In the bamboo house, within the small courtyard, the slanting rays of the setting sun cast a glow, filling the air with the scent of medicinal herbs.
On the bamboo chairs in front of the bamboo house sat two equally distinguished and imposing men, glaring at each other, silent for a long time.
Yun Gu flashed into the house, her heart feeling a pang of sourness. She knew Ye Nu was no ordinary person, yet she liked her so much. But she knew Ye Nu would eventually leave.
One of these two men would take her away. The thought vexed her, making her expression sour. When Liu Liu came into the house to call her for dinner, she paid no mind. Liu Liu helplessly walked out.
She saw three men sitting at the bamboo table outside, with two others standing. As Liu Liu stepped out, several pairs of eyes turned towards her.
"Liu'er."
"Ye Nu."
Upon hearing Nan Gong Yue's call, Feng Xie almost lunged at him again. His gaze was sinister, revealing a set of fine white teeth as he raised his fist, threatening coldly.
"Nan Gong Yue, you actually call her Ye Nu. You know full well she is Liu'er, she is the current Empress. And you, colluding with that old hag in the house to deceive her. If you truly cared for her, you would tell her who she is."
"I don't understand what you're talking about."
Nan Gong Yue's handsome face remained unchanged. He picked up the bamboo teacup from the table. Everything here was made of bamboo, exuding a fresh, pure bamboo fragrance.
Even the tea brewed was exceptionally fragrant. Nan Gong Yue took a sip, sighing inwardly. Liu'er, if the two of us could live here forever, how wonderful it would be. Even if you lost your memory, I would love you for a lifetime.
"Alright, you two, stop arguing. Speak slowly."
Liu Liu sat down on the other side, glancing from one to the other. Her voice, soft and charming, had lost its former coldness. Perhaps this was her true nature.
The men thought in unison, she was so alluring, so captivating like this. Different from her previous icy demeanor, keeping everyone at a distance. This version of her was someone they all wished to cherish.
"Nan Gong, did you really know me before? Then tell me, who am I?"
Liu Liu's gentle gaze fell upon Nan Gong Yue's radiant, ethereal handsome face. She stared at him, feeling a strange sensation. Why did she not feel any stir of affection towards Nan Gong Yue?
When she saw him sad, she felt sad too, but it wasn't a heart-wrenching pain. It was simply a pure ache for him. However, upon seeing the Emperor, his sorrowful appearance made her chest feel suffocatingly tight. His grief seemed genuine.
She even believed she might be that Empress. But if Nan Gong Yue knew her, why would he lie?
"Liu'er, you are Ye Nu. If you believe I've lied to you, then go with him."
Nan Gong Yue put down the teacup, a hint of anger and despair in his voice. The moment this man appeared, Liu'er's heart leaned towards him. It seemed her heart still loved him.
Even with lost memory, instinct still loved him. The thought sent a surge of pain through him, making it difficult to breathe.
It turned out that even with a rewind of time, he would still lose to this man. He had always been unwilling. If time could rewind, he would surely make her fall in love with him.
Now, it seemed, even if time rewound ten thousand times, he wouldn't have this chance. A bitter smile spread across his face. He gazed at her like a struggling beast, yearning for her to believe him just once.
Sensing his inner pain, Liu Liu quickly reached out and covered his hand. "Nan Gong, what's wrong?"
This unintentional gesture caused pain to the man on the other side. His dark eyes deepened, and his breathing grew heavy.
Liu Liu looked up in surprise, her gaze meeting a pair of unfathomably dark eyes. Though unfathomable, they held boundless pain, making her heart ache. What was happening?
Liu Liu suddenly stood up and hurried away from there.
"You all sit. I'll prepare food for you."
She fled the scene, leaving the two equally outstanding men. One of them was her husband. Was it the Emperor or Nan Gong? She didn't know.
Although the pain she felt for the Emperor was intense, sometimes the person you loved wasn't the one destined to be with you. So she didn't know whom to believe.
There wasn't much in the forest, only some wild vegetables and fruits. Liu Liu simply prepared a few dishes, and after the men had eaten, she coldly told them to go down the mountain.
"Alright, you've had your fun. Go down the mountain now. We need to rest."
"Liu'er?"
Feng Xie frowned, his dazzling eyes filled with a heavy emotion. He felt Liu'er was so distant from him now. He remembered her last words to him in his bed.
She wanted to start over. At that time, he had been so happy that he wouldn't have minded dying.
But now, Liu'er treated him like a stranger. This caused him immense pain, so much pain that he struggled to hide it from the man opposite him, but it was truly unbearable.
"Go down the mountain, all of you. I will seriously think about who I am."
Liu Liu didn't want to prolong the entanglement. Darkness was falling, and the mountain air was growing cold and heavy. Yun Gu was still angry, and it was unlikely she would provide them with bedding. They would fall ill. Intuitively, she didn't want them to fall ill.
"Ye Nu, I'll be going down the mountain then." Nan Gong Yue ignored Feng Xie's cold gaze beside him, continuing to call Liu Liu by the name Ye Nu. He felt this name belonged to him; his memories and joys were all within this name.
"Go, go."
Liu Liu waved him away. Nan Gong Yue cast one last reluctant glance at Liu Liu, not looking at Feng Xie at all, and then flashed away into the dense forest, into the dark, shadowy woods.
His fleeting white figure was like a ghost, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Liu Liu turned to look at Feng Xie. Though his face was etched with deep pain, and his eyes gazed at her with longing, she remembered nothing. She would give him no reaction.
"Go down the mountain," Liu Liu said before turning and entering the bamboo house, closing the door gently.
Feng Xie looked up at the sky. The crescent moon hung in the sky like a slender hook. Though it was early spring, the moon felt colder than the winter moon, chilling his heart and leaving no warmth.
"Master, shall we go down the mountain and find a place to stay? The climate up here is too cold, and Master has just recovered. If you catch a chill, you'll fall ill. Perhaps the Empress also thought of this when she asked us to leave."
Bai Han spoke softly. Those caught in the situation often couldn't see clearly, but observers could. Even though the Empress had lost her memory, it was clear she loved the Emperor. It was just that the Emperor didn't know it.
"Is that so?"
Feng Xie, dazed, stood up and walked into the woods. Bai Han sighed helplessly, seeing that he hadn't heard a word of what he said. He swept a glance at the bamboo house. "Let's go."
After their shadows disappeared, someone emerged from the bamboo house, gazing fixedly at the spot where they had vanished. After a long moment, a soft sigh escaped her lips before she turned and re-entered the room.
For several days, the two men ascended the mountain, fighting, quarreling, and arguing. This became unbearable for Yun Gu, who had always cherished peace and quiet.
However, she was helpless against them. In terms of martial arts, these two were no weaker than her. In terms of poisoning, she wasn't that wicked.
In terms of intellect, these two men were more cunning than the other. Finally, Yun Gu grew extremely weary and decided on a decisive measure.
One day, sitting at the table, she surveyed the two equally outstanding men seated on opposite sides. She spoke in a stern voice.
"How about this: if Ye Nu chooses one of you, one of you can stay on the mountain, and the other is not allowed to come up again. Moreover, this is her choice, and neither of you can blame her."