She Is Such A Jerk, And Yet She’s The One Crying! - Chapter 54

 “Boatman, may I use this boat…”

Lin Dongruan arrived at the water’s edge, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she noticed clouds of dust rising behind her and the thunderous sound of galloping hooves. The pursuers had already caught up.

By all logic, they shouldn’t have been this fast.

She turned to look, only to see that Qiang Ning had actually chased her down herself.

Qiang Ning tossed the reins aside, recklessly ran onto the boat, and without a word, grabbed Lin Dongruan’s sleeve.

“That silk pouch… did A-Ning open it ahead of time?” Lin Dongruan could only think of this reason. She sighed, “You are being disobedient again.”

Having chased her all this way, Qiang Ning was indignant but did not appear disheveled. “It wasn’t that I intentionally meant to defy you, Sister. You know I have an impatient nature; I truly couldn’t wait—but if I hadn’t opened the pouch early this time, wouldn’t you have escaped all by yourself?”

Hearing their conversation, the boatman adjusted his bamboo hat. He gave Lin Dongruan a loyal glance and then spoke to Qiang Ning: “Young lady, everything has its proper order. First come, first served. Please disembark.”

Qiang Ning’s expression soured. “Old man, this is none of your business. Don’t go looking for death.”

Lin Dongruan hadn’t expected this boatman, a mere chance acquaintance, to be willing to help her leave. A surge of gratitude rose in her heart, but she turned back, frowning as she scolded Qiang Ning: “A-Ning, do not harm innocent civilians.”

The boatman was a man of chivalrous spirit; he resolutely moved to drive Qiang Ning off the boat.

Qiang Ning beckoned Song Luo over. Song Luo, very quick on the uptake, immediately produced a gold ingot and politely handed it to the boatman.

Song Luo said with a smile, “Old gentleman, my master has bought this boat. Please return home early and rest.”

It was a solid ingot of gold, enough to cover the expenses of an ordinary family for three years.

The boatman was visibly stunned, dazed by this sudden windfall. However, he still looked at Lin Dongruan with concern: “Miss, if you need help…”

Lin Dongruan shook her head, saying that the other party would not harm her and that he should rest easy.

Qiang Ning gave a cold snort and looked back at the boatman. “You are indeed a boatman of sentiment and justice, willing to extend a helping hand even to a stranger met by chance.”

The boatman took off his hat and looked toward the riverbank, muttering to himself. Qiang Ning couldn’t hear him clearly, only catching the word “granddaughter” in his dialect.

Only after Lin Dongruan repeatedly assured him that nothing would go wrong did the boatman take his hat and walk away.

It was unknown how long he had been walking, but just as he was about to look back, Song Luo suddenly caught up and handed him a bag of gold and silver.

The boatman was confused.

Song Luo simply said, “Old gentleman, this is a reward from my master. Please accept it.”

On the Boat

On the boat, Qiang Ning dismissed everyone else, insisting on accompanying Lin Dongruan on this journey.

Lin Dongruan said, “It is enough for me to do this alone. A-Ning, you should return to the capital to take charge of the situation.”

“You were the one who made me the Emperor, and I have done exactly as you asked.” Qiang Ning sat down, refusing to leave. “Don’t even think about shaking me off and running away in secret.”

Lin Dongruan lowered her eyes. “I would have returned soon.”

Qiang Ning replied, “But I still don’t feel at ease. After all, there is a precedent.”

“A-Ning, last time was a choice made out of necessity,” Lin Dongruan explained. “It won’t happen this time.”

“Lin Dongruan, do you know? Just now, I wanted to simply carry you away,” Qiang Ning said, her gaze piercing. “But I chose to trust you one more time. And you—you wouldn’t even tell me the situation to my face. What does a silk pouch with a note count for? There isn’t a shred of sincerity in it.”

Lin Dongruan asked, “But if I had told you to your face, would you have been willing to let me go south?”

To be honest, Qiang Ning was not willing. But after a long silence, she changed her mind. “He is already dead. I won’t grow jealous or envious over a dead man. If I didn’t even have that much magnanimity, wouldn’t I be a laughingstock?”

Lin Dongruan said nothing. She lifted the hem of her skirt and went to the bow of the boat to row.

Qiang Ning followed her out and said further, “If you run away, I won’t go back either. I’ll use that as a threat; you certainly wouldn’t allow the realm to be without a ruler, otherwise all your years of strategy would go to waste. Lin Dongruan, let me tell you, don’t think you can withdraw completely like before. You must return to be the Empress, or else I will become a dissipated and immoral monarch, making you so angry you won’t be able to sleep at night even from thousands of miles away.”

Lin Dongruan: “…”

She gave a sigh and whispered, “How is it that the two of you, sister and brother, think exactly the same way?”

Qiang Ning sneered, “But you no longer have the heart or energy to try again. My father had few heirs; only my imperial brother and I remained. Now that he is dead, if I follow in his footsteps—Lin Dongruan—who else could you find to take over this chaos?”

“A-Ning, do not make jokes or speak out of anger.” Lin Dongruan knew she was upset and soothed her, “We will go back together.”

Qiang Ning stood by with her arms crossed. “Then, are you interested in being my Empress?”

Lin Dongruan said, “I am.”

Qiang Ning: “Is that sincere? I won’t force you… at worst, I’ll just make a mess of your empire and your common people.”

“Our private matters must not be used to make a joke of the world’s people.” Lin Dongruan’s expression was serious, even carrying a hint of severity. “If A-Ning ever treads the path of a faint-headed ruler, I will find a way to end everything, including the two of us.”

Perhaps it was because the wind on the river was strong, or perhaps because Lin Dongruan’s gaze was too cold, but Qiang Ning couldn’t help but shiver. She thought about it and grudgingly agreed: “Then don’t leave.”

Lin Dongruan sighed, “Fine.”

Qiang Ning chased her with another question: “Then, do you like me?”

Lin Dongruan rowed the oars with a calm demeanor. “Yes.”

Qiang Ning was dissatisfied with her attitude and was about to flare up when she saw Lin Dongruan take out a silk bag. Lin Dongruan leaned over and scattered the contents onto the water’s surface.

Qiang Ning leaned over curiously to look. Floating upon the water were strands of black hair.

Lin Dongruan set the oar aside; her eyes fixed on the hair in the water. “May your next life be smooth and fulfilling. May you be born into an ordinary family, living a life of peace and self-contentment, being the most free and unrestrained person… and never enter the palace again.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a gust of wind blew across the water. Qiang Ning watched with her chin in her hand. By the time she snapped back to reality, the hair had vanished without a trace.

Lin Dongruan pulled herself away from her emotions and looked at Qiang Ning. “Your Emperor has already departed.”

Qiang Ning gave an “en” of acknowledgement and said, “Sister, you truly are a person of deep sentiment and justice. No wonder my imperial brother liked you as well.”

However, Lin Dongruan slowly shook her head, denying it: “He did not yet know what liking someone meant. It was merely a sense of dependency and admiration, not love.”

Qiang Ning didn’t believe her and countered, “How is that possible? I don’t believe that after all these years of struggle, he didn’t have even a bit of romantic intent toward you.”

Lin Dongruan lowered her eyes and said seriously, “I never taught him what love was. He did not understand it, nor did he know of it.”

Qiang Ning pressed further, “As the Imperial Preceptor, why didn’t you teach him such a simple thing?”

Lin Dongruan was silent for a moment before answering her, “Matters of the heart must be experienced personally. If one were to ‘teach’ it, one would have to sacrifice oneself to do so…”

Qiang Ning didn’t understand the meaning of those words for a moment. She sat to one side and thought carefully for a long time. Suddenly, she realized something and tentatively asked, “Sister, you didn’t want to teach him… so, do you want to teach me?”

Lin Dongruan: “I have already taught you.”

Qiang Ning’s fingertips went numb, and she curled her fingers awkwardly. “Sister, what did you say? Say it again.”

“I have taught you. A-Ning learns very well and very quickly.” Lin Dongruan looked toward the distant shore, speaking with hidden meaning. “From the moment A-Ning came chasing after me, you had already finished learning it all. Now, it is time for you to graduate.”

A cool breeze drifted over the river. Qiang Ning sat up straight, suddenly feeling that she couldn’t examine all of this too closely.

The light clouds obscured the sun. At the bow of the boat, the unruffled Lin Dongruan rowed the oars. Her figure was cool and ethereal, much like the snow that had once sealed the mountains—like a deity without desires or needs.

Qiang Ning looked at the woman before her. The river surface around them was vast. It seemed she had caught her person and controlled everything about the other…

But why…

Before Qiang Ning could figure it out, Lin Dongruan slowly turned around and gave her a gentle smile: “A-Ning, what are you thinking about?”

Qiang Ning replied, “Nothing. Everything is perfect now. I am very happy.”

Lin Dongruan smiled slightly, her gaze passing over the riverbank to look very, very far away.

A long time passed. Only after Qiang Ning couldn’t help but lean against the black-roofed boat and fall asleep did Lin Dongruan softly say—

“So am I.”

THE END.