Chapter 204 - 177: Dissolving the Relationship

Su Mo stopped him as he was about to leave again. "I have something to talk to you about."

Xuan Qing gazed at her with his deep eyes, his tone flat. "I’m going to gather some wild vegetables. We can talk when I get back."

"We still have some at home. There’s no need."

"Fine."

Xuan Qing had actually guessed what she wanted to tell him, which was why he had been deliberately avoiding her these past few days.

He’d suspected it ever since the day Jin Tong appeared in the North Wing.

Since there was no escaping it, he might as well get it over with.

He slowly lifted his gaze to meet hers. The usual iciness in his eyes was gone, leaving only a lingering gentleness that wouldn’t fade. "Go ahead."

Su Mo took a step closer and handed him a piece of paper. "Our engagement was a matter of necessity at the time. This is a declaration to dissolve our betrothal."

"I’ve already explained the situation to the Clan Leader. If you take this and leave the North Wing, no one will stop you."

It was as if wind rushed past his ears, but he couldn’t hear its whistle, nor any other sound. All he could hear was his own heartbeat, each thud so distinct it seemed to make his eardrums vibrate.

He had been prepared for this, but hearing it now still sent a tremor through his heart. His usual calm and self-control seemed so fragile at this moment, on the verge of shattering.

Xuan Qing’s brow furrowed. "Why are you in such a hurry to dissolve our betrothal? The confrontation with Jiang Wu is imminent. You need my help."

Su Mo clenched her fists, her voice deep. "I am surrounded by capable people; I’m not lacking for your help. This farce between us should be brought to an end as soon as possible."

His voice, for once, lost its composure, the last words trembling. "Since this charade has gone on for so long... does it matter if it’s a few more days?!"

Su Mo’s brow furrowed slightly. "I’ve given you what you need. Please, do as you will."

She grabbed his hand, slapped the paper into his palm, and turned to leave.

"Su Mo!"

The man behind her suddenly cried out, stopping her in her tracks.

This was the first time Xuan Qing had ever called her by her name. Before this, it was always "Miss Su." Even at his angriest, he had always addressed her as "Miss Su."

He stood there, clutching the paper and watching her back, and asked in a voice that was barely a whisper.

"Are you afraid that I’m in love with you?"

A light breeze swept past, lifting the dark strands of hair near her ear and making the hem of her dress flutter. She was so close, and yet so unattainable.

He had never thought he would one day lose his heart to someone. But some things are simply beyond a person’s control.

With every step he took toward her, he watched with sober clarity as he sank, completely and utterly unable to pull himself free.

’How laughable.’ At this moment, the calm self-possession he had always been so proud of seemed to have vanished into thin air.

For a split second, he almost blurted out, ’Did you ever feel even a sliver of affection for me?’ But he held the words back. Even if she said ’never,’ it wouldn’t change the fact that he loved her.

After a long silence, Xuan Qing looked down at the paper in his hand.

He knew, in truth, why she was in such a hurry to give him this declaration. He understood.

And it was because he understood that he didn’t want to see her caught in a difficult or hesitant position.

A thousand unspoken words ultimately resolved into a single sentence: "I’m not in love with you... so, I accept your decision, whatever it may be."

If his feelings would become a burden to her, then he never wanted her to glimpse them. At least this way, she would feel neither guilt nor self-reproach.

Almost at the instant he finished speaking, something lit up in Su Mo’s mind. On the virtual panel, a number began to jump wildly, from 0, 10, 20, finally freezing at 100. The whole process was frighteningly fast.

Through a buzzing that filled her ears, she heard him say...

"Even if I’m not your fiancé, as a member of the Tiger Clan, I still have a duty to fight alongside you."

Su Mo turned to look at the man behind her, concealing the turbulent emotions in her heart. Her eyes, like pools of still water, met his. "When the time comes, I will go to the Tiger Clan to inform you."

Xuan Qing’s hand, hanging at his side, clenched slightly. ’Is she in that much of a hurry for me to leave?’

He subtly twisted his fingers. The sky, clear and sunny just a moment before, was instantly shrouded in dark clouds, and a torrential downpour began to fall.

A flicker of astonishment crossed Su Mo’s clear eyes. Before she could recover her senses, the man had grabbed her wrist and was pulling her toward a small cave to the side.

Standing at the entrance of the cave and looking out, Su Mo was speechless. This rain wasn’t going to let up anytime soon.

’How could the weather change on a dime like that?’

In her mind, Little Nine tentatively spoke up: ’Host, are you really going to make him leave in a downpour like this?’

Su Mo couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her. It felt as if his eyes were even heavier and darker than the weather outside.

"Why don’t you wait..."

Amid the drumming of the rain, his cool voice said, "I will leave tomorrow."

In truth, there was no great difference between leaving today or tomorrow, but once the greed in his heart stirred, he couldn’t bear to let go of even a single second.

Su Mo said no more. Anything else would just make her seem cruel.

At first, she stood waiting for the rain to stop. But as the rain grew heavier and heavier, she simply sat down. Eventually, she ended up falling asleep, curled up in a corner.

Later, Xuan Qing carried Su Mo out of the cave. The mountain path was muddy after the rain, and the hem of his pale robes was stained with mottled mud, standing out starkly in the twilight.

Her dark hair swayed gently with his steps, tracing soft arcs through the air.

She had always possessed the right not to choose him, but she had no way to stop him... from continuing to love her.

He didn’t need a bloody, heart-wrenching, or even hysterical display to prove the existence of his love. He only needed to be true to his own heart—asking for no destination and seeking no response.