It can be said that Wanqing returned to the post station, thinking she was merely having a tiff with him and that the man would at least follow her or return on his own. But to her surprise, after wandering elsewhere for a while and coming back to the post station, she arrived at its entrance.
“Miss, where is the young master?”
Their outing naturally made Qingfeng and Baiyu anxious. Seeing her return alone while Leng Mingye was nowhere in sight—since they had left together—they couldn’t help but worry about their master and stepped forward to ask. Of course, the way they addressed her was part of their disguise after leaving the capital.
“He… hasn’t come back?”
Their words made Wanqing realize their bond with Leng Mingye. Though she was still angry at him for throwing a tantrum, the thought of his current skills and abilities made her look at them in shock.
“No, he hasn’t. Princess, our young master, he…”
Her reaction startled them both. Qingfeng, thinking of his master’s current state, grew even more worried and asked her, “We just went out for a walk, but after a minor argument, he left. So he really hasn’t returned?”
Seeing their honest expressions, Wanqing found it hard to believe the man could be so petty now. Still, she explained the situation and pressed them seriously. When they shook their heads, her expression tensed.
“This man, so grown yet acting like a child! Fine, come with me…”
She had only made an offhand joke, yet he held a grudge. Though exasperated, Wanqing had assumed that after all he’d been through, he’d understand her—or at least be a little more mature.
But his behavior now was truly infuriating. Grumbling irritably, she led Qingfeng and Baiyu back to where they had been earlier.
“No sign of him. Where is that bastard? I just made a joke, and he took it seriously. You know what? I swear, if I catch him, I’ll make him regret it—I…”
Returning to their earlier spot, she saw the corpses still lying there, but the familiar figure was nowhere in sight. Furious that he’d stormed off over nothing, Wanqing clenched her teeth and turned to search elsewhere.
At a fork in the path, considering his injuries and current state, she stopped and instructed the two to split up while she took the mountain trail, heading toward a slope.
Whether by luck or some unspoken connection, of the three paths at the fork, Wanqing chose the one leading to a cliffside—where she found the proud, sensitive, and utterly infuriating man standing precariously at the edge.
“Leng Mingye, what are you doing? I never thought losing your martial arts and ten years of youth would make you give up like this! If you care so much about what others say, why did you even agree to travel with me? Why promise to take care of me forever? You… you’ve disappointed me so much…”
Seeing him standing at the cliff’s edge as she climbed up—though it wasn’t a fatal drop—Wanqing noticed the blood on his injured shoulder and his unsteady stance.
The realization that he might be contemplating suicide turned her initial worry into blazing fury.
She grabbed his arm and yanked him back. As he stumbled toward her, glaring resentfully, she lashed out, recalling their earlier argument and the scene before her.
“Enough! What does it matter to you how I am? So what if I’ve given up? As for traveling with you—do you think I wanted to follow you around and suffer? Fine, I’ve disappointed you. Now that you know what kind of person I am, just walk away. Leave me to die so you won’t have to look at me in disgust.”
Leng Mingye had been lost in thought, reflecting on his recent behavior—how he’d let others’ words affect him and taken it out on her. He’d planned to apologize when he heard movement behind him and turned to see her.
He’d wanted to ask how she found him, but her immediate accusations shattered his composure. Wounded and furious, he snapped back, stepping again toward the cliff.
“You—Leng Mingye, are you even a man? I scolded you a little, and now you’re throwing your life away? Who does this make you worthy of? It just makes me despise you even more! Fine, I won’t stop you. Go ahead and jump—spare me the headache!”
His defiance made Wanqing want to slap him awake.
But knowing she was partly to blame for his suffering, she glared coldly, trembling with anger as he struggled toward the edge. When he resisted her pull, she finally let go, tears welling as she turned away.
“I—Qing’er, I…”
Seeing her storm off, tears streaming, Leng Mingye realized his mistake.
He called after her, but she didn’t look back. Left standing alone, he sank to his knees, clutching his head in despair over his own instability.
“Princess, we couldn’t find our master. Have you seen him?”
Wanqing reached the fork where she’d parted with Qingfeng and Baiyu. Noticing her icy expression, Qingfeng pressed on anxiously.
“He’s on the mountain ahead. Go quickly.”
Thinking of the stubborn, self-pitying man, Wanqing barely contained her rage. She spoke flatly, then turned away.
“Princess, what happened between you two? You were fine when you left, but now…”
Qingfeng called after her, but she was already walking off. Exchanging a helpless glance with Baiyu, they hurried toward the mountain.
“That bastard, Leng Mingye—I hope he never comes back. Better yet, he should just return to the capital now!”
Back at the post station, Wanqing trembled with fury, recalling his tantrum and self-destructive behavior. When Honglian and Wanchun approached worriedly, she snapped at them to leave, then vented her rage by hurling the medicinal ingredients she’d prepared for him across the room.
Finally, she collapsed onto the bed, seething.
“Miss, what’s wrong? Why…”
Honglian, baffled by her outburst, cautiously picked up the scattered herbs.
“Who told you to clean those up? Throw them all out! If he doesn’t want them, why should I bother? Just toss them—didn’t you hear me?”
Scolded for no reason, Honglian and Wanchun exchanged uneasy glances. Though unsure what had happened between her and Leng Mingye, they reluctantly gathered the precious ingredients, hearts aching at the waste.
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