The dagger on Chu Qingluan's wrist paused for a moment, then she quickly retracted it. She quickly took two steps back, creating some distance between herself and Xie Yunqi, with an expression on her face that was obscure in the moonlight.
"Xie Xiang is so brave, breaking into this Langan Residence alone late at night, aren't you afraid of being shot like a hedgehog?"
Xie Yunqi's gaze lingered on her face, as if he wanted to deeply engrave the longing for her that he hadn't seen her for several days.
He took a step forward, trying to get closer to her: "If I can save you from this sea of suffering, even if I have to sacrifice my life, what does that matter?"
His voice was soft and full of irresistible affection.
Chu Qingluan took a step back, and put her fingertips on his chest to stop him from getting closer: "Xie Xiang, you should keep your life. I don't need you to save me."
Xie Yunqi lowered his head, looked at the soft hand against his chest, and suddenly covered it with his backhand.
"If that is the case, why are your hands shaking?"
"you--"
Chu Qingluan pulled her hand back abruptly, but he took advantage of the situation to grab her wrist, and instantly pulled her into his arms along with her hand.
"Qingluan..."
A low, restrained voice sounded beside her ears. Even through the cloth, she could feel his body stretched into a straight line, and even his breathing became hot.
He gently stroked the skin of her wrist with his thumb, his tone pleading.
"I know you hate me, but at least, let me help you get rid of this muscle softening powder first..."
Although there was an antidote mixed in the food he had eaten before, it was only a very small amount, and Chu Qingluan's skills have only recovered less than 80% so far.
Xie Yunqi took the risk to come here tonight, not only to detoxify, but also to discuss the next plan with her.
The Third Prince's ambition is already obvious, and Chu Qingluan is alone here, which is too dangerous and passive.
Chu Qingluan was held in his arms, her back pressed tightly against his hot chest, and she could clearly feel his rapid heartbeat.
She struggled subconsciously, but he tightened his arms.
"Don't move." Xie Yunqi's voice was hoarse: "There are secret guards outside. I can't stay here for long."
He clasped his arms together, as if he wanted to melt all the longing he had felt over the past few days into his body, and he buried his head in greedily breathing in the fragrance from her body.
Chu Qingluan froze, gritted her teeth and whispered: "Xie Yunqi! You are committing insubordination!"
"I know my crime."
He said this, but his hands did not move at all. Instead, he took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve and said, "This is a complete antidote. After taking it, practice Qigong for three cycles, and your Qigong will be fully restored."
Chu Qingluan didn't answer and sneered, "What are you doing, Prime Minister Xie? When did I ever ask you to save me?"
She turned around and met Xie Yunqi's hurt gaze. A trace of pity flashed across her eyes, but she quickly concealed it.
"Xie Yunqi, I have already said that I have severed all ties with you. You—"
Before she could finish her words, her lips were forcefully blocked by him, her whole body was pressed against the carved screen, and her waist was restrained by a strong hand.
Chu Qingluan temporarily lost her reaction to this sudden kiss.
After giving her a punitive kiss, Xie Yunqi quickly let her go, his pair of dark eyes filled with incomparable depth.
“It’s interest.”
Xie Yunqi's voice was hoarse, and his thumb rubbed heavily across her lips that were kissed red, with emotions that had been suppressed for many years surging in his eyes.
Chu Qingluan's breathing became a little disordered, and she raised her hand to slap him, but he easily grabbed her wrist.
"How dare you!" She glared at him, but the corners of her eyes were slightly red because of the kiss just now.
Instead of letting go, Xie Yunqi took a step closer, with his nose almost touching hers.
"Chu Qingluan, you can deny our past, but you can't deny my heart."
He took her hand and pressed it to his heart: "Every beat here is for you."
Feeling his rapid and powerful heartbeat under her palm, Chu Qingluan's fingertips trembled slightly, but she turned her face away stubbornly:
"Xie Yunqi, don't you think it's too late to say this now?"
Pei Yuan's life is between them, a barrier that is difficult to cross in a lifetime.
Although Pei Yuan was not killed directly by him, he was closely related to both of them.
This joke will always be between the two of them.
Sure enough, Xie Yunqi's eyes dimmed when he heard it, but soon they were replaced by determination.
"So what?" He locked his eyes with her, "Chu Qingluan, I told you that you can never get rid of me in this life."
He suddenly grabbed her hand and placed it on his heart again: "Pei Yuan's death hurts me more than you do, but if I have to spend the rest of my life atonement, Chu Qingluan, I would rather live to atone - to atone by your side."
"So—don't push me away, okay?"
Every word he spoke was full of affection and bewitching, and his black eyes were as deep as the sea, which could drown people if they were not careful.
Chu Qingluan felt her heart skip a beat, and her usually strong heart seemed to loosen slightly.
She tried to pull her hand back, but he held it tighter.
"Do you think you can just write it off like this?" Her voice trembled, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes.
The emotions that have been suppressed for several days are about to burst out at this moment.
"No!"
Xie Yunqi gently stroked her face with his other hand and wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with his thumb.
"I will spend my whole life to repay you. If you want to hate me, I will let you hate me; if you want to punish me, I will let you punish me, but only——"
He suddenly leaned forward, resting his forehead against hers, breathing intertwined: "Just don't try to drive me away--"
A gust of wind blew outside the window, the candlelight flickered, and the shadows of the two people were cast on the wall, entangled into an unsolvable knot.
Chu Qingluan closed her eyes and forced back the tears.
When I opened my eyes again, the voice had returned to normal.
She gently pushed Xie Yunqi away and said, "Leave the antidote here, and you can go."
He was not given any answer or promise, but for Xie Yunqi, this was enough.
He looked at Chu Qingluan deeply, put the medicine bottle on the table, and turned around, adding: "The matter of the White Lotus Sect..."
"Don't worry about this matter. I have my own arrangements."
This one sentence seemed to instantly widen the distance between the two of them.
Xie Yunqi frowned slightly, his tone somewhat displeased.
"Your Highness still doesn't trust me?"
Seeing that Chu Qingluan didn't say anything and didn't turn around, Xie Yunqi narrowed his narrow eyes and quickly thought of something.
"It's Yun Yan!"
"You turned him against us?"
Chu Qingluan was speechless. She thought that Chu Hong had spent so much time to run the business, how could he be bought off so easily?
However, the next moment, Xie Yunqi suddenly came in front of her again, forcing Chu Qingluan to look at him.
"Since that day, I felt that there was something wrong with the way Yun Yan looked at you."
"Tell me! What kind of deal did you make with him? Did you..."
He stopped talking halfway and asked again, "Did he bully you?"
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