But something was different; Qin Rui was no longer as anxious as before.
He laid himself bare before Qin Chu.
He no longer had any secrets from Qin Chu; Qin Chu would be the person who understood him best in the world, and the only one who truly understood him.
Qin Chu treated him as usual and never asked Qin Rui about what he had said on horseback that day.
During the day, he would drag Qin Rui to the training ground for practice, and at night he would take some time to teach him to read, and then he would knock Qin Rui unconscious so that he could sleep well.
This attitude actually surprised Qin Rui.
Everyone who knows his background either fears him, loathes him, distances themselves from him, or wants to exploit him; in short, their attitudes change.
Only Qin Chu asked, and he answered, but Qin Chu acted as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, and it had no impact on their relationship whatsoever.
This attitude undoubtedly put Qin Rui at ease. He was actually very afraid that Qin Chu would react in any way, either by pushing him away or by looking at him differently from now on.
Even if it's just comforting words... it's hard for Qin Rui to bear.
He couldn't see any possibility or need for him to be comforted.
His biggest worry was that Qin Chu would reject him, but Qin Chu had already shown through his actions that he wouldn't.
But as time went on, Qin Rui grew increasingly curious.
He couldn't help but wonder, did Qin Chu really have no thoughts? What were Qin Chu thinking and feeling the moment he heard about those things?
One night, while lying in bed with Qin Chu, he recited the poem he had learned two days earlier to Qin Chu.
He's grown up so fast lately, he's already like a big kid. People started teasing him for still sleeping with Qin Chu, and Qin Chu has already started tidying up the side room next door for him.
Qin Rui was reluctant, but he accepted it nonetheless.
After reciting the poem and recognizing some characters, before Qin Chu could knock him unconscious, Qin Rui couldn't hold back any longer and looked up at Qin Chu, asking, "Brother, I..."
He paused, then mustered his courage and asked, "Brother, is there anything you want to say to me?"
"What did you say?" Qin Chu asked.
"It's... what I told you before," Qin Rui said softly.
Qin Chu looked at him for a while and knew what he was asking.
The reason Qin Chu didn't comment on Qin Rui's account of the past was because he couldn't think of a way to respond. He had considered the question, but found that any words would be inadequate in the face of Qin Rui, who had actually experienced it firsthand.
Besides, he felt that whether he knew about this or not would not affect his relationship with Qin Rui, so he simply didn't think about it anymore.
But now that the child had asked, Qin Chu sat up from the bed and looked at the child face to face: "I have nothing to say."
Qin Rui's heart tightened upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but complain inwardly that his brother was really bad at speaking.
Qin Chu also felt that these words sounded a bit too harsh. He looked up at the rather simple bedpost, sorted out his words, and then said, "You are the one who went through these things, and you are also the one who has to carry these things on. As an outsider, I can't erase your past struggles with easy words, nor can I let you let go of these things so easily."
"So, I have nothing to say."
Qin Rui held Qin Chu's hand, unsure how to respond.
He thought, "As expected of Qin Chu, he sees everything so clearly, so there's no need to embellish it with words."
Because that is the cruelest truth.
Qin Rui rarely had the time to think about these things. He was always busy trying to fill his stomach and survive, and later he had to worry about the court's schemes and the malice of others.
Coupled with the tension from not having rested for so long, he was prone to extremism, feeling like a monster who could do anything he wanted.
But then he met Qin Chu, and he started to hesitate more when doing things he used to do.
Before, he desperately wanted to hide his past and live like a normal person, following Qin Chu's side and finding out the truth. But fate had other plans...
He told Qin Chu everything, and now he asked Qin Chu this question with trepidation, also wanting to know whether Qin Chu thought he was a monster or a human.
Which direction will he choose to live in from now on?
But... Qin Chu didn't say anything.
Qin Rui was unusually confused.
Just as he was about to lie down in disappointment, Qin Rui suddenly heard Qin Chu speak again: "If I must say something..."
Qin Chu lowered his head and looked intently at the child who had grown quite a bit taller recently. He suddenly reached out and gently touched Qin Rui's head: "I cannot define your birth or the meaning of your life."
"But I know one thing: you are alive now. I hope you can live well, live healthily, and live happily in the future."
The usually cold voice took on a different kind of gentleness at this moment. Qin Rui stared blankly at Qin Chu, hearing the most beautiful wishes in these simple and sincere words.
He quickly wiped his face and pressed his fingers against his eyes.
Qin Chu didn't pretend to be relaxed and tell him that the future was bright, nor did he ask him to abandon his past.
He simply said that he wanted him to live a good life, to live a healthy and happy life.
In Qin Rui's previous life, no one had ever said such a simple blessing to him.
He struggled against the malice, fear, and ulterior motives of the crowd, instinctively carving out a path to survival. But Qin Rui often wondered, was his existence deserved? Did anyone truly want him to live?
Now Qin Chu tells him that someone is looking forward to it.
Instead of throwing herself into Qin Chu's arms and acting coquettishly, Qin Rui abandoned all her usual tricks at this moment.
He sat there, his bloodshot eyes fixed intently on Qin Chu, and spoke with difficulty and a hoarse voice: "Okay, I will live well."
"I will live a good life."
"I think about what the future will be like."
"Brother, I promise you."
The still-childish voice carried a solemnity and a faint glimmer of hope, like seeing a blurry road sign in the fog. Although the road ahead was still unclear, it gave the motivation to keep going.
At that moment, looking at the child who had made a promise to him, Qin Chu suddenly heard the notification sound of mission success in his mind.
"Congratulations, sir. The mission to protect the Crown Prince has reached 100% completion."
Qin Chu was somewhat surprised.
The mission to protect the eldest prince is actually rather vague, with no time limit and no success criteria.
Qin Chu had asked Noah this question at first, but gradually stopped bringing it up. He protected Qin Rui when she was in danger, and stayed by her side when she felt unsafe alone.
He never imagined that on such a peaceful and tranquil night, he would say such an ordinary sentence to the child, and that this seemingly endless questline would come to an end.
The task was suddenly completed, and looking at the full progress bar, Qin Chu even felt a sense of unreality.
The long night continues.
Qin Rui drew strength from Qin Chu's simple words, breaking free from the constraints of his birth for the first time and looking up at the long future ahead.
That night, he held Qin Chu tightly, as if he were holding a treasure he had finally found. Even after Qin Chu knocked him unconscious, he still did not let go.
Qin Chu, however, was not asleep.
He habitually held the child clinging to him with one arm, pondering the choice Noah had given him.
"Sir, one mission line has been completed. Are you planning to leave the world now, or wait until both missions are completed together?"
Qin Chu was silent for a moment, then asked, "Is there a difference?"
Noah presented him with two data tables: "Currently, the single mission line is complete, and the results are very good in terms of efficiency. However, you have only changed the intricacy of this world. If you complete the other mission line, you will not only change this world further, but also affect another world that is connected to this world."
"However, even if you..."
Before Noah could finish explaining the pros and cons of the two options, Qin Chu interrupted him, saying, "Let's talk about it after we've completed both mission lines."
Noah: "..."
Noah: "Your choice seems a bit hasty. Is there some ulterior motive involved?"
Qin Chu: "..."
Qin Chu glanced at the sleeping child and said matter-of-factly, "Have you forgotten your history of rewinding the progress bar? We're still in a time of war, and Qin Rui hasn't settled in yet. What if something happens to him if he leaves?"
Noah had no room for rebuttal...
"Besides..." Qin Chu thought for a moment, then couldn't help but frown and speak.
"Besides what?"
Qin Chu glanced down at the sleeping child, his expression suddenly becoming somewhat complicated: "Don't you think Qin Rui... looks a little crooked?"
Previously, perhaps due to a biased view of her own child, Qin Chu didn't see anything wrong with Qin Rui. She just thought he was an ordinary child, except that he was a little guarded, slightly cunning, liked to play the victim, and loved to act cute...
"Stop." Noah interrupted Qin Chu's thoughts, reminding him, "Don't you think there's a bit too much after 'besides'?"
Qin Chu ignored him.
After witnessing Qin Rui shoot and kill Ti Rong, Qin Chu was surprised to find that the sapling that he had seen growing straight had already stretched out a thick, crooked branch in a certain direction, and was about to grow into a crooked tree.
"You've become addicted to raising kids?" Noah couldn't resist the urge to complain and threw all the things Qin Chu had said in his face at him.
Things like, "Don't give me the task of adopting children next time," and "Anything is fine as long as it has nothing to do with children."
Qin Chu's mood was also complicated, and he then ignored Noah.
Completing the second questline will take some time.
Noah wasn't in a hurry, though. He was able to have a body in this world, though he was just a sickly emperor who was bedridden and unconscious.
Qin Chu, however, had some other ideas.
Lin Xiang died, and then Ti Rong appeared. Now that Ti Rong is dead, who knows what other bastard might appear to assassinate Qin Rui.
The legacy of evil can last for a thousand years, and Qin and Chu always felt uneasy about it.
The next morning, Qin Rui woke up a little late. He sat up and subconsciously looked for Qin Chu.
Unexpectedly, Qin Chu did not go out early today, but sat at the table in the inner room, and was now turning to look at him.
Qin Rui slept very well last night, and felt relaxed and happy. He got out of bed and, without even putting on his coat properly, ran into Qin Chu's arms and snuggled for a while: "Brother, why didn't you go to the training ground?"
"I have something to ask you." Qin Chu looked at the incredibly well-behaved child in front of him... no, he was already starting to look like a big kid.
Qin Rui, unaware of what was about to happen, looked up at Qin Chu with a naive and innocent expression: "Yes, yes, brother, I'll tell you whatever you ask."
Qin Chu: "..."
Thinking about what he wanted to ask, and seeing the child's completely unashamed appearance, Qin Chu felt a strange urge to touch him.
"Oh." Qin Chu lowered his eyelids and looked at him. "Then let me ask you, did you kill Physician Su and Captain Zhang?"