Where is the early stage of the marriage alliance?

"Father, Uncle Rui is seriously injured."

Ling Yu quickly chimed in, clearly sensing that his father didn't seem to like Uncle Rui very much.

"With such severe injuries, you still had the energy to teach you archery?"

Ling Heng raised an eyebrow slightly, his dissatisfaction with Xiao Ce evident in his words.

"It's true! Uncle Rui only taught my brother for a short while before he felt really unwell! Just now I asked him if he would like to marry my aunt, but he left before he could answer me. Maybe it's because he was feeling too unwell!"

Ling Yu hurriedly retorted, saying that he had obtained the bow and arrow he desired today, and now he really liked this Uncle Rui.

Upon hearing this, Qin Qi suddenly realized something, his heart tightened, and his expression changed drastically.

"Oh no! Oh no... Silver Wind!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Qin Qi's guard, Yin Feng, immediately entered the hall to await orders.

"What are your orders, young master?"

"Quickly! Go to Prince Rui's residence and stop him from going to Night City."

"Yes."

"Wait! If he has already set off, immediately lead men out of the city through Beiding Gate to intercept him. Tell them..."

Qin Qi glanced at Ling Xi opposite him, paused briefly, and then gave the order in a deep voice:

"It is said that the princess of Chu has already arrived in Jinling."

Upon hearing this, everyone in the hall was shocked.

Ling Xi's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment. Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, her mind in turmoil, and she stood there blankly.

"Did he go to Night City to find Xi'er?"

Ling Heng clenched his fist, his expression immediately darkening. Qin Qi nodded awkwardly, glancing at Ling Xi's expression from time to time.

"Uncle Rui went to Night City to see Aunt? It seems he really is willing to marry Aunt. I just asked him a question, and he rushed off to Night City."

The only happy person present was probably Ling Yu, who was completely unaware of the situation.

……

After dinner, Yin Feng returned to report. It turned out that after leaving the Qin residence, Xiao Ce had not returned to the Prince Rui's residence at all; he must have left the city directly. They had ridden at full speed, chasing him for fifty miles outside the city, but had not found any trace of him.

Qin Qi deduced that Xiao Ce must have been traveling on horseback; if he had been in a carriage, he certainly wouldn't have been this fast.

On the journey from Ye City to Jinling, Ling Xi was filled with trepidation, fearing that Xiao Ce would discover Yue'er's true identity. Now, lying on the bed, she tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

In one day, she heard too many things about Xiao Ce, and each and every one of them intertwined and entangled in her chaotic thoughts. No matter how hard she tried, she could not shake them off.

It turned out that Mu Wanning had passed away six months after she left Jinling. At that time, she only knew that Mu Wanning was often bedridden, but she never imagined that she was already terminally ill. And Xiao Ce's father had also passed away three years ago.

She had assumed that Xiao Ce must have started a new life in the past five years and had long forgotten her. So why was he going to Night City to find her today?

Ling Xi was suddenly terrified and sat up abruptly in bed. Could it be that... he had already realized that Yue'er was his child, which was why he rushed to Ye City to confront her?

This terrifying thought sent a chill down Ling Xi's spine. Just then, there was a sudden knocking sound at the door.

"Ling Xi, are you asleep?"

It was Qin Qi's voice. Ling Xi finished dressing and opened the door, only to see him looking troubled.

"Ling Xi, I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. If it's convenient for you, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."

Ling Xi's eyes flickered slightly, and after a moment's thought, her delicate brows furrowed gently.

"If you want to talk about Xiao Ce, then there's no need."

After saying that, she was about to close the door.

"Wait a minute!"

Qin Qi quickly reached out to block the door and called out to stop him.

"Ling Xi, Yi Zhi has suffered so much these past years. He has never forgotten you; for so many years, he has been trapped in his old obsession, unable to break free. Is there truly no chance for you two at all?"

Qin Qi looked at her, his eyes full of earnestness.

Ling Xi's face remained calm and indifferent, without the slightest ripple of emotion. The evening breeze blew from the corridor, causing the stray hairs at her temples to tremble slightly. After a long silence, she finally raised her eyes.

"He's suffering, but have I had an easy and carefree life all these years?"

Over the years, although she escaped Jinling and escaped him, her heart still ached because of him for five whole years.

"Yizhi didn't intentionally deceive you about Mu Wanning poisoning her brother back then. Bai Xu had already diagnosed that she only had two years to live. He just wanted to make her remaining days a little easier..."

"Is that all he told you?"

Ling Xi's tone was indifferent, revealing no emotion. Qin Qi was taken aback, a look of confusion on his face.

"These were all things he revealed while drunk. Could there have been other reasons for your breakup back then?"

Ling Xi slightly curled the corners of her lips and chuckled.

"Forget it, there's no point in talking about the reasons now. In the end, it's just that he didn't care enough about me back then, which is why we've ended up like this."

"No! That's not it! Yizhi and I grew up together, and I've never seen him care about anyone like this. Back then, you insisted on not forgiving him, so I advised him to go back to Jinling first and give you more time to calm down. After he returned from Jicheng, he was completely distraught and depressed all day long. The following year, he went to Jicheng alone to find you, but ever since he came back from that trip..."

"Did he go to Jicheng again the following year?"

Ling Xi interrupted, her tone tinged with surprise.

"What? You knew nothing about this?"

Ling Xi slowly shook her head. She had always thought that after he left five years ago, he had never been back to Jicheng. She thought that he had long since let go of the past, let go of her, and started a new life.

Qin Qi sighed softly, his expression growing increasingly grave.

"I don't know exactly what happened back then. I only know that he was extremely depressed after he came back that time. Not long after, his father passed away. Since then, he has been like a lost soul. I have never seen a real smile on his face again."

Ling Xi felt a tightness in her throat. Qin Qi's words stirred something within her, but they couldn't change the fact that he had killed his brother. That slight wavering was instantly suppressed by her cold, hardened thoughts. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the slight turmoil in her heart.

"Stop talking. I don't want to hear anything more about him."

A resolute glint appeared in Ling Xi's eyes, and she gradually tightened her grip.

"Young Master Qin, please return."

Qin Qi's usually relaxed brows furrowed tightly, and a hint of resentment flickered in his eyes. He stubbornly held onto the door, refusing to let go.

"Ling Xi, I have no right to interfere with your decision, but as Yi Zhi's friend, I want to... I want to ask you to give Yi Zhi another chance."

Qin Qi's eyes trembled slightly, and his eyes reddened. Ling Xi lowered her eyes, and her previously tense hands gradually relaxed.