"No," Xiao Wangye said coldly.
"Then why are you so silent?" Gu Qingyuan asked.
"It's none of your business. After tomorrow, this king will disappear from this world. From now on, I'll trouble you to look after her," Xiao Wangye said.
Gu Qingyuan smiled. "Regent, you can rest assured, I will take good care of her and not let her suffer the slightest harm."
After a pause, Gu Qingyuan said, "Regent, you should prepare yourself. I'm leaving now."
Xiao Wangye waved his hand and watched Gu Qingyuan disappear from his sight. His expression revealed his inner turmoil.
The next day, Ye Qingcheng woke up early.
She had thought about it carefully last night. She still liked Xiao Wangye very much. Therefore, even if he might have fallen for someone else, she wouldn't blame him much.
She also had to admit that the appearance of this Ye Qingcheng was not particularly outstanding, and lacked the charm of Gu Pan'er.
Moreover, Gu Pan'er was the young lady of a prestigious family. If Xiao Wangye married her, it would be a good thing for him.
In that case, she had nothing to complain about.
Thus, Ye Qingcheng convinced herself and had a good appetite at breakfast. Feeling full, she decided to take a stroll in the courtyard to digest her meal.
From a distance, Ye Qingcheng saw Xiao Wangye and Gu Pan'er.
She had originally intended to turn and leave. If she couldn't confront them, couldn't she at least avoid them? Knowing that she would feel sad every time she saw them together, it would be better if she simply didn't look.
Therefore, Ye Qingcheng turned to leave.
However, a strange force seemed to hold her back.
Even her intuition told Ye Qingcheng not to leave, that something important awaited her discovery.
So, Ye Qingcheng stopped.
She found a spot outside the wall and stood there, reflecting. It was fortunate that she hadn't brought any maids or servants with her on this stroll; otherwise, it would be very awkward right now.
Given her ample experience in eavesdropping, listening to the conversation between Xiao Wangye and Gu Pan'er was as easy as pie.
As soon as she settled herself, she heard Xiao Wangye and Gu Pan'er mention a name.
The name was very familiar; it was related to the "cat demon."
Ye Qingcheng furrowed her brows and pricked up her ears.
"That day, your brother Gu Qingyuan was captured, his cat demon form was revealed, and he was eventually burned to death. However, after the flames died down, his body could not be found anywhere at the scene. This is a very strange point," it was Xiao Wangye's voice.
"Yes, it is indeed strange. Do you have any discoveries, Your Highness?" Gu Pan'er asked.
"Indeed. This king has received news from an informant that the cat demon did not truly die. He will return."
Hearing this, Ye Qingcheng was also stunned for a moment. Did this mean that Bi Xi was not burned to death? Would he return?
"What? Do you mean... do you mean he is preparing to return for revenge?" Gu Pan'er gasped.
Ye Qingcheng, hidden in the shadows, rolled her eyes.
Didn't you just blame me for the death of your brother? Your tone suggested you'd happily kill me to bring him back. And now, upon hearing that your brother isn't entirely dead and will return, you're this terrified?
Truly a deep sibling bond.
"Pan'er, there's no need to fear. This king will handle it," Xiao Wangye said.
His tone was so gentle, so much like how he used to speak to her.
But he no longer spoke to her like this. Every time he faced her, he was cold and spoke only when necessary, not willing to say more than a word.
Thinking of this, Ye Qingcheng couldn't help but feel sad.
"Your Highness, how will you handle it?" Gu Pan'er asked.
"It's simple. This king will invite the best mages to eradicate the demon completely."
Xiao Wangye's words were firm and resolute, without a trace of hesitation.
Ye Qingcheng, eavesdropping from the shadows, widened her eyes.
After listening to Xiao Wangye and Gu Pan'er's conversation in the courtyard, Ye Qingcheng was not only shocked but also felt a deep chill.
She found Xiao Wangye increasingly inscrutable.
And his indifference towards her made it impossible for her to have a proper conversation, thus she couldn't know his thoughts or understand why he was acting this way.
That night, Ye Qingcheng couldn't sleep.
It was very late. Ye Qingcheng simply put on her outer robe, got out of bed, and went to the window. Leaning on the windowsill, propping her chin with one hand, she gazed at the full moon in silence.
A familiar white dove fluttered its wings and flew towards her, finally landing on the windowsill. It tilted its head and preened its feathers.
Ye Qingcheng, with sharp eyes, noticed the small letter attached to the dove's leg. She quickly retrieved it and unfolded it. The handwriting was also familiar; it should be a letter from Shangguan Hong.
"Lately, many things have been unusual. Lady, be careful of the person by your side."
These few words clearly conveyed Shangguan Hong's intention.
He was warning Ye Qingcheng to be wary of Xiao Wangye.
Ye Qingcheng furrowed her brows, clutching the letter. She read the contents over and over again. Finally, she turned and brought the letter close to the candlelight, burning it completely.
After she finished, the white dove on the windowsill had already flown away. Ye Qingcheng returned to her bed and lay on her back.
"Xiao Wangye, Shangguan Hong."
She repeated these two names and sighed heavily.
The next day, Ye Qingcheng woke up very early. After dressing and tidying herself up, she felt a bit hungry, and a maid served her a specially prepared breakfast.
Ye Qingcheng ate distractedly. A maid standing behind her kept stealing glances at her.
Ye Qingcheng naturally noticed these small actions.
"Is something the matter?" Ye Qingcheng turned her head and looked at the maid.
The maid nervously curtsied. "My Lady."
She smiled. "Don't be nervous. I just want to know why you kept looking at me. Is there something you want to tell me? Is my outfit not nice today?"
"No, you look good in anything," the maid said, lowering her head.
"You're very eloquent," she said, putting down her bowl and chopsticks and nodding.
The maid buried her head even lower. "You flatter me, my lady."
Ye Qingcheng paused and said, "By the way, you haven't answered me. You kept looking at me just now; is there something important you want to tell me?"
The maid finally dared to look up, casting a timid glance at her. "It's about the Crown Prince's advisor. I don't know if I should say."
"Ah, you mean Master Shangguan. What about him?"
"I heard my sisters say today that this Master Shangguan seems to have fallen gravely ill, very seriously," the maid said.
"Gravely ill? How could he be gravely ill?" Ye Qingcheng sounded somewhat surprised.
The maid shook her head slightly. "I don't know about that. I only heard that the young master is ill. I heard that you and that young master have a good relationship, that you are very good friends, so I was curious and looked at you a few more times. Please don't blame me."