Hearing Xiao Jinr say this, Gu Qingfeng stared intently into her clear eyes, seeming somewhat doubtful.
It wasn't that he doubted Xiao Jinr's authenticity.
He was quite certain the Xiao Jinr before him was real.
However.
The real Xiao Jinr did not necessarily mean she was the same Xiao Jinr from before.
Xiao Jinr had changed.
Not just grown up, nor just matured.
Rather, the Blood Moon that had appeared earlier had already begun to affect Xiao Jinr. One could even say that Xiao Jinr had not only awakened her memories of this world; it was very likely that memories from her past life, related to the Era Without Dao, had also begun to stir...
"Big Brother, I know you must be wondering whether Jinr is still the same Jinr as before, right?"
Gu Qingfeng shook his head and smiled. "No, of course not."
"Big Brother, don't lie. I could see it in your eyes just now, and... I can also feel it."
Xiao Jinr lowered her head and said softly, "Actually... it's normal for Big Brother to wonder. Because even Jinr herself doesn't know if she's still the same person."
"It's related to that Blood Moon, isn't it?"
Xiao Jinr nodded heavily in response. "Ever since that Blood Moon appeared, many, many strange things have truly happened to Jinr over the years."
"What kinds of things?"
Xiao Jinr shook her head again, then gazed at Gu Qingfeng and said quietly, "Big Brother, do you trust Jinr?"
"I do."
"If Big Brother trusts Jinr, then please don't ask about this matter anymore, okay? Jinr has grown up now; I can handle my own affairs."
Raising her head, Xiao Jinr said earnestly, "Moreover, Jinr can swear to Big Brother that Jinr was Big Brother's Jinr before, is Big Brother's Jinr now, and will always be Big Brother's Jinr. Jinr will forever be Big Brother's Jinr. I absolutely, absolutely will not change because of any existence. I absolutely will not!"
"Alright. Big Brother believes Jinr."
Gu Qingfeng smiled gently and pulled Xiao Jinr into his embrace.
"Big Brother, do you know? Jinr feels really, really happy in your arms. I truly wish I could be held by Big Brother like this forever."
"As long as Jinr is happy, then Big Brother will hold you like this forever."
"Really? Big Brother must not lie to Jinr."
"I won't."
"Then let's pinky promise."
"Hehe, Big Brother is so good."
Gu Qingfeng very much wanted to ask what effect the Blood Moon had actually had on Xiao Jinr. However, since Xiao Jinr refused to speak of it, he had no choice. He had considered secretly probing with his divine sense, but after careful thought, he ultimately gave up. Since he had promised Xiao Jinr, he could not go back on his word.
"Ah! That's right! I almost forgot."
Xiao Jinr broke free from Gu Qingfeng's embrace again and asked, "Big Brother still hasn't answered me. Why exactly won't you go see Elder Sister Hua?"
Hearing Xiao Jinr bring up this question again gave Gu Qingfeng a headache. "You said it yourself just now. I've fallen into the Original Sin Vortex, and I've fallen very deep. Your Elder Sister Su Hua is the Destined One Bearing True Destiny. We are like water and fire. What good would meeting do?"
"But... Elder Sister Hua doesn't care about any of that."
"She might not care, but I do. What if she kills me?"
"Elder Sister Hua likes you so much. How could she kill you?"
"Liking someone and killing someone are not mutually exclusive. Throughout the ages, there are countless examples of people killing their own beloved with their own hands. Your Big Brother has seen this kind of person more than once, and without exception, they were all women. Once a woman hardens her heart, there's nothing she won't do."
"Other women might, but Elder Sister Hua definitely would not."
"You're not Su Hua. How can you be so sure she definitely wouldn't?"
"I just am."
"Alright. Even if your Elder Sister Hua isn't that kind of person, I still don't want to see her."
"Why on earth not?"
Xiao Jinr seemed to be asking Gu Qingfeng, yet also seemed to be talking to herself. "Is Big Brother worried about implicating Elder Sister Hua? No! That's not it. Given Big Brother's temperament, if he truly loved Elder Sister Hua, he would protect her at all costs and would never let her down. So, Big Brother never fell in love with Elder Sister Hua from the very beginning, right?"
Gu Qingfeng shrugged, neither confirming nor denying.
"Since Big Brother doesn't love Elder Sister Hua, why did he give her such illusory hope?"
"Jinr, in all honesty, when have I ever given Su Hua any illusory hope? From the very beginning, it was Su Hua looking for me. I've been hiding from her the whole time. I hid until I had no choice left, and that's when I revealed my identity. But even then, I didn't provoke her, did I? I still kept hiding from her."
"Big Brother, if you hadn't planted the seed of Karma with Elder Sister Hua back in the Ancient Era, would Elder Sister Hua have reincarnated and come to this world to find you at all costs?"
"This..." Gu Qingfeng gave a bitter, helpless laugh. "That's a gross injustice! Back then, I was just seeking revenge on that clan. It just so happened that Su Hua was marrying a member of that clan. Su Hua, for some inexplicable reason, asked me to take her away, so I just casually took her with me. Your Big Brother truly had no other intentions at the time. If I had known it would lead to so much trouble, you could have beaten me to death and I wouldn't have taken Su Hua away."
Thinking back to the incident of rescuing Su Hua, Gu Qingfeng felt regret.
True regret.
He regretted that he shouldn't have gone to seek revenge on that clan that day. He regretted that even if he had to seek revenge, why did he have to be so damned handsy and take that woman Su Hua away.
Just because he was damned handsy and did that damned thing back then, he ended up saddled with a whole heap of trouble.
"Big Brother should know that there is Karma between you and Elder Sister Hua. The cause from a past life, the effect in this life. Big Brother rescuing Elder Sister Hua back then was no coincidence, nor was it accidental. It was Karma that had long been destined."
"Karma?"
"Isn't that so?"
"I say, Jinr."
Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes as he looked at Xiao Jinr. "Why does this sound more and more off to me?"
"What's off?"
"Tell me honestly, did Su Hua put you up to this? To come and feed me this sweet talk?"
Xiao Jinr couldn't help but roll her eyes at Gu Qingfeng. "Of course not."
"Really not?"
"Really not! Jinr can swear. I just feel sorry for Elder Sister Hua, that's why I'm saying these things."
"Then when did you become so mystical? Talking about Karma all the time. Don't you know Big Brother has a strong aversion to those two words?"
"Ah!"
Suddenly, Xiao Jinr let out a long, deep sigh. "Big Brother, you slept for ten thousand years yourself and felt nothing. How could you know how Elder Sister Hua spent these ten thousand years?"