A Figure on Jade Steps in the Wind and Snow 95

Chapter 95: Confession

Shen Zhishu couldn’t remember how she had strolled through the lantern festival, or how she had returned home.

She had only one thought in her mind—so Jiang Yu knew.

So Jiang Yu had remembered her previous life a long time ago.

Shen Zhishu lay on the bed, blew out the lamp, and watched as the watery moonlight streamed in through the carved window lattice, imprinting a checkered pattern on the floor.

She closed her eyes and then opened them, rolled from the head of the bed to the foot, and wrapped herself in the blanket from head to toe. She just couldn’t figure it out.

Since Jiang Yu had remembered her previous life… then why didn’t she say so?

She didn’t mention it because the feelings of her previous life were illusory, and the ending was unbearable to look back on. Then what about her?

She didn’t mention it, but she kept saying that she wanted to be her close friend, and she kept asking for things from her…

Ever since she had remembered her previous life, Jiang Yu was no longer the Eldest Princess of Nan’an who had never had a friend and was always alone, but a twelve-immortal who had gone through all sorts of things and had seen the vicissitudes of life.

She should have known what this meant to ordinary people.

Shen Zhishu suddenly couldn’t understand what Jiang Yu was after.

Then… did she know that she had remembered the past?

Probably not. She had mentioned in front of her that she had not seen the face of the person in her dream clearly.

In her previous life, the love between high immortals was not tolerated by the heavens. So from the moment she entered the immortal class, she had been prepared to sever her feelings and love.

She had also thought that if Jiang Yu were willing to respond to her feelings—even if it were just for a moment—she would be willing to remove her immortal bones, descend to the mortal world, and then talk about love with a high immortal.

But Jiang Yu did not.

Shen Zhishu let out a self-deprecating laugh and thought, I’d better not have too much hope.

It was the same in her previous life—in the dark and rainy night, she had had the illusion that they were in love with each other countless times, but every time she tried to test it, it was always a fruitless effort.

So she would be disappointed for a while, and then her hope would be rekindled. It was like this, in a cycle, until the end of her life, and she had not declared her love until she died.

Was it cowardice? Perhaps.

She was too afraid to hear a firm “we are impossible” from Jiang Yu’s mouth, which would declare that her grand feelings had come to nothing.

She returned home alone, lay on the bed, and thought idly that tomorrow was the day Jiang Yu would select her consort.

Actually, after the State Preceptor had transferred her spiritual energy to her, she would not die so easily on the battlefield in this life, and her vow not to get married would no longer be valid.

But… she didn’t dare to bet on Jiang Yu’s feelings.

She then thought again, if Jiang Yu had really remembered the past on the night she returned to the capital, then when exactly was it?

Was it on the bed? Or was it earlier, when she was stopping her horse?

What was she thinking at that time? Just like their getting along day and night after that, watching her go from distant to close, what was she thinking at those many, many moments?

She stayed awake until the third watch and heard the sound of the water clock from the end of the alley.

I probably won’t be able to sleep tonight, she thought.

Fortunately, she had nothing to do tomorrow. She could sleep for a whole day and then go to Jiang Yu’s manor to wish her a happy new year.

She suddenly thought again, Should I go to the selection of a consort tomorrow?

—After all, even if Jiang Yu was not in love with her, she had clearly expressed her willingness to marry her.

Shen Zhishu still couldn’t make up her mind.

It wasn’t that she hadn’t had the idea of confessing.

In her previous life, she was not the only one by Jiang Yu’s side. She could have a great chat with the elders of the Cold Cloud Palace and would not be stingy with her greetings to the mountain guests of the Rebirth Sect. The little mountain boy at the foot of the mountain was very familiar with her and would often sneak into her territory for food and water.

Shen Zhishu later became familiar with that mountain boy and once asked him casually if Jiang Wuya had any familiar friends. That mountain boy gave a long list of names, and Shen Zhishu had to pick herself out with difficulty.

So she would think: was she the most special to Jiang Yu?

Probably not. Look, even the mountain boy who was with Jiang Yu every day didn’t think so.

So those unknown thoughts were suppressed in her heart and were buried deep in the dark. She made up her mind that she would not let them see the light of day until she was absolutely sure.

Until she also became a high immortal, those foolish desires finally settled down and came to nothing.

I wonder what Jiang Yu is doing at this moment?

Tomorrow is the selection of a consort, and she is also holding a birthday banquet. Will she also be unable to sleep all night due to excitement?

Probably not. After all, she has always been calm and composed.

In the long night, all was silent, the north wind suddenly stopped, and the wind chime under the eaves was also silent. It really felt as if she was the only one in the world—

There was a sudden rustling sound from the window.

Her line of sight was blocked by the bedpost, and the area of the window was completely out of her field of vision, so Shen Zhishu suddenly sat up straight—

The person she had been thinking of just now was standing there with her back to the light, her outline outlined in silver.

Jiang Yu lightly jumped down from the window, her features hazy, and she was hidden in the night, her emotions unclear.

It was just like that late night a long, long time ago, when it was pouring rain outside. Jiang Yu had just come out of seclusion, holding a hydrangea lantern with a faint light, and had come from the path, and she had reached the window in a flash.

It was almost as if she had fallen from the sky.

Shen Zhishu almost thought she was having a hallucination, until Jiang Yu called out, “General.”

“General,” she said. “Why isn’t the General asleep yet?”

Unlike that long, long ago night, the sky outside was bright and the moon was bright today, and the room was dim and dark.

Jiang Yu was not holding a lantern, and the darkness always gave people a narrow and cramped feeling—

So much so that Shen Zhishu’s throat was a little tight.

She let out a low “Mm” and said frankly, “I can’t sleep.”

“Why can’t you sleep?”

“I was thinking of you.”

The person by the bed paused.

“Is that so?” Jiang Yu asked in a faint voice.

Shen Zhishu did not answer.

I was too impulsive, she said in her heart. It’s always like this. It seems that with the protection of the dark night, those greed, anger, and foolishness can be unrestrainedly spewed out.

Jiang Yu suddenly took off her shoes and got onto the bed.

Her movements were too fast and fierce, so much so that before Shen Zhishu could react, she had already been pushed down on the bed by her.

Her waist sank, and the Eldest Princess knelt on her.

The posture was exactly the same as in that twisted dream of her previous life, except that in the dream, she was lying on a green wilderness, and now she was paralyzed in a dim bed; in the dream, Jiang Yu had bent down to kiss her, and now…

“Is that so?” Jiang Yu asked again. “My manor has been bustling with activity these past few days, and those who want to be my consort have all sent me letters of introduction. Since the General is thinking of me, why has your letter of introduction not yet arrived?”

Shen Zhishu’s throat rolled, and her gaze was unwavering, watching as Jiang Yu’s head slowly lowered.

A certain person’s hair, with the scent of cedar, lightly brushed over her neck.

The night was dark, and body heat and pine fragrance were intertwined.

The exposed skin was a little itchy.

They were so close that Shen Zhishu did not know what Jiang Yu was after, so she just closed her eyes.

The next moment, she heard Jiang Yu say in a faint voice, “Open your eyes.”

The moment she opened her eyes, a brocade rope snaked out from Jiang Yu’s sleeve and was tied around her in a flash.

Jiang Yu continued, “Speak. Why has your letter of introduction not come?”

Shen Zhishu swallowed and took a breath impassively, answering irrelevantly, “Why are you tying me up?”

Jiang Yu narrowed her eyes and looked at her, and suddenly pulled on the end of the rope, causing it to embed into Shen Zhishu’s skin.

She said with a blank expression, “Don’t you know?”

“I don’t,” Shen Zhishu hissed in pain.

Jiang Yu slowly and methodically twisted the non-existent dust from her fingertips and suddenly lowered her head a little more.

Her black hair all fell on the brocade pillow, and her nose was almost touching Shen Zhishu’s.

“Little Lord Shen,” Jiang Yu said. “You’re late.”

In the darkness, those deeply hidden and baseless speculations grew wildly, like a lantern fish that had escaped from the dark deep sea where there was no sunlight.

Shen Zhishu opened her mouth and heard Jiang Yu give her an ultimatum:

“If you hide again, Your Excellency, this Princess will tie you up and drag you to our wedding.”

Shen Zhishu’s pupils suddenly shrank.

The unmelted snow on the window slid down from the eaves with a rustle, and the moonlight shone on the visible and invisible places.

Shen Zhishu did not dare to think deeply about what these words meant. In fact, she was also powerless to do so—her brain had almost shut down.

She heard herself ask, “Why?”

“Hmm?”

“Why do you have to marry me?”

Jiang Yu straightened up and placed her wrist on Shen Zhishu’s waist.

She did not answer directly, but instead asked, “Doesn’t the General know?”

“What do I know?” Shen Zhishu said. “You keep saying ‘be honest in everything,’ but you don’t tell me anything. How would I know?”

Perhaps it was because the atmosphere was too ambiguous, but when Shen Zhishu opened her mouth, she was unrestrained. After she had spoken, she belatedly realized that her tone was a little harsh and even had a hint of accusation.

But Jiang Yu did not seem to care about this at all.

Her hand, which was on Shen Zhishu’s waist, slid up a little, and she asked, “What have I hidden from you?”

“What have you hidden?” Shen Zhishu was almost angered into a laugh. “You knew about your previous life on the night I returned to the capital, but you didn’t mention it at all when you were close to me and asked for things from me.”

Jiang Yu seemed to be thinking, and after a moment, she said, “Oh,” “I wasn’t hiding it. It’s just that you never asked me, so of course I didn’t say.”

Shen Zhishu narrowed her eyes and asked, “Are you being reasonable?”

“What is reason?” Jiang Yu said. “Is it the reason why the General is unwilling to accept my marriage proposal?”

Shen Zhishu’s gaze shifted from Jiang Yu’s face to her collar.

Jiang Yu had lived for thousands of years and was not the naive person she had originally thought. She should have known what kind of absurd illusion such words would bring to people.

So what did she mean? Especially in the situation where they both knew about their previous lives…

Shen Zhishu let out a low laugh, suddenly broke free from the rope, and with a sudden burst of force, she switched places with Jiang Yu.

She grabbed Jiang Yu’s shoulders and pressed her under her, the emotions in her eyes clear at a glance.

The tables had turned.

The next moment, she paused, and then she lowered her head and kissed her.

It was a light touch, a fleeting taste.

She restrained herself and moved away a few centimeters, turning her head to the side, and her thin lips brushed over the side of Jiang Yu’s face.

The dark night and the tide were intertwined, and Shen Zhishu’s eyes only had Jiang Yu’s hazy outline.

She shook her head and said in a deep voice:

“Your Highness asked me why I am unwilling to marry you. This is my response. Jiang Wuya, I am in love with you. I have coveted you in my dark dreams for thousands of years, but I have never known your heart…”

The second half of her sentence was swallowed up by a certain person’s sudden action—

Jiang Yu suddenly raised her hand, wrapped her arms around Shen Zhishu’s neck, and then pressed down with force.

Their lips and tongues met, and their hair was in a tangled mess.

A certain person’s tongue pried open Shen Zhishu’s teeth, and then was chased back by Shen Zhishu’s rapid breathing.

The sound of the water clock seeped into the room through the not-so-closed window, startling a moist shiver.

Jiang Yu was almost out of breath. She turned her head slightly, but was held by the chin by Shen Zhishu and turned back.

“Your Highness,” she said softly. “Wuya, do you know that I am really very happy now?”

Jiang Yu narrowed her eyes and looked at her, and after a moment, she wrapped her arms around Shen Zhishu’s shoulders again.

The moonlight quietly leaked into the window and shone on the edge of the bed. The bedding was half-bright and half-dark.

The night was boundless, and they kissed until they were lost in a daze.