At this moment, in a room north of the city garrison, Yu Qingyi was sitting by the window watching the sunrise when he saw two figures outside the courtyard gate.
A figure in fiery red, with bright, beautiful eyes, just like in his memory, made his heart skip a beat. Another figure, dressed in azure, with indifferent eyes, seemed to float in the clouds and mist, giving him a sense of uncertainty.
The door opened.
Nan Lingqin and Nan Fenghuang appeared in the house.
"Phoenix, Sister Qin..."
Yu Qingyi smiled and raised her hand to greet him.
The once carefree and unrestrained Prince Yi, with his peach-blossom eyes and a smile untouched by worldly dust, now has a reserved expression, and his brows are etched with the marks of time.
He raised his hand, but Nan Lingqin could still see the stiffness in Yu Qingyi's right arm.
She knew that after that day, although she had protected his arm with her cloud magic, it was still a cold winter place, and it would take more than a day or two for him to truly recover to his former self.
"It's alright, my arm is fine, Sister Qin, don't worry. Besides, these days I really do live a life where everything is done for me."
Yu Qingyi smiled again, but something was different in her eyes.
Nan Lingqin wanted to ask him if he was in pain, and she had so many other questions to ask, but in the end she only said one sentence, "There is a restaurant called Tianxia Yawei on East Street, run by Bai Yu. Let Nan Fenghuang take you there to try it."
After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.
"Sister Qin, Nie Zui'er is fine. She will leave the palace safely soon, so don't worry."
Yu Qingyi suddenly said.
Nan Lingqin paused, nodded, and left the courtyard.
"I thought she would ask you about the Crown Prince of Bei Rong."
Nan Fenghuang murmured, "It seems she really has forgotten about the Crown Prince of Bei Rong."
"I only realized she hadn't forgotten because she didn't ask."
Yu Qingyi, however, said...
"Why..."
Nan Fenghuang paused, glanced sideways, and then looked at her hand.
It was being gently held and kneaded by Yu Qingyi.
"Southern Phoenix".
Yu Qingyi laughed, "Your hands are so cold."
Nan Fenghuang rolled her eyes, a blush suddenly appearing at the base of her ears, but she didn't forget to warn, "Yu Qingyi, you are a prisoner now."
"Really? I've never liked the word 'prisoner' as much as I do now."
Upon hearing this, Nan Fenghuang laughed in anger, but did not break free. The two stood in front of the door, watching the sunlight squeeze through the clouds, looking at the tall buildings in the distance, and smelling the fragrance of wisteria flowers. Their emotions were complicated.
Amidst the turmoil between the two nations, they dared not make any promises to each other, yet they were reluctant to part with this rare moment of tranquility.
...
Because Yu Qingyi was captured, the battle at the front resumed and became even more intense. This war lasted for three months before it finally came to an end.
Southern Qi achieved a minor victory, forcing Northern Rong to retreat from several cities. Meanwhile, the two sides were deadlocked at Baiye City.
The city gates of Nanqi were desolate after the war. No one had the joy of victory on their faces; instead, they felt powerless in the face of the ever-changing battlefield.
On that very day, news arrived.
Crown Prince Yuwen Yao of Beirong suddenly fainted in the early morning, and the doctors were helpless. For a time, the morale of the Beirong army was in chaos. However, just as this news reached Nan Lingqin's ears, news came that the Crown Prince had suddenly woken up and was safe and sound.
The turbulent morale of the troops instantly calmed down.
At this moment, Nan Lingqin stood on that high slope, gazing into the distance, her figure lonely, lost in thought.
Xu Yiran stood at a distance for a long time before stepping forward. "Did you do this?"
He spoke, his voice a mixture of joy and melancholy.
Nan Lingqin looked at Xu Yiran with a start, but instead of answering, she asked, "Xu Yiran, tell me, what is there in this world that is etched into your very bones and cannot be forgotten, that makes you feel as if your soul is bound, unable to escape the self-imposed prison you've created?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Yiran's face darkened. "You... still love him?"
Do you love him?
who is he?
Nan Lingqin closed her eyes slightly. Today, she was dressed in black, her black hair casually tied behind her head. With her dark eyebrows, bright eyes, and jade-like skin, she looked like a beauty who had stepped out of a painting. However, her world no longer had the warmth of spring and the blooming of flowers, but rather an endless, deathly, and oppressive atmosphere.
“Xu Yiran, if I don’t take action, I definitely won’t have a chance. But if I do take action, then I’m bound to succeed…”
A chilling smile appeared in Nan Lingqin's eyes. "That was the poison I concocted, the most potent poison I could find. In the dead of night, it feels like a thousand needles are piercing my heart. I could faint at any moment, wake up at any moment, become weak and exhausted at any moment, and suffer endless torment."
Nan Lingqin said, her words suddenly resounding.
"I don't love him anymore, and I don't hate him anymore, but I want to make him wish he were dead."
Xu Yiran's pupils contracted slightly, "You..."
"That day, when I stormed into his central command tent, I still seized the opportunity to strike, just as he was about to expose my true identity, just as he grabbed my wrist..."
"so……"
"Well, if I'm not mistaken, it should be Yuwen An, not Yuwen Yao, who is in charge of the overall situation in Beirong now. Yuwen An's mental state is different from ordinary people. He has a problem with his legs, but his mental state is even worse. He can't be stimulated. If he is stimulated, he will panic, just like when he slaughtered the Zhang family in one night."
Xu Yiran's expression changed, "Xiao Qin, you mean to..."
"Yes, to catch the thief, first catch the king. Although this war has only lasted a few months, it is still too long for me. I must give him an explanation in the end."
Nan Lingqin's features were cold and indifferent. At one moment, Xu Yiran looked at her and felt as if she had no breath, and her whole person was like a flower withering away in autumn, without any vitality.
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