After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

“No. I stood at the entrance of the yamen until dawn, and after making sure no one came, I carried him home.” Fu Qingbai paused here, then chuckled softly, “That night was really cold, my feet were frozen, but my heart was warm.”

Xiang An: "After you go back, will your family not let you keep it?"

Otherwise, he would be a disciple of Master Xuanqing now.

Fu Qingbai suddenly fell silent, pursing her lips, as if lost in some kind of memory.

Blinking and turning her head away, Xiang An ultimately couldn't be bothered to investigate further, simply considering this coincidental conversation over again. Unexpectedly—

"The day I found him, I had just brought my brothers' bodies home. That evening, I carried him home, and my grandmother saw him and told me to take him away, saying, 'His life has already been hard enough, why make him die too?'"

Yes, although the Fu family held great power and had been generals for generations, and their family tradition was known for its loyalty and integrity, countless men of the Fu family died on the battlefield, and the women and children of the entire family were filled with unbearable grief.

On the day when Madam Fu, an elderly woman, was burying her son, how could she bear to let a mute child who had been abandoned at birth jump from one quagmire into an even deeper one?

Fu Qingbai continued, "When Xuanqing first entered the palace, he couldn't get along with the people there, so the emperor allowed him to raise a disciple himself to serve him in his daily life. When I heard about this, I took him there and heard Xuanqing name him Yuankong with my own ears. Only then did I feel relieved. After that, I went to the battlefield and never saw him again."

"I was surprised to see him today. Fortunately, he hasn't changed much since he was a child. His eyes are still round and bright, just as cute as they were back then, and I recognized him. I suppose he came here today on the orders of Master Xuanqing."

In the darkness, the charcoal fire in the brazier glowed a deep red, with embers flickering faintly at the edges before fading into darkness after a few moments of brilliance.

But in the briefest moment of the blazing fire, the sorrow in Fu Qingbai's eyes was vaguely reflected.

Extremely fast, extremely fast.

As always, they are elusive.

Xiang An opened her mouth to say a few words of comfort, but found that she couldn't say anything no matter what. Rather than comforting her, she wanted to ask something else.

For example: Why weren't you home late at night preparing for your brother's funeral? Is there a river near the bridge where the child was found? What were you doing there alone so late at night? What were you thinking when you stood at the entrance of the government office...?

Some things and some words need not be said explicitly, because even if they are not said explicitly, one can still guess the truth. But the truth is often something that cannot be revealed or exposed.

Once opened, you'll find an even bigger wound beneath, dripping with blood, a sight too painful to behold.

Xiang An remained silent, unable to respond or wanting to. The conversation had already reached this point, and it was too oppressive and heavy; it would be better to end it sooner rather than later.

"What is the princess thinking about?" Fu Qingbai asked.

"I was wondering if you were scared that night—" Xiang An stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing what he was saying, and stared at him wide-eyed, "How did you know what I was doing?"

Having spent so long in the dark room, her eyes had gradually adjusted. By the light of the fire, Xiang An could see that Fu Qingbai's face was expressionless, his eyes fixed on her, his pupils following her every move.

Xiang An asked suspiciously, "When will you be able to see me and hear me speak?"

She recalled several similar situations from the past and couldn't help but wonder if Fu Qingbai had been pretending not to see her all along.

"After waking up just now," Fu Qingbai said.

Upon hearing this, Xiang An immediately thought of the time when Yuan Kong shook him awake, and the only time he opened his eyes did his expression fluctuate wildly, as if he had seen a ghost.

She raised an eyebrow and said, "Really? Then why did you tell me to leave earlier?"

Fu Qingbai: "It's a feeling."

"I don't believe you." Xiang An feigned certainty, insisting, "I've been dead for almost a year. Apart from Xuan Qing, no one knows me. How do you feel? How can you be sure it's me?"

Fu Qingbai: "..."

Fu Qingbai remained silent this time, only staring at her intently, almost without blinking, as if she were some rare treasure that would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Please! What kind of treasure is she?

Once the system restarts, everyone's memories will have to be restarted.

His gaze was so frightening that Xiang An couldn't help but rub the goosebumps on her arms. She reluctantly conceded, "Fine! I believe you. I believe your so-called feeling, okay?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Qingbai, who was lying flat, gently closed his eyes.

Seeing this, Xiang An consciously retreated to the maximum area of ​​the barrier, sat down cross-legged, and prepared to close his eyes and pretend to sleep. Just as he was trying to sort out the messy day, Fu Qingbai suddenly said not far away, "Don't be afraid."

Not afraid?

What are you not afraid of?

Xiang An pondered those two short words for a while before realizing with a start that he was answering her earlier question, "Aren't you afraid in the yamen?"

After holding back for a while, Xiang An still answered with an embarrassed face: "I didn't even finish my question. Actually, you don't have to answer."

After waiting quietly for a few breaths, no reply came. In the silent night, only Fu Qingbai's shallow breathing could be heard.

He tiptoed closer and took a look, and Xiang An's mind went blank for a moment—he had actually fallen asleep.

"Hey! Big brother! I'm dead, I'm a ghost! A ghost! It's scary! Aren't you afraid of me?"

Fu Qingbai: "..."

"I suck blood! I suck life force!" Xiang An broke down, deeply feeling Fu Qingbai's cold violence towards a ghost.

How can her ghostly life be complete?

That's incredibly embarrassing!

She angrily squatted back down, determined to ignore him.

At three-quarters past midnight, a rustling sound attracted Xiang An, who was dozing. He opened his eyes and, after a while in the darkness, identified the source of the sound as coming from the direction of Fu Qingbai.

As I got up to go and see what was happening, I faintly caught a suppressed sob in my ears.

Xiang An paused, his foot frozen in mid-air. After a long while, he suddenly remembered that he walked without making a sound. When he landed, he was surprised to find that his foot had gone numb. It felt like thousands of needles were piercing the sole of his foot, a sore and swollen sensation that spread throughout his body.

Despite losing both arms, Fu Qingbai was not as calm and composed as he appeared on the surface.

Even though he had faced life and death on the battlefield and was used to seeing corpses strewn across the fields and severed limbs, he could accept losing an arm with a calm mind. But he was equally afraid of the unknown future.

That's true. No matter how powerful a person is, they are still just a human being. How could they not be afraid?

Xiang An silently crouched back in the corner. The extremely low sobs that had been suppressed in the darkness had quietly subsided in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

Xiang An quietly raised her eyes and listened to the sound of breathing that had already fallen into a peaceful sleep in the darkness. She thought with extremely complicated feelings: "He only gave himself the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to vent."

A person who doesn't even allow themselves to be vulnerable for too long often carries a heavy burden of pressure in their heart.

What kind of person is Fu Qingbai?