Chapter 118

She still maintained a composed and reserved expression on the surface, like a true traveler out for leisure and relaxation. Slowing her voice, she spoke in a gentle and flowing manner:

"According to historical records, the Zhou King was once pursued and nearly killed in her youth. She fled into the mountains and forests, where she encountered a white deer. The deer had multicolored antlers growing from its head and could speak human language. It asked her why she was lost in the mountains. The Zhou King replied that she had been harmed by villains."

"The white deer then took her into a deep valley and cared for her for half a month, teaching her all kinds of knowledge. The Zhou King took it as her master."

"Later, she returned to the Zhou Kingdom, inherited the throne, annexed surrounding tribes and dynasties, and established the largest regime of that era. She even ended human sacrifices. But before her death, the Zhou King didn’t ask for a mausoleum to be built. Instead, she returned to Luming Mountain. Generations later, people said that she had followed the white deer to ascend into the ranks of the immortals and became the Human Sovereign."

"There’s even a Zhou King Temple built on the mountain. It’s said to be very effective—you can pray for anything. They say it's thanks to ancestral blessings. Ning Ning, should we go offer prayers later?"

Although it was said to be recorded in historical texts, the story was so ancient that it inevitably carried a mythical tone. Zhong Ning just took it as a story and turned her eyes with a smile. "Sure. Is there something you want to pray for, Shiqing?"

Of course—to be with you for the rest of my life!

What else could I possibly wish for? Heaven, what else could I possibly ask for?

Xie Shiqing's expression was tinged with melancholy. She bit her lip and sighed softly. "I’ve never prayed before. I always believed that man could triumph over fate. If you wanted something, you had to fight for it yourself—don’t rely on some vague, intangible luck."

"Looking back, I didn’t lack anything back then, so naturally I had nothing to wish for. But now, I lack so much… and they’re things no amount of praying can get me."

She let out a heavy sigh. "You asked me so suddenly, I really can’t think of anything I want to wish for."

After speaking, perhaps realizing her own gloominess, she tried to lift the mood with a smile. "Is there something you want to wish for, Ning Ning?"

Zhong Ning fell silent for a moment.

There was.

She wanted to go home.

But that wish probably couldn’t be fulfilled either. To successfully obtain the position of heir? That didn’t require a wish—she believed she could do it, and believed that her good fortune would lead her to that goal.

Zhong Ning thought for a moment and said, "I hope there’s a chance your eyes can be healed."

Xie Shiqing was stunned.

It was a completely unexpected answer, so much so that her surprise was genuine.

Her lips moved, and she found—much to her surprise—that her usually eloquent tongue had suddenly lost its voice. "You… why?"

"I don’t really have anything to wish for," Zhong Ning said as she pushed the wheelchair forward step by step. The tires rolled over the stone pavement, making a faint crunching sound.

"If your eyes could recover, you’d definitely be much happier than you are now."

She chuckled softly. "You can take your time and think of another wish."

There was no other wish.

Xie Shiqing’s eardrums caught that soft laugh. It was blended with the wind, birdsong, footsteps, and the murmurs of passersby—all noisy background sounds. Yet the laugh was so clear, it was as if it whispered right beside her ear.

There would be no other wish.

If all the hardships she had endured in the first half of her life were meant to accumulate every bit of luck, just to receive a single moment of fate’s compensation and surprise, then she had already received it.

It wasn’t the soft glow of moonlight, but a sun brilliant and dazzling enough.

The sun that belonged to her was descending by her side.

"Then I’ll have to think carefully," Xie Shiqing said, the words slipping gently from between her teeth, "can’t waste this wish."

Zhong Ning just smiled and said, "Alright."

Luming Mountain covered a vast area, even including a stretch of waterfall, an emerald lake, and a deep valley. There weren’t many artificially crafted sights—everything relied on nature’s magnificent craftsmanship.

There were many steps in this place, but there were also gentle ramps beside them. In fact, Zhong Ning didn’t need to push the wheelchair for too long—it was electric and could move on its own. There was even a pedal in the back to step onto, like a kind of balance scooter.

The speed wasn’t fast, and with many people in the scenic area, it couldn’t go too quickly anyway. However, since Xie Shiqing couldn’t see the path, the direction still had to be guided by Zhong Ning.

The deeper they went, the fewer people there were.

The wind flowed like a green river, stirring the sea of trees. Ancient bell chimes echoed down from the mountaintop, spreading outward like invisible ripples. Yellowing leaves fluttered down with rustling sounds, mingling with the bluish-green foliage, resembling a sky full of dancing butterflies.

To not see such a view with one’s own eyes—what a regret that would be.

Thinking this, Zhong Ning looked at Xie Shiqing with a gaze that carried a trace of pity and sorrow.

"Ning Ning, do you hear the magpies calling?"

"What?"

"Magpies, this one!" Xie Shiqing’s eyes curved with a smile. "The one chirping right now."

Zhong Ning followed the sound and looked over, but all she could see were thick canopies of trees blocking out the sky and sun. She couldn’t tell which branch the magpie had landed on.

She lowered her gaze. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting pale halos of light onto Xie Shiqing’s face. As her lashes blinked, they shimmered with a snowy brightness.

And her expression was as pure and gentle as a mountain spring. Even though she couldn’t see the beauty before her eyes, the sounds of nature kept her from feeling lonely.

The small beauties in life; and the soul to savor it. Perhaps Xie Shiqing truly had changed.

She had learned to open her heart, no longer drowning in the past, no longer hiding in a narrow, dim room, endlessly chewing over her wounds and sorrows, but instead truly stepping out, embracing the sunlight and rain of the outside world.

A soft smile curved Zhong Ning’s lips—a smile that was sincere and entirely genuine.

She was genuinely happy for Xie Shiqing’s transformation.

Zhong Ning wasn’t someone with a strong desire for control, nor did she have the urge to manipulate others or make them live according to her own thoughts.

A person grows into whatever character they are meant to be. If they got along, they could be friends. If not, she wouldn’t force the other to change in order to suit her habits.

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