The diary appears to have been written by a palace guard who recorded that on the night of the fire, he saw someone sneaking into a secret room, which seems to be located near the current emperor's bedroom.
As for the jade pendant, it was engraved with some strange symbols, which Chu Chenxiao guessed might be the key to unlocking a certain secret.
Just as they were about to leave the woodshed, they suddenly heard a commotion of footsteps and shouts outside.
"Oh no, we've been discovered!" Ning Yuyuan whispered.
Chu Chenxiao gripped the jade pendant and diary tightly, his eyes resolute as he said, "No matter what, we can't let them catch us. We must find a way to expose the truth."
Unlike the other two, Xi Xi remained very calm.
She searched the woodshed for an exit and eventually found a secret passage leading out of the palace in a corner.
The three quickly slipped into the secret passage, the shouts behind them growing louder and louder.
The secret passage was filled with a damp, musty smell, and water droplets dripped from the walls from time to time. The path underfoot was rugged and uneven. Chu Chenxiao and Ning Yuyuan carefully felt their way forward, while Xixi, like a nimble kitten, led the way lightly.
"Where does this secret passage lead?" Chu Chenxiao asked in a low voice, a hint of nervousness in his tone.
"Who cares? Let's get out of here first. It's better than being caught and taken back," Ning Yuyuan replied, her eyes warily scanning her surroundings.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, a faint light appeared ahead.
Xi Xi excitedly quickened her pace and ran ahead first.
When Chu Chenxiao and Ning Yuyuan followed them out, they found themselves in a secluded mountain forest, surrounded by lush green trees and filled with the chirping of birds, as if they were in a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of the palace.
"We should be safe for now." Chu Chenxiao breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at the diary and jade pendant in his hand. "We need to study these two things carefully. Maybe we can find clues to clear our names and the Chaos Spirit Pearl."
Ning Yu nodded in agreement, "But we don't know if there's any danger in this desolate place."
Just as they were discussing, they suddenly heard a melodious flute sound.
The flute's ethereal and melodious sound seemed to possess a captivating power.
The three followed the sound of the flute and saw a young man dressed in white sitting under a big tree, playing the flute.
The man was handsome, with sword-like eyebrows, bright eyes, a high nose bridge, and slightly pursed thin lips. His features were exactly the same as Xu Ruyu, whom they knew, but their temperaments were completely different.
Xu Ruyu gives off a gentle and refined feeling with a hint of cunning, while the man in front of you exudes an otherworldly and ethereal aura, like a fairy who doesn't eat the food of the mortal world, inspiring awe and curiosity in people at first sight.
When Chu Chenxiao first saw this man who looked exactly like Xu Ruyu but had a completely different temperament, his heart clenched as if gripped by an invisible hand, and an indescribable bitterness welled up in his heart.
Sweet memories of spending time with Xu Ruyu flooded his mind like a tide; those gentle smiles and affectionate gazes now transformed into complex emotions towards the person before him.
Her gaze was fixed on the man, and for a moment she was in a daze, even hoping that this was Xu Ruyu standing in front of her.
But soon, reason returned, and he realized that this person was not his lover. However, the longing and affection deep in his heart grew wildly like weeds, and he could not suppress it.
This feeling was a mixture of longing for Xu Ruyu, surprise at the strange yet familiar face before her, and a yearning for warmth and support in her predicament. These intertwined emotions left her momentarily stunned, and a faint sadness and confusion unconsciously showed in her eyes. It was as if, in that instant, the feeling of being adrift and helpless grew even stronger.
But she quickly suppressed her emotions and calmly pondered, "How could they be so similar? How could there be such a coincidence in this world? Could it be related to the secret of the Chaos Spirit Pearl?"
Her eyes were full of doubt and vigilance as she stared intently at the man, afraid of missing any expression or movement from him. Unconsciously, she gripped the jade pendant tightly in her hand, as if it would give her some sense of security.
Ning Yuyuan also looked surprised, thinking to herself, "Who exactly is this man? Why does he look so much like Chen Xiao's man? There must be some unknown secret hidden behind this."
She observed the man's actions discreetly, while quietly moving her feet to protect Chu Chenxiao and Xixi behind her in case of any unexpected situation.
In this unfamiliar environment, facing this mysterious man, her caution and wit were on full display.
Xi Xi stared wide-eyed at the man with curiosity, her mind filled with innocent wonder: "Is this really Xu Ruyu's true personality? Why does he seem so familiar... like someone from the Yuan Realm..."
Her eyes lacked the wariness of Chu Chenxiao and Ning Yuyuan, instead displaying the naivety and innocence of a system, filled with curiosity and doubt towards this suddenly appearing man.
She knew more than Chen Xiao and the others: all the people from the original timeline would also appear here, but they would have no memories. Apart from their appearance, their personalities, temperaments, and behaviors would all be different, including their identities.
And most importantly, they are here in their original form.
Therefore, she really didn't expect that Xu Ruyu's true personality was like this. She looked otherworldly and didn't care about worldly affairs at all. She was truly a completely different person.
The man stopped playing when he saw the three women approaching, and asked with a smile, "Why are you three ladies here?"
Chu Chenxiao hesitated for a moment, but decided to tell the truth: "We were framed and escaped from the palace. We heard your flute playing by chance and came here."
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