Chapter 266 Refusal
Ren Ze, no, it should be Xuan Yuanze, didn't speak. He stared silently at the token on the table engraved with the characters "Xuan Yuan," and pursed his lips with a hint of grievance, like a child who had done something wrong.
I don't know how much time passed before he slowly spoke:
"I can't choose my birth. If I could, I would just want to be an ordinary citizen."
"Xiao Ye, are you going to distance yourself from me because of this?"
Qi Yuxuan met his gaze and looked back. He was now the Second Prince of Nan Yue, while she was a princess of Qi. The two of them were naturally on opposite sides, but she could not deny that Brother Aze was not a good person just because of the identity of the person who came to her door later.
At least he risked his life, bearing countless scars, to save her from the fire; she truly owes him a great deal.
She took a deep breath: "Brother Aze, I will not go to Yue with you."
"I finally have a mother and a good friend, and I cherish my life now. Considering the life-saving grace I received in the past, if you have any difficulties, as long as it is not something that harms the State of Qi, I can help you."
Xuanyuan Ze: "Even if you stay here, you will still die. You still don't want to come with me?"
Do you still remember that tattered page I showed you before?
Qi Yuxuan frowned. She vaguely remembered such a thing, but she could hardly recognize any of the words on it. She only remembered one sentence: "Female lead Xiao Yuyao".
Why are you bringing this up out of the blue?
“I tried many methods, but Qi You still couldn’t see the words on the paper.”
Qi Yuxuan's heart leaped into her throat, and her breathing became much lighter. "Why?"
Xuan Yuanze avoided answering, and continued, "Afterwards, it was only through the repeated inquiries, collections and piecing together of Qi You's mad ramblings that the secret guards were finally able to decipher most of the contents of that tattered page."
"Xiao Ye, do you believe that the world we live in is just a fabricated void created by others?"
Qi Yuxuan felt as if an invisible hand was gripping her throat, making it difficult to even breathe. "Brother Aze, what are you talking about?"
"If we were to compare our lives to a storybook, then Xiao Yuyao and Qi Jun would be the main characters, and our existence would only be supporting roles for them. Do you understand what I mean?"
"you mean……"
Qi Yuxuan was deeply moved. She struggled to process the contents of Xuan Yuanze's words. But judging from her absurd life in her previous life, her existence was indeed just to highlight Xiao Yuyao and others, to help them rise to power. Even her death was as insignificant as a feather and no one cared.
"Moreover, that tattered page can change."
Ever since he discovered that the words on that tattered page could change, Xuan Yuanze has always carried that tattered page with him, for fear of losing or damaging it.
He pulled out a strange piece of paper with unusual ink from his pocket: "Look—"
"The protagonist here used to be Xiao Yuyao, but now it's Qi Jun. The name Xiao Yuyao has disappeared from here."
Qi Yuxuan immediately thought of Xiao Yuyao's death. She had thought that even a centipede that dies does not fall down, and that it must be some kind of trick she had used. So she really died, which is why there were changes on the torn pages?
But she dared not be certain, as all of this was far beyond her comprehension. Like a newborn lamb, she accepted these new words with bewilderment.
When did they disappear?
"One year ago."
Qi Yuxuan suddenly understood.
That was when Xiao Yuyao lost her hand; she was no longer the protagonist of this storybook.
"What does the following content mean?"
Xuan Yuanze shook his head. "Qi You refuses to speak, and I can't arrest him to force a confession. As it stands, the person who is the protagonist shown on this fragment is likely to be a threat to us. In that case, we should strike first before Qi Jun becomes too powerful."
To everyone's surprise, the other party immediately retorted: "Brother Aze, you're being too simplistic. These fragments might just be a smokescreen to incite conflict between the two countries. Aren't you worried about falling into the trap of some treacherous person if you believe everything on them so easily?"
Qi Yuxuan repeatedly pondered the words "protagonist Qi Jun" in her mind, and then firmly said:
“Brother Aze, I believe the Crown Prince is not the kind of person who would harm us. You used to study and live in Qi, so don’t you know the Crown Prince’s character?”
Xuanyuanze: "Xiaoye, you know how difficult it was for us to start all over again. Is it really worth giving up your hard-won life for some vague sense of national pride?"
Qi Yuxuan stood up abruptly, her anger rising rapidly:
"So, is it because of the fragment, or are you ambitious and only want to start a war, forcing the two countries into a life-or-death struggle?!"
Xuanyuan Ze remained seated, his brows furrowed.
"Whether it's fragments or ambition, Qi Jun is just a nobody to us. Besides, if it weren't for your kindness, he shouldn't have survived to this day... I came to find you because I wanted to take you away. After the fall of Qi, the world will be vast, and anywhere can be our refuge. Wouldn't that be better?"
"not good."
Qi Yuxuan looked down at him, her eyes filled with complex emotions: "Brother Aze, you weren't like this before."
"This is a matter of life and death, yet you say it's irrelevant. When did you become so selfish and callous?"
Xuan Yuanze didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said. "If you hadn't intentionally gotten close to the Princess and wanted to protect the Qi royal family, Qi Jun would have died long ago."
Qi Yuxuan slowly widened her eyes: "You mean..."
"That's right. The plague and Qi Jun's poison were both my doing and Prince Duan's doing. Why do you think you've been able to save millions of lives so easily in this life? It's all because of me. Because of your reluctance, I've dragged out this inevitable battle time and time again."
"But now, there's no time to delay any longer."
Xuanyuan Ze avoided the girl's questioning and accusing gaze. His own reflection shone in her clear, bright eyes, and he hardened his heart:
"Now that you are against it, war between the two countries is inevitable. At that time, even if you are unwilling, you will have to come with me."
Qi Yuxuan's jaw trembled involuntarily: "Xuanyuanze, the second prince of Yue, don't you believe I'll immediately report you for sneaking into Qi alone, and make sure you die without a burial place?!"
Xuanyuan Ze also stood up, his tall figure looming over her like an impenetrable, unshakeable wall.
He reached out and pinched the girl's delicate, fair chin, forcing her to look up and face him.
Despite the ambiguous and impolite gesture, all that remained between the two was the tension of confrontation, with neither having the leisure to entertain any romantic thoughts.
"Xiao Ye, your life is more important to me than everything else combined. I will not allow those who threaten you to exist, even if in the future, that person is myself."
Qi Yuxuan closed her eyes.
The force with which her chin was being pinched was not strong; she could easily break free with a slight movement. She wasn't a naive young girl who hadn't yet experienced love; she fully understood what the sincerity in the other person's eyes meant.
But she could only refuse softly in a hoarse voice: "Brother Aze, I only consider you an older brother..."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com