Shen Ruoliao suddenly felt a thrill all over his body, and broke out in a cold sweat. He sat up in panic, jumped out of bed, and rushed out of the tent barefoot.

The house was full of red, and the house was full of blood. The warm flower candle is still burning, half burned. One by one, huge tears condensed on the remaining candles and condensed on the candlesticks below.

In the dead of night, there was a dead silence. But his heart was horribly noisy.

He stared at Nangong Qiu, who was sleeping soundly for a while, through the curtain, sighed silently, got dressed, walked out of the cave room, and walked into the courtyard.

Lu Jiang was already asleep; The neighbors were also silent. It was cold outside, and the snow was still falling, and the colors were black and white, and it was a cold and snowy field.

He grabbed a handful of snow and wiped it on his face. The face was still hot, and the snow melted immediately, and the cold snow water trickled down his cheeks, dripping onto his collar, and some down his neck. The ice made him shiver all over his body, and for a while it seemed that all the flesh and bones in his body were frozen into ice, convulsions and shrunk, suffocating him.

After relieving this breath, he felt that the uncontrollable fire in his body had finally subsided.

He stood in the courtyard, looking up at the dark night sky where the snow was falling, and breathed in a deep breath of cold air.

Then, he felt something strange.

Someone.

A man stood outside the backyard door, a man he knew well.

It's incredible.

Shen Ruoyu walked to the door and opened the door. Nightshade was taken aback, shivered, and fell into the snow.

Shen Ruoyu hurriedly helped her up, only to find that she was shivering from the cold.

Without saying a word, he picked her up and went through the door, heading straight into the house. Nightshade stumbled in the back, trying to make him stop, but she was too cold to speak, so she let him drag her through the room and into the empty hotel outside.

He pressed her to a chair and sat down, lit a lamp, dusted the snow off her, and came out with a quilt wrapped around her. He went to the room, boiled a pot of water, made a cup of hot tea, and put it in front of her.

Nightshade took a sip of tea, holding the teacup in both hands, gradually warming up, and her face returned to its ruddy color.

Shen Ruoyu asked softly, "Why are you here?" ”

Nightshade didn't answer, and asked carefully, "Are my aunt and the county lord asleep?" ”

Shen Ruoyu didn't answer her, and reproached: "In the middle of the night, why is your girl's family here, aren't you afraid of running into bad people?" How did your aunt let you out? ”

Nightshade whispered, "She doesn't know; I jumped out of the window and sneaked out. ”

"What are you doing here?" Shen Ruoyu asked strangely, still a little wary in her heart, worried that she was here to quarrel.

Nightshade put her hand into her arms, took out a crumpled red invitation, lowered her head, and asked softly:

"I'm coming to your wedding, okay?"

Shen Ruoyu was slightly stunned.

"Absolutely; But, - you should have come during the day, or tomorrow during the day - why did you come in the middle of the night? If I don't come out, will you just stay outside all night and freeze to death and no one will know? ”

Nightshade snorted shyly, "I know, I-I am-I miss you." ”

"Xiang'er......" Shen Ruoyu only felt a slight pain in her heart. He said apologetically, "I'm sorry. ”

"No, you didn't feel sorry for me," Nightshade said, "I'm sorry for you, I'm dizzy, I'm jealous of your wife, that's why I scolded you and exposed your scars." I know you're concerned about the past, and I shouldn't have stabbed you in the heart. ”

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a moment, and sighed softly: "You are right. I'm a person who doesn't have a long memory, and I need someone to remind me all the time how asshole I am. My father and I are really no different, we are both the same negative people. ”

Night Lai Xiang glanced at him melancholy, and said softly, "You are not, Ruo Liao; Otherwise, I wouldn't have liked you. ”

"Xiang'er, you already know my father's story? Why don't you tell me? ”

Nightshade shook her head: "I don't know; I have heard of Shen Rufeng's name, and I know that he has some entanglements with the imperial court in history, but he has never cared about what it is. After all, he has disappeared for twenty years, and people talk less and less about him today; What I know about him is basically limited to one name. You never told me your father's name, only told me the story he told you, and everything had nothing to do with the court. If Master Yao hadn't told me, I would never have thought that you would have any contact with Shen Rufeng. In my impression, even if your father can punish and torture you like this for fifteen years because of the death of your mother, of course he is a cruel and ruthless person. However, other than that, everything about him is just rumors outside, like romance stories, which are good and exciting, but only boring people will use romance stories to disturb the lives of others. ”

Shen Ruoyu asked hesitantly, "Xiang'er, but—why are you ...... Didn't you tell me your true heart sooner? I asked you, and you denied it. I'm not pretending to be stupid, I'm really stupid; Whatever you say, I will believe. Why are you hiding it from me? ”

Nightshade shook her head and said with a faint smile: "Even if I told you earlier, what's the difference." You don't have me in your heart at all, and you will still marry Qiu'er; I will also be sad and angry, and scold you out of control. Nothing will be the same. ”

Shen Ruoyu said apologetically: "If I had known, at least I wouldn't have been so insensitive, and the misunderstanding wouldn't have made such a big fuss." ”

"Ruoxiao," Nightshade asked in a low voice, lowering her head, "why did you come out?" The candle night in the cave room, it stands to reason that the bride and groom should not be separated, and they should not go to bed so early. ”

Shen Ruoyu understood what she meant. He said bluntly: "I didn't touch her. She was already asleep. ”

"Didn't move her? Why? ”

Shen Ruoyu thought about it.

"Xiang'er, do you know, at today's wedding, a person jumped out to challenge me and wanted to compete with me for Qiu'er."

"I know; I was in Duanlimen Square, and I could see the process clearly from beginning to end. Night Lai Xiang said: "Ruoxiao, do you know what kind of person you are?" ”

"Me?"

Ye Laixiang said: "You can give everything you have for the people you love, without hesitation or retreat." ”

Shen Ruoyu shook his head and smiled bitterly: "Xiang'er, I don't want to fight, especially for Qiu'er." But I was forced to helpless. Even if I don't care about my face, I can't ignore the face of the prince and the mother, as well as Qiu'er's face. As long as it's a man, in that case, it's going to do that. ”

Nightshade smiled melancholy.

"I'm not talking about you competing with that challenger. You're not afraid to bend your knees in front of a woman and put out the fire at her feet with your bare hands, and you don't care what people think about your actions, and you don't care what kind of criticism there will be. You only have her in your eyes, your pampering of your lover has become instinctive, and you don't even realize what you're doing, so you can't remember it now. It's just that on the night of candles in the cave room, you don't move your bride, and run to the yard alone, what is it for? I don't understand. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Because of that opponent; If one day in the future, Qiu'er finds out that she is in love with someone else and finds that I am not suitable for her, and she is willing to go, I will let her go; At that time, I can at least give her a complete body, so that she can marry again and will not be troubled in the future. ”

Nightshade looked at him in surprise: "Do you really think so?" ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled bitterly: "So, in fact, I am not as you imagined, I can give up everything for what I love." Although I fought a duel with someone for her today, she really wants to leave, and I will never stop her. ”

Nightshade was silent for a moment.

"However, if she changed her mind and suffered because of it, it was her own fault."

"Xiang'er," Shen Ruoyu said softly, "I did this because I had that opponent on the one hand, but this is only a very unimportant part of the reason. If it were just because of this, I would definitely want her now, and I would hold her by my side for the rest of my life, and I would never allow anyone to snatch her away. But I am not in a position to ask others not to betray me, because I am already a betrayer myself. Do you think I could be indifferent when I look at the woman I love lying in my arms? It was the shadow of my sister who always lingered, instead of Qiu'er lying in front of me, complaining of my abandonment and infidelity with blood and tears. I have deeply hurt someone I once loved, ruined her life, and I don't want the tragedy to happen again. If I change my mind again in the future, the damage I bring to Qiu'er will at least be lighter, and at least, she can start a new life. ”

He raised his hands and gently covered his face.

Yelaixiang said: "Ruoxiao, why are you suffering?" Who doesn't make mistakes at that age? You just have to learn a lesson, treat your current lover well, and at least God will forgive you. ”

"I won't forgive myself for my own things, how can God forgive me." He covered his face and said softly, "You know, I didn't want to betray Qing'er, but all of a sudden, I found out that it had become a fact, and I don't know why it happened." I don't believe I'm like that, but I am. I can't convince myself, I don't have the courage to reassure Qiu'er that the same thing won't happen again. Therefore, it is better to let everything not be done at all to the end, leaving her a way back. ”

Nightshade said tremblingly: "However, you have married her, but you have not moved her; Do you want to detach yourself from your body and sustain your marriage with your soul alone? This is the destruction of human desire. Can you really stand it? ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled.

"Do you remember, how I got here?"

Nightshade was slightly stunned.

"I sacrificed my mother's life to come into this world. I have been a sin since I was born. My sister also almost died because of my miscarriage. It is very likely that the same thing will happen to Qiu'er. Actually, before I came out, I was about to lose it, but suddenly, I remembered my own mother again, and I was so scared that I broke out in a cold sweat, and all the ** disappeared. I've tasted the pain of remorse. In contrast, it is a pleasure to suffer in your own **. ”

"That'...... You're going to not move her for the rest of your life? What if you continue to live like this until you are both old, and she still doesn't understand anything, and you don't have children? ”

Shen Ruoyu was silent for a long time.

Finally, he spoke softly, "You know, I have a feeling deep down in my heart, an intuition that she will leave me. Someday, this will happen. ”

Nightshade was startled. "How could you have such a thought?"

Shen Ruoyu said: "The front edge is the back." Sooner or later I will have retribution. It's better to let Qiu'er punish me, she chooses her own life, and I'm a little relieved. If this day doesn't come, of course it's better, then let her always be as pure as a child, I will. ”

Nightshade looked at him wordlessly, a little confused.

Then, she said, "Ruoxiao, it seems like the first time I've seen someone like you. But happiness often depends on oneself, not entirely providential. To the guests who often come to our building, people like you are simply unreasonable. You either don't love her at all, or you ...... She has become a god in your heart, and she can only be seen, and bowed down to her, and must not be touched. Love should not be like this, the feeling of loving someone is not an ethereal faith, but should be flesh and blood. ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled bitterly: "Of course, it is connected by flesh and blood; So, before she felt the pain, I felt it. If it hurts, let me bear the pain of both of them by myself. I don't want to see her cry. ”

Ye Laixiang muttered: "I thought I liked you, I thought I saw through you, it turns out that I never really understood you." Or not; It's a good thing that you don't like me. ”

She was like a wooden swing, as if the swing had never died, and had always been by his side. Every word, every movement, every thought, is so strikingly consistent with the swing. Later, he also found out that he fell in love with swings. But now, the living wooden swing is sitting in front of him, and he no longer deliberately hides his feelings as he did at the beginning, but he only has the Qiu'er who has slept peacefully in his heart.

He sighed softly and asked, "Xiang'er, it's late at night, I'll send you home, right?" Get a good night's sleep, come back tomorrow morning, and Qiu'er and I will cook for you. ”

Night Primrose thought for a while and said, "No need, I'll go back by myself." On the night of candles in your cave room, if people see Yi Binlang and a woman in a green house together, it is not good to say it. ”

Shen Ruoyu smiled bitterly: "I have a good reputation in this Beiping City?" Not to mention the quarrel that occurred behind Huiying Building before, which has already spread throughout the city. As long as Qiu'er believes in me, I don't care what others think. Are you warming up now? Shall I get you another dress? ”

He found a few Nangong Qiu's clothes for her, and the two of them walked outside together.

The night was deep and cold. Nightshade was tightly wrapped in thick clothes, still feeling cold. She flinched and walked slowly. Shen Ruoxiao didn't urge her, followed her, and put her steps as slowly.

They walked wordlessly for a while, and Shen Ruoyu opened his mouth and asked:

"Xiang'er, I heard that for my sake, the prince arrested you into the palace?"

Nightshade hesitated for a moment and said softly, "There's this." ”

"He hit you?"

Nightshade thought for a moment.

"Not really; It's not as terrible as the legend says, and you are worse than a beast. I wasn't beaten, and no one touched me. You can rest assured. ”

"Then he must have scared you. What did he say? ”

Nightshade was silent for a long time.

Then she asked: "Ruo Shao, if I say, the prince really let his soldiers beat me, and even ...... Bullied me...... What can you do? ”

Shen Ruoyu sighed softly. "I'm thinking, too; I'm afraid, I have no choice but to hate him silently in my heart. If I can make amends, I am willing to repay you with my life. However, I am afraid that at that time you will also hate me so much that you don't want to see me at all. ”

"Repay me with your life?" Nightshade repeated lightly. "What about Qiu'er? You've married her. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Just let that challenger take her away." It seems to me that she has a good impression of that person. ”

"Won't you take revenge for me?" She asked softly, "What would happen to you if it was Qiu'er who was bullied?" ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "It's the same, it's not because I don't love you. It's not because I'm afraid of the power and status of the prince, if something like this happens to you or Qiu'er, I can avenge you, even if I die. But I can't move King Yan. He wants the Son of Heaven. I can't kill the Son of Heaven. ”

"If he wants to usurp the throne, isn't it equivalent to killing the current Son of Heaven, what's the difference?"

Shen Ruoyu smiled slightly. "Even though it's the middle of the night, you can't just say that, be careful that he catches you in again. The eyes and ears of the prince, you don't know it. ”

"I'm just telling the truth." I don't have any opinion about the prince; If he could really become emperor, I would be even happier. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "If the prince really gets the throne - I have seen the current Son of Heaven, he is completely different from the prince. In my opinion, only the prince can be called the real son of heaven. The prince has the whole country in his heart, he has very lofty and grand ideals, and he is a person who can really fight and pay for his ideals at all costs. The current Son of Heaven is a mediocre person, if he is replaced by the prince, the world of the Ming Dynasty will be completely different. I hope to see this different world, I hope to contribute to this world, and I hope that in the future history, we can see King Yan let the Ming Dynasty shine for a thousand years. The world, how big is this concept, thousands of mountains and rivers, all lakes and seas, far and near, guests from all directions, future generations - this is far from you, me, Qiu'er, our personal affairs. I can't ruin a world for the sake of three people. ”

Nightshade lowered her head and said softly: "Men and women, just different. ”

"Actually, it's not that different," Shen Ruoyu smiled bitterly, "I mean it's light; If one day I found myself in such a problem, I wouldn't have thought about it at the time. - However, I firmly believe that the prince is not such a person. A great and holy monarch must be a loving monarch at the same time. He can usurp the throne, just as Li Shimin can also kill his brother and seize the throne; But he must not rape the people's daughters and trample on the good, if he can't be perfect in these little things, he can't achieve great things at all. ”

Nightshade walked slowly, feeling the feeling of sinking into the thick snow with each foot with her heart.

Except for the snow drift, there was no movement all the way; She wondered why the snow was so bright and reflective on a moonless night than on a sunny night.

She asked the question on her mind. Shen Ruoyu was slightly stunned, looked around, looked up at the sky again, and said with a smile:

"It's a strange idea. You're right, but it's night, and it's not the same as day. Maybe the moon may not be bright, but as long as there is the sun, the world is definitely bright. The difference between the sunlight and the light of the snow is truly worlds apart. Therefore, the Ming Dynasty without the Sun and the King of Yan will also be a dim and dull Ming, and the country name of 'Ming' will be called in vain. ”

"What about Mingyue?"

Shen Ruoyu pondered for a moment.

"It's not as good as the sun, but it still shines on the earth. Therefore, it is also different from the snow. He that is in heaven can shine into all things that are under the sky; On earth, it is impossible to illuminate the sky. No matter how bright the snow is, the head is as black as ink. Therefore, the moon is still better than snow. ”

"You like to look up."

"I prefer tomorrow, when the sun rises, even if I bow my head and stand in the shadow of the eaves, everything I see will still be bright."

Ye Laixiang said with a smile: "The first time you were arrested by the prince into the palace for the matter of stopping the driver, did you say these words to the prince?" In the eyes of the people of Beiping, you have changed from a street hooligan to the current Yibin Lang, and it is appropriate to say that you are on the rise. The prince must have appreciated these thoughts of yours in particular. ”

"Speaking of his heart, can he not be happy." Shen Ruoyu laughed at herself, "I have now become a person who speaks according to people's faces, 'breaking his eyebrows and bending his waist to be powerful'." ”

Nightshade smiled faintly and followed him.

"But I like it on a night like this, because though it is bright, there is no shadow on the ground. If the source of light is in heaven, it is impossible for the earth to be without shadows. I like to walk behind you, but I don't like to walk in your shadow. ”

Shen Ruoxiao was slightly stunned.

"If you don't have a deep meaning, I will remember it for the rest of my life." He smiled thoughtfully, "But why do you like to walk behind me, you woman?" ”

Nightshade whispered: "I still remember that day, in order to save me, you stopped the horses of the two little princes, and later, you insisted on sending me home, took my hand, and walked in front of me. No one has ever done that, but at that time I felt very warm and warm, I wanted to be pulled by you all the time, just follow you, follow you to the ends of the earth, let you hold it in the palm of your hand, feel your strength and warmth, refuse to let go, obviously I am in trouble, life and death are unpredictable, but I still have to do everything in my power to protect me. From that moment on, I knew I was going to give it to you in my life. ”

Shen Ruoyu glanced at her, lowered her head, kicked the snow under her feet, shook her head self-deprecatingly, and said with a deep frown:

"In this way, I just splashed on the street and played a scoundrel, but as a result, I not only earned the weight of the prince, but also earned the heart of a beauty for myself. Xiang'er, you must remember that the first time you saw me, I was stealing someone else's things, and I was caught and about to be beaten. You already know what kind of person I am, I have been endlessly angry for me, how many times I have quarreled and turned my face, you know what kind of character I am, whether I am worthy of your love, why do you end up stupid. ”

Ye Laixiang said faintly: "You've only known you for a few months, not to mention that I already know you so well." I have no blessing from her; Even if I could, the prince would never make a Qinglou woman the county lord. You and I are destined to have no part in this life. ”

"Xiang'er," Shen Ruoyu said, "If you really know me, you shouldn't have this kind of thought; There is no one in this world who is qualified to judge and dislike your origins. I told you that the prince said that he would marry his lord to me in order to test me. If Qiu'er is also unfortunate enough to grow up in the Qinglou, then I will marry this Qinglou woman instead of the county lord. ”

Nightshade smiled faintly. "I know you, and I know you're going to say that. If it is rare, but if everything is really like this, if the prince resolutely prevents you from marrying Qiu'er, you say that you would rather die. You can't do it; You have your ideals, and you are determined to follow King Yan to conquer the north and south and make contributions. Many times, the lover can give up, but the ideal cannot. You are such a person. In this case, you happen to have another choice in your hands, choose the county lord. She is also good, noble-born, gentle and beautiful, knowledgeable and courteous, what's so bad. In fact, everyone is the same, and so am I; Even if I swear that you won't marry, you have already married Qiu'er, what can I do. I still have to live my life and go through my life. I'm not, I don't have a choice. Reality is always reality; Change the road, the willows are bright; Take a small step back and open the sky. ”

Shen Ruoliao looked at her, and suddenly found that there was a lilac hairpin pinned to her hair. He often overlooks its existence.

"Do you mean Young Master Zhu? He is a very rare good man. ”

Ye Laixiang said thoughtfully: "I'm afraid, the eldest young master of the Yao family, it's not like he can marry a Qinglou woman casually." ”

“…… So ...... are you talking about? ”

Nightshade was silent for a long time, and replied softly:

"If not, the choice I make in the end is likely to make you feel unreasonable, or even doomed. You don't have to worry about me, though. I don't make a rash decision about such a thing, I think it through, and I have the courage and readiness to take it myself. You know, I have the ability to take care of myself. ”

Shen Ruoyu sighed slightly and smiled.

"I know, Xiang'er; You are a rational person and I am sure you will make the right choice. I hope to receive your wedding invitation soon, and see you happily married to a perfect person, so that I know that life can really be without flaws, and everyone around me can be completely happy. This is also one of my ideals, the ideals that Qiu'er gave me. I want to prove it, and I want to make it happen for her. ”

"Actually, you know in your heart," Nightshade said softly, "If there is no suffering in this world, then happiness cannot exist." If someone is going to be happy, someone has to suffer it. However, for me, it is my happiness to endure this pain for the sake of you and your beloved. Therefore, now the ending is already happy for everyone. ”

"Xiang'er," Shen Ruoyu's voice was almost pleading, "If you continue to think like this, I will feel that I will not have the face to see you again." I'm used to being an iron buddy with you, treating you as my only confidant and best friend, but now, it seems, all of a sudden, we can't even be friends anymore. Because we are already unequal, I am already in debt to you. ”

"That's what you think," Nightshade smiled faintly, "Who told you to be careful, you have to be equal in everything, for fear of owing someone else." Of course, what I gave you for free is not a debt. If you have to pay me back for the sake of yourself, then I will say ugly things in front of me, and I am not uncommon. True love is endless, unfathomable, and cannot be compared and measured against each other, so there is no way to talk about equality and debt. ”

Shen Ruoyu whispered, "I don't know; Your words reminded me of my mother, so I don't know anything, I can't figure it out at all. ”

"That's just right, don't think about it." Ye Laixiang said, "Originally, I didn't want you to think about this and make you so annoyed. I just have some words that I have been holding in my heart, very uncomfortable, I want you to know, I want to tell you, it doesn't matter how you answer, and even if you don't listen at all, just pretend to listen, I'm satisfied, I'm very comfortable now. ”

Shen Ruoyu was speechless.

They were speechless all the way.

Arrived at the door of the backyard of Huiying Building. Nightshade Incense Road:

"I went in, thank you for sending me back. I'll go to see you if there's anything going on, and I'll see you occasionally, but don't come to me. You are now a guest of honor, and it is not good to let others know that it is not good; If you're going to do big things, you can't afford to care less about these small things. Go back, go back to your wife. ”

With that, she turned and went into the courtyard and closed the door.

When Shen Ruoyu returned home, Nangong Qiu was still asleep unconsciously.

He sat down beside her pillow, brushing the hair from her cheeks and taking in her undistracted sleep.

You are my bright moon, the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the full moon of the first rise. Flawless, flawless.

But we are not the same; I am just a small lone star, I can only stay alone for a moment in the night sky of dawn, and disappear in an instant. Who has ever seen the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, accompanied by the morning star at the same time? We do not belong to the same sky, and we may not be destined to walk together for the rest of our lives.

However, even if it is a brief moment, even if it is only for one night, I am willing to choose this way. As long as I am by your side, I can use everything I have, and always keep you and your sky, flawless, white and flawless.

As for what the Morning Star is, no one ever knows it anyway, no one notices, so it doesn't matter.

If Wang Zhenren's words will come true one day, then they will eventually separate, Qiu'er will have a life without him, and he will marry another person, at least like this - the last wedding, didn't Wang Zhenren say so.

When did he become so unconfident that it was difficult to believe in his perseverance and sincerity.

"You don't believe in numbers and fate, but why do you believe in a shallow scar on your eyebrows?"

After all, he couldn't escape this calculation.

The candle burned silently to the end, and finally extinguished itself.

A pure night. Shen Ruoyu lay down quietly beside Nangong Qiu and touched the delicate jade pendant hanging from his neck.

He hugged the sleeping Qiu'er tightly, listened to her serene and even snoring, and gradually fell asleep.