Blind and Bereft

Chapter 47 | Return All That Is Lost

Prince Zhanying cast a spell, and they were both dried up from the rain. Jingrui beamed as she ran to follow him into the pine forest and towards the garden that laid the Jade Tree. After several turns, they arrived at a large dome built from pure Jade. Several broken pillars scattered across the ground, and the air thickened with a powerful, mythical essence.

Jingrui hid behind Prince Zhanying as he led her into the garden. Amidst the weeds and vines that engulfed the walls and pillars, a radiant tree stood, glittering gold. Its fruits were like diamonds, reflecting several hues of colour into her eyes.

Jingrui had never seen anything worthy to match its exquisiteness, and she was drawn towards it. She reached for the glimmering fruits on the tree, but before she could pick the fruit, she spotted sharp thorns covering the branches and leaves. She instantly pulled her hand back and turned to Prince Zhanying who stood beside her. "Is it safe if I pick it?" she asked him.

Prince Zhanying was lost in thought as he analysed the tree. After a length of time passed, sighed. "I cannot sense any force protecting it."

"Then can I pick it?" Jingrui asked again.

He nodded for her to go on, and with that, she reached for the glistering fruits. A grin plastered over her face, but it soon turned to a painful wince as her finger grazed against the thrones on the tree. Blood oozed from her fingertip and ran onto the Jade Fruit before her. Whimpering, she brought her finger to her lips to ease the pain.

One drop of blood, ashes eat away frost, the heart blossoms a Jade Fruit, return all that is lost.

A voice rang in her head, and her eyes widened as she looked up. The fruit before her was glowing with speckles of light as it turned into a flawless jade colour. Her eyes sparkled as she plucked the fruit from the branch and turned to Prince Zhanying. "Your Highness!" she called him as she tapped on his sleeve and offered him the Jade Fruit. "This fruit is so beautiful. You might not be able to see it, but it's the prettiest out of all the fruits on this tree."

"If it is as beautiful as you say, you can keep it," Prince Zhanying told her as he slackly cast his silver light to cut down the fruits for the Heavenly Emperor.

Jingrui pressed her lips into a thin line before she snatched his palm up and placed the Jade Fruit in it. "Bao Bao gives this to you."

He eyed it and sighed before bringing the fruit up into the sun. "Very unlike you, to give the best to me. Perhaps you are lying about its beauty because I cannot see. Maybe it is rotten."

She crossed her arms with a hard frown. "I picked it especially for you, so you should try it!"

He tilted his head to the side, and his usual smoldering smile graced his face. "If Bao Bao picked it especially for me, then I should try it." With that, he waved his hand, and a light blazed from his fingertips, cutting out a piece from the fruit. He tilted the piece in his finger, uncertain if it were really wise to eat it. But at last, he gave in to her urging glance and shoved it in his mouth.

Jingrui grinned, feeling content that he was accepting her token. She turned away from him and plucked one of the fruits out before biting into it. A familiar taste of peach melted sweetly on her tongue. Did they just make the legend of the Jade Fruit up to fool immortals? The fruit tasted just like an ordinary peach. At that point, she wasn't even sure if this peach would help replenish health, least cure blindness.

She was busy munching when she heard a loud thud of fruit hitting the ground, making her jump. She spun over to Prince Zhanying who had just dropped her fruit to the ground. His brows were furrowed as he looked down at his shaking hands.

"What's wrong, Your Highness? Is my fruit not—" Jingrui paused when he turned her way, shooting his dark gaze right into her eyes.

Slowly, he took steps towards her. His expression grew bewildered as he reached towards her face and placed his shaking hand on her cheek. His thumb caressed her skin, feeling her and sending her heart racing.

He clenched his jaw and furrowed his brows, trying to form words. At last, his words tumbled out from him. "I-I can see."

Jingrui was deep in thought, mesmerised by his subtle movements and his intense gaze that she didn't hear him. It wasn't until he cracked out a weak chuckle that she was snapped out of her trance. "I can see you, Bao Bao."

Jingrui's eyes widened. "Y-You can see me?" Her heart raced and her breathing quickened.

Prince Zhanying brushed strands of her black hair back behind her ears. Something about him was soft under the hues of the glittering gold, and she caught a small smile escaping his lips. "I'm happy you are the first person that I see."

Jingrui didn't understand much of his words but she smiled as she felt tears surge to her eyes. "C-Can you really see?" she asked through her sniffles. "What do I look like?"

"How I've always thought you would." He chuckled as he brushed her tears away with his thumb. "Why are you crying?"

Jingrui shook her head as she turned away and wiped her tears. "I'm not."

"Are you happy that I can see again?"

"I-I'm just scared that now you can see, you'd have another sense added to your incredibly horrific senses." She crossed her arms, daring not to look up at him with her red eyes.

Prince Zhanying held a faint smile in his eyes, but then they turned confused as he cast a glance between her and the Jade Fruit he had eaten. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "Impossible."

"What is impossible?" Jingrui asked while dabbing her sleeves against her cheeks.

Prince Zhanying took a sharp breath. "Nothing. Let us go back to the compound." He dispelled the Jade Fruit he picked for the Emperor and waved for her to follow him.

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