"You... you..." Xue Song couldn't believe her eyes. The person who appeared in her dreams every night was now standing before her.
Xue Yan, seeing Xue Song, was also slightly taken aback, though not as surprised as Xue Song. She stepped forward and bowed to Yan Jin Chao, "Young Master Yan, you've arrived."
Yan Jin Chao nodded.
"Please come in," Xue Yan said.
Yan Jin Chao walked past. When it was Xue Song's turn, seeing the woman he longed for standing before him felt somewhat unreal.
"You..."
But Xue Yan completely ignored him and left directly.
Xue Song touched his nose, wondering why she was so indifferent to him.
Inside the room, Xue Song saw another man and felt a pang of displeasure. Why was she still with a man? So... so heedless of propriety?
"Young Master, this is Gu Shao An, General Gu," Xue Yan introduced.
Upon hearing Gu Shao An's name, Yan Jin Chao said, "General Gu, I've long admired your name."
Hearing this, Gu Shao An felt a hint of guilt. "I am but a fugitive now, and can no longer speak of past deeds."
"General Gu, please don't say that. You were merely framed," Xue Yan retorted.
Xue Song frowned slightly. How could she so openly comfort another man, especially in front of him? What did that make him?
"It's all my fault for not discerning people clearly. But fortunately, Xue Yan had made preparations in advance, allowing me to escape smoothly. Xue Yan is truly a heroine among women." Gu Shao An was not stingy with his praise.
Xue Song felt a sourness in his heart. He was unhappy to hear his dream woman praised by someone else.
"Does General Gu have a plan?" Yan Jin Chao asked.
Gu Shao An said, "Xue Yan and I have already agreed on Feng Ling Village..."
Xue Song couldn't listen any longer. "Young Master, I'll stand guard outside." He turned and walked out.
Xue Yan, who was listening nearby, kept glancing at Xue Song, knowing he had chosen to leave.
Was it because he had lost his memory that he didn't even want to look at her?
Xue Yan felt a faint ache in her heart.
"General Gu, tomorrow night we will divide our forces. You will lead your men to retake command of the Gu family army, while I will lead my men to storm in and annihilate Feng Ling Village."
Gu Shao An nodded. "Agreed."
Although this was their first meeting, Gu Shao An felt that Young Master Yan possessed a magnetic charm that compelled him to trust, much like Xue Yan, making him feel a sense of submission.
"General Gu, please prepare yourself," Yan Jin Chao said, then stood up and noticed Xue Yan beside him.
Xue Yan stepped forward and said, "Young Master Yan, this servant has something to say."
Yan Jin Chao nodded and walked out. Xue Yan followed closely. Only when they reached an empty room did he ask, "What is your relationship with Xue Song?"
Xue Yan hadn't expected Yan Jin Chao to ask so directly. She gazed into the distance and after a long while, said, "The same relationship as you and Her Majesty."
Yan Jin Chao was stunned. The Empress had said they had the most intimate relationship. Had he lost his memory? Had Xue Song also lost his memory?
He suddenly recalled that when Xue Song appeared before him, he had said he didn't remember past events, only that he was his master.
"Aren't you going to explain to him?" Yan Jin Chao asked.
He could tell that Xue Song wasn't indifferent to her.
Xue Yan shook her head. "If fate brings us together across a thousand miles, if it's not meant to be, we won't meet even face to face."
Yan Jin Chao raised an eyebrow. "He knows nothing. Isn't it a bit unfair to him to do this?"
Hearing this, Xue Yan looked up and smiled at Yan Jin Chao. "If Young Master says it's unfair, then so be it. But what about Her Majesty? She almost lost her life to leave you with an heir, and what were you doing at that time?
The young prince was lost, and Her Majesty risked danger to stay in Feng Ling Village. For what? Is it fair to Her Majesty, Young Master?"
Yan Jin Chao was startled. "I don't know about those things."
"Yes, you can use 'I don't know' or 'I'm not clear' to completely dismiss this matter. But Her Majesty cannot. Do you think that's fair?"
Yan Jin Chao's gaze flickered. He saw a hint of sarcasm in her eyes.
"If Young Master has nothing else, this servant will take her leave!" Xue Yan walked out.
Yan Jin Chao gazed into the distance, lost in thought for a long time.
Xue Zi Ning received a message from Xue Yan. Tonight, she and Yan Jin Chao would cooperate from the inside and outside to annihilate Feng Ling Village.
"Miss Shu, is tonight the night..." Lin Shi Shu felt a bit nervous. Although she prayed every moment to be rescued one day, now that the day had arrived, she felt a sense of trepidation.
Xue Zi Ning looked at Lin Shi Shu, her reaction to such an event was within her expectations.
"Don't be afraid. Everything has been arranged. You will leave with Young Master Yan then." Xue Zi Ning said.
Lin Shi Shu was taken aback. "Then... what about you? Miss Shu?"
"Don't worry about me. I have my own reasons." Xue Zi Ning's words were vague.
Lin Shi Shu didn't press further. After all, she had no right to inquire about someone else's affairs. Moreover, even if she did ask, she couldn't offer any help. It was better not to ask.
As dusk gradually deepened, Lin Shi Shu tossed and turned in her bed, unable to sleep, a sense of unease lingering in her heart.
Finally, with an urgent knocking sound, she was startled. The knocking at the door was rapid. She got up abruptly but didn't rush to open it. Instead, she looked towards the inner room, but there was no response.
She called out, "Miss Shu..."
There was no reply. Lin Shi Shu felt a little scared. She stood up and peered into the inner room. In the moonlight shining on the bed from outside, the quilt showed no signs of being disturbed.
The knocking continued outside. Lin Shi Shu swallowed hard and approached the door to ask, "Who is it?"
"The First Leader requests the Third Leader's presence," a voice from outside said.
Lin Shi Shu opened the door and saw several people from the mountain stronghold standing outside. "The Third Leader is still asleep. If there's anything, we can discuss it after she wakes up!"
"No, the First Leader wants to see the Third Leader now."
"The Third Leader is not awake yet, and I dare not wake her. If you dare, you can go wake her." Lin Shi Shu, who had been leaning against the doorframe, suddenly stepped back, clearing the way.
The subordinates of the First Leader exchanged glances. One person stepped in and walked towards the interior. Lin Shi Shu raised her eyebrows slightly and said slowly, "The Third Leader detests being disturbed while she's sleeping. She gets very angry, very angry, and under her anger, she might do something. Don't blame me for not warning you."
The person who had already entered the room suddenly froze. Lin Shi Shu continued, "I don't know if you remember, but a while ago, someone recklessly disturbed the Third Leader, and she killed him on the spot."
Lin Shi Shu looked at the person and suddenly said, "It seemed like it was also this dark. He..."
The person swallowed and asked, "He... what happened to him?"
"He just died," Lin Shi Shu said slowly, word by word.