Chapter 16 The madness that arose in Xiao Che that day...
After Cui was deposed, she was confined to the Cold Palace. Xiao Yuangan ordered that no one was allowed to visit her, including Xiao Jue and Xiao Yan.
Jiang Chenyu was buried in Nanling with extremely high honors. Emperor Yuan of Wei suspended court for seven days, held three memorial services each day, and the entire palace wore white mourning clothes.
After the mourning period, Emperor Wei Yuan established a new empress. As promised, the new empress was also a woman of the Cui family, a direct descendant of the Cui family, and her status was much more noble than that of Cui Wanqing. The Xuanlong family was naturally very satisfied.
After that, he resumed handling political affairs as usual. Now he no longer needed to accompany Jiang Chenyu and had plenty of time to do what the Xuanlong family considered important matters.
They then concluded that Emperor Yuan of Wei was more wise and insightful than before. They became even more convinced that the Lanling clan had the ability to bewitch people, and that with Jiang Chenyu's death, Emperor Yuan of Wei had indeed regained his former wisdom.
As time passed, everyone thought that Jiang Chenyu's death was a thing of the past. Like a pebble thrown into a lake, it may create ripples, but it will eventually return to calm.
——
Yan Jiarou hadn't seen Xiao Che for a while.
She knew that his mother's death had been a great blow to him, and that he had spent many days alone in the palace, refusing to go out.
Although she had never gotten along with him, she didn't want to see him so depressed and sad.
Two days before the end of her mourning period, she finally met Xiao Che on the passageway from Danfeng Gate to Hanyuan Hall.
He was dressed in plain white robes, and seemed to have lost some weight compared to last time.
A layer of gloom settled over his delicate features, and his plain white robes made him appear even more aloof.
The white clothes didn't look bland on him; instead, they looked inexplicably handsome.
She stared at him blankly, only then remembering that today was the day Yan Xiao was returning to the capital in triumph, and he would inevitably pass through Danfeng Gate.
Xiao Che was indeed waiting for him there.
A month before Jiang Chenyu died, there was a rebellion in the northern desert. Shortly after the northern desert launched its attack, Luoli Khan died suddenly. The change of Khans was already fraught with internal troubles. In addition, the northern desert had been severely damaged by General Cen Jinghuan and was no longer the same as before. It was no longer a threat. The army that Cen Jinghuan led back then was the reorganized Yan Family Army. The Yan Family Army was familiar with the terrain of the northern desert, so it was naturally the first choice to launch an attack again.
However, General Cen Jinghuan is currently far away in Anzhou and cannot arrive in time. But since the Yan family army has been sent, it doesn't matter who leads the troops—this is a battle that must be won, and whoever is sent to quell the rebellion will simply be reaping the credit.
Jiang Chenyu recommended Yan Xiao to Xiao Yuangan.
Perhaps it was because Jiang Chenyu had spoken, and he never refused; or perhaps it was because Yanshan had been stripped of power and the entire Yan family had been exiled for so long that he had forgotten the reason for doing so in the first place; or perhaps it was because Yan Xiao had rendered meritorious service in saving the emperor and had won his favor, and he had long since completely trusted him. In any case, he agreed.
Winning this battle was inevitable, but what was unexpected was how well Yan Xiao would win.
In just three days, the Northern Desert forces were forced to retreat repeatedly by using fire attacks and surprise attacks.
Now that they have returned in triumph, they will surely be rewarded handsomely.
Xiao Che has always been on good terms with Yan Xiao, so he will most likely come to welcome Yan Xiao back.
Xiao Che also noticed her, but remained expressionless, only glancing at her briefly before his gaze swept across her face.
His attitude towards her was extremely cold, so cold that... he treated her like any other woman.
When Xiao Che is not smiling, his face is extremely cold, and his temperament is even more distant, like an unapproachable snow-capped mountain rime, which can only be admired from afar and not touched.
Yan Jiarou bit her lip and called out softly as he passed by, "Xiao Wenqi..."
Xiao Che stopped in his tracks: "Is there something you need?"
"Actually...it's nothing, it's just that I heard that the Imperial Concubine...you...are you alright?"
Xiao Che's eyelashes trembled almost imperceptibly, and he said with a wry smile, "What can I do if it's not good?"
"I...you...you shouldn't be too sad. The deceased are gone, and no one can change that...When I was little, my father told me that everyone will eventually reunite with their loved ones, so even if a loved one passes away first, there's no need to be too sad, because you'll eventually reunite with them in another world. If you hold onto this hope, won't you be less sad...?"
After speaking, he looked up and met Xiao Che's light-colored pupils. A hint of interest flashed in his eyes, as if he were deep in thought.
Yan Jiarou's eyelashes trembled slightly: "Why...why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing, it's just that every time you comfort me, you use your father's words—you really remember his words well."
Yan Jiarou paused for a moment: "...So he always likes to tell me these principles of life, and after hearing them so many times, I naturally remember them."
She asked tentatively, "Are you feeling any better now?"
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on her eyes. His light-colored pupils, shimmering with sunlight, possessed a dazzling allure: "Are you concerned about whether I'm feeling well or not?"
Yan Jiarou was stunned, her jade-like earlobes gradually turning red, and she stammered, "I...I...I didn't...I...I just...I just asked casually..."
"Is that so?" Xiao Che took a step forward, looked down at her, and slightly curled his lips into a half-smile: "But I'm quite curious, you've always disliked me, so why don't you feel any pleasure seeing me like this, neither human nor ghost..."
He paused, composed himself, and looked at her intently: "Why are you here to comfort me instead?"
"I..." Yan Jiarou bit her lip and murmured softly, "I'm not that bad... Although you always go against me, and I've always... always disliked you, when I think about it carefully, those are actually all trivial things. You haven't really done anything to me..."
"Besides... you saved my life, and I've also experienced the pain of losing a loved one. How could I possibly gloat over something like this happening to you..."
Xiao Che remained silent, simply scrutinizing her with a critical gaze.
Yan Jiarou lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with her fingers: "Actually...actually you're not that bad...If you're willing to be more agreeable to me in the future, we, we might be able to become friends..."
These words had been lingering in her heart for a very long time.
She rarely spoke kindly to him, but since she had taken the initiative to comfort him today, she decided to humble herself as well and mustered the courage to say those words.
But after waiting for a long time without receiving a reply from Xiao Che, she nervously raised her head.
Xiao Che looked down at her, his face expressionless. When he met her questioning gaze, his eyes were cold, and he scoffed, "Who wants to be friends with you?"
"Why don't you say such things to your elder brother, the Crown Prince?"
He straightened up, stood with his hands behind his back, and said in a cold and distant tone: "Alright, Princess Qinghe, I, Xiao Che, have never needed your pity, much less cared about being your so-called friend. If you have nothing else to say, you can go back now."
"You!" Yan Jiarou looked at him in disbelief, her fair face instantly turning bright red—she was furious.
The young girl finally mustered up the courage to take the initiative to apologize and say some soft words to him, thinking that their relationship would improve. But he actually looked down on her and said such things to embarrass her!
After the anger subsided, I felt an overwhelming sense of grievance and sadness... I don't know why, but a sour feeling welled up in my chest, as if my heart was being pulled, and there was a dull pain.
She just couldn't understand why Xiao Che hated her so much.
She suddenly raised her hand, but the slap didn't land. Instead, she pushed him with all her might to vent her anger: "Xiao Wenqi, you bastard!"
Unexpectedly, Xiao Che remained motionless, while she herself lost her balance, staggered, and fell backward.
Just as she was about to fall to the ground, a hand suddenly reached out from the side, long, slender, white fingers slightly spread, and grabbed her waist, pulling her back. The hand said casually, "Even if Princess Qinghe is angry, she shouldn't be so weak that she can't even stand up, right? Or is this something you did on purpose, to hold me accountable again?"
Yan Jiarou was stunned for a moment, and after she came to her senses, she immediately retorted with bared teeth and claws: "You... what did you say! You said I framed you? Xiao Wenqi, you shameless person! I couldn't push you, that's why I couldn't stand steadily, and don't you know that I injured my leg during the Lishan hunting trip before!"
She was already feeling wronged and sad, and now, with her emotions running high, she could no longer hold back. Her eyes reddened, her thick eyelashes trembled, and tears immediately streamed down her face.
Xiao Che was about to say something when he suddenly paused, opened his mouth, and asked, "You...you cried?"
Yan Jiarou hastily wiped her face, then turned her head away in a huff: "Nothing!"
Xiao Che's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyelids lowered, and he said softly, "I'm sorry."
Yan Jiarou turned her face in surprise, her lips slightly parted: "Xiao Che..."
Xiao Che looked at her calmly, a slight smile playing on his lips: "I'm sorry, from childhood to adulthood, I've always been at odds with you and bullied you in every way. Just now, even though I had already made up my mind, I couldn't help myself when I saw you."
"But that won't happen again. From now on, I will treat you no differently than I would treat those young ladies from noble families. I will no longer bully you or oppose you. You can rest assured now—so, stop crying, okay?"
Yan Jiarou blinked and stopped crying, but her eyes gradually revealed a sense of confusion.
What did Xiao Che mean by that?
It sounded like he was admitting defeat, saying he would never go against her again, never bully or tease her again... She should be happy to hear that.
But why wasn't she as happy as she had expected? It seemed that bowing down and submitting wasn't what she had hoped for.
Treating them like those noble ladies from aristocratic families—wouldn't that be cold and aloof, keeping everyone at arm's length, and completely disregarding them?
This is certainly peaceful now, but does she want him to treat her like this?
She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it seemed better than being bullied. Yet, this version of Xiao Che seemed even more detestable.
Her mind was in a complete mess, and she only blurted out, "...Why?"
Xiao Che wiped the moisture from the corner of her eyes with his thumb, and smiled slightly: "Because I have to do something dangerous next, I won't have time to make things difficult for you."
"Dangerous thing?" Yan Jiarou frowned, instinctively taking his hand that was wiping her tears, looking up at him, and asking, "What dangerous thing?"
Xiao Che paused, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. The little girl's hand was white and soft, so small, resting gently on his knuckles. He raised an eyebrow slightly, curled his fingers, and gently rubbed them against her palm, creating a slight tickle. He slowly moved closer to her: "What? Are you worried about me?"
“I…” Yan Jiarou’s eyelashes trembled slightly, and she quickly lowered her eyes: “I was just asking casually…”
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Since it was just a casual question and you don't care, it shouldn't matter if I don't agree, right?"
"You!" Yan Jiarou glared at him angrily, "Xiao Wenqi! How could there be such an annoying person like you!"
Xiao Che shrugged indifferently, smiled, and said, "Alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. There's no particular reason, it's just that I'm tired, so I don't want to play anymore. Royal sister, I've been going against you for over ten years, and I'm tired too, I don't want to continue."
Yan Jiarou choked, never expecting this reason. What are they now? Is this... a reconciliation?
It doesn't seem like that at all; it's more like they'll never see each other again...
While she was lost in thought, Xiao Che suddenly leaned closer to examine her complexion, though he couldn't discern anything on her face: "By the way, you just said that the injury you sustained at Mount Li last time hasn't fully healed yet?"
Yan Jiarou's eyelashes suddenly trembled.
The injury she sustained on Mount Li... was from being bitten by a wild fox that day. It wasn't a big deal, but whenever she thought about her reaction after being bitten and the various unusual things she did to Xiao Che, she felt very uncomfortable, and her face felt hot again.
After returning home that day, everything seemed normal, but the events that had happened before still lingered in her mind. To this day, she still doesn't know why she was so unable to control herself towards Xiao Che back then... She can only attribute it to the strangeness of Mount Li, and she was probably possessed by an evil spirit.
Nothing unusual happened after that, so she didn't think much of it.
The only thing that bothered her was that the wound on her ankle had not healed.
It was just a bite from a wild fox. Even though the wound was a little deep, it should have healed by now, after so many days. Why is it taking so long to get better despite using so many wound medicines?
That would have been fine, but now, something even more unsettling has happened.
The wound, which had not yet healed but had been completely numb, now evoked strange sensations again.
As Xiao Che suddenly approached, his barely audible breath fell on her face. His skin was pale and cold, and his temperament was as aloof as ice and snow. His large hand on her waist had a burning heat in his palm... The heat traveled along her waist to her limbs and bones, urging out a tormenting desire.
The wound is starting to show abnormalities again.
It felt as if a million ants were crawling all over my body. The unbearable sensation was intense, and a strong thirst welled up from deep within me. I desperately needed to taste something to relieve the thirst, but it was definitely not water.
The mad desire for Xiao Che that had arisen on Mount Li that day resurfaced.
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