Quick Wear: Oh no, the lady is running away with the ball again

Chapter 195 The Living Abandoned Empress of the Cold Palace X The Invading Unruly Buddhist Son 29

Several guards pried open the stone slabs leading to the secret passage, revealing a deep, dark passage. A faint smell of dampness emanated from the darkness. Yun Hou said nothing more and personally descended.

The secret passage was damp and dim, the mottled moss on the walls gleaming a cold green. Footsteps echoed through the narrow corridor. Torches along the path were lit, casting a hazy and eerie light on the hidden underground space. At the end of the passage lay a simple stone chamber, sparsely furnished except for an old desk, upon which lay a few yellowed scrolls and a bronze mirror.

…………

On the other side, Yun Qian, who was secluded in the Liangyi Palace, dismissed everyone after dinner.

The sky was filled with silver light and everything was silent. The roof of the palace looked like an isolated island.

Yun Qian wore an ice-blue, wide-sleeved, flowing gown, the hem as light as rippling water. The brocade was embroidered with silver thread, dotted with stars that shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Her hair was loose, a few strands of black hair rustling in the night breeze. A single white jade hairpin adorned her hair, a cool and pure expression. A thin white fox shawl draped her shoulders, yet it couldn't conceal her ethereal beauty. Her hands clasped around her knees, her bare feet slightly bent, resting lightly on the tiles, as if the entire majesty of the imperial palace couldn't restrain her at this moment.

The night wind brought the chill of early winter, but she seemed unaware of it, her eyes fixed on the vast starry sky above her head.

"Next... should..."

She whispered, her voice so soft she could barely hear it. She had already played out the chess game in her mind countless times. Every path held obstacles, and every choice could lead her deeper into the quagmire.

If Qi Jueyu is indeed responsible for her cousin's death, as Queen Yun claimed, then he truly is the world's scourge. But what if he isn't? Why do so many clues point to him, with even the Imperial Master stating that "heaven's destiny is unlucky"?

Yun Qian slowly closed her eyes, her fingertips lightly touching the cold tiles beside her, and the image of Qi Jueyu appeared in her mind - he had once stared at her calmly, and those eyes seemed to hide a turbulent undercurrent, and seemed to contain endless loneliness.

Suddenly, she felt a dull pain in her chest and her heartbeat suddenly accelerated, as if a strange emotion was impacting her internal organs, making it almost difficult for her to breathe.

The system's voice sounded hesitantly in my mind:

"Host!"

"It hurts. Can't you...help me turn off my pain system?"

"Oh yes, I'll turn it off right away."

The little ball of light was searching around in a panic. When Yun Qian saw it like this, he felt even more pain in his heart.

"Host... I just remembered that I haven't finished my speculation this morning, but now it seems that it's almost correct. There is another possible cause of irregular heartbeat - the Child of Fortune's emotional fluctuations reach an extreme, and they will resonate with you."

Yun Qian suddenly opened her eyes, her mind racing with thoughts about the meaning of this sentence. Qi Jueyu…was experiencing such extreme emotional fluctuations right now? Why?

Before she could gather her thoughts, a gentle rustling of tiles echoed behind her. Yun Qian turned her head alertly, but before she could move, a hand quickly covered her mouth and nose, and another hand clasped her waist, pulling her into his arms.

"Don't move." A familiar low and hoarse voice sounded in her ears. The tone revealed a sense of hidden oppression, which made her startled.

It’s Qi Jueyu!

His figure was wrapped in a black nightgown, revealing nothing, except for his deep eyes, which seemed even darker in the moonlight. He held Yun Qian tightly in his arms, then skillfully and lightly leaped off the roof, landing soundlessly on the ground as he sprinted towards the palace wall.

"Qi Jueyu! Are you crazy?" Yun Qian's voice trembled slightly with anger, but she lowered her voice, fearing to alert the people in the palace. "Why are you here?" Yun Qian's words came to her lips, but she didn't say them in the end.

Qi Jueyu glanced down at her and said in a cold tone, "I am crazy. I can't find you. Am I going crazy? And you, sitting alone on the roof of the palace in the middle of the night, waiting to be used as a target?"

Yun Qian was slightly startled and gritted her teeth, "What the hell is going on?!"

Qi Jueyu sneered, "Your good aunt has always been like this, isn't she? She doesn't know people well, so naturally she makes mistakes. Why? After just two days of not seeing each other, you're already so distant to me."

These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Yun Qian's heart. She opened her mouth to speak, but saw a trace of pain in his eyes. The pain disappeared in an instant, as if it had never existed.

"Qi Jueyu, what exactly do you want to do?"

Yun Qian heard something in his words. He didn't know... was she kidnapped? He didn't know, but... the tricks of the child of destiny would not be so shallow. In any case, Yun Qian couldn't go with him now. After formulating a plan, Yun Qian's eyes moved and he raised his eyes to look at the man again. The trace of sadness in his eyes was just right, but it made the man laugh in his heart.

He knew her too well. This girl must have already made the most advantageous plan in her mind. Qi Jueyu thought soberly and restrained himself, but he just chuckled honestly in his throat. He was still deceived by this woman.

He knew clearly that she was heartless... but he still plunged into her. However... it didn't matter. He was not a good person either, and he could not be considered to have any heart.

"I'll take you to a place." He whispered without stopping, and there was a hint of obscurity in his voice.

Yun Qian lowered her eyes, feeling conflicted, but said nothing more.

The night wind was howling, the moonlight was still cold, and the figures of the two disappeared in the vast night, as if they were running towards an unknown vortex.

The lights in the middle of the night suddenly lit up, the light was as bright as day, and the noise broke the tranquility of the night.

----

"The girl is missing!"

"Girl, where have you been!"

"Girl!" "Quickly find her, send someone to inform the Queen!"

Several maids hurried through the palace corridor, their lanterns swaying, their shadows seemingly panicking. Guards, torches in hand, searched everywhere. Inside and outside the tightly guarded palace walls, shouts of searching echoed, shattering the silence enveloped by the silver light.

As Yun Qian, led by Qi Jueyu, leaped onto the inner palace wall, she heard a sudden commotion. She glanced back at the ablaze palace, a complex mix of emotions welling up in her heart. The people in this palace weren't usually so efficient, and today, despite being so discreet, they were discovered so quickly.

The feeling of dissatisfaction in her heart spread, and she seriously suspected that it was the mechanism of this world that was at work, and that people were not as well off as she was.

She turned to look at Qi Jueyu, who was holding her in his arms, and frowned. In the night, Qi Jueyu blended into the deep darkness in his nightgown, the close-fitting fabric outlining his lean and sturdy figure.

The sleeves and lapels were embellished with faint, dark patterns, which occasionally shone coldly in the moonlight, like the icy edge of a sharp blade, exuding a murderous aura. A narrow black leather belt cinched his waist, from which hung a dark dagger case. The case's opening was intricately carved, understated yet sharp. His boots were dark and silent, muffling even the scraping sound of his movements.