Gu Jingyan: "Your Majesty, please don't ask anymore. Shen Zhao said he is not suited for royal life and does not want to be involved with the court of my Great Yin Dynasty. He also said..."
He paused here, ultimately not revealing that Shen Zhao was unwilling to marry into the royal family.
"Unsuitable for royal life? Doesn't want any involvement with the Great Yin court?"
Yu Xiyan muttered these two sentences in a daze.
Gu Jingyan nodded and said, "He also said that if His Majesty were given a choice between two options, His Majesty would not hesitate to give up himself. Rather than that, he would rather withdraw voluntarily, so that neither of them would have to torture each other."
Yu Xiyan's delicate body trembled instantly, and her fair hands trembled uncontrollably.
After a long while, she forced herself to calm down and waved her hand, saying, "Cousin, you've worked hard. Go and rest first. I want to be alone and have some peace and quiet."
"Your subject takes his leave."
Gu Jingyan felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders and fled the side hall as if he were escaping.
Yu Xiyan, however, sat blankly at her desk, her eyes vacant and lost.
"how so?"
She murmured to herself twice, the phrase "choose one of two" causing Yu Xiyan's thoughts to drift back to a memory from her past life that filled her with deep regret.
Icefields and snowfields.
...
On the other side, after dealing with matters in Yangzhou, Shen Zhao knew that with the court's intervention, the disaster would surely be brought under control. He decided to return to Qingyang City first, and then go to the Dragon King's Palace to eliminate this hidden danger.
Having exhausted their family fortune, the three of them didn't even have enough spirit stones to rent flying spirit beasts, so they had no choice but to settle for taking a flying boat back.
Upon encountering Gu Jingyan and discussing Yu Xiyan's recent situation, Shen Zhao's thoughts uncontrollably drifted back to a moment in his past life that had broken his heart.
That year, in the secret realm of the icy snowfield, the Holy Spirit Snow Lotus, which ripens only once every ten thousand years, bloomed, attracting countless powerful figures to covet it.
He, Yu Xiyan, and Lin Feng set off together for the icy wilderness to seize this opportunity.
The Holy Spirit Snow Lotus is perfectly suited to Yu Xiyan's cultivation level. Once she consumes and refines it, she will definitely be able to fully awaken the Ice Phoenix Bloodline within her, and achieving the Emperor Realm will only be a matter of time.
After a fierce struggle, Shen Zhao finally won the Holy Spirit Snow Lotus.
However, an accident occurred on the way back to the foot of the icy snowfield.
A half-step Saintly Icefield Snow Beast blocked their path. In order to buy Yu Xiyan a chance to escape, Shen Zhao, despite his already battered body, managed to kill the Icefield Snow Beast, which was far beyond his level.
However, the snow beast's final, defiant roar triggered an avalanche in the icy region.
Unfortunately, apart from Yu Xiyan, Lin Feng and Shen Zhao were both buried in the snow by the first wave of avalanches.
With the second avalanche imminent, Yu Xiyan, who still had some strength left, faced two choices: save Shen Zhao or Lin Feng, but could only take one with her.
On that day, Shen Zhao clearly saw the hesitation in Yu Xiyan's eyes.
However, Lin Feng's repeated cries of "Sister, save me" made Yu Xiyan stop her outstretched arm in mid-air.
Shen Zhao, who thought his efforts would finally be recognized, could only watch helplessly as Yu Xiyan abandoned him, who was right next to her, and desperately rescued Lin Feng, who was a hundred steps away, before flying rapidly towards the foot of the mountain without even turning her head back.
"Oh……"
A bitter laugh escaped his lips, as if mocking himself.
Even though he had already anticipated this outcome, if he and Lin Feng were to face a desperate situation, even if Lin Feng's situation was not life-threatening at all, Yu Xiyan would not hesitate to abandon him and choose him.
He simply couldn't understand what he had done wrong that made him so eager for his own death.
Perhaps this is the fate that a simp deserves?
Since that day, Shen Zhao has never made Yu Xiyan choose between two options again, and even when she was on the verge of life and death, she never showed any sign of needing help.
Nothing more than a feeling of coldness in my heart.
Not long after, a second avalanche arrived, completely engulfing him...
However, he always had a feeling that, in his hazy consciousness, a voice kept calling his name in his ear. When he woke up again, he was already on the surface of the snowy region, and he didn't know how he got there.
Shen Zhao could only attribute this to the system.
"Boss Shen, what are you thinking about? I haven't heard you say a word the whole way."
Su Yunying's laughter pulled her back to reality.
When he came to his senses, he saw Su Yunying holding a pot of spirit wine and said, "Here, have a drink. I picked this up at the banquet at the Pang family mansion. I know you like to drink it."
Without saying a word, Shen Zhao took the wine and said, "Stop trying to get on our good side. We've lost everything this time, otherwise we wouldn't have ended up having to take a flying boat back to Qingyang City."
Su Yunying stuck out her tongue: "Thank you, Boss Shen."
"Stop grinning like that and lead the way!"
"snort……"
Su Yunying snorted coldly and immediately took light steps to walk at the front.
Looking at the spirit wine in his hand, which was his favorite osmanthus wine, Shen Zhao couldn't help but smile and say, "This is the first time a member of the opposite sex has remembered my preferences and sent me a gift."
After thinking it over, he took a sip, and his frustration instantly vanished. He immediately started cursing and swearing at Ding Bu'er, reverting to his carefree and irreverent attitude.
...
At the same time, Yu Xiyan also recalled the choice she made between two options when the avalanche occurred in the icy snowfield.
When Lin Feng called for help, she instinctively withdrew her hand from Shen Zhao, bravely rescued Lin Feng, and then quickly ran down the mountain.
She herself couldn't believe what she was doing.
Perhaps she had too much faith in Shen Zhao's ability to save himself, and she was unable to do anything to Shen Zhao in countless life-or-death situations. This time should be no exception, right?
Just as the two of them escaped danger and before they could even catch their breath, they heard the sound of a second avalanche behind them.
Seeing the spectacular sight of towering snow waves sweeping across the entire ice field, Yu Xiyan's heart tightened instantly.
"That was close, sister."
Lin Feng looked at the scene with lingering fear and said.
Yu Xiyan suddenly felt a pang of heartache, but she didn't say anything and continued to follow Lin Feng to a nearby inn to meet up with the royal guards.
The following day, a group of cultivators who had just escaped danger passed by the inn and settled down, talking about the avalanche.
She overheard someone say, "Damn it, this snow is freezing cold. I saw two Supreme Realm elders from the Holy Profound Sect turn into ice sculptures."
In that instant, Yu Xiyan truly panicked.
A feeling of regret spread through my body.
No matter what, Shen Zhao is her husband.
But what did I do?
Ignoring Lin Feng's attempts to stop her, she immediately ran back to look for Shen Zhao.
However, the vast snow-covered region was already covered by thick ice and snow, so where was Shen Zhao to be found?
"No!"
Yu Xiyan felt that something important in her heart had been lost. Her face was wet with either ice rain or tears. She kept pounding the hard ice surface inch by inch with her palm, trying to find traces of Shen Zhao's existence.
Just when she was in despair, Shen Zhao's figure quietly appeared in front of Yu Xiyan.
Before she could speak, Shen Zhao smiled and handed her the Holy Spirit Snow Lotus.
Then, Shen Zhao brushed past her without saying a word, as if she were a stranger, and walked straight ahead.
"Shen Zhao! You stop right there!"
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