He stared at her intently, but the weakness in her eyes was clearly genuine.
"You're awake." Xie Lingqin breathed a sigh of relief, her voice becoming softer without her even realizing it.
"Your Highness, you're awake. Are you alright?"
Upon hearing the commotion, Tingfeng and Tingyu rushed forward.
However, their crown prince didn't even glance at them; his deep gaze never left Xie Lingqin's face.
Listening to the rain, they immediately pulled back and retreated, retreating again and again, until they landed silently.
"You're awake, and still mute?" Xie Lingqin frowned when she saw that Yuwen Yao hadn't spoken for a long time.
A moment later, Xie Lingqin glanced to the side, about to beckon someone to take the copper basin and towel away, but when she turned around, she saw that Tingyu and Tingfeng were nowhere to be seen in the room, and even the door had been closed properly at some point.
These guards are really too much!
"I've saved your life now, so we're even." Xie Lingqin then turned to look at Yuwen Yao.
Whether you're mute or not, what does it have to do with her?
"You've kissed me, hugged me, and touched me. How can we be even?"
Yuwen Yao's eyes were filled with tenderness as he finally spoke.
However, his gaze seemed glued to Xie Lingqin, creating a sense of stalemate.
Xie Lingqin frowned even more deeply, "I said, we're even, let's just say..."
"Xie Lingqin, why do you always have to be so clear about things with me?" Yuwen Yao suddenly sat up, smiling gently with a slight upturn at the corner of his mouth.
“We’re not a good match. If we force ourselves to be together, it will only cause trouble for each other sooner or later, so…” Xie Lingqin sighed, “It’s better if you don’t like me.”
"For the past twenty years, I have never been in love with anyone. In the days to come, I know that I will only be in love with you. In fact, you don't care about me and you don't like me. What should I do?" Yuwen Yao suddenly gave a bitter laugh, and a bitter smile appeared in his dark phoenix eyes. "I think about you day and night, and my heart and lungs ache. I think about you so much that I can't eat or feel any pain in my stomach. But I still miss you."
Xie Lingqin looked at Yuwen Yao, and her heart stirred, as if something was spreading uncontrollably.
"Yu Wenyao..."
"I really can't eat spicy food. Next time, please don't make it too spicy, okay?"
"Yu Wenyao..."
"Don't reject me."
Xie Lingqin tightened her fingers and took a deep breath. "No matter what's between you and Li Qingyu, Yuwen Yao, although you didn't say it, I guessed that your relationship with the Minister of War was unusual. Now that I've killed Li Congru, so..." Xie Lingqin's voice was somewhat desolate, "So, I'm doing this for your own good."
"Why did you, as the Emperor, choose to sacrifice the Seventh Princess rather than let Li Junru escape punishment after the Seventh Princess's affair?"
Yuwen Yao suddenly changed the subject.
Xie Lingqin's eyelashes fluttered. "He did tell me a secret before he died." After a moment, Xie Lingqin shook her head again. "However, it wasn't very useful."
"Do you know about the Emperor's secret guards?"
"The Dragon Guards, who are specifically responsible for protecting the Emperor?" Xie Lingqin's cold eyes narrowed.
Yuwen Yao nodded. "So, actually, I'm just like you; I just want to have one less enemy."
Xie Lingqin met Yuwen Yao's affectionate gaze and suddenly stepped back. Yuwen Yao suddenly raised his hand, and his fingertips landed on Xie Lingqin's face without warning. "Even if you want Li Congru to die, I know that kind of death is not your way."
Xie Lingqin's eyes widened in surprise.
"Because you never do anything useless."
Xie Lingqin's gaze deepened slightly.
He...knows.
She didn't say anything, but he knew?
"Xie Lingqin, I lost."
Yuwen Yao's fingers suddenly landed on Xie Lingqin's lips without warning. "Even if you don't care about me, even if you don't hold me in your heart, then I will gradually invade your heart and your body, and slowly take over. What's wrong with that?"
Xie Lingqin's heart skipped a beat.
The man before her was so proud, yet at this moment, he was willing to humble himself so that she would accept him.
Despite her pale complexion, the power that approached her was undeniably strong, and that first, subtle, affectionate glance left her with no way to hide.
And suddenly, she seemed to want to look at him without wanting to hide.
The things that had been deliberately bound tightly in her heart finally began to melt away little by little in the warm gaze and gentle words of the man before her.
Like a spring breeze caressing your face.
His face, his words, his eyes—they all entered my heart.
Why!
So, is this love?
"Yuwen Yao, let's try again." After a long while, Xie Lingqin's eyes flickered, and she finally suppressed her cold aura and sighed helplessly.
When she looked up again at Yuwen Yao, her voice was low and gentle, "I miss you too."
"Um?"
Suddenly, Yuwen Yao grabbed Xie Lingqin's shoulder, his phoenix eyes sparkling and his lips bright, making Xie Lingqin's soul tremble.
“Say what you just said again.”
Seeing Yuwen Yao's undeniably excited expression, Xie Lingqin rubbed her eyes, feeling rather uncomfortable. "Um, did I just say something?"
"You said it." Yuwen Yao grabbed Xie Lingqin's shoulder, forcing her to look at him directly.
"Well, I'm saying, I'll give you one more chance. Let's try being together and see," Xie Lingqin said, changing the subject as she nodded.
“No.” Yuwen Yao suddenly raised an eyebrow and smiled, a wicked smile spreading across his fair face. His voice was deep and almost seductive. “I want to hear the last sentence you just said.”
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