“The reason the Dragon King keeps bothering me is actually for one thing,” Yun Qingxue’s sullen voice rang out.
Cang Yan remained silent, his brows still furrowed.
The less reaction an opponent showed, the more unsettling it felt.
“You know why I left the Flower and Wood Clan. Before I met you, I was wandering alone in exile and ended up among the Water Tribe. The Dragon King and I became friends through conflict—you could say we fought first and bonded later. He took me to the Water Tribe’s Dragon Palace, and for a time, we were even considered friends.
While in the Water Tribe, I encountered a small venomous snake. That little snake fed on poisons and was quite intelligent. It took a liking to me, so I formed a master-servant contract with it. Eventually, the Dragon King found out and angrily accused me of abducting the Water Tribe’s sacred serpent.
I explained that I had no idea such a small, venomous snake could be the Water Tribe’s sacred serpent. The Dragon King didn’t believe me and forced me to dissolve the contract with A-Dai. Once I learned of A-Dai’s importance to the Water Tribe, I should have released it and let it return. But at the time, I was on the run with no protection, unsure when the traitors from the Flower and Wood Clan would come after me. My magic was weak, so…”
Here, Yun Qingxue deliberately paused, feigning unease, her eyes flickering nervously toward Cang Yan.
Cang Yan simply watched her with his deep, penetrating gaze, taking in her anxiety and apprehension.
“So?” he asked in a low voice.
Yun Qingxue licked her dry lips, looking like a guilty child awaiting judgment.
“So…” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her expression both aggrieved and uneasy.
Cang Yan clenched his fists beneath his sleeves, an unfamiliar emotion spreading through him. For a moment, he even felt he shouldn’t press further. The usually composed Yun Qingxue now seemed like a frightened, helpless child.
“What…” Reason overpowered the unnamed emotion, and Cang Yan continued in a slightly hoarse voice.
Yun Qingxue took a deep breath, her demeanor resolute, as if steeling herself for a great sacrifice. Yet the tears still glistened in her eyes, though she fought to keep them from falling.
“So I pretended to agree to the Dragon King’s demand, then fled the Water Tribe with A-Dai. When the Dragon King sent someone after me, I ordered A-Dai to bite the pursuer. The man retreated after being poisoned, and I escaped toward the southeast.”
Frowning, Yun Qingxue finished speaking, her gaze shifting restlessly.
Cang Yan studied her deeply, as if weighing the truth of her words.
After a moment of hesitation, Yun Qingxue finally looked back at him. “Do you think I’m terribly cunning? Do you think I’m especially dishonest?”
She bit her lip, and a tear finally escaped.
Yun Qingxue quickly wiped it away with her sleeve, her eyes red as she stared at Cang Yan. “I’ve told you everything. If you hate me now, well, you’re the one in charge here anyway!”
A brief silence followed before Cang Yan suddenly smiled, rising to stand beside her.
Yun Qingxue looked up at him, puzzled.
“Under those circumstances, what you did was understandable,” Cang Yan said with a chuckle, pulling her into an embrace.
Yun Qingxue pushed him away, her clear eyes filled with suspicion.
*Talk is talk—keep your hands to yourself!*
“You don’t think I’m wicked?”
“If it were me…” Cang Yan’s gaze softened with affection, his voice low but firm. “In that situation, I’d have been even ‘wickeder’ than you.”
“Really?” Yun Qingxue seemed unconvinced.
“Really,” Cang Yan affirmed, nodding for emphasis. It was the first time in years he’d tried so hard to comfort someone.
It felt like coaxing a child—but the feeling wasn’t bad at all.
Yun Qingxue’s beautiful eyes sparkled as she frowned slightly, as if weighing the credibility of his words.
“You’re not lying to me?” she asked after a pause, still not entirely convinced.
“I won’t lie to you.” The icy blue of Cang Yan’s eyes warmed with amusement. He lifted her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. “I won’t lie to you, so Qingxue mustn’t lie to me either.”
“Pfft—”
Yun Qingxue couldn’t help but laugh. “I believe you.”
Cang Yan continued to watch her with a deep, amused gaze, as if waiting for her promise.
Instead, Yun Qingxue grinned playfully. “What if I accidentally lie to you? What happens then?”
“A fate worse than death—eternal ruin.” Cang Yan’s eyes turned cold in an instant, his oppressive aura enveloping her like a suffocating shadow.
The overwhelming pressure of a supreme being made it hard to breathe.
“So…” Just as quickly, Cang Yan smiled again. “Qingxue must never lie to me.”
*Because you’re the one I care for—and precisely for that reason, if you dare deceive me, I’ll make sure you suffer beyond imagination.*
His eyes gleamed with amusement.
Yun Qingxue blinked twice, then suddenly laughed, radiant as a field of blooming flowers.
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