"No coincidences... so you knew who I was from the start?" Yang Ruoning let go of his collar weakly, her strength gone. Every word Qingye spoke sent a chill to her bones.
"You have no idea how shocked I was the first time I saw you on the streets of Youzhou City. I had always been curious about what Jiang Yuefeng hid inside the Buddha statue. I asked her, and she said it belonged to an old friend from afar. That painting—I only learned it was called a photograph after I met you—was too lifelike, as if a person had been miniaturized and placed within it. Later, I traveled all over the land, trying to find the person from afar she spoke of. But the more I searched, the more despair I felt, because I knew those things couldn't possibly be from the human world, until..." As Qingye spoke, he turned his head to look at Yang Ruoning, who was slumped on the ground, looking as if her soul had been taken. Her motionless state made him frown, but he continued, "...until I met you. In the bustling crowd, as you passed by with a huge backpack on your back, I froze on the spot, unable to move. At that moment, I knew you were that person from afar."
"So you deliberately let me on the boat that morning... No wonder all the boatmen said they were full, and only yours was willing to take me south..."
"I followed you all the way to the pier. Seeing you inquire about boats heading south to Bianliang, I had Xiao Guizi charter a boat with a heavy sum and told the boatman to call you aboard. To continue seeing you, at the last stop before reaching the capital, I had the chef at that restaurant cooperate with me in a play. I intentionally owed you fifteen taels of silver to create an opportunity to meet you again—I knew that was all your money, and you would definitely chase me to get it back after arriving in Bianliang. It's a pity that after getting off the boat, I was captured and taken back to the palace by Jiang Qi. I had Xiao Guizi search the entire capital for you, and only then did I learn you were at Fan Lou. Before I 'accidentally' met you, I had observed you for a long time. Then I realized that Luo Yuan seemed to be very interested in you too. At that time, I thought his interest was just because of your strange things. Later, I deliberately had someone tell that little girl named Susu to lead you to Hui Niang's courtyard at night, creating an opportunity for a natural 'chance encounter'."
"So you used me from the beginning to approach Luo Yuan?"
"Not at all. I approached you at first out of pure curiosity, curiosity about everything about you. I just had a hunch—you were very important to me, and I had to hold onto you tightly. But why you were important, and how I should use you, I hadn't figured that out yet, until... that night we 'accidentally' met at Hui Niang's courtyard. Remember? Luo Yuan was also present then. My God, when you rushed over and grabbed my collar, demanding your money back, the expression on Luo Yuan's face was incredibly rich—worry, anxiety... He didn't know that fleeting expression revealed his inner secret... Oh, it was too wonderful! You have no idea how excited I was when I discovered his true feelings for you. Ah, even heaven is helping me, isn't it? Hehehe, heaven brought you to me, and then let Luo Yuan fall in love with you, so this throne is destined to be mine." As Qingye spoke of his brilliant plan, he became more and more excited, gesticulating wildly.
"But that idiot Jiang Qi actually sent people to assassinate you! Fortunately, Luo Yuan saved you in time. After I found out, I immediately took you to see Jiang Yuefeng. As expected, she was the person you were looking for. But destiny is truly miraculous. After Jiang Qi knew I took you to see Jiang Yuefeng, in his panic, he actually told me the secret—that the monster he kept in the palace was actually the child of Jiang Yuefeng and your younger brother. Tsk tsk tsk, tell me, isn't heaven helping me? After that, you know everything. Jiang Qi used you to monitor Luo Yuan's every move, and you did it; then you asked me about the refugees, and I keenly realized that Luo Yuan might have infiltrated the refugees with his soldiers, attempting to attack the imperial city and force me to abdicate; then, you mysteriously disappeared, and Luo Yuan contacted me through the radio. I took the opportunity to tell him about our relationship and made him swear that he would never covet the throne again in this life. Heh, but," Qingye sneered with contempt at this point, "he treats you really well, Yang Ruoning. Sometimes I envy you, being able to have such a lifelong love. I am even jealous, because I might never experience such a love in this life..."
Yang Ruoning ignored Qingye's rambling. Yes, she was like a fool, being toyed with without her knowledge. She thought about how not long ago she had placed his photo in front of the family grave, telling Jason that his child was well, and her parents were boasting about their only grandson. In the end, she had disappointed everyone.
"Does Yuefeng know?" she suddenly looked up and asked.
"That pathetic woman, she finally knew before she died, but as soon as she heard that her child was actually a monster and had died, she passed away," Qingye immediately imitated Yuefeng's heart attack, clutching his chest, twisting his mouth, sticking out his tongue, and swaying to the ground. "But it's also thanks to her death that I had a chance to escape the palace and find you in Youzhou City. Heh, she died for a good cause."
His mockery of Yuefeng's last moments was worse than that of a monster; he was a demon from hell! Yang Ruoning was furious. She rushed forward and slapped him hard. "How could you treat her like that?! She is your mother! She held on for you!! How could you treat her like that!"
Qingye stumbled back two steps from the slap. He clenched his teeth, turned his body sideways, paused, and then fiercely wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He turned his face, gritted his teeth, and said, "Mother? How can she be called a mother? Where was she when Jiang Qi repeatedly climbed into my bed and molested me?! She knew everything! She only left one man, yet she made herself seem like the most tragic person in the world!! Did she ever care about me for a moment? Ever since I can remember, she has lived in that temple, kneeling before the Buddha statue all day, praying for her man to return! Mother?! She was never my mother!!"
"You are a demon! You will go to hell!"
"Heh, hell?" Qingye actually chuckled. "Yang Ruoning, we have one thing in common: I don't believe in an afterlife either. I believe my destiny is created by myself!"
"You won. You got everything you wanted, so what? What else do you want from me?!"
"No, there is one last thing. I originally intended to let you and Luo Yuan live the life you wanted, but, Yang Ruoning," he dropped his frivolous expression and took two steps back, "I regret it." With that, he pulled a handgun from his waist and aimed it at her.
Seeing the gun in Qingye's hand, she smiled. That was the handgun she had lost on the night she encountered assassins in the bamboo forest. That gun had no bullets!
Qingye saw her smile and returned a knowing smile, as if he had guessed her reaction. "Ah, you must think I don't know how to use this thing, right? Yes, after all, you never taught me, and I never saw you use it. However, this thing is not complicated. The things that can be fired from here, what do you call them? I found them in the miscellaneous items your brother left for Jiang Yuefeng, and I figured out how to kill someone with this thing myself. *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh*," he said, pulling back the safety and imitating the sound of bullets, "and then your head will bloom."
Hearing this, Yang Ruoning's heart sank, and she instinctively took a few steps back. At that moment, she clearly realized that she would die in this cold hall today.
Kinsey was right. All the prophecies in the wormhole were actually warnings to her. No one could disturb the timeline. All heretics who disturbed time and space would be corrected by time.
She took a deep breath and pleaded with Qingye, "Qingye, you can do whatever you want with me, but please, allow me to say a final farewell to Luo Yuan, please."
Qingye tilted his head, studying Yang Ruoning's expression. After confirming she wouldn't try anything tricky, he said, "Alright, I permit it. But, it's not a farewell, just a normal call. If you dare to tip him off, I will kill you without hesitation." With that, he stepped forward and pressed the gun to her head.
Hearing this, Yang Ruoning secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She calmly took out the walkie-talkie from her bag. "My dearest," Yang Ruoning called out to Luo Yuan.
"Ruoning?" Luo Yuan's confused voice came from the walkie-talkie. "Where are you?"
"I'm in the palace, with Qingye," Yang Ruoning replied, locking eyes with Qingye. "I'm fine. I just wanted to tell you that Qingye is keeping me for dinner tonight, so I might be home late. Oh, my dearest," she said, turning her head to look at the cloudless azure sky outside the hall, and smiled slightly, "it's going to rain tonight. Don't forget your umbrella. I truly hope this is the last rain of this summer..."
"Enough!" Qingye impatiently snatched the walkie-talkie and threw it aside roughly. He took a step back, tilted his head, and gazed at Yang Ruoning as if appraising a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. "You know what the feng shui master said about this imperial palace gathering all the yin energy of the capital? Because the four palace walls are like a prison, trapping all the ghosts who die within. Yang Ruoning, stay here forever with me."
Yang Ruoning closed her eyes.
My dearest Luo Yuan, I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you.
Be brave, my dearest.
I will miss you... until the day we meet again.