Chapter 352: The Storm Has Not Subsided, and the Undercurrent Has Arrived
Inside the study, the chilly, gray scent of burnt agarwood gave way to something heavier and more blazing. Yongqi's arms, like the strongest chains, held Xiaoyanzi tightly in his embrace, their force nearly choking her breath, yet tinged with the panic and dread of having lost something, only to lose it again. His broad chest rose and fell violently, and through the fabric of her clothes, Xiaoyanzi could clearly feel the wild throbbing of his heart, like a war drum beating in her ears. His scalding tears, without warning, dripped onto the crook of her neck, burning her skin and causing it to shiver.
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." His hoarse, broken voice repeated over and over in her ears, his hot breath spraying on her sensitive earlobe, "That arrow... caused you so much suffering... so much pain... and in the end..." The word "die" was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say it no matter what, as if as long as he didn't say it, the cruel fact had never happened. Instead, he hugged her even tighter, as if he wanted to crush her, embed her into his bones and blood, and use the hot flesh and blood of this life to warm the cold despair of her past life. "I will never again... never..." His oath was filled with blood and ruthlessness, and every word seemed to be cut out from the tip of his heart, "Whoever dares to touch you again... I will grind him to ashes!"
Xiaoyanzi's ribs protested, their strangled grip agonizingly. Yet, her heart felt like it was enveloped in boiling lava, aching yet warm. The despair of dying alone in a cold palace in a previous life collided fiercely with the warmth of being embraced by her lover with his life force. She didn't struggle, but struggled to raise her hands and embrace his trembling back with equal force, her fingertips digging deep into his solid muscles. Silent tears welled up, soaking the fabric of his clothes.
"It's all in the past... Yongqi..." Her voice was muffled in his arms, with a heavy nasal tone, but it was remarkably clear. "That arrow... by some strange coincidence, I entered the palace, met the Emperor, and met you... Although the ending was not good, there were also good days... In this life, we are all fine, and that's enough..." She raised her head, looking into his bloodshot eyes, which were filled with regret and turmoil, through her tearful eyes, and tried to smile with tears. "Look, I'm fine in your arms now, aren't I? With you here, and the children here, all that in my past life... just think of it as a very painful nightmare... Now, the dream is over."
She raised her hand and gently wiped away the hot tears on his cheek with her cool fingertips. This subtle gesture carried silent comfort and the tenderness of surviving a disaster.
Yongqi's heart clenched tightly, then slowly loosened. He lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers, their noses touching, their breaths mingling. He greedily absorbed her warm, fresh scent, feeling her real heartbeat, as if only this could dispel the lingering, terrifying image of her "withering and dying" that she had described. His gaze penetrated deeply into her clear eyes, which held the vicissitudes of two lifetimes, yet also held the serenity and resilience nurtured by love in this life.
"It's not a nightmare..." He said in a hoarse voice, with an almost paranoid solemnity, "It's something that happened. It's the suffering you truly endured. Xiaoyanzi, I have remembered your pain and your grievances. In this lifetime, I, Yongqi, guarantee with my life that history will never repeat itself! Whether it's E Min or any other evil spirit, if they want to touch you or our child, they will have to walk over my dead body!"
The storm in his eyes gradually subsided, transforming into a deep, unbreakable ice. It was a bloody, protective will, forged through immense shock and heartache. He cupped her face, his calloused fingertips caressing her tear-soaked cheek with the utmost care. Then, with a reverent devotion bordering on worship and a rapturous joy of recovery, he kissed her deeply and forcefully.
This kiss was unlike the gentle, lingering kisses of the past. It was fierce, overbearing, even tinged with a desperate, predatory quality, as if to suck away all the pain of her past lives and completely cover it with his own scent. Xiaoyanzi felt nearly suffocated by his kiss, yet strangely, she felt a deep sense of comfort in her soul. She closed her eyes and responded, tears streaming between their intertwined lips, a bitter taste yet incredibly real.
In this private moment of survival and intense emotions—
"Your Highness! Princess!" The study door was flung open, and little Dengzi rushed in with a pale face, not even bothering to greet him. His voice was filled with unprecedented panic, "Urgent report from the Sticking Rod Office!"
Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi separated instantly, both of them had traces of tears and blushes from the passion on their faces, but their eyes instantly became as sharp as knives when they heard the words "Sticky Rod Place"!
Little Dengzi knelt on the ground with a plop, holding up a small bamboo-tube secret letter in his hands. His voice trembled, "It's... it's something that was just intercepted in Shuntian Prefecture! It was something that the assassins of Emin Prefecture took out from the secret room of Qingfeng Pavilion in Taiping Lake! And... and the latest developments in Xilin Jueluo Prefecture!"
Yongqi's eyes flashed as he quickly took the bamboo tube, unscrewed the wax seal, and pulled out a scroll of secret information as thin as a cicada's wing. Xiaoyanzi also struggled to sit up straight and looked at him nervously.
Yongqi's eyes quickly swept over the tiny calligraphy on the secret report, his face growing increasingly gloomy, and finally froze into a frosty state! He slammed the secret report down on the desk with a crisp "pa" sound, shaking the wolf hair on the pen holder to jump.
"Good Emin! Good Xilin Gioro!" His voice was as cold as ice, piercing with murderous intent. "Sure enough, they're still ruthless! Hidden in the secret room of Qingfeng Pavilion in Taiping Lake is none other than a half-copied account book! And... they're contacting their former subordinates, intending to create chaos at the Emperor's birthday banquet, destroy evidence, and even... plot an assassination!" He turned abruptly to Xiaoyanzi, his eyes complicated. "The ignition they planned to use was none other than reeds soaked in poisonous oil! Exactly the same method used in the West Courtyard arson!"
Xiaoyanzi gasped, her face draining of all color, and she instinctively covered her stomach with her hands! Poisonous oil reed… poison again! The agonizing memories of her past life, gnawing at her bones and burning her heart, instantly entwined themselves like a cold, venomous snake! Her eyes flashed with a mixture of shock and anger, and her body trembled slightly with rage and fear.
"The palace banquet for the Emperor's birthday..." Yongqi's voice was firm and decisive, "It's time to close the net! This time, I will make E Min and all the evil spirits behind him completely wiped out!" There was a raging rage in his eyes. That rage was not only for the conspiracy in this life, but also to wash away the boundless pain inflicted on his lover in the previous life!
He looked back at Xiaoyanzi, his gaze instantly transforming from a cold murderous intent into one of deep tenderness and determination. He leaned over and once again held her tightly in his arms, this time with an unparalleled sense of protection, as if he were using his body to shield her from all the storms of the world.
"Don't be afraid," he whispered in her ear, his voice low and powerful. "This time, I'm here. Let's...end it all together." He would take back the regrets he hadn't been able to protect in his previous life, with all his might, in this life! Outside the window, dusk fell, and a larger storm, beneath the surface of calm, had already revealed its ferocious fangs.
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