Starry sky, sweet wine, Qiao Xiuyu.
It's really good.
Shang Shaoyan half-closed her eyes, a slight smile playing on her lips—it seemed she was growing to like Qiao Xiuyu more and more.
Thinking this, Shang Shaoyan raised his face, gently placed a kiss on Qiao Xiuyu's lips, blinked, and said, "Qilang, just how much do you like me?"
Qiao Xiuyu was taken aback by the question, and then he fell into deep thought.
How much do you like Shang Shaoyan?
Qiao Xiuyu didn't think for long before speaking: "Before I met you, I always felt like I was detached from the whole world... The palace was cold and impersonal, and I even missed the days when I begged on the streets."
He paused, then gently touched Shang Shaoyan's brows and eyes, which were chilled by the wind, and smiled, "I don't know how much I like you... or rather, I don't know how to describe how much I like you. I only know that when you appear, everything around me comes alive, as if the whole world suddenly comes to life in front of me."
Shang Shaoyan looked at him with some confusion: "I don't quite understand..."
Qiao Xiuyu chuckled, ruffled Shang Shaoyan's hair, and then, under the latter's reproachful gaze, said, "An'an, I know you don't belong to this world."
Shang Shaoyan was startled, but then felt it was only natural.
She had never hidden this fact from Qiao Xiuyu. Perhaps she secretly hoped that Qiao Xiuyu would find out. She wanted to lay bare everything about herself and her painful past in front of Qiao Xiuyu so that he would say, "I feel sorry for you."
Seeing that Shang Shaoyan had buried his face in his chest and seemed a little afraid to look at him, Qiao Xiuyu gently patted Shang Shaoyan's back: "Before I met you, I was indifferent to many things. My brother asked me to learn the art of emperors, but I refused; my mother asked me to learn the six arts of a gentleman, but I refused. It seems like I don't like anything, and it seems like I don't hate anything either."
He paused, then smiled. "I know I play the piano terribly, and I know you used to just coax me, but... only you were willing to coax me. An'an, I always felt that you were like a gust of wind, ready to leave at any moment. I couldn't expect the wind to stay for me, so I tried every possible way to hold onto it. Do you understand now? I don't know how much I like you, but I know that without you, I would still be indifferent to everything. You gave me joy, anger, sorrow, grief, fear, and surprise, and you also made me love someone passionately for the first time."
After a long pause, Shang Shaoyan finally spoke in a muffled voice: "When did you find out?"
Qiao Xiuyu blinked, looking somewhat cunning. He said gently, "It was probably the day I returned to the manor with you. You don't seem like a pampered noblewoman from Southern Chen, nor do you seem like a lady from Northern Zhou... You are completely different from the domineering persona in the rumors. At that time, I thought that the original Princess Heyang had been switched, and that you might be a spy from some family."
He refused to say more, but simply rested his chin on Shang Shaoyan's shoulder and smiled, "Maybe I liked you in my past life? No matter what, An'an... I love you to the extreme, not the Princess of Heyang, not Shang Shaoyan, not An'an... just you, and you will always be you."
Shang Shaoyan couldn't help but laugh: "My name is indeed Shang Shaoyan, and my nickname is indeed An'an."
Qiao Xiuyu raised an eyebrow: "I know."
He paused, then chuckled, rubbing his forehead, and said, "Anyway, I love you."
Shang Shaoyan didn't say anything, but silently snuggled closer to Qiao Xiuyu.
After a long while, she murmured under the quiet night sky, "Me too."
Not far away, a shooting star suddenly fell. Shang Shaoyan was stunned for a moment, and then subconsciously closed his eyes to make a wish.
"May the land be peaceful and the seas clear, and may my beloved Qilang always be by my side."
...
Southern Chen, Hangzhou.
Lin Jing had already prepared to pack his things and go to Bei Zhou to treat Qiao Yu's illness, as Shang Shaoyan had suggested. However, upon hearing the news of Shang Yunlan's assassination attempt, he rushed to Hangzhou almost overnight to take care of Shang Yunlan.
After Shang Yunlan recovered from her injuries, she personally saw Lin Jing off onto the ship and watched him embark on his journey to Northern Zhou.
Shang Yunlan and Shang Shaoyan had already planned that if they were defeated, Lin Jing would be able to live well in Northern Zhou thanks to her excellent medical skills.
Thinking this, Shang Yunlan lowered her eyes, opened her umbrella, and walked towards her residence in Hangzhou. It was the plum rain season in Jiangnan, and the drizzling moisture carried the unique fragrance of flowers and fruits of Jiangnan, staining the clothes of passersby, as if trying its best to keep the passersby from leaving.
Qingzhu followed behind Shang Yunlan and clicked her tongue, "Master, are we really going to move the whole family?"
A few days ago, Shang Yunlan began preparing to move her entire family to the Northwest while she was ill. All the servants who knew nothing about what they had done were sold off or released. The only ones who knew more were Yingge, Yanyu, Bailu, and Qingzhu, and these four have now left Shengjing.
Granny Li was also preparing to go to the Northwest to meet up with the county princess, whom she had been worried about day and night. Heaven knows how long Shang Yunlan had listened to Granny Li's nagging—"Has the county princess lost weight from hunger?" "Has the county princess fallen ill from exhaustion?"... Thank goodness, she was finally going to the Northwest.
Shang Yunlan wasn't exactly in a good mood, but she didn't show it. Upon hearing this, she simply glanced at Qingzhu and said indifferently, "Really? If you don't want to, you can continue to stay in Shengjing."
That's true, but... Qingzhu knows too much. If he really wants to stay in Shengjing, Shang Yunlan won't show any mercy.
Qingzhu had no idea that his master had already devised a hundred and one ways to kill him and silence him. He was usually very obedient, so he didn't ask any more questions. Upon hearing this, he quickly replied, "Of course, I will follow you to the death, Master!"
Shang Yunlan nodded noncommittally, then, as if remembering something, asked, "Has there been any news from the palace these past few days?"
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