Water Reflects Peach Blossoms

Under the bright peach blossoms, Jiang Ruan plucked the strings of Fuxi Qin with her fingertips. The soft and gentle sound of the Qin made people close their eyes and enjoy the warmth and tranquility of the moment.

Standing opposite Jiang Ruan, Zhe Yan closed his eyes. He put his hands together and made a very complicated seal with his fingers, trying to figure out the reason for Jiang Ruan's sudden change in temperament.

He had already wanted to let go of his paranoia, respect Ruan Ruan's decision, and protect Ruan Ruan for the rest of his life. What could have happened that could have caused Ruan Ruan's temperament to change so drastically, and give off a feeling of sadness and helplessness of accepting her fate?

Zheyan was furious that the person he loved so deeply and wanted to protect was hurt like this!

The barrier enveloped Zheyan and Jiang Ruan from top to bottom. In this small world, the sound of the zither was peaceful and soothing. Zheyan's phoenix power penetrated deep into Jiang Ruan's body as her fingertips touched the Fuxi Zither.

After careful investigation, Zheyan discovered the remaining divine power of a forbidden technique on Jiang Ruan's body.

It’s Mo Yuan’s.

No, it should be said that it is Mo Yuan's divine power in a distant future timeline. It is weak but contains his last vitality.

I guess after Mo Yuan in the future performs this forbidden technique, his life span will come to an end.

Zheyan didn't understand why Mo Yuan in the future used forbidden techniques to enter Jiang Ruan's dream, or why he relied on the dream constructed by Mo Yuan in Kunlun Xu.

Mo Yuan created the dream in Kunlun Xu with the help of dragon energy out of compassion for Jiang Ruan, to tell her why his residual soul was in her body.

What is the purpose of Mo Yuan in the future?

The power of the phoenix wrapped around the remaining forbidden technique, carefully breaking it down and examining it. Zheyan then activated the dream-chasing technique, and his consciousness entered the forbidden technique, seeing everything that happened to Mo Yuan and Jiang Ruan in their dreams.

He saw the world burned to ashes, the endless corpses all over the mountains and plains, Mo Yuan who was about to die on the cliff, and Jiang Ruan who was standing beside Mo Yuan in surprise and fear.

He learned everything from the conversation between Mo Yuan and Jiang Ruan.

In the future, their fight for Jiang Ruan led to disaster and destruction throughout the world.

It was not the brief decisive battle with the Fox Emperor that he had acted out with the Fox Queen, but a battle of life and death, which led to Jiang Ruan's suicide and their deaths one after another.

Or maybe after Jiang Ruan committed suicide, they became possessed by demons and started a life-and-death battle. Zheyan was not clear about the process, he only knew that in the end they all died.

Zheyan sighed in his heart. He sighed that Jiang Ruan chose to compromise after seeing the dream of the future, and he also sighed that his paranoia in the future caused Jiang Ruan's death.

He didn't want Jiang Ruan to die, no matter what.

Even if they never met again for the rest of their lives, as long as she was alive and well, he was willing to confine himself in the Ten Mile Peach Forest and never see her again.

……

The piano music disappeared.

Zheyan slowly opened his eyes.

He looked at Jiang Ruan who was sitting under the peach tree. Flakes of crimson were falling slowly. He looked at her beautiful face, walked over to sit beside her, and raised his hand to tidy up her slightly messy hair.

Zhe Yan asked softly, "Does Ruan Ruan have me in her heart?"

Without waiting for Jiang Ruan to answer, he said, "Perhaps we've been together for so long that you're not sure how you feel about me. You've just gotten used to me being by your side. This habit won't make you sad and miss me when I disappear from your world one day. Instead, it's like wearing a cotton-padded jacket wet in the rain. At first, you don't feel the dampness or cold, but after a long time, the rain soaks through and you start to feel the dampness and coldness and heaviness."

Jiang Ruan withdrew his fingertips from the Fuxi Qin.

She didn't know what to say. Zheyan's attitude was completely different from the future she saw in her dream. How could Zheyan, who was so gentle and caring about her, become so paranoid as to become possessed by a demon regardless of her wishes... or was he possessed by a demon because of her death?

"I saw it." Zhe Yan said, "I just saw all the scenes that Mo Yuan let you see in the future, and the future that he wanted you to know, through the dream chasing technique."

In order to reassure Jiang Ruan and allow her to choose the life she wanted, Zheyan placed his hand on his dantian, and after a moment, he used his divine power to draw out a fiery red inner elixir.

He handed the inner elixir to Jiang Ruan.

Jiang Ruan held the still warm inner elixir in his hand and looked at Zhe Yan: "What is this?"

"My inner elixir," Zheyan explained, "has been within my body for over three hundred thousand years. It is my only weakness. With my inner elixir, you can decide whether I live or die."

Jiang Ruan held the inner elixir, and Zheyan held Jiang Ruan's hand, forcing her to tighten her hand and prevent her from returning the inner elixir.

At the same time, he said affectionately, "Ruan Ruan, I was paranoid before. I was jealous of Donghua and you having physical contact, and even planned to marry you. But as we spent more time together, I discovered something more important. I want you to be happy, not embarrassed, and I don't want to see you sad or cry even a little bit."

"I only saw the future outcome and don't know what happened in between. But since you're afraid, I'll give you the confidence to reject me."

"If you don't like me, but I force myself to stay with you, I'm sure you won't be happy either. So what fun would that have for me? I'd just be guarding your body filled with sorrow. I'm afraid I'll have to look at your tearful face for the rest of my life, and continue to hurt you."

"By then, I won't be as happy as I am now."

"Are you happy now?" Jiang Ruan asked.

"Happy." Zhe Yan answered affirmatively. A gust of wind blew his pink headband, blowing his hair, but it couldn't disturb his heart. He looked at Jiang Ruan steadily: "Even if I don't do anything with you, I'm still happy."

"Ruan Ruan, I like you, not just to vent my inner desires, but because I love you, want you to be happy, and want to give you everything I think is good. But I forgot that what I think is good may not be what you think is good."

Love and respect, love and respect, love and respect.

Zhe Yan continued, "I don't deny that I once had dark thoughts in my heart, but when the time came, I couldn't take action."

"I want to chat with you in my spare time, drink wine and admire the moon, play chess, brew wine, discuss medicine, watch you grow, and watch you achieve your dreams. I don't just want to trap you in a small room and force you to accept my love for you. This is not love, but possessiveness."

"You won't be happy if I do this."

Zhe Yan lowered his gaze, looking at the inner core in Jiang Ruan's hand, which radiated light and the power of the Phoenix. "I want to tell you, don't be afraid. Changing the future doesn't require you to compromise. This was my fault, so I should bear the responsibility."

"Life is long, and I have plenty of time. I will wait patiently for you until you figure out your true feelings for me. No matter what choice you make, I will respect you."

"If my heart is different from what I say now, Ruan Ruan will be able to stop me and prevent me from hurting you and causing disaster to the world."

This is Zheyan’s true heart at this moment.