The Fortunate Lady and Her Mountain Man

Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Scenery Theory

Ji Huan thought about it for a long time before turning to look at Song Jing.

"The reason I replied to your first letter was that I didn’t want you to be distracted by waiting for a response."

When she received Song Jing’s first letter, Ji Huan hadn’t originally planned to reply. She knew it was a critical time for him and he shouldn’t be bothered by trivial matters.

But she tried to see it from his perspective. Although she didn’t have much experience writing letters, she understood the disappointment of sending a message and anxiously waiting for a reply that never comes.

She was afraid that replying would distract him, but she was also afraid that not replying would make him worry even more.

After thinking it over and over, she decided to reply. She even specifically added a note at the end telling him not to write back after reading it.

She never expected to then receive a second letter, and then a third...

Ji Huan was afraid that if she kept replying, it would never end.

No matter where you are, dating right before a major exam is a huge taboo. If Song Jing underperformed because of this, wouldn’t she be the one to blame?

But if she didn’t reply, could that also cause him to perform poorly...?

’The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.’

Ji Huan felt she needed to be decisive, so in the end, she locked the letter she had written in a drawer.

As it turned out, Song Jing’s self-control was quite strong.

After those two letters, no more came.

At the time, Ji Huan thought she might have accidentally snuffed out the single blossom of romance that had just barely bloomed for her.

But later, on second thought, she felt it was no big deal.

Perhaps both she and Song Jing had just been caught up in a moment of infatuation. A cooling-off period might be a good thing.

’But now it seems the cooling-off period didn’t change much...’

"I didn’t reply to your last two letters because I was afraid of distracting you, and also because..." Ji Huan paused, meeting Song Jing’s gaze frankly. "Also because I needed to think some things through."

Song Jing’s eyes widened slightly, a faint light flaring within them.

"So, have you... thought things through?"

Ji Huan countered, "What about you? Are you sure you know what you’re doing?"

"I... The reason I wanted to take the provincial exam wasn’t just for myself. It was also for someone."

At first, Song Jing’s answer seemed to miss the point, but this hesitation lasted only a moment. His gaze grew firm, and his words became more direct.

"I want to take her away from the place that makes her unhappy. I want to show her the beautiful scenery of the outside world. And I want to give her all the very best things in this world."

He didn’t say who "she" was, but Ji Huan knew.

If the two of them had been in a hazy, ambiguous state before, then Song Jing’s words had just personally torn away the thin veil between them.

Ji Huan’s poker face was excellent; her expression betrayed nothing, though her ears were burning slightly.

’Is this... a confession?’

’The things you see in your lifetime... Live long enough, and you really will experience everything.’

Although she’d seen this sort of thing before, it was still a little thrilling now that it was happening to her.

She stole a glance at Song Jing.

Song Jing’s expression seemed calm enough, though it was obviously an act.

Looking a little higher, she saw it—sure enough, the tips of his ears were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.

Ji Huan’s scrutiny made Song Jing’s already stiff posture even more rigid. His hands were unconsciously twisting the book he held.

That book was now unreadable.

Seeing him like this, Ji Huan actually relaxed quite a bit.

"Well..." She cleared her throat. "It’s a nice thought."

Song Jing froze, his gaze snapping toward her. "Does that mean you’ll acc—"

Song Jing didn’t finish his sentence, and Ji Huan didn’t give a clear answer.

But he could already vaguely sense her feelings. Even though it wasn’t a firm confirmation, it was enough to fill him with joy.

They looked at each other, their gazes meeting for an instant before breaking away. Then, almost in unison, they both looked toward the distance, though their states of mind were slightly different.

Ji Huan casually plucked a blade of grass and toyed with it in her hand. She suddenly spoke, her expression nonchalant, but her tone was earnest.

"The world is so vast, and there is so much beautiful scenery to see. If you go alone, there’s no one to share your joy with and no one to confide in when you’re sad. It’s bound to be lonely.

It’s wonderful if you’re lucky enough to find a companion. But traveling with someone isn’t the same as traveling alone. It’s easy to get hurt by each other’s sharp edges. And once you’ve finally managed to smooth those edges down, you find that other problems emerge, one after another.

After you’ve more or less solved those problems and haven’t gotten very far, you might start to feel that just the two of you is too boring. You might want to find another travel companion to ease the loneliness of the journey. And so, the two-person carriage now has a third person.

Later on, you might get bored again, or you might see someone more beautiful than the scenery who seems like a better companion... And so it goes, stop after stop. There’s always a more beautiful view, and there’s always a more suitable companion.

The original two who agreed to see the world together are still there, but their hearts have completely changed. Too many people and too many things have come between them. Even though they travel the same road, they can no longer be of one mind. Even when they stand right in front of each other, they are separated by a thousand mountains and rivers.

It’s like giving the most exquisite delicacies to someone who has lost their sense of taste—to them, it’s like chewing on wax.

Perhaps they suffer through half a lifetime together, only to have a sudden realization at the end—that the scenery they wanted to see was never the same.

So what was the point of it all in the beginning?"

Ji Huan spoke quietly, and Song Jing listened quietly.

They didn’t look at each other, but with a silent understanding, they both gazed in the same direction, where the sky was high and the clouds were thin. An occasional bird would flit by, gone in a flash.

When she finished speaking, even the wind seemed to stop, and it was so quiet they could hear each other’s heartbeats.

It felt like a long time had passed, and yet also like only a moment.

Song Jing spoke, his voice more earnest than ever before.

"I rarely covet things that are beyond my reach, and I have never been greedy for any person or thing.

But some things can be controlled by human effort, while others cannot be stopped. Why not just follow your heart?

I know the world is vast, and I know it is filled with a thousand purples and ten thousand reds, but only one flower has caught my eye. For the rest of my life, it will be that one flower.

For me, the journey and the scenery have never been what’s important. The person is.

I want to be with her, and I want her to be with me. Just her and me. One more would be too many."

Did Song Jing’s heartfelt confession make Ji Huan happy?

To be honest, it did.

She hadn’t gone on that long monologue about scenery to extract some kind of promise from him.

Promises can be made in all sincerity, and they can be broken in all sincerity, too.

So there was no point in asking for one.

She was simply showing Song Jing her own perspective.

Clearly, Song Jing had understood, and he had given his own answer.

Although many things can change over time, at least for now, they were both being sincere.

If a day ever came when something happened that meant they could no longer travel the same path, with this conversation as a precedent, they could simply wave goodbye, part ways amicably, and go see the scenery each of them preferred.

Seeing Ji Huan remain silent for so long, Song Jing’s throat tightened.

"And you... how do you see it?"

Ji Huan suddenly tilted her head. "How else would I see it? With my eyes, of course."

Song Jing looked utterly stunned for a moment, and then Ji Huan burst out laughing.

Her laugh was like a spring ripple spreading across a calm lake, making her entire being seem more vibrant and radiant.

Song Jing snapped out of his daze, and the corners of his lips began to curl up, little by little, until he couldn’t suppress his smile at all.

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