Time travel, quick transmigration

Xiao Huanling didn't know how long he had been standing outside the flower pavilion. Even after watching Shi Yan see Li Longji out the door, he remained standing by the window, maintaining his original posture without changing.

"My lady, I was so worried about him just now. Why did His Majesty suddenly come to Dongling Temple?"

Xiao Die patted her chest twice, looked in the direction Li Longji and Gao Lishi had left, and murmured softly.

Shi Yan was already disgusted by Li Longji's frivolous and immoral behavior towards her, and she had no mind to respond to Xiao Die's words. She turned around and went back to her bedroom. Right now, she felt as uncomfortable as if she had swallowed a fly, and she didn't want to pay attention to anything.

Xiaodie stared blankly at Shi Yan's back for a long time without coming back to her senses. She was a little frustrated and annoyed that she was too stupid to speak. Not only could she not help at all, but she also made her master unhappy.

Xiao Huanling had already emerged from the flower-covered area by the window of the flower pavilion. After watching Shi Yan enter the house, he turned around and went back to his own room.

At dinner time, Yunying brought a food box to Huanqing Residence. Shiyan spoke with her for a while, and then Yunying took her leave.

Seeing the smile on Shi Yan's face, Xiao Die's anxious heart calmed down and her mood improved considerably.

"Let's have dinner at the Flower Pavilion tonight. Go and invite Young Master Xiao to dine there."

After saying that, Shi Yan picked up the food box and went out the door.

Upon seeing this, Xiaodie immediately followed.

When Xiao Huanling followed Xiao Die into the Flower Pavilion, Shi Yan had already prepared dinner.

"Come and sit."

"Today's dishes seem to be more plentiful."

Xiao Huanling did as she was told and sat down opposite her, while Xiao Die sat to Shi Yan's right as usual.

"Drink the soup first." Saying this, she ladled a bowl of soup for Xiao Huanling and Xiao Die and placed it in front of them.

"Hmm, it tastes pretty good. The vegetarian soup at Dongling Temple is truly unique."

Shi Yan picked up the bowl and took a few small sips.

Seeing Shi Yan's satisfied expression, Xiao Huanling suddenly felt a little hungry.

Xiaodie picked up the bowl and gulped down two large mouthfuls of soup, praising, "So delicious!"

After saying that, he put down his bowl and focused on eating.

Shi Yan glanced at her but didn't say anything, only smiled slightly.

Seeing Shi Yan's smile made Xiao Huanling feel inexplicably uneasy; he wasn't sure if the smile was genuine.

Perhaps because they all had something on their minds, they remained silent and quiet throughout the entire dinner.

After Xiaodie finished cleaning up the dishes and left the house, Xiao Huanling hesitated for a long time before deciding to tell her what was on her mind.

"Let's leave together, let's leave Chang'an."

Xiao Huanling's gaze was sincere and ardent. Shi Yan was stunned for a moment, then looked at him with confusion.

"Why do you suddenly want to leave Chang'an?"

"Although I don't know what happened to you or why you had the idea of ​​leaving Chang'an, I just want to tell you that running away is not the way to solve problems. You have to face it and solve it in order to truly become strong and grow."

“If you just want to go out and see the world, then I support your decision.”

"However, I am already a monk and cannot leave Chang'an to go elsewhere, so I will not go with you."

Shi Yan smiled apologetically, her eyes filled with gentleness.

Xiao Huanling could no longer suppress the frustration in his heart and stared intently at Shi Yan.

"Your decision to become a monk or nun was not of your own volition; you were clearly forced into it. If you were unwilling, why are you confining yourself to this Dongling Temple?"

“Let’s go far away together, so that no one can force you anymore.”

Xiao Huanling was excited, with an indescribable urgency in his expression.

Xiao Huanling's unusual behavior made Shi Yan suddenly realize something.

"You know it all."

“It is true that my decision to become a monk or follow the Taoist path was not voluntary. But does that matter? As long as I live in this Tang Dynasty, I can never be truly free. Who has the ability and courage to stand against the person who controls the world, who has the power of life and death, and who is the supreme emperor?”

"Everyone is nothing more than a pawn to be manipulated at will under the emperor's power. Even if I really leave Chang'an, where can I go? Under the vast sky, all land belongs to the emperor, and all people within the borders are his subjects. The emperor's anger is not easily quelled. If he cannot get what he wants, no one knows what the emperor, enraged, will do. Perhaps my fate will be even more tragic in the end."

“If I were to leave, not only my family, but everyone in this Dongling Temple would be implicated. I cannot yet sacrifice the lives of others to achieve my freedom.”

“Ah Ling, I understand your concern for me, but I am not worth your risking your life for me.”

"You don't need to worry about me. I know how to protect myself, and I know even better how to deal with the emperor."

“You’ve been away from home for several days now because of your injury, so it’s time for you to come back. Maybe someone is worried about you because you’re missing. Ah Ling is such a good and gentle person. I would be so happy if I had a younger brother or friend like you.”

“Ah Ling is much more composed now than when I first met you, which shows that you have grown up.”

"If you really want what's best for me and want to do something for me, then go and see the vast landscape of the Tang Dynasty for me, and travel around."

As Shi Yan spoke, she reached out and ruffled Xiao Huanling's hair, smiling sweetly.

Even long afterward, Xiao Huanling still remembered the tenderness in Shi Yan's eyes when she rubbed his head, and the smile that he could never forget.

Xiao Huanling was speechless upon discovering the facts Shi Yan had stated. He truly lacked the strength to rival a king, and he had no ability to protect Shi Yan; he was too weak and isolated. He was powerless to refute Shi Yan's words, but he was unwilling to accept his fate without even trying. He desperately wanted to tell Shi Yan that apart from the nanny who had cared for him since childhood, no one in his family cared about him. Even if he died outside, his so-called relatives wouldn't be sad, not even a frown. He no longer cared about anything in the Xiao family. If, before meeting Shi Yan, he still harbored a sliver of hope and fantasy regarding his father and brothers, after experiencing life and death and discovering that no one had come looking for him since he was stranded, he had completely let go of that lingering attachment. But these were his most painful secrets: his background, the fact that he wasn't expected or loved by his father, ignored by his family, and looked down upon by his relatives—he didn't want Shi Yan to know any of this. He felt inferior in front of Shi Yan, but Shi Yan told him that he was a very good and gentle person.

"You're right, but it's all up to us."

"Don't talk about whether it's worth it or not. As long as it's within my power, I'm willing to do it for you."

“Since you don’t want to leave Chang’an, then there’s no need for me to leave either. We can visit the vast land of the Tang Dynasty anytime, and we can do it together in the future.”

“I believe you know how to protect yourself, but that doesn’t conflict with my determination to protect you.”

Xiao Huanling stood up without waiting for Shi Yan's response after speaking.

"I'm going for a walk outside."

He left after saying that.