Xianyu couldn't give her what she wanted?
That much was true.
Jingliu wanted Xianyu to care more about himself.
For the moment, he really couldn't do that.
Could a few words and a few relationships make Xianyu abandon his original intentions?
That would be far too arrogant.
Holding Xianyu's hand, Jingliu slowly slid her grip upward and clasped his wrist.
Softening her voice, she added:
"You'd say you don't want anything, that you don't need anything I could give you."
There were things Xianyu could do himself, yet could never tolerate anyone else doing.
By the same logic, whatever Xianyu said, Jingliu only needed to turn the question back on him.
Just as Jingliu had expected, Xianyu fell silent.
For some reason, Zandar came to Jingliu's mind.
She recalled what the Scholar had said before leaving.
Jingliu abruptly lifted her head.
Not understanding why, Xianyu tilted his head and watched her quietly.
Jingliu stared back, her gaze dazed.
Her lover's expression was no different from usual: gentle and steadfast, as always.
It was as though everything that happened had been within Xianyu's expectations.
As Jingliu looked at his face, her gaze strayed uncontrollably to the mole at the corner of his eye.
A thought swept through her like a wildfire, burning away all reason and making her cheeks scorching hot.
Thanks to the experience Jingliu had accumulated on the battlefield, even with her mind blank, she could spare a little attention to consider her current circumstances.
Before she could suppress the thought, her mind had already reached a conclusion.
It could work.
Jingliu often dealt with her colleagues in the Ten-Lords Commission, sometimes leading the Cloud Knights in escorting dangerous criminals, sometimes participating in the Commission's internal interrogations.
Her colleagues had jokingly called her an unofficial member of the Ten-Lords