◎Even if I have to dig three feet into the earth, I will carry Cui Guanlan back◎

The moment Xie Heng dragged Xie Minran and fell into the river, they created a tremendous splash.

Lianqing rushed out from Luo Wanqing’s shoulder, diving down to chase along the river current.

Luo Wanqing finally reacted, immediately releasing her sword and leaping down, but Li Guiyu arrived in time to catch her.

Luo Wanqing turned her blade to slash at him. Li Guiyu blocked her sword while stepping on the round pillars in the river with several leaps, returning to the passage.

The moment they landed, Luo Wanqing struck again without hesitation. Li Guiyu dodged hastily as Luo Wanqing kicked him and pounced forward, stabbing down at his face, strike after strike, each blow lethal, without holding back in the slightest.

Li Guiyu desperately dodged until the final moment when he grabbed her sword handle and shouted: “The mechanisms below just reactivated. If you go down there, you’re seeking death. If you die, he can’t come back either!”

Luo Wanqing held her sword motionless, blood dripping from the blade down onto Li Guiyu’s face.

Li Guiyu stared at Luo Wanqing, suppressing his fear as he reminded: “Liu Xiniang, you still need to live to kill me.”

Tears fell from the face hidden by scattered hair, landing in Li Guiyu’s eyes. As the sourness spread, Luo Wanqing spoke softly: “It doesn’t matter anymore.”

Li Guiyu was stunned. In that instant, Luo Wanqing suddenly turned and leaped down.

Li Guiyu’s eyes widened in fury as he scrambled up in panic: “Miss!”

“Your Highness!”

Elder Zhang and the others who had rushed back grabbed Li Guiyu, saying urgently: “Your Highness, Wang Yunzhi has escaped, and the Supervision Department’s people have arrived. While they’re still searching for people, we should leave quickly.”

“Let go of me…”

“Stop the mechanisms, and the Supervision Department will rescue people!”

Hearing this, Li Guiyu immediately reacted, turning to leap up to a protruding section of the wall, smashing through it with one palm.

When the wall cracked open, the underwater mechanisms slowly stopped. Li Guiyu fell exhausted onto a stone pillar, frantically scanning the water’s surface.

Before long, he heard Zhuque’s loud call from outside the wall: “Inspector Liu!”

“Quickly save her!”

Hearing this cry to “save her,” Li Guiyu knew Luo Wanqing had been rescued. He slumped back to sit on the ground, finally realizing.

Just now, besides that phrase “it doesn’t matter anymore,” she had left him nothing.

She didn’t ask a single question.

She didn’t leave a single word.

Whether about past deceptions or today’s grievances, her heart was filled by another person, not leaving him even one word.

Sharp pain and heart-wrenching bewilderment filled his chest. Li Guiyu sat quietly in place, looking around in confusion.

The entire mechanism hub had long since collapsed into desolation. He listened to the mighty sound of water, as if standing in his own heart.

After pursuing with all his might, it had become nothing but ruins and emptiness.

The moment Luo Wanqing entered the water, she felt the surrounding current being violently churned by great force.

The current was too rapid to open her eyes. Following instinct, she used her sword to pierce through the gears. She felt something scrape across her face. Intuiting something was wrong, she reached out to grab that thing in her hand, then crashed heavily into the mechanism and lost consciousness.

When she woke again, it was already night. The moment she opened her eyes, she immediately got up. Xing Ling, beside her, pressed her down, saying urgently: “What are you doing?”

“I’m going to save Cui Heng. Has he been found?”

Luo Wanqing spoke urgently. Xing Ling paused, then pressed her lips together: “Don’t be anxious. We’ve already sent Inspectors skilled in water to search for people. You’re injured, rest first.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing quickly shook her head: “It’s fine, I’m not seriously hurt. I’m very good at swimming. I can continue searching. Are there any clues now? Do you have people downstream?”

“Xiniang…” Xing Ling said with some difficulty, “Lord Cui said that at the time, the underwater mechanisms hadn’t completely stopped, and Xie Minran is familiar with the mechanisms, but Cui Heng…”

“Cui Heng is also familiar with them.” Luo Wanqing immediately interrupted her, saying with conviction, “He’s very capable. He understands everything. Nothing will happen to him. You didn’t see him downstream, right?”

Xing Ling looked at her expression and dared not speak.

Seeing her expression, Luo Wanqing immediately knew the result. She then threw off the covers and got out of bed, saying hurriedly: “I understand. He must still be trapped in the underwater mechanisms. I’ll go find him.”

“Xiniang!”

Xing Ling grabbed her while Luo Wanqing shouted explosively: “Let me go find him!”

Xing Ling’s movements paused. Luo Wanqing’s eyes were red as she spoke with some pleading in her tone: “Xing Ling, if you and I are friends, let me go find him.”

Xing Ling looked at her, hesitating for a long time before saying: “There are flesh-grinding blades in the underwater mechanisms.”

Luo Wanqing remained in place. Xing Ling turned away, unable to bear it: “We retrieved body fragments.”

“Whose? Xie Minran’s?” Luo Wanqing pressed, though tears had already begun falling unconsciously.

“Xie Minran escaped.”

With these words, Xing Ling completely extinguished Luo Wanqing’s hopes. Luo Wanqing listened as Xing Ling described: “The commotion on Liufeng Island was too great and alerted the people of Xueling Mountain. Ji Ruifang personally led people down and took advantage of the chaos to blow up the sky ladder, taking Xie Minran away in the process.”

Luo Wanqing listened without moving, only clenching her fists: “Xie Minran is still alive?”

“He should still be alive. Cui Heng said when they pulled him out, he hadn’t stopped breathing yet.”

Xie Minran was still alive, and body fragments were retrieved from underwater—whose could they be?

He had been hit by arrows and struck twice by Xie Minran’s palms. For Xie Minran to survive was already fortunate.

But she still wasn’t willing to accept it.

She didn’t believe someone like Cui Heng could leave.

“You’re lying to me.”

She spoke stubbornly.

Xing Ling was stunned. Luo Wanqing turned and headed outside, saying hoarsely: “I’m going to search.”

With that, she rushed out the door.

She ran to the mechanism hub’s water outlet, where the Supervision Department had already set up ropes for underwater salvage. Luo Wanqing rushed to the corridor, took an empty rope, tied it to herself, and leaped down.

Her entire body plunged into the water. The underwater mechanisms had completely shut down, and the water was peaceful. Luo Wanqing opened her eyes and could see the underwater mechanisms.

These mechanisms had all retracted their sharp blades, but from the dense switches on them, one could still sense how numerous the blades were.

If anyone had reached this place with Cui Heng’s injuries at the time, there would be no chance of survival. Even when the mechanisms were operating, they could be shredded into pieces in an instant.

Looking at those blades, her heart tightened. She didn’t dare think, didn’t dare linger, and could only continuously move through the water, searching for traces of him.

She surfaced again and again, then dove back down, until exhausted and pulled out by the rope with the current, climbing ashore to rest before jumping back down.

Luo Wanqing remembered that the autumn was very cold.

Liufeng Island had three days of rain.

For those three days, she kept searching for him.

She ignored everything else, didn’t listen to orders from the Supervision Department, and no one could stop her.

She just dove into the water again and again, searching again and again.

All her colleagues from the Department took turns trying to persuade her, but she said nothing, only jumping back into the water after resting.

On the first day, when diving into the water, she thought she was going to save Cui Heng—perhaps he was trapped in some hidden mechanism, waiting for her to rescue him.

On the second day, when diving into the water, she thought there must be some hiding places among these mechanisms, and Cui Heng was waiting for her to save him.

By the third day, she was exhausted. She opened her eyes and dove in out of habit.

When entering the water, she suddenly had a thought.

Perhaps he was stuck somewhere in the water, or perhaps he had already been ground to pieces by the mechanisms below, but he should still have left something behind.

She wanted to look for it.

At that moment, she felt he might have left.

But she immediately pushed that thought away and continued searching, kept searching.

While she was searching for him, Cui Heng was also searching.

When Xie Heng told him to leave, he knew the mechanism hub would collapse, so he rushed downstream to block the final flesh-grinding mechanism, waiting for people.

But he didn’t wait for anyone to come out—no one.

After the underwater mechanisms stopped and Luo Wanqing rushed out, he immediately had people dive down to search. They didn’t find anyone, but they found a secret passage.

This passage was already closed. Only those accomplished in array formations could tell this was a secret passage. Fortunately, he had learned from famous masters.

Based on his knowledge, this secret passage must lead to other places. He immediately wanted to pursue Xueling Valley with people, but heard news of Ji Ruifang coming down the mountain.

Ji Ruifang came down from the sky ladder. When he arrived, he found Ji Ruifang escaping with Xie Minran, so he knew Xie Heng must be in Ji Ruifang’s hands. But before he could pursue, Ji Ruifang destroyed the passage up to Xueling Mountain.

At the same time, most of the people from Liufeng Island also escaped into Xueling Valley.

The Xueling Mountain range stretched endlessly, with countless mechanisms set by Xie Minran in between. Cui Heng didn’t dare advance rashly, only having Xuanshan pretend to be Xie Heng to stabilize the situation while sending people into the mountains to scout. But now they had sent two waves of Baihu Division people, and after entering the mountains less than three li, they had all died.

The Baihu Division people were best at reconnaissance and assassination. If even they died inside, no one from the other three divisions dared enter for now.

Cui Heng hesitated for a long time before finally turning to ask Zhuque: “How is Liu Xiniang doing?”

“Still searching.” Zhuque was somewhat troubled. “Why don’t we just tell her the truth?”

“That should be said by your young master, not our place to say.”

Cui Heng thought for a moment, then glanced at the blood-stained grasshopper placed not far away, took the grasshopper, and said: “I’ll go one more time.”

With that, Cui Heng got up and went to the lake to find her.

When they arrived, Luo Wanqing was preparing to enter the water again. Cui Heng quickly called out: “Inspector Liu!”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing turned back indifferently. Seeing it was Cui Heng, she stopped her movement.

Seeing she hadn’t gone completely mad, Cui Heng quickly caught up, saying urgently: “Inspector Liu, there are urgent matters in the Department that need you…”

“I need to find Cui Heng.” Luo Wanqing interrupted Cui Heng expressionlessly.

Cui Heng’s movement stiffened, then he smiled, only saying: “Aren’t we looking? The Chief has already sent people to search. This matter must require you…”

“You’re not planning to search.”

Luo Wanqing spoke directly, looking at Cui Heng calmly: “These people here—they’re not salvaging for Cui Heng at all.”

Cui Heng was speechless. The people here were looking for Xiang Sizi, indeed not Xie Heng.

This point couldn’t be hidden from Luo Wanqing. He hesitated for a long time, then could only say: “Inspector Liu, Cui Heng is gone.”

“Shut up!” Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but snap. She stared at him, her eyes slightly red: “His bones haven’t even been found—how dare you conclude he’s dead?”

Cui Heng fell silent. He thought for a moment, lowered his head with a smile, and only said: “How about I tell you a secret?”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing frowned. Cui Heng thought for a moment, lifted his robes, and sat down on the spot, gazing at the distant mountains, saying softly: “Come, sit down. Let me tell you about my story.”

Luo Wanqing thought for a moment. She knew Cui Heng wouldn’t speak to her casually. She hesitated, then sat down beside him.

Cui Heng pondered, then said slowly: “I once liked a girl, but our statuses were vastly different. I originally planned to work gradually toward my goals, and when I had sufficient capability one day, I would be with her. So before that, I only dared to secretly visit her. In public, I never dared acknowledge her. Only every night could I go see her, talk with her, chat, and guide her sword practice.”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but turn to look at him.

Cui Heng thought for a moment and chuckled softly: “But later my luck wasn’t very good. Something happened to my family, so in others’ eyes, I died. When that girl heard news of my death, for a very long time, she wouldn’t smile anymore.”

“Then why didn’t you tell her?”

“What would be the point of telling her?” Cui Heng turned his head to smile: “To let her watch me die again? Once is enough for such an experience—why put her through it again? Besides, my being able to survive involved too many people. Even for their sake, I had to protect my identity well, couldn’t put everyone in danger for my personal feelings.”

“So?”

Luo Wanqing suppressed the disappointment in her heart, saying calmly: “What are you trying to say by telling me this?”

“I want to tell you that the current Cui Guanlan is no different from me back then. Just consider him alive, watching you from the shadows. You being like this would make him sad.”

Cui Heng thought for a moment, then said softly: “Actually, you should know what he most hoped you would do. You used to like dwelling in the past, and his stubborn temper—how many times did you anger him? Now that he’s gone, it’s not so you can dwell in new past events.”

With that, Cui Heng took out the blood-stained grasshopper and handed it over: “He folded this that day at Tingfeng Tower. He told me you two started with this, so now you take it and consider this the end. After all…”

Cui Heng looked up at her, hesitating for a long time before finally smiling: “Xiniang, forgive me for saying something unpleasant. What you have for him is more debt and guilt. He doesn’t blame you. Letting go and moving forward is the best compensation for him. The Supervision Department needs you now. Rest well today and come to the Council Pavilion tomorrow. You may have lost your lover, but you still have comrades. Life doesn’t end here—we’re waiting for you.”

After finishing, Cui Heng patted the grasshopper into her hand, stood up, and prepared to leave.

But before he had taken a few steps, he heard the person behind him say: “Why do you think it’s debt and guilt?”

Cui Heng stopped. Before he could say more, he heard Luo Wanqing say: “Does he think so too? Why? Because I rarely looked for him? Because I never actively said I liked him? Because I never actively inquired about him? Because I was always just waiting for him?”

“But what was I supposed to do?”

Luo Wanqing raised her head, looking at Cui Heng’s back—a back so similar to Cui Heng’s, yet she knew it wasn’t that person.

Her eyes were red: “I always knew this day would come. I always knew he would leave someday, so I kept waiting. I didn’t dare use the flute he gave me—I feared disturbing him. I didn’t dare look at his face—I feared entangling him. I didn’t dare ask his name or know his address. When I missed him, I didn’t dare speak his name. When I loved him, I didn’t dare say it. When I wanted him to stay, I didn’t dare ask. Because I didn’t dare, because I was cowardly, because I always held back—so he thought my feelings were all debt, thought my love was shallow and could be easily forgotten. Is that why he gave up on me so easily?”

“He didn’t give up on you…”

“If he hadn’t—” Luo Wanqing stood up and walked in front of Cui Heng, “he wouldn’t have so easily told me to walk into the future alone.”

“He would have fought desperately to live. He would have asked me to wait for him. He would have promised me a future early on. Cui Heng, turn around.”

Hearing her words, Cui Heng turned around, puzzled, only to see Luo Wanqing raise her hand and place it over his eyes.

She covered half his face. Cui Heng’s half face was extremely similar to his, yet with just one glance, Luo Wanqing knew.

No, it wasn’t him.

Tears fell instantly. Luo Wanqing’s hand trembled: “Do you know what I regret most?”

“Inspector Liu…”

Cui Heng instantly understood what she was doing and wanted to speak, but didn’t know how.

“I thought that in this vast sea of people, I would recognize him at first sight. He once used your face to meet me in the palace, so the first time I met you, I wondered if you were him. You have names with the same pronunciation, similar half faces, similar temperaments—yet even so, I immediately recognized you weren’t him. So I thought as long as I truly met him someday, I could recognize him.”

“Now I know,” Luo Wanqing smiled, “I can’t do it. I don’t know his name, I don’t know who he is, I’ve never seen his face, I’ve never heard his real voice. Now that he’s gone, I don’t even have the right to see him one last time. I can’t even confirm whether you are him or not…”

Luo Wanqing’s voice choked: “I don’t even dare confirm.”

“I’m sorry…”

“Do you all think you’re particularly great?” Luo Wanqing stared at him. “He thinks that by dying, I can forget Li Guiyu, forget him, then walk the next part of my path. You think staying alive without telling the person you love is protecting her. Did you ask us? Did you ask if I was willing? Cui Junye, let me tell you—I don’t need such one-sided decisions. If I were the person you like and I knew you were alive but didn’t tell me,” Luo Wanqing pressed her lips together, saying hoarsely, “I would only hate you.”

“So I won’t believe he’s dead.” Luo Wanqing gripped her sword with trembling hands: “In the past, I always thought about not disturbing him. Now, even if only one bone of his remains, I’ll tear down Liufeng Island, level Xueling Mountain—even if I have to dig three feet into the earth, I will carry Cui Guanlan back!”

Hearing her words, Cui Heng was silent for a moment. After thinking for a long time, he said: “You used the word ‘carry.'”

Luo Wanqing stiffened. Cui Heng seemed like a demon who could see into hearts, saying calmly, “Inspector Liu, you’ve already accepted this result in your heart. You’re just unwilling, so you’re forcing yourself. Don’t waste time on meaningless things.” Cui Heng pressed down her hand, his eyes carrying some pity: “Move forward, and perhaps you can achieve what you seek.”

Luo Wanqing stared at him fixedly, her lips trembling.

At this moment, she thoroughly hated these people’s sharp insight.

If he hadn’t said it, she could still struggle on her own, continue deceiving herself, telling herself she believed he was alive.

But Cui Heng wouldn’t leave her any room, so sharply piercing through all her pretenses.

Cui Heng sighed and turned around: “The Council Pavilion awaits you tomorrow. Inspector Liu, Cui Heng accompanied you to the Supervision Department and absolutely wouldn’t want you to stop here.”

Cui Heng.

Cui Heng.

Hearing his words, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but laugh softly.

They all knew her weakness, and everyone used it to pressure her.

Yet she still couldn’t control herself, had to follow their words.

Because she knew they were telling the truth.

If Cui Heng were here, he would never allow her to disregard everything else for a vain hope.

Three days were enough—there should have been results long ago.

She cried and laughed at the same time. After Cui Heng walked far away, she finally gradually stopped and slowly calmed down.

However, a fire still burned in her heart. She needed an outlet.

She listened to Cui Heng walking to the end of the corridor, then closed her eyes and spoke coldly: “Where is Li Guiyu?”

This distance was enough for Cui Heng to hear her voice.

Cui Heng’s steps paused slightly, then he said: “He hid for two days recovering from injuries, then found a chance to leave Liufeng Island last night, walking back through the dense forest. We didn’t pursue—as long as he doesn’t act rashly, we don’t plan to attack casually.”

“Understood.”

Luo Wanqing responded and gripped her sword, opening her eyes.

After Cui Heng left, she immediately gave chase.

She returned to the dense forest, quickly finding traces left by Li Guiyu’s people. She followed the trampled grass, chasing all the way.

As she ran wildly, the night wind blew, gradually calming her down.

She gripped the grasshopper in her palm, going to seek that one person who knew the truth.

Li Guiyu was being carried out by others. The Supervision Department had stopped all mechanisms, and the dense forest had become an ordinary forest. He closed his eyes and leaned in the sedan chair, feeling somewhat tired.

The wound Luo Wanqing had stabbed hadn’t healed, and he didn’t want to speak at all.

Walking until midnight, Li Guiyu heard urgent footsteps from behind.

He suddenly opened his eyes and immediately warned: “Zitang, someone’s coming.”

As soon as he spoke, a figure in black robes rushed forth. Zitang instantly drew her sword to meet the attack.

The opponent came too fiercely and urgently, this strike seeming to use all her strength. Zitang crashed into her and was immediately knocked back half a zhang, retreating to Li Guiyu’s sedan side.

Everyone around Li Guiyu drew their swords together. Li Guiyu looked up coldly to see a woman emerge from the forest with a sword.

Her entire being looked as if she’d been pulled from water, her face pale, water droplets falling from her hair like teardrops.

“Miss…”

Li Guiyu murmured, then immediately stumbled to his feet. Elder Zhang beside him quickly came forward to stop him, saying urgently: “Your Highness, be careful!”

“Let go!”

Li Guiyu pushed Elder Zhang away and hurried to Luo Wanqing, looking her up and down, saying urgently: “Miss, are you… Are you alright?”

“I’ve come to ask you two things.”

Luo Wanqing didn’t exchange pleasantries with him, speaking hoarsely.

Li Guiyu was stunned for a moment, then heard Luo Wanqing ask: “You said you found my family and killed them—is that true?”

Hearing this, Li Guiyu gradually calmed down.

He suddenly understood Luo Wanqing’s purpose for coming. She wasn’t here for him.

She didn’t care about his condition or what happened to him. His expression became indifferent as he only said: “False. I was lying to you.”

Luo Wanqing nodded. She wasn’t surprised.

“Then…”

She hesitated. Li Guiyu immediately understood what she wanted to ask. His heart seized up, not daring to speak. After a long time, he finally heard Luo Wanqing’s judgment: “In the Eastern Capital bamboo forest that year—was it you who saved me?”

Li Guiyu didn’t speak. His hands clenched in his sleeves as he stared at Luo Wanqing, only asking: “Does it matter?”

Before Luo Wanqing could answer, she heard Li Guiyu continue: “Whether it was me or not, the person in Jiangnan for five years was me. One grasshopper—does it matter?”

“It wasn’t you.”

Luo Wanqing spoke with certainty, looking up at him with tears in her eyes: “The person who saved me wasn’t you. The person behind the screen wasn’t you, right?”

“Right!”

Hearing this, Li Guiyu seemed to explode with long-accumulated emotion, his eyes reddening as he roared: “That person wasn’t me! The one who saved you wasn’t me! So what?!”

Hearing this, Luo Wanqing couldn’t help but grip her sword handle: “Why did you lie to me?”

“If I hadn’t lied to you, would you have saved me?” Li Guiyu’s tone trembled. “Could I have survived? Yes, that person wasn’t me, never was me, but if I had been there then,” Li Guiyu choked for a moment, then slowly spoke, “that would have been me.”

The seventeen-year-old would also have saved a girl without hesitation.

If he had been there then, it would have been him.

“I know you’ve always been looking for him,” Li Guiyu spoke unwillingly, “but is it that important? He just helped casually—must you remember it for a lifetime?! Everything he could give, I could give too. You wanted grasshoppers, so I learned to fold them. I dismantled them and learned again and again. How is mine any different from his? Why must it be his?”

“Did you see him then?”

Luo Wanqing seemed not to hear what he said, only looking at him calmly, continuing to ask about everything related to Cui Heng: “When you arrived at that bamboo forest, was he still there? Was he injured? How badly?”

Li Guiyu’s voice stopped.

He suddenly felt he couldn’t continue.

She didn’t care about him. She came to ask him only about everything related to Cui Heng.

His heart felt like it was being fed into flesh-grinding blades, torn apart by hands. He stared at Luo Wanqing, unable to help saying, “You only care about him now, don’t you?”

“Was he there? Did you see him?”

Luo Wanqing persistently pursued the question.

Li Guiyu couldn’t speak. Looking at the person before him who only had that one person in her eyes, he finally knew he had lost.

He had lost completely.

That person would be remembered in her heart for a lifetime. Whether he lived or died, he could never be erased.

The person in the bamboo forest was him; the person who died was him.

All the best things in the world were claimed by him. He could never compare to this person.

He would be the bright moon in her heart, forever hanging high.

“No.”

He finally spoke with difficulty: “When I arrived, there had just been a fight there. No one was there. I saw some medicine and took it to use. Then you came. I recognized your father and knew this was my only way to survive, so… I impersonated him.”

Luo Wanqing blinked, holding back the sourness in her eyes.

Back then, he hadn’t used her medicine—he, too, was at the end of his rope. But she had saved Li Guiyu, just missing him like that.

And he never said anything.

He didn’t say anything at their first meeting, didn’t say anything when they met again. He always remained behind that screen, silently guarding her.

They missed each other once in the bamboo forest.

And now they missed each other again.

If that morning she could have acted without hesitation, without overthinking, without hesitation rushing to Tingfeng Tower, then at least… at least before he left, she could have known who he was.

They could have become husband and wife, could have had no regrets this time.

“Li Guiyu,” Luo Wanqing smiled, speaking hoarsely, “I truly hate you all.”

Hate him for impersonating.

Hate Cui Heng for not speaking.

Hate them for making their own decisions, living their own lives.

Hearing this, Li Guiyu’s heart trembled.

She spoke of hate, but he knew this hate was different from the past.

Her past hate was having her heart and eyes full of him alone, loving him and hating him, sinking into the past, unable to find the present.

But this time, when she spoke of hate, he was no longer in her eyes.

Luo Wanqing closed her eyes briefly, then turned and walked away.

Li Guiyu stood in place with his head down. After a long time, he finally couldn’t help but speak hoarsely: “Actually, I always knew this day would come.”

Luo Wanqing stopped and finally turned to look at him for the first time this night.

Li Guiyu looked up at her: “From the moment I started lying to you, I knew that one day you would discover I was a fraud. So I kept trying to maintain that lie. I learned his grasshoppers, I eavesdropped on your conversations, I thought again and again about what kind of person he was, what kind of person he was in your heart. Then I tried to learn, because I knew everything was stolen.”

Li Guiyu’s voice stopped, then he smiled: “I knew from the beginning, the person you cared about was him. You never really cared about Jiang Shaoyan. Do you think you loved Jiang Shaoyan so much? No.”

Li Guiyu clenched his fists, speaking with certainty: “It was all lies.”

Author’s Note:

The strong emotion version moving forward wasn’t going smoothly for me, so I ultimately wrote back to the first version. Actually, the strong emotion version was indeed better for Cang Lan Dao – Chapter 112, but it would be difficult to develop going forward, so I ultimately abandoned it. Thank you all for your help. I’ll put that version in “Draft Readings” for everyone to appreciate.

Each version’s characters are the same, just showing them from different angles. Thank you all for your thoughtful understanding of these characters.

[Mini Theater]

Luo Wanqing: “If someone must go crazy, I’d rather it be me.”

Li Guiyu: “You’ve made me speechless with your madness.”

Xie Heng: “You’ve made me calm with your madness.”

Cui Heng: “Xie Heng, run! Run quickly! If you run faster, you’re dead!!”