After Forgetting Two Exes - Chapter 45

Inside Qionghua Palace, Yu Qianchan sat before her dressing table, two jewelry boxes laid out in front of her. Upon hearing Lan Xi announce the visitor’s name, she gave a slight nod and continued selecting pieces from the boxes.

Ji Xunyue walked in to find Yu Qianchan holding a hairpin in each hand, seemingly comparing them.

Yu Qianchan looked up, smiling at the reflection in the mirror. “I didn’t expect you to come so early. By all rights, the one arriving should have been Xuan Huai.”

Ji Xunyue also looked at the reflection. “He will be here shortly. I came because I have something to tell you.”

Although she and Xuan Huai had traveled together, they chose to go their separate ways once they reached the God Realm. After all, they weren’t ready to become the latest topic of gossip.

“You seem calm, so I assume it’s nothing urgent. In that case, why don’t you help me choose? Which of these two hairpins looks better?”

Yu Qianchan turned around and handed her the pins. Ji Xunyue took them, examining them closely. “If it were up to me, I think this one suits you better.”

With that, she slid the white jade plum blossom pin into Yu Qianchan’s hair. Yu Qianchan turned back to the mirror; the tassels on the pin swayed with her movements, making her look both elegant and spirited.

She nodded in satisfaction, closed the jewelry boxes, and said, “Then this is the one. Tomorrow I have to attend the birthday feast for the head of the Yan family, yet I only started deciding on my outfit today.”

“The Yan family?” Ji Xunyue emphasized the name, her voice laced with meaning. “It seems Yan Chen has another chance to show off.”

Yu Qianchan stood up, giving her a playful side-eye. “The Yan family is a prominent clan. Not only am I going, but even the Divine Sovereign will attend. What exactly do you expect him to show off?”

The two sat down at the tea table. Once Lan Xi served the tea and departed, Ji Xunyue spoke. “I ran into Lord Shang Ji a few days ago. He is quite invested in the ‘progress’ between you two.”

“That was at Shi Yuan’s birthday feast, wasn’t it? How did your talk with Shi Yuan go?”

Ji Xunyue froze for a second, then laughed. “You’re incredible. Every time I mention Yan Chen, you manage to turn the conversation back to me.”

Yu Qianchan replied calmly, “You see, you aren’t willing to speak plainly either. Some things don’t need to be asked; it’s better to let them take their natural course.”

Ji Xunyue yielded. “Fine, fine. I won’t bring it up.”

“Back to the point. What did you want to tell me?”

“I just wanted to let you know that some of the herbs you gave Xuan Huai were damaged by me. That is why he couldn’t complete the quantity you requested.”

Ji Xunyue spoke carefully, but seeing Yu Qianchan’s knowing smile, she guiltily looked away. It felt as though Yu Qianchan had already surmised everything.

Sure enough, Yu Qianchan said leisurely, “In that case, congratulations are in order.”

“Congratulations?” Ji Xunyue was completely defeated. “A-Chan, I truly wonder if there is anything you don’t know.”

“I’m not as omniscient as you think.” Yu Qianchan took a sip of tea. “When I first saved Xuan Huai, he asked about you several times while recovering. Later, when I sought him out for alchemy, he would occasionally ask about you in a roundabout way. That was how I sensed his feelings for you.”

Hearing this, Ji Xunyue felt a pang of melancholy. Xuan Huai had been thinking of her all along, yet she had remained entirely oblivious. She quickly smiled to hide it. “And that was enough to tell he liked me? Perhaps he was just concerned about the safety of the Demon Realm.”

Yu Qianchan offered a non-sequitur: “After Xuan Huai spent years recovering and barely saved his own life, he didn’t rush back to his cultivation. Instead, he spent a massive amount of time studying alchemy. Do you know why?”

Ji Xunyue thought back. When she had helped Xuan Huai out of a bind previously, she had asked him once. His answer was: to save someone. Logically, Yu Qianchan wouldn’t have been stingy with herbs for his own treatment. So, it wasn’t to save himself, but to…

At the same time, Yu Qianchan spoke: “It was to save your mother.”

Ji Xunyue’s expression froze. Her lips parted, but she said nothing. She lowered her eyes, silent for a long moment, and sighed. “So that was it.”

Mastering alchemy takes at least a thousand years. Xuan Huai had never detailed why he chose to learn it. Perhaps it was because he always regretted being unable to help her—but now, he had saved Qingli.

Yu Qianchan lowered her voice comfortingly. “That is the extent of what I know. Since you didn’t seem to recognize him, I didn’t pry. After the Mirage Abyss incident, the three of you acted as if nothing had happened, so I couldn’t very well interfere. I could only watch the misunderstanding grow. But now, it seems everything has been resolved, which settles a weight on my heart as well.”

“A-Chan, thank you. I’m sorry for making you worry.” Ji Xunyue gave her a grateful smile.

“What else are friends for?” Yu Qianchan shook her head with a smile. “Alright, let’s not make the atmosphere so somber.”

Ji Xunyue brightened up and teased, “In that case, as a friend, could you try not to ask him for alchemy so often? The God Realm is full of talent; surely you don’t have to fixate on him?”

“What, are you worried for him?”

“I am.” Ji Xunyue answered candidly.

Xuan Huai had given so much and kept it from her; how could she not feel for him?

Yu Qianchan was about to respond when she was interrupted by a transmission from Lan Xi. “Princess, Immortal Xuan Huai seeks an audience.”

Seeing this, Ji Xunyue rose to say goodbye. “I won’t disturb you two. I’ll go for a stroll.”

Yu Qianchan nodded slightly. “I will be away for the next few days. If you need anything, send me a message.”

In the past, although they met rarely, they frequently stayed in touch via messages. However, Ji Xunyue still preferred face-to-face conversation over cold text. She blinked mischievously. “Don’t worry, Princess. Zhong Ling returns tomorrow, and I have to accompany her. I won’t have time to cause trouble these next few days.”

Yu Qianchan smiled and said no more.

As Ji Xunyue exited the room, she saw Xuan Huai waiting at the door. She gave him a cold glance for appearances, but her smile was impossible to suppress. Xuan Huai was about to bow, but she pressed his hand down, giving it a quick squeeze in the process.

“No need for formalities.”

She withdrew her hand and tossed the words over her shoulder as she walked away. In truth, she was afraid that if she looked at him any longer, her true feelings would be impossible to hide.

Ji Xunyue had just turned a corner when a young man came rushing toward her. The moment they locked eyes, he immediately spun around and bolted back the way he came.

“Come back!” Ji Xunyue shouted, caught between irritation and amusement.

The figure, already several meters away, stiffened and reluctantly trudged back. The young man had refined features very similar to Yu Qianchan’s, though he looked quite youthful. He wore a look of utter misery, forced to squeeze out a greeting. “Ji… Sister Ji, long time no see.”

Ji Xunyue tilted her chin, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “It has indeed been years. I almost thought Prince Yu Qianshun no longer recognized me.”

Yu Qianshun’s face flushed red as he stammered, “How… how could I not remember!”

“Then why did you run the moment you saw me?”

“I… my Fourth Sister grounded me for three months. I snuck out. I was afraid… afraid you’d tell her.”

Likely, the Soul-Seeking Grass incident had led to Yu Qianchan grounding him.

“I’ve already seen you; what use is running now?” Ji Xunyue laughed in spite of herself. “Instead of reflecting, you snuck out? Don’t forget, you almost cost someone their life.”

“It wasn’t like that! Fourth Sister said…” Yu Qianshun’s eyes widened. “Fourth Sister?!”

“Yu Qianshun, if I remember correctly, three months haven’t passed yet.”

Yu Qianchan’s voice came from shortly behind them. Ji Xunyue turned to see Xuan Huai following her.

Yu Qianchan walked up to them. “It seems that after two months, your cultivation has grown significantly. Should I praise you for being able to slip past the guards the moment they blink?”

“Fourth Sister, how did you find me so fast? The clues I left were clearly.”

Yu Qianshun groaned. Meeting Ji Xunyue was bad luck enough, but he hadn’t even managed to fool her before Yu Qianchan caught him. Catching Yu Qianshun’s resentful gaze, Ji Xunyue shook her head sympathetically. “I didn’t tell on you.”

Yu Qianchan said unhurriedly, “You think I don’t know what you’re thinking? After I refused you several times, you wanted to find Father and beg him to let you attend the feast, didn’t you?”

Ji Xunyue looked around; this was indeed the only path to the Divine Sovereign’s palace.

Yu Qianshun looked dejected. “Fourth Sister! I… I was wrong! Please don’t punish me again! Sister Ji is right here; shouldn’t I apologize to her in person? If she forgives me, will you take me to the feast tomorrow?”

Yu Qianchan’s gaze was icy. “Instead of reflecting, you’re only thinking of playing? Have you treated my words as wind?”

Ji Xunyue took a few steps back, standing beside Xuan Huai. Sensing his gaze on her, she gave him a small smile. This was a sibling matter; as an outsider, it wasn’t right to listen in.

She tentatively interjected, “Maybe we should head back first…”

“Xunyue, what do you think?”

To her surprise, Yu Qianchan spoke at the same time. Ji Xunyue blinked, finding Yu Qianchan’s stern demeanor quite intimidating. Normally, Yu Qianchan was gentle and composed, but when handling affairs, she was decisive and sharp. Her wit alone could leave anyone speechless. When her friend got serious, even Ji Xunyue found it a bit much.

But under Yu Qianshun’s pleading gaze, she had to take a stand. Among those in the God Realm, she interacted with Yu Qianshun the most after Yu Qianchan. She knew he was good-hearted, just prone to being impulsive and reckless. Regarding the Soul-Seeking Grass, he hadn’t intended to harm anyone; no one expected a crisis to occur during those few days of shortage.

Ji Xunyue thought for a moment and smiled. “A-Chan, as you said, even the Divine Sovereign will be there. It wouldn’t look good if everyone attends except him. This gathering is a rare occasion; if he likes excitement, let him go. At worst, just add a few more days to his grounding when he gets back.”

Yu Qianshun’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Sister Ji! Fourth Sister, you see…”

Yu Qianchan replied, “Since Xunyue has put it that way, I won’t go against her kindness. We’ll do as she says. When he returns, add another month of grounding.”

“Another month?” Yu Qianshun was about to plead, but one look from Yu Qianchan’s freezing gaze made him shiver. He shut his mouth and nodded vigorously.

Ji Xunyue shook her head and said her goodbyes once more.

Once Ji Xunyue and Xuan Huai had left, Yu Qianchan narrowed her eyes with a faint smile. “Sixth Brother, tell me. How has your reflection been these past two months?”

Yu Qianshun said aggrievedly, “Fourth Sister, I know I was wrong, but it wasn’t on purpose! You told me that the Soul-Seeking Grass had been kept too long and its potency was low, and that I could do what I wanted with it. How was I to know someone would need it to save a life exactly then?”

He then realized he had wanted to explain this to Ji Xunyue, but had forgotten after being interrupted.

Yu Qianchan smiled. “Does it make a difference?”

Yu Qianshun was stunned. “Doesn’t it? Ah, no, no difference. It’s all my fault.”

He carefully observed Yu Qianchan’s expression. The Divine Sovereign had six sons and four daughters; Yu Qianchan was three hundred years older than him, and they were the two youngest. Logically, they should have been closer than with their other siblings, who were over a thousand years older.

But in reality, Yu Qianshun had been a bit afraid of his sister since childhood. He remembered one day, after a cultivation session, Yu Qianchan had stared at him for a long time. “I have seen your future,” she said out of nowhere. “I see you will be injured tomorrow.”

And the next day, he had fallen mid-air while practicing a flight spell and broke his leg. He dismissed it as a coincidence, but her predictions grew more frequent—regarding anyone, good or bad—and after every single one came true, Yu Qianshun began to fear communicating with her. That feeling of having his future seen through made him incredibly uneasy.

The elders eventually realized that Yu Qianchan had awakened the power of Spiritual Vision. Many flocked to her, hoping to learn of their futures. It was from then on that Yu Qianchan stopped offering clear predictions. She told everyone her power was incomplete and restricted; she could not reveal too much, or she would suffer a backlash.

Because of this power, Yu Qianchan became the most favored and highly anticipated among the siblings. Consequently, less attention was paid to Yu Qianshun. He grew up with little restriction, which suited him. Although he couldn’t match his sister in character or cultivation, he had a talent for alchemy, so he wasn’t useless. He spent his days tinkering with herbs and pursuing his eccentric ideas.

Unlike Yu Qianshun’s boisterous personality, Yu Qianchan was meticulous and steady. While her social interactions were flawless, her gaze was always cold. Even though she no longer gave predictions, Yu Qianshun kept his distance, afraid to meet her eyes—those eyes so like his own, yet capable of seeing through a person’s soul.

Being siblings who grew up together, he still cared for her. He often felt she wasn’t truly happy; perhaps knowing the fates of others was not a blessing. Only after meeting Lord Qiu Wu did the smiles on Yu Qianchan’s face increase. Sadly, they weren’t meant to be.

After the war, the Divine Sovereign left many affairs to Yu Qianchan. Meeting a friend like Ji Xunyue helped her move past the pain of losing her lover. But Yu Qianshun had always been curious: Yu Qianchan was so difficult to get along with; how did Ji Xunyue become her friend? His sister certainly never gave him that much grace.

Just as he was thinking this, Yu Qianchan waved him away. “Fine, go back and get ready.”

Once Yu Qianshun had left, Lan Xi appeared. “Princess, Elder Mu Yin is waiting for you.”

“Understood. Bring her in.”

Yu Qianchan’s expression turned cold. Looking at the rolling clouds on the horizon, she spoke tonelessly.