After the ambush and narrow escape, the team finally settled by a quiet river bend.
The water sparkled in the dappled light, and for once, it wasn't trying to drown, poison, or devour them. Mei Lan rinsed herbs nearby while Yan Ping huddled, still shaking. Luo Han leaned against a tree, sharpening his blade with deliberate calm.
Jia Wei Xin sat on a rock, letting her boots dry and the icy water numb her bruises.
Chang Dian stood a few paces away, skipping stones with an aggression normally reserved for cutting down spirit beasts. Each stone sliced the river like a weapon; one cracked clean in half.
"You're going to scare off the spirit fish," Jia Wei Xin commented, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.
"They deserve it," he grumbled. "They're looking at me funny."
She raised a brow. "That last one was personal."
Silence stretched. She knew him well enough to recognize when he was more than just annoyed. She lowered her voice. "You're mad?"
He shot her a sideways glance. "I felt his qi on you. You were nearly gone. And then he shows up—all moonlight and dramatic poses—while I'm still stuck behind a wall of illusions. Seriously? How cliché is that? If I'd gotten through first, I would've saved you."
"Oh really? And then what?" she challenged, raising her chin.
That's when he grinned—a slow, mischievous grin that spelled trouble from a mile away.
"Then you'd owe me one more life-debt," he said. "And I'd collect it immediately. You'd have no choice but to pack your bags and come to my sect. Because honestly—this one's boring. Look at all these assassins and ambushes. Who needs the drama?"
Jia Wei Xin gawked. "You're not serious."
"I'm Zhang Tian," he replied smoothly, skipping a stone that danced across the river with ridiculous elegance. "I never kid about stealing disciples. Or about you owing me."
Her cheeks warmed—whether from the flustered frustration or the actual sun, she couldn't say. "Next time, maybe you should get through the trap faster."
He grinned wider. "Next time, I will. And when I do—" he stepped closer, dropping his voice to a low murmur, "—you'd better be ready."
"Next time, maybe I'll save myself."
The words hung between them, sharp as the blade Luo Han was honing. Zhang Tian stilled, the next stone limp in his fingers. For a heartbeat, his usual mischief faded—replaced by something searching, almost wary.
Jia Wei Xin's hands, resting in her lap, clenched tighter. The playful banter, the promises of protection—it was flattering, and... suffocating.
Because she didn't want to be saved.
Jia Wei Xin rolled her eyes and turned back to the water. Her heart was hammering against her ribs, but it wasn't just the thrill of their playful challenge. It was a familiar ache, a sharp reminder of a different kind of promise, a different kind of debt.
---
It was eight years ago.
The First Days.
She was young, driven, freshly graduated. Wang An, her boyfriend, one year ahead and already chasing dreams, had just founded a tiny software startup. Four people in a rented office, barely enough cash for cheap coffee. She'd believed in him, in them.
"I need you," he'd said, eyes bright with ambition. "Just for a while. Until we get real funding."
She'd laughed, kissed him, and said, "Of course."
She worked without pay for months, coding late into the night, juggling servers, and smoothing client issues. It was hard, but it felt like building something together. Every success felt like theirs—shared. The company grew. Investors noticed.
"Your shares are coming," Wang An said. "Once we stabilize. You know I'd never leave you behind."
And she believed him.
The Years.
Jia Wei Xin became the de facto CTO and COO, but in reality, she was running the company like its true CEO. Wang An focused mostly on fundraising and closing a few sales, while she streamlined operations, scaled the team, and forged crucial partnerships. Under her leadership, the company grew from four employees to two hundred, achieving tenfold revenue growth and moving steadily towards a successful listing.
And still—no paperwork. No shares.
"Soon," Wang An promised. "We're almost there."
She smiled, but a shadow crept into her heart.
The Betrayal.
A month before the IPO, Jia Wei Xin discovered the truth.
No shares. Not for her.
As for the three early, key employees who had sacrificed everything to help build the company, Wang An had granted them a mere 3.5% each—barely enough to acknowledge their contributions. Together, they held just 9.5%—a fraction of what had been promised.
They were furious. They confronted Wang An, demanding answers.
But he remained calm, his voice distant, almost rehearsed. "It's the best decision for the company. The advisors said I can't give away more shares or the company will lose its investment value before the IPO."
Jia Wei Xin stared at him, the weight of betrayal pressing down like a stone. "You promised us. You promised me."
He didn't even look up from his desk. Just spun his pen—the Montblanc she'd gifted him after the company first million with her savings —between his fingers. Click. Click. Click.
"It was never written down."
The pen stilled. His smile was polite, rehearsed. Like she was a shareholder he'd outmaneuvered. Not the woman who'd slept under her desk for him. Not the woman he'd claimed to love.
Her heart cracked.
The Aftermath.
The three of founding team member left the company and filed a lawsuit against Wang An, determined to fight for what they were owed.
Jia Wei Xin resigned. Quietly. No drama. But the damage was done. She'd sacrificed years of her life—her love, her trust. All gone. Two months later, the final knife twisted.
She found him with another woman.
He tried to win her back, of course. Claimed the affair meant nothing, that it was her he needed. But in the final, bitter argument, he let slip the truth:
"You were always better than me. Everyone listened to you more. They followed your ideas. They saw you as the real leader. I couldn't stand it. I pampered you, but you were stealing my place. And now that the company's mine—I don't need to share."
She felt the air leave her lungs. Her hands trembled as she stared at him. The man she had loved—the man she had built a life with—was gone. In his place stood a stranger with a cold smile and greedy eyes.
It was then she realized.
All those years. The love. The struggle. The success.
It was built on a lie.
---
Back to the River
The Winding Spirit Forest shimmered back into focus.
Jia Wei Xin's fists clenched against her knees. Her breath came shallow. She could still hear Wang An's voice, see his smug face in that final meeting room.
That's why.
That's why she couldn't fall for Liu Mo Fei's moonlit rescues or Zhang Tian's playful promises.
For some girls, maybe it would feel like a dream—being the center of attention for two powerful, gifted men. But for her...
She had learned, the hard way, that being wanted wasn't always the same as being valued.
She wasn't a prize to be fought over. She wasn't a damsel to be saved.
She wanted to save herself.
Her heart was a fortress. And maybe, someday, someone might find the key—but not because they fought for her, like she was some rare prize to be won.
No. It would be because they stood beside her. As an equal. As a choice.