Fairy, you call this repaying a debt of gratitude?

An He and Wen Jingxing's figures gradually disappeared into the distance. Beside the flower bushes in the West Garden, only Shen Wei and Qin Yunshang remained. The surroundings were so quiet that only the soft sound of the wind blowing through the flower branches could be heard.

Qin Yunshang didn't speak, but walked slowly along the bluestone path, her fair hand gently brushing against the blooming crabapple blossoms beside her.

Seeing this, Shen Wei had no choice but to put his hands behind his back and follow her slowly.

The two walked one after the other in silence for a long time before Qin Yunshang finally spoke softly.

"Don't you think this place looks a bit like the place we used to play in when we were kids?"

"Yes, it does look quite similar."

"Do you miss those days?" Qin Yunshang stopped and slowly turned around, looking directly at Shen Wei. Her tone was abruptly urgent, as if she had been holding it in for a long time.

This question came so suddenly that Shen Wei was slightly taken aback. He had to carefully examine what kind of answer Qin Yunshang was looking for behind her question.

"Does it really take that long to think about?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei simply spoke his mind directly.

"Of course I miss it, but what's the use of missing it? Some days are destined to never return."

"We can't go back..."

Qin Yunshang snorted lightly, "Let's put that aside for now. Since you're still alive, why haven't you come back to find me? Aren't those promises valid?"

Why?

Shen Wei also wanted to ask why, why his family was the one to be executed, and why this so-called "Evil Dragon Demon" was on him.

His throat was a little dry, and his voice was a little hoarse.

"My whole family was executed because of me... I don't want to cause any more deaths."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yunshang's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment.

Indeed, all these years, he has been alive, yet he has never come to see me. He must have some unspeakable reasons for it.

But after a while, he spoke firmly again: "But now, I have the ability to protect you. With me here, no one dares to touch you."

What kind of domineering CEO-style speech is this? It's certainly tempting to say that, but...

Upon hearing this, Shen Wei's heart stirred slightly. Such domineering yet sincere words would have already moved anyone else.

But he had long been accustomed to this carefree and unrestrained life.

To him, the life Qin Yunshang described was like something that happened in a past life.

If he were to return to the capital, to that place full of constraints and scheming, to live a childish life dependent on her, no matter how wonderful it sounds, he would never be able to adapt.

Perhaps, in the years he has been away from Qin Yunshang, she has grown a lot, and perhaps today she really does wield some power and strength that he could hardly imagine.

But Shen Wei knew in his heart that even so, he would never stay in the capital, much less depend on her.

Once the evil dragon within him is exposed, it will be a disaster. At that time, not only Qin Yunshang, but even the most powerful force may not be able to protect him. Instead, it will drag her down with him into an abyss of no return.

"Really... It seems that in the years I've been away, that little crybaby who used to always follow me around crying has grown quite a bit."

Thinking of this, Shen Wei subtly changed the subject, his tone slightly teasing, trying to make their conversation less heavy.

Upon hearing the familiar and affectionate address, Qin Yunshang couldn't help but recall various memories from her childhood.

Her family and Shen Wei's family were old friends, and they happened to live very close to each other, just across the street. The two had been inseparable since childhood and could be considered true childhood sweethearts. However, Qin Yunshang was aloof and timid when she was young.

Looking at this little girl with a melancholy air like Lin Daiyu, Shen Wei couldn't help but want to cheer her up. In order to make her laugh, he casually agreed to quite a few vague promises.

Since then, Qin Yunshang has always followed behind Shen Wei, and over time, her personality has gradually become much more cheerful.

The two families were well-matched and shared a deep affection for each other. According to the usual story, it would be natural for them, who had been childhood sweethearts, to grow up, get married, and stay together for life.

But all of this was predicated on the fact that Shen Wei's family had not yet been wiped out.

Qin Yunshang vaguely remembered that day. She had spent the entire afternoon playing chess with Shen Wei. At first, her skills were rusty, and she couldn't beat him.

But after a few rounds, the situation suddenly reversed, and she won against Shen Wei one after another. He praised himself for his extraordinary talent, and she went home with a heart full of joy.

That night, she drifted off to sleep, hoping that she could play chess and joke around with Shen Wei again the next day.

In that beautiful dream, she vaguely heard sharp and mournful shouts of killing coming from afar, indistinct and distant.

The next morning, she overheard her parents talking in hushed tones, their voices filled with shock:

"Who dared to be so audacious as to attack the emperor's favorite minister right under his nose? The entire Lu family was wiped out overnight..."

"The Lu residence, isn't that Brother Lu's home?"

She never saw her brother Lu again after that. As she grew older, she gradually realized that their farewell wave under the pavilion that afternoon might have been their final goodbye.

But she could never accept such an ending.

Later, she overheard her parents talking privately that Shen Wei's body was not found in the horrific massacre of her family.

If it were someone else, they might have already accepted the fact that he had passed away, but Qin Yunshang held onto an almost obsessive belief and continued to search for news of him everywhere, day after day, year after year, without ever stopping.

To this day, in Qingyun City, in the West Garden of the Wen Mansion, she has finally found the person she has been longing for day and night.

He had changed a lot, shedding his childhood naiveté and gaining a colder, more aloof air. Yet, he seemed unchanged, still able to dispel all her grievances and resentments with a single sentence.

But in just a moment, the intelligent Qin Yunshang realized that he was changing the subject.

"You're absolutely right, so what do you think?"

Shen Wei thought to himself that grown-up girls are not so easy to fool.

Just as he was pondering how to answer, a clear voice rang out.

"Young Master Shen, what brings you to my house...?"

Upon seeing Shen Wei, Wen Yutang rushed over, only to find Qin Yunshang there as well, and the atmosphere between the two seemed rather strange.

Shen Wei, as if grasping at a lifeline, immediately spoke up, saying in a very fast voice, "Wen Yutang, why don't you talk to this Miss Qin for a while? I have important matters to discuss with your brother."

After saying those words, he turned around hastily and walked away quickly in the direction Wen Jingxing had left without looking back.

The two of them were left alone together in an awkward situation.

Watching Shen Wei's departing figure, Qin Yunshang was not annoyed. She thought to herself, as long as he is alive, he cannot escape her grasp. She has waited for ten years, so what's a little more time?

She slowly withdrew her gaze and began to speak to herself.

"I asked Anhe to look for a handkerchief, why hasn't she found it yet after so long?"

As Qin Yunshang said this, she walked calmly toward her room, her demeanor serene.

Wen Yutang was left alone, bewildered in the wind.