Chapter 40 Devoted

Hearing what Feng Qiu said, Jiang Xunyi felt an intense sympathy that emerged as pain and despair . He couldn’t even tell if this was what he was really feeling this for himself, or if he was just reacting so genuinely to the taken-for-granted fact that “Jiang Xunyi liked Feng Qiu” . Blood rushed to his head until he felt dizzy, his mind still spinning with what Feng Qiu had said–”Now everything is ruined!”

In that moment, his original emotions surged back . Momentarily he forgot the reality around him . He almost believed that Feng Qiu was speaking nothing but the truth, and that the culprit she was accusing was really him .

After a moment, the one who broke the silence first was Yun Xie . He took a deep breath, releasing Feng Qiu and drawing his hands behind him, disguising his tumultuous emotions with this action . Only he knew how afraid he was right now . Out of fear that Jiang Xunyi would misinterpret things, he did his best to maintain a calm demeanor, speaking without hesitation, “Sister Qiu, you must be confused . Xun would never do something like that . You’ve been terribly upset, and I understand how you feel . But you can’t speak so carelessly about things like these . ”

Feng Qiu glared at him, eyes wide . There was as much heartbreak in her face as there had been affection . Large drops of tears fell from her eyes, her face ashen gray like death .

With trembling hands she pulled her tight collar aside, revealing her slender throat . The visible marks were shocking just to look at: with a single glance, Jiang Xunyi’s brows knitted together . Clenching his teeth, he walked up quickly . Before Feng Qiu could even step back out of fear, Jiang Xunyi’s hand darted out to stop her from pulling her clothes off any further . “Don’t do this . ” he said in a low voice .

His posture was impeccable, but his voice was low and hoa.r.s.e . Like she had been burned, Feng Qiou pushed Jiang Xunyi’s hand aside, glancing at him quickly . Before anyone could read the emotions in her gaze, she let her head drop .

Of course everyone else would think that she was filled with nothing but hatred .

Being pushed aside like this by Feng Qiu, Jiang Xunyi’s loose sleeves slid off his arms, showing his delicate wrists and well-built arms . On his pale skin, the bright red scars were even more astonis.h.i.+ng .

Seeing the marks, Chen Yuanxin spoke up . “Sir Jiang, what are those on your arms?”

They were the marks that had been left when he rejected Zihui Sanren last night . Jiang Xunyi remembered all of this with incredible clarity, but he couldn’t say anything .

Master Timing had raised him since he was a child . The Hidden Spirit Sect had been like his second home . Zihui Sanren had been famous for so long, and was also his elder . If anyone else caught wind of this, the Hidden Spirit Sect’s clear reputation would be ruined in an instant . Even Jiang Molou, coming back from the far west, would no longer be able to take pride in the name .

It was impossible to choose . In that moment, Jiang Xunyi finally sensed destiny’s power and subtlety . It was as if an invisible hand reached through the haze, manipulating dark tides that were disguised beneath heavy fog . He kept trying to hide, but remained as lost as ever .

He even had a hazy thought: was it because his own resistance and refusal to cooperate that what happened to Feng Qiu became even worse? Was this fate’s vengeance? If he tried to fight back, would it just end up bringing down other people, and even…the main character, Yun Xie? Last night he had slept for so long, completely unconscious . What had happened?