Wei Yun, who had always remained calm and composed, couldn’t suppress a trace of anger in his eyes as he recalled the stunned expression on Xie Tao’s face just now.
He then stepped down the steps by the riverside and stood by the lamplight. “I wonder why the Prince of Xin is here?”
Zhao Zhengrong displayed his lightness skill and leaped off the boat, lightly touching the surface of the water with the tips of his toes. In just a moment, he stood steadily in front of Wei Yun.
The four guards accompanying the Prince of Xin also flew to the shore one after another.
After all, as a prince who had experienced battles on the battlefield, he appeared much more steady than the one in the Eastern Palace.
“Does the Imperial Advisor think that tonight’s commotion was arranged by this prince?” Zhao Zhengrong raised an eyebrow and said.
At that moment, a graceful figure emerged from the flower boat, a beautiful woman who looked around as if searching for something on the shore.
When she caught sight of Wei Yun, dressed in a crimson brocade robe with disheveled black hair and a picturesque face, a hint of amazement flashed in her eyes, causing her to be slightly stunned. Then, when she glanced at Zhao Zhengrong beside Wei Yun, she seemed to regain her senses. Her gaze towards Zhao Zhengrong carried a hint of shyness and timidity, with affectionate waves in her eyes.
Zhao Zhengrong smiled faintly and waved to the beauty on the flower boat before turning to Wei Yun. “As you can see, tonight this prince was invited by a beauty. I merely came to enjoy the Lantern Festival, but unexpectedly encountered such a major event as the Imperial Advisor being attacked.”
Wei Yun glanced at the woman on the flower boat and then smirked. “How could this humble minister dare to suspect His Highness the Prince of Xin.”
The sound of armor clashing gradually approached, and the orderly footsteps drew closer. When Wei Yun turned around, he saw Li Tianheng, the leader of the night patrol, leading a group of people rushing over.
“It’s really not timely for Leader Li to arrive.”
Zhao Zhengrong glanced back.
“Your Highness the Prince of Xin?”
Li Tianheng seemed quite astonished when he saw Zhao Zhengrong by the water’s edge. He quickly saluted and said nothing more. However, when he glanced at the cold eyes of Wei Yun, he felt a chill down his spine, lowered his head immediately, saluted again, and said, “Please forgive me, Master Imperial Advisor, for my late arrival.”
“Li Tianheng,”
Wei Yun ascended the steps and walked up to him, kicking him in the knee with such force that Li Tianheng instantly knelt on the ground.
“When will you ever be on time?”
Wei Yun leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice, “I see you’ve forgotten who sits on the Dragon Throne now.”
Such a statement, though somewhat cryptic, was not cryptic enough.
Li Tianheng shuddered, his eyes blinking incessantly due to nervousness.
Perhaps because he was without the restraint of his crown at this moment, Wei Yun’s disheveled black hair seemed to add a certain indescribable charm to his usually well-groomed appearance.
Yet, it made him even more unapproachable, too intimidating to look directly at.
Watching Li Tianheng trembling like this, Wei Yun suddenly chuckled, a hint of mockery in his cold, deep eyes.
Even such a waste as Li Tianheng, Zhao Zhengrong dared to employ.
“Your Highness, I take my leave.”
Finally, Wei Yun glanced deeply at Li Tianheng before nodding slightly to Zhao Zhengrong and turning to leave.
“Wei Yun.”
However, Zhao Zhengrong called out to him.
Wei Yun paused, turning back, “Does Your Highness have any other matters?”
In the dim light of the lamps, Zhao Zhengrong smiled at him, “Today’s affair has nothing to do with me, but if you need my assistance, I am willing to help.”
Upon hearing this, Wei Yun’s face showed little emotion. He only nodded, “Thank you, Your Highness, but it’s unnecessary.”
With that, he turned and walked away.
Thus, in the deserted street, only the night patrol soldiers standing with bowed heads, Li Tianheng kneeling on the ground unable to rise for some time, and Prince Zhao Zhengrong and his attendants remained.
“Li Tianheng.”
Zhao Zhengrong looked at the patrol soldier, still kneeling on the ground, and then glanced at Wei Yun’s gradually blurred figure. He sighed, “You’ve crossed Wei Yun’s bottom line.”
The tone was one of regret, yet also somewhat detached, like that of a spectator.
After speaking, Zhao Zhengrong turned and left.
Meanwhile, Li Tianheng remained kneeling there, his eyes filled with panic and confusion, his back already soaked with sweat.
When Wei Yun returned to the mansion, Xie Tao was alone in the room, wrapped in a blanket sitting on the bed.
The headband bound around her eyes was still in place, and she sat there motionless, not saying a word.
“Miss said not to touch that headband…” Wei Bo spoke softly from the outer room, looking inside with Wei Yun through the translucent curtains, then added quietly.
Wei Yun looked at her, covering herself with the blanket, with only her head visible outside. He remained silent for a moment before instructing Wei Bo, “You may leave first.”
After Wei Bo acknowledged and left, closing the door behind him, Wei Yun lifted the curtain of silk and entered the room.
Xie Tao heard his footsteps as he entered, even though she couldn’t see anything with her eyes covered.
It was strange.
Even with her eyes covered, she could tell it was him just by the sound of his steps.
As Wei Yun sat beside her, he hadn’t said anything yet when he suddenly heard her softly ask, “Are you injured?”
Xie Tao smelled the scent of blood on him.
Wei Yun didn’t speak, but reached out and removed the headband blocking her vision.
As clusters of lights illuminated the room, the sudden darkness retreated, causing Xie Tao to close her eyes against the brightness.
When she finally opened her eyes, she saw a small wound on Wei Yun’s palm.
He had willingly extended his hand to show her the injury.
It seemed almost deliberate, as if seeking her approval.
Xie Tao widened her eyes in astonishment, and in an instant, she reached out with the hand that had been holding the blanket and gently held his hand.
“You…”
She pursed her lips, wanting to say something but took a while before managing to squeeze out a sentence, “Does it hurt a lot?”
Wei Yun had experienced pain far more intense than this, so this kind of wound meant nothing to him.
But at this moment, as he watched the girl carefully cradling his hand, with worry evident in her eyes, his voice was somewhat hoarse, “Hmm… it hurts.”
“Where’s the medicine? I’ll go ask Uncle Wei!”
Xie Tao said, pushing the blanket aside with one foot, intending to get out of bed to find Uncle Wei.
However, Wei Yun, sitting on the edge of the bed, unexpectedly pulled her into his arms tightly.
In that instant, Xie Tao leaned against his chest, her almond eyes blinking rapidly, her heart in her chest pounding particularly fast.
Then, she distinctly felt him resting his chin on her head.
She heard his somewhat hoarse voice:
“Are you… scared?”
His voice became softer and somewhat elusive, slipping away beyond grasp.
“But Xie Tao,”
He called her name, then said, “This is my world.”
“Full of power struggles, endless strife.”
He said, “Xie Tao, this place is different from the world you live in.”
“And the path I’ve chosen is destined to be a one-way street. Before meeting you, I couldn’t turn back.”
Having walked on the edge of a knife for many years, Wei Yun had long forgotten the word “fear.”
But tonight, as he saw his blurry reflection in her dull eyes, and as he held her in his arms at this moment, he tasted a hint of fear himself.
He thought he could protect her well.
But sometimes, things didn’t go as easily as he imagined.
He unexpectedly began to hesitate, wondering if his initial decision was wrong.
The distance between her and him was not merely a separation of two different times and spaces.
Usually meticulous about propriety and reluctant to cross boundaries easily, he found himself increasingly disturbed by her actions, which seemed to unsettle his normally composed demeanor.
Perhaps it was because his mind was gradually overwhelmed by tangled thoughts like a messy ball of yarn, that he found himself disregarding everything tonight and pulling her into his arms, even disclosing many things to her.
Suddenly, he reached out and held her chin, forcing her to look up at him.
“Are you afraid?” he asked suddenly.
Xie Tao seemed to hesitate for a while, and just when he thought she wouldn’t respond, she suddenly tightened her arms around his waist.
“I…” he heard her soft voice, a bit timid, and somewhat low.
“I’m actually, very scared.”
Xie Tao couldn’t forget the feeling of blood splattering on her face she had just witnessed, and it still made her tremble with fear when she recalled it.
“But, but…”
She grasped his clothes, still smelling the bloody scent in her nose, which almost overshadowed the faint cold fragrance emanating from him.
The bloody scene from earlier kept flashing in her mind, leaving her still shaken.
Just as he had said, this was his world.
Here, survival was destined to be governed by such rules.
And the path he chose was destined not to be bright, destined to be bathed in blood, with an uncertain return.
But…
Xie Tao still held onto his clothes, never letting go.
No amount of fear could make her give up on the person in front of her.
“I’ll stay with you…”
Her voice was weak as she lowered her eyes.
At that moment, after hearing her words, Wei Yun seemed stunned for a while.
Suddenly, in his slightly faded eyes, galaxies surged, with clear brilliance scattered, shining brightly.
He tightened his grip on her chin slightly, leaning down, and his slightly cool lips suddenly pressed against her forehead.
The soft touch, accompanied by a slight chill.
Yet it seemed to carry a burning warmth, instantly reddening Xie Tao’s cheeks and her earlobes.
She stood there, stunned, forgetting to even breathe.
Her mind seemed to explode with all sorts of fireworks, almost making her feel as if she were falling into the clouds for a moment.
Outside the door, the wind and snow were magnificent.
Blowing the lanterns under the eaves on and off, until finally, there was no more light and shadow.
Snow piled up on the branches of trees, like petals of pear blossoms blooming overnight.
