Peach Blossoms

Chapter 37

Lin Suyang struggled to her feet. Looking at him coldly, she asked, "Who are you?"

The man stared at her for a long time before laughing. His voice was as shrill and unpleasant as his appearance. "I am the one who will take your life." With that, he appeared before Lin Suyang in a flash, grabbing her throat. The iron-like force slowly robbed her of her breath. She gripped his hand tightly, but couldn't move it. Her consciousness faded bit by bit. Just when she thought she was about to truly die, a whistling arrow pierced the air. Her grip on her hand suddenly loosened, and she slumped backward, landing in someone's arms. She tried to see who it was, but all she saw was a blur of white. She murmured, "Si Junxing," before quickly losing consciousness again due to the brief lack of oxygen.

Qin Hao, his face ashen, stared at the man lying in his arms. He sneered, "Is this how he takes care of you? Luckily I arrived in time. Otherwise, you'd be left to rot in the wilderness, and no one would know!" He scooped Lin Suyang up in his arms. He glanced at the man lying on the ground, an arrow lodged in his throat. He said to the guards beside him, "Cut him to pieces and throw him here to feed the wolves." Looking up at the clear, bright moon, he said calmly, "Han Yufeng, one day I will settle this score with you!"

Since he didn't know which direction Qin Yu and the others had gone, Si Junxing could only rely on his intuition and the faint, scattered hooves to search everywhere. He searched for a long time without finding any trace of them. With dawn approaching and his anxiety about Lin Suyang growing, he was about to give up when suddenly he smelled a strong, pungent odor of blood wafting from ahead. It was particularly noticeable in the clean morning air.

Following the scent, they soon discovered a large, sunken area in the distance littered with corpses. Upon closer inspection, many of them were the people who had escorted them the previous night. Others were dressed in the distinctive clothing of the vassal state. They nervously stepped over the nauseatingly dismembered limbs. Si Junxing carefully searched for Qin Yu's grey clothes. After searching every corner, he couldn't find her body. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Not finding her body meant she was likely still alive. It seemed that those who had pursued them last night were indeed from the vassal state. Qin Yu might be in their hands. Si Junxing frowned. Should he go back and tell Su Yang now, or…?

"Are you looking for someone?" a familiar voice came from ahead.

"Heh, I thought you'd stay hidden forever." Si Junxing sneered and raised his head, but was taken aback when he saw who it was. "Kong Ling?"

"Should I call you Brother Si Junxing now, or Your Highness the Eighth Prince of Yan Liao?" Kong Ling walked over with a charming smile. "But no matter who you are, you are just Brother Si Junxing in my heart." She leaned close to Si Junxing's ear, and her ambiguous tone made his expression turn cold. He took a few steps back and said in a low voice, "Please have some self-respect, young lady."

"Hehe, Eighth Prince, there's no need to worry. This humble woman dares not presume to be worthy of your status. I only wish to follow you by your side." Kong Ling did not step forward further, but still looked at him with affection in her eyes.

"I don't care who this Eighth Prince you're talking about is, I just want to know if you know where Qin Yu is." Si Junxing remained unmoved, his tone becoming even colder.

"Qin Yu? You mean Princess Jingyang? Oh, I remember now, isn't her husband the most talented scholar in the Great Yang Dynasty, Grand Tutor Lin? I greatly admire Grand Tutor Lin's talent. I wonder if the Eighth Prince, oh no, Brother Si Junxing, knows him? When would you be so kind as to introduce me to him?"

Si Junxing's heart skipped a beat. She knew everything? Wasn't Kong Ling Kong Mingqi's daughter? Who was she working for? Kong Mingqi... seemed to have figured something out. Si Junxing suddenly looked at her. Was she seeking revenge?

Kong Ling, seemingly oblivious to his suspicious gaze, toyed with her hair hanging down her chest and said casually, "However, it seems there's no need for introductions now. Aren't the princess and her consort guests here? Oh, by the way, Brother Si Junxing, why don't you go and meet these two important figures? I've heard that the consort is incredibly handsome; both men and women would be captivated by him. Tsk tsk tsk, just imagine how alluring he must be..."

With a "whoosh," a long sword was immediately placed against Kong Ling's neck. With just a gentle pull, a trickle of blood flowed down.

"Tell me, where did you take them?" A cruelty never before seen in Si Junxing's eyes, like an approaching storm, threatening to unleash a cataclysmic disaster. Although he wasn't sure if what she said was true, he had been away from Lin Suyang for so long, and he didn't know what had happened in between. Knowing that Lin Suyang had fallen into their hands, his heart ached, and he desperately wanted to kill everyone in front of him.

Kong Ling was so frightened by the brutality and coldness in his eyes that she dared not move. Suddenly, she chuckled softly, "You won't kill me, right? If you kill me, you won't know where they are..." Before she could finish speaking, she felt a sharp blade being embedded in her neck, and the pain was so intense that she felt like she was dying.

"you……"

"I hate being threatened, especially by someone I've wanted dead for a long time!" Si Junxing sneered. "You think I wouldn't dare kill you? What a joke. Do you think I can't find her without you? Let me tell you, I will find her no matter where she is, whether she is alive or dead. In life, we'll be together; in death, I'll go with her. Now, can you still threaten me?" As he spoke, he pulled again, the blade advancing a little further. If he exerted just a little more force, Kong Ling might not have seen the sunset that day.

A scream rang out, and Kong Ling's gauze dress was soaked with blood. Large tears streamed down her face. "Why?" she asked in a trembling voice. "Why are you so gentle to her but so cruel to me? Why can you see her kindness to you but ignore my kindness to you? Why do you not care when she abandons you time and time again? I gave up my father's revenge for you, and after learning you were the Eighth Prince, I sided with Yan Liao to help you, but why do you treat me like this? What's so good about that androgynous monster that you would do this for?"

"It's worth it," Si Junxing said coldly. "Because I love her." It doesn't matter appearance, status, or how she treats you; in short, love is love, even if it means the collapse of the world. Because he loves her, he can give up everything and endure everything for her; because he doesn't love you, he can be cruel to you, leaving you bleeding and in unbearable pain. This is Si Junxing. Those loved by him are fortunate; those not loved by him are best kept at a distance to avoid being left battered and bruised.

"Where was she last time?"

Volume Three: Heartbreak, Chapter Eighty-Eight: Parting of Life and Death (Part Two)

Nothing could compare to the despair of being treated this way by the one you love. Kong Ling's eyes were filled with sorrow. She looked at Si Junxing's sinister expression, trying her best to ignore the sharp pain in her neck, and said with a desolate smile, "Fine, I'll tell you."

Qin Hao stood by the window with his hands behind his back. Inside the room, an elderly doctor was taking Lin Suyang's pulse as she lay on the bed. After a long while, the old doctor stopped and stood up to fetch the medicine box from the table. Hearing the sound, Qin Hao quickly turned around and asked, "Doctor, how is she? Why hasn't she woken up yet?"

The old doctor looked at him and said with a hint of reproach, "You husband are really something. Your wife is only three months pregnant, which is a dangerous period, yet you still make her run around and work so hard. Fortunately, the child is lucky and survived."

"What...what did you say? She's already three months pregnant?" Qin Hao stared at the old doctor in disbelief, his expression more astonished than if he had seen something rare.

"What, you don't know?" The old doctor looked at him in surprise, then nodded and said, "No wonder you don't know. Your wife is already very weak, so it's normal for her to not have been pregnant for four or five months. But what's strange is that when I examined her, her pulse was weak and unstable, and her heartbeat was irregular. She had symptoms of miscarriage. Perhaps she took some kind of miraculous medicine to stabilize the pregnancy. Even so, you still need to take better care of her, otherwise even the best medicine won't be able to save her many times!"

Seeing Qin Hao still staring at him in disbelief, the old doctor smiled slightly and said, "Don't worry, she's just been a little frightened and will wake up soon. I'll write down some medicine to help with the pregnancy. Just remember to brew it for her once a day, and don't let her overexert herself. Hehe, first-time fathers need to learn a lot." He lowered his head, picked up his pen, and wrote a prescription on a piece of paper. He then said, "Here's the prescription. Have someone come with me to get the medicine."

Qin Hao took the prescription and looked at it. Then he called over a guard waiting outside and said, "Quickly, go with the doctor to get the medicine. Remember to give him a generous consultation fee." The guard respectfully accepted the prescription and then asked the doctor to go first.

After the door creaked shut, Qin Hao strode to Lin Suyang's bedside, gazed at her for a long time, then tremblingly reached out and touched her lower abdomen, murmuring, "A child? This is...our child? Hehe, this is our child!" He chuckled, then gently pulled Lin Suyang into his arms, his arms encircling her tightly, and lowered his head to press his face against hers, "Heaven didn't want you to leave me, so you can't blame me..."

Lin Suyang felt very uncomfortable, as if something was pressing on her chest, making it hard for her to breathe. When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a familiar face staring at her blankly.

"It's you?" she exclaimed in surprise, and hurriedly tried to back away, but Qin Hao pressed her down on the bed and she couldn't move.

"Don't move," Qin Hao said with a frown. "I'm not going to eat you, why are you so scared?" He let go of her and sat back down when she stopped struggling.

"Don't worry. You're so weak. What can I do to you?" Qin Hao said expressionlessly.

"You..." Lin Suyang stared at him speechlessly. She wanted to avoid Qin Hao like the plague, but unexpectedly, he still came after her. Couldn't he really let her go?

Lin Suyang turned her head away, not wanting to look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the dark rafters. "I wonder why Your Majesty has come? Are you worried that I might take this opportunity to escape?"

"Do you think I would abandon state affairs and come all the way to the Northwest to monitor you? Grand Tutor Lin, you overestimate yourself." Qin Hao said coldly.

"Furthermore, it seems the Grand Tutor has forgotten something. It was I who saved your life. Could it be that the Grand Tutor is also an ungrateful wretch?"

Lin Suyang was stunned. She suddenly turned her head and looked at him urgently, "Your Majesty, have you seen the princess?" She dared not mention Si Junxing, otherwise she didn't know how furious he would be.

"What, Yu'er has come to the Northwest too?" Qin Hao asked, frowning.

“Yes,” Lin Suyang nodded and said, “The vassal state rebelled, and the Ninth Prince led his troops to fight on the border. A few days ago, the Prince sent people to escort me and the princess back to Hedan, but we encountered pursuers from the vassal state on the way. The princess…”

“They’re not pursuers from a vassal state,” Qin Hao interrupted her, “they’re from Yan and Liao.”

"What? Impossible!" Lin Suyang exclaimed. Yan Liaoyuan was in the south, how could he possibly travel thousands of miles to the northwest to hunt them down?

"Do you think that a mere vassal state can make my Great Yang's ever-victorious general personally go to the battlefield?" Qin Hao sneered. "If it weren't for Yan Liao backing him up, even if this vassal state had ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to declare war on my Great Yang."

“However, Han Yufeng will not launch a war in the south at the same time, because his purpose this time is firstly to show his power to the Great Central Government, and secondly,” Qin Hao glanced at Lin Suyang, “is for his long-lost younger brother, the eighth prince of Yanliao, Han Yujing.”

Seeing his eyes, Lin Suyang's heart skipped a beat. Then he heard him continue, "It is said that Han Yujing was taken away when he was very young. The former King of Yanliao dispatched a large number of secret agents to search for his whereabouts but to no avail. It wasn't until last year that the new Emperor of Shenghan accidentally found the Eighth Prince and learned that he was the infamous leader of the Demonic Sect. It's just a pity that the Eighth Prince is unaware of his own background and actually ran to the northwest of our Great Central Plains to enjoy himself with a woman!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Suyang's face turned pale. Wasn't the person he was talking about Si Junxing?

"I suppose Grand Tutor Lin has already guessed, hasn't he? That Eighth Prince is none other than Si Junxing, whom you couldn't bear to leave back then." Qin Hao's words were completely calm, as if he were recounting a very ordinary matter. "Han Yufeng wants to recall his younger brother, the sect leader, to help him one day dominate the world. I only just received a secret report and rushed here to intercept their people, but who would have thought I would run into you."

It turned out that Qin Hao was filled with suspicion after receiving the secret report. Only after repeated investigations did he realize the truth. He was both angry and helpless, realizing that Si Junxing had likely followed Lin Suyang to the Northwest. He didn't want to go back on his promise to Lin Suyang, but if Han Yufeng's men found Si Junxing first, Yan Liao could completely control the entire Demonic Sect, and Da Yang would have another powerful enemy. He could have sent the Dragon Guards to handle the matter, but ultimately, his personal interests prevailed, and he personally led the Dragon Guards to the Northwest to check on Lin Suyang. That day, he accidentally discovered Yan Liao's scheme of disguising themselves as soldiers of a vassal state and followed them, only to find they had escaped. Later, he stumbled upon Lin Suyang in danger and quickly rescued her.

"Therefore, I am not worried about the rebellion of the vassal states. I believe that Ninth Prince is capable of returning victorious soon. What worries me most right now is the Yan-Liao plan. Now Yu'er is definitely in their hands. I think they don't know that I have come to the Northwest. So as long as they find Han Yujing, they may release Yu'er. Another possibility is that they will use Princess Jingyang of Dayang as a bargaining chip. At that time, Yu'er will be in danger."

She wondered if Si Junxing had found Qin Yu. If not, what would happen if he returned and couldn't find her? Or had he already been found and taken away by the Yan Liao people? Judging from Qin Hao's words, the latter possibility seemed more likely. Regardless of the reason, Yu'er's current situation was certainly not optimistic. However, the reason this matter didn't cause Lin Suyang too much worry was that she trusted Han Yufeng; it was simply a natural trust.

"Where is this?" she suddenly remembered.

"He Dan," Qin Hao replied, "is currently under Lin Ziyan's command, with 10,000 elite troops. I won't reveal my identity unless absolutely necessary, so I will keep the search for Yu'er a secret. Since Yan Liao doesn't want anyone to know their purpose, I'll see what tricks they have up their sleeve!"

Lin Suyang didn't sleep all night. Ever since Qin Hao left, she felt uneasy, as if a lot of things had sunk into her heart. The water was rising, making her mind extremely chaotic. It seemed that something had gone wrong, but she could never sort out the clues.

The next day, Qin Hao stood coldly at her door. She looked at him, puzzled. Without a word, Qin Hao handed her a letter. She took it and opened it. It read: "Please meet Grand Tutor Lin of the Great Yang Kingdom outside Hedan City at noon today to discuss matters. If you fail to arrive by the appointed time, you will bear the consequences."

Volume Three: Heartbreak, Chapter Eighty-Nine: Parting of Life and Death (Part Two)

"You're not allowed to go," Qin Hao said immediately after she finished reading the letter.

"Why?" Lin Suyang shouted, "She's your sister, how can you be so heartless and not care whether she lives or dies?"

"Given your current situation, do you think I'll let you go?" Qin Hao took a step closer to her and said.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you mean? How long are you planning to keep this from me, my Grand Tutor Lin?" Qin Hao asked coldly, staring at her.

"I don't understand what you're talking about." Startled, Lin Suyang lowered her head and prepared to go back into the house, but he suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"You're three months pregnant and you're still running around with Ninth Prince! Do you know how close I came to losing my baby?" Qin Hao shouted angrily.

Seeing Lin Suyang struggling, he let go for fear of hurting her. Once free, Lin Suyang rubbed her wrist, which was aching from his grip, and said with a cold smile, "Your child? Who said this is your child? The child only has one father, and his name is Si Junxing, not Qin!"

Qin Hao narrowed his eyes and said in a cold voice, "What did you say?"

"Your Majesty, I am now Si Junxing's wife. Please do not forget your promise and do not disturb my family in the future!" Lin Suyang said calmly as she looked at him.

"Wife?" Qin Hao gritted his teeth and said, "Very good, wife. Ha, I knew that Si Junxing was infatuated, but I didn't know he could be this infatuated, actually willingly accepting another man's child. I admire him, I admire him!"

Lin Suyang didn't want to argue with him about this. Her mood became very agitated. That day, she clearly felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. After that intense riding, the child should have been lost long ago. Why did he still know? Could the child still be alive? For a moment, Lin Suyang's heart was filled with mixed emotions. She didn't know whether to be happy or sad. Seeing Qin Hao's attitude, her hope of getting him to release her was slim. Now, the most important thing was to confirm the safety of Qin Yu and Si Junxing. Si Junxing. Just thinking of that name made Lin Suyang's heart ache pierce through her. Were they ultimately destined to be apart?

"What? You're not going to say anything? I'm still waiting for your explanation. The descendants of my Qin family are not allowed to be scattered outside. Besides, that person is the Eighth Prince of Yan and Liao!" Qin Hao stared coldly at Lin Suyang and said.

"A descendant of the Qin family? Your Majesty, perhaps you haven't understood what I'm saying? This child belongs to me and Si Junxing. From beginning to end. Moreover, he's only in the womb. Whether or not to keep him, I'm still considering it," Lin Suyang threatened.

"You... dare?" Qin Hao pulled her back again. He whispered in her ear, "Let me tell you. If you don't want him, or if you want to take my child and run away with someone else, I will immediately exterminate your entire Lin family. If you don't believe me, you can try." Ignoring Lin Suyang's pale face and trembling body, he pulled her into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and continued to whisper, "So, you must take good care of yourself and him. I won't hold your affair with Si Junxing against you. As long as you stay by my side, when we return to Yundu, I will marry you and make you the Empress of the Great Central Kingdom."

"Marry? Become Empress?" Lin Suyang asked stiffly, forcing himself to remain calm. "I wonder what Your Majesty's status will be for me when I marry into the royal family? The eldest son of Lin Cheng, the Minister of Rites? Or the consort of Princess Jingyang? Your Majesty seems to have forgotten. I am merely a 'man,' a 'man' who is already married." To send her into the deep, secluded palace, to fight wits and courage with countless women for a man she doesn't love... Rather than that, it would be better for her to die. At least she could carry with her the purest love for Si Junxing.

"Don't worry about that. I'll arrange everything. As long as you behave, I'll make that day come soon." Qin Hao's even gentler voice sent chills down Lin Suyang's spine.

"I have to keep my appointment today," Lin Suyang said, his arm around her tightening slightly, followed by a voice from her neck, "I told you not to."

"What if I absolutely have to go?" Lin Suyang was uncompromising on this point, because whether she could see Si Junxing or not, this was her last chance. Besides, Qin Yu was still in their hands. If anything happened to Qin Yu, she probably wouldn't be able to atone for it even with her death. She could be forced to leave Si Junxing for the sake of the Lin family, she could give up her unborn child and everything in Yundu for Si Junxing, but she could never abandon Qin Yu. If it was about feelings, it was Qin Yu's attachment and devotion to her from the very beginning. As women, they cherished each other, and she had already regarded him as another important person in her life. It was a kind of affection that transcended kinship. Su Qingwan had never given her this feeling, Lin Cheng had never given her this feeling, and even Lin Ziyan, who had grown up with her, had never given her this feeling.

Sometimes, matters of the heart truly defy description, just like when she fell in love with Si Junxing. It was for a reason, yet not quite that reason—complex and contradictory. The reason she wasn't worried about Si Junxing was partly due to Qin Hao's analysis, and partly because if anything happened to him, she would follow him without hesitation. Having already accepted this mindset, what was there to worry about?

This question is similar to a story I've heard before: what would you do if your loved one and your closest relative both fell into a river? Lin Suyang's answer was to see how things went. If someone could help, she would ask them to help. If not, she would first try to save the one closest to her. If in the end only one person could save her, and the other was destined to give up, she might leave with that person, or she might live on with endless regret.

Qin Hao finally agreed to her request, on the condition that he stay by her side.

Before the appointed time, Qin Hao, disguised, arrived outside Hedan City with Lin Suyang. Qin Hao informed Lin Ziyan, as he had reason to believe this was either a diversionary tactic or some other kind of conspiracy involving Yan and Liao. Therefore, he instructed Lin Ziyan to hold back for the time being and guard Hedan. If a large number of soldiers arrived and alerted the enemy, Qin Yu's situation would become even more dangerous.

The agreed meeting place was a slightly low-lying depression, surrounded by only some short, sparse weeds and offering no other cover. When Lin Suyang and her group arrived, someone was already waiting there. Upon seeing Qin Yu, who was gagged and bound, Lin Suyang was about to rush forward to rescue her when Qin Hao, standing behind her, grabbed her hand and whispered, "Don't rush." Then, looking around, they noticed several messy hoofprints along the edge of the depression, and only a few people in front of them, indicating that they had been ambushed.

"I have arrived as agreed. Please release my friend," Lin Suyang said to the group.

Qin Yu couldn't speak, but her eyes had been fixed on Lin Suyang ever since she appeared. Her eyes were filled with emotion, relief, and worry. Lin Suyang saw it all, which was why she wanted to save her at all costs.

"Grand Tutor Lin has indeed kept his promise. Now that we have found His Highness the Eighth Prince, and we know the relationship between you and His Highness, we urge you to see the situation between our two countries clearly and not to bother His Highness anymore, lest you be misunderstood by the Emperor of your Great Central Kingdom." An older man kindly advised Lin Suyang.

"Why don't you let your Eighth Prince come and tell me himself?" Lin Suyang said coldly. "My affairs with him are none of your concern. If it really comes to a settlement, I can only comply if I hear his words with my own ears." Feeling her hand being squeezed painfully, she didn't even look at it and still said to the person who had spoken earlier, "When will you release my friend?"

The elder stared at her silently for a long time, then turned and gave a wink to the man holding Qin Yu, who then loosened the ropes and strips of cloth binding Qin Yu.

Qin Yu immediately rushed towards Lin Suyang, who grabbed her and pulled her to her side. Just as she opened her mouth to ask, "How are you?", countless arrows shot from all directions, heading straight for the three people in the middle.

Qin Hao immediately drew his sword and swung it away at the arrows aimed at Lin Suyang and Qin Yu, while giving a sharp signal. The Dragon Guards hidden in the distance rushed over quickly, and immediately, the sounds of fighting rose up, dust flew up on the sand, and the scene was chaotic.

Those Yan Liao people seemed intent on killing Lin Suyang. Even though there were many Dragon Guards around, the arrows kept flying towards her with unwavering purpose. Qin Hao protected her behind him, knocking away dozens of arrows in a row, while at the same time looking for an opportunity to let her take Qin Yu and leave for He Dan quickly.

While dodging the deadly arrows that seemed to slip through any opening, Lin Suyang pulled Qin Yu back, while Qin Hao and more than ten Dragon Guards formed a line in front to intercept the Yan Liao assassins who kept rushing up.

Perhaps they hadn't expected that the unassuming man following Lin Suyang would possess such strength, and they underestimated today's mission. Seeing their own men fall one by one, the first old man impatiently waved his hand and shouted for a retreat. In the blink of an eye, those who had been fighting desperately to take Lin Suyang's life immediately followed the old man and mounted their horses. The Dragon Guards were about to give chase, but Qin Hao stopped them.

As Qin Hao turned to inquire about Qin Yu and the other man's situation, the old man, who had already ridden away some distance, flashed a sharp light in his eyes. He nocked a sharp arrow that gleamed with a bluish light, aimed at Lin Suyang who was facing him, and fired. Qin Yu cried out in alarm, and without thinking, stepped forward to shield Lin Suyang. The arrow, without slowing down, pierced through Qin Yu's back and emerged from his chest.

"Yu'er!" Lin Suyang and Qin Hao shouted at the same time. Lin Suyang quickly supported her sliding body, while Qin Hao's eyes reddened. He ordered the Dragon Guards to chase after those people, and then picked up Qin Yu and rushed towards He Dan.

Volume Four, Palace Absolute, Chapter Ninety: Forgetting the Past (Part 1)

She still remembers the first time she saw her. The peach blossoms in the sky were like butterflies about to take flight, pink and delicate, swirling and leaping in the air. When the wind blew, they swayed and flew high like kites, and then quickly drifted down again.

She told her that her mother was beautiful and loved someone wholeheartedly, even dying for him. She told her that her mother lost something on Xiangkong Mountain, something very important; later she learned that what her mother lost was her heart. She also told her that she had fallen in love with her. What could she do? She had fallen in love with her, deeply, silently, and willingly, while she, unaware, ignorant, and unwilling, ultimately entered someone else's world.

The arrow that pierced Qin Yu was barbed, and he dared not remove it rashly. By the time Qin Hao had carried her halfway there, she was already barely breathing. She gently tugged at her brother's sleeve, begging him to put her down. Qin Hao looked at her, put her on the ground, and had Lin Suyang carefully half-carry her, avoiding the conspicuous arrow, before running wildly towards He Dan, which was not far away.

Qin Yu slowly raised his hand and touched Lin Suyang's face, saying with deep affection, "I'm...sorry...I broke my promise...I can no ...the world with you..."

Lin Suyang shook his head repeatedly with tears in his eyes: "No, you can't break your promise, Yu'er. You said you would stay with me for life. How can you leave me? I won't allow it, do you hear me? I won't allow it."

Qin Yu gently stroked Lin Suyang's eyes with her slender fingers and forced a smile: "I... promised... promised you... but I really... really can't do it... I'm leaving... will you... miss me?"

"No, you can't go alone. You have to leave Yundu with me. I want to take you away from that place that has robbed you of your freedom. I won't let you go."