Rather than hearing "I'm sorry," she would rather Qin Luo give her a reasonable explanation than have her face this unbelievable reality.
“I know the current situation is hard for you to accept, but I have never forgotten my initial admission to you. It is engraved in the softest part of my heart and has not wavered in the slightest.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Zihan's violent struggles ceased, as if all her strength had been drained away. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking his sleeves.
His eyes were filled with sorrow, and the grievances that had been suppressed in his heart were finally released at this moment:
"You say you haven't forgotten? Then what about those women? What exactly are they? Tell me, what am I supposed to do?"
When Yiting was mentioned, her eyes sharpened, filled with questioning and incomprehension:
"And what about Yiting? Didn't she leave back then? Why is she here again? And that woman in white. I absolutely cannot tolerate someone taking advantage of my absence to intrude into the heart that should belong only to me, yours!"
Xia Zihan's breathing became rapid:
"Tell me, did they seduce you? Tell me quickly, it was all their initiative, wasn't it?"
Her voice was almost pleading, as if she could find some comfort and convince herself to believe in the relationship again if Qin Luo gave her a positive answer.
All Xia Zihan could say in response was a heavy apology.
In an instant, Xia Zihan felt her world completely collapse, her last shred of hope ruthlessly crushed. Her cries grew increasingly piercing, like the mournful cry of a wounded lone bird in the cold night.
The cries echoed atop the snow-capped mountain, mingling with the howling winds and adding to the desolation. Tears streamed down her face, soaking large patches of her clothes.
"Go away! Let me go! You lied to me! You're just lying! I don't want to see you, sob sob..."
Qin Luo dared not loosen his grip in the slightest. He knew in his heart that if he wanted Xia Zihan to accept them, this fact was unavoidable and destined to be faced.
The most important thing is to stabilize her when she is at her most vulnerable. As long as there is even the slightest chance of calm, he will have a way to repair her heart that is about to break.
Looking at the distraught Xia Zihan, Qin Luo sighed softly and asked in a low voice:
"Do you really want me to leave? Are you willing to just abandon everything between us like this?"
Upon hearing this, Xia Zihan's previously out-of-control emotions instinctively turned slightly flustered.
Memories of her past with Qin Luo flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern: their meeting and getting to know each other in the Zhongzhou prison, the life-and-death crises they experienced together—every scene pierced her heart.
In that chaotic moment, she instinctively grabbed Qin Luo's sleeve, as if afraid that he would really leave.
But the next moment, Qin Luo said firmly:
“But I won’t let go, and I won’t leave. Zihan, I know that whatever I say now is wrong, but if you want to leave, I will make you stay even if it means taking action.”
As he spoke, Qin Luo tightened his arms around Xia Zihan, as if trying to merge her into his own body.
Hearing this, Xia Zihan felt a sense of relief and suddenly turned around, burying her face in his chest. She rained blows on Qin Luo's chest, crying out:
"You're shameless, despicable, sob sob... Qin Luo, I regret it, I really regret it... I regret going to the Spirit Phoenix Sect! If I hadn't gone, and had stayed by your side, would none of this have happened? Would we still be like before, with you only having me in your heart, waiting for the day we get married?"
Her eyes were filled with pain and confusion, and her once firm belief was now like a candle flickering in the wind, about to be extinguished.
Feeling Xia Zihan's outburst in his arms, Qin Luo finally breathed a sigh of relief. This seemingly intense beating and crying was actually Xia Zihan's deep-seated resentment, which also gave him a glimmer of hope for a resolution.
Qin Luo held Xia Zihan tightly, letting her fists rain down on him. Only when the crying subsided slightly did Qin Luo loosen his embrace a little, resting his head between her hair, inhaling the faint scent of sandalwood, and say:
"You were never wrong. I was the one who was wrong. I failed to hold on to our relationship while you were gone, and I failed to refuse those inappropriate advances. But you are still the irreplaceable one in my heart."
"What I taught Yiting was the courage to stand firm in the world."
"To Liyue, I offer comfort and fulfill my responsibilities, simply because of our past interactions, I cannot let her feel lost and helpless."
Finally, Qin Luo lowered his head, and their foreheads touched. At this extremely close distance, they could clearly see their own faces reflected in each other's eyes—familiar and affectionate.
"Only with you do I make a lifelong promise."
"This promise will transcend the river of time, weather the storms of life, and last until the end of time."
"For this, I am willing to give up everything..."
Sweet words may be tempting, but they still work. Despite her resentment, Xia Zihan slowly nestled into Qin Luo's arms under the onslaught of sweet talk.
Despite her deep reluctance, what could she do? Leave? What kind of thing would that be? She hadn't done anything wrong; the ones who were wrong were those despicable people who had brazenly intruded into their relationship.
In her mind, if anyone should be leaving, it should be those "vixens"; Qin Luo was merely temporarily bewitched by them. Only this self-comfort could slightly soothe the pain and resentment in her heart.
Xia Zihan leaned against Qin Luo's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, her thoughts drifting away. Once, they were so close, dreaming of a bright future together. Back then, Qin Luo's heart and eyes were only for her. But now...
After a long silence, Xia Zihan said in a hoarse voice:
“I’m willing to try to accept all of this, but I really don’t want to see your women anymore. But I’m not petty. There are 365 days in a year. I… I’ll give them five days. On the rest of the days, you can’t have any contact with them, not even a single word.”
She slightly raised her head, staring straight at Qin Luo with a hint of determination and expectation in her eyes, as if waiting for Qin Luo to give her a definite answer, or as if seeking some psychological comfort for her seemingly absurd yet helpless compromise.
Are you trying to make things difficult for me?
Hearing this, Qin Luo couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.
But he could tell that Xia Zihan had already made a difficult compromise deep in her heart. This move was merely to find some solace for her wounded heart, and also to try to gain more 'occupation' time with him.
Not receiving a response from Qin Luo for a long time, Xia Zihan sniffed and looked up at Qin Luo with a mournful expression:
"Before, even if I was just a little upset, you would get incredibly worried and try everything to cheer me up. But now? You don't even offer a word of comfort. Once a man's heart changes, he really won't even bother to comfort me anymore..."
Qin Luo thought to himself: This is a matter of whether I coax you or not. If I actually agree, who knows how you'll use this to make trouble for me.
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