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"Alright! Can you still sleep now? If you can't sleep, would you accompany me to a place?"
Ling Yuxuan looked out the window, suddenly turning pale as he gently discussed with Ziyan.
"Sure! I don't want to sleep anymore, let's go now."
Ziyan was very curious about where he wanted to take her and immediately agreed without hesitation.
So, the two of them leaped from the window back onto the rooftop. Following that, Ziyan allowed Ling Yuxuan to lift her body as they flew towards the Southeast.
Earlier, Ziyan had casually removed her night cloak, and at this moment, she was dressed in a plain white outfit with a white skirt.
At the same time, a faint light of pale red appeared on the eastern horizon. Their clothing and long hair were gently blown by the morning breeze, creating an ethereal and beautiful scene.
Whether viewed up close or from afar, they looked like two celestial beings soaring in the low sky.
Soon, they stopped at a large, dilapidated manor.
Ling Yuxuan remained silent, but although he didn't say it outright, Ziyan wasn't foolish! With just a little thought, she guessed that this must be the royal mansion where Ling Yuxuan had lived in the past.
The former prosperity had long been replaced by chaos, overgrown weeds, and crumbling walls; it could never return to its once splendid and luxurious appearance.
Oh dear, I'm really such a fool. I should have realized he would bring me here when he mentioned wanting to go somewhere!
This place held his most beautiful and cherished childhood memories. Although today it was all changed beyond recognition. Revisiting this old place naturally made him reminisce about someone unforgettable in his life—his adoptive father, Ling Jianyu, who had cared for him even though he was not his biological father.
At this moment, even knowing the truth, Ling Yuxuan could not completely forget all the kindness that Ling Jianyu had shown him throughout his upbringing.
Ziyan quietly followed Ling Yuxuan as they slowly walked through the abandoned royal residence.
They eventually arrived at what appeared to be an independent small yard on the west side of the estate. Ling Yuxuan suddenly spoke again, "This is where I lived from birth until I was eight years old."
At this point, a slightly foolish and bitter smile appeared on Ling Yuxuan's face.
He stopped, reached out to take one of Ziyan's hands, and then pointed to one of the houses with his other hand, continuing, "That house is where I lived when I was a child, and look, the house next door is where my wet nurse lived."
"Later, I learned from Mo Old Man that this royal residence burned for several days before it was extinguished, and all the more than a hundred people inside perished. Not a single person survived, including my wet nurse. Hahaha—it's all because of me!"
Reflecting on those years, it was indeed closely related to Ling Yuxuan. The people sent by Ling Zhiyuan to find Gu Yuxuan, having failed to locate her, went on a killing spree and slaughtered everyone in the residence. They then set fire to the estate, completely destroying it.
Ling Yuxuan continued recounting the tragic costs of what had happened here back then, and by the end, he was even laughing madly while shedding tears.
Ziyan felt a pang of heartache and couldn't help but rush into his arms, holding him tightly to comfort him. She then reminded him gently, "Listen to me, you shouldn't be so sad. These things are not your fault; they are the sins of the previous generation. You have already suffered so much loneliness over the years, so there’s no need to blame yourself anymore!"
"I don't need to blame myself anymore! Really?" Ling Yuxuan asked in disbelief.
"Of course! If I say you don’t need to blame yourself, then you don’t need to. Can your sadness bring those people back to life? Everyone has their own fate; that's called destiny!"
Ziyan couldn't bear to see him live in pain and guilt any longer. After all, these events were the mistakes of the previous generation; they were caused by their grudges and selfish desires.
Why should a young man who lost his parents' love at such a young age and suffered greatly have to bear such a heavy burden? How could such parents be easily forgiven?
Thinking of this, Ziyan felt a deep bitterness for her Demonic Charming Man while also harboring disdain for that lofty Your Majesty.
But upon further reflection, what does it matter? In such an era, within such a complex and vast family, if you don't betray your brothers, they might still harm you. How easy is it to keep a low profile?
This is the legendary truth: a person's fate is often beyond their control. No one can change their birth or their parents.
Ordinary people cannot, and even the noblest cannot. This is the initial fate of humanity!
"Have you already discovered something?" Just as Ziyan was lost in thought, Ling Yuxuan suddenly cupped Ziyan's small face in her hands and patiently gazed at her.
"Uh?" When Ziyan looked up, her eyes were filled with astonishment.
"I mean my background. Haven't you already sensed something?" Ling Yuxuan asked again, staring into Ziyan's eyes.
Understanding what Ling Yuxuan was asking, Ziyan nodded slightly and replied softly, "I only had some suspicions but didn't dare to conclude—"
Then, Ziyan began recounting the time in Chu County when Ling Zhiyuan had privately approached her and asked for her help in finding his long-lost son.
She then spoke of how he was attacked just before leaving Chu County and how grateful she was that she and Ling Yuxuan had saved him, recalling the deeply affectionate look Ling Zhiyuan had given Ling Yuxuan at that moment.
It was from that moment that Ziyan began to harbor those suspicions and thoughts.
"But back then, I really didn't dare to share this incredible speculation with you! It wasn't until the day before yesterday when I arrived in the capital that I understood the whole story. But I didn't know you had already reached the capital; I just wanted to enter the palace late at night to meet that mother—"
Ziyan wanted to seriously explain the entire sequence of events to him.
"Don't say anymore; I know. You didn't realize that person had already anticipated my arrival in the capital, which is why they used you to lead me into the palace to reveal those so-called truths."
Ling Yuxuan watched as her Beloved Child seemed to be getting anxious and upset, so she interrupted her words and explained the most crucial part of the situation.
"Mm mm mm mm—"
Hearing Ling Yuxuan directly pinpoint the crux of the matter, Ziyan nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.
After that, Ling Yuxuan said nothing more and simply embraced Ziyan, leading her into a relatively well-preserved Octagonal Pavilion in the courtyard. They sat down on a stone bench, and she placed her Beloved Child on her lap.
Looking at the surrounding ruins, Ziyan knew that at this moment, she was the only one who could accompany and comfort Ling Yuxuan's heart, which had already been wounded deeply.
As they leaned on each other, the eastern sky began to lighten. The hint of red in the dawn was much brighter than before.
Daylight was about to break, and Ziyan waited with Ling Yuxuan. She was waiting for it to get brighter so she could return to the Zi Family Spiced Braise to teach the Executive Chef in her restaurant how to prepare a large palace banquet themed around hot pot.
At this moment, Ziyan did not want to linger even a moment longer in this place filled with rumors and troubles. She just hoped to finish all the tasks she wanted to accomplish as quickly as possible so she could leave that night.
Ling Yuxuan intuitively understood her thoughts. When it got a little brighter, they held hands and left the abandoned mansion.
As soon as they exited the alley, they saw a carriage waiting for them. The coachman driving the carriage was not unfamiliar to Ziyan; it was Wu San.
Once they got into the carriage, Ziyan was almost stunned to find their master—Qin Ming—sitting inside as well.
Ziyan understood that this must be an informant from her Demonically Charming Man who had come to escort them both.
However, it made sense; with daylight approaching, they certainly couldn't just sneak back across rooftops like they did at night.
How many people would that disturb? Or how much trouble would it bring?
However, as clever as she was, Ziyan had not realized that the people she thought were still in Chu County had actually all come to the capital. She was the only one left in the dark.
"Master, so you all conspired to keep this from me!" Ziyan couldn't help but ask Qin Ming as soon as she saw him.
"Hehe—" Qin Ming chuckled awkwardly, then coughed a couple of times with a hint of helplessness.
"How ungrateful! If it weren't for you all— I would still be foolishly thinking you were back home," Ziyan complained, pouting in dissatisfaction.
"Isn't it because the Young Master didn't want to add to the future Young Master's wife's troubles?" After saying this, Qin Ming chuckled again.
"Huh— In my heart, you are Yan'er and Brother Yuxuan's mentor."
Ziyan let out a deep breath, feeling helpless yet resigned. Over the years, she had always regarded Qin Ming as her master, but he was reluctant to acknowledge her directly due to her status as the future Young Master's wife.
Because she was to be the future Young Master's wife, Qin Ming only treated her equally with Ling Yuxuan, serving them both as his masters. Sometimes Ziyan felt quite speechless about this and could only lament how deeply ingrained servitude was in the people of this era!
But that was all there was to it; she couldn't force him to change anything. As long as he was happy and willing, that was enough.
With that thought, Ziyan's heart no longer held onto any grudges.
Her expression gradually softened, and she unexpectedly asked, "Master, would you be willing to return to Chu County with us tonight?"
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