Shen Qianmo pouted unhappily. Just as she thought her trick had failed again, she saw a strange light flash in Sheng Ge's eternally cold eyes.
Following Shengge's gaze, in the dim light, one could see a peerless beauty standing not far away, dressed in a moon-white robe. Her jet-black hair cascaded down her shoulders, utterly ethereal and otherworldly.
She was wrapped in a thick fur coat and a scarf around her neck. She stood facing the wind, so serene and peaceful, yet an aura of despair and sorrow permeated her being.
A strange light flashed in Shen Qianmo's eyes. He took a few more steps closer and finally saw the person's face clearly. Her exquisitely beautiful face was adorned with incomparably delicate features. Her watery eyes revealed deep despair and sorrow, while her alluring red lips curved into a warm and peaceful smile.
Such a stunningly beautiful person, who else could it be but Situ Jinghao?! In the palace, is Situ Jinghao Situ Jingyan's confidante?! Is this to cover up their affair, or for something else?! Looking at the beautiful woman in red standing not far behind her, Shen Qianmo felt a sense of understanding.
However, it cannot be denied that even when dressed as a woman, Situ Jinghao is still breathtakingly beautiful, no wonder even Shengge's expression changed.
"Palace Master, she is..." came Shengge's hesitant question from behind.
Shen Qianmo frowned slightly. This was the first time Sheng Ge had ever asked her a question unrelated to matters of the Demon Palace.
"She is the one I want to save!" Shen Qianmo said calmly, taking a few steps back to a place far away from Situ Jinghao. She really didn't want to look at such a man, because just looking at him made her feel sad. If she felt this way, how much pain must Situ Jingyan, as Situ Jinghao's brother and the one who caused him to become like this, be in?
"What?! She's been poisoned by Yin-Yang Powder?" Sheng Ge's voice faltered for the first time. He couldn't believe that such a beautiful and elegant woman could be afflicted with such a rare poison. Yet her expression was so serene and tranquil, showing no sign of the pain and torment of the illness.
"Shengge seems quite interested in her?!" Shen Qianmo raised an eyebrow slightly, a mix of probing and joking.
"I'm just wondering why a woman would be poisoned by such a deadly poison, and how she could continue to live under such a poison." Sheng Ge's tone returned to its coldness, but even he himself did not realize that cracks had unknowingly appeared in his icy eyes.
"She took the poison originally intended to kill her brother in order to save him. As for why she continued to live despite such torment, it was simply because she didn't want her brother to suffer." Shen Qianmo's tone was filled with a faint sense of admiration and gratitude.
She admired Situ Jinghao's courage and purity. But she was even more grateful and forgave her selfishness. However, ever since she learned about this, she often thought about how fortunate it was that Situ Jinghao was there, and how fortunate it wasn't Jingyan who was poisoned.
Surprise flashed in Sheng Ge's eyes once again. Having lost all his relatives, he had never known the warmth of family affection since childhood. And being cold-hearted by nature, he had never cared about anyone more than his own life, so hearing such a story naturally shocked him.
And the one who did all this was such a weak woman?
"If there are no problems, hurry up and take care of things on Fire Island. I'm setting off in three days!" Shen Qianmo noticed something was wrong with Sheng Ge, and his tone turned cold. Could it be that Sheng Ge had fallen for him? Of all the women he hadn't been attracted to, he had fallen for this man dressed as a woman?!
What should we do?
"Yes." Shengge accepted the order and left. Before leaving, she subconsciously glanced at Situ Jinghao again. This was the first time Shengge had lingered her gaze on one person.
"Mo'er".
A familiar warmth and fragrance wafted from behind her. Shen Qianmo felt a pair of well-defined hands slowly wrap around her waist. A sweet smile appeared on her face as she called out, "Jingyan."
It wasn't surprising that he didn't stay in the Imperial Study, nor was it surprising that he was able to find her here. Everything seemed perfectly natural.
It was a natural feeling that he would come looking for her. It was a natural feeling that no matter where she was, he could find her.
"You're going to Fire Island?!" Though it was a question, it was filled with certainty.
Turning away from his embrace, I met his obsidian-like eyes and felt as if something had been sucked into them.
“Yes. I want to save him for you,” Shen Qianmo replied.
Yes. Although she admired and appreciated Situ Jinghao, it was impossible for her to risk her life to go to Fire Island.
The only person she was willing to risk her life for was Situ Jingyan! She wanted to save Situ Jinghao for her own conscience, but more so for Situ Jingyan.
Situ Jingyan reached out and gently smoothed Shen Qianmo's hair, a wicked smile playing on his lips, his eyes filled with tenderness and joy. "Okay, I'll go with you."
"Jingyan, why do you..." Before Shen Qianmo could finish speaking, Situ Jingyan's warm fingers gently touched her lips.
Jingyan, why must you do this? Fire Island is incredibly dangerous. Even if something happens there, and you emerge unharmed, who knows how long it will take? Leaving Tianmo at this time, aren't you afraid of causing trouble?!
Yan Xiuling is your friend and won't take advantage of you. But what about your third brother? What about your other brothers?! I'm enough for the trip to Fire Island, so why are you doing this?
"Mo'er, how could I allow you to take risks alone?! If anything happens to you, my life will be over!" Situ Jingyan's dark eyes held a hint of annoyance, but even more so, boundless affection.
Looking at Situ Jingyan's stubborn gaze, Shen Qianmo's lips slowly curved into a smile. "Alright, let's go together."
Jingyan, how fortunate I am to have your love in this life.
"That's a good boy!" Situ Jingyan grinned, a hint of cunning flashing in his eyes, but a cold smile appeared on his lips. He said, "However, while I'm away, my third brother probably won't behave himself again! It just so happens that Yan Xiuling is coming to Tianmo to investigate, so I'll just entrust Tianmo to him and let him keep an eye on things."
A smile also appeared on Shen Qianmo's lips.
Situ Jingyan, what a cunning fox. On the surface, he seems to be generously revealing all the inside information about Tianmo to Yan Xiuling, but in reality, he is using Situ Jingye to distract Yan Xiuling and prevent him from focusing solely on discussing the inside story.
As for entrusting Tianmo to Yan Xiuling, it was only temporary, and Yan Xiuling understood this perfectly well. But those lurking in the shadows, like Situ Jingyan, would never so easily let Yan Xiuling have his way!
In this way, Yan Xiuling was both restrained and Situ Jingye was kept in check—truly killing two birds with one stone. However, this also demonstrates Situ Jingyan's trust in Yan Xiuling. After all, if Yan Xiuling were to turn against them at this moment, Tianmo would likely be finished.
However, Shen Qianmo was very clear. Yan Xiuling and Situ Jingyan were the same kind of people. They were confidants, friends who appreciated each other, and arrogant overlords. Therefore, they would never, would not, and would disdain to do such a thing.
"I didn't inform the court officials of my return to the palace. Those who know are all my confidants, so it's quite convenient for me to leave." Situ Jingyan smiled, his dark eyes concealing deep thoughts.
"Originally, you wanted to secretly deal with Situ Jingye?! But why doesn't Situ Jinghao allow you to hurt him?" Shen Qianmo naturally understood Situ Jingyan's thoughts and said with a smile.
“Situ Jingye is Jinghao’s older brother.” Situ Jingyan’s eyes became complicated, with three parts annoyance and three parts resentment, which eventually turned into utter helplessness.
He still couldn't do anything about his pure-hearted sixth brother. Jinghao, if it weren't for your purity, I wouldn't be who I am today. If I had been the one who took the Yin-Yang Powder back then, I probably wouldn't be able to love Mo'er like this. Because I would definitely have become a demon.
"You must have had a tough time all these years," Shen Qianmo said suddenly after a moment of silence, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at Situ Jingyan.
Situ Jingyan gently stroked Shen Qianmo's face, tracing her delicate features, a faint smile spreading across his lips. "It's been tough. Countless times, I almost didn't get to see you again. My Mo'er."
Shen Qianmo reached out and grasped Situ Jingyan's hand, feeling a slight pang in her heart. He had become so powerful; the hardships he had endured behind the scenes were likely untold.
"Now that we've met, I won't allow you to leave again." Shen Qianmo held Situ Jingyan's hand, speaking softly but firmly.
Situ Jingyan's smile was gentle, making him look as alluring as a fairy. The soft moonlight shone on him, coating him in a silvery cloak, highlighting the perfect curve of his chin, and the warmth of his smile was like sunshine.