gain fame in Chang'an. It was the tune that let her get acquainted with Situ and Jiang Moyin and also the tune that ended all her connections to the Xuan Kingdom.

When the piece ended, Feng Luodi lowered her head and was thinking about something while the surrounding scenery didn't change at all.

Only after a long time did Feng Luodi come back to her senses, she was about to stand up and ask Phantom how she could return to the 21st century when Phantom beat her to it and spoke, forcefully causing Feng Luodi to sit down again.

”Sorry, Luodi. I lied to you.”

”Lied to me?” Feng Luodi looked at Phantom in astonishment. ”What do you mean?”

Phantom was still standing at a distance which was neither too far nor too close to Feng Luodi. His voice was still icy-cold but the words he said sounded apologetic.

”From the very beginning, you already couldn't return to the 21st century.”

”What?”

The hand Feng Luodi used to play the guqin plucked a string until it snapped, producing an ear-piercing sound.

Her thoughts were a mess. She had gone through great trouble in the last three years to find all the guqins. But, in the end, she was told that she couldn't go back and that everything was just her own delusions? Everything she had done turned out to be a joke…

”What's all this about?” Feng Luodi muttered.

Phantom tilted his head slightly and turned around to face Feng Luodi, speaking slowly but forcefully, ”You were in a car accident in the 21st century and died on the spot. You weren't lying in the hospital in a vegetative state while receiving treatment. It has been almost three years and your parents have also long accepted your death. They're living very well now. You don't have to worry about that.”