Although he was a time - traveler from modern times and should, in theory, believe in science, that man's words had still misled him.
Shi Muyuan swallowed hard and looked around carefully.
Cui Qizhou felt rather helpless.
"General Qin must see things differently from us. It's obvious that you and Young Master Shi won't be able to settle things today. Why don't you choose another time?"
He had thought the matter was over and that the two sides would only bicker at most. But unexpectedly, this man had suddenly stepped in. The young city - administrator glared at him immediately.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Let's clarify what happened back then today. Don't put it off until next time."
Shi An was a bit stunned, and memories of the past flashed through his mind.
Since his little sister had said so, he must give her some face. However, that incident back then was really a huge misunderstanding.
"If I'm willing to talk to you properly today, will you sit down and listen to the whole story?"
After all these years, this was the first time this man had spoken to him so nicely.
Qin Feng suddenly hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should trust him.
But while he was still thinking, his mouth had already given an answer.
"Then let's sit down."
As soon as he said this, he suddenly felt a bit regretful. But a word spoken is past recalling. He could only sit down grudgingly with the others.
Seemingly to save face for his previous act of initiative, he added another sentence specifically.
"It's okay if you want to talk to me properly, but I hope you'll tell the truth. Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude. I've indeed set up traps all around here."
Young Master Shi nodded slightly. "I knew back then that Qingqing had her heart set on me. But precisely because of this, I knew I mustn't hurt her. So I avoided her later. What happened was purely an accident. This incident has troubled me for years, and I'm finally able to talk about it today."
The word "accident" reached Qin Feng's ears, and he clenched his fists.
"Are you saying that what happened back then was just an accident?"
"Right. No one would wish for such a thing to happen."
But Young Master Shi's serious words were met with mockery.
"Ridiculous! Before Qingqing tried to take her own life, she specifically sent someone to inform you. Now you think you can explain it all away with a simple 'misunderstanding' and 'accident'? It really makes me sick. I don't even know why I was once friends with someone like you."
Young Master Shi rubbed his forehead helplessly.
"I really am sorry to both of you for not explaining things before. Now that we're all sitting down to talk properly, I'll tell you my thoughts back then. I wasn't unaware of Qingqing's feelings. I just thought that as long as I didn't respond, she wouldn't keep pestering me and might find someone suitable for herself. I never expected such an ending."
"Don't you think you were being a bit too cruel?"
"No. If you don't like someone, you should firmly reject them. This way, that person won't get hurt more."
The one who spoke was Shi Muyuan. For a girl like her, this was the best choice. If that person kept leading her on and being nice to her on the surface, she might find it even harder to accept.
As soon as this thought was spoken, the atmosphere fell silent.
Qin Feng wasn't sure for a moment if his determination back then was right.
He looked at the person not far from him with a confused look in his eyes.
"Was all my insistence before wrong? Is that why Qingqing didn't agree to be with me?"
Shi Muyuan rolled her eyes. "If I were Miss Yan, I wouldn't have ended up with you either. Your relentless pursuit has made everyone feel suffocated, just like the way she chased my elder brother."
Everything from before was now clear. All the things that Qin Feng had never understood were finally clear to him at this moment.
He suddenly felt that all he had done was rather ridiculous.
"If I had known things would turn out like this, I wouldn't have pushed her so hard back then. Maybe we would have had a different ending."
It was no use saying these things now. There was no medicine for regret in the world, and the dead couldn't come back to life.
All the burdens in Qin Feng's heart were slowly being let go.
After resolving all the grudges, Shi An felt it was necessary for him to do something he hadn't done for a long time, something that had always been a knot in his heart.
"You two go back first. I need to go somewhere."
The two of them glanced at each other and understood each other's thoughts. Shi Muyuan knew there were still many things for them to talk about, so she directly left with the man beside her.
Wu Lin watched their reconciliation from the side and felt a bit dissatisfied.
"Has the general forgotten what he promised me before? Or are you going to go back on your word?"
Qin Feng gave him a cold look.
"I did use you, but you've also benefited a lot from me during this period. Alright, you arrange for the troops to withdraw. I'm going out."
Seeing that he was about to become a son - in - law of the royal family but now the opportunity was gone, no one would take this lightly.
Wu Lin summoned up his courage and blocked the two of them. Even though he knew he couldn't defeat them at all.
"General, if we withdraw the troops now, won't all I've done be a joke?"
"Then what else do you want to do? Do you really want to go back with me and become a son - in - law of the royal family?"
Wu Lin's lips moved. He really wanted to agree, but he saw the disdain in Qin Feng's eyes and immediately understood.
"You never intended to take me back. You just wanted to use me."
"You're not too stupid. I can show you a way out when I come back so that you can still survive in the future. But the people under your command must be under my control."
Almost without thinking, he directly refused.
"Absolutely not. The people under my command must always be under my management."
He knew that once these people were out of his control, death might be waiting for him.
But now Qin Feng no longer needed him and had naturally lost patience with him.
"If you want me to repeat myself, I don't mind if you go to the underworld to listen."
The man's eyes were so cold that he couldn't help but take a step back in fear and finally didn't say another word.
Qin Feng left with his friend contentedly. Although they didn't say anything, they both headed in the same direction.
They walked in silence all the way until they saw the wooden plaque.
Shi An's eyes flickered slightly, and his low voice was a bit hoarse. "Actually, I've already regarded Qingqing as half my sister. It's worth it for her to have someone like you who loves her in this lifetime."