Chapter 153 - 3.49

The final goodbye was rather bittersweet for all parties involved. There were many that weren't on board with the idea of Xu Jiaqi returning, to the point where they asked the lord to reconsider this poor decision, saying that losing Xu Jiaqi would be terrible for them.

To this, He Yiyuan took care of all the opposition by berating them instead, scolding how they became dependent on a foreigner that wasn't bound to them in the  first place. Embarrassed, the fire of those who wanted Xu Jiaqi to stay slowly died down after she left the Kingdom for good.

He Yiyuan assured Xu Jiaqi that there would be no complications surfacing from the concerned parts, and the latter trusted his words since she knew how serious he could be.

'Honestly, I'm glad that He Yiyuan is He Yiyuan. If he had a different set of personality.. Who knows where I'll be right now?' Xu Jiaqi commented. 

[Host, if he was any different, would you even tolerate him?]

'Nope. There's a line that mustn't be crossed by anyone.' 

Xu Jiaqi rode a carriage back home, and had to go through a series of stops before she was finally back in Xian Ruo. From there, she went undercover and contacted Lin separately from anybody else's eyes. She asked for assistance, wanting to give a surprise to Xie Yongrui.

Thus, Xu Jiaqi's return ended up being unknown to most, and no news travelled to the lord's ears.

While Xu Jiaqi was headed towards his private living quarters, Xie Yongrui was working hard. During all these years, it could be said that a large part of his motivation sourced from Xu Jiaqi's own hard work. Whenever the Xi's people delivered riches and benefits for them as part of the treaty, Xie Yongrui would feel a burning desire to grow as much as they could so that Xu Jiaqi would no longer have to work there for them to prosper faster. He wanted to make it so that they could fend for themselves forever and after.

The people who he worked with also noticed that the lord was much more conscientious in his work after Xu Jiaqi left. This was not to say that Xu Jiaqi was a bad influence on him, but rather that she became the fuel for his fighting spirit in bettering Xian Ruo.

As he was focused on doing his work, the door was slowly opened without notice, which obviously drew Xie Yongrui's displeasure. He wondered who would be so bold as to intrude on him when he was staying in his private quarters and not his work room.

"Who is that?! I'm sure that I told you-" His eyes shot straight to the door, wanting to see who dared to disobey his iron rule. Within seconds of recognizing who this stranger was, he stood up abruptly and dropped all is work down.

"My lord, I have returned." Xu Jiaqi's figure appeared before Xie Yongrui's eyes, making him question himself on whether or not he was dreaming. Her voice was gentle and warm, and there was a faint glow that shone around her. "I can't believe that your very first words after I return would be in that sort of tone.. Am I not welcome here, perhaps?"

"Qiqi... Is that you? Is that really you?" Xie Yongrui couldn't think straight. There were no possible ways he could describe how much he had missed the girl who was currently in front of him. He had spent many long nights just thinking about her and lamenting over the fact that she was in a faraway Kingdom, and he wasn't able to come and pick her up.

That she had to act as a sacrifice in order to create a pivotal turn for Xian Ruo. He was constantly torn between his land and the woman he longed for. The one he made a promise with. The one he was supposed to surprise.

But somehow, the one who ended up getting surprised was him.

Although he was blanking out, he still found the energy within himself to get up and try to touch Xu Jiaqi. Feel her presence. Confirm that she was really there and that she wasn't just a figment of her imagination.

After all, this wasn't the first time that he had vividly dreamed about her coming back to him. Not the first time that he daydreamed about that kind of thing.

However, there was an instinctive feeling inside him that this time was different. That Xu Jiaqi's return was real. He hugged her tight, so tight that Xu Jiaqi thought that she was being suffocated for a moment. She clenched the other's clothes tight.

Xu Jiaqi was slightly surprised by Xie Yongrui's sudden moves, but she also understood that both of them had never acquired a chance to actually bond with each other. After they technically voiced out their feelings to each other, they had to be separated. She sighed, deciding to relent and softly comfort the man who was on the verge of breaking down inside her embrace.

Xie Yongrui was choking, struggling to breathe. He wanted to say a lot of things, but he couldn't decide which one to say first. There were so many things that he wished to tell her during all these years. How much he missed her. How much he longed for her during the lonely nights. Her presence, the one that he found comfort in, was stolen from him.

Now that she was back, he actually couldn't manage to foster up the calmness to speak properly. He just gritted his teeth, trying to hold back the onslaught of tears threatening to spill out. His heartbeat pumped like it had just finished running a full on marathon, and he was sure that the woman he loved could hear it.

His nose stung, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could hold back for, so he buried himself even deeper in their embrace, not wanting to show Xu Jiaqi the pathetic side of him when this was supposed to be their happy reunion. He was supposed to laugh and rejoice at her presence, but he struggled to do that.

"My lord, if you continue burying your head and not looking at me directly, I will leave and go back to Xi, alright?" Xu Jiaqi giggled.