Repeatedly broken branches

"Are you afraid to kill me? Are you afraid I'll become a vengeful ghost and come after you?"

"You're a bastard, an ungrateful wretch, a jinx!"

"Hahahaha, Yu Yanjing, you will never receive anyone's love in this life, because you are a monster!"

A long sword pierced through Yu Yanjing's body, and all his memories shattered in an instant—painful, joyful, sweet, and sorrowful...

Xiao Mu, far away in Chen Kingdom, was eating breakfast when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her heart, as if someone had stabbed her.

What's wrong with her? Why is she getting this bad feeling?

His pupils trembled slightly, and the silver snake dance he held fell to the ground. His eyes were a blank, grayish-white. He saw Yu Yanxu's head being chopped off by Shen Ruoxuan behind him, rolling to the ground. Yu Yanxu's eyes were fixed on him, while a tearing pain shot through his chest, blood gushing uncontrollably. His ears were filled with noise, and the grayness in his eyes was about to disappear. The last thing that appeared in his mind was Xia Yunzhi's image...

Pain, a pain that pierced through his body, made him bite his lip. He watched helplessly as the sword was pulled from his body, and blood splattered all over the other person's face.

The cold was like countless needles piercing into your very bones; it was the kind of cold that felt like dying in the polar regions.

At this moment, all vows seem pale and powerless.

He was conscious; he clearly heard the conversation between Shen Ruoxuan and the imperial physician, but he couldn't make a sound, move, or open his eyes.

He could only feel the warm liquid slowly escaping from his body.

Shen Ruoxuan asked, "How exactly can we stop the bleeding?"

The imperial physician said, "This sword wound has struck the heart. I have used the best hemostatic medicine, but it still cannot stop the bleeding. His Majesty may not be able to hold on much longer."

Shen Ruoxuan was furious: "If you can't save His Majesty, you will all be buried with him."

Yu Yanjing laughed. After spending so much time with him, when did Shen Ruoxuan become so cruel?

I suddenly miss Xia Yunzhi so much. What is that silly girl doing now? Is it day or night? Has she eaten? Did she feed the pigeon today?

In fact, he was perfectly capable of killing Yu Yanxu, but the moment he drew his sword, he suddenly remembered what that silly girl had said.

You must be a wise and virtuous ruler.

He wanted to be a wise and virtuous king. He couldn't kill anyone anymore. If he did, that girl would never speak to him again.

Overwhelmed by drowsiness, he lost the strength to control his consciousness and fell into a deep sleep.

His will to live was very strong, and the agrimony given by the imperial physician worked; he stopped bleeding.

Everyone became serious. Why didn't he die? Why did he go to such lengths and waste precious medicine to save a monster?

He was once a kind man; he would take care of a lost kitten in the palace, give his allowance to refugees in need, and help wounded soldiers bandage their wounds.

However, he had already died several years ago.

With Zhou Tingxi's wedding imminent, the entire Zhou residence was adorned with red lanterns, and red silk curtains fluttered in the wind. Every door and window was covered with the character for "happiness."

Zhou Tingxi was still making plans in the military camp. Yin Fu'an had given him less than seven days. In seven days, he would go with Yin Fu'an to massacre the city.

He suddenly thought of Xia Yunzhi, whose eyes were so clean and pure, as bright and flawless as moonlight.

If he kills her father, they'll never have a future together, right?

However, Xia Yuyi was a useless emperor. If it weren't for him and Yin Fu'an, the Chen Kingdom would have been destroyed long ago. Yin Fu'an had served as an advisor for generations, and Zhou Tingxi's family had fought enemies and guarded the desert for generations. Now that the desert is peaceful, he has the opportunity to return.

However, Xia Yuyi was still wary of them, so he betrothed his third daughter, Princess Junyang, to Yin Fu'an in order to suppress his power and prevent him from joining forces with other powerful families.

Wasn't betrothing the youngest princess, Xia Yunzhi, to Zhou Tingxi also a way to suppress him? He still refused to trust them, even though Zhou Tingxi's father and brothers had died in battle to protect him.

Why did he soften his heart? Why? Why did he soften his heart for a woman? Yin Fu'an was right. Once he got the Chen Kingdom, what kind of woman wouldn't he have? What was Xia Yunzhi compared to that?

But he lost. The thought of Xia Yunzhi still touches the deepest, most tender part of his heart.

Ruan Cifeng has now arrived in the far north. He rushed to deliver her wedding gift, a snow lotus from the Tianshan Mountains. Protected by layers of ancient glaciers, it still looks as if it had just been picked. The snow lotus is extremely precious, and Xiao Mu only glanced at it briefly before having it sent to the ice chamber.

Ruan Cifeng's gift was a small pendant, which was made from the tuberose he had carved that day. It was small and exquisite.

The letter reads:

I'm so sorry I can't attend your wedding, Xiaozhi. I'm free and unrestrained now, and I want to travel the world. I want to describe all the beautiful things in the world to you. We are from two different worlds. You are high in the clouds, while I was born in the mud. You are so clean and pure, while I am utterly worthless. You said we are best friends, and I still want to say that if we have the chance, let's go to Lin Yue to see my flower field, go to the Southern Frontier to see the sea of ​​flowers, and go to the far north together, where the ice and snow cover the land and it is truly beautiful. My next destination is the Western Regions, where there is a vast desert and exquisite murals. I hope that we will meet again soon. I wish you and General Zhou a long and happy life together, with hearts united and forever in love.

Xiao Mu scoffed, "To hell with eternal love."

She put on the tuberose pendant, carefully put Ruan Cifeng's letters into a small box. Inside were seven letters, from different places he had been: Southern Frontier, Sichuan, Jiangnan, the far north, Hengyang, the Eastern Border, and Linyue.

This should be the last letter, after all, her mission has reached its most critical stage. Perhaps it won't be the last one either. If the mission fails and she is left behind forever, then she can continue to correspond with Ruan Cifeng.

Tonight is the night of the full moon, the day the system awakens. After dinner, Xiao Mu waited quietly in the courtyard.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the moonlight grew brighter, shining on Xiao Mu's face. She smiled slightly; this was a sign that the system was about to arrive.

"Xiao Mu, you've worked hard this past month and completed the mission well. However, the time travel error may have altered history, leading to some things that were beyond our control."

Xiao Mu asked, "Has the second male lead appeared yet?"

The system said, "Yes, he has appeared, but I can only sense him, not confirm who he is. My abilities are limited, and the moonlight I collect is becoming less and less effective!"

Xiao Mu frowned. "What do you mean? What do you mean?"

"I may be forcibly recalled. I can only stay here for a month or two at most. I'm sorry, Xiao Mu."

Xiao Mu forced a smile and said, "It's okay, I'll be able to go back to you soon anyway."

The system disappeared shortly afterward, and the moonlight faded. Xiao Mu stood quietly alone in the courtyard.

Xiao Shao brought over a cloak and said with concern, "Princess, go back. What are you doing here all alone?"

Xiao Mu shook her head. "It's okay, you go back first." She suddenly had a strong urge to drink.

One person slipped to the palace gate and sneaked out while the guards were changing shifts.

She staggered along and eventually arrived at the tavern, which was now bustling with activity and filled with laughter.

Under the warm light, Lümei played the zither, her gaze drifting outside. She saw Xiaomu standing outside the door, gentle and charming. She smiled at Xiaomu and pulled her inside.

Zhou Tingxi had instructed that if she came, she should only be allowed to stay in a private room and not show her face in public.

Green Plum led Xiao Mu to the room Zhou Tingxi often visited. On the table was a pot of pomegranate wine, a pot of bamboo leaf wine, and a plate of candied kumquats.

These are all things Zhou Tingxi often orders.

Xiao Mu took a sip of bamboo leaf wine, which had a wonderfully fragrant bamboo leaf flavor. She then took a sip of pomegranate wine, which indeed had a strong pomegranate flavor and a sweet taste. However, the wine flavor was not as strong as the plum blossom wine she had last time.

Zhou Tingxi had instructed that the wine should not be too strong, so Lümei brewed several jugs of milder wine and kept them there for later use. She guessed that Zhou Tingxi's fiancée would be arriving soon.

Green Plum covered her mouth and couldn't help but laugh, "This is the first time I've ever seen someone drink by sipping. Actually, you drink by slurping. Look, it's like this." She demonstrated how to slurp wine to Xiao Mu.

Xiao Mu also took a sip, just like Lü Mei. The soft liquid rolled and slid between her lips and teeth before sliding down her throat, leaving behind the fresh fragrance of bamboo leaves that lingered for a long time.

She had come to enjoy this way of drinking. Before, she had only sipped the wine because she had never drunk alcohol before, but now that she understood it, she was intrigued.

She drank one sip after another, and on her second drinking session, she drank four jugs by herself.

As expected, she got drunk again, this time even more so than before. She started hallucinating and actually saw Zhou Tingxi.

She was somewhat disappointed that it wasn't Yu Yanjing.

She pinched Zhou Tingxi's face. The realistic touch... was this the special effect of alcohol? Drinking it could cure all sorrows and even cause hallucinations?

Why is Zhou Tingxi frowning? He looks really ugly when he frowns. Why is he so uneasy and flustered? It must be Xia Yunzhi's consciousness acting up again.

Does this girl never learn her lesson? She keeps falling for this guy again and again.

Xiao Mu felt a burning sensation in her stomach and couldn't help but vomit. She didn't know where she vomited, but someone fed her water. "Hmm, it's so sweet. It must be honey water."

It must be Green Plum, it must be her.

She had never seen such a gentle and charming woman.

Zhou Tingxi wiped her mouth, his eyes filled with tenderness. In all the years that Lümei had known him, she had never seen him look at someone with such tenderness.

A fleeting feeling of jealousy welled up inside me.

She shouldn't be jealous. This girl is so innocent and bright; she deserves Zhou Tingxi's kindness towards her.

Zhou Tingxi said, "Next time, let's not give her alcohol. Let's just dilute it with water for her to drink..."

Green Plum nodded, looking at him with self-reproach, and said, "It's Green Plum's fault for not being careful enough."

Zhou Tingxi didn't speak. He lowered his eyes, and Xiao Mu's image was reflected in his pupils. Her cheeks were flushed, and the wisps of hair on her forehead were casually scattered, slightly covering her closed eyes. Her slightly parted red lips were luscious and tempting.

Green Plum tactfully withdrew.

Unconsciously, Zhou Tingxi reached out and gently touched her cheek. It was burning hot, and an indescribable heartache welled up in his heart. His gaze swept lightly across her eyes, then down, finally resting on her budding red lips, so soft that it made his heart tremble.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his heart pounding with panic. He quickly withdrew his finger and sat quietly, watching her.