Chapter 9 

Xie Zhengjie gave her a disappointed look before sighing. He said. “Fine, let’s just go back to the room so I can continue watching television.” 

Chen Linyao had suggested going out precisely because she didn’t want to be stuck in the room with him. She wasn’t about to give up. Suddenly, an idea came to her. 

“Mr. Xie, do you remember how you got here?” 

Despite everything, the man continued to act like he was an imperial prince. Chen Linyao thought that it was time to take the young man somewhere that might provide some clues. 

“At the time, I was in an ancient site. I must have triggered some mechanism that caused me to lose consciousness.”

“In that case, how about we visit the site of the incident?” 

“The incident site?” 

“I mean the place where I hit you with my car.” 

Chen Linyao smiled awkwardly. She was clearly at fault, and the victim was standing right in front of her. It was a serious matter—she wasn’t shameless enough to pretend it never happened. 

Xie Zhengjie didn’t need much time to think before agreeing. 

The route to White Guanyin Temple wasn’t a major roadway for intercity travel, but the temple was well-known. Many wealthy and influential people had donated funds to build the road leading to it, making it relatively convenient to reach. However, it was still a fair distance from the city, and it took Chen Linyao nearly an hour of driving to bring Xie Zhengjie there. 

The incident site that Chen Linyao mentioned wasn’t at the temple itself but on the back road leading down the mountain. The accident had occurred at night, so Chen Linyao wasn’t entirely sure of the exact spot where she had hit Xie Zhengjie. She could only make a rough guess, park the car, and walk with him to investigate. 

“It should be around here.” This was Chen Linyao’s first time revisiting the location since the incident. The sides of the road were dense with trees, and she realized how unlikely it was for a drama crew to film here given the lack of infrastructure. 

She glanced at the young man beside her and a thought crossed her mind. 

Maybe he’s insane.

If he’s not an actor, then only a madman would dress in ancient clothing and wander around a place like this. 

The accused, however, paid no mind to her suspicious gaze. With his brows furrowed, Xie Zhengjie climbed over the road barrier and headed into the forest. 

“Hey, where are you going?” Chen Linyao called out in alarm, quickly following the young man. Unfortunately, she hadn’t anticipated trekking through a forest today and was wearing high heels, which made keeping up with him incredibly difficult. 

“You weren’t wrong. It should be around here,” Xie Zhengjie replied, his eyes fixed straight ahead.

“You’re remembering something now?” 

“No, but I can sense something.”

Xie Zhengjie’s tone was serious. His pace quickened with each step. Without changing into the sneakers stored in her car’s trunk, Chen Linyao soon fell behind. Entering the forest unprepared was tough—the uneven ground and protruding roots made walking difficult. At times, she had to push through dense undergrowth just to keep up. 

“Mr. Xie, wait for me!” 

Within five minutes, Xie Zhengjie had vanished from her sight. Though they hadn’t ventured far into the forest, the thick canopy of towering trees and dense foliage allowed little daylight to filter through. Adding to the challenge, the path they were on wasn’t a regular trail used by people. 

Fear gripped Chen Linyao as she thought about turning back, but every direction looked the same. She tried retracing her steps, but the path now seemed unfamiliar. 

Resolving to follow Xie Zhengjie’s trail, the young woman pressed forward. At least if she found him, there would be someone to rely on. He was strong enough to help her if they encountered any real trouble in the forest. 

But after half an hour of walking, she still hadn’t caught a glimpse of him—not even his shadow. 

By now, Chen Linyao’s fear was growing. She had been on nature walks before, but at least those places had marked trails. Even if it was difficult, she could eventually find her way back. This, however, was a real forest. There were no paths, just dense trees all around. The sound of cicadas echoed, and while the sun was still high overhead—it was only noon—she knew she only had a few hours before nightfall. If she didn’t get out by then, things could become very dangerous. 

“Mr. Xie! Where are you?” Chen Linyao shouted loudly. Her eyes were red, tears threatening to spill. Her feet ached, but she refused to stop, pushing through the undergrowth with determination. 

Her anxiety made her careless. Whenever she saw a branch that looked like someone had pushed it aside, she hurriedly followed, forgetting she was on a mountain. Then the unexpected happened. She brushed aside some bushes, only to find there was no ground ahead. 

The young woman screamed as she lost her balance and fell off the cliff. The sound of wind rushed past her ears as her body plummeted. She shut her eyes tightly, thinking it was all over. 

Suddenly, warmth enveloped her from behind, and the wind noise softened. Something had caught her under the shoulders and knees. Slowly, Chen Linyao opened her eyes. 

Above her was the vast blue sky and fluffy white clouds. And there, amidst it all, was the face of the man she had been searching for, his long black hair flowing in the wind. 

Her body jolted slightly as the young man’s feet tapped against parts of the cliffside, slowing their descent. Eventually, they reached the ground. 

Chen Linyao trembled uncontrollably. Even after Xie Zhengjie set her down, her legs refused to stop shaking. The ground beneath her felt unstable, as if it might collapse at any moment. 

Her arms remained tightly wrapped around him, holding onto the man as if he were a steadier anchor than the earth itself. Sweat dripped down her temples, her heart racing. She never wanted to experience anything like that ever again. 

“Why didn’t you wait outside?” 

Chen Linyao looked up at him, her panic subsiding just enough for her to gather her thoughts and respond to his question. 

“You didn’t tell me to wait, so I followed you.”

The young woman expected him to scold her, but Xie Zhengjie ‘s tone wasn’t harsh. In fact, he sounded more surprised than upset. 

 The young man listened to her response in silence for a moment before nodding and replying.

“You’re right. I should apologize for that.” 

Chen Linyao stared at him, stunned. Is this really the Xie Zhengjie I know? Even though she hadn’t known the young man for long, she never imagined an apology would come out of his mouth. 

Could there be more than one Xie Zhengjie in this forest? 

Chen Linyao’s mind wandered into absurdity, recalling fables about golden and silver axes. The Xie Zhengjie who teased her endlessly with his words didn’t seem like the same man standing before her now. 

Am I being tested by the heavens?