To express gratitude for the Silver Dragon Guard’s protection of her and her granddaughter all the way back from Nanxin, Han Qiongyue had sent an invitation to Li Tianzhuo.
The chaotic crowd turned in unison to look toward the entrance.
Deng Youning did the same. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and her head began to throb. This was the first time in two lifetimes that they had met formally. Recalling his face in her past life—how his hair had turned white in an instant as he cradled her corpse, and how he had died a tragic death while seeking vengeance for her—Deng Youning’s eyes began to swell with tears. When the spring breeze brushed past, she could no longer hold them back. Tears fell like pearls, one by one.
Han Qiongyue, who had been keeping a close eye on Deng Youning, felt a surge of suspicion.
"I dared not trouble Lord Li to grace my granddaughter’s recognition banquet with his presence," Deng Zheng said as he stepped forward to greet their guest, though his words held no hint of welcome.
"I was the one who invited him," Han Qiongyue said, walking over to exchange pleasantries with Li Tianzhuo.
Li Tianzhuo was not a man to be trifled with, and since he was the guest of honor invited by the Matriarch herself, the Deng family had no choice but to suppress their displeasure.
"What a coincidence! Today, I brought a bracelet as a gift for Miss Ningning," Li Tianzhuo said. Carrying the jewelry box, he walked step by step toward Deng Youning. The crowd parted automatically to either side, as if clearing a path for them.
Deng Youning stood rooted to the spot, watching the peerless young man who saw no one but her. At his waist hung the other half of the jade pendant that matched her own.
For sixteen years in the Ten Thousand Serpents Valley, she had been tempered by toxins day after day. While she had developed a body immune to all poisons, she had not spent a single day without dreaming of escape. Because it hurt—it hurt more than a thousand ants devouring one's bones. Dozens of poisonous insects biting her skin, hundreds of toxins poured into her gut. There were many others like her, but she was the only one who had lived to her age. The others had all been tortured to death. She had thought of ending it all, of finding relief in death, but she had made a promise to someone: if she survived, they would meet again in this lifetime. Until she saw him, she could not bear to die.
But now, the man she had missed for two lifetimes stood right before her, and she found she did not dare to acknowledge him. A fierce battle against Deng Xuelian and the Crown Prince was inevitable. In her past life, she had already implicated Li Tianzhuo once; in this life, she would never let him come to harm again.
"Greetings, Lord Li," Deng Youning said, offering a stiff, cold bow.
Seeing her attitude, Li Tianzhuo’s heart skipped a beat. Then, he reconsidered—it made sense. They had not yet identified each other with their jade pendants; how could she know who he was?
"Miss, do you recognize this item?" Li Tianzhuo asked, hurriedly taking out his half of the jade pendant.
Deng Youning’s heart felt as though it were being crushed by a giant hand, leaving her in agony, breathless. She clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms, drawing blood, though she felt no pain.
"I... I do not," she replied, sniffling to steady her emotions.
Li Tianzhuo let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh. He didn't understand why Ningning would lie, but he knew that her swollen eyes, her evasive gaze, and that choked-up voice could fool everyone else, but not him. If he hadn't been reborn, if he hadn't sought her out himself, would she have lived her whole life without acknowledging him, just as in the previous life?
"This is the Jingyue Nine Immortals Blood White Jade Bracelet that I specially petitioned the Emperor for," he said. "I present it to you today, Second Miss Deng. May your days in the Capital be peaceful and tranquil, and may the path ahead of you be free of obstacles."
With these words, he took Deng Youning’s hand, removed the chalcedony bracelet Deng Zheng had given her, and replaced it with his own.
The guests were sharp-eyed and knew their valuables. They quickly recognized the rarity of Li Tianzhuo’s gift.
"The Jingyue Nine Immortals Blood White Jade is worth more than a thousand pieces of gold!"
"I heard only two tributes were ever crafted from this jade: one was the jade ruyi ornament sent to the Empress Dowager, and the other is the bracelet on Second Miss Deng’s wrist!"
"For Lord Li to beg this from the Emperor, his intentions are clear!"
By gifting such a precious item before half the Capital, Li Tianzhuo was making a declaration: Deng Youning was under his protection. From now on, any ghosts or monsters wishing to trouble her would have to weigh whether they were capable of facing Li Tianzhuo’s blade.
"Matriarch, State Protector, I have pressing official business, so I will not linger," Li Tianzhuo said. He had come only to deliver the bracelet, and having done so, he left immediately, giving the bewildered Deng Zheng and Han Qiongyue no chance to question him.
Deng Zheng recalled that when he had tried to compete for a bracelet against Li Tianzhuo that day, the man had claimed it was for his "little one." Why had it ended up at the State Protector Estate? Han Qiongyue was even more confused. She remembered Yingshi telling her on their return that Ningning had half of a Nanxin palace jade pendant—linking that to the piece Li Tianzhuo had just produced, could it be...? But that was impossible. How could Li Tianzhuo be royalty from Nanxin? Regardless, Ningning herself had denied recognizing the pendant.
"It seems Lord Li intends to form an alliance with the State Protector Estate! I remember he sent gifts to the Eldest Miss’s birthday banquet as well," a guest remarked.
"Does that mean the Commander sent this gift to the Second Miss out of respect for the Eldest Miss and the State Protector?" another added.
These whispers were heard by Deng Xuelian and the Deng family, making them feel quite prestigious. Regardless of how Li Tianzhuo knew Deng Xuelian, as long as he was on good terms with the State Protector Estate, it was to their benefit.
Deng Xuelian stood among the noble young ladies, smiling like a peach blossom, as if she were the center of the universe. The envious gazes cast her way made her heart bloom with joy. See? No matter when it was, she, Deng Xuelian, would always be the most dazzling young woman in the Capital.
"Xuelian, since you are acquainted with Lord Li, what will happen to your betrothal to the He Clan?" one noblewoman who considered herself close to Deng Xuelian asked, feigning concern.
"You don’t know? That marriage was originally intended for the Second Miss. Now that she is back, it naturally has nothing to do with our Xuelian," another woman, eager to curry favor with Deng Xuelian, explained.
Deng Xuelian merely gave them a tight, artificial smile. The head of the He Clan was the Minister of Revenue, and his son, He Xiangzhe, had passed the imperial examinations long ago and was currently serving as an inspecting censor, overseeing disaster relief in the north. The marriage between the Deng and He families had been arranged by their grandfathers, and the children had grown up as childhood sweethearts. He Xiangzhe was determined to marry Deng Xuelian. However, now that Deng Xuelian had attached herself to the Crown Prince, Jun Wenci, she was looking for a way to break the engagement. Deng Youning’s return was perfectly timed.
The banquet continued. The commotion over the bracelet had left Deng Xuelian with no time to orchestrate her plan to ruin the fireworks. She had no choice but to grit her teeth and watch the display with Deng Youning, feeling utterly indignant. Han Qiongyue had specially arranged the show, knowing that in her sixteen years in the Ten Thousand Serpents Valley, Deng Youning had never seen such a sight. The spectacle was no less grand than a New Year’s celebration.
The arched bridge over the lake was the best spot for viewing the fireworks. Deng Youning had not wanted to join the crowd, but she was ushered onto the bridge by Deng Xuelian and her retinue of noblewomen. The wooden bridge was narrow, and with so many of them crowded on, all fighting for the best view, the jostling caused the wooden railing to snap.