"How did you fight with everyone around you? Your life was tougher than mine," Huo Jin said and waited for her response.
"I could not die either. After my brother sold me, I realized that the world is not a beautiful place. When my blood-related brother can betray me, the world can be harsher to me. I never knew that Brother Wang still remembered me. He came to see me," Yin Na pronounced.
Huo Jin patted her back. "You became so strong now," he said.
"No. I still get scared of my past," Yin Na replied while Huo Jin pulled his hand away. "If I see any of those people, whom I once served, I get scared. My past haunts me, Huo Jin," Yin Na said with a gloomy expression. "However, I cannot live in those days any longer," she suddenly smiled.
"You are right. It's not worth living in the past," Huo Jin agreed with her.
"What about you? Do you also implement that in your life?" She asked him. "Aren't you still in the past because of the woman whom you love? She never loved you, but you do not care about that. You should come out of her memories to live happily. I am not saying this because I like you, but because I want you to live a happy life," Yin Na said in her soft tone.
Her words hit Huo Jin somewhere in his heart. Even Sheng Li had told him this, and so did the others.
"But if I move ahead in my life, then wouldn't it be a betrayal to her?" Huo Jin wanted to know Yin Na's opinion on it. "I want to stay loyal to her so that if I ever meet her in the afterlife, I will proudly tell her that I love her," he affirmed.
"Brother Wang told me that you were supposed to be hanged to death. However, Xinyue knew her fate, but in the end, clear your name from those accusations. She wanted you to move ahead in your life: we all want that," Yin Na proclaimed.
"If she had cared about you, then when you asked her to run away with you, she would have. Your life is yours, not hers. In the afterlife, you still can tell her that you remained loyal to her if you two ever met, but at least think about yourself. You deserve to be happy. Don't you think so?" Her words made him contemplate deeply.
He lowered his eyes and drew his brows together. "She loved the First Prince more than her life, that's why she did not run away," Huo Jin stated.
"No. There is a second possibility as well," Yin Na deduced.
Huo Jin gazed back at her. "What kind of possibility?" He asked her to explain to him.
"She never wanted to run away with you because, for her, her life came first," Yin Na replied. "Huo Jin, you said you will tell people how great Xinyue was! But if you see the truth, she is still a conspirator for the mass. You are wasting your time and energy behind that. This life is so short, so you should enjoy it fully rather than keep regretting the things that could never have," Yin Na asserted.
"You two are here?" Suddenly a voice disturbed them. They both turned to look and saw the chief servant of Wang Fuxing.
Both of them stood up and turned to him.
"The Elder Master is looking for Miss Yin Na," the chief servant informed them.
"Why?" She asked with confusion.
"There is good news," he said.
"Did Princess Bai agree to marry Brother Wang?" She asked excitedly.
"I am afraid, Miss Yin Na, but my Lord will tell you," he asserted. Yin Na smiled and lifted her skirt a little to step forward, but halted at her place.
"Huo Jin, let's go," she told him, who hummed and the two left the lakeside. They reached outside the guest-chamber which confused Yin Na. Why did the chief servant bring her to the guest-chamber, she wondered?
As she walked in along with Huo Jin, she saw an unknown official in front of her. Huo Jin stayed behind near the door as he knew what could be the good news.
"This is my daughter, Yin Na. She will be nineteen this year," Wang Fuxing informed his old friend, Xu Niang.
"Yin Na, this is my best friend and an old friend, Xu Niang," Wang Fuxing said humbly. Yin Na immediately bowed and greeted Xu Niang.
"Have a seat, Yin Na," Xu Niang told her, and she sat on a chaise.
"Yin Na, Xu Niang's son is of marriageable age. He is twenty-three years old. We want you both to get married," Wang Fuxing said with a delightful expression and smiled while peering at Xu Niang.
Her eyes grew big as she had not expected that a marriage proposal would come for her. She tilted her head to look at Huo Jin, who was near the door but was not looking at her.
"Yin Na, my son wants to meet you," Xu Niang stated and then looked at Wang Fuxing. "Why don't we arrange a private meeting for them in my residence? My wife will be happy to meet Yin Na as we have already decided to go along with this marriage," Xu Niang suggested to him.
Yin Na looked at her father, who immediately agreed with her. She could not oppose the decision either because it would be rude. Also, her father did so much for her. Seeing him smile, she could not dare to refuse.
"What about tomorrow?" Xu Niang asked with excitement.
"That's great!" Wang Fuxing acknowledged the day for the private meeting between their children.
Xu Niang stood up from his seat, and so did Wang Fuxing and Yin Na. "I will see you tomorrow morning. I shall take my leave now," Xu Niang said. Wang Fuxing showed him the way out while Yin Na bowed as the two left the guest chamber.
With an upset face, she looked at Huo Jin, who passed a smile to her.. "I love you, Huo Jin," she said and then again lowered her gaze, "Can't you accept me?" She queried him.
