The two of them were unable to face each other's gaze. After a long silence, Yan Sikong whispered, "Yu'er, this is all my fault."

Yuan Nanyu changed to a more comfortable position, leaning against the soft pillow, and staring at Yan Sikong with his chin slightly raised: "You said it's your fault, why?"

Yan Sikong was stunned: "I... I originally thought that we could switch places so that I could send you out of the city, but I didn't expect that I would end up making things worse..." His voice became lower and lower as he spoke.

"Did you know that Qi Manbi would drug me?"

Yan Sikong's eyes widened: "What did you say?"

"Qi Manbi said that Chen Yi married a wife and she herself was in a low status and lived in fear all day long. You treated her like a brother or sister and promised in person to help her." Yuan Nanyu said slowly.

"She's talking nonsense!" Yan Sikong said in a deep voice, "Qi Manbi is such a fool... I was just trying to please her. It's none of my business if they're fighting for favor. Did you, did you think I knew what would happen and deliberately gave you to Chen Mi?"

Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong quietly without saying a word.

Yan Sikong froze, his body shaking uncontrollably: "...Do you really think so?" He suddenly felt hopeless, and his vision went blank.

Yuan Nanyu's expression changed slightly, and he sighed, "I don't want to doubt you, but you are too smart, I can't guess what you are thinking. I fell into the hands of the enemy because of my own incompetence. Whether I can escape or not is my fate, but why did it turn out like this? I can't figure it out. Twenty years ago, you said that I was willing to take the blame for you and was exiled to the northwest. Twenty years later, I voluntarily exchanged identities with you. In order to save my life, I just live a miserable life..." He shook his head, "I don't want to doubt you, and I don't want to judge you by my own standards. I just can't figure it out. Am I born to suffer for you?"

"Yu'er, no, this..." Yan Sikong didn't know what to say for a moment. Looking at the sadness and coldness on Yuan Nanyu's face, his eyes suddenly turned red and he felt heartbroken.

Finally, even his son Yuer began to doubt and resent him. Finally, he suddenly felt relieved. God was destined to take away everything from him. When he had nothing left to lose, he felt relieved.

Looking at Yan Sikong's sad expression, Yuan Nanyu said uncomfortably: "I know you want to save me, otherwise you wouldn't come back here. I don't blame you, I only blame myself for being incompetent. This is all my own fault. I'm just... I'm a little afraid of you. In front of you, I'm like a fool. Feng Ye, Chen Yi, Shen Hexuan, and those civil officials and generals, so many smart people, have been played around by you. You created the world today, and I feel like I've been controlled by you. I finally understand why people who are close to you don't dare to trust you anymore in the end."

Yan Sikong trembled and said, "Yu'er, I will never, ever hurt you."

Yuan Nanyu stared at Yan Sikong in a daze for a long time before saying, "I don't dare to believe you anymore."

Yan Sikong closed his eyes, his heart was filled with unbearable grief and he could hardly breathe. It was as if the last string that was holding him back from falling broke at this moment.

The break was so insignificant, so silent. He had experienced many thrilling moments in his life. In comparison, this moment seemed so pale and dull. Only he himself knew what had collapsed at this moment.

Yuan Nanyu was right. The life of walking on thin ice for the past twenty years had made him extremely nervous. He was good at scheming and was used to scheming against people and things. After all the calculations, even if he got what he wanted, he would lose the hearts of the people.

He and Yuan Nanyu are similar only in appearance, but their temperaments are completely different. Yuan Nanyu has a light that he will never be able to touch in his entire life. As long as he can catch a glimpse of that light in the darkness, he will feel like he is bathed in warm sunshine, so he will do his best to protect this light, so he is destined to be moved by those who are honest, straightforward, and upright, such as the former young master.

But in the end, these people fell into the abyss of darkness just like him, and he was among them, adding fuel to the fire.

What on earth has he done in his life?

"You shouldn't have come." Yuan Nanyu said calmly, "No matter how much I was humiliated by Chen Yi, it can't compare to the shame of dragging down Feng Jiajun. Now that you and I have fallen into Chen Yi's hands, what should Feng Ye do? If Chen Yi hadn't sent people to watch me, I would have committed suicide long ago when my identity was exposed."

"No! Chen Yu will let you go." Yan Sikong gritted his teeth and said, "He just promised it himself. Yu'er, you must survive. Only by surviving can you avenge yourself and the soldiers, and help Feng Ye achieve his great cause."

"But even if I leave, what about you?"

"I have my own way of escaping. I have made all the arrangements."

Yuan Nanyu was skeptical: "Really?"

"Of course, if I don't leave a way out for myself, how can I dare to go to the enemy camp alone." Yan Sikong suppressed his sadness and persuaded him gently, "Yu'er, you have suffered so much, it is understandable that you don't believe me. Now the most important thing is to leave here. You are a real man, a general of the Wolf King, you must be able to bend and stretch, and don't turn these humiliations into shackles that crush you."

Yuan Nanyu stared into Yan Sikong's eyes, a dark flame burning in his gloomy gaze: "Everything that Chen Yi has given me, I will return double."

Yan Sikong also stared into Yuan Nanyu's eyes, and suddenly, he seemed to see the innocent and cheerful boy from twenty years ago. Those clean, clear, and simple eyes were always dancing with curiosity and defenselessness towards the world, as well as joy and dependence that were never concealed.

Now there is only coldness in these eyes.

He even lost his son Yu'er.

Lost and found again, found and lost again, a moment of false joy completely emptied his heart.

Yan Sikong grabbed Yuan Nanyu's hand and said softly, "Yu'er, one day, if one day, you think of the past, the four years we were together, you must do everything you can to remember it, whether you write it down or draw it, you must remember it, that was the best time of our lives."

Remember this for me.

Yuan Nanyu suddenly felt a lump in his throat and felt inexplicably frightened.

Yan Sikong touched Yuan Nanyu's face, looked at him deeply and carefully, stood up, and left without looking back.

Yuan Nanyu looked at Yan Sikong's lonely back, opened his mouth, and subconsciously wanted to keep him, but swallowed the words back. He closed his eyes tiredly and quietly embedded himself in the darkness.

——

Yan Sikong was placed under house arrest in a military tent. The guards brought him food, but he did not eat a single bite.

After nightfall, Chen Mi came.

Chen Yu glanced at the untouched food and said sarcastically, "Sir, you really intend to go on a hunger strike."

"When did Your Highness forget to leave?"

"I have sent someone to inform Feng Ye. Tomorrow, he will be sent away." Chen Yi sat cross-legged opposite Yan Sikong and poured a glass of wine for each of them. Then he pinched the golden jade wine glass with his slender fingers and gently turned it. His voice suddenly became a little dim, "Tomorrow."

"You're not going to do anything tricky."

Chen Yu sneered: "Tricks? Is there anyone in this world who is better at tricks than you? Why should I show off my skills in front of you?"

Yan Sikong looked at him silently.

"How did you kill Shen Hexuan?" Chen Yu asked.

"I pushed him off the cliff." Yan Sikong said expressionlessly.

Chen Yu narrowed his eyes. "You were in the same year, had the same teacher, and have been colleagues for ten years. You are so cruel."

"He has caused me a lot of trouble, and he has blocked my path." Yan Sikong lowered his eyes, "I have always cherished his talent, and I was reluctant to kill him several times, which planted the seeds of disaster for myself."

"Haha." Chen Yu said meaningfully, "Sir, you are really cold-blooded and heartless."

Yan Sikong looked at Chen Yu coldly: "I am the main contributor to your success today, so there is no need to act like I have let you down."

Anger flashed across Chen Yu's face. "Yes, you are right. Because of this, others can betray me, but you cannot. After my mother died, you were the only person I trusted and cared about, but you used me and rejected me time and time again. You have never been sincere to me. No matter how I try to please you, it is no match for Feng Ye who is full of suspicion towards you!"

"Feng Ye suspected me, partly because of you." Yan Sikong said in a deep voice, "Framed, alienated, coerced, is this how you treat the only person you trust and care about?"

"I learned it from you, sir." Chen Ai smiled slyly. "What you taught me through your own practice is much more vivid than those books that are either too big or too profound."

Yan Sikong looked at Chen Yu for a long while, then smiled sinisterly: "Very good, you are worthy of being my student, but you still have a lot to learn."

"If you are willing to teach me, I am still willing to learn." Chen Yu narrowed his eyes, "Guess what Feng Ye will give in exchange for you?"

Yan Sikong mocked, "You are no longer a teenager, why are you still so naive? Feng Ye will not give up his kingdom for anyone else. If it were you, would you do that?"

"Feng Ye and I are different, and the country was not originally his." Chen Yu said viciously, "If you hadn't helped him along the way, how could he have conquered the Forbidden City in just six years?"

"Your Highness hates me so much, how do you plan to deal with me?" Yan Sikong said calmly, "Are you going to test me to see what the difference is between me and my brother?"

Chen Yu looked annoyed: "Sir, you are really calm and composed."

"Otherwise, His Highness came to visit so late at night, and there is nothing to continue between you and me."

Chen Yu kicked over the low table in front of them, spilling the food and wine all over the floor, but Yan Sikong didn't even blink.

Chen Yu gritted his teeth, threw Yan Sikong onto the bed, and tore open his clothes.

A large area of ​​snow-white chest was exposed in front of Chen Yi. The whippings she had suffered had now turned into criss-crossing pink marks, which still looked shocking.

Yan Sikong looked at Chen Yi expressionlessly, his heart completely numb.

Chen Yu's hand reached into Yan Sikong's collar, gently covered the warm skin, and then stroked downwards, but the palm of his hand felt the touch of whip marks.

He lowered his head and looked at the person he had been dreaming about for many years, but suddenly he didn't know how to start. After hesitating for a moment, he pulled his hand away and sat up.

Yan Sikong also sat up and straightened his clothes in silence.

Chen Yi was inexplicably annoyed: "Are you really willing?"

Yan Sikong seemed to have heard a joke: "Willing? Who is willing?"

Chen Yu was even more enraged. He looked at Yan Sikong with a haughty look: "It doesn't matter if you don't want to. Whether it's you or him, you must submit to me. All under heaven belongs to the king, and all the people are his subjects. No matter who you are or what you are, you will submit. Otherwise, why does everyone want to be the emperor?"

"I just don't want to be emperor." Yan Sikong said frankly.

"Why? Because you're not a good person?"

"Good man?" Yan Sikong sneered, "No, a good man can't be a good emperor. I don't want to be an emperor because I think no one is smarter than me. A stubborn and self-willed person can't be a good emperor either."

"You're right." Chen Yu sneered, "It's a pity that you have ended up like this. Isn't it because your intelligence has led to your mistakes?"

Yan Sikong couldn't help but laugh at himself: "Yes, my success or failure all depends on my intelligence."

Chen Yu straightened his clothes, then moved closer to Yan Sikong and whispered in his ear, "Do you know why I let you go tonight?"

Yan Sikong remained calm.

"Master used to reject me loudly and loudly, which made me feel that Master was like a snow lotus on a mountain, which I could only look up at but could hardly pluck. But now, Master doesn't resist at all, which is quite boring." Chen Yu said, hugging Yan Sikong's waist in an ambiguous way, "He's not as interesting as your brother."

Yan Sikong's expression suddenly turned cold.

"Yes." Chen Yu laughed softly, his voice was so elegant and pleasant, yet so cruel, "Humiliating you will not make you as painful as humiliating your brother, so I don't want to touch you today, I want to fuck your brother all night, after all, tomorrow he will..."

Yan Sikong grabbed Chen Yi's neck and pushed him to the ground. Chen Yi grabbed his wrist and twisted it with his backhand. The two of them started fighting on the bed. After only a few moves, Yan Sikong was firmly pinned down by Chen Yi.

"Sir, don't waste your energy. My martial arts master is the best in the palace. He has been training hard day and night for these years and has never slacked off. Your brother can threaten me, but it's a pity..." Chen Yu laughed happily, "He is tied up. He can only move as I want him to."

Yan Sikong stared at Chen Yu intently, his eyes so cold that they seemed almost murderous.

Chen Yi let Yan Sikong go, stood up elegantly, and bowed politely: "I will spend the night with your brother. I hope you have a good sleep."

Only after Chen Yu left did Yan Sikong climb up from the bed, his eyes bloodshot.

Chen Yi, as your teacher, I will teach you one final lesson that will benefit you for the rest of your life.