Clear waters and beautiful mountains

Chapter 19

Di Xiu, unaware of the reason, dared not stop them and took the whip. A sharp pain shot through his arm, causing him to frown slightly.

Upon seeing this, Yu Chi Mingyue was shocked and grabbed Ming Shuangchen, saying, "Mother! What are you doing?!"

Ming Shuangchen ignored her and said coldly to Di Xiu, "You scoundrel! What are you up to by pretending to be crazy!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu felt a chill in his heart, and his mind went blank for a moment.

Yu Chi Mingyue was also surprised. She looked up and gazed at Di Xiu.

An abrupt silence fell, heavy with solemnity.

Yu Chi Mingyue couldn't even hear her own breathing and heartbeat; her mind was tangled and she couldn't make sense of it. Feigning madness? ...Has his mind recovered? When did he recover? Why didn't he tell her? He...he lied to her? The oppression in her heart was indescribable.

Di Xiu gazed silently at Yu Chi Mingyue; her bewildered eyes pierced his heart. He had long anticipated this day… feigning madness was ultimately too ridiculous. But this moment, it had come too suddenly…

Seeing his prolonged silence, Ming Shuangchen said coldly, "Why aren't you saying anything? You brat, answer me honestly, what do you want from deliberately getting close to Ming Yue?!"

What do you want? What do you want...?

Di Xiu lowered his eyes and smiled bitterly.

Seeing him like this, Yu Chi Mingyue couldn't quite describe her feelings. Anxiety, anger, resentment… a hundred emotions swirled and tangled. But the clearest feeling was pain. The pain in her heart was so deep. How could she forget that her father had lied to her mother for the sake of the ten prefectures of Nanling? He had used any means necessary, disregarding all shame. And now, was he doing the same? Was all his kindness towards her just a lie?

She was consumed by rage, unable to contain herself any longer. She flung Ming Shuangchen's hand away, grabbed the reins, and demanded in a heart-wrenching voice, "You lied to me?"

Di Xiu looked up at her, his heart already ice-cold.

Yes, he lied to her, without a doubt, undeniably.

A beautiful dream must eventually end.

What she truly loved was the version of herself, bound by the celestial fox's curse, foolish and ignorant. What did the real him mean to her?

It's something I shouldn't have coveted. If I had let go sooner, I wouldn't have had to debase myself to this extent. "Ah Xiu"? What a ridiculous name, and what a ridiculous stance!

From now on, we will remain strangers, still despise and hate each other... nothing more.

He suddenly laughed, as if relieved.

He looked at her, suppressing the tremor in his voice, and smiled:

"Yes, I lied to you."

Chapter Twenty-Two

"Yes, I lied to you."

Upon hearing these words, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck Yu Chi Mingyue's mind. She felt her blood surging throughout her body, causing her to tremble slightly.

Ming Shuangchen was now furious and shouted, "Guards! Seize him!"

Di Xiu's eyes narrowed, and he pulled Yu Chi Mingyue onto the horse's back, grabbing her throat with his claws and coldly saying, "Get back!"

Seeing this, no one dared to step forward rashly.

Mei Ziqi frowned, took a few steps forward, and earnestly advised, "Axiu, don't do anything foolish."

Di Xiu looked at him and chuckled, "Ah Xiu? Mr. Mei, you haven't even forgotten my identity, have you?" His gaze swept over everyone indifferently, finally landing on Ming Shuangchen. "Princess, rest assured, I will not harm the Fourth Miss. As long as I escape safely, she will naturally be safe and sound."

Ming Shuangchen frowned and said, "Di Xiu, the Nanling Prince's Mansion will never let you get away with what you've done today!"

Di Xiu remained calm and said, "I will keep the princess's words in mind."

Having said that, he reined in his horse and spurred it on. The steed galloped away, disappearing into the twilight in no time.

...

Yu Chi Mingyue was on the bumpy horseback, her thoughts in complete disarray. He kidnapped her? He actually kidnapped her?

The hand that had been gripping her throat had loosened, but the slight pain was still very clear. Yet, for some reason, she suddenly remembered a night when she had secretly entered his room, and he had gripped her throat in the same way…

She was both angry and anxious at her own strange thoughts, and shouted, "How dare you! How dare you! Put me down!"

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu pulled on the reins and reined in his horse.

Yu Chi Mingyue struggled to dismount, but her body swayed, and she was about to fall off. Di Xiu reached out, put his arm around her waist, and helped her sit up. Then he dismounted and walked away.

Seeing that he was about to leave, Yu Chi Mingyue shouted, "Stop!"

Di Xiu stopped and turned to look at her.

"Explain yourself!" Yu Chi Mingyue said. As she spoke, her voice trembled, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up, threatening to fall.

Di Xiu avoided her gaze and said, "Since I have been seen through, I have nothing to say."

Hearing him say that, Yu Chi Mingyue felt even more distressed and pressed him for an answer: "Tell me, why?!"

He fell silent, speechless.

Yu Chi Mingyue felt the pain in her heart turn into a bitter ache. There were only five steps between them. So close, yet he maintained a posture of keeping her at arm's length, refusing to let her approach. Just moments ago, she had been holding his hand…

At this time, dusk had completely disappeared, the sky had darkened, and it was gradually impossible to see anything.

As his image blurred before her eyes, Yu Chi Mingyue felt increasingly heartbroken. She tried to calm herself down and slowly sort out her thoughts.

Within the Yuchi Manor, there is no doubt that he was indeed harmed by the Heavenly Fox's curse, his mind sealed. And it is also true that he risked his life to save the caravan when it was attacked. He didn't lie to her; she knew it all too well…

When exactly did he recover? When did he start pretending to be stupid and lying to her?

She suddenly remembered all the things that had puzzled and worried her: his repeated hesitations, the subtle melancholy in his eyes, his no-longer-present frankness and directness...

That's right, it was after entering Plum Valley... If that's the case, how can it be said that they deliberately approached each other with ulterior motives?

Time passed silently, the bright moon rose, its clear light illuminating the surrounding fields.

His image became clear again. He was still standing in front of her, quietly gazing to the side.

Yu Chi Mingyue had already lost her temper. She spoke, calling out:

“Di Xiu…”

This call touched a raw nerve within him. But his silence remained stubbornly unyielding.

"Are you truly kind to me?" Yu Chi Mingyue frowned, her voice trembling slightly.

Di Xiu raised her eyes and looked at her, asking in return, "What difference does sincerity or insincerity make to Miss Fourth?"

"Yes!" Yu Chi Mingyue answered eagerly, "If it's true, I..."

Di Xiu looked at her, waiting for her answer.

Yu Chi Mingyue couldn't continue. What about sincerity? What about pretense? She couldn't think straight. The person before her was so familiar, yet so strange. She had spent every day with him, and wholeheartedly wanted to grow old with him, but now, why was she so fearful?

Ming Shuangchen's words were clear in her mind. She didn't even know what he really looked like, so how could she presume to speak of true feelings?

Seeing her silence, Di Xiu felt a profound emptiness in his heart. He lowered his eyes and said indifferently, "I don't remember what happened when my mind was sealed." He paused slightly, "...You know perfectly well what kind of person I was before."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue felt a pang of pain in her heart, "You..."

"I am ruthless and heartless, and I'm afraid I will disappoint Miss Fourth..." Di Xiu smiled faintly, said this, and turned to walk away.

Upon seeing this, Yu Chi Mingyue panicked and hurriedly dismounted. The horse was tall and she was not skilled at riding, so she lost her balance and fell to the ground.

Di Xiu noticed and turned around, wanting to go forward to help her. But he stopped in his tracks and gritted his teeth to endure it.

Yu Chi Mingyue stood up in a disheveled state, ran forward a few steps, grabbed Di Xiu's arm, and said in a pitiful voice, "You're not allowed to leave! Explain yourself!"

"Is there anything else to say?" Di Xiu frowned and asked in a low voice.

“Mr. Mei said that your mind was sealed by the Heavenly Fox, and although you are mentally impaired, you cannot lie…” With tears in her eyes, Yu Chi Mingyue asked unwillingly, “Which of your statements are true, and which are false?!”

Seeing her like this, Di Xiu felt a dull ache in his heart. He forcefully suppressed his emotions and looked up. In the distance, he saw flickering torchlight slowly approaching.

He grabbed Yu Chi Mingyue's hand and said, "Fine, I'll tell you. Your father, in order to undermine my power, arranged for me to be engaged to the Second Miss. I was determined to take revenge, so I plotted to obtain the 'Suppressing Pot,' and then prayed to the Heavenly Fox..." A hint of hatred flashed in his eyes, "...I want to have the Fourth Miss of the Yu Chi family..."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue was astonished.

“The fourth young lady of the Yuchi family, the granddaughter of the Prince of Nanling… If I could have you, power and status would be in my grasp!” Di Xiu’s voice was as cold as a knife. “Unfortunately, that fox inexplicably sealed my mind and disrupted my plans. However, it seems not so bad now.” He approached Yuchi Mingyue, his smile dangerous. “Fourth young lady, didn’t you want to marry me? Didn’t you say you wanted to elope? Then come with me.”

Tears streamed down Yu Chi Mingyue's face instantly, rendering her unable to think straight. She shook off his hand and shouted uncontrollably, "You bastard! Shameless! I shouldn't have trusted you in the first place! I shouldn't have saved you! I shouldn't have brought you back to the Nanling Prince's Mansion! I never want to see you again! Get out!"

Di Xiu smiled gently, then turned and left.

For some reason, as soon as she saw him about to leave, Yu Chi Mingyue chased after him and called out, "Stop!"

Di Xiu did not linger. He leaped up and disappeared into the night after several leaps.

Yu Chi Mingyue chased after him for a few steps, but could find him nowhere. Her voice trembling with tears, she cried out into the darkness, "Di Xiu! Stop! Don't go! Come back here!..."

Her cries went unanswered.

Just then, servants from the Prince of Nanling's residence arrived with torches, and they were all delighted to see her. The Prince of Nanling and Ming Shuangchen arrived shortly after, and seeing her in this state, they were filled with worry.

The surroundings were filled with the noise of people and words of concern, but she could hear nothing more; only emptiness remained in her heart.

...

Di Xiu ran for several miles before slowly slowing down. He was breathing heavily, his heart pounding wildly. He stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Just then, he heard that leisurely, smiling voice call out behind him, "Ah Xiu."

Di Xiu was startled and turned around abruptly. He saw Mei Ziqi standing a few feet behind him, smiling at him.

“You…” Di Xiu frowned, unsure how to respond.

"Tsk tsk, you run really fast." Mei Ziqi strolled up and laughed, "Stop fooling around, come back with me."

Di Xiu took a step back and said coldly, "Are you joking with me, sir?"

Mei Ziqi shook her head and said, "Ah Xiu, I think you're joking with me... Although you lied, you had no ulterior motives and never harmed Xiao Si, so why did you have to run away?"

“I already said that I would leave once my injuries have healed. That’s all,” Di Xiu replied.

"That's all?" Mei Ziqi stepped forward. "Then what did you mean by what you just said to Xiao Si?"

Di Xiu was slightly surprised and fell silent for a moment.

“Who would waste so much time talking if they wanted to escape?” Mei Ziqi sighed. “However, it’s fortunate that I overheard those words… Di Xiu, you’re determined to make Xiao Si give up on you. I never thought you would be so self-deprecating. You truly live up to what the princess said, how cowardly and despicable you are.”

“Mei Ziqi, I respect you to some extent, so don’t push your luck.” Di Xiu’s eyes suddenly flashed with murderous intent as he spoke.

"Since I misspoke, tell me what you meant by what you just said? Why did you lie to Xiao Si and say that you were just using her for power?" Mei Ziqi's smile vanished, and she questioned her sharply.

Di Xiu was silent for a moment, then smiled sadly and said, "I didn't lie to her..."