Yang Zheyan had others look at the poem and read it, but no one understood the language. It was a language that was not recorded in history, nor was there a place that used to be called Lou Zemin. The only people who could read it fluently were him and Lu Weisheng.
Both of them couldn't understand how they were able to read a lost language when no else can. Yet, tonight, he found a third person who can read the language fluently as both of them did.
F*uck… Xiong Jingfei bit on her tongue, realizing she made a mistake, a huge one.
It was her first time seeing the language of her past life, so it just slipped out naturally. She didn't mean to read it out loud! But there wasn't any excuse she can think of or a good enough one to cover up her mistake.
"I… I want to use our deal to keep my silence on this one." Xiong Jingfei answered, avoiding eye contact with him.
She came for the koi fish pouch, but because of her mistake, she may have to strike a different deal with Yang Zheyan. Stealing wasn't a talent of hers when it comes to taking back an item that was originally hers.
"Why…" There was a twinge of anger in Yang Zheyan's voice as his strength on her arm increased. "Why won't you answer my questions?"
"What do you want more? To go back with you or the answer to your question?" Xiong Jingfei asked, giving him two choices that were hard to choose.
Yang Zheyan took a step forward, and she immediately took a step back. Both of them repeated this until the back of her right foot tapped against the wall. She became trapped without any more room to take another step back.
Xiong Jingfei's back straightened up against the wall, while Yang Zheyan closed any gaps that were an inch wide. It was no longer just their faces that were less than an inch apart but their body too.
"What are you doing?" Xiong Jingfei used her hand to push on his chest and tried to free her wrist from his clutches. She was surprised that she was able to suppress her voice from quivering.
Yang Zheyan was furious, very.
It was a rare sight for Xiong Jingfei to witness Yang Zheyan truly riling up. In the past and present, she can count them all with one hand on how often she has seen it or experienced it.
"Look at me."
Xiong Jingfei immediately flipped up her head and looked up at him. His eyes were no longer friendly, and his gentlemanly smile was no longer visible. Everything about him was cold and scary.
This side of him was the true Yang Zheyan behind the smile and friendly gesture. He can make you feel like you're walking on cloud nine or feel like you're in the depth of hell.
"People's inner desire and thoughts are always so easy for me to read." Yang Zheyan placed his forehead on top of hers as he peered into her eyes. She was missing the beautiful innocent shine he saw back when they first encountered each other in this very room. "You're different."
Xiong Jingfei averted her eyes. It felt like he could see all her secrets and emotions if he stared on any longer. Her breathing became heavier, and her struggle against him decreased.
She already knew he could read what others want from him. People's greedy desires became their weakness while it became Yang Zheyan's strength. That's how he was able to bring people down to their knees without doing much in the past or present.
"Yet when it comes to you, I am finding it difficult and hard to understand you. I can no longer tell what you want and what you're thinking of." Yang Zheyan let go of her arm but didn't free her from their confined wall space. "You changed, different from the previous you. Is it because of Wu Yuan that changed you and made you want to break off our engagement?"
"Our engagement? It was never OURS, but the elders that wanted us to be together!" Xiong Jingfei shouted, and the thunder roared outside as if responding to her emotions. "Why do you even care if I break it off? You and I never wanted any part of it. Isn't that why we purposely avoided the topic and each other up until a month ago!?"
"Yes, you're right." Yang Zheyan didn't deny any of it. "I didn't then, but I do now."
"W-what?" Xiong Jingfei slowly shook her head. "We don't even love each other."
"If it's love that you want, then I can make you fall in love with me. We are late, but it's never too late to get to know each other." Yang Zheyan tenderly lifted the arm he grabbed onto earlier and kissed the wrist. "But you're still hiding something from me. So, tell me. What is it that you are desperately trying to hide?"
"I am not hiding anything, but it's the fact that you will never understand any of it!" Xiong Jingfei tried yanking her wrist out of his grasp, but it came off looking like she didn't even try. "I can explain and scream it until my throat goes dry, but you still will never understand it!"
Fall in love with you? I did fall in love with you. So in love that I wasn't willing to be another man's wife. You will never understand unless your memories return, Zheyan.
"Then explain it to me!" Yang Zheyan raised his voice, but there was immediate regret after seeing her pained expression. He never felt this desperate for someone or something in his life. "You never tried to talk to me since that day. How do you know I won't understand it when you haven't even tried?"
Xiong Jingfei pushed him away from her, and he took two stumbling steps back. She wasn't on the same level as Yang Zheyan, who could have his emotions immediately back in check. She let out a deep breath and used her hands to comb roughly through her hair.
"Feifei, I-"
"Do you believe in having a past life? Do you believe in reincarnation?"
Yang Zheyan stared at her blankly like she asked a question that had nothing to do with both of them.
"Does it feel like I am spewing nonsense?" She scoffed, expecting him to have that type of reaction. "I must look like a crazy woman right now to you."
Yang Zheyan couldn't find himself to tell her yes or no. Past life and reincarnation?
Xiong Jingfei felt the burning tears slipping down as she said, "Would you believe me if I told you we had a past life together?"