Chapter 111: Su Yiqing x Yun Mingyu
That day, Su Yiqing ultimately did not leave.
Yun Mingyu's reasoning was that although the antidote had been developed, its effectiveness was still unknown and would only be seen when the poison took effect again.
Su Yiqing knew what he was thinking, but she felt that what he said made sense, so she agreed to stay a little longer, only asking him to break the bond of love first, which he agreed to.
Yun Mingyu became even more cautious.
He seemed to be trying his best to prove that he could provide her with a comfortable life and that she would be doubly happy if she stayed by his side.
Su Yiqing couldn't tell him that her arrival in this world was initially just a misunderstanding.
At the beginning of her transmigration, the system gave her three choices: sweet romance, angst, and raising a child.
Su Yiqing: "..."
She decisively chose the sweet romance novel.
The system then provided three more tags: love-hate relationship, childhood sweethearts, and chance encounter.
Su Yiqing chose the last one.
Since they had only met by chance, they should part amicably. She never imagined a lifelong, monogamous relationship.
She can be happy anywhere, and it doesn't matter if she's unhappy or not.
A month after taking the antidote, Yun Mingyu was unharmed.
That evening, they sat on the roof, and Yun Mingyu leaned on her shoulder, explaining softly, "I haven't upset Father recently, so the Xuan Sha Poison hasn't flared up."
Su Yiqing was silent for a moment, and when he held her hand, she suddenly said, "Don't you get poisoned every three months and have to get a one-time antidote from Yunxing? What month is it today?"
Yun Mingyu tightened his grip on her hand slightly.
Su Yiqing continued, "So my antidote was correct, and your poison has been cured."
Yun Mingyu slowly straightened up.
She looked at him calmly.
After a long pause, Yun Mingyu said, "Every three months... When did I ever tell you about this?"
Su Yiqing: "A few months ago, you've forgotten."
Yun Mingyu: "You lied to me again."
Su Yiqing: "So, did you lie to me?"
Yun Mingyu pursed her lips and lowered her head: "I'm sorry, I just don't want you to leave."
Su Yi patted his hand gently, comforting him, "I know, it's nothing, after I leave..."
Yun Mingyu gently interrupted, "No."
Su Yiqing: "..."
He stared at her and said, word by word, softly but firmly, "Don't leave me."
Su Yiqing sighed, "You can't always be like this. You're going to be the Demon King someday, so cheer up."
Yun Mingyu grasped her hand, stuffed something into her palm, and then raised her hand to her chest.
"Don't leave." For the first time, he abandoned that seductive smile, staring at her with eyes so dark they were devoid of any light, his tone strangely calm, "Unless I die."
It was a gleaming dagger. Even though Su Yiqing couldn't discern its grade, she knew that this thing could really take Yun Mingyu's life.
Su Yi sighed softly and said, "Don't threaten me."
Yun Mingyu repeated, "Unless I die."
Su Yi thought to herself, "If you had said that on the very first day we met, she would have run away long ago. It's true that you need to be appropriately honest in interpersonal relationships to avoid trouble."
She held the dagger, casually poked at him, and said, "Does it hurt? If it does, so be it. Life is hard enough, why make it harder on yourself?"
However, taking advantage of her movement, Yun Mingyu suddenly exerted force with both hands, and plunged the dagger deep into his chest!
Blood blossomed on his white robes, and his face seemed paler than usual, his pupils darker, the moonlight unable to stir even a ripple in his eyes.
He gripped Su Yiqing's hand tightly, uttering words expressionlessly: "Do you really want to do this?"
Su Yiqing did not speak.
He seemed unable to hold on any longer, his body slumped, and his head rested on her shoulder. Su Yiqing first felt the slippery blood, followed by warm tears.
"Don't go, please, don't go."
Su Yi loosened her grip on the dagger; she, like him, was covered in blood.
She cradled his head and laid him down, bending down in front of him and saying, "I know you won't die."
"If you die, you won't see me again. You wouldn't do something so foolish."
Yun Mingyu opened his mouth, but couldn't refute it. Those beautiful eyes seemed to have so much to say, but all those words were shattered in his eyes.
Su Yiqing fed him the pills, carried him to the bed in the room, and set up a protective barrier for him.
She stroked his head and said, "I really like you, and I can't bear to see you die, but I still want to say, don't threaten me."
Yun Mingyu could only watch her leave.
He suddenly realized what a foolish decision he had made. He could have continued to try to keep her, but now he could only lie there and watch her leave.
He made a mistake again.
*
Su Yiqing's carefree days lasted less than half a month.
One day, when she realized that the men who had shown her affections had not appeared for a long time, she stood in the courtyard and sighed deeply.
"Alright, I know it's you. Come out."
She lived a carefree life in a mansion owned by Hua Deng, where she could have whatever she wanted to eat delivered to her—truly an ideal life.
But when she saw that slowly appearing white figure, her ideal was about to be compromised.
How did you find me here?
Before Yun Mingyu could even speak, Su Yiqing reminded her, "Tell the truth."
He looked at her and said, "When we swore our vows, I planted a Shadow-Tracking Spell on you, so that I can find you no matter where you are in the world."
Su Yiqing: "Wow."
Yun Mingyu: "You're angry."
Su Yiqing: "Yeah, if you had said so earlier, I might have killed you that day."
Yun Mingyu moved closer and awkwardly embraced her. Su Yiqing did not refuse, because she knew that if she pushed him away, she would see his tears.
"I'm sorry, I really miss you so much," he said in a trembling voice, but his arms around her didn't loosen at all.
"Why are you ignoring me... Can you talk to me? You talked a lot with that man yesterday, but he's clearly not as good-looking as me. Don't you like good-looking people? The day before yesterday, you were all smiles when you met the people selling sugar cakes, why didn't you smile when you saw me? Oh, right, I bought you some fresh sugar cakes, do you want to try some now?"
Su Yiqing looked at the distant sky, wondering who the man from yesterday was. She couldn't quite place him.
Finally, she said, "Eat, but first let me go."
She and Yun Mingyu sat down in the shade of a tree and ate half of the sugar cake each.
Yun Mingyu carefully observed her expression and found that she was not as angry as he had imagined, but this only made him more anxious.
He knew her past was different from his, and sometimes he couldn't quite understand what she was saying. But he always thought that it didn't matter; they would understand each other someday.
However, things did not develop that way.
Her past became an insurmountable barrier between them; he could only gaze at her from afar, not even knowing what it meant or how to begin asking her.
And she seemed to understand what he was thinking very easily.
She rested her chin on her hand and said calmly, "A few days ago I asked Hua Deng why she loved someone so wholeheartedly. She said she didn't know, she was just happy to be with that person, and she fell in love without realizing it. The love between the two people became intertwined, and they fell deeply in love without even realizing it."
She smiled and then said, "It's amazing, isn't it?"
Yun Mingyu lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a shadow: "I can be like her too."
Su Yiqing said, "She and Shen Zhou are a match made in heaven; they can't do without each other."
Yun Mingyu closed her eyes and said, "I understand."
Su Yiqing: "So you..."
He opened his eyes again and stared at her intently: "Then we won't be like them. You don't need to love me. Treat me however you want, even as a dog. Just let me stay by your side."
Su Yiqing knew she couldn't get rid of Yun Mingyu at all. From now on, wherever she went, he would follow.
He haunts us relentlessly; he is everywhere.
"I say, as a young master of the demon race, don't you have anything else to do?"
Su Yiqing and he sat by the stream, enjoying the early spring sunshine.
Yun Mingyu turned his head to look at her. She casually flicked her wrist and threw a string of water droplets at his face. She then put her hands behind her back and laughed.
Yun Mingyu smiled too. He didn't wipe the water off his face, but instead wrapped his arms around her waist, pressed his face against her neck, and slowly said, "I've heard it said that if you love someone, you should let them go and set them free."
Su Yiqing: "Then you..."
Yun Mingyu said, "I won't let go. Even if we die, we'll die together."
Su Yiqing: She knew it!
With Yun Xing gone, it is time for Yun Mingyu to ascend the throne.
Su Yiqing knew that he had wanted to sit in this position for a long time.
Yun Mingyu was right. He even had the Demon King's Sword in his hand, which he wanted to give to her and ask if she would be willing to be his queen.
Su Yi shook her head slightly.
Yun Mingyu just smiled gently and said nothing. They would be together no matter what, even if Su Yiqing didn't admit it.
However, his smile only lasted a few seconds.
Because he discovered that the Shadow Chasing Spell, which he had maintained with his magic, had suddenly broken.
He could no longer sense her.
She was standing right in front of him.
Her eyes still held that open and serene gaze.
Yun Mingyu had a guess in his mind. His throat was dry, and he said with great difficulty, "You've always... been able to...?"
Su Yi shrugged slightly, neither confirming nor denying.
Her points can be exchanged for many items; the Shadow Chasing Curse set by a Nascent Soul cultivator can be lifted with just 3,000 points.
Yun Mingyu was at a loss, feeling as if she were walking on clouds, teetering on the verge of collapse.
He finally realized that he had never gained the upper hand during this period, and that his supposedly successful tricks were just her indulgence.
He asked urgently, "Why not lie to me completely?"
Su Yiqing spoke frankly: "I like you very much, so I am willing to spend more time with you so that you won't cry alone in the middle of the night again. Now that you are going to become the Demon King, you can finally get what you want, so I have no reason to stay, because I don't love you that much."
How can I love you?
Yun Mingyu asked through gritted teeth, a look of utter disbelief Su Yiqing had never seen on his face before. It wasn't anger, but the fear of losing what was about to be lost.
He pleaded, "What have I done wrong? What have I done that you don't like? Who is standing in our way? I can remove any obstacle for you, any...!"
Su Yi took a step back and sat on the windowsill, leaning against the window. Her gaze shifted from Yun Mingyu to the distant sky.
Her voice was flat and ethereal, like a gentle breeze that would dissipate at the slightest touch.
“My mother left me when I was very young. Of course, that was normal, because my father was a gambler with a bad temper, and no woman would want to live with him.”
“After my mother passed away, he was in great pain and quit gambling, but started drinking. Occasionally, when he was drunk, he would hit me a couple of times. I often stayed at relatives’ homes. I had an aunt who was very kind to me, but unfortunately, she was in poor health and passed away very early.”
“When I was a child, my biggest dream was to go to the amusement park next to my house…you can think of it as a fun place. I wanted to go there and play all day, just like other kids.”
“When I was a teenager, I earned my first money by doing part-time work. That weekend, I went to this amusement park and played for two whole days. Suddenly, I felt bored.”
"I may not have been interested in things like carousels and pirate ships from the beginning. It was only when I passed by here for the first time and saw a couple with their child laughing so happily that I became interested."
Yun Mingyu couldn't fully understand what she was saying, but he didn't ask anything and listened in silence.
Su Yi chuckled and said, "So I knew from that time on that some things you think you can pay a lot of price to pursue may not be out of liking, but may just be an obsession."
She finally turned to Yun Mingyu: "What do you want from me? Love? If I give you love, will you still find it tasteless?"
“I believe you, I know you’re willing to give me everything. But I also remember you saying that Yun Xing spared no effort to nurture you, and that there was nothing he couldn’t give you.” Su Yiqing suddenly asked, “Does he love you, Yun Mingyu?”
Yun Mingyu's hand froze in mid-air.
"There's one last question."
Su Yi gazed at him tenderly.
"Can you guarantee that you and your father are different?"
*
After that day, Su Yiqing didn't see Yun Mingyu again for a long time.
As summer arrived, Su Yiqing sought refuge from the heat at Ziyang Palace, and Hua Deng came to her room to keep her company.
They lay in bed, and Su Yiqing turned over and hugged her, murmuring, "I keep thinking about Yun Mingyu these days. I feel like I'm going crazy."
Hua Deng patted her back to comfort her, saying, "It's okay, I'm quite sick too."
Su Yi chuckled softly, and after a moment, she said slowly, "I used to think I could be happy anywhere."
Hua Deng said, "And now?"
Su Yiqing said, "Now I realize that I'm happier with him."
Hua Deng asked, "Are you going to find him?"
Su Yiqing said, "No, it's just a feeling; it's not enough to make me go back."
After all, she knew that once she returned to Yun Mingyu's side, she would never have the chance to leave again, and he would not make the same mistake twice.
Besides, she didn't want him to be too upset. If she hadn't made up her mind, why go back and provoke him?
Hua Deng nodded: "Then you can stay here. Oh right, Pei Jianming also wants to come and play. He was rejected again after confessing to the female cultivator last time. Come to think of it, he's the most pitiful of the three of us."
Su Yiqing agreed wholeheartedly and closed her eyes with relief: "Then I'm relieved."
*
Su Yiqing stayed in Ziyang Palace for about a month. She decided to go for a walk near the East Sea, as she liked to visit different places.
There was a small fishing village there, and Su Yiqing pretended to be an ordinary person and rented a seaweed house to live in.
But after living there for a while, I inexplicably started to feel bored.
She didn't know where to go next.
That day, she was carrying two fish back from outside when she heard a cat meowing incessantly. After thinking for a moment, she went over and indeed saw the cat.
There was also a man standing next to the cat.
The cat darted away in a flash, and Su Yiqing didn't even have a chance to feed it fish.
She looked up helplessly: "Why are you here?"
Yun Mingyu looked a little haggard, but his gaze was calmer and more determined than usual.
"I've thought about what you said before you left many times, and I can give you the answer."
Su Yiqing said, "I don't want your answer."
But Yun Mingyu still approached her and said clearly, "It's different."
Su Yiqing: "...Hmm?"
Yun Mingyu's hand, hidden under her sleeve, trembled slightly.
That night, he had a dream he hadn't had in a long time.
In my dream, there was a blood-red demon king's palace, with only one woman in white, her face blurred yet radiating peace.
He remembered that this was the last time he would see his elder sister.
She bent down and said to him in the sunlight, "You are different from your father. No matter how many people misunderstand you, you must remember that some things are stronger than blood ties."
Yun Mingyu walked up to Su Yiqing and said, "I am different from Yun Xing."
Su Yi looked up and met his eyes.
He said, "I know what love is, I love you, Yi Qing."
Su Yiqing beckoned to him, and Yun Mingyu was stunned for a moment before blankly extending his palm.
Su Yiqing placed the two fish in his hands.
"Take this, remember to eat it if you get hungry on the way."
She turned and walked toward the house, her steps still light and quick. She sensed the person behind her trying to grab her hand, but he was too slow and only managed to brush past her sleeve.
She hadn't thought about her past life for a long time. For some reason, she'd started remembering it now.
As far as I can remember, she almost never went home after starting university. The man she used to call father, she rarely even answered his phone, only occasionally transferring money to his account when she earned it.
After graduating from university, I also received a critical illness notice from him.
Drinking that much, it's no wonder he died; Su Yiqing wasn't surprised at all.
She stood in front of the hospital bed looking at the man.
He shakily handed her an envelope containing a check.
He didn't use any of the money she sent him, or only used a little bit, saving the rest to turn into this thin check.
"Could you find your mother and tell her that I have quit gambling and that I have regretted it all these years?"
Su Yiqing took the check.
She tore it to shreds right in front of him.
"Oh, no, what did you just say?"
She still remembers the look on her father's face that day, his eyes wide open in death.
She knew perfectly well what she was doing and never felt a shred of regret.
She heard Yun Mingyu's voice behind her.
"Take me away, please. I can give up being the Demon King, I can give up everything. I'd rather you kill me right now, really..."
Su Yiqing paused for only a moment before continuing forward.
She wouldn't be soft-hearted even towards her own father, let alone now.
Yun Mingyu stood there for a very long time, so long that Su Yiqing's figure had long since disappeared, so long that even when a summer downpour swept across the seaside, he still did not leave.
He heard the familiar meow again in the rain; the cat had returned and was looking for shelter from the rain.
He watched coldly, thinking that if it became too annoying, he would just kill it. But for some reason, he thought of Su Yiqing's smiling eyes when she first saw the cat.
He silently waved his hand; a simple spell was enough to shelter the wildcat from the rain.
But he was still in the rain.
Suddenly, the rain stopped. The raindrops were pattering on his head, but no more raindrops were hitting him.
Because an umbrella shielded him from the rain.
A woman's questioning voice rang in my ears: "What kind of performance art are you doing? 'The Sad Man in the Rain'?"
Ah, she's back.
Yun Mingyu slowly turned around, raindrops dripping down his pale face, his dark eyelashes reflecting a faint light.
"Are you pitying me?" he asked, stunned.
Before Su Yiqing could speak, he grabbed her wrist and said quickly, "It doesn't matter if you pity me, as long as you're willing to be with me, I'll do anything you ask."
Su Yi shook her head slightly: "I don't pity you."
Yun Mingyu's hand slowly fell, but it was grabbed by her halfway down.
She said helplessly, "It's not that I pity you, it's that I like you... Never mind, I only came back to see you because I love you."
"love me……?"
Overjoy and disbelief surged into Yun Mingyu's heart, and he was speechless for a moment.
Su Yiqing then added, "But I won't love you the way you love me, understand?"
Yun Mingyu gripped her hand tightly and nodded.
Su Yiqing: "I will come back, but I may also leave one day. Can you accept that?"
Yun Mingyu replied without hesitation, "Sure, you can go wherever you want."
Su Yi muttered to herself, "Anyway, you'll always be following me."
But she stopped dwelling on it, took his hand and led him forward, tossing the two fish to the cat beside them.
“Let’s go, I’ll go back with you,” she said.
"Go back where?" Yun Mingyu asked softly.
"The Demon King's Palace, your home."
"Okay, this is my home now."
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