Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 102: Chapter 97: Each One’s Limit (Part 2)

I cannot deny, I was a bit downcast for failing to deceive Tian Rujing into revealing what I wanted to know: he was already on alert, and it would become increasingly difficult to fool him in the future. However, to say that I felt devastated would be far from the truth.

Unlike Tian Rujing, who blindly believed in the “Heavenly Book,” being a transmigrator, I scrutinized and critically examined my own situation and this world. I was well aware of the path I was on, and I understood clearly that it was not fate, but simply established history.

Even though my own experiences were bizarre, I had no intention of letting so-called destiny control me.

It’s still early; nothing has happened yet. Why would I despair over things that have yet to occur?

How absurd.

Our gazes met briefly and then separated—or more accurately, Tian Rujing avoided my gaze. He looked down at his own feet and said indifferently, “Regardless, I will not reveal to you the content of the Heavenly Book pertaining to the future of this dynasty. You can abandon that hope.”

I smiled slightly, undiscouraged as I picked up a piece of jerky from the plate on the table, chewed it carefully, swallowed, and took a sip of water before responding softly, “Since you are so insistent, I won’t press you. However, Tian Rujing, you see, to avoid crossing your bottom line, I’ve even set aside my own life-and-death matters. Shouldn’t you offer me some compensation to offset the losses I’ve incurred?”

My agitation just moments ago was largely due to the anticipation of learning the exact cause of Shan Yin’s Princess’s death. Once Tian Rujing saw through and rejected these hidden thoughts, I became utterly calm.

With Tian Rujing setting his bottom line, it was like cold water dousing the frantic passion in my heart, calming my restless mind instantly. Yet, it didn’t leave me feeling resentful or losing hope.

Before I knew that Tian Rujing had records of history, I was largely ignorant of the future. Now it’s just back to not knowing as before, dispelling all thoughts of looking for shortcuts—a small matter indeed.

The calm Chu Yu immediately took advantage of this, using it as leverage to negotiate with Tian Rujing.

If it had been before, Tian Rujing would have completely ignored Chu Yu’s pleadings as a policy of desperation. But now, as his gaze shifted and met my clear, steadfast eyes, filled with a faint, earnest plea, they seemed incredibly beautiful, melting his resolve bizarrely. He whispered, “I will let you see something in this Divine Artifact, something other than the Heavenly Book. You may choose one item.”

An unexpected delight, perhaps?

I initially thought it would take some fierce haggling to achieve even a small initial goal, especially since Tian Rujing now had a clear stance and was difficult to deceive. However, I had not expected him to give in so easily, and I was momentarily caught off guard.

After Tian Rujing spoke, he almost felt regretful, but looking into the sudden brightness of my delighted eyes, the joy seemed infectious, gradually dissipating his regret.

I leaned forward slightly, inching closer to Tian Rujing, and asked expectantly, “So, what are my options? You should at least let me have a look, right?”

Tian Rujing subconsciously leaned back. He raised his hand, pressing a finger on the center of a gemstone embedded in his bracelet. I raised my hand and said, “Wait, how do you use this… um, Divine Artifact? By pressing your hand on that gemstone?”

Tian Rujing answered offhandedly, “Sometimes it requires that, but for some simple applications, one only needs to think about it.” If it weren’t so miraculous, he wouldn’t have considered it a Divine Artifact.

It even comes with brainwave operation!

Grabbing the cup on the table, I poured myself some water to calm down and strived to push aside the gloom in my heart. At that moment, a pale blue holographic screen appeared, and two rows of icons emerged before my eyes.

Like the options on a computer, the screen displayed six icons, three to each side, labeled: Classics, History, Literature, Philosophy, Skills, and Control, with half of the page still unseen beyond the bottom edge.

I glanced at Tian Rujing, signaling with my eyes that he should show the other half of the page. He lowered his eyelids, unresponsive, clearly concealing the bottom part from me, allowing me to choose only among these six options.

The “History” segment surely pertained to past events, and Tian Rujing would not allow me to see it. Among the remaining five options, I couldn’t quite discern their specific meanings. For a moment, I was somewhat perplexed, but then I composed myself and began to meticulously analyze each one.