Chapter 624: False affection and pretense, utterly disgusting!

Que'er and the others could only sigh helplessly, turning to follow Li Qingluo as she left.

Que'er: "Miss must be feeling hurt and disappointed too. Princess Nanping is so clueless, DaLiang sending her over like that—even if she is a DaLiang princess, the Western Regions court would never truly value her."

"She's practically jumping into a fire pit herself!"

Zheng Mama also sighed: "Exactly. The wedding procession and dowry are gone, and she's just going over there— the court over there doesn't even know how to slight her yet."

"She's bound to suffer some hardship."

The two didn't dare say more, fearing Li Qingluo was already heartbroken and angry, and would later be utterly unable to contain her rage.

From beginning to end, Li Qingluo never turned back again.

On one side, a mighty troupe of over thirty people marched grandly; on the other, the two going opposite directions looked ever more lonely and pitiful.

After Li Qingluo had completely faded into two distant dots, Nanping in the distance still gazed at her wistfully.

Cui Qilang finally stepped forward, unable to bear it, and reminded her: "Your Highness, you can still regret this."

"I think Princess Yaoguang truly cares for you."

Nanping wiped her tears with her arm crossed.

"Enough."

"I've already broken her heart completely—what's the point of going back now? Would that just let Sister Luo'er vent her anger for nothing?"

"Let's go; earlier I secretly sought help from Queen Hai Lie Ye and already recovered most of the dowry, and she will send people to see us safely to Hala City."

"I came out this time just to properly bid farewell to Sister Luo'er and then see her off properly."

"There's no delay; we should also continue our journey."

Cui Qilang hesitated a moment, then asked slowly: "Queen Hai Lie Ye will agree to help you because she wants to plant her own people in Hala City—have you thought about what you'll do if the plot is exposed later?"

Nanping: "Whether we can live to see the future is unknown—why worry about such distant matters?"

Cui Qilang: "The princess will surely live a long life, blessed with boundless fortune and longevity."

Nanping gave a cold snort: "Why bother, Cui Qilang?"

"Such hypocrisy and pretense only make me nauseous."

"Before, in the cave, I was still willing to deceive myself, after all you truly risked yourself to save me several times, and I am deeply grateful."

"But do you really think I know nothing?"

"I know you personally escorted me here to the Western Regions for the marriage alliance not because you feel any reluctance or concern for me, Nanping."

"What you're really after is still your Cui family, and… your own blood sister, Cui Shisan Niang?"

"Back when the Zhong family rebelled, they were punished by extermination of nine clans. The current crown prince, formerly the first consort of my paternal great-uncle the Third Imperial Prince, is none other than the Zhong family's eldest daughter."

"Although she escaped implication as an imperial daughter-in-law, in the end she hanged herself with a white silk cord in her room."

"The Third Imperial Prince wept grief-stricken to the point of collapse, taking his heir with him as he repeatedly fainted."

"After he was made crown prince, the position of crown princess remained vacant until recently, when I heard some news."

"Cui Shisan Niang must be the candidate for crown princess, right?"

"By escorting me for the marriage alliance and personally seeing me safely to Hala City, Cui Shisan Niang can take over the Eastern Palace and become crown princess."

"From then on your Cui family could rise another step, also leave your bloodline in the Duan dynasty, and openly contend for the succession."

"The truth is exactly that."

"If I cheer myself up by deceiving myself, does that really mean I know nothing?"

"I know that aside from Sister Luo'er, no one in this world truly protects me anymore."

"Father and brother also love mother more."

"Mother loves power and influence more."

"And you, whether for the Cui family or because my mother and the crown prince are opposed, could never truly be for me—not even once."

"Since I have chosen to continue onward to Hala City, I will no longer deceive myself."

As Cui Qilang listened to her words, his complexion gradually worsened, eventually turning as pale as paper.

"As it turns out you knew all along, actually I…"

He raised his head, eyes reddening; at the moment he looked at her, his eyes seemed to hold a thousand words, but thinking of the burden on his body and remembering his blood sister…

Everything about him, Cui Qilang, pales in comparison to the Cui family and is not worth mentioning.

Nanping basically no longer expected any reaction from him, or any further words.

Since two days ago, when he privately approached her asking when they would head to Hala City again, her heart for Cui Qilang had completely died.

She would no longer deceive herself.

"I am doing this only for my mother."

"As repayment for her nurturing kindness, if I can fulfill her wishes, then this life of mine is worth it."

Having said that, Nanping slowly donned her veil, turned her horse around, and with a sharp "yah!" galloped swiftly toward Eagle City.

Watching her retreating back, Cui Qilang felt, for no reason, a sudden sharp pain stabbing his chest.

Immediately followed by a feeling of suffocation that could neither be dispelled nor suppressed.

He clutched his chest tightly, feeling a heartache unlike any before, surging toward her like mountains and seas.

Cui Qilang stretched out his trembling hand, suddenly fearful that he might soon completely lose that little lady.

That bright and lively little Lady Nanping, who always hovered beside him, gazing at him with fiery eyes, that little maiden of his.

Only then did he truly realize that the true Nanping seemed to have vanished completely.

Having been flayed alive by these people, she has become someone unloved, whom everyone wishes to cast into an abyss of eternal ruin.

And though she herself clearly knows all this deep down, people let her maintain a façade of decency with a great love.

But who has truly felt pity for her?

He, Cui Qilang, seemed finally to have felt pity, yet all of this had long been too late…

It had been several days since they left Yingwang City, and Li Qingluo's mood had not improved.

Que'er and Zheng Mama were anxious to the point of burning eyebrows, fearing that continuing like this would greatly affect Li Qingluo's health.

So the two of them secretly found the killers and asked them to think of ways to make the young lady happy.

This put the killers in a difficult spot.

Letting them kill people is fine, but to make them entertain? That's a foolish thing they've never done in their lives.

A group of killers stared at each other like idiots.

Finally, Sha yi held back for a while and said, "Let me perform a sword routine for the young lady!"

Sha wu: "I, I, I I I, I will throw fireballs!"

Sha liu: "Then I'll do a somersault?"

Sha er: "How about throwing punches?"

Sha shiliu: "If that really won't work, how about we few spar for the young lady to watch?"

Que'er flared up, rolling her eyes: "Why don't you just gang up on her instead!"

"A bunch of wooden lumps!"

Just as Que'er's nostrils flared with heavy breath, a voice came from beside: "How about I try?"

Que'er turned her head and saw Zhui Yu standing beside her, holding a rabbit.

Obviously, he had been there for a while.

Before Que'er could speak, Zheng Mama hurriedly asked, "Zhui Yu, how do you plan to cheer up the young lady?"

Zhui Yu: "It's simple, I'll do a little trick."

Zhui Yu actually knows a few tricks.

He flipped his hand and produced a rabbit, which not only surprised Li Qingluo but also made Que'er beside him widen her eyes in disbelief.

Then he flipped his hand again and produced a pigeon, indeed a messenger pigeon.

"Young lady, His Highness has sent a letter; are you happy?"

Li Qingluo was naturally happy.

She quickly took the messenger pigeon and removed the paper strip from its leg.

"The journey is far; along the way we changed at least five messenger pigeons, and finally managed to deliver His Highness's concern for you as hoped."

"Young lady, you must not roast and eat it later."

Li Qingluo laughed and shook her head: "Got it, you may go."

Li Qingluo finally smiled; everyone who had been secretly watching secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhui Yu rose holding the rabbit, and Que'er could not hold back, curiously chasing after to ask, "How exactly did you conjure this rabbit?"

"Is it real?"

"It's simply unbelievable!"

Zhui Yu paused his steps.

With a normal expression, he looked at Que'er and said, "Do you want to touch it?"

Que'er still felt a bit uneasy: "Can I... may I?"

Zhui Yu: "Of course."

He brought the rabbit to Que'er's face, saying, "Actually, it's just a little trick to cheer up the young lady; I caught it earlier in the woods nearby."

They had already left the desert these past two days and arrived at a place with grass, water, mountains, and rivers.

So catching a rabbit is not surprising.

Seeing Zhui Yu treat her like an ordinary person, Que'er mustered the courage to touch the rabbit's ears.

"So soft..."

Meanwhile, the two had been getting along as they used to after a long separation, while on the other side, Sha san stood frozen in place.

When Que'er happily came to find him, he instead wore a look of heavy thoughts.

"What's wrong with you?"

"We just finished cheering up the young lady; could it be that we now have to cheer you up too?"

Sha san stubbornly replied: "I, I am certainly fine."

Que'er narrowed her eyes: "Although you usually don't like to smile, don't think you can fool me!"

"Speak up, or I'll leave."

Seeing she really turned away, Sha san hastily reached out and grabbed her: "Don't... don't, Que'er."

"I, I just..."

"Or perhaps you should go back to Zhui Yu's side?"

"He has higher status and position than me, is smarter, knows how to make explosive gunpowder... and also knows how to cheer up the young lady, and can cheer you up too."

"Perhaps you usually haven't noticed, but whenever he speaks, you always look at him..."

"He is more worthy of you than I am."

"Que'er, perhaps... we should just give up?"

"I, I can just gaze at you as before, as long as you live better and happier..."

Before Sha san could finish speaking, Que'er raised her hand and slapped him hard across the face.

"What do you think I am?"

"An object?"

"Something that can be passed around—if you want me to be with you, I will be; if you want to pass me on again, I must go, right?"

"Yes, he is smarter than you, more capable, and also lively. But I and he are long past; don't you see that, even he himself has already let go?"

I will speak openly with him and observe his actions, because we no longer hold any grudges.

Sha San, I will only say this once more.

If you keep saying such stupid things, I can stop wanting you!

My Que'er, at worst I won't marry anyone for the rest of my life!