Forgotten Tale of Jianghu

At that moment—when his gaze met hers—he felt it.

The quickened rhythm of his own heartbeat.

Was it the pulse of desire?

No.

The thought was dismissed instantly, with unwavering certainty. Xin Long was not a man who lost himself to lust. He was merely someone who feigned pleasure when the situation demanded it—nothing more.

He had experienced joy before, countless times. But never the kind born from shallow cravings. He knew it, just as he ensured no one else ever did.

A man like him could only afford to wear the mask of indulgence, his true emotions buried beneath layers of icy control. To Xin Long, those who drowned in lust were no better than dogs—creatures enslaved by their own base instincts.

And because of that belief, he kept his mind caged, his desires chained.

Yet, in the depths of his heart, he understood one thing—his current life might one day force him to walk the same wretched path as those very dogs he despised.

He knew it.

Just as his enemies would soon come to know it too.

The soft glow of lantern light spilled across her face, illuminating the natural, unblemished beauty of her features. Her delicate lips slightly parted, and her pale, ash-colored eyes widened with surprise—the subtle shift in her gaze forming faint circles of shock within her irises.

Though she stood behind the counter, her figure partially hidden, Xin Long could still envision the graceful silhouette beneath. To him, she was a rare beauty—unmatched, beyond comparison.

She was like a snow lotus blooming atop a frozen peak—a fleeting, once-in-a-lifetime sight.

She was a priceless treasure, a gem of immeasurable worth.

And for all he knew… this might be the last time he ever laid eyes on her.

The thought slipped into his mind unbidden, lingering as he stood frozen, his gaze resting on her. His admiration wasn't intentional—it simply unfolded in the stillness of the moment.

Then, with steady steps, he moved forward, one step at a time.

Before he could speak, a voice broke through the silence.

"Little sister Chu Cao, are you closing up soon? Sister Bai Jing Jing told me to remind you — the food's already prepared..."

The voice belonged to none other than Ye Yue, who had just entered the shop through the back door.

"Oh… who do we have here?..." Ye Yue's lips curved into a sly smile as her gaze landed on Xin Long. "The famous mercenary, isn't it? Heh…"

Her words, laced with mockery, echoed in the air.

Xin Long's sharp eyes caught the brief flicker of discomfort that crossed Chu Cao's face. The slight falter of her smile. The soft sigh she tried to stifle — a subtle exhale as though pushing aside a burden.

Why did she sigh?

He didn't know.

And he didn't care to wonder.

…

"I'll close up after this last customer…" Chu Cao replied calmly, a faint, forced smile lingering on her lips. "Please let Sister Bai Jing Jing know, Sister Ye Yue…"

Ye Yue gave a short nod, her tone light but unmistakably pointed. "Mm… then hurry up and finish… We're waiting for you — let's all eat together..."

Her words, smooth yet subtly cutting, lingered in the air as she turned gracefully and walked away.

Xin Long watched the retreating figure of Ye Yue, his mind ever calculating.

A faint smile ghosted across Xin Long's face at her words — subtle, yet impossible for Chu Cao to miss. Clad in his usual black robes, Xin Long moved closer, his presence as calm and cold as ever.

"Same as always, Chu Cao..."

Though his voice was flat, the weight behind his words was undeniable. It struck her then — an odd certainty in his tone, as though he fully expected her to have already read the letter he had left behind. The unshakable confidence in his gaze held a quiet intensity, something both familiar and unsettling.

Chu Cao met his eyes briefly, her mind swirling with questions.

"When did you ever buy medicine here before…" she replied, her voice carrying a faint, defiant edge. "No matter — just write down the herbs you need..."

With a flick of her wrist, she placed a sheet of paper and a brush on the counter, daring him to write. She didn't know why she said it — maybe to break the silent tension creeping between them, maybe to prove something to herself.

Xin Long accepted the brush without hesitation. The scratch of ink against paper was the only sound between them.

When he finished, he slid the paper back to her — but not before casting her a fleeting, half-smile. The kind that seemed more like a quiet mockery than any true warmth.

Chu Cao took the paper, her heart inexplicably quickening.

On it were the same words he had just spoken.

"Same as always… Chu Cao..."

Her lips parted slightly in surprise. She looked up, but by then, Xin Long had already turned, his movements slow and deliberate, heading toward the shop's exit.

He never wrote down the herbs.

Just that same, cryptic phrase.

Was he saying that… nothing had changed between them?

A strange sense of satisfaction tugged at her heart, though she couldn't quite understand why. She didn't stop him — only watching as he stepped outside.

For a moment, her gaze drifted from Xin Long's retreating figure to Ye Yue's graceful movements from earlier. The contrast struck her — Xin Long's steps were calm, yet firm… sharper than Ye Yue's fluid elegance.

Could someone like him truly be just a mercenary?

No — impossible.

A man who moved like that would never survive in a world of hired blades unless he was far more dangerous than he appeared.

And yet, as she stood there, clutching the meaningless words on the paper… she couldn't shake the feeling that whatever Xin Long was hiding, it ran far deeper than she could imagine.

"You can come back next week if you want the same as always, Xin Long… The herbs you need aren't in stock yet..."

Chu Cao's voice was calm, steady — but the name she added was deliberate. She didn't know why she said it, why she felt the need to remind him that she had read his note. Perhaps it was her way of pushing back, of letting him know she wasn't as easily swayed as he seemed to think.

And yet… deep down, she couldn't lie to herself.

For almost two years now, ever since that single line he had written, Xin Long had cast a shadow over her thoughts — a quiet, unyielding presence.

She saw the flicker of a reaction — a slight pause in his step. It was brief, but unmistakable. Then, without a word, Xin Long gave a small nod.

And just like that, he turned and disappeared into the snow-covered streets.

Chu Cao watched him go, her heart a tangled mess of emotions she couldn't untangle.

End – 37