Chapter 202: Sudden
In a very atmospheric restaurant, Du Jun took Qin Jia there, pulled the chair out politely for her, and had the waiter change the music to a beautiful melody.
Looking around at the lavish decorations, Qin Jia was slightly puzzled, but then noticed Du Jun gazing at her, which caused an odd feeling to arise in her heart.
Du Jun opened a bottle of champagne and said with a bitter smile, "In Gu Fan’s heart, and in everyone else’s as well, you must still hold a grudge against me, right? I did betray you all, thus you have all the right to hate me."
After hearing this, Qin Jia’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, "What I want to know is, do our twelve classmates’ lives mean nothing to you?"
In response, Du Jun shook his head, "Some things are out of my control. When I found out about my task, I too was terrified, afraid, guilt-ridden, even considered refusing to do it. I don’t want a guilty conscience for the rest of my life."
"But you did it in the end, why? You knew it was wrong, it was sinful." Qin Jia stared at Du Jun, who gave a self-deprecating smile, "Why, you ask? I, too, wish to know why I was given such a birth, from childhood subjected to that kind of indoctrination. For the cause of eternal youth, for my people, any sacrifice was justified."
After hearing this, Qin Jia’s heart sank. She understood. Some people turned out that way because of their childhood experiences. In simpler terms, a child is a blank slate, what they encounter, what they are taught, none of this is in their control.
"But you’re grown up, you can choose your own path now," Qin Jia’s words seemed reasonable, but when they reached Du Jun’s ears, they sounded naïve, which made him laugh, "What, you want me to abandon years of cultivation by my elders? Abandon my family and friends when they need me the most? Should our generations of dedication be destroyed because of me, the unfilial descendant?"
Hearing this, Qin Jia couldn’t help but sigh, "Yes, your birth shaped who you are today, but that doesn’t mean it can be used as an excuse to justify your actions."
Du Jun nodded, "Everyone must be responsible for their own actions. I know seeking your forgiveness is a tall order. I’m not making excuses for my actions. If you forgive me, I’ll be happy. If you don’t, I won’t blame you."
"The one I blame is Lin Xi. I neither blame you, nor forgive you. But I want to know, why are our twelve classmates still alive? We originally thought they would be buried with the collapse of the Qianye Mausoleum." After saying this, Qin Jia looked at Du Jun with anticipation, wanting to know the answer.