Xuanji walked lightly to Tianci’s side and caressed his little head. Although he was not the real son of Hua Qiyue, he still liked him a lot.
If you love someone, the saying goes, you will love everything associated with that person. Besides, Tianci was quite adorable. Xuanji treated him like his own child.
“Tianci, in the future, don’t go off with people who aren’t trusted by your mom. Like just now. If Brother Xuan wants to seize your bead, I can…”
Tianci lifted up the bead, as large as his fist and cracked open his mouth in a grin. “I know Brother Xuan won’t do this to me. I won’t go off with other strangers. Brother Xuan, why didn’t you call mom out? There’re lots of pretty things here. And they’re fun too!”
Tianci’s big and pretty eyes studied the surroundings. It was a colorful underground palace. It seemed to have once belonged to a large clan.
Xuanji smiled a little. “I’m giving this place to you all.”
Tianci widened his eyes. “Giving to us all?”
“Yes. I heard that your mom and dad are getting married, so I’m giving this place to them. The anima energy here is several dozen times more plentiful than elsewhere. It’s a nice place to live in.”
Xuanji’s voice was exceedingly gentle, without the coldness it had before.
Tianci heard him and started to whoop in delight.
He made a tour of this large underground palace. There were also some smaller palaces within. They were so beautiful that he lingered on without wishing to go.
After enjoying his round, Tianci finally embraced a luminous night pearl, unwilling to let go. Xuanji allowed him to take the luminous pearl home.
“Brother Xuan, aren’t you seeing mom at daybreak? They’re searching for you all this while.”
After sending Tianci back to Hua’s Mansion, Xuanji was held by Tianci.
Looking at his innocent little face, Xuanji smiled. He caressed his little head. “Tianci, I have something urgent to see to. In the future, I will visit you again when I have the chance. Tell your mom and dad that I’m fine.”
Tianci nodded his head heavily.
He watched somewhat reluctantly Xuanji soar out of the window. He felt a little dejected.
After leaving Hua’s Mansion, Xuanji stood before the mansion and stared at the silent courtyard.
Two old men soundlessly appeared behind him. “Young master, time to go.”
One of them respectfully handed him a white medicine pellet.
“This Phlegmatic Pill was refined by our ancestors. After taking it, you will forget all your former passions and no longer suffer pain.”
The old man said softly. An unignorable coldness was in his eyes, as deep as a chasm.
Xuanji looked at the gate to Hua’s Mansion. Hua Qiyue’s small and ravishing face surfaced before his eyes. Her image was still so distinct, as if she was really there before him.
His heart was full of complex emotions— pain and an unwillingness to let go. Those wonderful days with Hua Qiyue floated before his eyes.
They were so far away, yet seemed only like yesterday.
Xuanji gave a light sigh. He silently accepted the Phlegmatic Pill from the old man and swallowed it.
A strong medicinal fragrance diffused in his mouth. Xuanji felt a coolness permeate his entire body. He slowly turned around and headed for the way from which he came.
Hua Qiyue’s countenance gradually disappeared in the night.
Xuanji proceeded silently, walking extremely slowly.
Tears trickled noiselessly down his cheeks.
Resentment and gratitude, love and enmity— they would be forgotten forever.
In the end, Xuanji could only remember his own name and his kin. His memories were gone like the wind, no longer resurfacing in his world.
Although now and then, he would feel something missing in his heart.
—
The next day.
Tianci brought the luminous night pearl out to the dining room, hugging it in his arms. The company saw it and gave a gasp of wonder! Even in the day, this luminous night pearl scintillated with light. One could tell at one glance it was of premium quality.
The luminous night pearls of Tianyuan Continent were all natural. They rarely appeared in the market— at most, slightly more than 100 of them.
So when the company saw this rare treasure, they could not help but gasp.
Tianci proudly gave a light snort. “This gift from Brother Xuan is of course the best!”
“What Brother Xuan?” Hua Qiyue, who had just stepped into the room, heard him and asked in bewilderment.
Tianci joyously raced to Hua Qiyue’s side, waving the luminous night pearl in his hand. “Mom, this pearl was given to me last night by Brother Xuan. He also took me to a place! He said that place would be his gift to us!”
Hua Qiyue’s entire body shook. She was overjoyed and surprised. Grabbing Tianci’s shoulder, she asked hurriedly, “Tianci, where’s Brother Xuan? Where has he gone?”
“Brother Xuan said that he has things to see to and left. He will visit us again in the future.”
“Is he well?”
“Yes. His speed seemed even faster than before. He asked me not to follow strangers easily. That underground palace was so, so big. So pretty and with so many rare treasures!” Tianci grinned. Hua Qiyue stood there in a daze, complex emotions welling in her heart.
“Did he… say when he would come again?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t. There were two old grandpas with him. Those two grandpas were staring at me oddly!” Tianci gave a rough account of what happened last night. After his narration, Hua Qiyue quietly pulled Tianci down to have his breakfast.
Old Madame Hua was also here. She told them that she was making a special “phoenix robe” for Hua Qiyue.
When she saw Hua Qiyue uninterested, she asked in a whisper, “Qiyue, what’s wrong? Why are you looking so distracted?”
Hua Qiyue recovered herself and gave an apologetic smile. “Grandma, I’m sorry. I was wondering about something. Later, I will take Tianci out.”
Old Madame Hua gave a gentle smile. “Qiyue, it will soon be your wedding. Maybe you’ll think a bit more. But no matter. Prince Nan is a nice guy and won’t treat you badly.”
She thought that Hua Qiyue was worrying about her life after the marriage.
Hua Qiyue nodded lightly. She did not wish to say more. After breakfast, she left in search of that underground palace with Tianci, Yun Shimo, Caining and Caiqing.
Tianci had memorized the route well. They quickly discovered the place.
When Yun Shimo looked at the spacious palace, his countenance changed greatly. “This must be the place where their family had first resided— that legendary palace. From the looks of all these rare treasures, it seems that the Xuan Family really does not hanker after fame or fortune…”
Hua Qiyue felt her nose tingle and herself about to cry. So Xuanji was giving this palace to her…
“This must be Xuanji’s great gift to us… It’s good enough that he survived,” Yun Shimo said softly. He could understand Xuanji’s feelings in not daring to see Hua Qiyue.
Since he could not have her, what good would it do to see her? It would merely encourage sadness.
Hua Qiyue walked to a jade platform in a daze and sat down. It was such a hot day. When she sat down on the jade platform, a coolness permeated her heart and organs, making her extremely comfortable.
Xuanji…
In her mind arose the image of that cold and handsome face.
“He… perhaps he will forget me?” Hua Qiyue and Xuanji had lived together for over two years. Naturally, she could understand Xuanji’s thoughts.
Yun Shimo silently walked over and sat gently by her side. He said nothing.
Everyone knew that this gift of the abandoned palace to Hua Qiyue meant that Xuanji trusted her. After all, an ancient clan would regard their former grand palace as an old home. Normally, they would not entrust it to an outsider.
For Xuanji, this was a very meaningful gift. And he would not turn up again during Yun Shimo and Hua Qiyue’s wedding.
“Let’s go back.” After sitting for a long time, Yun Shimo finally said quietly.
Hua Qiyue nodded. She was in no mood to stroll around the palace. The fact Xuanji was not willing to see her made her thoroughly melancholic.
“Mom, why aren’t you happy? This must be Brother Xuan’s old home! Can we live here in the future?” Tianci tilted his little head and asked excitedly.
A kid did not understand the partings and reunions of this world. Hua Qiyue fondled his head. Since this was what Xuanji wanted, she would accept it.
“You can live here anytime you like.”
Tianci was delighted. The rims of Hua Qiyue’s eyes turned slightly red. She pulled him and they strode step by step out of the palace. Yun Shimo and the rest followed behind, their emotions complicated.
Hua Qiyue suffered from two days of despondency. In the end, because of the wedding preparations, she had no more time to grieve.
The big countries had all extended their invitations to Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo. They wanted them to participate in an important alliance conference. But Hua Qiyue rejected them.
Although these big countries were unhappy, they did not dare show their displeasure. Now that Hua Qiyue and Yun Shimo were getting married, no one dared to provoke them.
Time flew.
In a blink of an eye, the night before Hua Qiyue’s wedding had arrived.
Hua Qiyue brought all kinds of premium wine and meat to Tianpi. Tianpi only looked at her silently, without saying a word.
Hua Qiyue discovered a lot of the divine herbs in this world were gone.
“Master, did you uproot all those divine herbs?”
“Yes. If you don’t, they will be too mature. Then they won’t taste good,” Tianpi replied softly. His diabolically handsome face was extraordinarily calm.
Hua Qiyue was speechless. Other people would use these divine herbs to brew medicine. They would treasure each one like their own life. Yet this fellow was taking them every day like rice.
“Qiyue, let me try and dissuade you again. I hope that you will abandon your wedding with Yun Shimo.”
Tianpi said matter-of-factly, as he sampled the wine.
Hua Qiyue shook her head. “I know you don’t believe in us. A fortune-teller also told us not to get married. But I only believe in myself, not in fate.”
Seeing Hua Qiyue so determined, Tianpi gave up trying to dissuade her.
Ji Feng, Huangfu Xuan, Yun Shimo, Caining and Caiqing were all taking wine on the platform of the pavilion in Prince Nan’s mansion. The ground was bathed in faint moonlight.
The servants below were all occupied. Adornments had been put up everywhere and red lanterns were hung up high. The whole mansion was filled with a celebratory joy.
“Brother Yun, congratulations for winning the beauty. In the future, you must treat Qiyue well!” Ji Feng was tipsy. His florid face was beaming, yet he was feeling rather sad inside.
“Sure.” Yun Shimo’s cup touched his as he smiled lightly.
Everyone was silent.
Especially Huangfu Xuan. He was taking wine by the large cupfuls. Sorrow clouded his eyes.
They understood him. He liked Hua Qiyue— she was perhaps the only woman to whom he would lose his heart. But it was something he had let slipped and could never win back again. Surely he would be upset?
“Yun Shimo… Brother Yun… humph… the two of us… have always been friends. But why… why does she like you and not me?” Huangfu Xuan was drunk. He pointed at Yun Shimo and asked in a stammer.
