Chapter 92: A Heart Laid Bare, Facing a Choice?

As evening fell, Jing’s father and mother returned home one after the other. When they saw Jing Qinxin sitting on the sofa in the living room, they immediately expressed their concern and asked after her wellbeing. Jing Qinxin felt a surge of relief—thankfully, the note she had written before had not gone missing due to the events of that fateful night, but still lay on her desk upstairs. Had it been lost, her sudden disappearance without a word would have thrown her family into panic, and her return today would not have been met with such simple concern.

Her thoughts weighed heavily on her, and so during dinner, Jing Qinxin’s face was distant, her mind clearly elsewhere, and her appetite lacking. Her parents exchanged a knowing glance, but refrained from probing further.

Indeed, Jing Qinxin had little appetite. She longed anxiously for her brother’s return, but did not want to affect her parents’ mood or enjoyment of their meal, so she forced herself to eat a little.

After dinner, it was the Jing family’s custom to stroll through their small garden to help their digestion. Jing Qinxin, feeling no inclination to join, remained on the sofa, aimlessly pressing buttons on the remote control, her thoughts wandering far afield.

Jing’s mother, arm in arm with her husband as they strolled in the garden, pondered her daughter’s recent behavior. As a woman, her intuition was naturally keener, and upon reflection, she sensed something amiss.

She had not thought much of it before—everyone had their own circle of friends, and she was not the sort of inflexible, meddlesome mother. On the contrary, she always respected her children’s privacy and rarely interfered.

But this time was different. She could clearly see that her daughter was burdened, even eating seemed a struggle. This could not continue.

“Why don’t you talk to Yuan Yuan later, see what’s troubling her? If she shares it, maybe we can find a solution together,” Jing’s father suggested, glancing at his wife.

“I was thinking the same,” she agreed with a nod.

Their walk complete, the couple was just heading back inside when their son returned home.

“Mom, Dad!” Jing Qingmu called out, a travel bag slung over his shoulder.

His mother looked at him in surprise. “Weren’t you supposed to come back mid-month? Why so early?”

“There was something I had to take care of. Yuan Yuan’s home, right?” He wasn’t sure if his sister had told their parents anything, so he kept his words vague.

The three entered the living room together. Jing Qinxin stood up quickly, delight lighting her face. “Brother, you’re back!”

Jing’s mother looked at her two children, suspicion in her eyes. Was it just her, or were both acting oddly today?

Once everyone was seated, Jing Qinxin quickly composed herself and spoke in a calm voice: “Mom, Dad, Brother, there’s something I need to tell you.”

Jing’s parents exchanged a glance, a slight smile tugging at their lips, though their hearts were heavy. It seemed their child was indeed going through something significant.

Jing Qingmu set down his bag and sat upright, waiting in silence, clearly aware of the gravity of his sister’s words.

“Go ahead, we’re listening,” said Jing’s father, the head of the family, soberly.

Jing Qinxin lifted the ancient black jade pendant hanging around her neck, showing it to her family. She began, “It all started on the night last month when we celebrated my and my brother’s eighteenth birthday. After the banquet, my brother gave me this ancient black jade as a birthday gift. That very night, I began an extraordinary adventure…”

Jing Qinxin spent half an hour recounting her experiences of traveling through time—each journey, her encounters with Gao Shen, and the deep affection she developed for him. She spoke in detail of her feelings and their time together, only briefly touching on her life in that distant era, glossing over the less important details.

When she finished, she fell silent, knowing her family would need time to process everything. She simply gazed at them, waiting for their composure to return.

Even for a general as composed and meticulous as her father, such a fantastical tale was astonishing. He had thought his wife’s life was strange enough, having a miraculous spatial treasure. Never had he imagined his own daughter would be able to travel through time itself—a subject of great scientific inquiry, and now, reality in his own family. Once again, he found himself marveling at the boundless mysteries of the world.

Compared to her husband’s amazement, Jing’s mother was far more composed. She herself had been reborn, after all—what was time travel in comparison? Her only concern, as a mother and a woman, was her daughter’s feelings for that man in another era.

From her daughter’s tone and expression when speaking of him, she could sense the difference in her heart.

As for what her parents were thinking, Jing Qingmu could not know. At this moment, all he felt was anxiety and frustration. The frustration came from the fact that it was he who had given his sister the jade pendant, inadvertently drawing her into these strange events. If not for him, none of this would have happened. The anxiety came from not knowing what his sister should do now. On the plane, he had reviewed records about the ancient black jade, and after hearing his sister’s account, he understood the situation clearly.

“Yuan Yuan, do you love that man?” Jing’s mother was the first to speak. To her, nothing was more important than the happiness of her two children. Her own life had been a gift, and she was deeply content. All she wished for now was to see both her children find their own happiness; everything else was secondary.

Jing Qinxin nodded solemnly. “Mom, Dad, I mean it. I’m not just fooling around—I truly feel he’s the one for me. For the rest of my life, I only want to be with him. I hope you can support us.”

“But Yuan Yuan, you are in two different times. What can you do about that?” her father asked bluntly, going straight to the heart of the matter. He wanted his daughter to be happy, but this was not a problem that could be solved with mere words.

“We have to find a safe solution. Brother, do you have it? Let me see.” Jing Qinxin turned to her brother, holding out her hand.

Jing Qingmu did not move, but instead gazed at her intently. “Yuan Yuan, are you truly determined to be with Gao Shen? Even if it means crossing two eras, even if it means leaving us behind?”

“Brother—” Jing Qinxin’s eyes reddened, and she began to sob softly. Hearing her brother mention their family wrenched her heart. She had thought about this question before, but had always avoided thinking too deeply.

Jing Qingmu sighed inwardly. He knew his words pained her, but what he said was the truth—a choice she would have to face.

There is no having it all in this world; every gain requires a sacrifice. Such is the law of nature.

———Author’s Note———
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