All for the Fate - Chapter 25
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When Meng Ruji finally returned to the small wooden hut with a heavy bundle of noodles, night had already fallen thick and dim.
A mist hung low in the forest. Each step through it left her shoes and the hem of her skirt damp, the chill seeping into her bones. She had been busy all day, worn down by errands, and now both hunger and cold gnawed at her with sharp persistence.
Yet through the rustling wind came a flicker of warmth—a glow of firelight, the smoky scent of burning wood drifting through the air. At once, old memories of home rose in her chest, drawn by that fragile warmth.
Outside the hut, with firelight dancing against the walls, a tall figure leaned casually, arms crossed. Even from afar, she knew it was Mu Sui. The moment her gaze fell on him, he stirred and began walking toward her.
She didn’t slow her steps either. When they finally met in the misty forest, the heat from his fire-warmed body reached her, chasing away the damp cold. Meng Ruji exhaled softly in relief, letting him take the bundle from her shoulders with a natural ease that felt almost… familiar.
As if they had been an old married couple in this forest all along.
Mu Sui glanced at the noodles, his nose catching their raw scent. His tone was casual, but something in it betrayed a trace of grievance.
“You’re late today… why only coming back now?”
He bit back anything further, lips pressed into a thin line.
Meng Ruji lowered her gaze. “I was delayed buying things,” she said softly, brushing her clothes where she had hidden the marriage certificate, paper, and brush close against her chest.
The two walked side by side, the hut’s firelight dancing ahead. After a silence, Meng Ruji spoke quietly:
“Mu Sui.”
“Mm?”
“Did you ever… like someone before?”
His step faltered ever so slightly. What kind of ‘before’ does she mean? he thought. Was she probing or simply asking? He weighed his answer carefully—better to say no.
But what left his mouth instead was, “I like you.”
The words fell before he could take them back. His grip on the bundle whitened with tension, though his face remained carefully blank.
Meng Ruji wasn’t surprised. Over these days, his every action had carried the same unspoken confession. He was brave enough to say it aloud, and though her head ached with the weight of his words, there was a faint comfort in them too.
“Then…” She stopped before the fire, turned, and said evenly, “let’s get married.”
Mu Sui froze. But before he could answer, she was already pulling paper and brush from her bosom, her voice firm and matter-of-fact:
“Look—this is the marriage certificate. Just sign your name, and it’s done.”
He stared at her, firelight glinting in her eyes like lacquer dots, sharp and bright. She was testing him—he could feel it. Yet he forced himself to remain in the role of a fool.
“Sister,” he asked with feigned confusion, “what is getting married?”
Inside, he wanted to curse.
Meng Ruji blinked at him, caught off guard, but finally replied, “It means staying together forever.”
Mu Sui’s hand twitched toward the brush, then switched the bundle to his right to pin his treacherous hand down. His voice was stubborn, almost childlike.
“Can’t we stay together forever without marriage?”
“If we marry, we’ll be bound even tighter,” she coaxed. “I can’t leave you, and you can’t leave me.”
His trembling hand betrayed him.
He wanted to roar at himself, Hold it together! But at the last second, he stepped back, breaking away. “I won’t marry.”
Meng Ruji blinked, stunned. He quickly improvised, voice righteous and firm:
“If being with you means signing a paper, I’d rather not. I want you to stay with me naturally, without restraints!”
For a moment, Meng Ruji could only stare. He sounded… sincere. She almost laughed at the absurdity but pushed on with her little scheme.
“Then I do want to be with you,” she said gently.
“Then why the certificate?”
“Just… for some security.”
“Your feelings are the best security.”
She faltered. His gaze was steady now, sharper than before.
“Why do you suddenly want this marriage certificate, Meng Ruji?”
Her throat tightened. After a long silence, she forced out, “…Because I like you?”
Mu Sui knew it was a lie. Still, his hand rose on its own. At the last moment, he redirected it, seizing her arm and pulling her against him. His arms locked around her, holding her with an intensity that bordered on ferocity.
Their heartbeats collided, rapid and uneven, like firelight crackling.
Inside, Mu Sui’s thoughts were a storm. The Inner Core… I need it. I can’t stand this any longer. She has to teach me.
Meanwhile, Meng Ruji’s own mind raced. This won’t work forever. I need to make him sign, quickly!
Then—
A sharp swoosh. An arrow tore through the night.
Mu Sui pulled her aside in a flash, the arrow missing by inches. Seven or eight gray-robed men emerged from the trees, swords gleaming with the inscription Linlan.
Mu Sui’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of contempt crossing his face. Meng Ruji raised an eyebrow, surprised they had tracked her lies so quickly.
The intruders wasted no words, one already drawing a glowing formation with silver beads.
Meng Ruji sighed under her breath. “All this for a little lie? Isn’t that excessive?”
Then her eyes lit up with sudden realization. Danger, closeness, pledging forever—perfect chance for a marriage certificate!
At the same moment, Mu Sui’s thoughts sharpened. Crisis, desperation, no more holding back—perfect chance to learn the Inner Core!
Their inner voices clashed in perfect, ridiculous unison:
Meng Ruji: Marriage, marriage, marriage!
Mu Sui: Inner Core, Inner Core, Inner Core!