An amazing girl

Since the rescue of Miss Duanmu, she seemed to have become a celestial being who had mistakenly descended to the mortal world. She had lost her former vivacity, and a faint melancholy lingered between her brows, like a pear blossom veiled in a thin mist, making her all the more touching. In the Qin residence, the figure of that stalwart man, as reliable as a mountain, had cast a seed that quietly sprouted in her heart. That sudden sense of security, like a massive rock thrown into her tranquil heart lake, stirred up layers of ripples that lingered for a long time. She often unconsciously recalled his decisiveness and courage when he rescued her, recalled his broad back, and an unfamiliar emotion quietly grew in her heart, like a gentle breeze passing by, creating ripples that swayed with a hint of confusion that she herself couldn't explain.

Qin Yi was as busy as a spinning top every day, with the affairs of Fancheng tightly entangling him. Unknowingly, it had been ten days since the rescue of Miss Duanmu. However, during the rescue, he was only focused on saving people and completely disregarded the proprieties of a young lady, which left a thorn in his heart, like a fish bone stuck in his throat, making him feel vaguely uneasy. He secretly resolved to find an opportunity to formally apologize to Miss Duanmu.

On this day, he finally found some free time and came to Miss Duanmu's residence. Before he even got close, he heard a light song coming from inside the room, flowing like a mountain spring, washing away the dust in the air. Upon closer listening, the melody was melodious and gentle, carrying the unique tenderness and delicacy of the water towns of Jiangnan, and it was mixed with the unique playfulness and shyness of a young girl, like a captivating lotus-picking song.

This song, like an invisible thread, gently plucked at Qin Yi's heartstrings, calming his originally slightly irritable mood. He raised his hand and gently knocked on the door, making a crisp sound.

"On that day of the rescue, in the heat of the moment, there were many crude actions, and I hope you will forgive me, Miss Duanmu." Qin Yi's voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of apology. "I am disturbing you at this moment. I wonder how your health has recovered?"

The singing inside the room stopped abruptly, as if an invisible hand had suddenly pressed the mute button. After a brief silence, Miss Duanmu's clear and melodious voice rang out, with a few hard-to-hide hints of joy and excitement: "It's Brother Qin! Please come in quickly."

Qin Yi pushed the door open and entered, only to see that Miss Duanmu had already gotten up to greet him. She was wearing a simple and elegant moon-white dress, the hem of the dress trailing on the ground, further accentuating her graceful and charming figure, like a fairy walking out of a painting, untouched by any dust.

When Qin Yi saw this, he couldn't help but be taken aback, and then he bowed his hands and made a deep bow to show his apology. Duanmu Rong was also poised and generous, and made a neat bow in return.

For a time, there was silence in the room, only a few crisp birdsong outside the window, making the room even more quiet and peaceful. The sunlight passed through the window lattices, casting mottled shadows on the ground, and the air was filled with a faint fragrance, which was the unique scent of Miss Duanmu, fresh and elegant, refreshing.

"Brother Qin, I am extremely grateful for your life-saving grace." Duanmu broke the silence first, her voice with a faint sense of gratitude. "I have followed my master since I was a child, traveling around the world, and I have always been by her side. I never thought that this time we would be separated for less than half a day, and I would encounter such a life-threatening danger. If it weren't for your timely rescue, I'm afraid I would have already..." At this point, she lowered her head slightly, her eyes slightly red, obviously thinking of the experience of that day, and she was still frightened.

Qin Yi frowned slightly, his doubts in his heart even more intense, and he asked: "Why were you separated from your master? And why would you venture alone into the territory of the Xiongnu?"

"It's like this," Duanmu explained: "I heard that in the bitterly cold land under the jurisdiction of the Xiongnu, there are some extremely rare plants growing, and these plants are extremely precious medicinal herbs in the eyes of doctors, and their effects are extremely remarkable. I was moved for a while, and thought of going to pick some, so I could also share some worries for my master."

She paused, her tone with a hint of meaningful, "And my master, she old man, is for you, Brother Qin, there are more important things to do, so I went back to the city first."

The last sentence, let Qin Yi caught off guard, instantly stunned in place.

This pair of master and apprentice, not only is their own life-saving benefactor, they are still unable to repay, how can they expect them to be doing more important things for themselves? This made him unable to feel at ease?

Qin Yi's heart was full of thoughts, and all kinds of thoughts made him unable to sort out any clues for a while. He only felt a strong sense of guilt and unease in his heart, as if he owed them a great favor.

Duanmu seemed to see Qin Yi's doubts and uneasiness, and she continued: "To be honest, my father left me three important things when he was alive: a sum of money enough to rival a country's wealth, a vast network spread all over the world, and a kind of lofty ambition enough to influence the world."

She raised her head slightly, her eyes showing a trace of faint sadness and helplessness. "Although I am a daughter, I am not a mediocre person. However, with my own strength, it is difficult to make full use of these wealth and network, and it is even more difficult to realize my father's lifelong ambition. Therefore, I have been looking, looking for a person who is truly ambitious, ambitious, talented, and has a far-reaching ambition to help him achieve a great cause."

She paused, her tone became serious, "But I don't want this person to regard my assistance as a gift, which will detract from his own ambition. Because, I also want to realize my own dreams in the process of his success, and find the value of my life."

"May I ask, Miss," Qin Yi couldn't help but ask, he stared at Duanmu's clear eyes, his eyes full of inquiry and curiosity, "What kind of ambition did your father leave behind?"

Duanmu's face showed a proud look, and her voice became crisp and powerful: "Use wealth to plan great plans, and use talent to govern the country. My father's life, from business to prime minister, is exactly like this."

"What about your dream?" Qin Yi continued to ask, and he vaguely felt that this woman's dream might be really different, far from what ordinary women could reach.

"I won't tell you." Duanmu heard the words, playfully smiled, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a hint of cunning, like a child who had succeeded in a prank.

She then added a sentence, her tone with a hint of expectation and longing: "But I hope it... has already begun."

Qin Yi looked at the strange woman in front of him, and his heart was full of emotion. In terms of wealth, she was rich enough to rival a country; in terms of ambition, she had lofty aspirations; in terms of disposition, she was bright and open-minded; in terms of intelligence, she was gifted; in terms of appearance, she was even more beautiful.

If these extraordinary qualities appeared in a man, Qin Yi would not doubt that he would make him a friend of life and death, and treat each other with all sincerity.

However, when these qualities were concentrated in a woman, these extraordinary brilliance, but precisely became the root of the distance that he and her must keep.

This is not because he was afraid of this woman's talent and wealth, but because he felt guilty, and he felt that he was not worthy of this deep affection.

In his view, a man with the world in mind, a high-spirited ambition, and outstanding talent, his inner world needs more of a kind of agility, a kind of tenderness, a kind of silent care, and a true confidant who can truly understand him and penetrate his soul. And he himself, could not give these.

Qin Yi has always liked to face everything head-on. This is also the general style of conduct of gentlemen in the Warring States period - to say, to say clearly and thoroughly; to do, to do cleanly and without any sloppiness.

At this moment, the first thought in his mind was: to say all the things he wanted to say, without any cover-up or ambiguity.

He slowly stood up, tidied his clothes, and then bowed deeply to Duanmu to show his solemnity: "Miss Duanmu, I am very grateful for your high regard for me, Qin Yi. I am deeply grateful for your appreciation and expectations, as well as the... dream contained in it. However..." He paused, his tone with a hint of bitterness and helplessness, "Qin Yi, by nature, is solitary and destined to wander throughout his life, facing a difficult and unpredictable fate. I fear I would only bring misfortune to those around me. Therefore, I, Qin Yi, am destined not to become the person alongside whom you achieve your great cause, much less dare I aspire to be a part of your...dream."

Duanmu's eyes, as bright as autumn water, were now filled with surprise and incomprehension, as if a shooting star had suddenly flashed across the night sky, breaking the original tranquility. She gazed at Qin Yi, as if trying to find an answer on his face, but only saw a calm and resolute expression, like a bottomless lake.After a moment of silence, Duanmu suddenly threw her head back and laughed, her laughter crisp and melodious, echoing in the room. "Qin Yi," she said, smiling, her eyes sparkling with wisdom, "You ask yourself, are the words you just spoke truly from your heart? If you truly believe this, then my eyes, Duanmu Rong's eyes, are truly useless."Her laughter stopped abruptly, and she sighed softly, her voice tinged with a hint of sadness and regret. "How decisive and how readily you spoke! But how bitter it sounds to my ears! Solitary struggle? Unconventional disposition? Qin Yi, as a renowned scholar, have you not heard the ancient saying, 'To have one true friend in life is enough; in this world, we should treat each other as kindred spirits'?" Her gaze was fixed on Qin Yi, as if she could see through him. "Since I can know you, how can I fear those illusory misfortunes? Not to mention that you may not necessarily have a difficult fate, even if misfortune does befall you, what do I have to fear? Must I use this as an excuse to keep each other, who understand one another, at a thousand miles' distance? Qin Yi, ah Qin Yi," she shook her head, her tone laced with reproach and helplessness, "Are you being cowardly, or are you truly resolute? Will you choose to extinguish the flame in your heart, or will you choose to ignite yourself and illuminate this dark world? I implore you to carefully consider this, to weigh it thoroughly."Her eyes were like torches, constantly fixed on Qin Yi, that gaze seemed to be able to pierce through the deepest secrets of the human heart, striking directly at the soul.In that instant, Qin Yi felt an unprecedented shock. It was this seemingly delicate girl in front of him who, with a few words, made his heart tremble. Her words were not fierce, but they contained a noble scrutiny of those who evade, a most compassionate pity for the weak, and a warm power that could melt ice and snow.For the first time, Qin Yi felt that he was somewhat at a loss for words. Faced with Duanmu Rong's questioning, he was momentarily at a loss for how to respond, and could only fall into a long silence.