"You, what do you mean?"
There was a smile on An Yun's face again, but it was so forced.
"Brother Xia, you're joking with me, right?"
"How could you not like me?"
"If you didn't like me, why would you have followed me all the way during the Flower - Seeking Festival and defended me against those who spoke rudely to me?"
"If, if you really didn't like me, why would you have followed me onto the official boat and jumped into the lake to save me regardless of your own life?"
"Brother Xia, if you really didn't like me, why would you still be so nice to me after you learned that the An family had fallen into trouble?"
"Brother Xia, you're lying to me, right? Are you mad at me for not seeing you for the past few months? It's not that I didn't want to see you. It's because of the princess, it's all because of the princess."
"Xiaoyun!"
"Brother Xia, it's not like that—"
"Xiaoyun, will you listen to me, okay?"
An Yun covered her ears.
"Brother Xia, I don't want to listen. I know you're just lying to me."
"An Yun, don't be so willful."
An Yun's face was covered with tears.
She cried, "Why? Why? Brother Xia, I have no relatives left. You're the only one I have. You're the only one! Why, why are you treating me like this too?"
Maybe it was out of pity.
Or maybe it was because he felt guilty for what he had done to An Yun last night.
In any case, Xia Yan hugged An Yun, who was shaking her head violently.
Because of this hug.
An Yun calmed down.
Xia Yan said, "Xiaoyun, will you listen to me? At first, I did have some feelings for you. I even thought it was love for a while. Really. But the moment I met Qingqing, I realized that what I felt for you was at most admiration, while what I feel for Qingqing is indescribable love. Xiaoyun, I really like Qingqing. I'm sorry."
An Yun cried for a long time.
She cried until she was completely exhausted.
Xia Yan stayed by her side all the time.
Waiting for her emotions to calm down.
An hour later.
It was already dawn.
An Yun wiped away her tears.
"Do you really like the princess that much?"
Xia Yan nodded, so earnestly.
"Brother Xia, I know the princess. If she doesn't like you and rejects you, then there will be no chance for you two ever again."
Xia Yan knew this.
So when he heard An Yun say this, he could only lower his head painfully.
Loving someone but not being loved in return.
This was the most painful thing for Xia Yan at this moment.
"If I say I can help you, will you promise me one thing?"
"Xiaoyun, what, what are you talking about? What do you mean?"
An Yun's voice was a bit hoarse.
"I'm saying that I can make Gu Qingqing change her mind. I can make her accept you and become your wife. But will you promise me one thing?"
"What's the thing?"
"After she marries you and becomes your princess consort, I want to be on equal footing with her and become your wife too."
"You know that's impossible."
"What's impossible? Is it impossible for her to be your wife or for me?"
Xia Yan murmured and took a step back.
"Impossible, it's all impossible. Xiaoyun, men in our Hailing Kingdom are different from other royal men. I can't take a co - wife."
"Then you'll never get the princess in your whole life."
"Xiaoyun—"
"This is the biggest concession I can make for you."
Xia Yan said, "Impossible."
"I can wait—"
At that moment, a strange look flashed in An Yun's eyes.
She said again, "I can wait, Brother Xia. I don't have to become your co - wife right away, but you have to promise me that one day, you will definitely marry me."
Xia Yan thought for a long time.
In his mind.
All he could see was Gu Qingqing's figure.
The amazing sight when they first met, the happiness when they were together. But all the happiness was shattered by her rejection.
Thinking of this.
Xia Yan's heart began to ache.
He didn't want to give up on Gu Qingqing like this in his whole life.
Gu Qingqing was the woman he fell in love with at first sight. He didn't want to live without her by his side in the future.
"Okay, I promise you. What's your method?"
Because of Xia Yan's agreement.
An Yun felt even more heart - broken.
How much did he like Gu Qingqing to accept her conditions for Gu Qingqing's sake?
But she had no other choice. Apart from this method, she couldn't think of any other way to get him.
"All you need to do is get a drop of your heart's blood for me every day."
"That's it?"
"Yeah."
Xia Yan was at the end of his rope.
Although he didn't believe that An Yun could turn the tables or that Gu Qingqing would accept him, as long as there was a glimmer of hope, he still wanted to take a chance.
So.
Every day, he would secretly give a drop of his heart's blood to An Yun.
Day after day, it lasted for a full half - year.
Looking at An Yun's side.
The golden silkworm gu she had raised had become fatter and fatter. Since it ate Xia Yan's heart's blood every day, its consciousness also changed with Xia Yan's.
When the time was right.
She found out the time when Gu Qingqing took a bath.
An Yun then put the golden silkworm gu into the bathtub.
Since it was extremely transparent and had been nurtured for more than half a year, although Gu Qingqing had strong spiritual power, she didn't notice that the water was different from usual.
It was also after that bath.
Gu Qingqing's personality began to change slowly.
Xia Yan would never forget that day.
People from the Justice Mansion came to his door. It was his last day in the Cangwu Kingdom. He was just staring blankly at his luggage.
"Your Highness, the princess went to the palace to ask the king to bestow a marriage. The king now wants you to go to the palace immediately."
"Bestow a marriage? What marriage?"
"Your Highness, of course, it's to bestow the marriage between you and the princess."
Xia Yan felt as if the blood in his body rushed to his head immediately. He was completely flustered at this moment, and the joy in his heart was indescribable.
On the way to the palace.
His legs were trembling.
Xia Yan's heart was in turmoil. He was so afraid that what he had heard was false.
When he got to the main hall.
He saw Gu Qingqing, who had been rather cold to him in the past, looking at him with full affection at this moment.
Xia Yan felt that his whole heart was trembling.
"Your Highness, what do you think of this matter?"
Xia Yan was so absorbed in looking at Gu Qingqing that he didn't hear what the king of the Cangwu Kingdom said for a moment.
It was not until the queen coughed and spoke again that Xia Yan came back to his senses.
"What?"
"Your Highness, you can see that Qingqing is in love with you and wants to go back to the Hailing Kingdom with you. I wonder if you have any objections to this matter? If you don't agree, you can say so on the spot. Our Cangwu Kingdom will never make things difficult for our honored guests."
At that time.
Gu Qingqing was holding a little boy's hand.
The little boy said, "I don't want auntie to marry so far away."
"Xun'er, don't be naughty."
"Your Highness, what's your opinion?"
"Naturally, this king is willing a thousand times, ten thousand times."