Chapter 126 Turning Against Each Other "My mother was also killed by my grandmother."...
The night was deep, the rain was sparse, and the sycamore trees in the courtyard had finished blooming. The fallen flowers were beaten into mud by the rain, turning the once vibrant colors into a gray and muddy mess.
Cui Ying had too many things on her mind, so she couldn't eat or sleep well. She tossed and turned on her bed at night until the fourth watch of the night before she could finally close her eyes.
Half asleep, she felt the mattress beside her sink slightly, and then a damp, cool sensation suddenly approached.
Before she even opened her eyes, she smelled a crisp, damp scent and instinctively knew who it was. She relaxed and let the other person do as they pleased.
Xiao Qiyu wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest so that her back was pressed against his.
Cui Ying didn't resist. She even turned over in his arms, facing him directly, her forehead resting against his chin. Her voice was soft and sleepy: "What time is it? What have you been doing all day? Why are you only coming back now?"
The scent of pear blossoms burned quietly in the room, its soothing aroma bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.
Xiao Qiyu lowered his head slightly, his chin gently brushing against Cui Ying's hair, his voice slightly hoarse as he recounted everything that had happened during the day to her.
"Third Brother was worried about Second Uncle's life, so he went to ask His Majesty for permission to go to the northern desert to lead troops to fight the enemy during the day."
Cui Ying's sleepiness vanished almost instantly.
Xiao Heng is indeed skilled, but he has been raised in the capital since childhood and has only ever been to military camps for training. He has never been to the northern border. Going there suddenly is no different from sending himself to his death.
Cui Ying suddenly opened her eyes, wanting to ask Xiao Qiyu a lot of questions, but when she looked up and saw his calm and composed expression, she breathed a sigh of relief and said, "You won him back?"
Xiao Qiyu: "No."
Xiao Qiyu: "But I knocked him unconscious."
Cui Ying: "..."
Cui Ying: "That's not a bad idea."
That's definitely something this guy could do.
The two stopped speaking and quietly nestled together. Cui Ying's hands gradually wrapped around Xiao Qiyu's waist, her cheek pressed against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. Xiao Qiyu gently stroked her back, his fingertips occasionally entwining her long, loose hair, rubbing against her calloused skin.
After a long while, Xiao Qiyu lowered his head and placed a light, feather-like kiss on her forehead. Cui Ying did not open her eyes, but leaned closer to him, her expression becoming more peaceful, as she prepared to fall asleep peacefully.
“I also saw someone else today,” Xiao Qiyu suddenly said.
Cui Ying hummed in response, not taking it too seriously, and asked lazily, "Who?"
Xiao Qiyu fell silent.
Cui Ying waited for a long time without getting a result, and her curiosity was piqued again, so she urged, "Why are you keeping me in suspense? Who is it?"
After a moment, Xiao Qiyu finally spoke, his voice low and deep: "Qian Qiuchan."
Cui Ying instantly regained her senses.
Her eyes widened, and she repeated incredulously, "Qian Qiuchan? How did you see her? Wasn't she locked up on the estate?"
Xiao Qiyu's expression turned serious, and his voice turned colder: "I don't know what method she used to sneak out, but I have already sent people to lock her up back in the manor and increased the number of guards."
Cui Ying breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at him: "That's good. At this critical juncture, we must not cause any more trouble."
The room was quiet, with only the patter of rain falling outside the window. A small lamp was lit in the room, and its dim light seeped through the curtains, covering Xiao Qiyu's face and revealing a pale complexion, dark eyes, and tightly pursed thin lips.
With just one glance, Cui Ying sensed something, softened her voice, and blurted out, "Did she say something to you?"
Xiao Qiyu nodded, the shadow in his eyes deepening.
The flickering lamplight on the tent cast a shadow on Xiao Qiyu's face.
He opened his lips, his voice so low it was almost drowned out by the lingering sound of rain outside the window:
“She told me that my mother’s house was secretly burned down by someone set on fire by my grandmother.”
The air froze instantly.
Cui Ying's breath hitched, and then she felt the arms around her waist tighten.
He was afraid.
In the suffocating silence, Xiao Qiyu's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice extremely bitter, and he continued, "She also said that my mother was killed by my grandmother."
Upon hearing this, Cui Ying's pounding heart calmed down considerably.
She breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly straightened her back, cupped Xiao Qiyu's face in her hands, and made him look at her.
Her almond-shaped eyes were bright and clear, sparkling with a clear light even in the dim light.
Cui Ying's voice was firm and clear, and she said with utmost seriousness, "The first part is indeed true, I won't argue about that, but the second part—"
Her tone turned cold, and she said decisively, "She's talking nonsense!"
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiao Qiyu's eyes at first, but he subconsciously believed Cui Ying and muttered to himself, "So that's how it is..." Then his brows furrowed slightly, and suspicion appeared in his eyes, "Wait, how do you know so much?"
Cui Ying blinked, looking inexplicably guilty. She pursed her lips, clearly intending to laugh it off, but when she met Xiao Qiyu's persistent gaze, she took two deep breaths, looked up at Xiao Qiyu seriously, and her tone became inexplicably more honest: "Don't look at me like that, I'll tell you."
Xiao Qiyu then realized that he had frightened her a little, so he quickly turned his face away slightly, his long eyelashes covering his eyes, and tightened his arms around her waist.
Cui Ying took a deep breath and finally spoke: "Do you remember when my grandmother fell ill because of what happened between my third brother and Jingnu? My grandmother came to visit her."
Xiao Qiyu nodded: "I remember."
Cui Ying's eyes darkened considerably, her voice was extremely low, but her enunciation was exceptionally clear: "On that day, your grandmother told my grandmother a secret, about you, and also about your mother."
Xiao Qiyu was stunned, and looked up at Cui Ying again.
Cui Ying could feel his body stiffen and even hear his heartbeat suddenly quicken. She held his hand tightly, looked at his expression, and continued, "Back then, your mother did indeed pass away because of worry and anxiety."
"But what troubled her was not only your father keeping a mistress, but also Wang Shanxiao, her own brother, your own uncle."
Xiao Qiyu frowned, his expression no longer simply one of disbelief. He stared at Cui Ying's face, unwilling to miss a single detail of her expression: "What do you mean by that?"
Cui Ying knew that with his intelligence, he could guess the answer even on his own, but she understood that Xiao Qiyu was like a child who couldn't understand the unspoken meaning, and she had to tell him directly.
Then Cui Ying let out a long sigh, looked at his trembling eyes, and spoke again:
“Back then, your mother discovered evidence that Wang Shanxiao was colluding with the Turkic Khan and plotting a rebellion.”
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Author's Note: Hehe, scared you off by the title, huh?
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