Chapter 222: There's Always Only One Way

Yuan Siyin was speechless.

Is this not a serious offense?

Forget it, we'll deal with him later. Right now, the important thing is to get his statements straight.

Yuan Siyin gave a wink, and Ziyuan immediately understood and stepped forward, squatting down to repeat what she had just said.

Yuan Fuqing took a while to react, somewhat puzzled: "I didn't..."

Seeing her older sister's kind eyes, she swallowed back the words she was about to say.

"I understand. I cried and begged Shi Yan to stay with me, so he didn't go back and stayed at Jianzhang Palace."

Yuan Fuqing honestly recounted the story, and only breathed a sigh of relief when his older sister nodded: "Can Aqing go back to sleep now, older sister? Aqing is so sleepy."

"Okay, go back."

Yuan Fuqing jumped off the couch, grabbed the blanket, and ran to the door before remembering to turn back and ask, "Did Brother Yan sleep with me back then?"

"Why don't you just not sleep?"

Yuan Fuqing shrank back and ran out quickly.

Although the young master was clever, Zi Yuan was still a little worried: "Miss, should we inform the Empress Dowager about this?"

"Let's talk about it tomorrow. We can ask my aunt to cover for us then. If we talk about it now, it might startle her, which wouldn't be good."

Zi Yuan nodded: "Then this servant will go and tidy up a bedroom."

Yuan Siyin shook her head, her slender fingers rubbing her temples with a slight headache: "Alright, it's getting late. You should go back and rest. I'll handle the rest."

Zi Yuan walked away, turning back every few steps, as if she were afraid that Yu Shiyan would devour her young mistress.

With only the two of them left in the room, the atmosphere became somewhat heavy. Yuan Siyin turned around and looked at Yu Shiyan's blood-stained clothes with displeasure. Remembering that she had a set of men's clothes in her closet, she took it out and placed it next to him: "Change into this in a bit."

Yu Shiyan nodded, staring intently at her: "Don't you want to ask me anything?"

Yuan Si sighed, picked up the teapot, poured a cup of hot tea, and brought it to her lips. "I understand how you feel."

You know?

Yu Shiyan pursed his lips, his expression resembling that of a child who thought his secret hadn't been exposed, about to confess honestly but was rendered speechless, looking rather aggrieved.

"Yes, I guessed it."

The only thing that could have made him so disheveled was something related to his mother, Consort Chu Huan.

"There are many ways to love someone. Maybe she wants you to be happy, rather than keeping yourself trapped in a cocoon and never being able to get out."

She paused, then said, "However, whether you let time wear you down or let the seed in your heart sprout, it's your business. All I can choose is to stand against you or stand behind you."

Yu Shiyan raised his eyes, his deep gaze filled with profound thoughts, like the calm before a storm: "If I were the extreme latter, what would you choose?"

"I've always only had one path, and it's the extreme latter."

Yuan Siyin grinned and poured him a cup of tea as well: "It's rare that we agree on something, cheers."

After saying that, she drank the tea in her hand in one gulp. Remembering that he probably didn't have the strength to lift his hand, she smiled vaguely and said, "It's okay, you can drink it later. I'll drink this cup for you first."

Yu Shiyan didn't speak, but reached out and slowly grasped her slender wrist. Because he was injured, Yuan Siyin didn't dare to move. She could only obediently follow his movements, bringing the teacup to his lips and feeding him sip by sip.