Mu Wan Yao faced Yan Shang with all her sharpness and defensiveness.
His sorrowful gaze, his raised voice, his rare genuine anger—all of this made Mu Wan Yao straighten her back further and lift her chin higher.
His words, "Why didn't you tell me about many things earlier?" directly struck a nerve, causing her eyes to instantly redden and her pupils to tremble.
Mu Wan Yao snapped, "What if I had told you earlier? So you could have withdrawn early and avoided getting entangled with me?!"
Yan Shang was taken aback, struggling to control his impulsive words: "That's not what I meant..."
Mu Wan Yao sneered, "Seeking advantage and avoiding harm, a gentleman does not stand under a collapsing wall... Isn't that exactly what you meant? Where did I go wrong? You're just a block of wood—if I don't poke you, you won't move. It's true that I've been provoking you all along, but are you really so innocent yourself? Didn't you give me opportunities time and again? If you were truly steadfast and unyielding, you should have dashed your head against a wall and died to prove your resolve when I first kissed you in Lingnan!
"You didn't! You enjoyed it, you indulged... It was you who gave me the chance!"
Yan Shang was left speechless, his face as pale as snow.
He truly, truly... regardless of his intentions—whether he wanted to maintain a good relationship with Mu Wan Yao or avoid becoming her enemy—from the very beginning, he had indeed...
He calmed himself slightly and asked softly, "Fine, it's my fault for not being clear. I did behave ambiguously toward you. Then, what did you mean when you said you wanted me to be your lover but wouldn't give me any status, Your Highness?"
Mu Wan Yao remained silent.
Yan Shang stared at her: "Do you mean you want me to watch you marry someone else, become another man's wife, while I can only have a secret affair with you in the shadows?"
Mu Wan Yao impatiently replied, "I said I won't marry anyone..."
Yan Shang interrupted, "It's just that the benefits aren't enough to tempt you! Once something truly moves you, you will marry. What do you take me for, hiding me in the shadows? A kept man? Your secret lover whom you're ashamed to show? Year after year, you and someone else appear openly together, while I can only beg for scraps of your affection?"
Mu Wan Yao retorted, "Don't make it sound so pitiful. I wouldn't stop you from marrying and having children either."
Yan Shang looked at her: "Really? You wouldn't stop me?"
Mu Wan Yao stared at him in astonishment.
His gaze, cold and sharp as ice, seemed to see right through her. The words she had intended to say—that she wouldn't care—were swallowed back, unable to be spoken.
He was so perceptive.
Whenever he wasn't swayed by emotions, whenever he wasn't muddled by her, he could easily see through what someone was truly thinking.
Since Mu Wan Yao wouldn't speak, Yan Shang softly said it for her: "You claim you wouldn't interfere, but if I were to marry and have children, could you really accept it? Your Highness, are you the kind of person who could accept that? You say this only because you believe I won't marry or have children now, only because you think since I don't care about these things, why not go along with you and continue wasting time with you.
"You want me to stay with you, year after year, day after day. You want us to go on like this forever, to spend a lifetime wearing each other down... You're too selfish, Your Highness."
Mu Wan Yao stared at him quietly. After a long moment, it was as if the source of all her anger had suddenly vanished.
She let out a self-mocking laugh.
He longed for marriage and children; she despised marriage and loathed responsibility.He hesitated about being unable to have heirs yet wanted official recognition; she refused to grant him status due to entangled interests but felt entitled to enjoy his companionship.
Neither of them was pure in their intentions.
Mu Wan Yao said tonelessly, "Then what do you want?"
Yan Shang whispered, "I know my attitude has disappointed you, but I'm truly not someone who acts on impulse. I genuinely need to consider all consequences before giving a clear answer. However... for you...
"Your Highness, do you feel you don't deserve a normal marriage? Do you believe interests, ambitions, and power are more important than me? Do you despise marriage so much, detest commitments and responsibilities to a loved one, that even I cannot earn your favor?"
Mu Wan Yao looked at him.
She saw his posture straight as pine, his quality precious as gold and jade. Yet here he stood before her in such disarray.
Mu Wan Yao suddenly said, "Let's part ways."
Yan Shang's mind went blank as he stared at her dazedly.
After a moment of stunned silence, anger rose in his eyes, followed by deeper resentment and profound sorrow. He knew she ultimately refused to properly discuss matters with him, ultimately chose to abandon him for her power and influence.
He had become so ridiculous here.
All his pressures, how he planned to endure the pain of having no heirs... had all become so laughable.
It was ultimately just toying with him.
Ultimately, when her interests were threatened, she discarded him.
This humiliating sensation!
Yan Shang gazed at her vacantly, not knowing what he still hoped for. His heart ached unbearably, the light in his eyes shimmering like teardrops on a clear lake. Mu Wan Yao averted her gaze and sat down, raising her voice: "Attendants, escort the guest out!"
The maidservants entered.
Facing Yan Shang directly, Mu Wan Yao looked into his eyes and commanded word by word: "Henceforth without my permission, this person is unwelcome in my Princess Residence. If he ever appears here again unannounced, I'll hold you all accountable!"
The maidservants glanced worriedly at Yan Erlang, noticing his trembling eyelashes and deathly pale complexion. Such humiliation was more than even Yan Shang could endure.
He bowed to her in salute, then turned and left—
Mu Wan Yao sat blankly in her chamber, head bowed.
She stared at the shattered porcelain fragments on the floor - what she had thrown at Yan Shang earlier. Then she fixed her gaze on a spot on the ground covering, remembering where Yan Shang had stood moments before.
The light in his eyes had shifted from initial expectation to complete desolation.
He had ultimately been disappointed.
But what was he anyway? A mere issue of heirs trapped him, made him hesitate, made him unwilling to make decisions!
He wasn't pure either! He didn't love her!
She didn't regret it!
The maidservant Xiarong returned, gently knocking outside the door to ask if she could enter to clean the porcelain fragments. Only after Mu Wan Yao responded did the maidservants quietly enter to clean.
No one dared speak to Mu Wan Yao at this moment.
Xiarong stole a glance at the princess, seeing the lady sitting upright on the couch with lowered face, staring blankly at her own palm. The princess's lashes were thick and long, her expression icy.
The princess showed not a trace of vulnerability, yet Xiarong suddenly felt that the princess sitting there alone, neither crying nor laughing, seemed terribly lonely and isolated.
She thought, the princess seemed deeply sorrowful.
Normally Xiarong wouldn't dare offer Mu Wan Yao much consolation. Though she served in the residence, since Chunhua's departure, none of the other maidservants understood the princess's past, and thus none could enter her heart. They would only make mistakes if they spoke too much, and mistakes brought punishment, so they simply remained silent.Yet at this moment, Xiarong suddenly felt compelled to speak.
Xiarong stood beside Mu Wan Yao, carefully placing a cup of tea on the table next to the princess. She whispered, "This servant overheard what Your Highness and Erlang were arguing about earlier outside."
Mu Wan Yao glanced up at her, her eyes clear and cold, yet she ultimately did not lose her temper.
Xiarong’s heart ached, thinking, So the princess cannot bear children. No wonder she always disliked children so much in the past... Gathering her courage, she continued, "Your Highness, Erlang cares for you. Earlier, he also said he still wants recognition. This shows that, more than children, Erlang values his standing with you.
"This servant knows Your Highness also cares for Erlang. Since that is the case, why does Your Highness not relent and grant him the recognition he seeks?"
Mu Wan Yao retorted, "What makes you think I care for him so deeply?"
Xiarong was taken aback and stammered, "Because... because when Your Highness is with Erlang, you act like a young girl—you enjoy acting coy with him, you like it when he holds you... Your Highness never behaves this way with us, nor with anyone else.
"Although Your Highness often scolds Erlang, you never truly get angry with him. Whenever Erlang appears, Your Highness’s mood brightens, and it lifts our spirits too... This servant believes Your Highness must care for Erlang very, very deeply."
Summoning her courage, she added, "This servant thinks that in Your Highness’s heart, you care for Erlang even more than you let on."
Mu Wan Yao fell silent.
Of course, she knew how deeply she cared for Yan Shang.
It was precisely because of her unusual experiences that she held such affection for him in her heart. Her love was pure, transparent, and flawless... It was the one beautiful thing, not to be tarnished by anyone.
Not even by Yan Shang himself.
Mu Wan Yao lowered her gaze and said softly, "It is because I care for him that I refuse to accept even the slightest hesitation from him. I have nothing in this world; nothing is rightfully mine. Only my love is truly beautiful.
"I will not tolerate his uncertainty."—
After that, Mu Wan Yao refused to see Yan Shang again.
Even when their carriages happened to meet in narrow alleyways, Mu Wan Yao would remain seated inside, never once glancing downward. Yan Shang might have tried to seek her out—she wasn’t sure—but from Xiarong’s hesitant expression, Mu Wan Yao could guess that he likely had.
But she did not care.
If they were to break, it must be a clean break.
She was all too aware of how abnormal her feelings for Yan Shang were. She knew that a single glance from him would make her heart flutter. Because he was so good, the brightest light in her darkness. She did not know if there was any man in the world better than Yan Shang, but she had never encountered one.
His influence on her was too great.
She would not allow herself to be weak, to see him just once and lose her head, to want him back.
Sometimes, late at night, she would hate herself for having laid everything bare. If she had continued the deception, she could have kept enjoying the kindness Yan Shang naturally showed her. Sometimes, after drinking too much, she would feel an impulse to go to him, to say she regretted it, to insist that no matter the reason, they should just be together...
But by daylight, when she had sobered up, Mu Wan Yao would feel relieved that she had endured another day. She would tell herself once again that her choice had been right.
Power came before love.
No one would take the power she held in her hands!Whether it was Yan Shang, the Li Family, the Wei Family, the Crown Prince, or even the Emperor!
She would spare no effort to ensure her own well-being and to protect those around her, so they could live well under her shelter!—
By the time Mu Wan Yao saw Yan Shang again, it was already May.
She was at a banquet hosted by a court official, originally to meet with Wei Shu.
Wei Shu’s official career had recently hit a rough patch.
After the military exercise, Wei Shu should have been promoted. However, the Ministry of Personnel had blocked his advancement. After all, the position of Censorate Inspector had offended too many people. There were too many in the court who wished to bring Wei Shu down, and Wei Shu neither sought help from the Wei Family nor turned to Mu Wan Yao.
By the time Mu Wan Yao found out, she had already decided to resolve the issue of her marriage, which was caught between the Li and Wei Families.
At the banquet, Mu Wan Yao saw the young man as pure as snow, and as they sat quietly, an indescribable awkwardness hung between them.
Wei Shu stole a glance at Mu Wan Yao and felt that Her Highness’s demeanor had grown much colder. He wondered if it was because of their impending marriage alliance—Mu Wan Yao no longer smiled at him as she usually did… Wei Shu lowered his lashes, feeling somewhat distressed.
Mu Wan Yao: "Ju Yuan, do you wish to marry me?"
Wei Shu lifted his head to look at her.
Mu Wan Yao did not meet his gaze, her eyes fixed on the other officials coming and going at the banquet.
Mu Wan Yao said: "If you are unwilling as well, then let us cooperate and reject this marriage together. If you do wish to marry me, then I will propose an exchange of interests—you and I will jointly refuse the marriage, and I will help you resolve the troubles you are facing in your official career."
Wei Shu lowered his eyes: "Is Your Highness compensating me?"
Mu Wan Yao: "Mm."
Wei Shu whispered: "Why are you doing this?"
Mu Wan Yao was puzzled and turned to look at him. She saw him raise his glass-like eyes, quiet and sorrowful.
Wei Shu: "Your Highness never spoke to me like this before. Has Your Highness begun to resent my presence now?"
Mu Wan Yao was taken aback, realizing that her attitude had hurt Wei Shu. The young man pursed his lips, sitting stiffly, his lashes trembling, his eyes clouded with frost. No matter what, he was still a younger brother, a full four years her junior.
For a moment, she felt at a loss, unsure how to comfort Wei Shu. Just then, an official called out "Yan Erlang," and before she could even process it, Mu Wan Yao instinctively turned to look.
She had meant to avoid Wei Shu’s gaze, had turned on instinct, but in that instant, her eyes met Yan Shang’s as he looked over.
He was standing with several officials from the Ministry of Revenue, including the Vice Minister of Revenue, whom Mu Wan Yao relied on most. The Vice Minister was praising Yan Shang for his outstanding work, and Yan Shang happened to glance in Mu Wan Yao’s direction.
He froze for a moment, surprised that she was also looking at him.
A month apart, and both were momentarily dazed, their minds blank.
Just looking at each other seemed to evoke many memories from the past… Mu Wan Yao abruptly turned her face away, her demeanor icy: "Why is Yan Shang here?"
Wei Shu was startled, wondering why the arrival of Second Brother Yan had provoked such a strong reaction from Her Highness.
The maid Xiarong knelt and said nervously: "When the banquet was announced, Yan Erlang’s name was not on the list. Perhaps he came unexpectedly… It is this servant’s fault…"
Mu Wan Yao: "Let’s go."
She refused to stay a moment longer, rising to leave immediately. Wei Shu stood up with her, taking two steps to catch up: "Your Highness…"Mu Wan Yao reluctantly halted her steps, offering a faint smile to the young man who looked at her and then at Yan Shang in confusion. "Let's talk another day. Don't overthink it—I wasn't targeting you."
Wei Shu: "Your Highness, you and Second Brother Yan..."
He wondered if Her Highness's rejection of the marriage proposal wasn't because of Second Brother Yan.
Mu Wan Yao said, "No matter what happens between Yan Shang and me, it won't affect you. Don't become flustered just because we've parted."
With that, Mu Wan Yao hurried away without even bothering with superficial pleasantries, leaving the officials with strange expressions as they glanced curiously at Yan Shang, who had just arrived.
A shadow crossed Yan Shang's eyes, and he smiled self-deprecatingly.
He hadn't intended to come initially, but upon hearing she would be here, he still wanted to see her... Yet she was inherently cold and ruthless. Having declared their separation, she truly intended to cut ties completely, didn't she?
Wei Shu approached, observing Yan Shang's dazed expression. "Second Brother Yan..."
Yan Shang smiled gently at him. "Ju Yuan, there's no need to worry. No matter what happens between Her Highness and me, it won't affect you."
Wei Shu remained silent.
Thinking to himself, your explanations are remarkably consistent.
But... have you really parted ways?
Do you plan to never see each other again?
Yet how could a power-wielding princess and a steadily rising official possibly avoid crossing paths?—
Mu Wan Yao understood this too and felt a twinge of regret. This was the trouble with falling for a court official.
Even after separating, she couldn't avoid seeing Yan Shang entirely. And every encounter carried the risk of rekindling old flames.
What was to be done?—
Just as Mu Wan Yao and Yan Shang's relationship reached this state, Feng Xianyu left Chang'an to take up a post as a staff officer in Ji Province.
Ji Province was a desolate place, and Feng Xianyu's assignment there was essentially a demotion from the central administration.
Feng Xianyu had few friends in Chang'an. After sharing farewell drinks with some acquaintances, he waited for Yan Shang, who arrived in haste.
Feng Xianyu and Yan Shang sat together under the willow trees at Ba Bridge, conversing.
Yan Shang frowned slightly, speaking softly, "Brother Feng, back when the foreign envoys were still in Chang'an, I heard you gained merit through your poetry and were slated for promotion after their departure. Why are you being sent to Ji Province now?"
Feng Xianyu looked weary.
He replied, "I made a mistake while serving the princess."
Yan Shang was taken aback.
Feng Xianyu turned to him, disheartened, and explained, "When the envoys were here, my poetry earned me recognition. The Eldest Princess was displeased that I sought advancement through other channels instead of relying on her. At the time, she didn't say anything and tacitly allowed my promotion. But afterward, she rarely summoned me.
"Later, I suggested to Her Highness that she dismiss those useless male companions. Still upset that I hadn't informed her of my promotion, she rejected my advice. But my suggestion reached the ears of those companions, who grew resentful. They sowed discord, framed me in front of Her Highness, and even schemed to send me to the palace that belonged solely to her husband and deceased daughter—a place she had forbidden anyone from entering.
"Her Highness was furious, and I wasn't even given a chance to defend myself. I couldn't get an audience with her to plead my case and was demoted to Ji Province as a staff officer. Her Highness has come to thoroughly despise me for my refusal to remain docile."
After hearing all this, Yan Shang sighed softly.
Yan Shang: "Ji Province is harsh and barren, Brother Feng. You must prepare yourself well."Feng Xianyu chuckled: "Thank you for not joining the others in pulling me aside to cry, and for crying on my behalf. Ah... forget it. At least when I go to Jizhou this time, I can bring my daughter to live with me. I'm just worried she won't be able to endure hardships and won't want to come with me to Jizhou."
Yan Shang said gently: "Brother Feng, you should ask her yourself."
Feng Xianyu sighed: "My daughter is too young, and she's not close to me..."
Yan Shang: "Even young children have their own thoughts. It's best for Brother Feng to ask her. Having missed these years with your daughter, you must miss her terribly. In this life, the bond between parent and child is so precious—you should cherish it, brother."
Hearing this, Feng Xianyu smiled.
Though he was saddened by his demotion from Chang'an, the thought of soon seeing his daughter gave him a glimmer of hope for the future. For his daughter's sake, he had to persevere and not die in Jizhou.
Feng Xianyu looked at Yan Shang: "What about you?"
Yan Shang was taken aback: "What about me?"
Feng Xianyu: "You're about to come of age, aren't you? Is your family still not urging you to marry? When I was your age, my little girl was already born."
Yan Shang shook his head with a faint smile.
A trace of loneliness flickered in his eyes.
He said softly: "I'm afraid I don't have that kind of fate."
Feng Xianyu only saw the desolate sorrow in the young man's eyes but didn't know more, assuming Yan Shang's circumstances were similar to his own. Feng Xianyu sighed and said: "Though we've known each other only briefly, our fates seem alike. Are you still with the Danyang Princess?"
Yan Shang fell silent for a long moment before softly replying, "Mm."
Feng Xianyu then advised him: "Look at my current situation—you'll see that serving a princess is no easy task. Though it might help you rise rapidly in rank, the princesses of Great Wei are all notoriously temperamental. The Danyang Princess is no less willful than the Luling Grand Princess."
"I took this path for my career, having no other choice. But why should you do the same? You're young with a bright future ahead—why bother serving these princesses?"
"Is she refusing to give you status or children, treating you like a kept man?"
"Su Chen, listen to your elder brother's advice: while you're still young, leave the Danyang Princess. Serving a princess isn't worth it."
Yan Shang whispered: "Serving the princess isn't the issue... It's just, does she truly care so little for me?"
"Was it all just a game from start to finish? Did she merely find me amusing and kept toying with me? I developed feelings, yet she repeatedly withdrew and made excuses. Does she really see me as nothing but a diversion, something fun? Is there truly no place for me in her heart?"
"Or is it because my status isn't high enough, my official rank too low? Why does she never let me participate in her affairs? She always handles everything alone, never once considering me. After all this time together, she neither enters my life nor lets me into hers... I initially thought time would change things, but... it's been so long already."
He lowered his eyes, ashamed: "I'm not afraid of waiting, not afraid of time, not afraid of troubles... those can all be overcome. The question is, how long must this last? A lifetime? An eternity in darkness?"
"And now... she's... she's completely given up."
Feng Xianyu patted his shoulder, unsure what to say. After all, princesses—ordinary men could hardly handle them—Yan Shang and Feng Xianyu drank a little wine at Ba Bridge, seeing Feng Xianyu off. After standing in the cold wind for a while, Yan Shang felt slightly intoxicated, yet he still chose to return to the Ministry of Revenue to continue his work.
Through his daily efforts to build up his alcohol tolerance, he could now drink a small amount of turbid wine without being too affected. Moreover, when feeling distressed, Yan Shang discovered that having a little drink did indeed improve his mood. Relying solely on his own willpower to control his emotions had become exhausting, and sometimes he had no choice but to depend on such external aids.
When Yan Shang arrived at the Ministry of Revenue, he happened to encounter officials from the Ministry of Works coming to request funds.
In the eyes of the other ministries, the Ministry of Revenue was the wealthiest. However, from the perspective of the Ministry of Revenue itself, it was always short of funds. Whenever other ministries came to ask for money, it was always a difficult process. This time, the Minister of Works had come in person.
The high-ranking officials of the Ministry of Revenue immediately made themselves scarce, sending lower-ranking officials to deal with the Ministry of Works.
Yan Shang had just returned to the Ministry of Revenue and was immediately tasked with handling such matters.
By the time he arrived, the officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Works were already arguing, their voices growing louder and louder. Rubbing his aching forehead, Yan Shang stepped in to mediate, hoping both sides would calm down and discuss things properly.
With his gentle temperament, he was usually adept at handling such situations. But this time, the argument between the two ministries had escalated into a heated confrontation. As the two sides pushed and shoved, Yan Shang found himself caught in the middle, urging, "Everyone, please calm down…"
One official snapped, "Stay out of this!"
"What business is it of yours?"
Amid the pushing and shoving, Yan Shang's slender frame was shoved backward by someone. Weakened by the effects of alcohol, he stumbled and collided with a lamp stand behind him. Instantly, the flame and lamp oil spilled toward him, pouring down…
Meanwhile, Mu Wan Yao was dragged by Liu Ruozhu to a gathering among the young ladies.
Mu Wan Yao was initially impatient, but she couldn't resist Liu Ruozhu's persistent and gentle persuasion. Mu Wan Yao had no defense against such people and ended up going.
However, once there, she felt extremely out of place. She had been unaccustomed to such banquets for many years. Having grown used to interacting with ministers, she found it difficult to converse with these delicate and charming young ladies… Liu Ruozhu, worried about her discomfort, insisted on sticking closely by her side.
She had agreed to this because Second Brother Yan had asked for her help, saying that Your Highness had been in low spirits recently and hoping she could spend some time with her if possible.
Liu Ruozhu had naturally agreed without hesitation.
As Liu Ruozhu was chatting with Mu Wan Yao, her maid suddenly rushed over, leaned in, and whispered something in her ear. Liu Ruozhu's face instantly paled, and she stood up abruptly.
Mu Wan Yao raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong now?"
Liu Ruozhu's starry eyes turned to her.
Panic-stricken, Liu Ruozhu stammered, "Y-Your Highness, you don't mind me telling you, do you? Second Brother Yan… Second Brother Yan was doused with lamp oil…"
Mu Wan Yao's mind went blank. She stood up abruptly, stunned and silent for a moment, then turned and strode out.
At first, she walked quickly, but as anxiety overwhelmed her, she broke into a run.
Liu Ruozhu chased after her, reaching the entrance of the estate just in time to see Mu Wan Yao mount a horse and ride off ahead of her attendants. Though flustered, Liu Ruozhu tried to calm herself: With the princess there, Second Brother Yan would surely be fine—
Mu Wan Yao galloped at full speed. Her horsemanship was exceptional, but the streets of Chang'an were crowded with commoners, and she rarely rode so recklessly as to disturb them.
Today, however, she paid no heed to such concerns.
Guards on horseback pursued her from behind, but Mu Wan Yao only had time to order, "Go to the palace and summon the imperial physician. Make sure it's the best one, the very best…"
Her mind was in turmoil. She struggled to compose herself and make decisions, but her vision was already blurring with unshed tears, which she fought to hold back.Ignoring all attempts to stop her, Mu Wan Yao dismounted and rushed straight toward the rear courtyard of the Yan residence. She ran until she was breathless, and when she spotted a servant holding a roll of white silk in the courtyard, with all the servants looking as grief-stricken as if they had lost their parents, her heart turned cold.
Pushing the door open, Mu Wan Yao shut the servants outside and strode into the inner chamber. There, she saw a young man lying on the bed, barely clinging to life. His face was as pale as paper, a bandage wrapped around his forehead, his inner robes disheveled, revealing what seemed to be bandages beneath. He lay with his eyes closed, his breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible.
She froze, thinking he was dead.
Tears instantly streamed down Mu Wan Yao’s face.
She threw herself onto the bed, embracing him and holding his unconscious form tightly as she began to sob and choke out his name: "Yan Shang, Yan Shang... what happened to you? Yan Shang, Yan Shang, Yan Shang..."
"What am I supposed to do if you’re like this? I can’t live without you! You can’t leave me! You’re the best person in my life—I won’t let you go! Yan Shang, wu wu wu..."
In his dazed state, Yan Shang faintly heard Mu Wan Yao calling his name and crying as she held him. Struggling, he forced his eyelids open and saw her collapsed at the edge of the bed, clinging to him as if she would never let go, weeping as though her heart would break. Though wracked with pain, he now felt as if his neck were being drowned by her tears.
Blurrily, he made out a slender figure clinging to him desperately, her crying pounding in his head. Yan Shang murmured indistinctly, "Yao Yao..."
She sobbed even harder, burying her face in his neck as she held him. In his muddled state, Yan Shang weakly propped himself up on an elbow and drew her into his arms, which only made her cry more intensely.
But after weeping for what felt like an eternity, she finally remembered something.
Mu Wan Yao lifted her tear-streaked face: "You’re not dead?"
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