People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 522, A Kiss Seals the Deal

The sun shone brightly, its rays falling on the snow, and the soft crunch of footsteps echoed everywhere.

After talking with Ying Zheng, Xu Qing returned to the Doctor's Palace alone, intending to find Fei Yan. He had finally won Fei Yan's heart these past few days, so how could he miss such a good opportunity?
Along the way, many eunuchs or scholars from the Imperial Academy greeted Xu Qing with bows, and Xu Qing responded to each one.

Before long, Xu Qing arrived at the gate of the Star-Picking Tower. The half-closed gate was slightly ajar, as if it had been left open on purpose.

"Was the door left open specifically for me?"

Xu Qing smiled slightly, knocked on the palace door, and walked straight into the palace without waiting for Fei Yan's consent.

Bright sunlight streamed into the palace, dispelling the original deep and mysterious atmosphere and filling it with warm light. The curtains were neatly tied up, and all the oil lamps were removed. Several plum blossoms with buds about to bloom swayed gently by the window.

Fei Yan was still sitting on the wooden platform in the center of the hall, but the mask on her face had been removed, revealing her handsome face with a rosy glow.

"Has the king already left?"

Feiyan looked at Xu Qing, her rosy lips moving slightly as she asked in a soft, melodious voice.

"They've already left. The King is very satisfied with the results of this divination. It seems that the Yin-Yang School will soon catch the King's eye."

As Xu Qing walked and talked, he stepped over the water flowing around the wooden platform and stood in front of Fei Yan, a smile on his face that was hard to tell whether it was good or bad.

Fei Yan pursed her lips slightly, her eyes dimming slightly. She thought that Xu Qing's words were an expression of dissatisfaction with the Yin Yang School.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect His Majesty Donghuang to do this. I wanted to tell you sooner, but before I could, the King came to see me observe the stars."

Feiyan looked up at Xu Qing, and said with some worry and nervousness.

Feelings are so irrational. Even the aloof and cold-hearted Dong Jun Feiyan becomes cautious, afraid that Xu Qing will misunderstand her and affect her image in Xu Qing's heart.

Xu Qing hadn't expected that his casual remark would make Fei Yan so nervous. She was nothing like the cold, dignified, and noble Fei Yan she had been when they first met at Mount Taiyi. Instead, she seemed like a naive and insecure little girl.

No wonder Fei Yan was so easily swayed by Ji Dan in the original novel that she abandoned the Yin Yang School and returned to Yan with him. She's just too love-struck.

Fortunately, he came; otherwise, Fei Yan would have been deceived by Ji Dan again.

"You don't need to apologize. I know this is a decision made within the Yin-Yang School and has nothing to do with you. You are just an executor."

Xu Qing looked at Fei Yan with tender eyes, casually sat on the edge of the wooden platform, propped himself up with one hand, and shook his head slightly as he spoke.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Fei Yan's gaze towards Xu Qing became complicated. Even if Xu Qing said a few words to her, she wouldn't mind. On the contrary, the more magnanimous and indifferent Xu Qing was, the more uncomfortable Fei Yan felt.

"Actually, you don't need to give up the interests of the Heavenly Sect for my sake. You are the future leader of the Heavenly Sect, and doing this will affect you."

As soon as she finished speaking, a blush appeared on Fei Yan's face. She looked at Xu Qing somewhat shyly, her ears burning slightly.

The dignified Yin-Yang Master Dongjun Feiyan revealed such a shy and demure demeanor; if the Moon Goddess saw this, she would probably mock Feiyan for a long time.

Seeing how concerned Fei Yan was about him, Xu Qing's smile deepened. He moved closer to Fei Yan, his gaze softening as he spoke with deep affection.

People say that you must love yourself before loving others, but in my opinion, that's because you haven't met the one you truly love yet. When you meet the love of your life, your own gains and losses are often the least important. For you, I would risk my life, so why should I care about some personal benefits?

Xu Qing's love words were incredibly cliché in his previous life, but such explicit and straightforward words were extremely rare in this era. In addition, Fei Yan didn't understand the relationship between men and women, so her heart started pounding in the face of such bold words.

Feiyan tightened her small hands on her abdomen slightly, her knuckles turning slightly white, and her face instantly flushed red. She lowered her head shyly.

"you"

Feiyan looked down at her fingers, feeling both happy and shy, completely unsure how to respond to Xu Qing's words.

Seeing Fei Yan blush so deeply she looked like she was about to faint, Xu Qing chuckled, then changed the subject, his tone becoming somewhat flippant as he said...

"Consider this my betrothal gift to the Yin-Yang School. How can I not give a betrothal gift if I want to marry you?"

Feiyan naturally understood the teasing meaning in Xu Qing's words. She glared at Xu Qing coquettishly, then stretched out her slender finger and tapped Xu Qing's shoulder, giving him a slight push.

"You're making fun of me again."

Feiyan said somewhat angrily, but with the other party's blushing face and gentle tone, such anger and small actions seemed more like coquettishness.

So beautiful.

After a moment of reflection, Xu Qing, without waiting for Fei Yan to withdraw her hand, reached out and placed her hand on Fei Yan's slightly cold hand, then firmly grasped it—slender, flawless fingers.

"What are you doing? Let me go!" A hint of panic flashed in Fei Yan's eyes. She hadn't expected Xu Qing to be so bold. She looked around, afraid that someone would see this scene.

Let go? If you really don't want me to hold you, just pull away.

Xu Qing muttered to himself, "When a woman says she's letting go and doesn't want something, it's mostly because of friendship. Even if she really doesn't need it, she must like and expect something from a man she likes. How could she really not want it?"

"I'm not making fun of you, I'm telling the truth. I fell in love with you the moment I saw you. Meeting you made me understand what love is—it's an impulse to die for it. Every time I see you, I have an indescribable urge, an inability to suppress my feelings."

Xu Qing stared into Fei Yan's eyes and spoke earnestly, then his expression dimmed, and he became somewhat lost and sad.

Feiyan was about to say something, but seeing the change in Xu Qing's expression, she felt a strange heartache for Xu Qing for some reason. She pursed her lips, wanting to say something comforting, but didn't know where to begin.

"To outsiders, I seem to have a smooth and successful life. Although I am only the chief physician in Korea, I wield great power in the court and the country. Wherever I go, all the officials support me, and I also enjoy a very high reputation among the people and am deeply loved by them."

"But little did I know that I had earned all of this step by step with my life. When I was in South Korea, I often asked myself, 'I have been walking on thin ice all my life. Will I ever be able to reach the other side?'"

"However, before I received an answer, I was forced to leave Korea. I won't go into the reasons, but they were just some dirty affairs in the court, not worth your ears."

Xu Qing's gaze was weary and melancholy, as if she were completely immersed in some kind of mood and unable to extricate herself. The sadness between her brows was as if she had suffered a great injustice in South Korea.

"Actually, when I was forced to leave South Korea, I had already given up hope. At that time, I wanted to go back to Taeeulsan."

"I left the mountain to become an official because of my passion and my inability to bear the suffering of the people. Unfortunately, I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the gutter, and in the end I was forced to leave my hometown."

"But in the end, I couldn't let go. Then I met the King of Qin and encountered many crises. After arriving in Xianyang, I became even more deeply involved in power struggles."

"Every time I wake up in the middle of the night, I can't help but ask myself if I regret what I did?"

Feiyan silently watched Xu Qing, feeling increasingly sorry for him. For a moment, she forgot to pull her hand back and let Xu Qing hold it.

Although she didn't understand the imperial court, during her time in Xianyang, she witnessed many intrigues and power struggles, saw some sordid things, and understood how dangerous the imperial court was.

As a member of the Taoist Tianzong sect, Xu Qing could have pursued the Great Dao in Taiyi Mountain with a pure and desireless mind, free from worldly worries, and without letting these filthy things defile his clear and ethereal body.

But for the sake of the common people, Xu Qing still went down the mountain, only to be framed and almost become a treacherous official. Such a fall from grace would have made an ordinary person want to leave this world long ago.

"Why are you doing this? You clearly have better options," Fei Yan said with a sigh.

"Why bother? I had no intention of vying for power, but the people suffer so much that I am willing to use my body as medicine to cure the world's ailments."

"But after meeting you, I think I have the answer in my heart. I don't regret it because I met you."

"The path of destiny is elusive; it exists if you believe, and it doesn't if you don't. I used to not believe, but after meeting you, I do. The hardships I've endured were all arrangements by destiny to bring me to you."

Xu Qing gazed at Fei Yan with deep affection, slowly raising her hand and speaking with a firm expression.

"Whoo~"

Fei Yan's breathing suddenly quickened, and before she could speak, Xu Qing continued his output.

"Feiyan, because of you, my remaining life will no longer be lonely and bitter. Because of you, I understand that there are still people in this world worth remembering. I hope to see you every day of my remaining life and have you by my side."

"Are you willing to walk hand in hand with me through life? Are you willing to work with me to change this chaotic world and make it the way it should be? Are you willing to face fate with me and witness the future of destiny?"

Xu Qing said sincerely.

To further fuel Fei Yan's anger, Xu Qing tightened his grip slightly. Fei Yan, who was sitting upright, gasped softly and leaned forward, almost touching Xu Qing's face.

The two locked eyes and could even feel each other's warm breath.

"you……"

Seeing the sincerity in Xu Qing's eyes, Fei Yan felt inexplicably agitated, and her breath caught in her throat.

Meeting you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me; I wish to have you in my life.

Seeing that Fei Yan showed no sign of resistance, Xu Qing, after a passionate and sincere confession, leaned forward slightly and bit her rosy lips.

The bold get rich while the timid starve; either a kiss seals the deal, or you're beaten to death by Fei Yan.

Xu Qing made her own choice.

(End of this chapter)