"intuition."
These two words, uttered lightly from Lin Wanwan's lips, landed like two massive boulders, heavy and imposing in the oppressive air.
This is the most impeccable answer, and also the most flimsy excuse.
Because "intuition" is something that cannot be proven or disproven.
Xiao Che's face remained unfathomably calm, revealing neither joy nor anger. He did not react immediately, but simply stared at her silently and intently with his sharp black eyes, as if trying to see through her very soul.
The air inside the tent seemed to freeze.
The powerful aura, like an invisible mountain, pressed heavily on Lin Wanwan, making it almost impossible for her to breathe. She knew that this excuse was too far-fetched, too idealistic, and could not possibly convince a suspicious emperor who had been immersed in power struggles for many years and whose mind was as meticulous as a hair.
However, at this moment, Lin Wanwan possesses a "God's-eye view" that is unique in the world.
She saw that right above Xiao Che's expressionless face, in the familiar area above his head, a fierce "brainstorm" had completely transformed, representing the internal struggle he was going through!
The first figure to appear is a small detective-like figure wearing a deerstalker hat and smoking a pipe. He holds a large magnifying glass, scrutinizing the word "intuition" closely, accompanied by a calm line of text: "[I'm thinking.gjf]".
This emoji represents his rational side. He is analyzing, weighing the options, and using his emperor-like mind, full of logic and suspicion, to dissect every loophole in Lin Wanwan's words.
Lin Wanwan's heart jumped into her throat instantly.
Sure enough, the detective figure disappeared the next second!
Instead, a lie detector, brimming with modern technology and flashing red lights, was installed! The instrument's pointer swung wildly back and forth on the "lie" section, issuing a silent, most severe accusation!
The accompanying text was even more straightforward and blunt, filled with an unquestionable judgment:
[Lying! .gif]
Lin Wanwan's breathing almost stopped the moment she saw the meme.
Sure enough... he didn't believe it.
Her heart sank deeper and deeper. She knew she had lost her gamble. Deep within the emperor's heart, his logical reasoning had already labeled her "intuition" as a lie.
Xiao Che remained silent, but that silence was more oppressive than any harsh interrogation. The atmosphere inside the tent had reached freezing point.
Lin Wanwan had even begun to mentally calculate how she should react if he really exposed her. Should she continue to play dumb, or...?
Just when she thought she was about to face the worst situation, and that the cold lie detector was about to deliver its final judgment, she saw that the expression on his face suddenly changed again!
The lie detector with its flashing red light disappeared without warning!
Instead, a brand new animated image appeared, making Lin Wanwan's pupils dilate.
That scene was exactly the one from yesterday in the dense forest, when she recklessly leaped off her horse and violently knocked him off!
The scene was made into a continuously looping animated GIF, playing over and over again in his mind.
Her resoluteness, her selflessness, and her unwavering figure, like a moth drawn to a flame, were magnified infinitely at this moment and frozen into eternity.
Next to that looping animated image was a small line of text, yet it was filled with immense emotional impact:
[She was willing to risk her life for me.gif]
Lin Wanwan's heart was deeply touched the moment she saw this meme.
She understood.
His reason told him that she was lying.
But her actions, that purest form of protection that came at the cost of her life, were fiercely impacting his suspicious heart, which belonged to an emperor!
Reason and emotion clashed fiercely in the depths of his heart like never before!
Is it to believe in cold, hard logic, or to believe in the burning passion that was earned with blood and sacrifice?
Xiao Che's eyes grew increasingly deep and complex. In them were struggles, wavering, anger at the possibility of being deceived, and an indescribable, overwhelming emotion from that selfless act.
Lin Wanwan held her breath, quietly awaiting his final judgment.
She saw that the animated image playing on a loop above his head also slowly disappeared.
In the end, all the complex, intense emojis representing inner turmoil faded away.
Only one left...
All that remained was a small, constantly, silently flowing red heart...
That loving heart was not broken, not cracked, but quietly, sadly, shedding tears.
That was the softest part of my heart, overwhelmed by extreme emotions and having abandoned all rational thought.
Finally, Xiao Che broke the suffocating silence.
He neither said he believed nor he did not believe.
He simply, very slowly, reached out his hand. That hand, with its distinct knuckles and a touch of paleness from recuperation, crossed the invisible chasm between them, gently, with an almost tender tenderness, touching the wound on her shoulder still wrapped in thick bandages.
His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded, carrying a heartbreaking sense of suppressed fear.
He asked softly:
"Does it still hurt?"
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