Chapter 848 Recalling the Past Years...

"...!"

Shang Ruyi's heart sank immediately.

These words, like a sharp sword suddenly piercing through the fog, instantly pierced her heart.

But the pain and helplessness were secondary; what truly rendered her unresponsive was the confusion heavier than the fog. She could only stare wide-eyed at the still gentle and warm face before her, but those eyes, which seemed to be smiling, froze into ice the moment those words were spoken, and there was no smile in them at all.

Why did Yuwen Qian say those things?

Why say these things tonight?

These days, although the two sides have become clearly opposed in their struggle for the position of Crown Prince, the death of the Duke of Shenwu has brought them to the brink of life and death. The fact that Yuwen Cheng could bring that pot of wine into Chengqian Palace demonstrates the Crown Prince's attitude. Shang Ruyi can even accept his resentment, his curses, and even his revenge, but she cannot accept what is before her eyes...

He brought up her marriage again.

Just like that first night they were alone together, the night was as dark as ink, the water shimmered, and the moonlight was as cold as ice. He said to her, "It was you, Shang Ruyi, who abandoned me, Yuwen Qian."

Shang Ruyi's throat tightened, and after a long while, she managed to squeeze out a hoarse voice: "Royal brother..."

Yuwen Qian seemed not to hear her voice and continued to smile as he said, "You didn't choose me."

"Big brother..."

"You chose my second brother."

"Your Highness!"

These four words, urgent and heavy, like a steel knife suddenly falling, finally severed the words that Yuwen Qian had spoken—words that seemed to have no reason, yet each word pierced Shang Ruyi's heart like needles. However, the expression on his face did not change; his smile remained, even carrying a hint of composure.

His composure contrasted sharply with Shang Ruyi's utter disarray.

Not only that, Shang Ruyi's breathing became disordered, especially in the pitch-black night. Only the lake not far behind her was rippling with waves from an unknown wind, the water shimmering and making her heart uneasy. Her disordered breathing, like her disheveled state at this moment, was clearly revealed by the moonlight.

When she met Yuwen Qian's slightly raised eyebrows, his expression seemingly observing her chaotic situation, Shang Ruyi gritted her teeth, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down.

Then he said, "I thought His Highness the Crown Prince would not bring this up again."

"Oh? Why?"

"Because you said you had no hostility towards me!"

"...!"

These words made Yuwen Qian's eyes flicker, but he did not look away. Instead, his gaze became even sharper, as if he could see through Shang Ruyi's soul at that moment.

Shang Ruyi said in a deep voice, "Even if in the eyes of the world, I, Shang Ruyi, have abandoned you, Yuwen Qian; even if you marry a beautiful woman today, she surpasses me by a thousand; even if you have become the Crown Prince, she still surpasses my husband..."

"..."

"Even if all of this is my utter destruction, it is my own doing, and I have brought it upon myself."

"..."

"My karma will have its own retribution, and it has nothing to do with His Highness the Crown Prince!"

As she spoke these words, although she tried her best to remain calm, her voice still trembled involuntarily, like the increasingly rippling water behind her. As she spoke, she clearly saw Yuwen Qian's composed expression freeze slightly, and after a long while, the corners of his eyes slowly curved upwards.

These were the words he said to her on their first night together at the Yuwen residence in Luoyang, the eastern capital.

Shang Ruyi didn't respond to him then, but she responded to everything tonight.

She didn't respond to him at that time, not only because she didn't understand who he was or what he wanted to do, but also because she was shocked. At that time, she thought Yuwen Qian would definitely resent her for breaking off the engagement, but she didn't expect that he was so calm as if he had just seen a dark cloud passing overhead, without even the slightest bit of resentment.

They even hoped that Shang Ruyi would prevent Yuwen Ye from seizing the opportunity to send troops to Fufeng.

At that moment, Shang Ruyi wondered, "Is this person a Buddha?"

But right now, the answer seems to be right before our eyes.

Few attain Buddhahood, but many recite the Buddha's name; and many recite it over the years...

When this verse resurfaced in her mind, it seemed clearer than ever before. Shang Ruyi seemed to sense something, and the instinct for danger that she had developed on the battlefield made her more alert and more uneasy.

She said in a deep voice, "Excuse me."

After saying that, he prepared to leave.

However, as soon as she lifted her foot, her steps faltered in place—Yuwen Qian had just walked past her, and when she turned around, he was already standing on the path she had come from. Now that Shang Ruyi was about to leave, he remained motionless, his tall figure standing before her like a mountain.

He had blocked the way she came.

Shang Ruyi frowned, raised her head to look at Yuwen Qian: "Your Highness..."

But just as she was about to leave but couldn't, and looked up, Yuwen Qian suddenly took a step towards her and said, "Are your karma and retribution really unrelated to me?"

This step brought him almost to the point where his body was pressed against Shang Ruyi's. Shang Ruyi had no choice but to take a step back: "Your Highness!"

"Do you know that it is because of your cause that you have the result today?"

"Big brother!"

"All the consequences you are experiencing today are the result of your own actions!"

"Brother!"

With each word he spoke, he took a step forward, and Shang Ruyi could only retreat under his relentless pressure. Gradually, she felt the road beneath her feet becoming steeper and more uneven. In her panic, she had retreated from the flat road paved with bluestone slabs and arrived at the lakeside.

The path here is not for people to walk on, so it is full of jagged rocks. Shang Ruyi was not careful and stepped on a protruding rock, almost falling down!

"ah!"

She gasped softly, swaying slightly before managing to steady herself. But before she could stand up completely, Yuwen Qian's tall figure was already close to her once again. He didn't give her any chance to catch her breath, as if he wanted to force her to retreat further!

Almost instinctively, Shang Ruyi took another step back.

The road beneath our feet seemed to have been moistened by the lake water, becoming muddy.

And there was that willow tree by the lake. Just now, Yuwen Qian was standing here quietly looking at the lake. The bare willow branches drooped down, brushing against her ears, cheeks, and sides, but there was no gentleness or comfort. Instead, it felt like a dull knife cutting through her skin, making her feel cold.

But Yuwen Qian kept walking forward!

Behind her, the seemingly calm lake was only inches away. When she took another step back, she accidentally kicked a small stone, which rolled into the lake. Immediately, she heard the sound of flowing water, and the shimmering waves reflected around her. The light and shadow flickered, as if the whole world was about to collapse at that moment!

Shang Ruyi panicked: "Yuwen Qian!"