Chapter 71: Letting You Go

Sino Sang denied it as if she had been caught, but the more she did so, the more Xuan Yuan Juesi understood what was going on with her. He pulled her into his arms, and they both sat down on the floor together.

“Silly girl, there’s really nothing between me and her.”

Xuan Yuan Juesi suddenly softened, and this gentleness made it hard for Sino Sang to keep up her harsh tone.

“What does that have to do with me?” Sino Sang replied lightly. His embrace was so warm—warm enough to make the whole world brighten.

“Of course it concerns you. I like you.”

Xuan Yuan Juesi held her tightly, as if afraid she might truly leave. To be honest, when he heard she’d fought with Qin Li, he was actually grateful to Qin Li—because it gave him a reason to keep her by his side.

“Have you come down with a fever?” His unexpected tenderness was strange enough, but now he was telling her he liked her.

Sino Sang’s heart thudded wildly. She wasn’t a little girl anymore, easily flustered just because someone said “I like you.” She needed to stay calm and composed.

“I don’t have a fever. I’m being serious with you! Don’t interrupt.”

Xuan Yuan Juesi gently patted her cheek.

“Can you stop hitting my face? My looks are my livelihood.”

Sino Sang laughed! With his tenderness, it was hard to stay angry. She sprawled across his lap; it felt so good.

“Your looks are just average. Better to rely on me for a living!”

“What do you mean by that, Xuan Yuan Juesi?” In an instant, she bristled like an enraged lioness.

He gently pressed her head back onto his lap.

“I mean, you don’t need to rely on anything else. Just rely on me.”

Looking at this little lioness, Xuan Yuan Juesi thought her temper truly put him in a difficult position. Maybe he had a masochistic streak; otherwise, with the way she spoke, she would have died a thousand times over by now.

“Hmph, I bet there are plenty of women relying on you.”

“You’re always like this. I really only have you. Qin Li was just a music companion—nothing more then, and even less now! Your temper flares up with no regard for the truth, always heading stubbornly in your own direction. Sigh, I really am at a loss with you,” Xuan Yuan Juesi sighed.

“You make it sound as if it’s all my fault. Clearly that Qin Li is the problem. You insisted on protecting her, couldn’t bear to let go of such a beautiful woman—so fair-skinned, too. You don’t like her? Who would believe that? Now you say you like me, just to stop me from making a scene, right?”

Sino Sang pouted, lying across his lap, eyes closed, ignoring him.

“I can never outtalk you,” he said in defeat.

Xuan Yuan Juesi, rather helpless, gently ran his hand through her hair.

She didn’t reply, and when he looked, she’d fallen asleep—even at a time like this. She must have been exhausted.

After a while, seeing that she was fast asleep, he carefully picked her up and carried her to the couch, tucking her in and staying quietly by her side. It was a scene of perfect warmth—but only when she was asleep. When she was awake, there would be nothing of this tranquility.

After some time, Xuan Yuan Juesi realized he needed to question Qin Li alone. He ordered Yuan Qianlü to guard the princess.

“Take good care of her, and don’t wake her.”

“Yes, Your Highness,” Yuan Qianlü nodded. The prince had finally brought the princess back again, but the peace wouldn’t last.

With the princess around, life could never be quiet. But without her, it was far too silent.

So Yuan Qianlü was never sure which was better—with her, or without her.

He stood motionless at the door.

Meanwhile, Xuan Yuan Juesi strode toward the prison and stopped before Qin Li.

“Qin Li, there’s no one else here. Tell me the truth—are Sino Sang’s accusations true?”

“They’re not.”

“Then why did you want her to investigate?”

Xuan Yuan Juesi was puzzled. Couldn’t she have investigated herself?

“It’s because she doesn’t trust me that I wanted her to look into it. Because she would find the truth—that those people didn’t die because of me.”

Qin Li looked at him, but Xuan Yuan Juesi couldn’t make sense of her logic.

“I don’t understand,” he said, watching her.

“To put it another way, I just want you to know I’m not a murderer. Even Lian Bailiu wasn’t killed by me.”

“That last part truly confuses me,” he replied. He was certain that Lian Bailiu had been killed by Qin Li—was she still denying it?

“One day you’ll understand that everything I did was for one person.”

Qin Li looked at him; Xuan Yuan Juesi decided not to pursue the matter further.

Because it seemed that person was himself.

“Qin Li, there’s something I need to make clear. I already have Sino Sang. I will never harbor feelings for any other woman. So if you are truly innocent, I advise you to leave quickly. Don’t think of doing anything with Ye Xuan.”

“How do you know about that?”

“I know many things.”

He looked at her, while she was utterly astonished.

“What else do you know?” Qin Li could hardly believe it.

Xuan Yuan Juesi merely gave a cold laugh.

“Is it that I know too much, or that you know nothing at all? Qin Li, I’ve known everything from the moment you approached me. But I truly did enjoy your music. It brought me moments of peace.”

He made no attempt to hide his appreciation for her playing.

“But you still will never love me.”

“That’s right.”

“If Sino Sang were gone?”

Qin Li looked at him. What if Sino Sang had never appeared?

“There is no such thing as ‘if,’ Qin Li,” he replied clearly. In this world, there are no ‘what ifs.’ What’s happened has happened; there’s no going back. Heaven never gives anyone a second chance.

“Let me put it this way: if Sino Sang had never appeared, you probably wouldn’t have known how to love anyone, would you? It was she who changed you. So you could never love me. Ha… Though my intentions were impure at first, in the end, I dug a pit and fell into it myself—I fell in love with you.”

Qin Li laughed bitterly. Even without Sino Sang, this man would never have loved her. How laughable—she’d entertained even a glimmer of hope.

But hope had never existed. It was all wishful thinking.

“Qin Li, there’s no point in saying any of this. I’ll let you go, just this once and never again. You and Ye Xuan’s schemes end here. You will gain nothing from me. That legend is nothing more than a myth—I have nothing.”

Xuan Yuan Juesi spoke, while Qin Li simply shook her head.