Lies or truth, which is real and which is fake?
Ling Yuan's words burrowed into my heart like a venomous snake, taking root and sprouting there.
Clutching the stack of sketches, I stumbled and fled the study, fled the Temple of Fate. Ling Yuan's cold laughter seemed to still echo behind me, every syllable mocking my naiveté.
I found a secluded cave, curled up in a corner, and clutched the sketch tightly to my chest. Moonlight slanted in from the cave entrance, falling precisely on the wedding dress drawing. The four characters "fearful of not getting what I wanted" seemed particularly glaring in the moonlight.
"What is real..." I murmured to myself, my fingertips unconsciously tracing the outline of the painting.
Memories, like shattered pieces of glass, churn in my mind. I must piece them together, one by one, to uncover the overlooked truth.
Ling Yuan's first appearance was indeed when Yun Xi was out. It was such a coincidence, as if he had timed it perfectly.
Every time he mentioned the "ancient pact," he would hesitate, which perfectly evoked my sympathy. Were those pained expressions and moments of weakness truly without flaw?
And then there's Yunxi... He always seems to want to say something but then stops himself. Every time I try to press him for details, he looks at me with that complicated expression and then gently shakes his head.
"The world is far more treacherous and complex than you imagine."
His words from that night still echo in my ears. Looking back now, I realize they weren't a lecture, but a reminder.
But... how do you explain the scar on Ling Yuan's arm? It does indeed retain Yun Xi's divine power, such pure and powerful energy, I would never mistake it.
The more I thought about it, the more confused I became, feeling as if my soul was being torn apart by two forces. On one side was Yunxi's silent protection over the past thousand years, those paintings, that bowl of hangover soup, that barrier on that stormy night; on the other side was Lingyuan's unequivocal "truth," that scar, those "coincidences."
"Ah—" I clutched my head in pain, my nails digging deep into my hair.
The jade pendant in my arms suddenly became hot, and the burning temperature startled me awake. I quickly took it out and found that it was emitting a soft white light, a light that carried an anxious quality, as if denying something.
"Tell me..." I pressed the jade pendant to my forehead, my voice choked with emotion, "What is real?"
The jade pendant shone even brighter, and a warm power slowly flowed into my body, calming my restless mind. At this moment, I almost believed that Yunxi had never deceived me.
But Ling Yuan's voice echoed in his mind again: "Your Yun Xi is watching with her own eyes."
These words are like a thorn, deeply embedded in my heart.
The next morning, Ling Yuan found me. He stood in the morning light, his black robes still damp with dew, looking as if he had been searching for me all night.
"Have you figured it out?" His voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable force.
I looked at him silently, without answering.
He chuckled softly and held out his hand to me: "I'll take you somewhere."
I should have refused. But a voice inside me screamed: Go see, what if what he said is true?
I ended up going with him anyway.
He led me to an abandoned altar. The place was overgrown with weeds, yet powerful traces of divine power lingered among the broken walls. I recognized that aura—it was Yunxi's.
"Look closely," Ling Yuan's voice sounded from behind, "this is where he healed my wounds."
I crouched down, my fingers gently tracing the engravings on the altar. Indeed, this was Yunxi's divine power. And judging from the lingering aura, he had expended a great deal of his divine power here.
"Why..." I murmured to myself.
"Why?" Ling Yuan repeated my question, his voice laced with sarcasm, "Because he owes me."
He walked up to me, his shadow completely enveloping me: "Your existence is nothing more than a fish he pities. The one he truly cares about has always been me."
My heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating me. Reason told me I shouldn't believe him, but the evidence before me left me speechless.
Were all those sketches and those tender memories just illusions?
Just as I was about to be swallowed by despair, the jade pendant in my arms suddenly began to vibrate violently. A blinding white light burst forth from the jade pendant, shooting straight into the sky.
I was stunned by this sudden turn of events. I saw white light gather in the air, gradually forming a blurry image—
Yunxi knelt before the Heavenly Emperor, his white robes stained with blood, his face as pale as paper.
"I am willing to offer my divine dignity and soul in exchange for a sliver of hope for her life..."
His voice was soft, yet it exploded in my mind like a thunderclap.
In the scene, the Heavenly Emperor sighed, "Was it worth it? For that fish..."
"It's worth it." Yunxi raised her head, her eyes filled with a determination I had never seen before. "A thousand years ago, I failed to protect those I should have protected. This time, I will never repeat the same mistake."
The scene abruptly ends here, the white light dissipates, and the jade pendant returns to its calm state.
I collapsed to the ground, my whole body trembling.
A thousand years ago...we failed to protect those who deserved protection?
This sentence was like a key, unlocking a forgotten corner deep within my memory. Fragmented images flashed through my mind: a raging flood, a shattered starry sky, and a figure lying in a pool of blood...
Who is that?
Why do I have these memories?
Ling Yuan's expression changed the moment the image appeared. He stared intently at the jade pendant, which had returned to calm, his eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression.
"As expected..." he muttered to himself, "He did it anyway."
I looked up and gazed into Ling Yuan's unfathomable eyes, and suddenly understood something.
"That person..." My voice trembled, "the person Yunxi failed to protect a thousand years ago...it was you, wasn't it?"
Ling Yuan did not answer, but his silence spoke volumes.
At this moment, all the clues finally connected. Ling Yuan's resentment, Yun Xi's guilt, and the origin of that scar...
However, this still doesn't explain everything.
I slowly stood up and looked directly into Ling Yuan's eyes: "Even so, you can't deny that Yun Xi's kindness towards me is genuine."
Those drawings were real, that bowl of hangover soup was real, and the barrier on that stormy night was real too. Even if it started out of guilt, a thousand years of protection has long surpassed the scope of compensation.
Ling Yuan suddenly smiled, a smile with an indescribable meaning: "Little carp, you're smarter than I thought."
He took a step forward and reached out to touch my cheek, but I dodged him.
"But," his voice turned cold, "do you think knowing all this will change anything?"
Yes, even knowing all this, what can we change?
Yunxi is no longer here. Whether out of guilt or genuine feeling, he gave everything for me.
And I am still a sinner.
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