Si Qiao bent down to pick up the rabbit, held it in front of her, and sighed softly. How could she not understand the thoughts of these men? But even such a simple gesture of goodwill was impossible with Qi.

She had always been the one to approach him, even forcing him. She had truly sacrificed her pride and self-respect as a woman. But she was still a woman, and she didn't know how long she could keep it up. She had been recklessly chasing after his heart, which would almost never belong to her, without daring to stop and think things through. If she ever came to her senses, understood, and realized the truth, everything she had given would become a joke.

Turning around, she met Qi Bing's cold gaze. Si Qiao's heart skipped a beat. She wondered why he was looking at her like that, with such a frightening look in his eyes. She quickly put on a fawning smile, tossed the rabbit into the corner, and went to him.

"What's wrong, Brother Qi?" After sitting in his lap, Si Qiao's soft lips touched his cheek, but he turned his head slightly to avoid it, his eyes revealing a disdain that made Si Qiao ashamed, but he didn't show anything.

Si Qiao lowered her head, resting her forehead against his neck to hide her embarrassment. But in an instant, a captivating smile appeared on her pretty face, and she lightly stuck out her pink tongue to lick the prominent veins on his neck.

Qi froze, then angrily shoved her away, coldly saying, "I'm not in the mood today. Go find that man to satisfy you." He hated how she always used this tactic to conquer him, to make him despise her. She could clearly control the life and death of others, yet she couldn't control her own desires. And... what made her so capable of manipulating him so easily?

Si Qiao fell to the ground, her smile vanishing instantly. This cold-hearted, callous man actually told her to find another man! He could despise her, even abandon her, but he shouldn't treat her like this. A cold smile crept onto her lips as Si Qiao slowly got up, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "Fine! As you wish."

After saying that, she turned and walked towards the door. The moment she opened the door, a strong wind mixed with rain swept into the house from the outside, and then everything was quickly blocked outside again, but that graceful figure had already disappeared into the misty rain.

Qi suddenly stood up, trying to stop her, but he only opened his mouth and no sound came out. He slumped back down, and after a long while... his gaze fell on the closed door, and he stared blankly into space. She was finally gone... was she really gone?

However, before he could even find the answer that was making him incredibly agitated, the door was pushed open again, and Si Qiao stood prettily in the doorway, smiling at him. Raindrops had caused a few strands of her long hair to stick to her face, and her half-wet gauze dress was fluttering in the wind.

"With this torrential rain, that man ran far away, and we couldn't catch him," she said sweetly, turning to close the door. Then, she gracefully sat down beside Qi, resting her slender hand on her forehead, her gaze fixed on the burning charcoal fire, lost in thought.

Just now, in a fit of anger, she rushed into the rain. The cold rain extinguished most of the fire in her heart. She cursed herself for arguing with that clueless blockhead. His sharp tongue had been a thing for a while now. If he wanted to leave, he wouldn't have compromised the first time. Why would he have dragged this out until now? Arguing with him... well, it's not worth it!

With these thoughts in mind, she rolled her eyes at Qi, whose gaze had never left her since she entered. Seeing him purse his lips slightly, cough lightly, and lower his head, his expression no longer as cold and disdainful as before, she felt much better. She picked up a stick, poked at the charcoal fire, and softly sang the Yan ethnic folk song "Thinking of My Lover."

Hearing her clear and melodious humming, Qi couldn't help but rub his clasped hands together, his expression gradually softening. He had to admit that he did feel a sense of relief when he saw Si Qiao appear at the door, but he dared not think about the reason, nor did he dare to delve into it.

Si Qiao and Qi stayed in the small inn for two whole months. By the time the rain stopped, summer was already halfway over. During these two months, Qi still didn't pay much attention to Si Qiao, often letting her talk to herself. When she was lonely, she would hum little tunes to pass the time. Only when Si Qiao pressed him would he reluctantly respond, but it was mostly just a single syllable. However, the two seemed to have already gotten used to this way of getting along.

As soon as the rain stopped, the weather gradually warmed up, and the branches outside the window sprouted lush green buds. Qi started going out more often, sometimes not returning for two days in a row.

Si Qiao knew that he was preparing to kill Huo Jingsha. No matter how much time had passed, he had never forgotten this matter for a moment.

However, Huo Jingsha was the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he was always heavily guarded. His martial arts skills were also extraordinary. Killing him would not be an easy task. Moreover, even if he could kill Huo Jingsha, how could he escape the pursuit of the imperial court? Huo Jingsha was a high-ranking official of the first rank. Killing him would be tantamount to slapping the face of the imperial court.

The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. After a day of anxious waiting, Qi finally returned. Si Qiao was overjoyed and took off Qi's cloak as he dusted himself off after entering the room, acting like a considerate and gentle wife.

"Brother Qi, so much time has passed. You...you should forget all about it. Let's find a beautiful place and settle down, okay? Let's not live this chasing-around-everything life anymore." Si Qiao suddenly spoke, a charming smile on her face, her eyes shining with longing. "Where do you like? I'll go with you there, or we could even go to the desert beyond the Great Wall? If you haven't decided yet, that's okay, we can look for it as we go..."

Qi glanced at her indifferently and walked into the house on his own. Although he did not speak, his rejection could not be clearer. He and she could never be together, so how could they be together for a long time?

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!