Chu Xinian was a man full of tricks and schemes, and he liked to think over and over again no matter what he did. Xie Jingyuan's straightforward words made him stunned on the spot, his pupils shrank slightly, and he didn't know how to respond.
"… "
None of them spoke. Insects chirped in the air, and the moonlight quietly shone into the house, casting a clear glow all over it.
The silver mask fell quietly on the quilt. Xie Jingyuan reached out and grabbed it. The sharp edge left a red mark on his palm, revealing his self-aware nervousness.
He stared at Chu Xinian, his breath lingering as he spoke, and in a voice that only the two of them could hear, he whispered word by word: "Chu Xinian, do you dare..."
Chu Xinian didn't move.
At this moment, he suddenly felt a little regretful. Maybe he should have rushed over to check on Xie Jingyuan's situation. Now he was in a dilemma.
The words the system once said echoed in my ears again—
You need to have feelings for the mission objectives.
To the mission objectives...
Produce love...
Time passed by, and Chu Xinian did not make any move. He left, but he also did what Xie Jingyuan said, and seemed to be caught in some kind of struggle between himself and himself.
Xie Jingyuan grabbed his wrist, but this time his voice was a little deeper, and he lowered his eyes and asked: "Chu Xinian...?"
“… It’s early, General, please go to bed early.”
Chu Xinian closed his eyes, but finally calmed down. He was a little bit too bold to thank Jingyuan, gently pulled down the other's cold hand, turned around and walked out of the inner room. The white robe brushed against the carpet, making a slight sound.
"Chu Xinian!"
Xie Jingyuan suddenly called out his name coldly, his chest rising and falling, and if you listened carefully, you could hear something sinister and chilling in his voice.
Chu Xinian paused unconsciously, but couldn't help turning back to look at him. However, he saw that most of Xie Jingyuan's figure had disappeared into the darkness, and his outline was blurred.
Chu Xinian thought he would say something, but Xie Jingyuan didn't move at all, lowered his head, and cleared his expression. After a while, he heard a sarcastic chuckle suddenly escape from his lips, which was particularly obvious in the silent night.
He seemed to be laughing at others, but also seemed to be laughing at himself, and the mask on his hand was almost deformed.
"… Nothing, go to sleep."
After a while, Xie Jingyuan uttered these words, and the hazy night covered his sarcastic expression. He raised his hand to untie the bed curtain, covering everything tightly, and lay back on the bed with only a little residual warmth, covering his scarred face, closing his eyes and not saying anything.
Chu Xinian saw this and explained why. His heart suddenly felt like a dull knife cutting his flesh. He slowly walked back to the couch in the room and stood up with a bit of a loss of soul.
Xie Jingyuan likes himself...
After several days of confusion, Chu Xinian finally came to this answer. It would be a lie to say that he was surprised, but he was not too surprised. He sat on the edge of the couch, unconsciously touching the jade pendant around his neck, and began to think about his feelings for Xie Jingyuan, but this kind of thing was obviously not something he was good at.
For the first time in his life, Chu Xinian had figured out something. After thinking for a long time and finding the answer, he could only call out the system: "System."
Hate it. Why are you asking me to do something in the middle of the night
The system woke up from hibernation, and a diamond-like shining body instantly appeared in front of Chu Xinian, with a brilliance that even the sun could not match, and it hummed with joy.
For the first time, Chu Xinian didn't find it glaring, and he muttered to himself, "Tell me, how can people clear their hearts?"
The system has some clues about this question: What what what
Chu Xinian could only ask a more common question: "How do I know if I like someone?"
The system thought to itself, how should I know? I have never met a little diamond that I like in my life. But it was willing to embarrass itself in front of Chu Xinian. It coughed twice and gave Chu Xinian some advice: If you see him again in the future, will you be sad
Chu Xinian said nothing: "..."
The system did not realize how stupid it was at this point, and continued to ask: If he is with someone else in the future, will you regret it
Chu Xinian found it a little difficult to imagine that scene, and his fingertips unconsciously clenched his knees.
The system then asked: Are you special to him
Chu Xinian fell into complete silence.
The system waited for a long time, and when it saw him speak, it was about to say something, but Chu Xinian suddenly raised his hand to stop it, signaling it to continue.
He was wearing a clean white shirt, which had never been stained with dust. Now his complicated thoughts suddenly became clear after the questions just now. Chu Xinian smiled, his long black hair scattered on his shoulders, like a banished immortal under the moon. He said in a firm tone, "I know the answer, thank you."
#Brother, you understand it a little too fast#
The system had prepared a lot to say, but it didn't have time to express itself. It moved closer to Chu Xinian, and only now remembered a very important question: Who do you like
Chu Xinian didn't say anything, but turned his head and looked into the room quietly. He thought Xie Jingyuan should have gone to bed by now, so he should talk to him tomorrow...
He finally lay down on the couch, covered himself with the quilt and prepared to sleep.
The system was horrified, and then it realized what was happening. It panicked: Wait! Honey, honey, don’t fall asleep yet, tell me who you like first? !
Please don’t let it be Xie Jingyuan! ! !
Chu Xinian closed his eyes and whispered meaningfully: "Humans are the same as stones."
Stones can be moved, but so can people. Even if it is an object, you will become sentimental if you wear it for a long time. What's more, you are close to it every day.
The system didn't care whether he was saying that he was heartless, and threw himself on the pillow with tears in his eyes: Honey, yes! If you have feelings for the task target, it will affect my performance!
Chu Xinian hummed: "I know, you have said it many times."
but…
What does the system's performance have to do with Chu Xinian? ? ?
You are right.
＃System original death＃
Although it was peaceful tonight, the people in the room were sleepless all night, all with their own thoughts. The next morning, when it was time to go to the palace for the banquet, Chu Xinian wanted to say something to Xie Jingyuan several times, but he never found the opportunity.
Xie Jingyuan had already aroused the emperor's fear, so he should keep a low profile. After all, no one knew what would happen at the banquet, and going would inevitably bring him trouble. But he still went.
The four-horse carriage wobbled towards the palace, its wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs, making a sound of rolling wheels.
Xie Jingyuan sat in the carriage, wearing a luxurious black robe, which made him look even more sinister. He still wore a thick wind cloak and covered his lips with a handkerchief. Occasionally, he would cough softly, and his brows would reveal a pale sick look.
He had a blank expression on his face, and while he was talking to Chu Xinian, he also glanced at Chu Xinian. His expression was even colder than the mask on his face.
There was a low table inside the carriage. Chu Xinian poured a cup of hot tea and gently put the cup into Xie Jingyuan's cold hands: "General, drink some hot tea."
He smiled as usual, even a little deeper than usual. Wearing a white robe and jade belt, he had the demeanor of an immortal, and could win the hearts of most girls in the capital. But Xie Jingyuan ignored him, closed his eyes and pulled back his hand.
Chu Xinian was startled when he saw this. He held the porcelain cup and rubbed it unconsciously, guessing that Xie Jingyuan might be angry. But should he talk about this in the carriage? It seemed a bit inappropriate.
He put down the cup, hesitated for a moment, and took the initiative to hold Xie Jingyuan's hand. Although he had held hands before, it was all done in ignorance, and this time it had a different meaning.
Xie Jingyuan frowned slightly, and subconsciously wanted to shake him off, but Chu Xinian grabbed his fingertips tightly, trying to break free, and asked in a low voice: "General, are you angry with me?"
Xie Jingyuan did not answer. He looked at him with a pair of narrow eyes, threatening him with an expression that was hard to tell: "Chu Xinian, do you want your hand?"
He held Chu Xinian's hand with all his strength, and the other party's bones and tendons would be broken if he moved even a little.
Chu Xinian was good at reading people's minds, so he naturally guessed that Xie Jingyuan would do this, and the other party didn't even use a third of his strength. He let Xie Jingyuan hold him, and suddenly smiled, and asked coldly: "When did the general like me?"
This sentence was like a thunderclap, and Xie Jingyuan let go of him as if he had been electrocuted.
Chu Xinian calmly shook his sleeves and tried to break free from Xie Jingyuan's restraints. He had twenty ways to do it. Look, the other party let go.
He asked again: "When did the general fall in love with me?"
Xie Jingyuan twitched his lips when he heard this. He probably wanted to make a sneering and sarcastic expression, but failed. His dark eyes suddenly ignited with two clusters of anger: "Who said the general likes you?!"
He knew how obvious his expression was and how panic-stricken he was.
Chu Xinian stared at him for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer to Xie Jingyuan and pressed him against the wall of the carriage. Nose tip to nose tip, forehead to forehead, his breath was hot as he spoke, stirring up a slight itch: "If the general likes me, why did he kiss me?"
It was Chu Xinian, who was first kissed by Xie Jingyuan, who lost.
Faced with such a situation, it was natural that one would be defeated, and no matter how hard one tried, one could not come up with a face-saving answer.
Xie Jingyuan's face was stiff as he spoke. He narrowed his eyes and said defiantly, "So what if I kiss you? The general wants to kiss me, so do I need your permission?"
What you said is really not a big deal.
Chu Xinian couldn't help laughing when he heard this. Why didn't he find Xie Jingyuan so interesting before? He touched the cold mask on Xie Jingyuan's face and said slowly: "Well... If it's someone else, of course, if it's the general..."
Xie Jingyuan subconsciously turned his head to avoid his touch, only to feel that half of his injured face was so annoying, even the mask covered it. His fingertips slowly clenched into fists, thinking of what happened last night, to avoid feeling more embarrassed.
He felt that Chu Xinian had said something good.
Chu Xinian said in a low voice: "If it is a general, then naturally there is nothing to do..."
Xie Jingyuan paused after hearing this, and looked up at Chu Xinian in surprise, not understanding what this sentence meant. However, before he could say anything, the carriage suddenly stopped, and Jiuyong's voice rang out: "General, we have arrived at the palace gate."
Xie Jingyuan's thoughts were interrupted and he looked annoyed.
Chu Xinian looked over and raised his eyebrows slightly, thinking that he was in a hurry. He sat back in his seat, held Xie Jingyuan's hand again, this time holding it tightly, and said with a smile: "General, get off the carriage."
Xie Jingyuan was calmed by his words just now, and was taken out of the carriage by Chu Xinian in a daze.
The inspection at the palace gate was extremely strict, and the gatekeepers carefully checked whether the civil and military ministers who came to the banquet were carrying weapons. If they had swords or sabers, they could enter. This was the rule set by the Emperor of Yan, and even the first-rank ministers such as Qin Daoyan, the Minister of War, and Xie Jingyuan, the General of the Army, could make the exception.
Chu Xinian allowed the soldiers to check him, thinking that the Emperor of Yan was just as suspicious as in the original novel. He was polite and had a good temperament, and he had made a big splash at the banquet for the heroes a few days ago, which attracted the attention of all the civil and military officials who came to the banquet.
Jin Ruhai also came to the banquet, wearing a scarlet robe and looking very dignified. He did not show any closeness to Chu Xinian in public, and only nodded slightly when they passed by.
Chu Xinian smiled faintly and bowed in greeting. His eyes met his in mid-air, silently conveying information that only they knew.
Chu Xinian did not shy away from showing his closeness to Xie Jingyuan in front of others. They walked side by side along the way, and they were in perfect harmony and had a harmonious relationship.
Xie Jingyuan's mind was in a mess, still thinking about what Chu Xinian said just now, and he couldn't calm down even after sitting down. Unfortunately, there were many people in the palace, so he asked questions and had to hold back for the time being.
Chu Xinian came here today just to see the play. To see what the Emperor of Yan looked like, to see if the character of Zhou Wenchen, the commander of the imperial guards, had changed, and of course, the most important thing was to give Qin Daoyan a fatal blow.
Xie Jingyuan hated Qin Daoyan.
This was the conclusion Chu Xinian came to after observing secretly for a long time. Although he had not yet found out the reason, it would be great if he could eliminate an old enemy for Xie Jingyuan, and it might even reduce the other party's degree of evil.
Chu Xinian could not help but look up at the official in red robe opposite him. The man had gray hair, a pale face, and a black eye patch on his right eye, standing out from the crowd of guests. He was Qin Daoyan.
His eyes were sharp, and when they fell on Xie Jingyuan, they stabbed him like a knife.
Chu Xinian smiled and patted Xie Jingyuan's hand under the table, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "How about I help the general get rid of this man today?"
Xie Jingyuan had thought about killing Qin Daoyan, but failed. The other party had hundreds of adopted sons who were guarding him all night, so it was really difficult to eliminate him. He could only wait for the right opportunity. Chu Xinian chose the simple method of killing someone with a borrowed knife.
Xie Jingyuan might be able to kill Qin Daoyan, but Emperor Yan could.
Xie Jingyuan glanced at Chu Xinian, feeling that he had been exposed to many secrets by this man without knowing it: "When did the general say he wanted to get rid of Qin Daoyan?"
Chu Xi said in a low voice, motioning to the prince who had just sat down, with a slight arc on his lips: "Even if the general wants to, the prince definitely wants to."
On the day when the prince left the palace to offer sacrifice to his mother, all the followers around him were killed by Qin Shuang, and he almost died on the spot. With new and old hatreds added together, it would be strange for him to kill Qin Daoyan.
Xie Jingyuan's deep gaze fell on Qin Daoyan, and he knew what kind of emotions were mixed in him. He only felt that the scorching sun in the sky could not ease the gloomy chill.
He pinched the cup on the table, put it to his lips, closed his eyes, and seemed to recall something from the past. He said word by word: "Chu Xinian, if you kill Qin Daoyan today, half of my life will belong to you."
Chu Xinian paused after hearing this, thinking that Xie Jingyuan and Qin Daoyan really had an old grudge. He smiled and said, "What do I need half of my life for? General, tell me how to get the other half of my life?"
As they were talking, a voice that only belonged to eunuchs suddenly rang out: "Your Majesty has arrived—"