{"id":3882,"date":"2026-06-07T02:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T02:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-90\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T02:21:20","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T02:21:20","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-90","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-90\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit of Jade 90"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 90

Xie Zheng smiled faintly and asked in return,

\u201cWho exactly could I tell?\u201d

After thinking about it, Fan Changyu realized he had a point. After all, being kicked squarely in the face and knocked into a river by her wasn’t exactly something he would want to boast about.

She glared at him and said fiercely,

\u201cAnyway, you’re not allowed to tell anyone.\u201d

Only after Xie Zheng repeatedly promised did he hand her the fish.

\u201cEat.\u201d

Looking at the golden-brown fish in his hand, fragrant and tempting, Fan Changyu had just stubbornly declared, \u201cI’m not hungry,\u201d when her stomach let out a loud growl.

The heat that had only just faded from her face immediately returned.

Suppressing the upward curve of his lips, Xie Zheng gave her an easy way out.

\u201cI roasted too many. I can’t finish them all.\u201d

At that point, continuing to be stubborn would only embarrass herself further.

Filled with indignation, Fan Changyu reached out and snatched the fish.

\u201cThen this matter isn’t allowed to be mentioned either.\u201d

Xie Zheng swallowed his laughter and replied,

\u201cAlright.\u201d

There were no seasonings in the wilderness.

Most roasted game smelled delicious but tasted bland or even fishy.

Yet the fish Xie Zheng had roasted not only lacked any fishy taste, it carried a faint sour and spicy flavor.

After taking a few bites, Fan Changyu asked in confusion,

\u201cYou brought seasonings?\u201d

Xie Zheng picked up some leftover berries beside the fire and showed them to her.

\u201cSome of these wild fruits are sour. Some are spicy.\u201d

Fan Changyu muttered softly,

\u201cDid you taste every single one before picking them?\u201d

Xie Zheng’s hearing was excellent.

He heard her clearly but only smiled faintly before lowering his head and continuing to remove the bones from the fish in his hands.

\u201cI joined the army at thirteen, starting as an ordinary soldier in the Vanguard Camp. Eight years have passed since then. Just like when you first came up this mountain, food isn’t always available in the army.\u201d

\u201cAt our hungriest, even grass roots and tree bark tasted delicious. Naturally, I’ve eaten wild fruits too. The edible ones, I remembered their flavors. As for the poisonous ones… after watching comrades die from poisoning, I learned never to touch them again.\u201d

Listening to him speak of the past, Fan Changyu suddenly found the fish in her hands difficult to swallow.

She looked up at him blankly.

When she first learned he was the Marquis of Wuan, she had felt as though he belonged to a world far removed from hers.

As if they were people who should never have crossed paths.

Only now did she realize that behind that glorious title lay not just honor, but hardships few others could imagine.

She had personally experienced the cruelty of the battlefield.

At thirteen years old, he had entered the army.

At that age, he had been younger than Wu Sanjin was now.

Over all these years, he had climbed his way upward through countless struggles.

The bitterness and hardship of that journey were likely known only to him.

A complicated emotion settled over her heart.

Lowering her head, she silently picked fish bones from her own meal.

Soon, a fish that had already been carefully deboned was handed to her, wrapped in a cleaned wild banana leaf.

Xie Zheng took the fish she had been eating and said,

\u201cEat this one. The bones are already removed.\u201d

Holding the small piece of banana leaf, Fan Changyu remained motionless.

The movement of Xie Zheng’s hands paused.

Looking up at her, he asked,

\u201cWhat is it?\u201d

Fan Changyu said quietly,

\u201cYanzheng… I’ll keep calling you Yanzheng.\u201d

\u201cDon’t be so good to me.\u201d

\u201cYou are a marquis. A legendary hero admired by the people of Great Yin. The woman worthy of you should be a refined young lady from a prestigious family.\u201d

\u201cI am only a rough border-town girl who hasn’t even finished studying the Four Books. I’m not worthy of you.\u201d

Xie Zheng lowered his eyes and continued removing fish bones.

He seemed to smile.

\u201cBut among all the women in the world, you’re the only one I like.\u201d

Fan Changyu froze.

This was the first time Xie Zheng had expressed his feelings so directly.

Her heart immediately began pounding wildly.

Yet along with it came an overwhelming bitterness.

\u201cYou shouldn’t like me,\u201d she said.

\u201cYou’ve earned unparalleled military merit. You became a marquis before reaching adulthood. You should marry a woman whose family matches yours in status. You should spend your whole life standing proudly in the light, admired by everyone.\u201d

Xie Zheng handed her the fully deboned fish.

\u201cI reached my current position through military achievements, not through the admiration of others.\u201d

\u201cBesides, there are people who respect me and people who hate me.\u201d

\u201cThose who respect me do so because I drove back the Northern Di tribes and reclaimed lost territory.\u201d

\u201cThose who hate me fear me because I kill without mercy.\u201d

\u201cI spent half my life on battlefields to earn this reputation. If I still had to worry about public opinion when choosing a wife, then I would be a rather pathetic marquis.\u201d

He looked directly at her.

\u201cBefore I met you, I truly did intend to marry a strong-willed woman from a noble family and spend our lives together in mutual respect.\u201d

\u201cIf I died on the battlefield, she could raise our children and continue living comfortably with the support of her family.\u201d

\u201cAfter meeting you, I stopped thinking about dying on the battlefield.\u201d

\u201cHow could I die?\u201d

He laughed softly.

Resting his head on one arm, he lay back and gazed at the star-filled sky.

\u201cOnce this war ends, I’ll request a frontier command in Liaoxi. As long as I keep the barbarians from moving south, the political struggles in the capital will have nothing to do with me.\u201d

\u201cThen I’ll ask the young emperor to grant us a marriage.\u201d

\u201cI’ll send an eight-man bridal sedan, drums and gongs announcing the celebration, and marry you properly.\u201d

\u201cI’ll let the entire world know that you’ve become my wife.\u201d

The youthful confidence and happiness on his face made Fan Changyu feel as though a lump of wet cotton had been stuffed into her chest.

Heavy.

Damp.

Painfully soft.

Even her eyes began to sting.

\u201cYou haven’t seen the sunrise over Yan Mountain.\u201d

\u201cYou haven’t seen the hunting grounds of Huizhou.\u201d

\u201cWhen the time comes, I’ll take you everywhere.\u201d

\u201cLiaoxi is vast. You won’t be bored.\u201d

\u201cBut you keep rejecting me because you’re worried our statuses don’t match.\u201d

\u201cBack when I had absolutely nothing, you weren’t afraid to be with me.\u201d

Still looking at the sky, he seemed to laugh at himself.

\u201cIn the end, the things people are born with and die with amount to nothing. Most people spend their lives trapped by empty reputations.\u201d

\u201cThe things you think stand between us… are actually nothing at all.\u201d

\u201cYou say I can find a better woman.\u201d

\u201cBut how do you know that, to me, you’re not already the best woman in the world?\u201d

Fan Changyu opened her mouth.

Yet her throat felt painfully tight.

Covering her face with one hand, tears overflowed from her eyes.

Xie Zheng sat up and gently wiped them away.

\u201cI didn’t tell you all this to make you cry.\u201d

\u201cI just wanted you to know that I like you not because of anything else, but because you’re Fan Changyu.\u201d

\u201cMy parents died when I was young. There were no elders in my family and no siblings.\u201d

\u201cAt first, I didn’t really understand the things that worried you.\u201d

\u201cLater, I asked others about them and came to understand the implications.\u201d

\u201cWhether you’re afraid of gossip or fearful of the future, I should have resolved those issues before asking anything of you.\u201d

\u201cI asked my teacher to accept you as his adopted daughter.\u201d

\u201cThe same Elder Tao who taught you and wanted to take you as a disciple.\u201d

\u201cHe is one of the greatest scholars of our age and once served as Grand Tutor.\u201d

\u201cEven without my request, he already liked you very much.\u201d

\u201cFrom now on, he’ll be your family.\u201d

\u201cEven if you don’t marry me in the future, with his adopted daughter status, no one will dare look down on you.\u201d

As he spoke those final words, Xie Zheng lowered his eyes, concealing the bloodshot redness within them.

If that day ever came, it would probably be after his death.

Even if he died, he wanted her to live well.

He could not bear to let her go.

She was the only sun he had ever embraced in his life.

Yet he despised becoming someone like his mother.

And so he wished for her happiness.

As long as she continued shining her warmth and light in the human world, he would not feel cold even in hell.

Fan Changyu bit her lip hard.

Yet she still could not stop the sob that escaped.

Large tears rolled down her cheeks.

\u201cI’m not as wonderful as you think I am…\u201d

Xie Zheng gently wiped away another tear.

\u201cYou’re the kindest and bravest girl I’ve ever met.\u201d

\u201cDo you think just anyone would have the courage to step onto a battlefield?\u201d

When he finally pulled her into his embrace, Fan Changyu rested her forehead against his shoulder and continued crying.

After her parents died, she had wandered through life alone with her younger sister.

Then someone had suddenly entered her world.

Someone who cherished her in every possible way.

After all the uncertainty and caution, the walls around her heart had gradually crumbled.

What spread afterward was not only happiness, but also a deep, aching tenderness.

Gently patting her back, Xie Zheng said,

\u201cI’ll help you avenge your parents as well.\u201d

At the mention of her parents, Fan Changyu immediately straightened up.

Wiping her tears haphazardly with her sleeve, she said,

\u201cMy parents’ revenge is mine to take.\u201d

Thinking of how she had searched the archives in Ji Prefecture and still found no clues, she suddenly looked at him.

\u201cDo you know who killed my parents?\u201d

Xie Zheng slowly nodded.

Pressing her lips together, she asked,

\u201cWho was it?\u201d

Xie Zheng answered with two words.

\u201cWei Yan.\u201d

Fan Changyu froze.

Then, remembering the relationship everyone in the empire believed existed between them, she asked,

\u201cYour uncle?\u201d

Xie Zheng’s expression turned cold.

\u201cHe doesn’t deserve that title.\u201d

Afraid his expression might frighten her, he added,

\u201cThe powerful enemy I once told you about… is him.\u201d

Clearly puzzled, Fan Changyu asked,

\u201cWei Yan is the Grand Chancellor of the empire. My father was only an escort. Why would Wei Yan want him dead?\u201d

Xie Zheng looked at her for a moment before finally revealing the truth.

\u201cYour father once worked for Wei Yan.\u201d

Shock filled Fan Changyu’s eyes.

But then she remembered what Old Master Fan had told her after Fan Da’s accident.

Her father had not originally been Fan Erniu.

After being sold away as a child, he had returned more than ten years later and resumed living under the identity of Fan Erniu in Lin’an Town.

Realizing this, she knew Xie Zheng was probably telling the truth.

Wei Yan had committed countless crimes.

Had her father once been helping him commit those crimes?

Her heart tightened painfully.

Noticing her silence, Xie Zheng seemed to guess what she was thinking.

\u201cGovernor He Jingyuan of Ji Prefecture also worked for Wei Yan, yet he never oppressed the people.\u201d

\u201cIf He Jingyuan called your father an old friend, then your father was likely someone who shared his principles.\u201d

He Jingyuan was widely regarded as the most upright official in Ji Prefecture.

Hearing Xie Zheng say this eased much of the burden weighing on her heart.

\u201cWhen did you start investigating my parents’ case?\u201d she asked.

\u201cAfter leaving Qingping County.\u201d

The memory of their parting back then still filled Fan Changyu with guilt.

Then she remembered kicking him into the river earlier that night.

Her guilt only deepened.

\u201cI won’t hit you anymore in the future.\u201d

\u201cThen you shouldn’t keep kissing me whenever you feel like it.\u201d

The hand Xie Zheng was using to stir the fire paused briefly.

\u201cJust don’t hit so hard.\u201d

Fan Changyu froze.

When she finally understood what he meant, the firelight made her face look even redder.

She glared at him.

\u201cI’m being serious!\u201d

Xie Zheng raised his phoenix eyes slightly.

The natural curve at their corners gave him an arrogant yet strangely captivating look.

\u201cI’m being serious too.\u201d

\u201cWhen am I allowed to kiss you without getting hit?\u201d

Unable to hold back any longer, Fan Changyu grabbed an empty banana leaf from beside her and threw it at him.

Xie Zheng tilted his head and easily dodged it.

A quiet laugh escaped him.

Hugging her knees, Fan Changyu sat beside the fire, puffing up with indignation and refusing to speak to him anymore.<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3882","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3882","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3882"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3882\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3883,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3882\/revisions\/3883"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3882"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3882"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}