Her Immortal Love - Chapter 2

During the meal, Xu Jing chatted intermittently about school matters and her recent life. Qin Changsheng rarely spoke about herself, seeming somewhat distracted.

Qin Changsheng had never been much of a talker to begin with. Xu Jing didn’t mind this at all and instead became more diligent in flagging down waitstaff to order additional dishes.

When it came time to pay, Qin Changsheng pulled a black wallet from her backpack. Tucked in the transparent sleeve was a photograph of a young woman, black and white, reminiscent of a poster star from the last century, with bright eyes and a charming gaze. Standing beside her, Xu Jing caught a glimpse and smiled curiously. “Why do you have a photo in your wallet? Whose is it? Can I see?”

Qin Changsheng put it away, took out two pink banknotes, and asked the waiter for change. After storing the wallet, she pocketed the change and said to Xu Jing, “That’s a photo my grandfather gave me.”

Xu Jing exclaimed in surprise, “Could it be someone your grandfather liked? That must have been decades ago!”

Qin Changsheng replied vaguely, “Something like that.”

After the meal, Xu Jing invited Qin Changsheng to stay overnight in her dorm.

Qin Changsheng waved her hand and pointed toward the blue mountain ridge in the distance. “No need to trouble yourself. I booked a hotel when I arrived.”

Xu Jing followed her gaze and said apologetically, “I feel bad, you came all this way, and not only did I not treat you to a meal or arrange accommodation, but you ended up paying for dinner.”

Qin Changsheng smiled back. “It’s fine. I’m just here to relax. Are you free tomorrow?”

Xu Jing quickly replied, “Of course, of course! Whenever you need me, I’m free. Where do you want to go tomorrow? There’s a Huashang International City nearby, it’s huge and has lots to do. I can take you there!”

Qin Changsheng instinctively reached to adjust her glasses but found nothing there. Remembering she no longer wore them, she awkwardly withdrew her hand and said to Xu Jing, “I’d like to visit Jishan Mountain tomorrow.”

Xu Jing immediately looked enlightened. As they walked and chatted, Xu Jing pulled her into a small accessories shop. While browsing the trinkets, she remarked, “After that incident, so many people came to gawk and satisfy their curiosity. These past few days, tourists have been flocking to the mountain.”

Qin Changsheng couldn’t help asking, “Why? Don’t they think it’s…” She seemed to struggle for the right word and finally mumbled, “Don’t they think it’s unlucky?”

Xu Jing held up a pretty earring to her ear, turning her head left and right to check it in the mirror. Her tone was entirely dismissive. “You know how people are, they love the bizarre. After that incident with the girl being attacked at the Beijing Summer Palace Hotel, the number of guests didn’t drop. Instead, they kept coming in droves. If you don’t believe me, look it up, the room rates at that hotel have multiplied several times over!”

Qin Changsheng could only smile wryly.

There were a few other girls in the accessories shop. One young woman, tall and slender with a graceful waist, stood with her back to them, seemingly browsing in the earphone section.

Qin Changsheng instinctively glanced toward that young woman.

Somehow, she felt she had never seen this girl before, nor did she notice anything particularly unusual about her behavior, yet she was distinctly different from everyone else.

It must be a certain aura.

Qin Changsheng couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but the girl seemed out of place in this setting, a modern accessories shop filled with dazzling trinkets, where tiny colored lights flickered on silver ornaments, casting countless mesmerizing reflections. For some reason, her presence immediately drew Qin Changsheng’s attention.

Perhaps, she thought, this girl belonged in a coffin, one carved from massive jade slabs, adorned with delicate gold foil etchings of soaring phoenixes. She should be the one lying inside, dressed in moon-white robes, hands folded peacefully over her chest, with the serene expression of… a corpse.

Qin Changsheng shuddered at her own thoughts.

The girl stood with her back to Qin Changsheng, carefully selecting earplugs. Qin Changsheng noticed her fingers and recalled a line from an ancient poem in The Peacock Flies Southeast, used to describe the beauty of Liu Lanzhi: “Her waist was like a flowing silk ribbon, her ears adorned with bright moon pearls. Her fingers were like peeled scallion roots, her lips like crimson cinnabar.”

Those pale, slender fingers, as delicate as scallion tips, perfectly matched the description.

Qin Changsheng found herself staring at those hands, lost in thought. Xu Jing tugged at her sleeve and chirped excitedly, “What do you think of these earrings?”

Just then, the girl suddenly turned around and looked directly at Qin Changsheng. Startled, Qin Changsheng let out a soft gasp and quickly averted her gaze, pretending to examine the earrings Xu Jing was holding up to her ears. Without even checking if they suited her, she blurted, “They’re nice! They look good on you.”

Her heart raced, and she felt as if she’d been caught red-handed. Her face flushed with heat, yet she couldn’t help stealing glances in the girl’s direction.

With hands as pale and slender as scallion tips, the girl naturally possessed lips as vibrant as cinnabar.

She was stunning. Her eyes had a light hue, and Qin Changsheng was convinced she must be wearing colored contacts, how else could there be a captivating ring of pale blue around her pupils?

The girl glanced at Qin Changsheng, then walked calmly to the counter and placed the earplugs she had chosen in front of the shop assistant. The assistant greeted her warmly, “Miss, if you’re buying earplugs, I’d recommend this model instead. The one you picked is an older version and doesn’t block noise very well.”

The girl’s eyes held a cool detachment, but her face didn’t seem particularly mature, she couldn’t be older than twenty. Qin Changsheng’s gaze followed her movements. Dressed in a white shirt and denim shorts, the petite beauty revealed a pair of stunning legs, snow-white and perfectly straight. Only one pocket of her fitted shorts bulged slightly, likely from a phone.

She pulled out her phone and said to the cashier, “I’ll take this pair. Can I pay with Alipay?”

Her voice was as cool and distant as her demeanor, clear, light, and utterly unapproachable.

Xu Jing followed Qin Changsheng’s gaze and gasped softly, whispering in admiration, “She’s really beautiful.”

Qin Changsheng lowered her voice too and asked, “Is she from your school?”

Xu Jing shook her head and said with certainty, “She’s definitely not from our school. If our school had such a beauty, the line of people confessing to her would stretch all the way from the north gate to Huashang International City. How could I not know about her?”

Qin Changsheng stole a few more glances at the girl, but unexpectedly, the girl suddenly looked up and met her gaze. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, yet her flawless complexion resembled a perfect piece of jade. Her deeply carved features were exquisite, and she stared back at Qin Changsheng with a faint, ambiguous smile.

Qin Changsheng immediately blushed. Discussing someone behind their back, whether in praise or criticism, was impolite. Now that she had been caught red-handed, Qin Changsheng averted her eyes, pretending she hadn’t been looking, and lowered her head to focus intently on selecting accessories.

As she bent over to examine the items, a phone suddenly appeared in front of her. Qin Changsheng followed the phone upward and saw the very girl she had been staring at standing before her. With a calm expression, the girl nodded and asked, “Classmate, could I transfer money to you via Alipay and have you give me cash in return?”

Xu Jing quickly interjected, “There’s an ATM right down the street.”

The girl glanced briefly at Xu Jing before turning her attention back to Qin Changsheng, still wearing that faint, ambiguous smile. “I didn’t bring my card,” she said.

Xu Jing muttered something under her breath nearby. The girl looked steadily at Qin Changsheng and said slowly, “All I have on me is this phone. Classmate, please help me out.”

Her tone was flat and devoid of sincerity, which immediately irritated Xu Jing.

Qin Changsheng took out her phone. Xu Jing glanced at the girl and whispered to Qin Changsheng, “Don’t fall for a scam… Who goes out without their card or cash these days?” Qin Changsheng opened Alipay, briefly checked her balance, then navigated to the receipt page and displayed the QR code for the girl to scan.

The girl scanned the code with her phone. Once Qin Changsheng saw the payment confirmation, she pulled five yuan from her pocket and handed it over. “Here you go.”

The girl tucked her phone into her pocket, gave Qin Changsheng a nod with an indifferent expression, and went to the counter to pay. Xu Jing tugged at Qin Changsheng’s arm and grumbled quietly, “What kind of person is that? Can’t even say thank you. Just because she’s pretty, she thinks she’s something special. Hmph!”