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"You say she can leave the palace whenever she wants, without considering his feelings? What's worse is that she left without even saying goodbye, sneaking away like that. Isn't that just avoiding him?"
Thinking of this, Nangong Nuo felt her head throb with anger, her teeth aching. It wasn't just for any reason; it was because of the deep affection he had for her, and how he had repeatedly saved her from peril at critical moments. Should she really be able to leave without a sound?
Seeing that Zhao Prince had spoken but then fell silent, the flickering candlelight cast shadows on his face, which was now a mix of emotions. He seemed lost in thought, leaving Lord Xu feeling uncertain. What exactly did Zhao Prince mean?
After pondering for a moment, Nangong Nuo shook her head and waved her hand. "I am tired today; you may leave..."
Lord Xu, confused but compliant, exited the room, remembering to close the door behind him.
Nangong Nuo remained lost in thought for a while before standing up and addressing the guard at the door. "Bring her here..."
The summer weather was as fickle as a child's mood, changing suddenly.
Just moments ago, there was a gentle breeze, but now it became stiflingly hot. A strong wind swept through, darkening the previously clear night sky to an ominous black. The gust carried dust from the ground, filling the air with a strong, damp earthy scent.
At the border of Qizhou, inside a humble dwelling, the candle on the table flickered to life.
Several dishes that were fragrant and appealing had long since cooled down but remained untouched.
Xiangcao stood by the window, gazing at the pouring rain. After their harrowing escape and relentless journey, they still hadn’t caught up.
Sighing to herself, she blamed her own greed for food and drink that had led to an upset stomach. This had caused her to miss crucial signs of danger, resulting in Miss Mei Shuang being abducted. With another sigh, she turned back to Yun Kong, who was still deep in thought. Hesitantly, she said, "Young Master, you haven't eaten anything all day. Let me heat something up for you; you should eat a little. It's raining so heavily; we can wait a bit before continuing our journey..."
Yun Kong snapped back to reality and shook his head gravely. "Xiangcao, we don’t have time. She must know many things; she’s just unable to tell us right now. We need to find her quickly; it might be too late otherwise... Also, I just received a secret letter from Kuranami Miyako. There are significant divisions within the Eastern Kingdom now; I fear Queen Himiko of Yamataikoku may not be able to hold out much longer..."
Upon hearing "Queen Himiko," Vanilla's face flushed with anger as she gritted her teeth and said, "That damned old witch! She has already cursed our Eastern Kingdom to the brink of extinction. Is she not satisfied yet? If I ever see her, I will make sure she suffers a thousand deaths!"
Yun Kong sighed bitterly, "How could we possibly meet her? She dared to poison her own mother to become Queen, and she is unworthy of being called human! Now that she has ruled Yamataikoku for so long, there must be something about her that cannot be ignored. Besides, she has always kept to herself; even those around her rarely see her true face..."
Vanilla fumed, "Then why won't Miss Mei Shuang tell us the truth?"
Yun Kong couldn't help but sigh again, "Miss Mei Shuang must have her own difficulties..."
After pondering for a moment, Vanilla made up her mind. "Young Master, I don't know if I should say this or not, but I actually know that Miss Mei Shuang is a good person. The reason she won't tell us about the curse on the Eastern Kingdom or how to lift it must be because of Miss Ru... Even if you got information from Miss Ru about the antidote, Miss Mei Shuang still doesn't trust you..."
Yun Kong looked at Vanilla's youthful face and was surprised by her insight. He could only smile wryly and ask, "So what do you think we should do?"
"Find Miss Mei Shuang and tell her everything... Since Miss Ru will no longer help us, why should we wait for her to change her mind?" Vanilla declared firmly.
Yun Kong stood by the window, watching the raindrops fall like beans onto the ground, creating countless splashes that stirred ripples in his heart.
Noticing Yun Kong's silence, Vanilla lowered her gaze to her toes and spoke softly, "Young Master, I know you are reluctant to let go of Miss Ru. Although you and Miss Ru grew up together, Young Master, even if you don't want to admit it, I have to say that Miss Ru has changed long ago... Yet you are still waiting for her, hoping that one day she will realize and return to your side."
Yun Kong's face gradually paled as he realized that even a young girl could see through his thoughts so clearly.
"Young Master, what you are doing now is less about thinking of the Eastern Kingdom and more about leaving a way out for Miss Ru..."
Vanilla's timid words struck Yun Kong like thunder, causing him to stiffen in shock. He turned abruptly with a fierce gaze and asked sharply, "Vanilla, what are you saying?!"
It was the first time Vanilla had seen Yun Kong so stern; frightened into silence, she bit her lip and lowered her head in grievance, justifying herself internally: I'm not wrong!
After a long while, Yun Kong's expression softened slightly as he said calmly, "You're right, Vanilla. I won't just stand by and watch her walk deeper into the fire..."
Vanilla hesitated for a moment before timidly speaking up, "But, Young Master, you saw it too. Her current target is Miss Mei Shuang. We can't guarantee her safety on our own. If anything happens to Miss Mei Shuang, how will we explain it to the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire? Moreover, if she gets into trouble, our Eastern Kingdom might be finished as well..."
By the end of her words, Vanilla's voice was tinged with despair.
Yun Kong remained silent; he couldn't deny that Vanilla was speaking the truth.
Mei Shuang and Mei Ru were sisters, and he could only choose to protect one. The former could save the fate of the Eastern Kingdom, while the latter was a woman he could never forget in his life.
Outside the window, the rain intensified, and blinding lightning split the dark sky like a serpent. The rumbling thunder echoed through the heavens and earth as a storm approached.
"Young Master, you should make a decision soon. Miss Ru has returned to the capital; who knows what kind of turmoil she will stir up..."
...
Watching the once clear sky suddenly turn stormy, Mei Shuang sighed.
She had been in this rather well-furnished small room for almost a day now. Aside from her three meals, no one had come to see her. Even those who brought her food acted as if they were deaf, completely ignoring her words.
Outside, lightning flashed like silver snakes across the sky, and the booming thunder shook her heart. Occasionally, a loud clap of thunder seemed to want to break through the window, startling Mei Shuang into covering her ears while closing her eyes and murmuring, "I'm not afraid! I'm not afraid!"
To those outside, her petite and pitiful appearance was quite amusing.
With her pale face and dirty male clothing, if it weren't for her relatively clean face, she would have looked like a beggar.
It seemed that life outside the palace wasn't too good either.
Nangong Nuo's nose let out a slight snort, signaling his subordinate to open the door.
The door opened, and Mei Shuang stared wide-eyed, as if she were in a dream, watching Nangong Nuo enter.
It wasn't until Nangong Nuo approached her, standing just a foot away, that she suddenly sprang up from her chair as if waking from a deep slumber, dropping her hands while staring at Nangong Nuo as if she had seen a ghost.
Seeing Mei Shuang's mouth agape and her gaze fixed on him, Nangong Nuo raised his hand to close her nearly dropped jaw.
The cool fingers touched her skin, causing Mei Shuang to shiver. "Ah, ah, why are you here?"
Nangong Nuo did not respond but looked Mei Shuang up and down.
It had been some time since they last met, and Mei Shuang had lost quite a bit of weight. Her already slightly pointed chin now looked even sharper, making Nangong Nuo's heart ache. This woman, although he didn't know what she had been through, clearly looked like she had been through a lot of distress.
Nangong Nuo's lips curled into a teasing smile as he sat down in the chair and spoke in a cold tone, "Lately, life hasn't been easy for you, has it?"
Listening to his tone, she guessed correctly; who else would have such power to find her if it weren't for him? Aside from the emperor, it was likely only he who would take such an interest in her.
Mei Shuang looked at Nangong Nuo's relaxed demeanor and recalled how she had been pursued by the government in constant fear. Even traveling south had become a luxury; anger surged within her.
Of course, in front of this unpredictable and powerful man, it was better for her to be tactful.
Quickly adjusting her facial expression, she forced out a look of surprise as if encountering an old friend in a foreign land. "Ah, is it really you? I’ve finally been waiting for you! I knew that whenever I was in trouble, you would come to my rescue..."
Mei Shuang's serious expression made Nangong Nuo raise an eyebrow and glance at her, calculating the sincerity behind her flattering words.
Perhaps due to Mei Shuang's excellent acting skills, the surprise in her beautiful eyes as if seeing a great savior did stir something within Nangong Nuo. It must be said that this woman's emotional display surpassed any deliberate coquetry; however, that did not mean his anger had dissipated.
"Is that so?" Nangong Nuo's expression remained cold. "I thought you didn't want to see me!"
Mei Shuang's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself that even if she didn't want to see him, he still came. However, her face showed a mix of surprise and a hint of grievance as she pouted, "Don't say that, there's no reason for it..."
Nangong Nuo's expression showed no sign of softening. Mei Shuang sighed inwardly; it seemed that no matter how good the monkey was, he could not escape the grasp of the Buddha.
After some thought, she steeled herself and said hesitantly, "Actually, I left the palace mainly because I wasn't used to it. Although the palace has everything, I always feel stifled..."
Nangong Nuo glanced at her. "Is there anything else?"
Mei Shuang was taken aback, staring into the coldness in Nangong Nuo's eyes, murmuring, "What else is there?"
Suddenly, she had an epiphany. She slightly drooped her little face, turned away, pouted and said softly, "Actually, you know better than I do..."
Nangong Nuo stood up and walked over to Mei Shuang. His eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke with slightly parted lips, "I really don't know..."
Mei Shuang seemed to have made up her mind as she raised her gaze to meet Nangong Nuo's eyes firmly and stated, "In the palace, you weren't constantly thinking about me, were you?"
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