Chapter 266 Past Events (Extra 5: Yun Yao Yao & Xie Qing)

A year after Yun Yanqing’s death, Yun Chao was overthrown by the Sheng family.

Sheng HuaiZhi established a new dynasty—Sheng Qi.

That storm of blood and violence, however, was far from over, it was merely the beginning.

After Sheng HuaiZhi ascended the throne, he intensified the bloodshed. Many high officials and ministers were executed along with their entire families. The court was filled with wails, and the common people suffered greatly due to the war.

Xi Liu City.

“Creak—”

In a narrow alley, a common woman, heavily bundled up, emerged from a small door.

“Princess.” A cold voice echoed, and Yun YaoYao’s eyes instantly turned crimson.

“I thought you had left,” Yun YaoYao turned around, looking towards the other end of the alley.

Not far away, a man in blue stood there, observing her.

She clutched her clothes tighter, as if unwilling for him to see her in this state.

“I was merely scouting for information. I heard the new Emperor is sending people everywhere to find someone. Although Xi Liu City is far, a general arrived yesterday.”

Who this person was, they all knew.

It had been almost half a year since they escaped from Sheng HuaiZhi.

They hadn’t expected Sheng HuaiZhi to be so persistent, still searching for Yun YaoYao.

“Why did you save me?”

Yun YaoYao had been asking this question since the day Sheng HuaiZhi’s troops stormed the imperial city, but she had never received an answer from him.

This time, he still didn’t answer.

“Is it because of my imperial brother’s dying wish?”

The coldness in her eyes intensified.

Xie Qing did not reply, only saying, “Princess, it is dangerous outside, you should go back inside.”

Yun YaoYao asked no more questions and obediently followed Xie Qing back in.

In a daze, Xie Qing seemed to hear her softly murmur, “If it’s for my imperial brother, then leave me here…”

Her voice was very low, but clear enough for Xie Qing to hear.

He, however, said nothing, only turning to close the door.

“Where are we going?”

“I heard that Man Luo Kingdom is quite interesting. Your brother and I once made a pact to visit it. Why don’t we go there then…”

After a long silence, Yun YaoYao agreed.

That year in Man Luo Kingdom was the happiest time of Yun YaoYao’s life.

There, she temporarily forgot Yun Yanqing, forgot Yun Chao, and forgot who she was.

Even in her dreams, she never dreamt of those people.

Not a single one of those she had harmed appeared in her dreams.

“Xie Qing, I want to drink. Will you accompany me?”

Man Luo Kingdom was an open country. Here, no one paid excessive attention to who they were, so they stayed there for a long time.

The night was deep. Yun YaoYao, half-drunk, took her wine pot and barged into Xie Qing’s room.

Perhaps it was the wine clouding her senses, or perhaps something else, but for the first time, she kissed a man.

She detested kissing. In the past, even mere lip contact with Sheng HuaiYu would give her hives, yet she kissed Xie Qing.

She knew clearly that this man had never liked her; the one in his heart was her imperial brother.

If her brother hadn’t died a tragic death, wouldn’t they be together now?

Xie Qing looked at the woman before him and suddenly remembered her when they first met.

She always seemed to be such a passionate woman.

Passionate yet strangely alluring.

Like a poisonous flower, making one want to approach it despite knowing its toxicity.

That night, he was not drunk, yet he allowed her to have her way.

The heart’s desire, nothing more.

“Xie Qing, since you have defiled me, you must protect me from now on and never leave!”

“…”

He agreed without hesitation.

At that moment, he saw Yun YaoYao’s red eyes, and tears began to stream down her face.

This seemed to be the only time Yun YaoYao had cried during their escape, more moving than any tears she had shed before.

He held her close and made a vow.

To stay by her side, never leaving, but never mentioning the word love.

Later, the Sheng Qi Kingdom’s reach extended to Man Luo Kingdom.

They were eventually discovered.

Yun YaoYao chose to abandon him and returned to the imperial palace.

“Xie Qing, I was only with you because I sought your protection. But since Sheng HuaiZhi wants to take me into the palace, he likely won’t mistreat me. This kind of hardship, I, Yun YaoYao, can no longer bear!”

She had transformed back into the prickly princess she once was.

“Do you know why Sheng HuaiZhi killed his father and brother, and bathed the Yun Chao imperial palace in blood?”

Xie Qing paused, his calm demeanor finally showing a crack.

“There’s no need to say more.”

But Yun YaoYao did not grant him his wish. She said viciously, “What? Afraid that the woman you’ve painstakingly protected for two years is actually a venomous vixen with a heart of a snake?”

“Everything… I did it! When I was six, I deliberately seduced the Sheng brothers. I meticulously planned all of this, just to… play…”

She pulled away from him and walked out without looking back.

Xie Qing suddenly vomited a large mouthful of blood.

How could he not know Yun YaoYao’s true nature?

Yet, hearing her say it herself, he still couldn’t help but feel his heart being torn apart.

Even if she was so despicable, love was love. He was hopelessly in love with her.

The matter of love, how could it be clearly explained or understood?

Xie Qing ultimately chased out the door. If she wanted to play, he would accompany her.

But from that day on, he never saw that red figure again.

She must have returned to the imperial city of Sheng Qi!

However, how would Sheng HuaiZhi allow Xie Qing to live so easily?

Even though Yun YaoYao promised she had never loved Xie Qing, he could not tolerate a man who had been with Yun YaoYao for two years.

After Yun YaoYao left, Xie Qing was met by a group of hidden guards.

Although he was the legitimate eldest son of the Xie family, the talismans in his hands were for slaying demons and vanquishing evil; they were useless against this group of people.

Xie Qing, on the verge of death, encountered a Daoist priest. The white-haired old Daoist priest exhausted his efforts to save him and brought him back to Zhongnan Temple in the imperial city.

Ten years later, in the Hua Yang Xie family mansion, there was a second young master of the Xie family.

Xie Qing spent many years of effort to rescue Xie Jing and finally secretly sent him back to the Xie family.

Fortunately, before this, Xie Qing had not exposed his true identity. Apart from Crown Prince Yun Yanqing, no one knew he was from the Hua Yang Xie family.

Xie Jing was now safe.

But Xie Qing was ultimately captured by Sheng HuaiZhi.

The man subjected him to torture, while Yun YaoYao was forced under him, forced to watch the scene.

Shortly after, a great fire broke out in the imperial palace, killing the Emperor’s favorite concubine.

The imperial palace descended into another bloodbath, and Sheng HuaiZhi completely became a demon thereafter.

Xie Qing never knew, until his death, that Yun YaoYao had left at that time to save him.

Nor would he know that in this life, by his side, she had lived most authentically.

Even less would he know how, after his death, she pieced together his remains, piece by piece.

And then, she herself, threw herself into the fire.

Yun YaoYao would also not know that Xie Qing’s life, the one person he loved the most, was only her.

Even knowing her true nature from the start, he had fallen hopelessly in love with her.

The matter of love, how can it be clearly spoken or explained?