Her Immortal Love - Chapter 4

For a moment, no one spoke.

Qin Changsheng stood before Jiang Zhongxue, gazing at her ice-clear, translucent face, and asked softly yet puzzled, “Did the Yu family send you?”

Jiang Zhongxue looked up at her, her eyes indifferent, and shook her head. “That has nothing to do with you. Qin Changsheng, you’ve already done enough. Don’t get involved in this matter any further. Knowing about that thing will do you no good.”

Qin Changsheng grew even more confused. She stood firmly in front of Jiang Zhongxue, and upon hearing these words, she couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ve already reached an agreement with the Yu family. Once this matter is resolved, I’ll naturally receive the reward I want. Now, someone like you, who refuses to reveal your origins or background, suddenly jumps out, stands before me, and tells me that you’re taking over the Yu family’s affairs, demanding that I unilaterally terminate the agreement. Isn’t that just ridiculous?”

Jiang Zhongxue hummed in acknowledgment but said nothing. She looked at Qin Changsheng, her eyes as clear and shallow as a cold spring, and said calmly, “Since you’re determined to throw your life away, I don’t care.”

Qin Changsheng’s heart skipped a beat. In an instant, the air seemed to freeze over. The air around Qin Changsheng trembled slightly, and though she raised her hand, her heart flustered, she took no further action.

The trembling in the air gradually subsided.

Stiffly standing before Jiang Zhongxue, she lowered the hand that had been tucking her hair behind her ear. Wearing slippers and with a serious expression, she spoke earnestly, “Who exactly are you?”

Aside from the Qin family and its branch members, no one knew the purpose of her coming here.

She had been here for almost a day, but the person supposed to meet her had yet to arrive. She had initially thought that person might have been robbed somewhere, as there had been no phone calls and no trace of them.

But now, it seemed things were not so simple.

Jiang Zhongxue bent down, meticulously untied her shoelaces, took off her white shoes and socks, and instead climbed into bed. Without a word, she wrapped herself tightly in the blankets, as if preparing to sleep.

Qin Changsheng was utterly baffled. She hesitated for a moment, wanting to press further with her questions. Jiang Zhongxue, her face buried in the blankets, spoke coldly, “If you’re going to Jishan, take me with you.”

Qin Changsheng grew more and more confused. Jiang Zhongxue’s head remained buried in the blankets, but she extended a hand holding a phone. The screen was lit, clearly displaying the name of an incoming call.

Qin Shifeng.

Qin Changsheng’s older brother.

The person in charge of her journey.

Her brother had returned from the United States after their grandfather disappeared, continuing the work their grandfather had left unfinished while searching for any clues about his whereabouts.

In truth, everyone knew their grandfather was dead. When Qin Changsheng was young, her grandfather had used his own bloodline to suppress the curse within her. The moment Qin Changsheng saw the pale ghostly shadows again through these eyes, she knew her grandfather was gone.

Only when the person suppressing the curse dies can these eyes regain their cursed ability.

Qin Changsheng’s expression darkened slightly. She looked at Jiang Zhongxue, who lay on her side with her head buried in the blankets, and asked, “Jiang Zhongxue?”

Jiang Zhongxue withdrew her phone and tightened the blankets around her, silently acknowledging the question.

Qin Changsheng tied up her hair and let out a soft sigh. Although her brother had assured her that the person he found was absolutely reliable, he had also mentioned that this individual was eccentric and peculiar. Thus, on her way here, Qin Changsheng had already braced herself for a less-than-smooth meeting.

The only thing she hadn’t expected was that the seasoned expert her brother had spoken of turned out to be a young woman, barely in her twenties. But appearances could be deceiving. Qin Changsheng addressed her, “We’ll set off for Jishan Mountain tomorrow at eight in the morning. My brother told me you’re an old hand at this. If I make any mistakes, please guide me.”

What a strange person indeed.

Since this was someone Qin Shifeng had recommended, Qin Changsheng decided not to dwell on the other’s earlier sarcastic tone. Jiang Zhongxue remained silent. Qin Changsheng went into the bathroom, took a shower, and came out drying her hair, her slippers leaving a trail of damp footprints behind.

When she emerged, Jiang Zhongxue was lying on her side on the bed, breathing evenly, seemingly already asleep. Qin Changsheng carefully turned on the hairdryer, dried her wet hair, wrapped it in a towel, set the dryer aside, and returned to her own bed.

Jiang Zhongxue’s breathing was remarkably calm. Qin Shifeng had repeatedly emphasized that for the matter concerning Yu Yin, the helper he had found for Qin Changsheng was someone who had weathered countless storms and possessed extraordinary skills. Though her temperament was indeed peculiar, he had warned Qin Changsheng not to pry into matters she shouldn’t.

Qin Changsheng instinctively glanced at Jiang Zhongxue’s face. Lying on her side, her profile was strikingly beautiful, with silk-like black hair cascading softly around the pillow.

“Extraordinary skills? Weathered countless storms?”

No matter how she looked, Jiang Zhongxue seemed nothing more than a young woman in her early twenties. Her eccentric nature was undeniable, but as for any visible signs of her supposed expertise, Qin Changsheng couldn’t find a single clue.

She finished drying her hair with the towel and lay down, ready to sleep.

Her phone screen lit up with a message from Qin Shifeng: “Have you arrived at Jishan? Did you meet the person?”

Qin Changsheng replied, “Yes, I have. Her name is Jiang Zhongxue, right?”

After a brief pause, Qin Shifeng sent another message: “How is she?”

Qin Changsheng’s fingers glided across the screen: “Very strange.”

Qin Shifeng replied, “Talented people often have eccentric personalities, Changsheng. This Jiang Zhongxue has a deep background and formidable abilities. She’s the most capable person we could find. If she’s temperamental, just don’t provoke her. Once I finish the task at hand, I’ll have time to accompany you to Kunlun Mountain myself. You won’t have to deal with her anymore.”

Qin Changsheng sent a simple “Mm” in response. Qin Shifeng continued, “Everything’s fine at home. Little sister, don’t worry. Your brother will see this through to the end. Don’t believe that so-called master, everything he said is false.”

Holding her phone, Qin Changsheng smiled faintly at the words on the screen, replying with a hint of melancholy, “Brother, stop lying to me. That man is a genuine master. I’ve seen the little ghosts he keeps.”

Qin Shifeng shot back, “So what if he is? Should I just stand by and watch my only little sister die? What does a curse matter? You’re my only family. Do you really think I’d abandon you?”

Reading this reply, Qin Changsheng could almost picture Qin Shifeng’s expression, a mix of fury and helplessness as he faced his phone. She smiled faintly, a hint of a sigh in her expression, and replied, “Brother, I never said I was giving up. But you need to be mentally prepared.”

Who would willingly accept such a fate, burdened by such a curse?

When faced with destiny, one could only submit or resist. Resistance meant bloodshed and sacrifice, but as long as a glimmer of hope remained, she would seize it.

Qin Shifeng fell silent on the other end. Qin Changsheng sent him a “good night” before closing her phone and lying down on the bed.

The quilt was soft and fluffy. After a long, exhausting day and a warm bath, her entire body relaxed, and she soon drifted into a deep sleep.

In the middle of the night, a gust of wind seemed to sweep past outside the window. Through the sheer and heavy curtains, the rustling of leaves could be heard.

Half-asleep, Qin Changsheng thought she heard someone ask her, “Why are you named Changsheng?”

The dream was a vast expanse of white, as if dust and sand were swirling in the air, a pale world filled with a flurry of yellow sand. The voice was light and indifferent, deliberately hushed, with a hypnotic quality, like the clear, crisp sound of melting ice in a spring, refreshing to the soul.

In the dream, Qin Changsheng listened quietly to the question. As if waiting too long for an answer, the owner of the voice sighed softly and murmured, “It signifies a long life, a wish for safety and peace.”