469 Story

Nan Hua looked at Old Madam Long and felt a bit loss.

Relationship has always been something she was bad about.

In her previous life, she was an agent or assassin, or whatever the name was. She learned how to act and to blend in the crowd, playing any of the role that was given to her perfectly. It was to the point that she herself was confused just who she truly was.

There was no one whom she could fully trust.

The one and only person whom Nan Hua ever trusted with her entire heart ended up plunging a knife to her chest, nearly killing her.

She had only treated those close to her better because she wanted to become their family members. But if any of them asked whether she trusted them with her entire life and heart, her answer would be no.

She couldn't do that.

The moment she allowed someone to enter her heart was the moment when she would show her weakness. She would allow them to affect her emotions. By placing her heart in other people's hand, she was allowing them to become her source of pain or happiness.

Giving one's heart to the wrong person would only cause endless despair.

Her grandfather, Nan Luo, and some others could affect her emotions to a certain extent as she had allowed them to. However, putting her life in their hand was something that she couldn't do fully.

She knew it very well.

During the previous incident, she had tried her best to stay awake even though she was around her twin brother and her cousin. She knew that they wouldn't harm her, but she still maintained her guard nevertheless.

But now, Old Madam Long.

If Nan Hua had to be honest, she felt a bit complicated. If the future were to go in accordance to the story, Long Qian Xing would never marry her. Instead, he would marry the female lead, whom he would meet at the frontline soon.

In the end, all Nan Hua could say was… "Thank you, Grandmother."

"Stop saying thanks." Old Madam Long smiled and patted Nan Hua's head once more. She stroked Nan Hua tenderly, looking at the girl's fair appearance and clear eye. It was rare to see someone with such eyes, one that didn't seem to have any other thoughts in her mind and dared to look at her directly.

Old Madam Long had spent quite a long time in the battlefield, so she knew that many people didn't want to have any dealings with her because they didn't dare to even look in her direction.

She knew that, which was why she appreciated Nan Hua even more.

Seeing a girl like this who was not afraid of her yet respectful was so pleasing. However, she also knew that someone like Nan Hua was also someone who closed her heart off and didn't allow anyone to truly get close to her.

"Hua'er, I have a story."

Nan Hua turned her head curiously.

"There was once a young commander who's very accomplished. However, he's very rigid and didn't dare to get close to anyone. One time, he was badly wounded and it was his old friend who brought him back by braving dangers. He felt ashamed for treating his friend so badly but the two of them ended up being good friends."

Listening to Old Madam Long giving the simplified version, Nan Hua blinked her eyes. She had just heard the same story last night from her grandfather.

The two people in the story were Old Master Nan and Old Master Long.

To be exact, it was the time when the two of them become good friends who would help each other greatly.

The wounded one was Old Master Long because he was trapped by the enemies. When he thought that he had failed, Old Master Nan came to find him and dragged him back to the camp. The two of them become good friends since then and would occasionally help each other when the other needed it at the battlefield.

This was also what caused the two of them to be able to survive the long and arduous journey of being commanders.

Old Madam Long chuckled. "Someday, I'm sure you'll be able to find someone whom you could fully open your heart to. I do hope that it can be me, but I can't possibly be there all the time."

My time was limited.

It was what Old Madam Long wanted to say. She was no longer young and knew that her physical body was slowly approaching its limit. There might be a few more months left for her or a few more years.

She didn't know.

But she wished that she would still be alive at the time when her granddaughter in law married her grandson.

"Mhm."

"Don't worry too much about what people said about you, Hua'er. People might not want to accept someone who's very different from them, but rather than fulfilling what others want for you, isn't it better to just be who you are? Who you want to be and do whatever you want to do," Old Madam Long added.

Just be who you are?

Nan Hua was stunned.

'I know you've been restraining yourself a lot…' Old Madam Long wanted to say that but she chose not to. Even though Nan Hua looked cold on the outside and seemed to be unaffected from everything, she felt that she was still a fragile girl inside.

No matter how strong the exterior was built up, it was all to cover up what was inside.

She hoped that Nan Hua would be able to be free and just be herself.

Nan Hua stayed silent as she allowed Old Madam Long to mess with her hair. Her mind was churning, thinking of the words that Old Madam Long said to her.

Just be who you want to be.

It was an advice that she could never do in her previous life.