nownovels Chapter 14 Past Affections
Chapter 14 Past Affections
This was the first time Chen Luo had seen Song Ruokui in the year since he transmigrated.
The moment I saw her, besides confusion, a complex mix of emotions welled up uncontrollably in my heart.
This emotion stems from memories of a past life.
In her memory, Song Ruokui came from a slightly better family than the average person. Her father worked in the Mountain Guard and had a close relationship with Chen Luo's father. As a result, the original owner of this body naturally grew up playing with her.
The two families even jokingly arranged a marriage between the two of them, making them childhood sweethearts.
When the two were young, Song Ruokui was always like a little shadow, sticking to her father's side all day long.
However, as she grew older, and with her father's death in a beast tide, Song Ruokui's originally lively personality gradually faded, revealing her quiet and serene nature.
During the years when she was causing trouble with Zhou Xiaoliang and Huang Chen, she was always quiet and reserved, quietly reading some storybooks.
As an observer, Chen Luo reviewed this memory and discovered that, in fact, Song Ruokui's relationship with her predecessor had already faded somewhat back then.
However, the original owner stubbornly believed that the two of them gradually drifted apart after entering the martial arts academy.
At the age of sixteen, like most boys and girls in Qingshan County, they entered Zhengyang Martial Arts School to learn martial arts.
Huang Chen and Zhou Xiaoliang were also present.
The paths of the four people diverged from this point onward.
First is Song Ruokui.
She displayed astonishing talent upon entering the martial arts academy. She mastered the Nine Yang Strength in seven days, broke through to the second level in half a month, and achieved minor success in another month, shocking the entire academy. Not only did she receive personal guidance from Instructor Li, but she was also recruited by the Elite Martial Arts Academy. It was a remarkable leap from carp to dragon gate, changing her destiny overnight.
In contrast, the others were like stranded carp.
Zhou Xiaoliang is slightly better; he has good talent and is expected to achieve minor mastery of the Nine Yang Strength and join the Mountain Guard.
Huang Chen, after mastering the Nine Yang Strength, made little progress and was eventually assigned to work in the county government by his family.
In contrast, his predecessor was quite destitute. Due to limitations in his physical and mental abilities, he even found it extremely difficult to master the Nine Yang Force.
In the future, he will most likely have to follow in his father's footsteps and continue to be a snake catcher for the rest of his life.
It was at this moment that he truly realized how far apart he and Song Ruokui had become.
Song Ruokui was constantly instructed by martial arts masters and devoted herself to martial arts. It was difficult for him to even meet her. Even when they did meet, it was as if there was an invisible barrier between them, and even their small talk was awkward.
As Song Ruokui grew up, she became increasingly beautiful and refined, no longer resembling the little girl she once was.
Every time his predecessor saw her, he became increasingly reserved, even self-conscious.
As their relationship grew increasingly distant, the former even harbored some resentment amidst his despondency.
He believes that the two have become estranged because Song Ruokui forgot their old friendship after achieving great success and no longer acknowledges him as an old friend.
This unresolved issue persisted until Chen Luo's arrival after his time travel.
Chen Luo, who inherited the memories of his predecessor, doesn't find this relationship particularly strange when he re-examines it from a modern perspective.
In his view, these were merely two childhood trajectories that briefly intersected due to their parents' connections, and which inevitably drifted into parallel paths as they grew up.
After all, everyone has their own experiences and circumstances, and there is no relationship that can remain unchanged forever.
The resentment the original owner felt towards Song Ruokui seemed to stem from hating her for forgetting her roots, but in reality, it was a psychological imbalance caused by the disparity in his own circumstances.
It's like trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat – being too fixated on the past and unwilling to look forward.
Therefore, he never cared about this relationship. He didn't even go to see Song Ruokui after he transmigrated. He devoted all his energy to practicing martial arts and tried every means to become stronger. He only wanted to use his strength to survive in this chaotic world of demons.
Now, after a year apart, he finds that Song Ruokui seems to have changed again compared to his memory.
Whether it was due to her martial arts training or because her features had fully matured, her beautiful appearance had gained an added air of aloofness, and her original tranquil temperament had been tinged with a distant and icy coolness.
Moreover, she wore an exquisite silk dress, replacing her usual simple linen clothes.
Standing in front of his own door, Chen Luo didn't recognize him at first glance.
Therefore, Chen Luo became even more puzzled.
What's this girl doing here? She can't be here to rekindle old flames, can she?
Filled with doubt, Chen Luo walked towards her, smiled slightly, and said, "Miss Song, it's been a long time."
Her predecessor used to call her Ruokui, but Chen Luo felt it was a bit too cheesy and couldn't bring himself to say it. It also felt somewhat inappropriate, so he simply started calling her Miss Song more politely.
Song Ruokui seemed taken aback by the address. She looked up to meet his gaze and saw that his smile was natural and open, as if he had met an ordinary old acquaintance. He was very composed.
"Long time no see." After a brief moment of disorientation, she asked, "Are you still practicing martial arts at the martial arts academy?"
"Yes," Chen Luo nodded. "What brings you here?"
"I saw Huang Chen a few days ago. He said you owe several months' worth of taxes and might be conscripted into mountain service." Song Ruokui took out a brocade pouch from her bosom, her tone calm. "I know you're having a hard time. This money should be enough to pay your taxes."
Chen Luo was surprised. "You came here just to borrow money from me?"
"It's not a loan, you don't have to pay it back." Song Ruokui gently shook her head. "Just consider it a small token of our past friendship."
Out of consideration for our past relationship?
Chen Luo pondered the words, but did not understand their meaning.
He did not accept the money.
Just kidding, that girl doesn't owe me anything, what kind of behavior is it to take her money for free?
He is the kind of person with principles, and he wouldn't accept such ambiguous kindness for no reason.
On the other hand, he is not short of money now, earning several hundred coins a day, and has long since paid off his taxes.
Judging from the size of the brocade pouch in her hand, it could only hold a maximum of seven or eight hundred coins, which he didn't even consider worth a second glance.
But why is that brocade bag shaped like a boat?
A thought struck him, and without making a sound, he activated his vertical pupils, which allowed him to see through the gap in the brocade pouch, making the night appear as day.
A silver ingot.
That is, ten taels of silver.
Chen Luo's breath hitched, and he subconsciously looked at Song Ruokui.
She slightly turned her gaze away and said softly, "Keep it. This little bit of money is nothing to me right now."
Looking at her appearance and then connecting it with the ten taels of silver in the brocade pouch that far exceeded the so-called "small token of appreciation," Chen Luo suddenly understood what she meant.
The girl's statement about "considering our past relationship" is probably a way of compensating for the estrangement between the two.
Or rather, it's not compensation, but a form of settlement.
By accepting this money, their past relationship would be considered wiped clean.
Just like some rich women in her past life who gave young gigolos breakup fees, the difference is that the two were never really together, and the estrangement in their relationship was not her fault.
Chen Luo felt that he was not the kind of rigid and pedantic person.
Although he didn't feel that Song Ruokui owed him anything, if accepting the money would put the girl at ease...
He won't refuse.
However, as if he had thought of something, Chen Luo did not immediately accept the money, but looked at Song Ruokui with a glint in his eyes.
"You said you gave me these ten taels of silver out of consideration for our past relationship, as a small token of your appreciation, right?"
"Yes." Song Ruokui nodded.
"Actually, expressing your feelings doesn't necessarily have to rely on money," Chen Luo said, looking directly at her. "You can offer other things as well."
Song Ruokui paused for a moment, then her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
What do you want?
"I want you to demonstrate the Nine Yang Force in front of me," Chen Luo said, his gaze intense.