Chapter 3
Shao Sizhi's figure quickly disappeared around the corner of the bedchamber, and that bright yellow that symbolized death left an indelible shadow in Qi Nian'an's heart.
"Consort An, this is the last time in my life I will trust you."
Qi Nian'an imitated Shao Sizhi's voice in a strange tone, then spread his hands.
She had a lot of energy that she couldn't channel.
What's so interesting about this fake romance tactic of trying to win over the male lead? Isn't she busy enough with her regular job?
Li Xiaoran finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, clutching her stomach: "Your husband."
"Your husband."
Qi Nian'an was so overwhelmed by the vicious words that she collapsed onto the table, accidentally knocking over her teacup. As she bent down to pick up the broken pieces, she saw a bright yellow color.
What is a husband?
Shao Sizhi stood back in the hall, slowly walked over, bent down to watch her movements, and narrowed his eyes dangerously.
Qi Nian'an looked up and met his gaze. Neither of them was willing to give way, and they stared at each other without speaking. The atmosphere was as cold as winter frost, filled with the smoke of war.
Shao Sizhi slowly reached his hand towards her chin, and Qi Nian'an turned her head away, turning her fingertips aside, and happily began to massage Li Xiaoran's back.
"It seems my dream of completely lying down and enjoying happiness with my favorite concubine by my side will soon come true."
Li Xiaoran, with a gossipy expression, muttered sarcastically, a handful of sunflower seeds appearing in her hand without her noticing.
"Today is the Empress Dowager's birthday, and I have not yet offered my congratulations."
Shao Sizhi changed the subject, lowered his head slightly, and looked down at the shattered teacup on the ground.
Before the words were finished, eunuchs carrying valuable gifts filed in through the palace gate, bowing respectfully as they presented the gifts one by one.
"Consort An."
He wore a faint look of weariness on his face, waved to Qi Nian'an, and then stepped out of the palace without looking back.
That silhouette was filled with resolute determination and helplessness.
The two stood one in front of the other under a tree in front of the hall.
Shao Sizhi stared at her intently, the prayer beads in his hand moving at a steady pace like a conveyor belt. After a long while, he spoke in a cold voice: "I just received a secret report from the Ministry of Justice, which has already stated that you have been wronged. Your position is indeed unfortunate."
"Since I have wronged you, I will grant you some compensation. Tell me about it."
As Qi Nian'an watched the increasingly rapid movement of the prayer beads, his mind was filled with calculations of the acceleration of a conveyor belt in physics.
It took me a while to look away from the beads before I realized that I should have said something nice and polite at this perfect opportunity.
But she refused.
"You were practically planning to kill me as a spy, so asking me these questions now is pointless. In my heart, we've already broken ties."
"If I had to say, I hate people's hypocrisy and backstabbing, I find those pretentious people annoying, I want unconditional love, a lasting relationship with my best friend, and I want her to be happy, and myself to be happy too. Can you grant me this wish?"
Shao Sizhi did not answer her question, but looked at her deeply, then raised his hand to press her head down and gently removed the fallen leaves from her temple.
"I used to dislike women as unrestrained and flamboyant as you, but now, seeing you, I find your passionate nature enviable and radiant."
His warm breath sprayed all over her neck. Shao Sizhi bent down and approached step by step, reaching out to put his arm around her waist. His deep and magnetic voice gradually invaded her mind, and her slightly upturned eyes gradually became warm as he spoke softly.
"You are so unique among the crowd that I find you worthy of my unreserved love and honesty. I promise you, I will grant you the title of my favorite concubine. From now on, you will be the most radiant peony in my harem."
"Help me purge the rebels within the harem, and I will grant you all the riches, honors, power, and luxury you desire."
"I don't need you to give it to me."
Her best friend is power itself.
Although Qi Nian'an was thinking about it, she restlessly wrapped her arms around his waist and took the opportunity to feel under his robe to see if he had abs. She only looked up when she felt the heat spreading to her palms and met a pair of bottomless eyes.
Shao Sizhi slowly lowered his head, his long eyelashes gently overflowing with tenderness under his pale, ink-like face, and a faint blush spreading across his cool and somewhat pale face.
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "On this imperial land, only I can grant you the freedom to look down upon all living beings. Or are you, this restless, unruly dog, truly a spy?"
Qi Nian'an was already dizzy. She had seen many beauties in the entertainment industry, but none of them were as intoxicating as this one. She was like a sharp blade hidden in its sheath, gleaming with a slightly cold light, and seemingly calm yet extremely dangerous.
It can cause drowning.
Tailor-made scams targeting individuals, easy entry but strict exit – these are fraudulent schemes; empty promises are the mark of a true man.
Countless corresponding images flashed through Qi Nian'an's mind, her eyes gradually cleared, and she immediately pushed him away.
Seeing this, Shao Sizhi smiled slightly, looking down at her with eyes like a ravenous beast plotting how to devour her.
As he left, his voice was no longer as gentle as before; beneath the pressure lay coercion and contempt.
"Before my patience with you runs out, produce actions that satisfy me."
"Otherwise—the harem will not serve fools."
Qi Nian'an stood there blankly, not blinking, her mind filled with the gentle hands that had brushed away the fallen leaves for her earlier.
She unconsciously clenched her fist, her nails digging deep into her palm, but she felt no pain. The sense of loss in her heart grew stronger, and as she recalled the past, she felt a strong emotion and wanted to prove that she was not a fool.
It's a strange feeling, I can't even tell myself whether it's disappointment at his turning against me or resentment at being called an idiot.
*
As the year draws to a close, the palace is bustling with preparations for the New Year's Eve ancestral worship ceremony. Consort Yi specially invited experienced performers from outside the palace to come in and perform folk arts, including the "Wind and Fire Meteor" and "Copper Beam Dragon Dance." As a result, there were quite a few unfamiliar faces.
Qi Nian'an couldn't hold back any longer. In the middle of the night, he climbed over the window and wall, knocked down a patch of grass, and forcibly dragged Li Xiaoran, who was also awake, to watch the rehearsal.
Li Xiaoran watched for a long time, then clapped her hands and said in a low voice, "A spy by day and an artist by night, how dedicated!"
"Absolutely, look at that muscular, hormone-fueled strength." Qi Nian'an picked up a handful of sunflower seeds and cracked them open as he sighed. "I'm still a deadly assassin tomorrow. They sent me a note from outside, asking me to cooperate, but I don't know who to kill."
Li Xiaoran's eyes were complicated, and she opened her mouth and thought for a long time before slowly answering.
We'll find out tomorrow.
"Oh shit, so you wanted to kill me?!"
The next day, Qi Nian'an, while using a solid wooden table to deflect arrows, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, threw down the table, and ran wildly, exclaiming loudly.
The banquet was indeed grand. Consort Yi suggested going outside to watch the lion dance, but unexpectedly, men in black suddenly surged up from all directions of the roof beams, rushing towards the emperor first. In an instant, the palace servants rushed to save the emperor, and the scene became a river of blood.
Qi Nian'an saw Shao Sizhi standing with his hands behind his back, not even trying to dodge, and cursed him inwardly for being a shill, but she also had to think about going back to rescue him after settling Li Xiaoran in.
Qi Nian'an hid Nan Zhi and Li Xiaoran together in the air-raid shelter she had dug for herself a few days ago, covered it with a stone slab with a bang, and then carefully covered it with some loose soil.
She turned around to look for Shao Sizhi, and saw him being escorted by guards as he walked into the hall.
Amidst the bustling crowd, a cold glint flashed in the moonlight.
"careful!"
Qi Nian'an shouted, jumped up, and used the pillar to push off, plunging into the crowd and slamming him to the ground.
Unexpectedly, this pounce resulted in Shao Sizhi being delivered precisely to his destination.
At the last moment, his usually arrogant eyes gradually dimmed, turning towards her with a hint of contempt and disappointment. The sword tip pierced his brow, and blood gushed from the back of his head, staining the blue bricks red. Black hair meandered in the pool of blood, gradually soaking through the collar that she was clutching tightly in her trembling hands.
"I... am very disappointed in you."
He struggled to open his lips, his unclosed eyes filled with criticism.
Qi Nian'an released his grip and drew his sword to try and stop the bleeding, but he accidentally used too much force and watched helplessly as the wound flattened and split open.
She was so frightened that she let go.
The assassin cast an admiring glance at her, gave her a thumbs up, and muttered things like, "My accomplice is ruthless and the cooperation is excellent. My lord will surely be satisfied."
Who's his accomplice?!
She didn't have time to panic; in her lingering fear, all she could think about was reloading the save file as quickly as possible, unwilling to see his disappointment in her eyes again.
You have successfully used the save/load feature.
"careful!"
Qi Nian'an shouted and once again leaped across the crowd, accurately pinning Shao Sizhi to the ground.
She gripped the shoulders of the person beneath her tightly with both hands, flipped him over forcefully in the opposite direction, and firmly protected his head.
The sharp tip of the sword pierced the blue brick with a sharp sound, leaving a deep white scratch.
With a sigh of relief, Qi Nian'an pulled Shao Sizhi to his feet. The assassin was quickly killed by a guard with a single sword stroke, and the surrounding area finally calmed down.
When did you learn martial arts?
Shao Sizhi asked in a slow voice, took her hand and examined it carefully. His gaze fell on the red marks on her knuckles from the bumps, and he gently blew on them.
“I’ve been doing parkour with a group of boys since I was a kid. When no one was watching me, I would jump and bounce around on the edge of buildings. I also had a temper and liked to fight with people. That’s how I developed my skills.”
Qi Nian'an's heart skipped a beat, and she involuntarily blurted out the truth.
Shao Sizhi glanced at her lightly, then took off his thick cloak and carefully draped it over her shoulders.
"Tell me the truth."
He stared at her intently, her reflection becoming ever clearer in his obsidian-black eyes.
A wave of irritation washed over Qi Nian'an. It was as if something that had been elusive had been exposed. Frustrated, she pushed Shao Sizhi away and turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, an arrow flew by out of the corner of my eye.
With that push, the weapon once again pierced the heart of the person before her.
"I underestimated you."
He gave a cruel, cold laugh, then lowered his head and slowly collapsed to the ground.
Qi Nian'an clutched the fur collar of the cloak helplessly, where the warmth of his body still lingered.
My heart started to ache involuntarily.
It's all fake, all fake, why take it so seriously?
You have successfully used the save/load feature.
Shao Sizhi glanced at her lightly, then took off his thick cloak and carefully draped it over her shoulders.
"Tell me the truth."
"I didn't lie to you, I never lie."
Qi Nian'an spoke very seriously, word by word.
She wrapped her cloak tighter around herself.
Shao Sizhi watched for a while, then suddenly laughed.
He strode up to her directly in front of her, the arrow grazing the back of his neck, cutting off a few strands of his hair that fell to his ears, but he seemed completely unaware.
“Consort An, how come I never noticed before that you are so unique?”
"It makes one want to love you, even though I know you are not innocent."
Qi Nian'an stood there, tilting her head slowly.
She felt that her eyes were wide open and looked a little ugly, but even if she wasn't as pretty as before, she would still appreciate the look in her eyes. Perhaps this was love.
A pair of slightly cold hands touched her cheek, gently caressing it as if carefully protecting a precious artifact.
There were no prices or conditions; it was simply a matter of witnessing her beauty.
Shao Sizhi smiled almost imperceptibly at the scene before him, a wave of irony washing over him.
What kind of foolish and naive heart lies hidden beneath such an exquisite exterior?
He kept touching the face before him, which seemed like a goddess descended from mythology, and lamented that such a piece would soon be swallowed up and brought to an end by the game.
Qi Nian'an turned around, her back to him, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.
boom--
The next second, the firelight illuminated half of the moonlight inside the palace, and the severed limbs, dripping with blood, exuded despair and helplessness amidst the fumes of saltpeter.
Qi Nian'an was swept away by the airflow and flung straight out, feeling as if her whole body was falling apart in pain. Turning her head, she saw the bright yellow robe of the mangled body hidden under the ruins and fell into utter despair.
She staggered toward the ruins, throwing away the mud with her bare hands.
It wasn't him.
Shao Sizhi has disappeared?
A wave of fear washed over Qi Nian'an, and she turned and ran toward the hole she had dug, where the stone slab covering it had shattered into four pieces.
Nan Zhi covered Li Xiaoran, and neither of them opened their eyes.
Just as she was reeling from this tragedy, several arrows flew in and pierced deeply into her chest.
How absurd!
A smile suddenly appeared, but a feeling of suffocation slowly welled up in Qi Nian'an's chest. As he coughed, a sweet, metallic taste mixed with a few drops of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
The battle-damaged Qi Nian'an looked up and let out a long howl.
The moon, white as a porcelain plate, casts a few shadows that dart swiftly across the eaves in its white light.
The fist hardened.
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