Chapter 113 Finding the Forest Where Yunxi Was Staying
When Gu Nanxiao heard that Yunxi was leaving, Shi Qingchen immediately sat up straight, eager to know how he had managed to keep Yunxi from leaving.
Shi Qingchen continued, "Yunxi is the type of person who responds better to gentleness than force. I immediately and sincerely admitted my mistake, frankly admitting that I had developed an uncontrollable vanity because I had just become an official."
I promised that I would never forget her, and Yunxi forgave me just like that.
Gu Nanxiao suddenly realized that Yunxi liked to hear the truth and was the type to respond better to gentle persuasion than force.
No wonder Yunxi would show her gentle and naive side whenever he spoke softly to her. But whenever he lost his temper and acted recklessly, Yunxi would resolutely leave him.
At first, Gu Nanxiao was a little angry. Why was Yunxi so heartless when he treated her so well and only occasionally lost his temper?
It turned out that what he had done was exactly what Yunxi disliked most. Yunxi was never one to suffer injustice; how could he possibly expect her to stay by his side willingly if he had used the wrong approach to their relationship?
Besides, with Qi Jinxiu as a comparison, wouldn't my actions seem even more contrary to Yunxi's wishes?
Qi Jinxiu never seemed to go against Yunxi's wishes. If I hadn't taken her body first, I probably wouldn't have had any chance of winning against Qi Jinxiu.
Shi Qingchen continued, "In order to make a positive impression, I promised Yunxi that I would let her meet with the people from the Imperial Observatory in person."
So I had her disguise herself as a maid and accompany me to dine with the officials of the Imperial Observatory. Yunxi naturally heard the results of the inquiry herself.
A solar eclipse is a very ominous celestial phenomenon, so the Imperial Astronomical Bureau had been paying close attention to it. Therefore, when we asked, the Imperial Astronomical Bureau didn't need to specifically observe the celestial phenomena to give us the answer.
He said that such a celestial phenomenon wouldn't occur again for at least three years, and Yunxi seemed somewhat disappointed upon hearing this. I, however, was secretly delighted.
From then on, in order to get Yunxi to stay, I started to frantically try to win her over. But Yunxi never responded to me.
I also know that Yunxi only uses the Shi residence as a place to stay, and I know even more that someone as mediocre as myself is simply not worthy of the exceptionally talented Yunxi.
Upon hearing this, Gu Nanxiao let out a long breath, as if the cotton ball that had been blocking his chest for so long had been removed, and even his breathing became a little easier.
He knew it! Yunxi was so hard to win over, how could a lowly illegitimate son like Shi Qingchen catch the little girl's eye? It turned out that Yunxi had never liked Shi Qingchen at all.
As Shi Qingchen spoke, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he wanted to show a smile. But to onlookers, it was full of bitterness.
He brought up the diary: "So, it was only today that I realized that Yunxi's diary was nothing more than a tool to destroy my heart, to make me feel remorse and guilt."
After discovering this, I looked at the diary again and found that the ink on it showed no signs of age, as if it had been written in a single day.
It must be that Yunxi, after possessing my body and returning to life, specially crafted this diary for me, and then sent Fengxun to deliver it to my residence.
After hearing the truth with his own ears, Gu Nanxiao felt even more remorseful, because Yunxi had explained to him that the diary was just a scheme to sow discord between Shi Qingchen and Liu Shi.
But back then, not only did he not believe her or listen to her explanation, he also wronged her. Gu Nanxiao thought of Yunxi's disappointed, tearful eyes that day, and his heart began to clench with pain again. The feeling of vomiting blood and fainting a few days ago surged up again.
In order not to show weakness in front of Shi Qingchen, Gu Nanxiao actually suppressed it. Shi Qingchen was still unaware that Yunxi had abandoned him.
If Shi Qingchen were to discover this, he would surely laugh at himself in his heart and be even more pleased with his scheme to sow discord, which had succeeded so easily.
Gu Nanxiao reflected on himself, wondering if he had been too greedy. He wanted Yunxi's response, Yunxi's affection, and Yunxi's eyes and heart to be filled only with him.
That's why he acted foolishly out of jealousy and hatred. Right now, all he wants is to find Yunxi, apologize to her sincerely, and promise never to do anything reckless again.
But he couldn't get such an opportunity now. Gu Nanxiao felt his vision going black again, and his chest felt so tight it was about to explode.
Soon after, Gu Nanxiao began to feel dizzy. Realizing something was wrong, she staggered, stood up, and walked out of the cell.
Mo Yu, who was standing nearby, noticed that something was wrong with his master. He immediately chased after him, helped him up, and then quickly walked out of the prison.
As soon as the master and servant stepped out of the prison gate, Gu Nanxiao could no longer suppress the churning blood in his chest. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and almost fainted again.
Shi Qingchen looked at Gu Nanxiao's obviously disordered steps, a hint of mockery in his eyes. Although Gu Nanxiao concealed it well, Shi Qingchen still sensed that there must be a problem between that man and Yunxi.
Otherwise, why would I have time to waste with his nonsense? And why would I listen to him talk about Yunxi's past? Clearly, I want to use his story to reminisce about Yunxi.
Did Yunxi abandon him too? That would be wonderful. That's how it should be, it's fair. Why be so cruel as to only treat him? Gu Nanxiao should also taste the bitterness of loss.
That day, Prince Yong went to the palace to plead with the Emperor, who agreed to post notices in the nearby prefectures and counties to find the missing person. Gu Nanxiao saw the imperial notices posted everywhere. After returning home, he earnestly thanked his father.
When faced with his son's overtures, Prince Yong did not show his usual delight. His gaze lingered on Gu Nanxiao's face several times.
Finally, he earnestly instructed, "No matter what happens in the future, you must take good care of your mother. As for Consort Xu and her two illegitimate sons and one illegitimate daughter, you can take care of them if you want."
If they don't know what's good for them, it's fine to send them away from the manor. Everything in this Prince Yong's manor will ultimately be yours. Father has never intended to let someone else inherit the title.
Gu Nanxiao found the tone of Prince Yong's speech strange, as if he were giving his dying words. Having dealt with emperors for many years, he naturally understood that the one on the dragon throne, once he granted a request, would definitely demand several times the reward before he would be satisfied.
Could it be that because he had asked his father to go to the palace to plead with the emperor, the prince had made some excessive request of his father? Gu Nanxiao was about to ask further when he saw that the Prince of Yong had no desire to speak anymore and simply waved his hand to dismiss him.
Gu Nanxiao stood still, and the Prince Yong could clearly see the worry in his eyes. Old Huai smiled with relief and said to him, "Don't underestimate your father. I'm not so easy to manipulate."
Upon hearing this, Gu Nanxiao was completely certain that his father was in grave danger. Thinking of the information Yunxi had gathered from Lady Liu, he secretly vowed to protect his father and ensure he would not die on the battlefield.
With the general clues provided by Shi Qingchen, Gu Nanxiao began searching for Yunxi near the Shi family's ancestral home. He deployed a large number of secret guards within a radius of a hundred miles, searching day and night.
Three months passed, and his hard work paid off. One day, he finally received a report from his subordinates that they had seen Qi Jinxiu leading his guards in and out of a desolate forest.
Gu Nanxiao immediately led all his subordinates to surround the forest and search it inch by inch. But no matter how they searched, it was just an empty forest, with no trace of anyone having lived there.
In late autumn, the weather grew colder. Yunxi sat in a wicker chair, quietly watching the two towering hibiscus trees, their withered leaves falling one by one.
At that moment, the tall figure that often appeared in her dreams was calling her name as he walked towards her location.
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