Poison Genius Consort

ain.

100 steps.
Between now and that winter, have we grown closer or farther away?

Early morning the next day brought Han Yunxi’s full recovery.
She firmly got off the bed and came straight to the point.
“Long Feiye, I’ve recovered!”

“Oh.” Long Feiye nodded.
A moment later, he took out a familiar token from his robes—the very same one that proved ownership over the Jiangnan Plum Blossom Sea, and the one that Han Yunxi had shattered into pieces on that rainy day.
He’d personally glued it back together, so despite all the cracks lining the surface, it was now whole.

He said, “If you won’t go back to the Duke of Qin’s estate, can you stay at Jiangnan’s Plum Blossom Sea instead?”

Han Yunxi’s heart gave a silent lurch.
She quietly  stared at Long Feiye, who’d been nothing but silent for the past two days, and suddenly felt her heart ache.
Jiangnan’s Plum Blossom Sea belonged wholly to herself, but he was the one who’d gifted it to her. Is there any difference between staying here versus returning to the Duke of Qin’s estate?

“Fine!” she accepted the token with her hands.

Long Feiye’s head drooped before he turned and made for the door.

He’s leaving? Just like that?

You bastard!

You’re really going to leave just because I told you to?!

Han Yunxi’s heart heaved violently before she chased after him without a another thought.
Her arms caught Long Feiye in an embrace from behind and tightened their grip around his waist.
“If you’ve decided to never forgive me, can you still pretend you did for a while?”

He rested his hands on her own as if trying to pry her loose, but she held him even tighter and asked again, “Can’t you?”

Long Feiye still pulled her loose before turning to look at her with a frown.
Han Yunxi grew flustered and stifled, finding it hard to even breathe.
But he only replied helplessly, “Your lordship, is only going back for your medical pouch… You, don’t need to panic.”

Urk…

Han Yunxi stood there, stunned, not knowing what to say.
Her dazed expression made Long Feiye unable to resist playing with her hair again.
“If you really want to play pretend…then let’s pretend for a lifetime.”

Han Yunxi nearly burst into tears again. You can’t bully people like this! I was really scared you would leave me behind !

Long Feiye, how can you be so rotten!

Despite her agitation, Long Feiye was still looking at her with a serious and earnest face.
“Do you…think that’s alright?”

She looked at him wordlessly and broke into a smile in spite of her urge to cry.
Just like before, he took her hand and entwined their fingers together, taking her for a slow stroll amidst the plum blossom trees.
Han Yunxi was still feeling rather unsettled, so she strove to organize her thoughts.

I think I must really, really like this man.
Otherwise, why would I still be holding hands with him instead of shaking him off? Why would I still let him bully me to this point?

She raised her head to look at him and his icy profile. What is he thinking of now?

“Long Feiye…” she murmured in a low voice.
Many years later, she would forget that this was the moment she stopped calling him ‘Your Highness’ and started using his name instead.

“Mm,” he replied.

“What are you thinking about?” After their argument, she found herself feeling less timid than she had been before.

“I was wondering…whether you believed me about the incident with the Broomcorn Millet Poison?” Long Feiye replied.

Han Yunxi recalled the incident along with Gu Qishao’s parting words.
With Long Feiye’s current attitude, just who was she supposed to believe?

Long Feiye stopped walking and pressed, “Do you believe me?”

“Believe what?”

Abruptly, a familiar voice joined the two.
Han Yunxi turned and saw the young, long-time-no-see head of the Tang Clan, Tang Li.
He was dressed in his usual white robes and had the aura of an immortal, but as usual, his words ruined the image in an instant.

“Han Yunxi, you’ve finally stopped throwing your temper tantrums?” Tang Li asked with a cheeky grin.

Han Yunxi pretended to neither hear nor see him, tired of acknowledging his existence.

“Han Yunxi, Aunt Ru was right when she cursed you for being a femme fatale.
Do you know just how many people in Jiangnan and the central region want my big bro to establish a new dynasty as their emperor? He…” Tang Li abruptly shut up at Long Feiye’s icy glare.

Han Yunxi’s voice was cold as well.
“Your big bro won’t proclaim himself emperor or establish a new dynasty.
You’re overthinking things.”

A trifling three prefectures from the central region and 15 more from Jiangnan were nothing in Long Feiye’s eyes.
If he was really going to establish a reigning dynasty, then that’d be after he took over all of Cloud Realm Continent.
Long Feiye looked at Han Yunxi in amusement and asked, “How did you know?”

“Your Highness, the three prefectures of the central region and the 15 prefectures of Jiangnan have long been under your command.
What’s the difference whether you make a move or not? If you don’t claim these lands, Long Tianmo and Emperor Tianhui will be distracted over seizing the plots for themselves,” Han Yunxi smiled as she spoke, then added, “But in every case, people who covet other people’s goods are just asked to be used themselves!”

Long Feiye clapped thrice for Han Yunxi, his actions expressing his views on the matter without words.
Aside from this woman, there was probably no one else who read his heart so clearly.
He was perfectly capable of dominating Long Tianmo and the Mu Clan to seize Tianning for himself, but he was in no rush.
If both Emperor Tianhui and Long Tianmo were gone, who was supposed to help him defend against Western Zhou and Northern Li?

Tang Li didn’t have a brain for politics, but Han Yunxi’s words clued him into the big picture as well.
He sighed with feeling and remarked, “Han Yunxi, you’re not stupid at all aside from the times you’re eating vinegar.
But you like to get jealous so often that you better watch out, in case it turns you into an idiot!”

“You!” Han Yunxi lost her temper.

“Oh, that’s right.
And you’re pretty dumb when you’re distracted by men, too,” Tang Li couldn’t stop ridiculing others when he started.

“Try and blabber more nonsense again!” Han Yunxi narrowed her eyes dangerously.

“Who’s blabbering nonsense? Weren’t you talking about whether or not to trust Gu Qishao? You’re so smart, but you still don’t get it? Gu Qishao tampered with things on purpose to make a mixture that could dye the insides of a porcelain bottle black.
You think he just wanted to hide the fact that he stole some antidote? He obviously planned everything ahead of time, just to drive a wedge between you two,” Tang Li said seriously.