Chapter 132 Bai Xiao's Mediation
As he watched the door to the warm pavilion close gently, Yuwen Che's eyes surged with regret and pain. He suddenly raised his hand and slapped himself hard across the face. The crisp sound was particularly startling in the silent hall.
Li Dehai and Fuling, who were standing at a distance, trembled with fright and lowered their heads, wishing they could gouge out their own eyes on the spot so they could see nothing.
Yuwen Che's chest heaved violently. He turned abruptly and strode out of Guanju Palace. Using his lightness skill, he silently leaped onto the highest palace wall in a few bounds.
Standing in the howling wind, he took out a delicate copper tube and lit the specially made incense inside. A wisp of very faint blue smoke rose and blended into the night.
A moment later, a white figure appeared like a ghost on the wall not far away, landing lightly beside him, still with that nonchalant tone: "Hey, what's that wind blowing in the middle of the night? Our Emperor has actually used the Owl-Seeking Incense?"
By the moonlight, Bai Xiao saw Yuwen Che's face and the faint, fresh red marks on his cheeks. His nonchalant expression vanished instantly, and his eyes widened: "What happened to your face?!"
He feigned surprise and looked around, lowering his voice, "Is there anyone in this world who dares to slap you, Yuwen Che, in the face? Who did it? Where is he? Did he run away?"
Yuwen Che kicked him in frustration: "Can't you be quiet!"
Bai Xiao nimbly dodged, curled his lip, and untied a wine flask from his waist, tossing it over: "Fine, fine, I'll shut up. Tell me, what happened? How did you get that face?"
He stroked his chin, utterly perplexed. "With your skills, there are hardly any people in the world who could get close to you, let alone slap you in the face. I'm no match for you... Is this some kind of ghost?"
Yuwen Che took the wine jug, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of the spicy liquid. His Adam's apple bobbed, and after a long while, he squeezed out a few words through his teeth, his voice low and hoarse: "I...I slapped her."
Bai Xiao was picking up another wine jug to drink when he heard this and froze instantly, staring at him blankly: "Who is it? You hit people with your hands? Don't you just use your sword to slash them?"
He simply couldn't imagine that Yuwen Che would use slapping as a way to deal with an enemy.
Yuwen Che closed his eyes, his thick eyelashes casting a shadow beneath them. He took another swig of wine before struggling to utter the name: "...I hit Xue'er."
"Pfft—cough cough cough..." Bai Xiao spat out a mouthful of wine, choking and coughing repeatedly. As if he had heard something unbelievable, he suddenly leaned closer to Yuwen Che, staring intently into his eyes, "What?! What did you say? Who did you hit? Su Luoxue?! I don't believe it! You're kidding me!"
He waved his hand forcefully, "I'd believe you if you said the Great Zhou would die at your hands tomorrow! But I really don't believe you'd be willing to lay a finger on her! Back then, you even dared to secretly take sterilization drugs for her! You're telling me you hit her?! You even slapped her?!"
Bai Xiao's voice rose sharply from extreme shock, sounding somewhat abrupt against the silent palace walls.
Yuwen Che felt a sharp pain in his heart from the barrage of questions. He suddenly opened his eyes, which were bloodshot, and roared, "Yes! I hit her! I hit her right in the face! I'm a bastard! I deserve to die! Is that enough?!"
Seeing his almost uncontrollable pain, Bai Xiao finally realized he wasn't joking. The playfulness on his face vanished completely. He paused for a moment, then snatched the wine jug from Yuwen Che's hand, took a big gulp himself, wiped his mouth, and sighed, "...No, why? You're already lucky you could argue with her, let alone hit her... Yuwen Che, are you crazy?"
Yuwen Che slumped against the cold wall and recounted the argument that had started that night because of Yuwen Hao, Su Luoxue's dagger-like words, and how he had lost control... in fits and starts.
As Bai Xiao listened, his brows furrowed deeper and deeper. When he heard Yuwen Che admit that he had slapped Su Luoxue, he couldn't help but gasp: "...It's over."
He looked at Yuwen Che with a complicated expression: "Yuwen Che, ... what can I say to you? You know better than anyone that she is different from everyone in this palace and everyone around you! She is the only person you can embrace without having to scheme or be wary of her, without having to put down all your armor! And now you have shattered that one person with your own hands!"
Yuwen Che looked in the direction of Guanju Palace. "...I know. I regret it...but she called me a tyrant, said I was heartless...she also mentioned the Shen family, and that I killed my father and brother...she accused me like this because of that bastard child..."
"Whether that child is an illegitimate child or not is another matter," Bai Xiao interrupted him calmly, his tone unusually serious, "but Yuwen Che, ask yourself honestly, which of the things she said was false?"
Yuwen Che's body stiffened abruptly.
Bai Xiao looked at him and continued, "She's not one of those people who need to guess your thoughts and live in constant fear. She is Su Luoxue, your empress."
"Yuwen Che, you spoiled her so much that she can speak so frankly to you. She saw another side of you, and when she spoke out, you couldn't stand it? Then why did you protect her so completely in the first place?"
Every word is piercing to the heart.
Yuwen Che looked up at the desolate moon, unable to utter a single word. Yes, he had given her the confidence to act recklessly.
Bai Xiao shoved the wine jug back into his hand and patted him on the shoulder: "I don't care about anything else for now, I just want to ask you, your face," he pointed to the marks on Yuwen Che's face, "was she hit you?"
Yuwen Che shook his head, his voice hoarse and low: "...It was me."
Bai Xiao paused for a moment, then chuckled, a hint of helplessness in his voice: "At least you have some conscience. Alright, stop standing here in the cold wind and hurry back to figure out how to coax her. Let me tell you, Yuwen Che, Su Luoxue may look gentle, but she's tough at heart. You're in big trouble this time..."
Yuwen Che gripped the wine jug tightly in his hand.
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