Chapter 121 There's no such thing as a free lunch.
As dawn approached, Xue Han arrived at the lakeside and saw a man sitting with his knees drawn up to his chest, like a stubborn rock that had weathered many storms.
With just one glance, and only a vague outline, Xue Han knew it was Qiu Heng.
He walked over and tentatively called out, "Sixth Miss Qiu."
There was no response.
Xue Han disregarded everything else and quickly walked to Qiu Heng's side, gently patting her shoulder: "Sixth Miss Qiu, are you alright?"
Qiu Heng still did not react.
Xue Han's expression changed drastically, and he immediately pulled her into his arms: "Sixth Miss Qiu!"
His outstretched hand, which was checking the other person's breath, froze in mid-air as the other person opened their eyes, and his heart, which had almost leaped out of his throat, fell back down.
"Xue Han," Qiu Heng called softly, her smile barely touching the corners of her lips, "It's you again."
"Yes, it's me again." Xue Han unconsciously pulled her closer, feeling both fear and relief.
How did you know I was here?
She sat there for most of the night, her clothes soaked with dew, her exposed skin as cool as autumn water, but Qiu Heng felt nothing. It was only Xue Han's arrival that gave her a sense of reality again.
She didn't break free from his embrace, and even seemed to crave the warmth.
At least she knew that Xue Han's kindness towards her stemmed from guilt and was genuine.
Unlike her husband, who once firmly believed in everything, she now feels it's all an illusion. Her once-certain student identity now seems more like that of a pawn.
What pained her even more was that, having received ten years of education and witnessed ten years of tragedy, even knowing all this, she could not give up what she wanted to do.
The strategist and the player, regardless of their thoughts or selfish motives, if she remains uninvolved, it is the countless people of Xia who will suffer.
Xue Han didn't hide anything: "I was worried when I saw you running here in a panic, but I couldn't get away, so I instructed Hu Si to secretly send you back. Later, Hu Si came to report that you didn't return to your residence, but came to this lakeside instead."
Qiu Heng smiled and said, "I thought it was a coincidence."
"It wasn't a coincidence, I came here specifically to find you." Xue Han looked into Qiu Heng's eyes, his voice gentle yet firm.
He could feel the pain and frustration of the girl in his arms. Normally, he would have kept these words to himself, but now he could easily say them out loud.
She needed comfort, and he couldn't bear to see her sad.
"Xue Han, thank you for being so good to me," Qiu Heng said softly, hugging him tighter.
Xue Han's body tensed up, he dared not move, and he forgot to say anything.
It was only then that he realized the two of them were too close, having long since crossed the line of friendship.
"Xue Han".
"Um."
"No one is kind to another person for no reason, right?"
She thought she was lucky; although she was murdered by her friend, she met her husband.
How naive!
Xue Han paused for a moment, then said softly, "Yes."
His initial kindness towards her stemmed from guilt, and such kindness was ultimately limited, remaining within the bounds of reason. But now, his kindness towards her arises from infatuation, transcending reason.
Qiu Heng didn't say anything more.
Xue Han heard the soft breathing of the person in his arms.
You've been sitting here all night without sleeping, are you exhausted?
Only after discovering that Qiu Heng had fallen asleep did Xue Han dare to lower his head and gaze at her sleeping face.
The sky was still dark, but her face was shockingly pale, with bloodstains on her pale lips.
Xue Han stared at the remaining red stain, mesmerized, unable to look away, and couldn't help but reach out a finger to touch it.
Qiu Heng opened her eyes and looked at the boy who was so close to her.
Xue Han hastily withdrew his hand, forcing himself to remain calm as he explained, "There's blood on my lips..."
"I was so scared, I bit myself." After a brief moment of rest with her eyes closed, Qiu Heng had calmed down considerably and slipped out of Xue Han's arms.
Feeling embarrassed at being caught, Xue Han quickly changed the subject: "Are you worried about the Crown Prince?"
"Yes. When I discovered the fire, I was very afraid that something had really happened to the Crown Prince..."
She was afraid not only of something happening to the Crown Prince, but she couldn't tell Xue Han that.
"Sixth Miss Qiu," Xue Han looked directly into Qiu Heng's eyes, his tone solemn, "it was you who saved the Crown Prince."
Qiu Heng shook her head: "In my dream, it's tomorrow—"
"A dream is just a dream. To even dream of it is already a blessing from heaven. To expect it to be exactly the same as reality is too much to ask. Because I heard you tell me about this dream, I ordered my men to strengthen patrols after I got back. That's how we were able to discover the fire at the Crown Prince's residence so early and rescue him in time... Miss Qiu, it was indeed you who saved the Crown Prince."
Autumn hibiscus felt a warmth arise in its chilled heart.
Perhaps she shouldn't be too hard on herself; isn't she doing alright?
Her sadness wasn't even from the shock of realizing she was a pawn, but from the fact that her husband treated her like a pawn.
No matter how much experience a person has, or how strong their armor is, what is most easily hurt is their heart.
"Who rescued the Crown Prince?"
Xue Han said, "I carried the Crown Prince out of the Star-Picking Tower."
He ordered his men to increase patrols, but he couldn't directly say that the Star-Picking Tower was there. When the Crown Prince's residence actually caught fire, and rescuers rushed in from all directions, he certainly couldn't say that the Crown Prince was in the Star-Picking Tower.
Fortunately, given his status as the Imperial Envoy, it wouldn't be surprising if he took the lead in rescuing people.
Looking at Qiu Heng, Xue Han's heart stirred, and he tentatively asked, "In Miss Qiu's dream... who rescued the Crown Prince?"
"It is Lord Xue," Qiu Heng admitted frankly.
Xue Han lowered his eyes, concealing the smile that surfaced in them.
So, when she rushed over in a panic, was she worried about him as well as the Crown Prince?
"What happened after that?" As her senses returned, Qiu Heng had more and more questions.
"The fire has been extinguished, but the cleanup work is still underway. Two bodies of eunuchs have been found so far..." Xue Han explained the situation.
"Lord Xue has been busy until now..."
“Didn’t Miss Qiu also stay up all night?” Xue Han stood up and extended his hand to Qiu Heng. “I’ll take you back.”
Qiu Heng grasped Xue Han's hand and let him pull her up.
The mountain forest before dawn was dark and quiet, with shadowy figures and the constant chirping of birds.
As they were about to leave the forest, Xue Han suddenly spoke up: "Sixth Miss Qiu, is your old ailment... the price of having dreams?"
He has always believed that gain and loss are inseparable.
For example, he had a foster father like Xue Quan and a promising future in the eyes of the world, but he lost a lot of freedom.
There must have been a price for Qiu Liu's ability to glimpse the secrets of heaven from her dreams, right?
Only after they left the forest did Qiuheng answer, "I guess so."
Xue Han's eyes flickered.
In that case, what did Miss Qiu dream about during her two episodes?
But he didn't ask any more questions.
"Lord Xue, you must be busy, so please leave us here. It wouldn't be good for others to see us together at a time like this."
"good."
Qiu Heng bid farewell to Xue Han and returned to her residence.
The gates of the residence where Prince Kang was staying were still wide open, guarded by servants who had stayed up all night.
Judging from this, Prince Kang probably hasn't returned yet.
Qiu Heng silently went around to the back and climbed over the wall to enter.
"Girl, you're finally back." Fangzhou looked Qiuheng over with concern, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that she was alright.
"Yes, I'm back."
She can't go back to that Great Xia, nor does she want to; this is her homeland.
As for Mr.—
She needs to find him and observe him. If his selfish motives affect her actions, he shouldn't blame her for being ruthless.
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