Chapter 9 Chapter 9 "Alright, what does my royal sister say...?"
Yan Jiarou on his back was talking to him incessantly, seemingly apologizing for her earlier careless words: "...Actually, there's nothing wrong with your bloodline. The Lanling people are all good-looking and intelligent, good at riding and archery, in short, they are extraordinary in everything. Others are envious..."
"As for the curse that brings disaster to the country, I don't believe in such baseless things. Xiao Wenqi, do you really want to believe in such things and trap yourself in ridiculous rumors?"
"What curse of bringing ruin to the country? It's nothing more than the women of the Lanling clan, each one of them exceptionally beautiful, captivating the king's heart. The king himself neglected state affairs, indulging in lustful beauty. Once the country fell, later historians blamed the women, calling them 'femme fatales' who led the nation to its demise. Through verbal and written condemnation, it gradually evolved into the curse of bringing ruin to the country..."
"Later, the Lanling clan established the Qi Dynasty, and most of the royal family were from the Lanling clan. After that, such rumors gradually stopped. Who would have thought that the Qi Dynasty would perish after only two generations? As a result, the rumors returned and became even more rampant..."
"But when it comes to it, it's the king's own lack of diligence and wisdom that has anything to do with those women from Lanling, so... well, in short, I don't look down on your bloodline!"
Xiao Che smiled and asked, "Are you apologizing to me?"
Many years ago, Yan Jiarou said something similar to him, but she was too young then to say such elaborate things. However, the meaning remained the same—he was not wrong, nor was he inferior, and his bloodline was never lowly.
At that time, rumors began to circulate that Jiang Chenyu was a princess of the former Qi Kingdom. As a result, he was also labeled as a remnant of the former dynasty. Their Lanling clan identity had already subjected them to prejudice, and with this rumor, it became even more difficult for the mother and son to move forward in the palace.
At that time, Emperor Yuan of Wei was focused on protecting his beloved concubine, and naturally had no time to care about Xiao Che, who was being favored by the emperor.
In the palace, everyone could bully him, openly or secretly.
At the time, everyone believed that although Consort Jiang was favored by the emperor, given her status, Emperor Wei Yuan would find it difficult to withstand the pressure, and she would be deposed sooner or later. Since Consort Jiang was going to be deposed, Xiao Che's fate was predictable.
In the palace, everyone fawns on the powerful and bullies the weak. A young master destined to be abandoned is not even as good as a servant. Moreover, the Lanling clan is inherently a harbinger of national disaster and misfortune. Consort Jiang is seductive and bewitching, and her son will surely be no good when he grows up.
Life in the palace was like walking on thin ice, oppressive and stifling. Xiao Che's identity and lineage seemed to give them a legitimate excuse to do evil, and they unscrupulously vented their years of repression on Xiao Che.
In addition, he was just a child at that time and had no ability to resist, so he could only be bullied by others.
That time, it was Yan Jiarou who saved him.
A beautiful little girl, whose background was unknown, was said to have been greatly favored by the emperor, and the emperor valued her highly. The palace servants knew they could not offend her, so they dispersed like birds and beasts.
He will never forget that day.
A little girl with an innocent face, who had just learned to walk, comforted him in a soft voice. After learning why he had been bullied, she said, "Brother, don't be sad. It's all their fault. My daddy said, um..."
"Yes, all things have a spirit, and all beings are equal. How can we bully you just because you are a member of the Lanling clan? You are a prince, how can you be lowly? Aren't the princes and princesses in the palace the most noble? Don't look down on yourself because of what others say... This is not your fault..."
Yes, it's not his fault. Bloodline is something he was born with, not something he could decide.
He suddenly felt relieved and enlightened.
He looked up at her.
The pale sunlight shone on her face, and she smiled sweetly at him, revealing a shallow dimple on one side of her cheek.
He suddenly felt dizzy, as if the sunlight shone directly through her face into the deepest corner of his heart, dispelling all the gloom.
From that moment on, in his heart, she was different from others.
At that time, she was like a little sun, dispelling the dark clouds for him. It's just a pity that this little sun soon went to warm others.
He hadn't felt her warm light in a long time.
Only today have I been able to relive those memories.
He knew that even though their relationship had become increasingly strained over the years, and she could never say anything nice to him, she had never changed at heart. She was still the kind-hearted girl who was willing to give him kindness and soothe his inner wounds without reservation.
Yan Jiarou's awkward apology was exposed by him, and she felt embarrassed. She puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away, saying, "No, I was just comforting you, okay? I was just telling the truth. The bloodline of the Lanling people isn't that bad. Aren't there many people who like you now?"
Xiao Che curled his lips: "Comfort and reassurance? You say many people like me, but that's only because my mother is favored by the emperor and my father also shows me some affection, so they won't dare to openly look down on me like before..."
He gave a sarcastic smile: "Or perhaps they think that the Lanling bloodline they look down on has some merit in appearance—but in the end, there is not a trace of sincerity in it."
"Who says there's no sincerity?" Yan Jiarou suddenly lowered her voice, leaned close to his ear, and said seriously, "My feelings for you are absolutely sincere."
Xiao Che paused, a gentle breeze swept through the forest, and for a moment, all seemed to be silent; he could only hear the faint sound of the wind in his ears.
He suddenly felt a sharp tightness in his throat, his Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he finally said, "What did you say?"
Yan Jiarou chuckled, a smug look on her face: "I really hate you! Who told you to always bully me!"
Xiao Che's lips were flat, and he gave a light sneer, seemingly unconcerned: "I knew it."
Yan Jiarou's cheeks puffed out: "Hmph, of course you know how you treated me!"
"It's just a matter of reciprocity, my dear sister. You're always chasing after the Crown Prince, but you haven't been any better to me."
Yan Jiarou was taken aback: "Then...then it's because you bullied me...never mind, let's not talk about this..." Anyway, neither of them would take the initiative to back down, it was a dead end, there was nothing to say.
Besides, she was currently lying on his back, so if she were to argue with him, she wouldn't have much of an impact. Thinking about this, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
Although she had already lost all face today, she still wanted to salvage some dignity at this critical moment. So she leaned close to his ear, coughed to clear her throat, and said, "Xiao Wenqi, don't be too smug. This is the first time I'm asking you for help, and it will definitely be the last!"
Xiao Che chuckled and said, "Royal sister, don't speak too soon. After all, life is unpredictable, and who can say for sure what will happen in the future?"
"Perhaps you'll have many more times to ask me for help in the future, who knows?"
Yan Jiarou snorted and said dismissively, "Nonsense, there's no way that's possible!"
Xiao Che: "Alright, whatever my royal sister says goes."
——
The two chatted casually for a while afterward, and the atmosphere eased considerably. It was rare for either of them to speak so calmly.
Yan Jiarou suddenly remembered something and took the opportunity to ask him, "...By the way, Xiao Wenqi, why did you say that I haven't changed at all, and that I've never had a conscience since I was a child...? That's strange. Did you save me when I was a child? And I didn't repay the favor?"
Xiao Che suddenly stopped, his jaw tightening, but then relaxed after a moment, letting out a soft chuckle in his usual lazy tone, making it hard to tell if he was telling the truth or not: "So what if I am? So what if I am not?"
Yan Jiarou's lips parted slightly, her watery eyes revealing a hint of confusion: "Xiao Che..."
Xiao Che carried her forward and said calmly, "It all happened many years ago. Does it matter now? For example, I just saved you again, but I didn't see any change between us... Besides, there are some things I don't care to do."
Yan Jiarou seemed to understand, but didn't ask any further questions.
For some reason, a sudden wave of intense drowsiness washed over her, and she felt incredibly tired. Unable to stay upright any longer, she leaned against his back, resting her head on his shoulder and neck, and mumbled, "Xiao Che, I'm so sleepy, can I lean on you for a while..."
This is something she would never do when she is sober.
Xiao Che curled his lips, raised an eyebrow, and said with a hint of interest, "Alright, I'll let you lean on me, so—how do you plan to return it to me?"
Normally, if he said that, Yan Jiarou would definitely argue with him, but this time he waited for a long time and there was still no response.
Xiao Che hummed in response, turning his head to look at her: "Royal sister?"
But they found that her breathing was steady, and she had actually fallen asleep after saying those words.
This was already somewhat unusual, but what was even more unusual was that Xiao Che originally thought that she must be extremely tired to fall asleep in such a short time and would not wake up easily. However, he had only taken a few steps forward when he suddenly felt a commotion on his back.
—Yan Jiarou woke up.
Xiao Che frowned: "Why did you wake up so quickly?"
Because his back was to her, he didn't notice her unusually flushed face.
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