Su Tiyue's tears were still wet when she heard a sound behind her. She turned around and saw Xiao Heye, who had a malicious look on his face, walking out from behind the red plum tree.
He was tall, with a dark cloak draped over his shoulders, and his long, deep-set eyes held a mocking expression as he looked down at them…
Su Tiyue had nowhere to avoid it, so she could only stand there frozen, not daring to move.
The sound of his clapping was jarring. Although he was smiling at her, there seemed to be no hint of a smile in his unfathomable pupils.
"Master Xiao's seal..."
Su Tiyue seemed startled. As he walked towards her step by step, she silently took a step back. Xiao Heye's powerful and imposing aura made it hard for her to breathe: "You... why are you here?"
Xiao Heye's brow twitched slightly, his eyes filled with coldness and indifference, and he said, "Your Majesty, this servant is here admiring the flowers."
Tsk.
He was indeed admiring the flowers, but not the red plum tree in the corner.
Instead, it was this delicate little flower in front of me, broken and shattered from crying.
At this moment, Su Tiyue's eyes were filled with tears, and her eyelashes were covered with fine water droplets, which, under the dim light of dawn, resembled the first dew at dawn.
With skin as white as snow, eyes as clear as autumn water, slightly pursed red lips, and flowing black hair, isn't she much more beautiful than that plum blossom?
"You heard everything?" she asked softly.
Xiao Heye nodded. “Your Majesty, be careful, walls may have ears… Let’s go back and talk about it slowly.”
He leaned forward slightly and, as always, carefully extended his arm.
It seemed the same as usual, yet it also seemed... a bit colder than usual.
Since Xiao Heye returned from leaving the palace, he seems to have changed.
It's deserted and feels very distant.
Moreover, Su Tiyue could also sense his deliberate distancing and indifference.
Su Tiyue hesitated for a moment before gently extending her finger and placing it lightly on his arm.
On the way back, the two remained silent.
Xiao Heye's gaze slowly fell on her red, tear-filled eyes.
Before long, Xiao Heye's face turned completely cold.
*
Back at Night Pavilion, he closed the door, leaned back lazily against it, crossed his arms, and scrutinized the person in front of him.
Su Tiyue stood opposite him, at a loss, her fingers hidden under the loose cloak, unconsciously clenching the hem of her skirt.
"Chief Intendant Xiao, what do you want to know about me and His Highness the Crown Prince?" She pondered for a long time before slowly speaking, "I said I would be honest with you..."
"Hmm... Your Majesty, please say whatever you wish to say. This servant is all ears." He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice low, revealing no emotion.
Su Tiyue lowered her brows, her eyes darkening slightly: "Although I am from Yong'an, I grew up in my maternal grandmother's house in Gusu. A year ago, I met the Crown Prince at Bowen Academy in Gusu, and we developed feelings for each other... At first, I did not know his identity."
"Almost no one knew about this. By the time I learned his identity, my name was already on the list of those invited to enter the palace."
"It seems like fate is playing a cruel trick on me, by some twist of fate. I entered the palace to marry the Emperor..."
Xiao Heye curled his lips into a smile, his eyes cold and indifferent. He had roughly guessed half of what was going on. "Your Majesty, is there anyone else who knows about this?"
Su Tiyue thought for a moment before softly saying, "Besides the Crown Prince, myself, and General Song, no one else knows, including the people in my household..."
Xiao Heye frowned. "Song Yunqian, the valiant cavalry general stationed in the southern border, who commands 200,000 troops?"
This man is no ordinary person; he is skilled in both literature and martial arts, and his family has been great generals who have expanded the territory of Northern Liang for generations.
Xiao Heye also tried to win over the Song family, but all his attempts failed.
It's been said that Zhou Tingyue and Song Yunqian have always had a close relationship...
"Yes, back then, General Song was the Crown Prince's study companion. The three of us went to school together and studied... we talked about almost everything."
"So, you and the Crown Prince are childhood sweethearts?" The tone was slightly sour.
Su Tiyue shook her head and said calmly, "We weren't exactly childhood sweethearts. I haven't known him for very long, and we haven't spent much time together..."
He leaned against the door, staring blankly at Su Tiyue as she earnestly recalled the past and listened to her recount her history word by word.
The feeling was subtle, something he had never experienced before.
Over the years, Xiao Heye's senses have remained detached, devoid of great joy or sorrow; he finds everything around him utterly dull and uninteresting.
The only thing that could stir his emotions was watching those vibrant, beating lives struggle, howl, cry out, and finally... gradually fade away when he killed them.
All that remained were a grotesque face and blood everywhere...
He enjoyed the process; it was the most exciting moment in his otherwise bland and uninteresting world.
Those in positions of power control the life and death of others.
Those in power can do whatever they want.
Xiao Heye's request was nothing more than this.
Until he met Su Tiyue again, and they reunited in the imperial city where power and status ruled everything.
His life seemed to become more interesting, and his perceptions gradually gained color.
"Gusu." He murmured to himself, his eyes lowered.
After a moment, he raised his head, his dark eyes staring blankly at her: "Your Majesty may not know, but this servant is also half a Suzhou native..."
For no apparent reason, Su Tiyue didn't know why he suddenly brought this up, so she asked, "So, Master Xiao once lived in Suzhou? I haven't heard you mention that before."
Life?
For Xiao Heye, that shouldn't be called life, but rather survival, or perhaps even wandering...
In short, they are some not-so-pleasant memories.
Xiao Heye smiled, his voice tinged with bitterness: "Let's not dwell on old matters."
Yes, let's not talk about it...
Su Tiyue seemed to have no memory of anything that happened a long, long time ago.
For example, Xiao Heye had met her long ago, on that snowy night.
For example, Xiao Heye had long been fond of the scent of jasmine.
For example, Xiao Heye knew Su Tiyue before he became the Crown Prince...
She doesn't remember any of these things, but that's okay.
It's not her fault; Su Tiyue was too young back then...
Xiao Heye frowned and roughly calculated in his mind that it was ten years ago.
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