The Double
Chapter 327 - 120 Gentle_5

Chapter 327: Chapter 120 Gentle_5

Jiang Li asked, "Am I not?"

"You are a Man-eating Flower," Jih Heng said.

Jiang Li smiled.

When they first met, they were wary and guarded against each other. Later, it was when Jiang Li suddenly revealed Jih Heng’s intentions and laid her life before him. It was as if they had exchanged a secret, fostering a sense of alliance borne of mutual understanding.

Of course, this might have been Jiang Li’s illusion, but whether Jih Heng was pretending or sincere, this was still the first time they could sit together and talk so peacefully.

"Tomorrow we’ll be heading back to Xiangyang and then to Yanjing," Jiang Li said, "On the way, perhaps Princess Yongning will have received the news and pursue us to kill, or perhaps Ji Shuran’s people with their unyielding thieving hearts will pose obstructions. All these troubles, I’ll have to trouble the Duke to help clear them."

"Do you see me as your guard?" Jih Heng said amusedly, "Aren’t you afraid I might kill you?"

"My life is yours, it’s your belonging," Jiang Li said cheekily, "To protect your own possessions by killing some bandits—that’s quite normal, isn’t it?"

The Hidden Guards under Jih Heng, lurking secretly nearby, were all dumbfounded upon hearing this. Even though Jiang Li’s words made no sense, they somehow seemed to be quite reasonable, with no grounds for rebuttal.

"It seems I didn’t collect your life," Jih Heng said, "but a burden."

"Maybe one day, this burden will be of help to you," Jiang Li chuckled.

She said it earnestly, not at all like a joke. Jih Heng said, "If you knew what I’m doing, you wouldn’t say that. For now," he let out a low chuckle, "child’s talk is free of harm."

Jiang Li, at her age, was at the prime of her youth, yet in Jih Heng’s eyes, she was still but a "child."

Jiang Li watched Jih Heng and thought that if she counted her previous lifetime, she and he were of similar age. But at such a young age, he wasn’t just any young man; he seemed to carry countless secrets, each one heavy. When he had become used to these secrets, things that many in the world couldn’t accept seemed insignificant to him.

Everyone has their own secrets.

Jiang Li said, "Who knows? Maybe on that day, my decision will also surprise the Duke, right? But I have to live to see that day first."

Talking about life and death, the girl seemed not to mind at all. However, her indifference did not come from distance or uncaring detachment, but from a clear, penetrating understanding. She didn’t expect to live long but was not afraid of a short life.

Jih Heng watched her with interest. Jiang Li was a girl with a secret; looking at what she did, she didn’t seem like someone who would easily give up—like a wild weed frantically fighting for survival in the crevices, fierce and full of vitality. Yet, when she talked about giving up her life, she did so with ease. It was as if her entire existence had been to accomplish one thing. For that purpose, she strived to live, and once that was done, nothing, including her life, mattered anymore.

"This play is a long one," Jih Heng said with a light laugh, "I’d regret it if you weren’t in it."

"Really?" Jiang Li turned her head to look at him, her feet lightly swinging under her skirt like a carefree girl. She also smiled, "To be regretted by the Duke is an honor for me. If the Duke were to get into the act, and we sang the same play, perhaps the ending of the play could be happier."

Jih Heng’s beautiful eyes narrowed, "Why do you always try to drag me into the game? I’ve told you, I don’t play these roles."

Indeed, he didn’t play roles because he was the mastermind behind the world’s greatest play. Even the supreme figure in the Golden Throne Hall was manipulated by him. The situation was ever-changing; factions rose and fell, vying for power and profit. But after all the twists and turns, who were they unknowingly making the bridal dress for?

"I want to stand on the Duke’s side. At the very least, not be the Duke’s enemy," she said, showing an unusual display of obedience.

As part of the Jiang Family, the leading civil official family of Northern Yan, the family must choose a side in the imperial court’s current turmoil. This has always been the case throughout history; choosing the right side could lead to prosperity and protection for generations, but choosing poorly could have unforeseeable consequences. In the game of winners and losers, there’s nothing to regret, as it’s the path one chooses.

Setting aside that Prince Cheng was Yongning’s brother, simply from the perspective of likelihood, Jiang Li preferred to choose a side that seemed unbeatable. The ruthlessness of Jih Heng, silent but terrifying, made him seem likely to be the final victor.

She had long since changed her strategy; she wouldn’t confront head-on. Since peaceful coexistence was unattainable, it was best to make her stance clear and start choosing sides early.

Whether Jih Heng agreed or not, if she could bluff her opponents, that too was a good thing.

Jih Heng looked at her with a smile brimming with understanding, as if he saw through all her plans. Brushing off a snowflake that had landed on his sleeve, he said, "You really don’t need to pretend to be obedient, Ah Li."