Chapter 204 Chapter 205 The Past (Part 1)
The music box opened, and a dancer stood up inside, slowly spinning with the music. A burst of soft, colorful light expanded outward, enveloping Is and Jenna nearby.
Ji Ma propped himself up with both elbows, struggling to stand, but his body felt weak. He desperately reached out to grab Jenna, wanting to pull her back. No matter whether it was through contracts, steel chains, or dungeons, he had to keep her by his side; no one could take his woman away.
He had lost control.
Is smiled, and even his face, scarred from burns that could scare a child, appeared somewhat enchanting. He said, “Jenna, I knew you would.”
After saying this, he reached for Jenna’s hand, but she swatted his hand away. Turning her head, she comforted, “Ji Ma, it’s alright. We are still going to marry George together.”
Is’s smile instantly froze, and his gaze became filled with anger. Ji Ma’s hand also stiffened.
Ahhhhh! That damn tail control!
Jenna smiled at Ji Ma, “Alright, actually, I’m a bit anxious too, but please bless me.”
The light became intense, just as it was about to engulf Jenna, Ji Ma suddenly gathered his strength, climbed up from the ground, and rushed into the light.
Then everything in front of him whitened. Dazed, he fell to the ground and saw a music box lying there with a dancer spinning on top, while the two of them had vanished. Ji Ma clenched the hammer tightly, waiting aside, planning to smash Is to pieces the moment he saw him, regardless of anything else.
On the other side.
As for Jenna, in the blink of an eye, she found herself back in her childhood courtyard. At that time, the columns of the porch were still plain and unadorned, unlike later when her father became wealthy and replaced them with intricately carved marble pillars.
On the grass, a dirty little girl was excitedly shouldering a piece of wood, carrying it from the front to the back. A maid, whom Jenna recognized as Aunt Susie, a plump middle-aged woman who had taken care of her throughout her childhood, seemed to have passed away a few years later due to an epidemic.
Jenna stood in front of her, admiring the familiar yet unfamiliar face. Aunt Susie didn’t notice her at all; she kept nearby some ointment for bruises and was knitting, occasionally looking up to peer past Jenna at the little girl in the courtyard.
“Aunt Susie,” little Jenna put down the wood, her round, cute face dripping with sweat, and asked, “Is the book that little Is has really a lie?”
“Shh, your dad said not to call little Is ‘bean sprout’.”
“But he really is very thin.” Little Jenna touched her own bicep skeptically, “Do dragon slayers really lift logs for training? I’ve practiced for a month, and I should be able to send a three-story tall demon dragon flying into the sky. But I can’t even lift a sack of rice.”
“Of course you can.” Aunt Susie encouraged, “Ancient books are written by the great sages of old, they wouldn’t lie.”
“But someone laughed at me and said if lifting logs could make you a warrior, then dock workers would have already been dragon slayers.”
“They don’t know that many dragon slayers started as dock workers. That Beowulf, when he was young, worked at the dock carrying things.”
“But you said he was the son of a tribal lord?”
“He did a lot of work in his youth,” Aunt Susie said, “I’ll quietly tell you a secret to becoming a warrior.”
“What’s the secret?” Little Jenna’s big green eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“It’s not falling or bleeding when you lift logs,” Aunt Susie said, “That’s just one of the secrets. There are many more, and when you become stronger, I’ll tell you.”
“Really?!” Little Jenna’s eyes lit up, “It’s a promise.”
“It’s a promise.”
Jenna gazed at the wrinkles on Aunt Susie’s face, smiling. She now understood that Aunt Susie knew nothing, being illiterate, only having heard songs sung by poor street bards, but her nonsense built a vibrant fantasy world in Jenna’s childhood.
At this moment, time seemed to freeze. Little Jenna and Aunt Susie remained still.
Jenna reached out to Aunt Susie, but her hand passed right through her figure. After pondering for a moment, she came to a conclusion.
This extraordinary item built the inner world based on their deep-seated memories. Just now it was her memory, so it should lead to Is’s memory next.
She looked around and wandered about. When Jenna reached the parlor, time began to flow again.
In the parlor, little Is and his mother were present. Is’s mother said, “You’d better take care of your wild girl; if my precious son gets hurt again, I won’t hold back.”
“I will, I will take good care of my daughter,” Caslan smiled, still young, without a beard on his chin, feeling proud, and said, “To witness our family’s friendship, that order…”
“I will discuss it.” Is’s mother frowned, patting little Is’s head—he was thin and small, with a big head, looking indeed like a bean sprout, “If that wild girl hits you, you must tell me.”
Little Is absentmindedly replied, “Okay, Mom, I will.”
After saying this, he pushed his mother’s hand aside and walked toward Caslan, asking, “Where’s Jenna?”
“She’s playing in the courtyard.”
Little Is dashed out of the room.
Time froze again, with Is’s mother looking disgusted, Caslan smiling, and a servant standing in the corner.
“Just as he said.” Jenna felt an increasing sense of guilt, brewing into bitter wine, “My dad really used me to secure orders from Is’s family.”
She looked at her father and said, “Dad, how could you—”
Jenna sighed and said, “I can’t blame you; you have to support the family, it’s not unreasonable. Only the goddess of fate knows what will happen next.”
Feeling anxious, she turned and walked into the courtyard.
Time began to flow once more in the courtyard, with little Is pitifully following little Jenna who was carrying the log, saying, “Jenna, play with me! Look, I brought something fun.”
Saying this, he produced a wooden frog from his hand, and the wooden frog croaked in his palm, “It can even jump! Everyone loves to play with it.”
Little Jenna turned her head away and said, “That’s it, someone cried to me that you wouldn’t let her play. What’s so fun about it? I have frogs in my back garden too, what’s the difference?”
After saying this, she continued to carry the wood.
Little Is followed behind her, holding the wooden frog in his hands, saying, “It’s better, more fun, it won’t bite you.”
“Frogs don’t bite either.”
“It doesn’t pee.”
“Boring.”
Jenna shook her head.
“Alas~~.” It was young Is’s voice.
The hairs on the back of Jenna’s neck stood up in disgust as she turned to see a glowing orb.
The orb said, “I only understood when I grew up that you didn’t want to play with me not because the wooden frog wasn’t fun, but because I was selfish and didn’t let others join in the fun, only enjoying the happiness brought to me by others.”
Jenna remained silent. She raised her hand but couldn’t see it; she guessed she was also a glowing orb.
“Can you give me another chance?” Is said, “No one understands a woman’s heart better than I do.”
“If you understand, then you would let go.”
“I can’t let go.” Is said, “What you have said, we need not look at that painful memory.”
“I’ve decided to face it; it has nothing to do with you, Is.”
Is said, “I don’t want to reach this point either, but I have no choice.”
“Having no choice is often an excuse for not wanting to be responsible for the consequences of your choices, Is.”
——————
Originally, I didn’t want to post it twice, but everyone must be waiting to see Is’s demise. I’ll update again tonight.
What is the cost?
The cost is that tomorrow’s update time will also be as uncertain as today.
