CHAPTER 678: CHAPTER 135: NEVER ABANDON OR FORSAKE

"Yue...Yue," Long Rui softly called out.

Due to Yue Minzhi’s influence, Long Rui had long known that Yue Jinghua was a woman, but for the time being, she didn’t know what to call Yue Jinghua, who was in men’s clothing.

"Just call me Jinghua," although Long Rui also belonged to the Long Family, having spent some time with her, she deeply knew that Jinghua was different from Long Jiuzun; though somewhat imperious, she had a good heart.

Moreover, because of her deep affection for her brother Yue Minzhi, even though she had already broken off their engagement, out of affectionate concern, Yue Jinghua did not treat her as an outsider.

Long Rui hesitated for a moment, "Earlier, at the Reserve Camp in Yun Jiu Peak, the ’Yue Minzhi’ there was you in disguise."

Her tone was certain, evidently, she had discovered this fact long ago.

Being a woman, Long Rui’s thoughts naturally were much more delicate than others.

Although the Yue Minzhi played by Yue Jinghua was almost indistinguishable in appearance, the "Yue Minzhi" at that time had a personality and an attitude towards herself that was starkly different from before and after, coupled with the time she and Yue Jinghua spent together at Fandi Port, from the style of actions, she could determine it.

The silence of Yue Jinghua made Long Rui even more certain of this, she sighed softly, "Thank you for connecting Minzhi and me. Also, I’m sorry about the troubles my grandfather and brother caused you previously. Unfortunately, despite your best efforts, Minzhi has no place for me in his heart."

The acquiescence of Yue Jinghua extinguished the last flicker of hope in Long Rui.

She knew there was no longer any destiny between her and Yue Minzhi, and being in the chilling and oppressive Water Dungeon, she became emotional, her eyes reddening and her heart filled with bitterness.

Yue Jinghua wanted to speak up to comfort her, to tell her that her stubborn brother indeed wasn’t completely indifferent to her.

But the annulment of the betrothal and Long Jiuzun’s repeated interferences had deepened the misunderstandings between the Yue and Long families. With her brother’s stubborn temperament, he most likely would not accept Long Rui now.

Off to the side in the Water Dungeon, the sounds of Long Rui sobbing could already be heard.

Yue Jinghua found it most troublesome to deal with women’s tears; previously, when facing the beautiful mother Lie Rou, she often felt at a loss. She hurriedly changed the topic to avoid making Long Rui even sadder: "Miss Long Rui, there’s something I really don’t understand. You, born in the National Guardian General Residence and being so beautiful, are truly a blessed daughter of heaven. Why would you fall for my brother? He, although good-looking, is a wooden, unromantic person, and only you seem to like him. My mother and I worry that he might end up being a bachelor for life."

If Yue Minzhi knew that his sister and mother thought so poorly of him, he would likely be very depressed.

Upon hearing this, Long Rui found it quite amusing too. She thought about Yue Minzhi, indeed, he was taciturn, spent his days practicing, really like a block of wood.

Such a goofy goose, Long Rui pursed her lips and started laughing, her eyes shimmering brightly, "Jinghua, let me ask you, have you ever been troubled by your looks?"

Looks?

Yue Jinghua subconsciously touched her own face, only then remembering that when she left the Dragon War Empire, she was known as a disfigured waste. Now that she wore a mask, it was no wonder Long Rui had misunderstood.

After Long Rui asked her question, she felt it was impolite, afraid that it might have hurt Yue Jinghua’s pride, so she quickly corrected herself: "I didn’t mean it that way, it’s just that I had a similar experience in my early years."

Trapped in the Water Dungeon, Yue Jinghua couldn’t see Long Rui’s current expression, but she could imagine, now mentioning her own secrets, her face must be flushed with embarrassment.

Unexpectedly, Long Jiuzun’s troubling behavior unintentionally fostered a friendship between Yue Jinghua and Long Rui.

Amidst the trickling sound of water, Long Rui began to talk about her childhood.

Long Rui was the beloved jewel of the National Guardian General Residence, and she was also exceptionally beautiful with fair skin and a graceful figure, almost flawless.

When she was just born, she was a cute plump and chubby baby, very much adored by the elders.

However, around the age of three or four, she suffered from a severe illness. After the illness, the originally adorable Long Rui suddenly grew long hair all over her body, looking just like a little monkey.

The entire General Mansion was extremely worried and sought out renowned doctors everywhere, but they couldn’t cure her condition.

Others who saw her laughed at her, and the children who played with her also kept their distance, even the servants of the General Mansion gossiped about her behind her back.

Although Long Rui was young, she was also clever and sharp. In order not to upset the adults at home, she pretended to be oblivious and indifferent.

But as it is natural for girls to want to be pleasing, during one banquet when the elders were not around, she was bullied by children of noble princes.

Unable to find her nanny, she could only find solace crying secretly under the shade of a tree.

Perhaps it was the sound of crying that caught his attention; Yue Minzhi happened to pass by and found her.

At this point, Long Rui paused, seemingly recalling the incident back then.

"Could it be, my big brother somehow had an epiphany back then, comforted you, and then you favored him?" Yue Jinghua found it hard to imagine what kind of pleasing words her big brother could have said to charm a girl.

When Long Rui was three or four years old, Yue Minzhi should have been only about seven or eight, at most a wooden little boy.

"Pah, it’s said that it’s easier to change mountains and rivers than to change someone’s nature; what good words could he possibly say? He just glanced at me and turned right around," Long Rui chided smilingly, "but he came back later, do you know what he brought back?"

Yue Minzhi brought back a rabbit.

"He only said one sentence, ’You are just as cute as this one,’" Long Rui recalled, a blush spreading across her cheeks.

Not long after that, the hair on Long Rui’s face and body disappeared naturally.

The little companions who had distanced themselves from her came back to play with her again, but ever since then, Long Rui had someone living in her heart.

She lovingly cared for that little rabbit for ten years, until it died of illness.

In times of adversity and distress, even the slightest warmth can be remembered for a lifetime.

For Long Rui, Yue Minzhi was that presence.

Therefore, even after the Duke Mansion went bankrupt, she remained loyal, cherishing his kindness.

"Since then, I told myself that he is my destined partner," Long Rui spoke, her mood seeming to brighten, as she was naturally an open and optimistic person, and her spirits visibly lifted after opening her heart.

"Hey, it seems my big brother is not too dumb after all. He knows a few ancient tricks to charm women, like giving a rabbit," Yue Jinghua said and quietly slipped a Parrot Snail into her bosom, planning to give it to Yue Minzhi after getting out of the Water Dungeon, hoping not to let down Long Rui’s affection.

Both of them had opened up their hearts and were chatting and laughing, not noticing that the water level in the Water Dungeon had quietly changed.