My Journey to Me

Chapter IX: An Encounter

The day had already been packed with so much energy and movement that Zishang thought she might wear herself out. But, knowing herself better than anyone, she was pretty sure she'd find more ways to make trouble. After all, she had yet to cross paths with the one person who had a strange, infuriating, yet intriguing hold on her—Jin Fan.

But first, she needed to ensure her day continued with the same level of chaos. And for that, she had one more stop to make: the Gong family's main courtyard. She had a feeling someone would be there, waiting for her.

As Zishang entered the courtyard, the sight of her three younger brothers and their various activities met her. Gong Ziyu, who had just finished overseeing some estate matters, was seated on one of the stone benches, discussing something with a few of his trusted servants. Gong Yuanzhi was practicing archery—no doubt an attempt to impress his older sister, though Zishang couldn't help but laugh at his unsteady aim. Gong Shangjue, on the other hand, was nowhere to be found, but that didn't surprise her. He was likely holed up somewhere serious and brooding as usual.

"Yuanzhi!" Zishang called out, walking with purpose toward the archery range.

Yuanzhi looked up just in time to see Zishang casually strolling over. "What now?" he asked, already anticipating some kind of trouble.

"Oh, nothing serious," Zishang said, flashing a mischievous grin. "I just thought I'd see if your archery skills are any better than your ability to run from me."

Yuanzhi blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

With a swift movement, Zishang grabbed one of the arrows he had left lying by the target, balancing it on her finger and pointing it dramatically. "What I mean is, you're all talk about being good with your bow... but last time, I remember you completely missing your target and hitting the statue instead!"

Yuanzhi's cheeks turned a shade of pink, and he threw his hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright! You can tease me all day if it'll make you happy, but I'm still better than you with the bow!"

"Are you, now?" Zishang raised an eyebrow. "Prove it!"

Before Yuanzhi could protest further, Zishang aimed the arrow herself, pulling the string back with a surprising amount of grace. She took aim and let it fly. The arrow soared through the air, landing smack in the center of the target.

Yuanzhi stared, his jaw slightly dropping in surprise. "I... I didn't know you could do that."

Zishang shrugged nonchalantly. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises." She flicked her hair back as if to say, of course, I can do everything.

"Do you want to make fun of me more, or can I go back to practicing?" Yuanzhi asked, clearly embarrassed but unable to stop himself from smiling.

"No, no, I think it's time for me to find new entertainment," she said, clapping him on the back before walking off.

But as she passed through the open courtyard, a familiar, taller figure appeared in her line of sight. A figure that made her heart skip a beat before she could control herself.

Jin Fan.

There he was, standing by the gate as though he had just arrived, holding a letter in his hands and looking thoroughly absorbed in whatever it was he was reading. His sharp, focused demeanor was exactly the same as it always was—practical, quiet, and distant. He was one of the most disciplined individuals Zishang had ever met, and it drove her nuts.

"Oh, great," Zishang muttered to herself, straightening up as she made her way toward him. "Here comes the guy who's always busy with something important. Can't even make five minutes for me, huh?"

Jin Fan looked up just as Zishang approached, his brow furrowing slightly as if he had expected her presence but wasn't entirely thrilled by it.

"Lady Zishang," he greeted, his tone neutral but warm enough to show he wasn't entirely indifferent to her.

Zishang put on her brightest, most teasing smile. "Well, well. If it isn't the busy Jin Fan. Do you ever take a break, or are you forever buried in that scroll of yours?"

Jin Fan folded the letter and tucked it into his sleeve, his expression unreadable. "There's always something that requires attention. You should know that by now."

Zishang stepped closer, crossing her arms with a playful smirk. "Mmhmm, always something important. How's that job of yours going? Getting too important to spend some time with a lovely lady like me?"

Jin Fan paused for a moment, looking at her with those intense, calculating eyes. Zishang always felt like he was trying to figure her out, and in a way, she was starting to wonder if he might actually succeed one day.

"I have responsibilities, Zishang. You know that."

"Oh, I know," she said dramatically, rolling her eyes. "You're too busy to even look at me, let alone talk to me. I'm so low on your priority list."

Jin Fan's lips quirked in the faintest of smiles. "Is that what you think?"

"I know!" Zishang responded with an exaggerated huff. "You're always on the clock! You barely have time to notice anyone unless there's something to fix, and I just... I just can't handle it anymore, Jin Fan. I deserve better!"

Jin Fan chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You deserve a lot of things, Zishang. But maybe you should consider that sometimes people have duties they can't ignore."

Zishang pouted dramatically. "I am a duty. Your duty to enjoy life! You've been too serious for far too long, my friend!"

"I've had my fair share of enjoyment," Jin Fan said, his voice softening a little as he looked at her. But there was still that distance, that unspoken wall he had erected around himself.

Zishang stared at him for a moment, her teasing demeanor faltering just a bit. "I just don't get it. You're always so... serious. Is that really all there is to you?"

Jin Fan's gaze softened for a moment, but then he shrugged, his usual stoic expression settling back into place. "Seriousness has its place, Zishang. Maybe one day, you'll understand that."

Zishang bit her lip, trying to fight off the frustrating mix of admiration and irritation that was forming in her chest. She wasn't used to feeling like this.

"Maybe I will," she said with a dramatic sigh, throwing her hands up. "But until then, you're just going to have to deal with me showing up every time you try to work." She grinned mischievously. "Enjoy the chaos."

Jin Fan didn't reply, but there was a slight twinkle in his eyes as he watched her walk away, a quiet amusement flickering through him.

Zishang, in all her energy and boisterous charm, had a way of leaving her mark on everything she touched—even Jin Fan, it seemed.

As she walked away, her heart thudded in her chest, but she refused to let him see how much his quiet words had affected her. For now, she would keep her distance from him, just as he kept his from her.

But that was okay. She had her own journey to focus on—one filled with fun, laughter, and a whole lot of surprises. And as long as Jin Fan kept his distance, that journey would stay just as unpredictable as she liked it.

But deep down, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, there was a little more to the serious Jin Fan than she had yet discovered.