Xia Qing Tian knew it was useless to be remorseful now, but the more it hurt, the clearer her mind became, and she couldn't help but overthink.
This was still the effect of her activating the Valkyrie experience card; otherwise, with her physical condition, she might have already started a flashback of her life.
Finally, as the car entered a tunnel, the route changed.
On the other side, Xia Qing Yu, who had been following Xiang Xue Yuan and Tarik to the crystal observation port, felt uneasy.
Xiang Xue Yuan spoke to her several times, but she didn't notice.
Xiang Xue Yuan looked at Xia Qing Yu, showing a rare hint of displeasure: "What are you thinking about?"
"Huh?" Xia Qing Yu finally came to her senses and looked at Xiang Xue Yuan, saying, "Were you talking to me?"
Taking a deep breath, Xiang Xue Yuan suppressed his anger and looked at Xia Qing Yu, saying, "Because you are my biological daughter, I give you extra consideration and patience. I hope you don't challenge me casually."
"Father, please calm down." Tarik knew Xiang Xue Yuan was serious and said nervously, "She..."
"Tarik, this has nothing to do with you." Xiang Xue Yuan raised his hand to interrupt Tarik and looked at Xia Qing Yu, saying, "You cannot afford the price of angering me."
"What price? Being burned alive?" Xia Qing Yu found it amusing looking at Xiang Xue Yuan's serious face: "Do you think that if you hadn't started that fire back then, my mother and I would still be grateful to you?"
"..." Xiang Xue Yuan was slightly stunned at the question and didn't reply.
"I'm not the one constantly challenging everyone's bottom line now, it's you." Xia Qing Yu pointed at the crystal in the observation port: "You want to burn us to death for this trinket, you've been hiding here for so many years for this trinket, you're willing to destroy the world for this trinket. If you want to die, must you drag others with you?"
"Someone has already died because of this thing, hasn't they?" Xia Qing Yu continued to question: "Are human lives so cheap in your eyes?
After all, you abandoned your wife and daughter for research. People have rushed forward for your great cause, even sacrificing their lives!
Thinking of the person who died for this crystal, are you still self-hypnotizing that it's all for science? For the future of humanity?
Does thinking this way make you feel better? Does it make you think you are great and your cause is noble?
I'm telling you! It's not!
This is just for your own ignorance, your own greed!
That person didn't die for science, they were killed by you!
You are a murderer! You are not a savior at all! All this talk about doing good deeds is you deceiving ghosts and yourself!
Do you feel no guilt when you wake up in the middle of the night?
Do you dream of the people you have killed?
Do the people you killed have descendants? Won't they seek revenge on you?
Do you dare to face the descendants of that person now? Do you dare to say who that person was, who was lost to your ambition and ignorance?
Do you dare?"
"Why wouldn't I dare?" Xiang Xue Yuan looked at Xia Qing Yu, his gaze incredibly calm, then looked at Tarik and asked, "What? Didn't you tell her?"
Tarik, who had been hesitant to speak when he heard Xia Qing Yu's accusations, now showed a distressed expression at Xiang Xue Yuan's question and dared not meet Xia Qing Yu's eyes.
Xia Qing Yu was stunned by Tarik's reaction and felt a pang of anxiety, a bad premonition arising: "Tell me what?"
"The person who died because of the crystal was no one else." Xiang Xue Yuan looked at Xia Qing Yu, his tone as usual: "It was your mother, Yue Ning Yan."
"!" Xia Qing Yu was completely stunned. Her mind felt like it was about to explode, and her ears buzzed with a sharp ringing.
She stiffly turned her head, wanting to seek a different answer from Tarik, but Tarik could only look at her with a pained expression, telling her the truth.
"No... it's not like that... no..." Xia Qing Yu muttered, shaking her head and backing away step by step.
"If I am a murderer, then you also carry the blood of a murderer." Xiang Xue Yuan looked at Xia Qing Yu, a gentle smile on his face, but his words were incredibly cruel and cold: "I am Xia Qing Tian's enemy, and what are you to her?"
"No!" Xia Qing Yu covered her ears with her hands, trying to block out Xiang Xue Yuan's seductive voice and the piercing ringing: "No!"
"Qing Yu, my poor daughter." Xiang Xue Yuan looked at Xia Qing Yu with loving eyes, reaching out to her and saying softly: "I kept you by my side, not to restrain you, imprison you, or control you. I did it precisely to protect you, my daughter."
"Don't touch me!" Xia Qing Yu retreated two more steps: "Sister... Sister..."
Her mind was in chaos, her breathing became rapid, and she felt exceptionally pained.
She didn't want to stay here; she wanted to find her sister.
"Qing Yu!" Seeing Xia Qing Yu like this, Tarik was about to step forward when Xiang Xue Yuan stopped him with a raised hand.
Tarik looked at Xiang Xue Yuan nervously, his lips pressed tightly together.
"Qing Yu." Xiang Xue Yuan watched Xia Qing Yu take a step: "You should know that you can no longer return to Xia Qing Tian's side. If you stay with me, I will give you everything you desire, I will provide all the resources that can place you at the pinnacle of time.
Staying by my side is your most correct choice.
We are destined to be alone; only I can shape you, and only I can understand you."
"No..." Xia Qing Yu shook her head and dodged: "I want Sister..."
"Your sister? If Xia Qing Tian knew the cause of her mother's death, would she still acknowledge you as her sister?" Xiang Xue Yuan looked at Xia Qing Yu, his eyes chilling: "Or rather, if Xia Qing Tian already knew the cause of her mother's death, how sincere are her feelings for you?"
"!" At Xiang Xue Yuan's words, Xia Qing Yu shuddered. Immense fear filled her heart, followed by a bone-chilling cold: "Shut up!"
"You are an intelligent person, so don't use self-deception to fool yourself. Isn't it better to live with clarity?" Xiang Xue Yuan extended his hand towards Xia Qing Yu: "Think about it, when you achieve extraordinary success, when you stand at the pinnacle of the world, Xia Qing Tian will also admire you, worship you. People naturally admire strength.
Whether it's genuine hatred or feigned kindness, as long as you are strong enough, you can keep the people you care about, the people you desire, by your side forever, and no one can take them away. Isn't that good?"
"Stay by my side... no one can take away..." Xia Qing Yu murmured, repeating Xiang Xue Yuan's words.
Seeing Xia Qing Yu like this, Xiang Xue Yuan revealed a faint smile: "Yes, no one can take you away."