Chapter 127: Say Whatever You Like

"Si Nuosang, what is wrong?"

Ye Xuan could not understand why Si Nuosang was looking at him with such an expression—a mixture of despair, disappointment, and sorrow all swirling together.

"Ye Xuan, is this the medicine from your Ye Manor?"

Yiyi held the tea out before him. At first, Ye Xuan did not recognize the scent, but as he poured it onto the ground, the truth dawned on him.

"I didn't do it. It wasn't me," Ye Xuan shook his head.

"Give me the stone."

"What?"

"My item. My stone. Return it to me! You drugged me yesterday and disappeared, and the stone vanished along with you! If it wasn't you, then who was it? Ye Xuan, I truly considered you a friend, yet you were plotting to steal my stone. Was it Qin Shuang? Have you been working for her all this time? Were you lying to me the whole time? You are such a disappointment; I never imagined you were this kind of person."

Si Nuosang’s eyes were red; she had clearly been crying.

"Nuosang, I would never treat you like that. If I wanted the stone, would I use a trick like this? I could have simply snatched it away. If it were me, would I have come back? You are not thinking clearly right now. Let’s calm down and talk this through, alright?"

Ye Xuan looked at her, knowing how much pain she was in, but being misunderstood hurt him even more. Yiyi stood to the side, feigning pity; she dared not reveal anything, lest the fire spread to her.

"Calm down? How can you ask me to calm down? Who else could have obtained your manor's exclusive paralytic poison? Tell me, Ye Xuan! If it wasn't you, why did you run away?"

"I don't know. When I woke up, I was in the small woods. I knew something was wrong, so I rushed back immediately. Please, just calm down."

"Calm down? Do you know what that object means to me? It is my only hope—the only hope I have of going back! You have destroyed my hope, do you understand?" She screamed at him. Si Nuosang wanted to control her emotions, but she couldn't; she had trusted him so implicitly.

Seeing her like this, Ye Xuan was devastated. Why wouldn't she choose to believe him?

"It really wasn't me. I would never do that to you, Si Nuosang. I wouldn't."

Ye Xuan held back his own tears as he watched her. Si Nuosang sat alone, unable to believe it. Deep down, she had always longed to return, which was why she cherished that object so dearly. Without it, she was stranded—completely unable to go back. Her heart felt as if it were being crushed, a suffocating agony that made her wish for death.

"I will find proof to show that this wasn't me," Ye Xuan said.

Si Nuosang ignored him. For her, hope was gone. She could not return to her past. Though she had often told herself she would start over, the truth was that her heart had always wanted to go back—a desire she had denied until the moment the device was stolen, revealing the true depth of her longing.

"It’s no use. No use at all!" Si Nuosang shook her head and walked unsteadily back to her room. She didn't know if it was disappointment, misery, or heartbreak, but she felt terrible and wanted to ignore everything.

Yiyi shut the door behind her and looked at Ye Xuan with profound disappointment. "How could you do this? Master Ye, you were a friend Nuosang held dear. You have let us both down."

"I know that anything I say now is useless. But please, take good care of Si Nuosang. I will find the evidence to prove my innocence."

"Fine, go and find your evidence. I fear that if Nuosang loses her temper later, she might kill you herself. All the evidence points to you; if not you, then who? The worst part is that you act like a saint while doing such dirty work. That is what’s truly detestable—refusing to own up to your actions."

Yiyi was merciless. Even though she knew he was innocent, she felt a perverse satisfaction. Though she felt a pang of guilt seeing Si Nuosang in such pain, she believed that one must lose something to gain something else. Si Nuosang would recover in time.

"I know words are futile. Just take care of her," Ye Xuan said, leaving the residence in agony, determined to find the person who had framed him.

After leaving the Sang Residence, he ordered his men to search for clues. If he wasn't mistaken, the item was already in Qin Shuang's hands. But why would she do this? Framing him gained her nothing.

"Find the Ming Tower. Do not act rashly. Just report back when you have news."

"Yes."

After dispatching his men, Qin Shuang sought him out herself. She stood before him. "I heard you’ve been looking for me everywhere?"

"Indeed. The gemstone is with you, isn't it?"

"Yes." Qin Shuang did not deny it; she hadn't come to hide the truth.

"Why frame me?"

"Because it’s fun!"

She wouldn't mention Yiyi; Qin Shuang still had a sense of professional ethics. Yiyi was useful; if she ever needed to deal with Si Nuosang or Xuanyuan Juesi, Yiyi would be the perfect accomplice.

"Hand it over."

"Hand it over? It’s better off with me. And I’ve already spread the word that the item is in my possession. Now, your Si Nuosang is completely safe. Isn't that wonderful?"

"Wonderful? How is that wonderful?" This woman had destroyed his life, and she dared to talk of wonder.

"Of course it is. At least your beloved woman is safe. By the way, Xuanyuan Juesi will be returning soon. I suppose you know that. Don't waste your focus on me; go and explain yourself to Si Nuosang."

"Explain? How am I supposed to explain? You’ve made a mess of everything, and you expect me to clean it up? Have you no shame?" Ye Xuan couldn't fathom what went through her mind.

"The item is with me. Say whatever you want."

"Hand it over."

"Impossible." Qin Shuang shook her head.

"Impossible, is it?" Ye Xuan clenched his fists, clearly ready to fight. Qin Shuang clapped her hands, and a dozen men emerged.

"I don't have time to play with you. Let my subordinates entertain you. You might even recognize some of them, though they aren't the same weaklings they were under Baiming. Be careful," she warned mockingly before taking the chance to leave.

Ye Xuan’s martial arts had been improving, and despite these men being different, they were no match for him. However, being surrounded prevented him from chasing Qin Shuang. Watching her leave, he grew increasingly frustrated and lashed out, striking his attackers with heavy blows. Though he didn't kill them, he left them barely alive.

"You lot had better leave the Ming Tower immediately, or you will meet a miserable end sooner or later."

Looking at the men on the ground, he turned and walked away.