Chapter 140: The Answer

Sinuosang knew that she would not get the answer she wanted from his mouth, so it was better to stop asking. Rather than destroying both sides and letting things spin out of control before trying to stop, it was best for them to draw the line now.

Xuanyuan Juesi understood this as well, but he simply could not accept it. He did not want his relationship with Sinuosang to deteriorate to this extent.

He grabbed Sinuosang's hand, but she only looked back with icy indifference.

"Let go."

Her voice was extremely cold, though at that moment, her heart was not quite as freezing as her words implied. Yet, she forced herself to handle everything calmly because she needed to leave a profound impression on Xuanyuan Juesi; otherwise, their future days would consist of nothing but endless quarrels.

"Let's have a proper talk."

"Talk about what? Are you willing to talk to me? Are the secrets hidden in your heart things you want to discuss? Hmph, if you don't want to talk, I won't force you."

Sinuosang brushed past him, returning to her own room and refusing to stay in his study any longer.

Xuanyuan Juesi was truly furious and detested Sinuosang's attitude, yet he was completely helpless against her. She was not the kind of woman who could be easily dismissed. He had been extremely careful to accommodate her, but it was all to no avail. She was too smart; once something was kept hidden from her, she would inevitably discover it. In truth, this was his own fault. Had he not intentionally kept secrets, there would not have been so many issues between them. On this point, he had to admit the truth.

The conflicts between them would only multiply in the future, so he had no idea how to handle what lay ahead. Just the mere thought of the future made it terrifying. Xuanyuan Juesi seemed incapable of bearing such a future. It was far too heavy for him, exceeding his capabilities, with one complication following another.

Even so, he was unwilling to let go. Therefore, he was determined to persevere. Many things about the future were uncertain, but he only hoped Sinuosang could be certain, no matter how their path unfolded.

Sinuosang did not think that deeply about it, after all, given her understanding of the situation. She knew she could not return home, and her device had been snatched away with no news of it to this day. Retrieving it seemed temporarily out of the question. Thus, she resigned herself to whatever came her way. She had originally intended to get along well with Xuanyuan Juesi as her long-term meal ticket, but he constantly deceived her and now even forbade her from going out.

Was there truly something Yiyi was hiding from her? Something that could make Xuanyuan Juesi act this way? Sinuosang could not imagine what it could be. She knew Yiyi's affection for her better than anyone else.

Therefore, she could only assume that Xuanyuan Juesi was simply saying those things on purpose. Otherwise, she could think of nothing else and would only be bringing unnecessary trouble upon herself.

In truth, Yiyi had been suffering immensely all this time. Because the last conversation she had with Xuanyuan Juesi was crystal clear—he knew she had betrayed Sinuosang, and the only reason he kept quiet was to spare Sinuosang from heartbreak. From this, Yiyi knew Xuanyuan Juesi would not carelessly blurt it out. However, her heart remained unsettled, knowing that if Xuanyuan Juesi found out, he would surely stop her from approaching Sinuosang. If that happened, what meaning would her life have?

She truly could not bear to be separated from Sinuosang. At this thought, tears streamed endlessly down Yiyi's face. She clutched the fabric over her chest tightly, her expression twisted in deep agony.

"Miss Yiyi, what is wrong?"

Mingquan, the shop assistant, looked at Yiyi with concern. Yiyi shook her head.

"Step down. Let me be by myself. Do not come in to disturb me. I need some peace and quiet alone."

Yiyi looked at Mingquan, initially wanting to vent her temper, but she reined herself in. She could not transfer her anger onto someone else, especially since she had once been a servant herself and owed everything she had today to Sinuosang. Still, she knew that fundamentally, she remained a maid within the Prince's Mansion.

"Yes, Miss Yiyi."

Mingquan said no more and hurriedly went back to organizing the merchandise. Business was improving day by day, customers were increasing, and the adjacent storefront had already been rented. Mulberry Residence was now four times its original size, yet the smile on Miss Yiyi's face grew scarcer by the day. Mingquan knew it was all because of Miss Sinuosang.

However, it was an undeniable fact that Miss Sinuosang had been taken away by Prince Xuanyuan Juesi. Yiyi had no power to demand her back from the Prince, which was why Miss Yiyi spent her days weeping. He saw it all in his eyes and felt the pain in his heart.

In Mulberry Residence, everyone except Yiyi could see the truth: Mingquan was in love with Yiyi. Fortunately, Yiyi was oblivious to it. If she ever found out, Mingquan would no longer be able to stay here. Yiyi would never allow such a thing to exist; she did not need anyone's affection—Sinuosang was all she needed.

Her entire world required only Sinuosang.

Yet, while she could devote herself entirely to Sinuosang, Sinuosang could not do the same for her. There were many people Sinuosang cared about, and she treated most of them with equal kindness.

Over time, the emotional gap in Yiyi's heart grew predictably vast, which was why she fell victim to Qin Shuang's provocation. Just a few words had been enough to make her betray Sinuosang. If Sinuosang ever found out, she would surely be heartbroken to death. Yiyi dreaded that day and prayed it would never come.

Unseen, a pair of hands seemed to pull their fates tightly together. Sidao Xueyi proceeded with extreme caution all the way.

Suddenly, her memory was pulled back, recalling what Wen Shuan had said to her at the time:

"Sidao Xueyi, are you certain you want to time-travel back?"

"Yes, I am entirely certain. I must go back to save Sinuosang. Unlike you, I am not so cold-blooded."

"Cold-blooded? You know my history with her better than anyone. Speaking of cold-blooded, I can never match her."

Wen Shuan turned his head away to gaze at the sky outside.

"Fine, I will not make things difficult for you."

Sidao Xueyi felt she might have said something wrong, so she stopped talking. It seemed she would have to resolve this matter entirely on her own. Thus, she stopped pushing Wen Shuan; everyone knew a forced melon was never sweet.

"Sidao Xueyi, although I hold no fondness for you, nor for Sinuosang, I still hope both of you can return safely. I have prepared an extra device for you."

He handed a circular object to Sidao Xueyi. She knew what it was—a time-travel device, a far more advanced one.

"Thank you."

Sidao Xueyi accepted it without standing on ceremony, as there was no need for politeness. Having one more copy at this moment meant an extra layer of safety.

"And take this gun."

He retrieved a handgun from the case and handed it to her.

"I don't know how to use a gun."

"Just pull the trigger. And it requires no ammunition. It's our latest weapon, capable of discharging a powerful electrical current. It's only effective for close-range kills and recharges via solar power. However, there is one small drawback: it holds only ten shots at a time, so it's best not to get into mass brawls."