Chapter 294: A cold duke can be warm hearted, too (2/2)

It was a pity that Long Feiye didn’t even stop to look back.

Furious and worried, Mu Yingdong clenched his fists as he paced back and forth. No matter what, he had to rescue Linger–even if he resorted to begging. After thinking things over, his eyes finally rested on the door to the bamboo house as he muttered to himself.

“Mu Xin…Han Yunxi…”

Once the assassins were dismissed, Mu Yingdong left as well. No one noticed the streak of red that left the forest to chase in the direction that Long Feiye had disappeared to.

—

Han Yunxi couldn’t keep silent once Long Feiye had brought her out of the Mu estate. She started struggling against him in earnest.

“Gu Qishao brought you out of Medical City?” Long Feiye asked coldly.

“You, let go! I’ve already returned the Perplexing Butterfly Illusion. I told you a long time ago, our bridges are bridges and our roads are roads! We have nothing to do with each other now, and I owe you nothing!” Han Yunxi’s voice was even colder. Her temper was worse than Long Feiye’s when he brought up Gu Qishao. That fellow had even said back at the inn that he’d never abandon her unless she died. It had only been a few hours, but he’d ended up leaving himself.

As expected, his words could only be treated as a joke rather than taken seriously.

“Long Feiye, I only married you because of imperial decree! And to preserve my tiny life! I don’t owe you a thing! If you take offence to the title of Qin Wangfei, then I promise I’ll change my name and surname before disappearing off the face of Tianning Country! Just pretend that Qin Wangfei died!” Han Yunxi glared at Long Feiye as she spat out the words.

Long Feiye tightened his grip on her waist without a word as he grew exceptionally quiet. It was enough to make Han Yunxi fall apart. Could she not afford to offend him, or hide from him? What did this guy want? Was he just treating her as some piece of property?

She wouldn’t accept that!

“Let go! Long Feiye, I hate you! Who you think I am? Do you think you can bully me whenever you want?!”

Long Feiye was still silent, infuriating Han Yunxi even more. She took out her needles and stuck three by Long Feiye’s neck with a warning, “Let me go, or shoulder the consequences.”

But Long Feiye neither let her go or spoke up. He landed on a roof and quietly watched her. Han Yunxi tightly clutched her needles, coming dangerously close to attacking him. But in the end, she still couldn’t bear to do it.

Long Feiye, I must have gone insane to tolerate your silence like this!

Han Yunxi tossed aside her needles and laughed coldly. “Your kisses…are certainly cheap!”

“Han Yunxi, I promised the Celestial Mountain Sword Sect’s sect leader–my master–to protect Duanmu Yao until she turns eighteen.” Long Feiye suddenly explained.

It caught her completely off-guard!

Han Yunxi’s heart lurched and narrowly stopped beating altogether. What did he just say? Did he just explain why he saved Duanmu Yao? She’d been conflicted about the answer for so long, but he simply told her outright. Before she could fully digest the news, Long Feiye spoke again.

“Last time when I was killing the poison python…and also, that time at the Sky Pit…”

He seemed to be stuttering, or perhaps he was trying to think as he talked. In any case, the reserved and taciturn Duke of Qin stammered his way through the entire sentence.

“I’m only protecting her so she doesn’t die, there’s no other meaning behind it… At the Sky Pit, I didn’t expect you to get pushed outside like that.”

His master’s orders to ‘protect’ actually included many other things, but Long Feiye had already violated these orders by only protecting Duanmu Yao so she wouldn’t die and nothing more.

Han Yunxi had never heard Long Feiye speak like this, much less seen such a soft, sincere light in his eyes. This was the same man who had held complete power over the Mu Clan just then with his cruel and callous ways!

So now, he was giving her an explanation to explain his actions?

So now, he knew she took offense to Duanmu Yao? He even remembered that time with the poison python?

So he had been aware of her feelings the entire time?

Han Yunxi stared at Long Feiye’s gentle eyes and felt her heart soften. She admitted that she was hopeless, yielding to him like this. But the sight of such a Long Feiye seem to untangle all the knots in her heart. Her temper dissipated along with her grudge, leaving Spring flowers to blossom in their wake.

“Are you explaining yourself to me?” Han Yunxi asked while knowing the answer.

Long Feiye seemed a bit uneasy, because he actually avoided her gaze.

“Hey, are you or aren’t you?” Han Yunxi was someone who wanted a foot after gaining an inch. Her eyes were bright and clear as she stared straight at him.