Ivy Shen felt a pang in her heart watching Liam Willow in that state, so she lost all interest in wandering around and came straight home.
"Xin'er..." As soon as Ivy stepped through the front gate, she saw Grandpa Tong bustling in, grinning, with two carp dangling from his hand.
"Grandpa Tong, what's all this?" Ivy frowned slightly when she saw the old man's pant legs soaked up to his knees, but her heart warmed—he must've waded in himself to catch those fish!
"Look, these are wild fish from the creek—smell that, they're super fresh! Grandpa will stew them into soup for you later," he said, his face beaming with kindness.
But facing that gentle smile, Ivy's heart suddenly clenched again. That panicky feeling rushed back, so she pressed her hand to her chest, trying to calm herself. The next moment, she looked up at Grandpa Tong and said, "Grandpa Tong, can Xin'er ask you for a favor?"
"Oh, what kind of talk is that? Just say whatever you need, no need to be so polite." The old man's tone was full of doting affection, clearly treating her like family.
"Um, so... there's a really important letter in my study. It's for Steward Liu. I need him to handle something for me, but I just don't trust anyone else to deliver it—only you, Grandpa. Can you take it for me?"
"Of course! Xin'er's business is never just ordinary business. I'll deliver it myself—I'd never trust anyone else with it. How about I stew the fish for you first, then pack up and head out tomorrow? Sound good?" Grandpa Tong said with a big grin.
"No way!" Ivy suddenly blurted out, her voice a bit sharp.
"Huh?" Grandpa Tong was momentarily taken aback by her sudden tone.
"Oh—sorry, Grandpa Tong. What I meant is, Song Zhijue is closing in on us, so I really need to notify Steward Liu as soon as possible. Could you head out right now?" Seeing his surprised look, Ivy realized she'd lost her composure and quickly adjusted her tone.
The old man only hesitated for a second, then replied, "Alright, let Grandpa get ready. You bring me the letter and I'll leave right away." He called for a servant to take the fish and hurried off to change clothes.
Watching him move so quickly, it was obvious how much he cared about Xin'er and wanted to do everything he could for her.
"Xin'er, what are you doing?" Lucian Vane looked puzzled, but he was sure that this letter she mentioned was pretty suspicious.
Hearing that, Ivy turned to Lucian, pressing her hand to her chest and frowning. "Lucian, I don't know why, but I feel so anxious here—it's making me uncomfortable. I keep thinking something bad is about to happen. I'm scared..."
Lucian immediately reached out and pulled her into his arms. "So you want Grandpa Tong to leave here, right?" With just one sentence, he understood exactly what she was thinking.
"Yeah, it's just this overwhelming feeling—I'm really worried. So I want Grandpa to leave first; maybe that's the best thing for him." Her chest was still tight, and she hated feeling this way.
"My Xin'er is always so kind, always thinking of others first." Lucian lifted her by the shoulders so she had to look into his eyes. "Xin'er, look at me—I want you to know, don't be afraid. I'm here!"
Hearing that, Ivy suddenly felt that the words "I love you" weren't the ones that moved her most. What really touched her was this simple, sincere phrase: Don't be afraid. I'm here!
"Mm!" She nodded hard, shouting in her heart: Lucian, don't worry—no matter what happens, I'll stand in front of you. I won't let anything happen to you. I'll make sure you live, really live...
Lucian held her tightly, silently repeating in his heart: Xin'er, don't be afraid. If real danger comes, I'll risk my life to shield you from it... Because I'm here!
A little while later, Ivy handed Grandpa Tong a sealed envelope. Inside were just a few words: Steward Liu, I'm sending you a playmate! Ivy imagined Steward Liu would burst out laughing when he read it—she knew that even though he and Grandpa Tong were a bit apart in age, those two old guys were great friends. They loved playing chess, and once they got serious, they'd skip meals and keep going all day just to see who'd win!
Grandpa Tong carefully tucked the letter away, then boarded the carriage Ivy had hired, taking Arong along to help him on the road, and left Mount Hua.
He'd never seen Xin'er so anxious before. Grandpa told himself he had to hurry and find Steward Liu, let him read the letter, and help Xin'er as fast as possible.
"Xin'er, tomorrow is the promotion match. You should rest well today—I'll stew fish soup for you."
"Huh? You can make fish soup?" She looked at him—besides brewing medicine, could he actually cook too?
"Why are you looking at me like that? After my parents died, I had to cook for myself. Their cooking was... honestly, pretty bad." He turned around, embarrassed. "Anyway, just wait for your soup!" With that, he hurried off toward the kitchen.
Seeing this, Ivy couldn't help but smile—her happiness just kept spreading and spreading.
A little while later...
"Is it good?" Lucian wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face smudged with black soot, but he didn't care—he just watched nervously as Ivy took a careful sip with her spoon.
Seeing Lucian so nervous made Ivy want to laugh. She put down her spoon, picked up her bowl, and took a big gulp. "Wow, it's so tasty!" She gave him a huge thumbs-up.
"Really? Really?" Lucian's smile instantly turned childlike. Honestly, he had no clue how to make soup—the kitchen staff had to walk him through every step.
Ivy saw the sweat on his forehead and the soot on his face. She knew this was his first time making soup. The taste was just average, but to her, it was the best soup she'd ever had—because it was made by the man she loved.
"If you like it, drink up—there's plenty more!" Lucian grinned, clutching his rag tightly in excitement.
"Lucian, I'm so happy," Ivy said, looking at Lucian's childlike face, her own smile wide with joy.
(This chapter isn't over yet ^.^ Click the next page to keep reading!)
Lucian scratched his head, embarrassed. "When the tournament's over and everyone comes back, I'll make soup for all of them too—I want them to try it." He always wished he could have Ivy to himself, but he knew she had more than just him by her side. Still, he'd made peace with it—as long as he had a little place in her heart, that was enough.
But none of them realized that this soup would become their farewell soup.
The wish to have everyone together, sharing soup as a family, was destined to vanish into thin air...
*******
"Hyah, hyah!" Ethan Chu had been riding his thousand-li horse all night, whipping it on like a madman. The poor animal had never been pushed so hard and tore across the land, but Ethan still felt it wasn't fast enough—not nearly enough.
"Hyahhhhh—" The horse was lightning-fast, the wind whipping Ethan's face and tossing his hair into a mess, but he didn't care—his mind was consumed with worry for Ivy Shen.
The wind howled past, and memories kept surging up in his mind.
The first time he met her, it was her bright, sparkling eyes that caught his attention.
She kept fighting—not to win him over, but just for his bracelet. That stubbornness made him look twice, and those two glances were enough to etch her into his memory.
But what shook him most were her words—she told him to live well, to make those who hurt him pay. He didn't know why, but in that moment, he saw hope. Later, after healing and reclaiming everything, he saw her again, and that one glimpse in the dark made his heart skip a beat, filling his chest with a sudden, inexplicable joy.
So this was what it felt like to like someone. To stay by her side, he used the bracelet as an excuse to linger near her.
The story about the bracelet was true, but if anyone else had gotten it, he would've killed them to take it back. But he knew he'd never hurt her—just one look in that crowd, and he was lost forever.
As they spent time together, he saw more and more of her beauty—the more he saw, the deeper he fell. Love had already taken root in his heart, and with time, it had blossomed.
"Xin'er..." Unable to hold back, Ethan whispered her name. Then, remembering her comfort, her playful smile, her perfect everything, he couldn't help but shout into the rushing wind: "Xin'er——!"
"Hyah, hyah——" If he could just go faster, maybe he'd make it in time for the finals. He unconsciously touched his belt, where he kept their life-saving pills. He had to hurry.
"Xin'er, you have to wait for me—promise you'll wait..." With that, he spurred his horse on even faster, because the one he loved was in danger.
But he never imagined that no matter how fast he went, he couldn't beat Song Zhijue to opening the box a day early...