The young man's sword pierced Princess Chang'an's body. Princess Chang'an, her scarlet eyes fixed on him, said word by word, "I curse your Hua family, for all eternity… no reincarnation, no good death…"
"Shut up…"
The young man's sword stabbed deeper. Princess Chang'an smiled, her blood-red gaze gradually fading, until it finally settled into calmness.
"Do you know why I can't return?"
Xue Zining looked up. She was back. He stood opposite her.
"Your memory never disappeared. You came back with it."
He turned his head. "No, it should be that the memory I sealed when you first entered the Cold Palace was activated."
"Hua Yunjin, I have seen your past."
He started. "I know."
"Hua Yunjin, you resent the curse Chang'an placed on you, but have you ever considered what kind of devastating blow you dealt her?"
"Xue Zining, don't you understand? Without her, I wouldn't have forced you to jump off the city wall. You wouldn't have died, and we would still be together."
"No, even without me, we wouldn't be together. Your heart only holds this world, not me…"
"Xue Zining…"
"Hua Yunjin, regarding your curse, I can only say you've brought it upon yourself. But you shouldn't make me bear this hatred, nor Yan Zhao."
"Without him, none of this would have happened." His face contorted into a grimace.
"The past is the past, Hua Yunjin. No matter what, our fate has ended in this life."
He trembled, taking a few steps back. "Even after knowing my past life, you still feel no guilt?"
"No. Yan Zhao shouldn't bear this. He is innocent."
"He's innocent? Xue Zining, who in this world is innocent?"
"Yes, no one is innocent. Why bring up the past? In the end, isn't it still for the treasure in my hand?"
"Xue Zining, without it, I will die. I will truly die."
"Yan Zhao will die too."
"Xue Zining, I never expected you to be like this. You weren't like this before."
"What was I like before? Do you even know?"
He trembled and raised his head. At this moment, it seemed he had never truly understood this empress.
Xue Zining withdrew her gaze and walked towards the door. He would never know that then, she had begged her father to revoke the imperial decree. She knelt outside the hall for three days and three nights until she fainted, her head bleeding from repeated kowtows.
He said he was forced by Chang'an, but she knew. She had been taken by her father to the outside of Chang'an's palace, seeing the doting look in his eyes for Chang'an, seeing their intimacy, even hearing him call Chang'an's name repeatedly at night.
He didn't know she stood outside Chang'an's palace for a day and a night.
Her father told her that Hua Yunjin was not a good match for her.
He knew none of this.
What he had shown her just now was only what he wanted her to see.
"Xue Zining…" He watched the young woman gradually walk out the door, gritted his teeth, and rushed out.
Feeling the cold wind behind her, she turned around. Suddenly, a figure moved faster than her and blocked in front of her.
Seeing the familiar back, tears flowed down her cheeks. She walked forward and hugged his waist tightly, her tears soaking into his clothes. "Yan Zhao, you're back."
"Yes, I'm back." His voice was low and hoarse.
But incredibly magnetic and pleasant to hear.
"You…"
"Hua Yunjin, it's time for you and I to have a reckoning."
Hua Yunjin trembled. "Yan Zhao… you…"
Without the Nine Orifices Exquisite Heart, how could he have resurrected?
Yan Zhao turned and looked at the weeping girl behind him. His heart ached. He reached out and embraced her waist. "Don't cry…"
Xue Zining froze, then looked up. Suddenly, a dark shadow enveloped her entire face. Cold, soft lips touched hers.
She trembled, trying to struggle, but he held her tightly in his embrace, making it impossible to move.
He released her only when she felt she was suffocating and couldn't breathe.
She shoved him away and retreated several steps. "Yan Zhao, you… you bastard…"
Yan Zhao's gaze was deep. "My love is too deep to extricate myself."
Her face instantly flushed. "Bastard."
She could only grit her teeth and say.
"Yan Zhao…" Hua Yunjin watched it all with a look of ferocity.
Yan Zhao turned to face him and said coldly, "Hua Yunjin, the debt of gratitude to the Hua family was repaid long ago when your family transferred the curse from you to me. Today, all our ties are severed."
Hua Yunjin's eyes widened. "You… you know everything?"
"I always knew," Yan Zhao replied.
"This is what you owe me," Hua Yunjin said ferociously.
"No, I don't owe you, and no one owes you."
"Why am I the only one carrying the curse?" Hua Yunjin roared hysterically.
"Ning'er," Yan Zhao turned and looked at Xue Zining.
Xue Zining took a step back, thinking he was about to do something else. "What… what do you want to do?"
Yan Zhao took a step forward. "Is it mine to dispose of as I please?"
Xue Zining blinked and looked at the gem in her hand. She handed it over. "Yes, this was originally something of your Yan family."
"Would you be angry if I gave it to someone else?" Yan Zhao asked softly.
Xue Zining smiled and tilted her head. "Yan Zhao, you're back. These things are far less important to me than you are."
Yan Zhao also smiled. On his refined and handsome face was the most moving smile she had ever seen.
Her heart began to beat faster.
"Hua Yunjin, catch this." Yan Zhao tossed it casually.
Hua Yunjin started, and the thing he had always desired appeared in his hand.
"You…"
"You said we owed you. This is for you. From now on, we owe each other nothing."
Hua Yunjin trembled. "You don't need it anymore?"
Yan Zhao stepped forward and reached out his hand. Xue Zining placed her hand in his, their fingers intertwining. His voice came out faintly, "No longer, never again, because I possess something more important than it."
"What is it?" Hua Yunjin pressed.
"A living heart."
Yan Zhao suddenly lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "You gave it to me."
Xue Zining looked up, her eyes as bright as the moon in the night sky. "Yan Zhao, you won't leave me this time, will you?"
"Never, not until death!"
His voice echoed in her ears, and her heart ached intensely.
"Ning'er, what's wrong?" Yan Zhao also sensed her abnormality.
"These sweet words make me feel like I'm lost in dreams and intoxication."
"Silly girl, these are not sweet words. They are my true feelings. From now on, I will be with you every moment."
"I know, Yan Zhao. You can never leave me again. We'll be together forever!"
"Forever!" he said solemnly.
The door to the Cold Palace opened. Standing outside was a group of people, all familiar faces: Feng Wu, Xue Song, Xue Feng…
She smiled. "I'm back…"