"They've set off?"
Just as he had expected. The future of Tingran Pavilion was more important than Ningyue to him after all. Xiao Xueyi, ah...
Ji Yeliu sneered and mounted his horse. "My lord, what are you doing?"
"I must reach the capital earlier than him!" To prevent Xiao Xueyi from turning back on the way, Ji Yeliu decided to enter the capital in advance.
Ningyue lifted the curtain of the carriage and looked outside. It was freezing cold now. Xiao Xueyi taking her to the capital must not be for the prosperity there.
If she guessed correctly, something might have happened in the capital. He couldn't control the situation and was worried about leaving her in Gusu City, so he took her with him.
Her gaze fell on her index finger. There was a faint mark. Although it was very faint, Ningyue knew that a ring had once been worn there.
If she had really had an accident in the mountain flood, the ring shouldn't have been lost.
Suddenly, she remembered that when she first woke up, she vaguely remembered wearing a ring.
But after a few days, the ring disappeared.
For some reason, Xiao Xueyi slowed down. "Stop and take a rest."
Ningyue's thoughts went back to that day. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xiao Xueyi, gentle and elegant, a perfect gentleman. Whenever he smiled, Ningyue felt that the night around them was illuminated.
Such a warm smile like that in spring.
Such bright and clear eyes.
He was truly a charming young master. Even though he had a disability in walking, no one could match his elegance.
Although Ningyue had lost her memory, she wasn't stupid. From the clues in the past few months, Ningyue became more and more distrustful of Xiao Xueyi.
Especially that night when he even wanted to kill Ji Yeliu.
"The moon tonight is as bright as jade..." Ningyue accompanied Xiao Xueyi. "It's just like 'The green maid and the white goddess are both cold - resistant, competing in beauty in the moon and frost'."
"This poem is too cold." Ningyue commented.
Xiao Xueyi smiled. "The moon is naturally cold..."
"So is Ningyue just like ice and frost?"
Ningyue smiled. "The moon rises above the willow treetops, people meet after dusk." A sentence suddenly popped up in her mind.
It seemed as if she had said it somewhere before.
"It's quite interesting. The timing is just right, neither too early nor too late." Xiao Xueyi looked at her seriously. "Sure enough, being just one step late means missing a lifetime." Ningyue was confused and didn't understand what Xiao Xueyi meant. The moon gradually hid in the clouds.
Although its charm remained, it became a bit dimmer.
Since he had decided to enter the capital, Xiao Xueyi didn't hesitate anymore. However, the regret in his heart grew larger as time passed.
He vaguely felt that he would definitely regret it in the future.
But now, Tingran Pavilion and Xiao Xueyi were in a difficult situation. Since Ningyue came, Xiao Xueyi hadn't contacted Zhongli Mingye again.
He originally planned to wait for her to recover and then send her to the capital.
But Ningyue had lost her memory! This also gave birth to some improper thoughts in his heart. He wondered if Ningyue couldn't remember anything for the rest of her life, would he have a chance?
Her identity could be re - established; all the signs of her past could be completely erased. But he had missed Ji Yeliu.
Now, Xiao Xueyi laughed at himself for being so stupid.
As the night deepened, Ningyue pushed Xiao Xueyi along the small path. "My lord, thank you."
"Thank?"
"Thank you for saving Ningyue!"
Suddenly, she thought of Lin Qingge. Ningyue had never asked him about it. But gradually, she understood. Lin Qingge's death might have been caused by Xiao Xueyi himself.
Those hands were so gentle. If one day she blocked his way, would she also be killed by Xiao Xueyi like this?
Xiao Xueyi suddenly took out a token. "Ningyue, I... give you the Mingyue Tower in the capital."
"This Mingyue Tower is the largest industry of Tingran Pavilion in the capital."
"Ah?" Ningyue was stunned. "Ningyue can't accept it..."
Xiao Xueyi pulled her over and motioned for Ningyue to bend down. "If... you feel wronged in the future... this Mingyue Tower will be your property, and Tingran Pavilion will be your support."
Her fair and jade - like cheeks blushed slightly in the cold moonlight. She gradually understood Xiao Xueyi's affection. At this moment, he was more like an elder brother.
Ji Yeliu rushed to the capital overnight and went straight to Prince Yu's Mansion.
In the study, he couldn't see Zhongli Mingye's expression clearly. He only felt that compared with before, Zhongli Mingye had become thinner and haggard.
In Ji Yeliu's impression, although Zhongli Mingye was cold, his phoenix eyes always contained warmth. Although they didn't have much contact,
he knew that a person like this must be very happy to have a touch of warmth in his cold temperament. But this time,
such warmth was gone.
Instead, there was more loneliness.
"What's the matter?"
Without much words, Zhongli Mingye always had a strange feeling towards Ji Yeliu. He just didn't want to see him. Maybe it was because Ji Yeliu looked too much like Yan Fei, and he also remembered Ji Yeliu's help last time.
He sighed. Under the dim candlelight, Ji Yeliu slowly said a sentence, "Xiao Xueyi has taken Ningyue to the capital."
Ningyue? Zhongli Mingye didn't understand.
"Ningyue... is the woman in Gusu City who looks extremely similar to the Crown Princess!"
These words exploded in Zhongli Mingye's heart. He understood what Ji Yeliu meant.
"Xiao Xueyi has always been very secretive about Ningyue's origin. I once talked to Ningyue. She seems to have lost her memory..."
Lost her memory!
A scene flashed before Zhongli Mingye's eyes: Before Song Jinyu fell into the river, the back of her head hit the side of the boat first. Then, he didn't know anything and couldn't hear any sound.
Did she lose her memory? So... so... she couldn't go home, right? Zhongli Mingye panicked. In front of Ji Yeliu,
after a brief moment of thinking, "So it was you who exposed Tingran Pavilion's illegal salt - selling?"
Ji Yeliu didn't say a word, which was a default. Zhongli Mingye stood up and bowed to him: "Thank you!" Zhongli Mingye's heart was almost jumping out.
In the middle of the night, he forced the city gate to open. He took several shadow guards and rushed out of the city crazily, fearing that it would be too late to see her.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince, please... don't go to Gusu City."
The closer they got to the capital, the more panicked Xiao Xueyi felt.
The warm hand - warmer in his hand was just brought in by Ningyue and still smelled a bit of cold plum fragrance.
In the inn, when Ningyue learned that Xiao Xueyi refused to eat, she went to the kitchen herself, selected cured meat and ham, and made noodles. Then she asked Ling Feng to take them in.
After that night's conversation under the moon, he didn't want to see her anymore. She had to ask Ling Feng to take good care of him, considering his leg.
"It's cold at night. This is not Tingran Pavilion. The quilt should be warm enough..."
Xiao Xueyi held the bowl and ate slowly. He didn't want to put it down even after the soup had cooled.
Ling Feng came in to collect the bowls and chopsticks and only heard the noble man sitting in the wheelchair say, "Set off tomorrow and return to Gusu!"
Return? Ling Feng thought he had misheard!
He looked at Xiao Xueyi anxiously. "My lord, if the case of illegal salt - selling is exposed... I'm afraid the court will target our Tingran Pavilion!"
"It doesn't matter! I've thought it through..."
He said in a deep voice, "If I rely on Ningyue to gain a peaceful life, I'll have a guilty conscience..."
"I've also said that in this life, I don't want to let my heart down."
"Just because of Tingran Pavilion's many helps to His Highness the Crown Prince, he shouldn't do anything to me!"
Hearing this, Ling Feng knew that it meant taking Ningyue back! He was a bit anxious... But Xiao Xueyi always had a firm and unyielding character.
Early the next morning, Ningyue looked at Xiao Xueyi blankly.
She wondered why he suddenly changed his mind and wanted to take her back to Gusu City.
But before they could set off again, their way was blocked!
Xiao Xueyi looked up and saw Zhongli Mingye's handsome face. "Lord Xiao, long time no see!"