Chapter 1: Yesterday's Death

This year's Qinzhou is particularly cold, it is the middle of winter, the north wind is howling, and there are a few sunsets of snow, which is unusual. It has been more than two months since the New Year, and the Qin Mansion is still full of lights, and there is an atmosphere of the New Year.

Qi is arrogant and cold, and he doesn't like to pay attention to these boring things, which will make him a little worried. Such a festive decoration in the mansion was not his instruction, and it was not removed simply because Qin Xi was unwilling. She didn't want him, so he naturally wouldn't be reluctant, not to mention that this was originally her home.

His vague uneasiness was not unreasonable. Since she woke up, she seems to have changed as a person, the kind that has been reborn.

In the past, she had a vivid vitality, and a little emotion was written on her face, innocent, like a light that never fades. Now she is more like a gust of wind, and when the wind rises, he can feel her presence, and he reaches out to blow it, leaving only the void to drive away. He couldn't feel her joys and sorrows at all, she hid herself deeply, didn't cry or laugh, and was alone in the study, rusty from day to night.

The reason why Qi Ao was worried was because since he had recovered his memory for so long, Qin Xi had never mentioned going to Qin Cheng's tomb to worship. Their father and daughter have a deep relationship, Qin Cheng treats her as her own, and she relies on Qin Cheng so much, she doesn't know that Qin Cheng is not her biological father, it is too abnormal for her to be so indifferent. What made him even more uneasy was that she hadn't even mentioned Qin Cheng once. It was as if she had remembered everything, and it seemed as if she had forgotten everything.

Three meals a day were sent to the study on time, and listening to the reply, her work and rest were normal, but it was too normal to make people worry. This is her self-isolation after a great trauma, and he also experienced this kind of despair when his mother was connected when he was a child. He suddenly felt that he was very cruel, and he was also one of the driving forces behind the earth-shattering pain she was suffering at the moment.

She used to be the proud daughter of the sky, her life was smooth, and she could easily get anything she wanted, but in just five years, her life was full of devastation. Such a huge gap is difficult for anyone to accept. Qin Cheng loved her but was too soft-hearted to her, knowing that she had a special background, but he didn't teach her how to survive, so that she was floating away after losing her support, and she couldn't even protect herself. Such a father, I don't know if he helped her or hurt her.

He really cherished her.

Qi Ao has been standing outside the study for almost an hour, he didn't have the courage to push the door in to disturb her, the next person came out of the house with the rest of the meal, he glanced at it casually, his heart was slightly astringent, she has been eating very little in the past few days, the food can hardly see the traces of moving, the next person saw that he wanted to salute, he raised his hand and spared.

After all, I couldn't help but want to see her and make sure she was okay. He knocked lightly on the door, pushed the door in, and in the clear light of the room, she was standing in front of the desk practicing calligraphy, and when she heard someone coming in, she didn't even raise her head.

Since the last time she came to the study to look for her, she has lost weight again, her dark eyes are hanging on her face, and her sleeves are empty, which makes people feel distressed. He didn't know what mood he was in to see her, where did he still have the face to see her?

In the past, such as yesterday's death; From the latter, such as today, to be born.

She copied only one sentence. As she used to practice calligraphy, the table was covered with paper for writing, and it was disorganized. She stood straight, her expression was indifferent, she wrote casually but neatly, and the words on the paper were not crooked at the beginning, but gradually revealed a beautiful temperament.

Qi Ao casually picked up a stack of papers piled up on the corner of the table and flipped it over a few times, her handwriting was immature and delicate for the first time, it took a few days to practice like this, and she made great progress, she rarely spent time on practicing calligraphy before, Qin Cheng felt sorry for her and couldn't bear to be harshly disciplined, so she simply let her go. It's because her words are worse than ordinary, and she looks awkward.

At this time, her writing movements are very slow, as if she wants to write every word to the best, not in a hurry or impatient, the ink is just right, not thick or thin, and the color of the words on the paper is moderate. After getting along with her over the years, he found that she was actually very talented, with a little hard work, most of them could learn well, but she was born with congenital deficiencies, Qin Cheng was reluctant to be too strict with her, and she was used to being lazy and didn't take it to heart, so she rarely achieved anything.

In fact, Qin Xi's heart was not as calm as she seemed.

Her memories of the past have always been like a blank sheet of paper, living in the stability of the small world and enjoying herself, in just a few days these memories from all directions are surging, too many emotions of joy and pain have hit together, with her experience, obviously do not know how to face it, she has no way to get a trace of calm in the chaos.

Because she couldn't find an outlet for catharsis, her heart was torn out of a big hole, and her perception of love and hate was instinctively hidden.

For example, if you died yesterday, you will be born today. However, she is powerless to change the past, let alone face the future. In the vast world, she is left alone, and she can neither face her father and the innocent people who died in vain, nor can she face Li Xuan and the people who continue to live. She was caught in the middle of this, it was really a kind of torture for Ling Chi.

In the past few days, she has been practicing calligraphy almost pathologically, except for eating and sleeping, all the time is devoted to practicing calligraphy. She used to have been a noisy toss, but now she was finally able to have some quiet time and concentrate on doing something she had wanted to do for so long but had not been able to.

Practicing words could not calm her despair, but only temporarily suppressed her hatred, so that she could think about some things with a clear mind, her thoughts were very simple, only seeking a truth, seeking justice in this world, and begging to keep Qinzhou and her father's hard work. If it was her destiny, she should have been braver, wouldn't she?

Qin Xi became more and more focused, these days she was basically silent, cutting herself off from her surroundings, but in fact, she still had a few words to Qi Ao. She finally woke up for the rest of her life, and the next person came to report the news in a hurry, when he had just returned home, he couldn't help but be ecstatic and ran all the way to Xiyuan to see her, she sat on the bed with a pale face, pitiful, but her expression was extremely clear.

For a moment, he felt as if he had a thousand pounds under his feet, and the few steps he took in front of her bed seemed to have used up a lifetime with difficulty. He opened his lips to ask her how she felt if there was any pain, but her throat seemed to be choked and she couldn't spit out a word, and then a tear slipped down his resolute cheek, and he actually cried.

The position of the East Palace was deposed, the mother family was connected, fled to Qinzhou in Tibet, and hibernated for many years, he did not shed a single tear at these times, and the man did not flick when he had tears, he was so proud, and cried when Qin Xi picked up a life from the Ghost Gate.

On the other hand, Qin Xi was much calmer, and she couldn't die in the catastrophe, and her heart couldn't stir up a ripple. She looked at him with a cold look in her eyes: "This time you decided not to turn your back on me again?" ”

Her voice was so broken that he was horrified to hear it. Yes, when Qin Cheng was killed and she was taken away by Li Xuan, he chose to preserve his strength, because he was fledgling and still had a big revenge to avenge, and he couldn't give up so many years of business for her. For that one miss, he had to pay for it with his whole life. He is not qualified to defend himself if he betrays it.

"The Southern Emperor is dead, you have lost the throne because of me, you and I are even. What you owe my father, you will pay it back with the rest of your life. ”

She said that she forgave him, and that she was even stingy with hatred, and he was full of disappointment. He would rather she resented him and hate him, at least then she still had him in her heart, rather than be so indifferent.

"Okay." This may be the last bond with her in this life, and he can't bear to refuse.

After a few days she had recovered a little, and was able to walk a little on the ground, and he proposed to go to the yard to bask in the sun, but she said coldly that she didn't have to, and most of the time she leaned against the edge of the bed or stood in front of the bed with a blank face, and she couldn't see what she was thinking. After a stalemate for more than half a month, she suddenly asked to see Dugu Hao.

There was such a person who could make her speak, he didn't mind that this person was not himself, he immediately ordered someone to rush to invite Dugu Hao over. That day, Dugu Hao saw him hugging Qin Xi, who was soaking wet, and rushed into the rain with a few steps, his eyes were red like a beast, and he roared regardless of his son's image, and he was completely out of his senses: "If she returns to Qinzhou, you will have nothing, even so, is your choice still her?" ”

"Why didn't you kill her?! There are so many people, Li Xuan, Emperor Qi, Chu Hong, and you, why is each of you reluctant to kill her? What's so good about her? ”

How could he not understand Dugu Hao's madness, how can he not make people crazy when he has fallen in love with someone for so many years and can't ask for it? Dugu Hao's thoughts about Qin Xi, he has been a bystander for so many years, only this stupid girl, stupidly matched Dugu Hao and Murong Ying, and in the end hurt these two people, not to mention, Murong Ying also turned against her after knowing that Dugu Hao belonged in his heart and betrayed their friendship.

"Dugu, do you really want her to die?" He asked rhetorically.

Dugu Hao has never had such a dejected expression: "Heh-I have been conceited all my life, and I asked myself if there was anything I couldn't get, but I didn't think that she had planted the biggest heel here." I hate her. If she hadn't existed, I wouldn't be so miserable. ”

Qi Ao has no position to accuse him, after surviving the past few years without Qin Xi, he understands a truth, falling in love with someone is the most unreasonable thing, Dugu Hao has walked into a dead end and competes with himself: "You are persistent, why bother to ask her to bear this charge?" ”

When his subordinates found Dugu Hao, he was very drunk, he didn't want to drink for a day or two, Qin Xi passed out for a few days, he was unconscious for a few days, so he had to take him back to sober up first.

Qi Ao personally waited until Dugu Hao woke up, and after relaying Qin Xi's words to him, he returned to his study, and the backlog of official business should be handled well, as for what would be said between the two of them, what should be let him know, Qin Xi would naturally say.

When Dugu Hao stepped into the Xi Garden, it was unfortunately late at night, and he dared to come to see her by the sake of wine and moonlight, it was ridiculous to say, he was looking forward to her death, when her life was really hanging by a thread, he was so uncomfortable, he was uncomfortable with a large empty piece of chest, and even gasping for breath felt difficult, only to use a jar of liquor to numb himself, after so many years, he thought he could let go, it turned out that he also had such a vulnerable time.

Qin Xi stood under the corridor admiring the moon, her figure looked very thin in the night breeze, and she wore a moon-white cloak behind her back, cold and pure. Dugu Hao still remembers that she liked colorful clothes since she was a child, and clamored that white was too plain and did not match her temperament. Seeing her dressed in white and gloomy, he felt a little heartache.

White is also the color of mourning clothes, she is not mourning for her dead father, ironically, they grew up together, he understands her very well, but she doesn't want to know more about him, he has always been his own amorous.

Qin Xi's cold gaze fell on Dugu Hao, his hair was slightly messy, his breath seemed to be unstable, and the whole person had the smell of falling out, the two of them just looked at each other like this, and neither of them spoke. Returning to Qinzhou was skipped in her mind one by one, was she too stupid in the past to see Dugu Hao's deep hatred for her? When he betrayed her to Chu Hong, he almost killed her indirectly. He actually hid murderous intent from her? But she had never done anything to hurt him.

There is really hatred in this world for no reason.

He was the first to break the silence: "I didn't think you would survive." ”

This sounded quite provocative, and she had already turned against her lips before, but now it was no longer important to care about it: "Maybe I shouldn't have died." ”

One look was enough for Dugu Hao to understand what was different about her. He was blown more sober by the cold wind, what exactly did she want to say to him? Reminiscing? That's not her style. She already knew what he had done to her, and would she be willing to make small talk with him?

She naturally didn't come to him to catch up, she had nothing to say to him in private, and she didn't think they had the need to be involved, and she was not so generous to a person who wanted to kill her: "I plan to stay in Qinzhou, as the lord of a city, you are my ideal ally." ”

Her eyes were indescribably clear: "I want a promise from you to ensure the loyalty of the Dugu family." ”

Dugu Hao had to admit that hearing her say this, he felt a trace of unexpected surprise in his heart, he thought that she would choose to escape and continue to live the rich life of Miss Qianjin: "You are so confident, will he give up the position of city lord?" ”

Naturally, it refers to pride. Such a proud person would really give up the power that he had cultivated for many years for her? Few people can be so open-minded and give up everything for a self-inflicted love.

"He has lost the throne, he has surrendered power, and he will be beaten back to his original form and have nothing. Do you think you're really so important in his heart that it's worth giving up everything for you? ”

She is not annoyed, she is just attacking her heart, Dugu Hao's best trick: "He has no choice." I am the only bloodline of the Qin family. The implication is that if Pride confronts her, it is equivalent to defeat without a fight.

Yes, Dugu Hao remembered that since ancient times, the most important thing for several major families in Qinzhou is the purity of the family bloodline, and it is very unlikely that a person with a foreign surname wants to gain a foothold in the family. She's really, for a while.

How could he not have noticed her so sharp before?

The bleak moonlight fell on her shoulder, lonely and sad: "What's more, that is what belongs to me, why not if I take back my own things?" ”

"You don't have any chips in your hand, why should I block the glory and wealth of hundreds of people in my Dugu family?" He was a shrewd businessman and wouldn't help her out of kindness alone.

"You think you have a way out? The crime of fornicating with a foreign enemy is enough for you to become a prisoner, and you have no choice but to cooperate with me. ”

His eyes were cold: "Fornication with foreign enemies? Do you have proof? Who will believe you based on your words? ”

"The geese have left traces."

Qin Xi has not fully recovered, of course she doesn't have the energy to collect evidence, she is just gambling, betting that he has left flaws, betting on his suspicions: "Also, lonely." This is Duguhao's real pain point.

He really gritted his teeth: "You! ”

"I fell off the cliff that day, but I was still alive. It's not hard to find someone who looks exactly like you. At that time, how will the elders of the clan feel when they know that your father has left the twins behind without permission? Will they turn to support another heir to replace you? ”

She returned his original words to him: "Hand over the power, and you will be beaten back to your original form and have nothing." ”

His sharp eyes were fixed on her face, showing a fierce look: "I underestimated you." ”

She looked back at him without fear, and there was no wave on her face: "Each other." ”

Dugu Hao brushed his sleeves away, he didn't say anything about her proposal, but at least he didn't refuse. Qin Xi understood that she had won this battle after all.

With Dugu Hao's help, Murong Ying's side came naturally, Murong Ying was able to give her a hard blow for Dugu Hao back then, she didn't need to show mercy to her subordinates, there was Dugu Hao, the best lobbyist, which saved her a lot of trouble.

The next thing to do is wait. Wait for the body to recover, wait for the sanity to be clear, and wait for a good time to have a showdown with the pride of prayer. She wasn't sure if he would hand over power, so she took advantage of his guilt by attacking him as soon as she woke up.

After practicing one word, Qin Xi took a piece of white paper and laid it out, dipped the brush in ink, and prepared to write another one. She used to be quiet and quiet, Dad used to say that girls have to practice more words, write more, and calm down, when she jumped out of naughty and couldn't listen, Dad must have been very disappointed in her, if she listened to Dad at that time, how good it would be.

Writing down two words, she felt that the heat was almost the same, and opened her lips and said, "How did you think about the proposal last time?" ”

A month ago, her recovery was still good, and she ordered someone to pack up her daily utensils and move into the study, where all her belongings about her father were hidden, which was the closest place she had to her father. Before that, she hadn't left Xiyuan for half a step. Qi Ao hurried to stop her, he said that she should stay in Xiyuan to recuperate, she coldly retorted: "This is the house left to me by my father, I can go wherever I want." ”

The implication is that as long as she is in the Qin Mansion, it will not be his turn to interfere in what she wants to do. He was stung by her for a moment, and his expression fell: "What do you want to do?" ”

Before closing the door, she asked him, "Wouldn't it be better for you and me to go to each other?" ”

To this day, she is still as frank as ever with him. He knew that she was forcing him to make a decision, and if he refused to give up, she would inevitably think of other ways to achieve her goal, but if he had to promise to everyone, did it mean that they would never cross paths again?

Her soft voice pulled him back to reality: "Don't you want to be an emperor?" All you need is a word, and I will plan for you. ”

She was surprisingly calm and unreasonable. In the past two decades, there is no joy or sorrow in a pair of eyes as clear as water.

"The position of the lord of the city was originally yours. The thing is just returned to its original owner. It's not a deal. In the face of such a cold her, he couldn't come back to his senses for a while.

"This is nature, and my father's inheritance should be guarded by me." She raised her eyes to look at him, there was no flow of emotion in her eyes, and her voice was cold, as if he was really just a passer-by who had nothing to do with life and death: "So what? What are you still doing in Qinzhou? ”

She was right, Qinzhou didn't need him, and she didn't need him. He knew that she had found a way to break through, and for a while, all the major forces in Qinzhou were sent by her, and none of Qin Cheng's old forces were not on her side, even Dugu Hao and Murong Ying, who had a grudge against her, abandoned their previous suspicions and gathered into her forces. He has become a loner, except for the master-apprentice relationship with Qin Cheng, he and her are not even childhood sweethearts.