Transmigrating into the world of Jade Dynasty, I was targeted by the female lead in a reverse romanc

Zeng Shushu had somehow wandered over to Zhang Xiaofan's side and gently nudged Zhang Xiaofan's shoulder with his fan.

His eyes were fixed on the direction where Jiang Xiaochuan and Lu Xueqi had disappeared. He shook his head, lowered his voice, and spoke with a mocking tone:

"Tsk tsk, see that? Old Jiang's position in the family is crystal clear. When Senior Sister Lu says to leave, he wouldn't dare stay a moment longer. So, you see, married men, tsk tsk..."

Zhang Xiaofan frowned, tugged at him, and whispered, "Senior Brother Zeng, don't talk nonsense."

"How am I talking nonsense?" Zeng Shushu spread his hands, with an expression that said, "I'm telling the absolute truth."

"Look just now, with just one look from Senior Sister Lu, Old Jiang was incredibly perceptive. And you didn't notice, but when Junior Sister Tian went over to say hello, Senior Sister Lu's hand was gripped so tightly... Hey, Xiao Fan, don't go yet, I haven't finished talking..."

Zhang Xiaofan ignored him and turned to find Song Daren.

Zeng Shushu pursed his lips, fanning himself loudly. His gaze swept around the hall, finally landing on Lin Jingyu, who was standing alone by the window, gazing at the sea of ​​clouds outside. His eyes lit up, and he moved closer.

"Jingyu! Long time no see! I heard you had a great opportunity at the Ancestral Temple? Tell your senior brother about it..."

……

Dazhu Peak, behind Shoujing Hall, is Tian Ling'er's room.

Su Ru gently pushed open the door and saw her daughter sitting by the window, her back to the door, her shoulders slumped, staring blankly at a clump of green bamboo outside the window.

The afternoon sun shone through the window, casting dappled shadows on her, making her figure appear somewhat lonely.

"Ling'er." Su Ru walked over, her voice gentle.

Tian Ling'er didn't turn around, but simply gave a soft "hmm".

Su Ru sat down next to her, looked at her pale profile, and sighed inwardly.

Her daughter was flesh of her flesh, how could she not know what Ling'er was thinking and what she was in pain? After eight years of seclusion, everything had changed when she came out. Although she had not experienced it herself, she could imagine the feeling.

"Ling'er," Su Ru reached out and gently stroked her daughter's hair.

"Some things can't be forced. Xiao Chuan... he's doing very well now. Xue Qi is truly devoted to him. They have Yun Zhou and Yue Yao, and their family is happy and harmonious. You..."

"Mother," Tian Ling'er suddenly spoke, interrupting her. Her voice was a little hoarse, but very calm. "I don't resent him."

Su Ru stopped talking and looked at her daughter.

Tian Ling'er continued to look at the clump of bamboo outside the window. The sunlight danced on the bamboo leaves, making her eyes a little dizzy.

She spoke slowly, enunciating each word clearly, as if speaking to Su Ru, but also as if speaking to herself:

"I don't resent his marriage to Senior Sister Lu. Really, Senior Sister Lu is a good person. She has high cultivation and is a good person to him. As long as he is happy, that's all that matters."

She paused, sniffed, and her voice trembled slightly, barely concealed: "What I resent is... why he didn't call me."

Su Ru was taken aback.

"His marriage, such a big event, in the Jade Purity Palace, in front of so many people..."

Tian Ling'er's voice lowered, becoming heavily nasal, and her eyes gradually reddened, but she stubbornly refused to let the tears fall.

"The whole world knows, everyone on Dazhu Peak knows, except for me. I was in that dark cave, knowing nothing... I only found out after I came out of seclusion, oh, so he's already someone else's husband, someone else's child's father."

"Ling'er..." Su Ru felt a pang of sadness and reached out to pull her daughter into her arms.

"It's not that I didn't want to call you, it's that you were in seclusion. It was a crucial moment, how could I interrupt you? Your father was so angry at the time... sigh, anyway, there was no way around it. Xueqi is such a stubborn child. She arranged the marriage herself. If she said she wanted to marry, then she wanted to marry. The situation at the time..."

"I know."

Tian Ling'er buried her face in Su Ru's shoulder, her voice muffled, "I know, I just... feel sad, Mother, I feel sad."

Su Ru gently patted her back, just like she used to lull her to sleep when she was little.

"If you feel bad, cry it out. Don't hold it in."

Tian Ling'er didn't cry, but her shoulders trembled slightly. After a while, she raised her head, her eyes red, but there were no tear stains on her face.

She blinked hard, suppressing the stinging feeling, and forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace: "I'm fine, Mom, really, I just... I just couldn't quite process it for a moment, but I'm all better now."

She stood up, walked to the dressing table, tidied her messy hair in front of the blurry bronze mirror, and patted her cheeks hard to bring some color back to her pale face.

"I will be careful this time when I go to the Western Swamp."

Looking at herself in the mirror, she said to Su Ru behind her, "I will complete the mission well, and I will not bring shame to Dazhu Peak, nor... I will not bring shame to Qingyun Sect."

Looking at her forcedly strong back, Su Ru felt both heartache and helplessness.

She knew her daughter hadn't let go, but was forcing herself to, or at least to face it in another way. She opened her mouth, but ultimately only said:

"Be careful in everything. Your father has also instructed your senior brother and Xiao Fan to take care of you. Consult with your fellow disciples when you encounter problems, and don't act recklessly."

"Okay, Mother."

Meanwhile, in Tian Buyi's study.

Tian Buyi paced back and forth in front of his desk with his hands behind his back. Su Ru pushed open the door and came in, carrying a cup of hot tea.

"How is Ling'er?" Tian Buyi stopped and looked at his wife, his brows furrowed.

"What else can they do? They're keeping it to themselves and won't say anything."

Su Ru placed the tea on the desk and sighed, "That child is stubborn, just like you. He seems carefree, but he has a lot of ideas. This time... he's probably heartbroken."

Tian Buyi gave a heavy snort, his face grim: "That kid... I said he wouldn't do it from the start! And Lu Xueqi... humph! Look at her now!"

"What's the point of saying all this now?" Su Ru rolled her eyes at him.

"The children are all doing well. Yunzhou and Yueyao are so adorable. As for Ling'er... she'll eventually understand. With time, she'll be alright."

"Have you figured it out?"

Tian Buyi snorted again, but his tone wasn't as harsh anymore; it carried a hint of annoyance.

"With her personality, it's impossible for her to understand! She's been stubborn and single-minded since she was little! She's had her eye on that brat, and she hasn't changed her mind in eight or ten years! Now look what's happened, he already has two kids, and she's still..."

"Alright, alright," Su Ru interrupted him. "Say less. Ling'er is already upset enough. Don't add fuel to the fire. What about Da Ren and Xiao Fan? Did you tell them?"

"I've given the instructions." Tian Buyi walked behind the desk, sat down, picked up his teacup, and then put it down again.

"Tell them to keep an eye on Ling'er, make sure she doesn't do anything foolish, and don't let anyone bully her. Also, if they run into that brat... cough, if they run into Xiao Chuan and Xue Qi, they should... look out for each other, since they're fellow disciples and going to such a far place."

Su Ru looked at his awkward expression and felt both annoyed and amused. This old man clearly had something on his mind, but he just wouldn't let it go with his words.

"It's good that you know. The children are all grown up and have their own destiny. As their elders, all we need to do is watch over them and protect them."