Chapter 19: Confession

Qi Ran gently placed the girl on the soft bed, turned his head, lowered his voice and said, "Miss Yin, your illness is no longer serious; tomorrow you can return to the palace with your imperial elder brother, okay?"

The day after Yin Tianxue arrived, Fourth Prince Yin Ziheng rushed over in a panic, but he was still a step too late—Yin Tianxue had already unfortunately contracted the plague.

In his fury, Yin Ziheng scolded Qi Ran and the other two, intending to take his beloved younger sister away, but Qi Ran persuaded him to stay.

The reason was simple: this plague, called the "Five‑Day Fever," causes sufferers to burn with an unrelenting fever for no more than five days, and no one has yet been able to cure it; Qi Ran has gradually discovered a treatment. If the princess were sent back under such conditions, the jostling carriage would spread the infection throughout her body, and even immortals might be unable to save her.

Yin Ziheng weighed the pros and cons, realizing that staying or taking his sister away would ultimately fail to save her life and would only expose himself to infection, so he finally heeded Qi Ran's advice, left his sister in the village, and hurried away.

He didn't return until two days later; seeing his lively sister again filled him with excitement, and he hurriedly apologized to Qi Ran—no further explanation needed.

Yin Tianxue watched him cradle the girl with utmost care, his affectionate gaze dripping with indulgent tenderness.

She suddenly felt her heart throb with pain; a woman's intuition told her that the young man's affection was for that ugly girl. Losing to someone else was one thing, but how could a background‑less, lowly, ugly girl compete for his heart?

Could it be that her flower‑like beauty, her alluring figure, her lofty princess status, and especially her devoted heart meant nothing to the young man? She didn't even know his name.

Yin Tianxue bit her lower lip for a while, then finally whispered in a barely audible voice, "I want to follow you."

Qi Ran was startled, fearing he hadn't heard correctly: "What did you say?"

"I said I want to follow you just like she does!" Yin Tianxue lifted her head; her flawless, beautiful face radiated unwavering determination and deep affection.

Qi Ran smiled helplessly; she wasn't the first woman to make such a request. He replied indifferently, "No."

"Why?" Yin Tianxue couldn't believe he rejected her so easily. "In what way am I inferior to her?"

"When I say no, it's no," Qi Ran kept smiling, but his words carried an uncompromising severity.

Having grown up in the imperial palace, Yin Tianxue naturally understood innate authority better than most, yet even her ever‑lofty father could not match the decisive remark the young man made in casual conversation.

"Your brother has been worried about you for several days; you should return quickly."

Yin Tianxue forced back her rising tears; though a princess being bluntly rejected for the first time stung, she refused to show weakness. She glared fiercely at the otherworldly, ethereal face before her and hissed, "Since you know I'm a princess, you should understand the consequences of crossing me."

Qi Ran's hand, which had been sorting books, paused; he sighed softly and said, "I advise you not to; doing so brings no benefit to your Yin Country."

Hearing him, Yin Tianxue couldn't help but grin smugly, "Are you scared?"

Qi Ran's expression remained calm as he replied, "I suppose so," though his hand continued sorting the books without pause.

"You… you, do you even know the consequences of being wanted by a nation? Even if you reach Qi Nation, the court won't offend our country over three ordinary civilians like you!"

"Is that so?" Qi Ran replied coolly. Because the voice was too noisy, the girl on the bed frowned and shifted; his expression darkened slightly as he said calmly, "Seventh Princess, I have heard your threat; please step out."

This time, Yin Tianxue could no longer hold back her tears and burst into sobs; her jade‑white fingers disdainfully pointed at the girl on the bed as she shouted, "Who is she? She's just a lowly, ugly woman, and you drove me away for her. In what way am I inferior to her?"

Qi Ran's eyes turned cold, his complexion suddenly becoming unusually icy, causing Yin Tianxue to involuntarily swallow her cries.

But the wail was unbearably shrill and mournful; the person on the bed could no longer bear the impact on her eardrums and, reluctantly, was jolted awake by the two.

I struggled to sit up, rubbed my unfocused eyes; the groggy state lingered for a long while before I finally saw the two facing each other in the room. I sighed helplessly and said, "Could you both take your quarrel elsewhere? Don't you know it's rude to disturb others' sleep?"

Qi Ran startled, turned back, his expression still calm but his eyes brimming with a broad smile; he walked over, ruffled my disheveled hair, and said, "I told you not to push yourself and you ignored me—now you're exhausted, aren't you?"

I rolled my eyes dismissively and said, "Back when I crammed for the entrance exam, I pulled an all‑night sprint for a week and survived; now it's only been three days, that's child's play!"

Qi Ran was puzzled for a moment before asking, "What's the entrance exam? And what do you mean 'child's play'?"

I was dumbfounded on the spot; after a dry laugh, I suddenly noticed a beautiful woman standing nearby and quickly changed the subject, "Eh, who is this?"

Qi Ran replied calmly, "She is the Seventh Princess of Yin Country, Yin Tianxue."

"Oh!" I nodded, "Hello." (Thought to myself: Is this good luck or bad luck? I woke from a daze and immediately ran into a prince and a princess.)

It was clear Qi Ran didn't like her, so I refrained from a warm self‑introduction to avoid embarrassment. I still can't fathom what Qi Ran is thinking about such a stunning beauty…

I suddenly recalled something he had said long ago: "A flawless face is what makes me feel disgust or fear."

For some unknown reason my heart felt melancholy; perhaps he's kind to me because I'm ugly? What a ridiculous reason.

Qi Ran saw my sour expression, nervously took my hand and asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

I shook my head and laughed, "No, I'm just hungry."

Before Qi Ran could answer, a wave of resentment surged around me; a shadow as heavy as a thousand pounds crashed down, shrinking then expanding, and froze in mid‑air while I was still dazed.

"Um…" I stared blankly at Yin Tianxue's jade‑white wrist firmly held in Qi Ran's hand, bewildered, "Miss Yin, you weren't about to hit me just now, were you?"

Yin Tianxue didn't look at me; her tear‑filled beautiful eyes glared fiercely at Qi Ran, a mix of grievance, pride, sorrow and… affection. Qi Ran frowned, released her reddened hand, and let out a soft sigh.

"Princess, this isn't where you belong. With your status, there's no need to argue with us low‑born people."

Yin Tianxue clutched the arm she had just released, tears streaming onto her milky‑white wrist, drop after drop. Even the coldest heart would be moved by this, let alone Qi Ran, who always puts others first.

Qi Ran seemed at a loss as he approached her, his mind racing to figure out how to refuse without hurting her too deeply. After a long pause he said gently, "Miss Yin, you are a princess of a nation. Given Yin Country's current situation, you must understand, right? The person you're to marry isn't one you can choose at will."

"I can fight for it!" Yin Tianxue raised her tear‑filled eyes and declared firmly, "No, I will definitely fight for it!"

Qi Ran gave a faint smile, the grin tinged with bitter sarcasm: "There are many things that won't come true just because you fight for them—especially matters concerning the emperor. Without the resolve to die, please don't wield the word 'definitely'."

Yin Tianxue seemed stunned, stared at him for a while, her eyes gradually filling with despair and fear. Another hot tear rolled down as she covered her face and rushed out of the room.

"Qi Ran, sometimes I think you're kind. Other times… I think you're even more ruthless than Bu Sha."

Qi Ran stared silently at me, his gaze sad and lonely.

I rubbed my slightly aching forehead, propped up my exhausted body, and raised my voice, shouting, "Ye! Is there anything to eat? I'm starving to death!"

There was no sound outside the door; I wondered how Bu Sha could possibly have left within a mile of Qi Ran's vicinity.

Suddenly, a pair of hands gently massaged my head, turning my already messy hair into a tangled mess.

"Bu just left; he should be preparing food for you."

I glanced back at that impossibly beautiful, gentle face, muttered, "Haven't you heard 'the head may be cut, blood may flow, but the hairstyle must not be ruined'? Are you going to style my hair later?"

Qi Ran's previously breath‑taking grin froze; his expression softened as he gently brushed my scar‑covered face, his eyes full of indulgence and tenderness, and said softly, "Fine! I can style your hair for a lifetime."

"Qi Ran." My face flushed slightly, yet I lifted my bright eyes, staring at him without blinking, my voice ethereal and distant as if not my own, "Why me? Lan Yan, Zi Xuan, Yin Tianxue… every girl we've met is more talented and beautiful than I am. Why is it me?"

Qi Ran's blue eyes shifted between depth and light, sparkling like stars; his voice, clear and handsome as his peerless looks, was intoxicating; a hint of happy yet cautious smile lifted his lips, and his voice was as soft and sweet as cotton candy.

"The first time I saw you, you were curled in Bu's arms, drenched in blood, your face a mess of flesh and gore. I've seen patients worse than you, but never anyone so grievously wounded who could still sleep so peacefully. I thought then, this girl is truly enviable!"

Why would I be envious? I half‑opened my mouth, a flood of questions in my gut, yet not a single word came out.

"When I cared for you, your stories were obviously just jokes; only later did I realize you were finding ways to make me happy. Later, when you wanted to go with us, I knew the background you claimed was a lie, yet I truly felt reluctant to let you go."

My face turned red, and I said embarrassedly, "You already knew, so why didn't you expose me back then?"

Qi Ran flicked my nose tip, smiling, "Your lying skills are so terrible anyone can see them. It's just that back then we were merely passing acquaintances; you hid something from me, and I wasn't any different. Yet I feel upset—not because you concealed something, but because you lied to me."

My expression changed, I reached out and grasped Qi Ran's cool palm, and sincerely said, "Sorry, I originally just wanted to get close to you all, so I fabricated a pitiful background to gain your sympathy. I'm truly sorry."

"But... my identity isn't something I don't want to say; it's just that it truly can't be explained in words. So please believe me! No matter what, you and Bu Sha are my only friends in this world."

Qi Ran gazed into my eyes for a long time, then naturally took my hand and pulled me into his embrace, gently holding me.

"The more time I spend with you, the more I feel unable not to be attracted to you. Sometimes you are clever and insightful; at other times, the things you say and do leave even me and Bu baffled. Your wondrous ideas keep flowing; seeing you live so exuberantly, with a smiling face, my heart actually comes alive as well. Even the pain filling my heart is forgotten. In your clear, bright eyes, endless radiance often flickers. Anyone who truly sees your eyes could hardly think you're ugly. But you are sometimes muddled and innocent like a newborn baby, acting without thinking ahead, so you often hurt yourself. You know nothing of worldly affairs, even acting recklessly; so, not keeping you by my side, I truly don't know how you could protect yourself. For a long time I thought this was all there was to you, yet faintly I felt it wasn't. I always remember you telling me, 'Life is just one dream after another'; at that time your gaze was empty and forlorn, as if you had nothing, actually making me unable to resist wanting to hold you tightly in my arms. I consider myself adept at reading people's hearts, especially after experiencing so many changes. But facing you, I could never determine what kind of person you really are. From curiosity to interest to liking. Perhaps these feelings grew slowly during that month and a half of day-and-night together, without my even noticing. Until..."

Qi Ran suddenly hugged me tightly, his body trembling uncontrollably, yet his voice remained calm: "You deceived Bu, leaving him alone that day. Seeing you again covered in blood, lying in Bu's arms, your expression still tranquil as before, I inexplicably felt fear rise. Even when the elder royal brother left, even when all my relatives betrayed and despised me, I had never been this afraid. Because back then you were so calm, it seemed as if you never wanted to wake up again. From that time on, I knew. No matter who you are, no matter what your identity is..."

Qi Ran's blue eyes were clear and gentle like water, bright like the moon; he was about to speak when he suddenly stopped, his expression returning to normal, and he chuckled, "Bu brought lunch; after we eat we must leave—we've stayed here too long."

I secretly let out a breath of relief and happily said, "Good! Let's eat first."

Although Qi Ran hadn't finished speaking, even if I were slower I would still understand the deep meaning in his words. But for me, not hearing them would be better than hearing them.

Three months were approaching, and Qi Ran's illness had not flared up again—at least not in front of me. But I had been constantly worried, for it was like a time bomb that might at any moment take the lives of the three of us.

Bu Sha entered, pushing the door open while holding a dish. Qi Ran smiled gently and said, "Shall we leave after we finish eating?"

Bu Sha remained expressionless, nodded, gave me—a person already lacking manners as I ate voraciously—a glance, and also sat down coldly.

(End of chapter)