A Shocking Dream

The woman in black shook her head slightly. "I just happened to see the Sage King from afar in a part of the palace while on a mission. He was surrounded by people, and his aura was instantly recognizable."

The woman from before fell into deep thought, "The Imperial Palace... What kind of status and story does the Sage King have in the Imperial Palace?"

The woman in black sighed softly, "We are just small people. How much can we know about the things going on in the palace? It's better not to speculate too much, so as not to bring trouble to ourselves."

"Hearing you say that, I also want to see the Sage King." The woman's eyes flashed with longing, and her voice was full of desire.

The woman in black glanced at her but didn't respond. Her eyes held a hint of helplessness and warning, as if reminding her not to harbor unrealistic fantasies.

The woman hadn't noticed the black-clad woman's gaze, still lost in her own imagination. "What a magnificent figure that exiled immortal must be. How wonderful it would be to see him in person." She tilted her head slightly, as if imagining the Sage King in her mind.

The woman in black frowned slightly, then finally spoke, "Put aside your thoughts. Our mission has nothing to do with the Sage King. Don't let your momentary curiosity bring you trouble."

The woman lowered her head reluctantly. Although she was still curious about the Sage King, she also knew that the black-clad woman's words made sense. In this mysterious and unknown situation, they had to tread carefully and not fall into danger due to impulsiveness.

The atmosphere at Hanmei Villa was so heavy it seemed as if the very air itself was frozen. A chill wind howled through the villa's trees, emitting eerie whistles that seemed to reveal hidden secrets. The few plum blossoms that stood proudly in the wind trembled slightly, their petals falling as if filled with endless worry.

Su Yijing listened quietly as Qin Rongchen recounted the events of Qiuluo Mountain. He was stunned. His brow furrowed, his eyes filled with confusion. "How could someone be both in Qiuluo Mountain and the Imperial Palace at the same time? The journey between the two would take at least half a month," Su Yijing muttered to himself, bewildered. His voice was remarkably clear in the quiet of the villa, yet tinged with an inexplicable tension.

Qin Rongchen was also confused. He looked at Su Yijing, hoping to get some answers from him. "Yijing, what do you think is strange about this?" Qin Rongchen asked. His voice was low and urgent, as if he was suffocating under the pressure of this mysterious incident.

Su Yijing frowned and said solemnly, "This is indeed strange. If Lin Bingshuang still had feelings for you in the capital when she was still Yunshuang, why did she say those words to the prince?"

Qin Rongchen's face was gloomy, his eyes filled with confusion and pain. He was silent for a long time before he slowly spoke, "I can't understand why she's like this. I'm not completely unaware of her feelings for me, but she's with the Crown Prince... Why on earth is this?"

Su Yijing shook his head slightly, "There must be something hidden in this. Maybe she has her own reasons, and she has come to the capital many times to secretly check on your whereabouts. You two have even been close to each other many times, but she just doesn't want to see you. It's really a contradiction." Su Yijing's words echoed in Hanmei Villa, making Qin Rongchen's heart heavier.

Qin Rongchen's brow furrowed, his eyes filled with pain and confusion. "Why would she do this? She clearly has me in her heart, yet she's so determined." His voice trembled slightly, as if he was trying to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

Su Yijing sighed softly, "Maybe she has her own concerns and is afraid to face certain things. Or maybe she is waiting for the right time."

Qin Rongchen remained silent, gazing out into the distance outside the villa, his mind awash with thoughts. He didn't understand what secrets lay behind Lin Bingshuang's actions, and this contradictory behavior tormented him greatly.

"You said her hair turned white overnight, but when she was in the palace, everyone saw her beautiful appearance. How could it be..." Su Yijing couldn't believe it, his eyes full of shock and confusion. The breeze from Hanmei Villa blew gently, but it couldn't blow away the solemn atmosphere.

"I hope not, but I'm not surprised by what happened to her," Qin Rongchen replied, a hint of fatigue and helplessness in his voice. A gentle breeze blew through Hanmei Villa, but it couldn't soothe the turmoil in his heart.

Su Yijing looked at Qin Rongchen, his heart filled with emotion. "Her fate seems to be full of twists and turns and mysteries, making it difficult to understand."

Qin Rongchen raised his head slightly, looking at the clouds floating in the sky. "From Lin Bingshuang to Yunshuang, every transformation she undergoes catches me off guard. I don't know what kind of pain and pressure she's going through."

"You two could just meet and resolve this, but you're making so much trouble. Don't you have a mouth?" Su Yijing frowned, his face filled with helplessness and confusion, his words tinged with obvious resentment. He paced back and forth in Hanmei Villa, as if his restlessness wouldn't subside. "Rongchen, think about it, what are you two arguing about? Wouldn't it be all resolved if we just met and talked it out? Why are you torturing each other like this, making things more and more complicated?" Su Yijing stopped and looked directly at Qin Rongchen, his eyes filled with both blame and worry.

"You obviously have each other in your hearts, but you always miss each other for some inexplicable reasons. Aren't you asking for trouble? Why can't you just say it nicely? You have to keep it in your heart, and then create so many misunderstandings and troubles. Why do you do this? If you could all be braver and more proactive, there wouldn't be all this mess now." Su Yijing became more and more excited as he spoke, and his voice unconsciously rose a few degrees.

"It's not that I don't want to see her, it's that she doesn't want to see me." Qin Rongchen said helplessly, his voice full of bitterness and sorrow. In Hanmei Villa, a gentle breeze blew past, but it couldn't blow away the haze in his heart.

Qin Rongchen lowered his eyes slightly, a look of deep disappointment in them. "I've tried countless times to find her, to meet her, to resolve the misunderstanding between us. But she always deliberately avoids me, making it impossible for me to find her." He clenched his fists tightly, revealing his inner resentment.

Su Yijing looked at Qin Rongchen's painful expression, and his heart was filled with sympathy. "Maybe she has her own difficulties, or maybe she is not ready to face you yet."

Qin Rongchen sighed softly, "No matter what the reason is, her avoidance makes me feel extremely painful and helpless. I don't know how to make her let go of her worries and meet me."