Chapter 1423: Earring

The tent was lifted by a rough, large hand, and a soldier walked in.

Shang Ruyi asked, “What’s the matter?”

The soldier approached her, saluted respectfully, and then said, “Princess, this is something you lost. The Great General asked me to bring it to you.”

After saying this, he raised both hands in front of Shang Ruyi, who frowned slightly and looked down. In the palm of his rough hand was an earring.

Upon seeing it was an earring and hearing that Xiao Yuansui had sent it, Shang Ruyi immediately thought it must be one from the pair prepared for her during her bath with her clothes, probably discovered and sent over after they packed up. But when she looked closer, her heart sank.

The earring in his hand was only one piece, and it was pure gold, different from the previous pearl ones.

Moreover, it looked somewhat familiar.

Shang Ruyi reached out and picked it up for a closer inspection. Her breathing slowly grew heavy.

She recognized it as the earring she lost halfway when she moved from Taiyuan to Luoyang with Yu Wenye years ago.

Recalling that time, she realized that she lost the earring precisely when they encountered Xiao Yuansui, who was hiding under their carriage to escape Wang Shaoji’s pursuit. It seemed that the earring fell into the carriage and was picked up by Xiao Yuansui.

She hadn’t expected he would keep it all these years…

At this moment, Shang Ruyi couldn’t help but feel moved. She gently picked up the earring, realizing it had been lost for four or five years, yet it was still new and gleamed with a golden light, as if polished countless times.

Staring at the dazzling golden light, Shang Ruyi remained silent for a long time and then said hoarsely, “I understand. You may leave now.”

The soldier saluted, turned, and left.

After he left, the tent grew even quieter, so silent that even the sound of breathing was inaudible. Shang Ruyi looked at the gleaming earring, whose light was somewhat dazzling, and the crumpled paper ball she had twisted, feeling as though her heart was crumpled as well.

After a long silence, she finally seemed to make a decision, stood up, and walked out of the tent filled with the scent of blood.

Outside, it was pitch black.

The night wind in the wild field was colder than elsewhere, even piercing. Shang Ruyi shivered slightly and looked around. In the distance, several bonfires were burning fiercely, their light outlining the general shape of the camp. She immediately recognized the largest and brightest tent.

On her way, she passed several patrol soldiers who didn’t stop or question her.

She made her way unobstructed to the main tent. The two soldiers standing outside saw her, showing no surprise, as if they had expected her to come. Without waiting for her to speak, one immediately turned around to announce her arrival and then returned, saying, “Princess, the Great General is waiting for you inside.”

Shang Ruyi frowned slightly and nodded, “Thank you.”

Then she walked into the large tent.

Compared to the strong smell of blood she noticed earlier in Lu Xiao’s tent, this spacious tent had a somewhat fresh scent, though only with a trace of damp coldness. As Shang Ruyi moved from one cold space to another, she inexplicably broke out in a cold sweat, which immediately wet her clothes, making them sticky.

Enduring this discomfort, when she lifted her head, she met those deep, slightly amused eyes.

It turned out his eyes were like this.

Things she couldn’t understand before suddenly became clear at that moment, even Xiao Yuansui sitting at the desk appearing calm, but his hand on the desk unconsciously exerted a slight force, veins bulging on the back of his hand, all fell into Shang Ruyi’s sight. She sighed lightly in her heart.

Xiao Yuansui said, “You’re here.”

Shang Ruyi glanced behind her. The two soldiers outside had closed the tent entrance. Turning back to Xiao Yuansui, her gaze gradually calmed, “The Great General knew I would come.”

Xiao Yuansui chuckled and said, “I hoped you would come, so I waited here, but whether you would come, I really couldn’t be sure.”

“…”

“After all, I have never been able to guess you.”

Shang Ruyi replied, “Oh?”

Seeing her slightly raise her eyebrows, seemingly not believing him, Xiao Yuansui slowly stood up and, while walking around the desk towards her, said, “I thought you were a gentle and quiet noblewoman, yet you were bold and daring; I thought you would live peacefully under the protection of the Yuwen Family’s wing, yet you risked entering the tiger’s den; I thought you’d perish in Jiangdu Palace, yet you survived against odds.”

“…”

“Over the years, I’ve known everything you’ve gone through, but each incident was beyond my expectation.”

“…”

“So, I cannot guess what you will do.”

“…”

“I just hoped you would come tonight.”

“…”

Shang Ruyi quietly watched him and then said, “I came, so can you guess what I will say to you?”

Xiao Yuansui silently looked at her for a while and shook his head, “I can’t guess.”

Shang Ruyi suddenly chuckled lightly and slowly raised her right hand, her fingertips playing with the dangling, shimmering earring, saying, “You kept this thing for so long and had someone deliver it to me tonight, what do you hope I will say?”

Xiao Yuansui’s gaze immediately focused on the earring.

Shang Ruyi always thought, despite this person’s handsome appearance, his entire face paled compared to his eyes. Xiao Yuansui had a pair of excessively sharp, outstanding eyes, even when fleeing his complexion was blackened, and his hair and beard were a tangled mess, he looked like a wild man, yet she saw those bright eyes at a glance. But now, those eyes looking at the earring in her hand, appeared even brighter than usual.

Perhaps, hopeful eyes are always the most beautiful eyes in the world.

Xiao Yuansui’s Adam’s apple moved up and down, and then he said, “Actually, taking this back then was a bit of selfishness.”

“Oh?”

“I owned nothing, hiding under your carriage, and this earring happened to fall through the gap in the floorboard, so I picked it up, initially planning to sell it when times got tough, to live as long as I could.”

“Then—”

“But, I never sold it.”

“…”

“Because later, you gave me that pack of provisions.”

“…”

“Also because of you.”