Chapter 842: Thats really, really enough (2/2)

He noticed as soon as she moved, and looked up to rub at her hair. “Awake?”

She nodded as she studied him, then herself. “I...this….”

Never mind, asking was unnecessary.

Who else but himself would he allow to dress her in the middle of nowhere? She only rejoiced that she’d fainted away instead of having to face him through the process. Although she dropped the question, Long Feiye still replied in earnest, a little unhappily, “I helped you get dressed. Han Yunxi, you’ve gotten thinner.”

She gave a start as her shyness was replaced with an ache in her chest. After a while, she said, “Ye, you’ve gotten thinner too.”

Both of them had thinned considerably since their last meeting. He didn’t answer, but put away his letters to brew a pot of tea. She glanced outside the window and saw that they had returned to that hill from yesterday. By now, it was approaching dusk. After indulging themselves, now was the time to talk business. Both of them carried heavy burdens on their shoulders and their people’s hopes for a lifetime. Leaving that aside, Gu Beiyue was still in Bai Yanqing’s hands. They couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.

Naturally, Long Feiye could take her away immediately and fly far away from her. She could follow him too, forever wandering the lands like a pair of immortals who’d never part. But both of them knew the other would never make such a choice. Moreover, she knew that his heart differed from Gu Qishao, who was always talking about bringing her to tour the world and its four corners with her. Long Feiye’s heart was much broader, because he didn’t belong to the jianghu, but the imperial court. With their hearts in unison, there was no need for superfluous words. Both of them knew they had matters to discuss before it’d be time to part again.

Han Yunxi waited, but after a long time had passed, Long Feiye still hadn’t said a word.

What was he supposed to tell her? That he’d definitely destroy Ning Cheng and the West Qin army? That he wouldn’t spare anyone from West Qin except herself?

What was she supposed to do as the West Qin princess? Look on blindly as the loyal soldiers of West Qin fought to the death while she indulged in sexual relations with him?

Because he hadn’t known what to do or found any solutions, he had tried to keep her identity under wraps this entire time. Eventually, Long Feiye said, “Yunxi, I can only give you one path.”

“Speak,” Han Yunxi was very calm.

“After falling into the abyss, the whereabouts of the West Qin princess went missing. You’re nothing more than my servant girl. If you agree, I’ll take you away right now,” Long Feiye said, before adding hastily, “I promise you, I’ll never take an empress or any concubines.”

“So after taking care of the Wind Clan, you’ll destroy the West Qin army?” Han Yunxi asked simply.

“Yes,” Long Feiye answered without hesitation. That was his only solution now: have Han Yunxi fake her death and keep her concealed by his side so the world’s people wouldn’t point their fingers at them.

“Ye, did you kill Mute Granny?” Han Yunxi needed clear answers.

“No,” Long Feiye denied, before explaining. “She committed suicide at the Hidden Enclosure. Like me, she didn’t want your identity to go public. And also, Gu Beiyue…” Long Feiye went on to explain the pact between him and Gu Beiyue, including the details of their cooperation and the fake mission to send Baili Mingxiang up Celestial Mountain to treat him, all to trick Bai Yanqing.

Han Yunxi was stunned to find out that it was the Lustbite Seal energy that had prevented her from being a consort in more than name. In turn, she told him how she’d exposed Bai Yanqing’s true colors. Both of them were frank and sincere in their words, but it still couldn’t resolve the obstacle between them.

If Long Feiye had told me everything earlier, Han Yunxi mused, Then I’d give up the West Qin princess title without a second thought to pick him. But now she knew she couldn’t do that, because her conscience wouldn’t let her. Although she wasn’t really the princess, she had her identity. It was a position that gave the Di Clan its hope. She couldn’t forget their sacrifices: Ning An, Ning Jing, and Ning Cheng. Right now, the man must still be trying to track her down.

She would feel sorry for the rest of her life if she abandoned them now.

And yet, hadn’t Long Feiye hidden the truth in the first place just so she wouldn’t have to feel responsible or weighed down by her conscience?

“Ye, it doesn’t matter that you were planning to hide things from me forever, but now...I can’t do it,” Han Yunxi said.

“Then you should go,” Long Feiye replied.

“I’m not leaving!” Han Yunxi blurted out.

Long Feiye could guess as much. If she really hated him, would she have let him bully her all of yesterday?

“I’m not leaving...I’m not...I don’t want to…” she muttered as she held him tight.

“Then don’t go,” Long Feiye hugged her back tightly. He was about to order Uncle Gao to leave when she stopped him.

“Ye, if I wasn’t the West Qin princess, could you stop being the East Qin crown prince?”

“Impossible,” Long Feiye replied without hesitation.

Han Yunxi broke into a bitter smile. Seeing this, Long Feiye’s expression mirrored her own. Just how were they supposed to rightfully stick together? Both of them looked at each other in silence.

At this moment, a shadow guard came to report. “Your Highness, Ning Cheng’s here and says he has to see you.”