“What could possibly disturb Qingxue’s sleep?”
Cang Yan wore an expression of utter bewilderment as he leisurely lifted his teacup and took a slow sip, his deep blue eyes glinting with amusement as they rested on Yun Qingxue.
The palace servants kneeling on the floor pinned all their hopes of escaping punishment on Yun Qingxue.
“Too many visitors!” Yun Qingxue replied carelessly, though a closer listen would reveal a hint of irritation in her voice.
Cang Yan set down his teacup, his azure eyes still fixed on her with a smile. Yun Qingxue was indeed clever—she must have guessed that he already knew about Feng Zihuang and Jin Lin’s visit the previous night. Instead of trying to hide it, she openly admitted it!
Good. He liked intelligent women. But he wondered how she planned to explain her “poor sleep” last night.
Yun Qingxue pouted and grumbled, “I’m about to be driven mad!”
Cang Yan simply watched her with a smile, his expression resembling that of a boy infinitely indulging his sweetheart’s whims.
Yet, to Yun Qingxue, every move he made carried an air of danger and unpredictability.
No matter how he behaved, she would never forget that this man was the most warlike king of the beast clans in the Xuanling Continent—and a usurper at that. His position and ambitions ensured that every action he took was calculated and masked.
Just like now.
He wore a gentle, doting expression, but who knew what schemes lurked in his heart?
One wrong word, and the consequences at the hands of this smiling man would be anyone’s guess.
Yun Qingxue rolled her eyes. “Your laughter right now is really inconsiderate.”
“Oh?” Cang Yan’s smile only deepened.
She shot him an annoyed glare and muttered, “I was disturbed all night and couldn’t sleep…”
“And what does Qingxue wish to do about it?”
Cang Yan lounged in his seat, exuding a lazy yet dangerous aura, like a predator lying in wait on the grasslands.
Yun Qingxue let out an impatient sigh. “Drive all the annoying people away! Save me the trouble!”
“Then tell me, Qingxue, who are these ‘annoying people’?” His azure eyes darkened slightly, though his indulgent demeanor remained unchanged.
Flustered, Yun Qingxue plopped down onto a nearby chair and blurted, “The Dragon King, of course!”
“Hmm?” Cang Yan feigned confusion. “From the sound of it, you and the Dragon King seem to have quite the misunderstanding.”
He knew exactly who had visited Bai Xi Palace last night. The reason he had spent all this time circling the topic with Yun Qingxue was to hear her most honest answer. His feelings toward her had shifted from mere utility to seeing her as his woman.
And since she was a woman he, Cang Yan, had claimed, she could harbor no disloyalty—or else…
His doting smile remained, but his eyes grew darker and more unfathomable.
“It’s not a misunderstanding—it’s a grudge!” Yun Qingxue muttered weakly.
Cang Yan raised a brow, looking intrigued and ready to listen.
She glared at him before slumping over the table, too listless to explain further.
With a wave of his hand, Cang Yan dismissed the guards in the room. The Bai Xi Palace servants he had earlier threatened with punishment still knelt motionless on the floor.
His sharp brows furrowed, and his gaze turned icy as it swept over the trembling crowd.
“Leave!”
The servants shuddered before scrambling out in haste.
Once they were gone, Cang Yan turned back to Yun Qingxue and said softly, “Now, Qingxue, you may speak.”
“Speak about what?” She blinked, frowning.
His eyes darkened further as he studied her. “I believe Qingxue knows exactly what to say.”
“I don’t!” she snapped.
Cang Yan undoubtedly knew who had come to see her last night. Given what she had learned about him over these past days, he must be deeply suspicious of her. As someone who sought absolute control, the last thing he wanted was for her—his pawn—to slip from his grasp.
Some things only grew murkier the more one tried to explain. Denying something too vehemently could make it seem all the more true.
Besides, her goal now was to conceal the truth and deceive Cang Yan. So from the start, Yun Qingxue had adopted a strategy of feigned indifference and playful ignorance.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop abruptly. Though Yun Qingxue maintained her bored, careless facade, her heart was racing.
From where she sat, she could keenly sense the imposing, regal pressure emanating from Cang Yan.
She looked up, her clear eyes meeting his as she frowned. “If you want to know what grudge I hold against the Dragon King, there was no need to dismiss the servants and guards.”
Cang Yan said nothing.
Logically, upon learning that the Dragon King and Phoenix King had secretly visited Yun Qingxue at night, the wisest course would have been to confine and monitor her immediately.
Yet he hadn’t acted that way. No one could fathom the complexity of his emotions at this moment—not even himself.
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