Chapter 167: I Forgive You

Thud.

Yuan Jing knelt before Li Rong, weeping uncontrollably.

"Brother Yuan, don't be like this."

Li Rong wanted to support him, but she knew she could no longer do so.

"Brother Yuan, I don't have much time left. There are some things I want to say to you."

Yuan Jing tried to wipe the tears from his face, but no matter how hard he tried, it was futile.

"Rong'er, I was wrong. I'll come find you, alright?"

As long as they died, could they not be reunited?

"Brother Yuan, don't say such foolish things. I am already dead, but you must live well. I know how you have spent these years; I only want to tell you that I no longer resent you."

Li Rong spoke her forgiveness softly.

"No, don't forgive me, please do not forgive me!" Yuan Jing's heart felt as if it were being carved by knives.

"Brother Yuan, we were simply... destined to meet but not to stay together. After I leave, I hope you can live a good life. Can you promise me that?" Li Rong looked at him expectantly.

"I don't deserve it..."

"Brother Yuan, this is my final wish. Can you not even grant me this?" Li Rong understood him far too well. She had completely let go; why should she force the man she once loved to waste the rest of his life in misery?

Yuan Jing sobbed uncontrollably. What kind of bastard had he been in the past!

"Brother Yuan, truly, can you not?" Li Rong raised her voice slightly.

Yuan Jing could no longer breathe. "I... I promise... I promise you, I will live well!"

Why wasn't it him who died?

The one who should have died was him!

Li Rong flashed a brilliant smile. "That's better. Brother Yuan, I really must go now. I have been away from home for far, far too long. I am going home."

Her remnant soul grew fainter and fainter.

"No, Rong'er..." Yuan Jing wailed with heart-wrenching grief.

Li Rong's final gaze fell upon Su Yan.

At this moment, she could no longer make a sound; she only spoke to Su Yan silently.

"Thank you."

Su Yan's hands, hanging at her sides, slowly clenched into fists as she watched Li Rong dissipate completely.

She said she was going home.

Her parents were still at home waiting for her return.

Su Yan believed her parents would surely be able to wait for her homecoming.

It was truly over. Only Yuan Jing's weeping continued for a long, long time...

After everyone had finished handling the matters in the backyard, dawn was nearly breaking. Instead of resting, they sat together, wanting to hear Su Yan describe what she had seen in Li Rong's memories.

However, to their surprise, Su Yan did not mention a single word regarding the relationship between Li Rong and Yuan Jing.

She only told them how many exorcisms Li Rong had performed for the people during her lifetime.

Even so, everyone listened with great interest. Especially toward the end, when they learned that Li Rong had even chosen to perish alongside the monster from the previous night to destroy it, they felt a profound sense of respect.

"Su Yan, did Li Rong truly go home?" Ma Chulan finally asked the question everyone was most concerned about.

Perhaps Sun Mang couldn't tell, but she, Ma Chulong, and Cao Meng could see that it was merely a wisp of Li Rong's remnant soul, and having been sealed by that monster for so long, her life force had long since been exhausted.

This was also what left them feeling most unsettled.

Under everyone's gaze, Su Yan stood up from her seat and walked straight to the window.

The first ray of dawn was breaking over the horizon.

"Truly, Li Rong will find her way home."

Her voice was soft, yet incredibly firm.

Li Rong had chosen forgiveness in the end, but she had also completely let go of Yuan Jing.

Because that was Li Rong.

She knew love from hate, and she always knew which path she ought to take.

Ma Chulong and Ma Chulan also came to the window, looking in the direction Su Yan was facing.

"The morning sun is so beautiful."

Just like Li Rong's brief and brilliant life.

***

In the afternoon.

Cao Meng was the first to bid everyone farewell.

"Su Yan, I hope I will have the chance to work with you again in the future. And Brother Ma, we shall meet again."

"Master Cao, until we meet again!"

Watching Cao Meng's departing figure, Sun Mang suddenly remarked with emotion.

"Master Cao, it's actually quite good."

Hearing this, the Ma siblings gave him a strange look.

Sun Mang felt his scalp tingle, wondering what he had said wrong.

"Su Yan, what are your plans next?" Ma Chulong looked at Su Yan.

Su Yan said, "I've been out for a long time; it's time to go home."

Ma Chulong wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but he felt as though her emotions still seemed quite low.

"My sister and I should stay here for another two days, otherwise we could have traveled together. I truly wonder if we will have the chance to meet again in the future."

"If we are destined, we shall meet."

Su Yan's words made the siblings look at each other and smile.

Yes, if they were destined, they would meet. In truth, they were quite destined.

***

When Su Yan saw Yuan Jing again, his emotions seemed to have settled.

Or perhaps, he had hidden them very well.

"Miss Su, you know everything about Rong'er and me, don't you?" Yuan Jing's voice was slightly hoarse.

The answer to this question was an affirmative.

"I am very ashamed that I deceived you before."

"Mr. Yuan is my employer; if there is nothing you wish to say, you naturally do not have to." Su Yan tried her best not to project Li Rong's emotions.

Yuan Jing gave a bitter laugh. "Rong'er told me to live well, so I will live well."

Su Yan chose to remain silent.

Sometimes, living is itself a form of punishment.

Li Rong's final forgiveness would cause him to spend the rest of his life in guilt and regret.

Yuan Jing knew exactly how much the current Su Yan looked down on him.

But he no longer cared.

He stepped forward and bowed deeply to Su Yan.

"Miss Su, thank you for helping Rong'er find release."

"I only did what needed to be done."

She had merely taken someone's money to resolve someone's calamity.

Only after finishing that did Yuan Jing continue, "The ten thousand gold reward and the additional compensation I mentioned before have all been prepared. Miss Su may collect them at any time."

"Fine. If there is nothing else, I shall take my leave." Having said that, Su Yan prepared to depart.

"Miss Su, wait. I have one last question." Yuan Jing clenched his hands tightly, ultimately choosing to speak. "Do I... do I still have a chance to see Rong'er again?"

Su Yan's gaze beneath the black cloth gradually grew cold; for the first time, she was unwilling to answer her employer's question.

"Whether you believe it or not, Rong'er was the only person I have ever loved in this life. I was too foolish before, blinded by the prosperity of the outside world, never knowing what I truly wanted. Losing Rong'er is the greatest punishment Heaven has given me!" Yuan Jing struggled to suppress the sob in his voice.

Even if they could not meet while living, what about after death?

"Mr. Yuan, not everything can be undone." Su Yan's answer was almost cruel, shattering Yuan Jing's last shred of hope.

Looking at his grief-stricken appearance, Su Yan felt not even a ripple in her heart.

During the five years Li Rong stayed by his side, there were over a thousand days and nights when they could have become husband and wife, but he had used nothing more than a ridiculous excuse to turn all of Li Rong's feelings into endless waiting.

He loved Li Rong, yet he was unwilling to even give her marriage. His love was truly too cheap.

(End of Chapter)