Chapter 7 — I Am No Longer His Burden, But He Refuses To Let Go

He was startled for a moment. Before he could answer, I turned around and got into my carriage, withdrew my hand from his, and let go of the carriage curtain. I don't want to hear the words "for my own good" ever again. In the end, his father was still convicted and sentenced to exile to You Chau. My mother and I sold off our assets and prepared to follow the escort group on our way. If we want to reduce our father's suffering, we must silently offer offerings to the mandarins. The day I went to a jewelry store selling jade brooches, I happened to meet Tran Ngoc Dao. She was stunned when she saw me, as if she had known me before. What surprised me was not that I recognized her, but that she recognized me. It is said that she followed her father to the capital to take office and attended many banquets. But we have never been there, so where do we get the chance to get to know each other? She walked over, bowed her head, looked at the jewelry I displayed, and smiled gently:

“These things are truly exquisitely crafted.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a richly dressed gentleman stepped out from inside, holding a green jade bracelet in his hand:

“Dao Nhi, how do you feel about this?”

Tran Ngoc Dao gently looked at him, her eyes carrying a deep smile:

“Your eyes have always been good.”

She told the young master to continue choosing for help, while she leisurely walked up to me, bowed her head and looked at the pile of jade brooches:

"I think every dish is beautiful. Miss Lac, can you give me a few things?"

I looked at her and calmly asked:

“You know me?”

Tran Ngoc Dao smiled slightly, as if he didn't intend to hide it:

“I've heard the name for a long time.”

I frowned slightly, then she leaned close to my ear and whispered:

"My family members always talk about a sister that bothers you. They are worried that she will suffer, afraid that she will miss out on fate. Now that I see it, I know that person is you."

“He often mentioned another lady.”

I smiled softly:

“You have feelings for me, it's not wrong.”

Tran Ngoc Dao slightly raised his eyebrows, glanced slightly at the guy who was choosing clothes for her, and lowered his voice:

“Then don't let him hear it, he'll be very jealous.”

She continued softly:

"In the past, Young Master Wen was not bad towards me. I also had the intention of trying to get closer, but the closer I got, the more I felt it was not right. He treated me very respectfully, very attentively. At first glance, it seemed like he was in love, but in reality it was just like he was worshiping an idol, not like he was in love with someone."

“Only when he mentioned that younger sister, his eyes became a little lively, and he looked like a caring person.”

"I once told him that the person in his heart was probably that younger sister. Who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, his face changed and he quickly denied it. He was just struggling."

“What a strange person.”

Having finished speaking, she gathered up all the brooches I had just laid out and placed two bills on the table:

“Surely this is enough?”

While I was still hesitant, she reached out and stuffed the check straight into my hand, whispering:

"My father once said that General Thanh and Lord Lac are both righteous men."

She stood up straight, slightly holding back the smile in her eyes. Her appearance was dignified but her words were still joking:

"Miss Lac, my appearance is not bad. You have a blessed appearance, a long life, and are a fortunate person."

She held up the brooches she had just bought and gently shook them:

“Consider it as if I were to borrow a little blessing from you.”

I burst out laughing. At that moment, I suddenly thought in my heart— Fate Van Chu's work is truly nothing. Even if I could live again, I still wouldn't be able to marry someone like her. On the far road to exile, I hired my mother a carriage and a few masters to escort her, and gave the escorting mandarins a considerable amount of money. When leaving the city, there was one more person in the exiled team. Mother pulled my sleeve and said in a low voice:

"Look, Sister Sister."

He was riding a horse, following right behind our carriage. I don't understand what Van Chu intends to do. He did not proactively come to see me, nor did I look for him. His mother advised him to return to the capital, but he said he had something to resolve in You Chau. Along the way for two months, it wasn't rare to encounter him. He just looked at me quietly, then quickly looked away. It makes it impossible to guess what he is thinking. Arriving at the gate of U Chau city, he urged his horse closer and lightly tapped on the wall of the carriage. Through the unopened curtain, I heard his low voice:

"All along the way, I always wanted to make it clear to you."