061. Kindred Spirits, Embracing Each Other (Weekend Bonus Chapter)

Evening fell at the Jing family dining room. Jing Qingxin’s spirits were low as she quietly ate her meal. Her parents, noticing their daughter’s unusual mood, exchanged a glance. Softly, her mother asked, “Yuanyuan, what’s the matter? Do you not like tonight’s dishes?”

Jing Qingxin quickly put on a smile. “No, I was just thinking about something. Mom, Dad, I’m done eating. You two take your time—I’ll head upstairs to handle a few things.”

Her parents watched helplessly as their daughter ascended the stairs back to her room. In that moment, they deeply felt what it meant to have a daughter growing up—she now had her own thoughts and secrets.

Back in her room, Jing Qingxin looked at the two hiking backpacks set in the corner and felt a wave of irritation. She swiftly packed them away into the “Flowing Light Brocade,” out of sight and out of mind.

She settled onto the beauty couch by the window, gazing into the distance, her eyes unfocused and lost in thought. Her mind replayed her mother’s words in the courtyard just moments ago, and in that instant, an image of Gao Shen flashed through her mind.

Now, Jing Qingxin had no choice but to face her own heart. From the very beginning, she had harbored a unique feeling toward Gao Shen. And in her mother’s gentle words just now, she suddenly realized—this feeling was love.

It began with closeness, grew into trust, blossomed into subtle affection, and had now become an aching longing she could not ignore. The inability to traverse time filled her with fear, while deep inside, she felt an unspeakable sorrow and reluctance to let go.

She had never been in love, yet at this moment, she felt with absolute clarity—she was in love with Gao Shen. She wanted to be with him.

All these years, she’d always felt something missing in her heart—a piece she could never quite touch. Perhaps, what she’d been waiting for all this time was Gao Shen, waiting across the river of time. Perhaps Gao Shen was that missing piece of her soul.

At this thought, tears shimmered in her reddened eyes as she looked up at the sky. “Heaven, since you let me find him, why do you keep us separated at the ends of time?”

Only the solitude of night answered her. Blinking back tears, she turned away from the window and moved to her bed. Suddenly, her gaze fell on the bag of books on her desk—the books she had chosen for Gao Shen.

She walked over, gently caressing the covers, and took out one of the military novels. Seeing the desk cluttered with books, she waved her hand and packed them all away into the “Flowing Light Brocade.”

Sitting at her desk, holding the military book, she pictured Gao Shen reading with focused intent. She opened the cover, revealing a blank page. Taking a pen from the holder, she wrote a single sentence: “The greatest distance in the world is between you and me…”

At that moment, the tears she had been holding back fell silently. Would they truly never meet again? The question echoed in her heart.

Setting the pen aside, she picked up the ancient ink jade pendant she always wore, gently stroking it over and over. She refused to believe that her fate with Gao Shen could be so brief. If she had been brought to his side, there must be a reason; with no answers yet found, how could their connection end here?

If she truly could never cross over again, what would become of Gao Shen? Would he forget her?

No—she could not accept that. She didn’t want Gao Shen to forget her. Never could she have imagined that one day her feelings would burn so fiercely.

She lay upon her desk, letting the tears flow down her cheeks, clutching the ink jade pendant tightly. In her heart she called out, again and again: Gao Shen… Gao Shen…

Different times, different places, different worlds—these were barriers no ordinary person could cross. Yet, because of the simultaneous, heartfelt yearning of two people, because of a love so intense and unwavering, time itself was bent, drawing a line that linked the man and woman at the ends of time.

Gao Shen held his own ink jade pendant, his heart heavy beyond words. Suddenly, his keen senses detected a subtle change in the room.

He looked up to the center of the room. A faint golden light enveloped a human figure. His heart clenched. In an instant, he darted across the room with the agility of a leopard, forgetting his injured left foot, his entire being fixated on the beloved figure before him.

As Gao Shen approached, the golden light faded, revealing the graceful form of a woman.

“Qingxin!”

Once he was certain that it was the person he had yearned for day and night, Gao Shen called her name—a name he’d whispered countless times in his heart—his voice trembling with joy. He pulled Jing Qingxin into an embrace, holding her tightly.

Feeling the softness of her in his arms, inhaling the scent that belonged only to her, Gao Shen finally felt his heart come alive.

It was only when Gao Shen embraced her that Jing Qingxin suddenly realized—she had crossed time and space to be here?

It felt unreal. Just a moment ago, she had been weeping at her desk. In the next, she was in Gao Shen’s arms? Was this a dream?

And she thought she’d heard Gao Shen call her name. After all their meetings, he had always been so formal. She had never heard him call her “Qingxin” with such intimacy.

Feeling the warmth of his embrace, Jing Qingxin reached out and wrapped her arms around Gao Shen’s broad back, murmuring softly, “Gao Shen? Is that you?”

Every cell in Gao Shen’s body seemed to come alive. He tightened his hold, his deep voice replying, “It’s me.”

In that moment, both their hearts whispered the same thought: How wonderful.

They stood in silence, holding each other tightly in the middle of the room, as if only this embrace could convince them that what they saw and felt was real.

After a long while, Gao Shen’s reason and self-control gradually returned. Suddenly, he realized his actions might be too forward. Worried she would think him rash, he quickly let her go.

His gaze lingered on her face, and he noticed the traces of tears on her cheeks. His eyes darkened with concern as he gently wiped them away. “Why are you crying?” he asked softly.

Jing Qingxin managed a faint smile, sniffled, and said quietly, “I thought I would never see you again.”

Gao Shen’s heart trembled, and then delight flooded his chest. Did this mean she felt the same way about him?

But there was something more pressing on his mind. “Qingxin, did something happen? Why did you take so long this time?”