The Double-Chapter 622 - 184: Pity

"Xue Fangfei."

His action of pouring tea paused slightly as he looked towards Jiang Li. Jiang Li calmly responded, for she had no other excuse to offer, no other explanation for why Princess Yongning had called her "Xue Fangfei" in the Sky Prison.

Jiang Li thought that Jih Heng must have his own answer as well. His excessive attention to the Xue Family, his familiarity with Tongxiang of Xiangyang, and all the unreasonable incidents surrounding Miss Jiang the Second all made sense if she was Xue Fangfei. Jih Heng couldn’t have missed this point; deceiving him was irrational as he was clear-headed and not easily fooled by anyone.

So she didn’t bother making any effort.

Jih Heng continued pouring tea, the clear liquid filling the white teacup, taking on the hue of spring. He asked, "Where is Miss Jiang the Second?"

Jiang Li replied, "I am Miss Jiang the Second."

This time, Jih Heng laughed, "What do you mean?"

"I am Xue Fangfei, and I am also Miss Jiang the Second. After being strangled to death by a servant of Princess Yongning in the Shen family, the first thing I saw when I woke up was Green City Mountain. The people around me told me I was Miss Jiang the Second, and then I knew I was the daughter of the Prime Minister of Yanjing, sent to Green City Mountain for contemplation because I was accused of matricide and fratricide."

Jih Heng raised an eyebrow, "So you are saying you haven’t changed your appearance?"

Jiang Li smiled lightly, "It seems rather difficult. If the Duke doesn’t believe it, you can have someone check, and Miss Jiuyue can prove it."

Her face, illuminated by the lamp, was fair and lovely, her skin delicate—she didn’t seem to be pretending. Such a face, if tampered with, would likely elicit pity and reluctance to harm it.

"Are you saying this is a story of the supernatural?"

Jiang Li lowered her head and spoke softly, "I have already warned the Duke that you might not believe me if I told you, thinking I’m lying."

After a silence, Jih Heng spoke, neither agreeing nor denying, "I don’t think you are lying."

Jiang Li raised her head, and he still smiled warmly. She couldn’t help saying, "Doesn’t the Duke find what I say to be absurd?"

The matter of her rebirth, even to Jiang Li herself, seemed questionable when she was at Green City Mountain; she would constantly question her heart if this could be an illusion. If the life of Xue Fangfei was simply a vivid dream too real to be true. Had she not returned to Yanjing City and confirmed the existence of Shen Yurong and Xue Fangfei, she might have frequently doubted her own sanity. Who would believe that a dead person could wake up one day and become another?

She didn’t even dare think about if she revealed to Xue Huaiyuan that she was Xue Fangfei, whether he would believe her or dismiss it as nonsense.

"Absurd as it may be, many truths in this world are absurd," Jih Heng said nonchalantly.

He was not shocked by this revelation, nor did he look at Jiang Li differently. His attitude towards her was almost the same as before.

"So after you became Jiang Li, you directly targeted Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning for vengeance, relentless until justice was served?"

Jiang Li gave a wry smile, "What else could I do? What’s done is done; I couldn’t let the Xue Family suffer unjustly. Since heaven granted me a second chance at life, it’s only natural that I seek revenge."

Jih Heng nodded, "That’s reasonable."

"So what about the Duke?" Jiang Li couldn’t help asking, "Knowing all this, don’t you think I am an ominous person, quite terrifying?"

"An ominous person?" Jih Heng raised an eyebrow, seemingly amused by her words, "You have died once and come back to life; that makes you a fortunate person. The truly ominous people are those who don’t even get the chance to be reborn."

Jiang Li was taken aback, feeling as if Jih Heng’s words were also referring to someone else. She paused, then said, "Now that the Duke knows the truth, all I’ve done is because I am Xue Fangfei. I had to do this. If the Duke believes my words are true, can we agree not to pursue our previous arrangement?"

Jih Heng looked at her with a half-smile, "Are you trying to ditch me after crossing the bridge, showing no gratitude for a favor received?"

Jiang Li felt embarrassed. Indeed, this act of hers wasn’t quite honorable. Jih Heng had helped her numerous times, and here she was, speaking the truth once and wanting to separate her path as if being ungrateful. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

"If there’s anything I can assist with, I will surely do my utmost to repay the kindness," Jiang Li said earnestly.