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Kapitel 21

Di Xiu glanced at her and said, "When Di Xiu returned today and saw that you and the Third Miss were safe and sound, he knew that the Fourth Miss must not have mentioned the attack at all. It is thanks to this that you were allowed to survive... Now, you have no other choice but to cooperate with me."

After pondering for a moment, Yuchi Caiyao asked, "What do you want?"

“The Second Miss has been scheming for years and has already trained a group of experts. Naturally, she will not sit idly by and wait for death. But instead of you and me wasting each other’s time, why don’t we join forces to eliminate our rivals?” Di Xiu said, “...Our marriage is just an act. When the day comes, everyone will gather. Wouldn’t it be cleaner to wipe them all out at once?”

Yu Chi Caiyao looked horrified. "You're going to swallow up Yu Chi Manor?!"

Di Xiu chuckled, "If things go smoothly, you'll be the master of the Heavenly Fox Clan, and I'll take charge of my Yuchi Manor. How about it?"

Yu Chi Caiyao hesitated slightly and did not respond.

Di Xiu stood up and said, "We are both at a critical juncture of life and death. Success or failure depends on this battle. Second Miss, please think it over carefully."

Seeing that he was about to leave, Yu Chi Caiyao called out to him and asked in a cold voice, "Di Xiu, if you want to fight for power, wouldn't it be more appropriate to choose my fourth sister?"

Di Xiu paused slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then replied with a smile, "To be honest, I was planning to do the same, but unfortunately the princess saw through my plan, so I had to settle for second best."

Yu Chi Caiyao seemed to have some doubts, but ultimately did not ask any further questions.

Before leaving, Di Xiu stopped and muttered to himself, "...My 'Falling Cloud Sword Technique' was taught to me by Xiang Yu."

Upon hearing this name, Yu Chi Caiyao trembled slightly, and a look of sorrow appeared on her face.

"And the one who taught him swordsmanship was you..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Caiyao closed her eyes, suppressing her emotions, and said, "Alright. I'll marry you..."

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu nodded slightly and did not linger any longer.

The night was deep, and the rain intensified. A chill crept into his heart. He gazed at the fine rain, sighed softly, and murmured to himself:

"Soon..."

...

Chapter Twenty-Four

After the Qingming Festival, it rained intermittently for dozens of days, the drizzle was chilly and bothersome.

Yu Chi Mingyue sat blankly on the veranda, gazing at the garden scenery. Willow branches swayed gently, peach and apricot blossoms exuded fragrance; even in the rain, it possessed a unique beauty. But she felt no appreciation.

She sighed involuntarily, caught the rainwater in her hand, and then gently traced lines on the railing with her wet fingers. She frowned, lost in thought, and when she came to her senses, she saw the character "秀" (xiù, meaning "exquisite" or "beautiful") clearly written on the railing. Annoyed, she angrily erased the character and got up to go back to her room.

Just then, a group of maids, laughing and joking, walked in from the other end of the corridor.

Upon seeing Yuchi Mingyue, the maids all curtsied.

Yu Chi Mingyue simply nodded in response. Just as she was about to leave, she saw a maid carrying a white fox fur blanket. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stood there, stunned, unable to move.

Just seeing such a thing can stir up so many thoughts.

That night, snow fell heavily. She held up a white fox fur blanket and draped it over him. "There's only one blanket"—what an awkward excuse. But that's what she said, and then she nestled into his arms. That was the first time he called her "Mingyue"...

Once she stopped thinking about it, her chest ached, her heart churned, and she couldn't control herself.

Seeing her like this, the maidservant said, "It's been raining for days, and we were just about to dry these winter items and put them away. Is there anything Miss Mingyue wants to keep?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue frowned and said angrily, "Who wants to keep them? Throw them all away!"

The maids were all shocked and looked at each other in dismay.

Without another word, Yu Chi Mingyue hurried away, as if fleeing from the world. She returned to her room and collapsed onto the bed. A sudden pang of sorrow welled up in her heart, and her eyes welled with tears.

More than a month has passed, yet the emptiness in my heart hasn't lessened in the slightest. I can't sleep at night, and I have no appetite. I don't know how long this feeling will last, or how to get rid of it.

Whenever it was quiet around me, his voice would echo in my ears:

"I don't remember what happened when my mind was sealed."

"Di is ruthless and heartless; I'm afraid he will disappoint the Fourth Miss..."

"What difference does sincerity or insincerity make to the Fourth Miss?"

...

These words, like sharp needles, pierced her heart, causing her immense pain. Gradually, it wasn't just her heart that ached; her very soul began to ache...

What's the difference between sincerity and pretense?

She suddenly remembered what Mei Ziqi had once said:

"...You are the granddaughter of the Prince of Nanling. From childhood to adulthood, haven't you seen countless people who fawn over you? No one has ever been concerned about whether their intentions were genuine or not. Why is it that only he must be completely sincere?"

Why……

Thinking of this, she felt both angry and annoyed, secretly cursing herself for being useless.

He is ruthless, heartless, a wolf in sheep's clothing, and unscrupulous... this is his true nature. And she, for her part, is tormented and heartbroken over such a person—utterly foolish!

However, whenever she thought of his flaws, she couldn't help but think of his good qualities as well...

He remembered her preferences, cherished her things, did his best to protect her, and even risked his life to save her. These things were not all done after he became mentally unstable.

She had felt so remorseful and guilty for her belated realization. Every bad thing she had done to him, every humiliation she had inflicted, filled her with regret and heartache. She had always hoped to repay him properly and make amends as much as possible… But why did things turn out this way?

She felt lost and confused when, at that moment, Ming Shuangchen pushed open the door and walked in.

Seeing Yu Chi Mingyue like this, Ming Shuangchen sighed softly. She frowned slightly, walked to the bedside, sat down on the edge of the bed, and reached out to touch Yu Chi Mingyue's head.

Only then did Yu Chi Mingyue realize someone had entered. With tears in her eyes, she glanced at Ming Shuangchen and softly called out, "Mother."

Ming Shuangchen took out a handkerchief and gently wiped away her tears, still frowning, and said, "Mingyue... it's not worth being sad for a man like that."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue raised her hand to wipe her eyes and stubbornly said, "I'm not sad for him! Humph!"

“If that’s the case, then that would be for the best…” Ming Shuangchen was silent for a moment before finally speaking, “He’s getting married.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue froze, utterly astonished.

"The tenth of May," Ming Shuangchen said, "with your second sister, Yuchi Caiyao..."

Second sister?

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue's mind went blank. Her second sister, who had sent people to attack her and nearly killed her? Her second sister, who had driven him to the brink of death and was determined to kill him? He was actually going to marry her second sister?!

"You lied to me!" Yu Chi Mingyue couldn't help but shout.

Ming Shuangchen frowned, "The wedding invitation is in your grandfather's study..."

Before Ming Shuangchen could finish speaking, Yu Chi Mingyue jumped out of bed and headed straight for the study. Along the way, the maids were all extremely surprised to see her like this.

She rushed into the study and saw Prince Nanling talking with Mei Ziqi. At this moment, she had no mind to pay attention to the two of them; her eyes were fixed on the bright red wedding invitation on the desk.

Without saying a word, she rushed to the table and grabbed the wedding invitation.

The words that met her eyes were like steel knives, piercing her heart and bringing tears to her eyes.

Seeing her like this, the Prince of Nanling hurriedly said, "Yue'er...you..."

Before he could comfort her, Yu Chi Mingyue burst into tears. She threw down the wedding invitation and ran out.

The Prince of Nanling was very worried and turned to look at Mei Ziqi. Mei Ziqi nodded and followed.

Yu Chi Mingyue didn't know where she was going; she just ran aimlessly. She ran out of the corridor, through the garden, and the rain soaked her clothes, but she didn't care at all. She just kept running, and when she turned around, she was already standing on the horse track.

Under the gloomy rain, the horses were either resting in the stables or under the hay sheds. Only the black steed galloped wildly in the rain, running freely. Its saddle and reins had been removed, leaving only the bridle and reins. The fiery red of the reins was dazzling and eye-catching.

She spoke, involuntarily calling out, "Xi Zhui..."

Upon hearing this, the horse neighed loudly and galloped towards her.

For some reason, the image of the setting sun's afterglow appeared before Yu Chi Mingyue's eyes, the light hooves of a horse pounding the evening glow. He was on horseback, smiling at her, extending his hand to her…

The horse stopped in front of her and hummed softly. She trembled slightly, raised her hand, and stroked the horse's neck.

Just then, a paper umbrella appeared overhead, shielding her from the rain. She looked up and saw Mei Ziqi looking at her with a smile.

"Little Si, you'll get sick if you keep going like this. Come back with me," Mei Ziqi said.

Yu Chi Mingyue frowned, remained silent for a long time, and then asked, "Sir... the person he likes is me, isn't he?"

Upon hearing this, Mei Ziqi laughed and said, "How would I know about such things? You should ask him."

Yu Chi Mingyue was slightly taken aback and remained silent.

Mei Ziqi said, "Some things, if not spoken, how can anyone know? Xiao Si, what about you?"

Suddenly, Yu Chi Mingyue understood something. Her eyes, which had been filled with tears, now shone brightly. She turned and ran away.

Mei Ziqi looked helpless and sighed softly.

...

When Yu Chi Mingyue ran back to the study, the Prince of Nanling was pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed in worry. Seeing her enter, he smiled and softly called out, "Yue'er."

Yu Chi Mingyue slowly walked over and said, "Grandpa..."

Seeing her soaked to the bone, the Prince of Nanling felt a pang of heartache. He frowned and said angrily, "Yue'er, don't be sad! I will definitely raze Yuchi Manor to the ground and avenge you!"

Yu Chi Mingyue shook her head and said seriously, "Grandpa, from childhood to adulthood, have I ever made any unreasonable requests to you?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Nanling shook his head in confusion.

"Then Mingyue asks you for a favor, please grant me one," said Yuchi Mingyue.

“Tell me, and I’ll agree to anything you ask,” the Prince of Nanling replied immediately.

"Fine." Yu Chi Mingyue's voice carried a hint of domineering, "I want to steal the bride."

The Prince of Nanling was stunned. "Robbery... abducting a bride?"

Anger flickered in Yu Chi Mingyue's expression. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, "I will not let him marry my second sister! Absolutely not!"

"absurd!"

Ming Shuangchen's voice suddenly rang out, tinged with reproach.

Yu Chi Mingyue turned around and looked at her, her expression still firm.

"Who are you to do such an absurd and unreasonable thing?!" Ming Shuangchen stepped forward and rebuked.

"I don't care." Yu Chi Mingyue's tone was stubborn and uncompromising.

"Mingyue... he's getting married, are you still not giving up?" Ming Shuangchen's tone was indignant, yet tinged with helpless pity.