gry. Instead, he felt like Qing Kong was acting like a petulant child."Do I need to spell it out for you, Senior Brother" Qing Kong deliberately emphasized the term 'Senior Brother', looking at Qin Xi...Chapter 41 Lord Longye Chapter Premier on 17K

The setting sun is infinitely beautiful, but it heralds the approach of dusk.

Qi Lin looked at the blood-red sunset in the sky without any expression. The redness seemed like blood, even dyeing the earth. Although this scene was beautiful, it also added a touch of melancholy. When people stood under the setting sun, their whole body was bathed in a golden glow, yet only their long shadows on the ground remained dim.

"My lord seems to be enjoying himself," Qi Lin had already dismissed all servants and walked alone over to find a clean white stone to sit upon. She said, "I hope I am not disturbing your highness."

Longye still faced the sunset with his hands behind him. After a while, he turned his head slightly to look at Qi Lin wiping sweat off her brow and said softly, "Your Majesty's sister-in-law also has refined tastes; no wonder nobody can hold the emperor's favor for so long."

"Vying for favor, vying for favor... but in my opinion, favor is not something one wins by struggling for it, but rather earns through dedication." Moreover, she did not want to meet Feng Changqing at this moment. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to control herself from losing her temper before him. She could only make up an excuse and said casually, "But my lord's affection towards the duchess is so obvious that it makes me uncomfortable."

When talking about Bu Yao, Qi Lin had been observing Longye all along. Today's meeting with Bu Yao at Thousand Carp Pond was not just to quarrel but also for a purpose—Bu Yao wanted her help to create an opportunity to allure Feng Changqing. Although she initially did not intend to help Bu Yao, eventually she did because Longye appeared.

Qi Lin had seen male supporting roles sacrificing themselves for the female lead in novels and even main characters willing to do anything for their love interests, but she really hadn't seen anyone kneeling and begging someone else to give their lover to another man.

Initially, Qi Lin thought Longye would berate Bu Yao. Instead, he suddenly knelt before her, and Qi Lin was still in shock about what had happened.

"I beseech your majesty to grant her request."

This time, Qi Lin thought she heard wrongly or doubted whether the man in front of her was Longye. But when Longye's forehead bled and a red streak slowly trickled down his face from the wound on his temple, Qi Lin finally came back to reality—it wasn't a dream.

"Are you crazy! Do you know what you're saying" Qi Lin didn't know why she was so furious. She grabbed Longye's clothes and shouted angrily, "Didn't you love her very much Why would you want to give her to another man now"

But when she saw the pain in Longye's eyes, Qi Lin felt a pang of heartache too. Can one love someone to this extent

Sky-gazing, the clouds on the horizon had turned a brighter red, like a blooming hellflower, tempting one to draw closer.

At this moment, Bu Yao should be in her Moon-viewing Palace. Wondered if she found the elaborately carved bed comfortable Today, she specially instructed Lüzhu to burn different incense and extinguish many of the candles inside the palace.

"What I can offer her is only these," Long Ye smiled slightly, unable to hide the infinite melancholy in his eyes. He softly said, "I still need to thank my imperial sister for making her show such a smile."

Such a smile, heh. Qi Lin mocked with a laugh. When she agreed to help, Bu Yao was as happy as if she had won an Oscar, spinning around without noticing the agony in Long Ye’s eyes.

"Do you remember when I first saw her at the Drunken Flower Building She was like a proud phoenix, mistaking me for one of those guests. After learning my identity, she didn’t give me a good look either. Isn’t she an extraordinary woman" Recalling these past events, Long Ye’s eyes gleamed with happiness as he looked at Qi Lin and said, "She never put treasures in her sights but would not bow to others either. Such a stubborn woman is the first one I’ve seen."

Of course, she wouldn’t care because her heart was higher than the sky. Qi Lin couldn’t bear to interrupt Long Ye. Despite wanting to tell him that Bu Yao’s reaction was simply due to her disdain for dealing with officials and that her goals were even higher.

"Actually, when I first saw you, I was also surprised because like her, you dislike being tamed. The only difference is she’s much more straightforward than you," Long Ye smiled gently and continued, "That was the first time I proactively sought to please a woman, not out of self-interest but with genuine intentions. Do you know Prior to that, there was a woman dying because of me. Now it seems like I’m beginning to understand what her last look at me meant."

The woman Long Ye referred to should be the one sacrificed for heaven, Yu Mei.

Qi Lin couldn’t forget the rage in her heart back then. That was when she first witnessed a woman’s love for a man, an undying devotion even if it cost her life.

"Before today, Bu Yao told me a story about Xi Shi and said that she wants to become Xi Shi."

Qi Lin couldn’t bear to listen anymore. She wanted to return to the Moon-viewing Palace immediately and stop all this from happening. But her legs felt as heavy as if they were lead, unable to move.

"It’s not too late; go take Bu Yao now," Qi Lin abruptly stood up and said, "I believe only you can bring happiness to Bu Yao. Right now she should be fighting for her happiness, but instead, she’s destroying the happiness of both of you. Long Ye, although I don’t like Bu Yao, I also don’t hate her. Perhaps she may adapt well to palace life, but I think she would prefer spending days with you."

As Qi Lin reached out to pull Long Ye away, he subtly withdrew his hand from hers without a trace. Startled, Qi Lin turned back to see Long Ye standing against the setting sun, his tall figure completely enveloping her and making it impossible for her to discern his expression.

"If you don't go now, it will be too late. Hurry up"

“She won’t, she can never find happiness,” Long Ye said indifferently. “And neither would she come with me. If I took her away forcefully, perhaps I’d really never see her again.”

Qi Lin looked puzzled at Long Ye. Could Bu Yao kill Long Ye

"To become my brother’s woman, she was willing to exchange her body for his nod of approval." As he said this, a tear suddenly fell from the corner of Long Ye's eyes and glittered sadly in the setting sun. Looking up at the sky with a smile, he continued, "When I hugged her, she gave me a seductive smile, and I thought that I had won her heart; when I kissed her, she cooperated eagerly, and I believed that she was mine completely. But when she told me her purpose word by word in my arms, then I realized how naive I was."

Qi Lin was stunned for a moment, staring at Long Ye disbelievingly. She had heard that Long Ye was a playboy before, but it was unbelievable to hear these words from him. It had been half a year since Bu Yao and Long Ye married, so did that mean she never shared the same bed with him Huh, just like her and Feng Changqing No, not alike at all.

Long Ye truly loved Bu Yao; this love transcended physical comfort and was true affection.

"But," Long Ye redirected his words towards Qi Lin, smiling. "I didn’t expect you to be willing to help in the end, I thought you’d explode with anger."

She had been furious indeed, but her rage wasn't about Feng Changqing.

"I can see how much my brother loves you," Long Ye continued. "This is the first time he has treated a woman so seriously and even appointed her as an Empress Consort in exception. When you were sick last time, I heard that he guarded your bedside for three days and nights — something unprecedented before. So this time, he should be furious enough to want to kill you; but rest assured, the consequences will all be on me."

Hmph, love Qi Lin gave a cold laugh, looking away. Although Bu Yao hadn’t gained her desired status, at least she had earned true affection from someone. But what about herself She had achieved a position that others envied and still ended up being used by others in the end.

If Feng Changqing loved her before, then she would have believed it — at least she had seen his tenderness towards her. Yet she didn’t know that one could pretend to be tender so convincingly.

"Huhu, what is love It makes people vow to live and die for each other," Qi Lin said with a faint smile. She too was like Long Ye; for Bai Qianye’s sake, she willingly let him use her, even staying in the palace now was all for Bai Qianye.

Qi Lin took a deep breath and said, "From my perspective, what you’re doing is not bringing happiness to her but destroying it. You are also burying your own happiness. Long Ye, you’ll have to bear not only the pain of losing someone you love but also the responsibilities as a man from now on."

"Thank you. I have made up my mind."

Zhi Lin turned her head away and did not look at Long Ye, fearing that she might lose control and drag him to snatch Bu Yao back.

The sun finally set, and the wind began to turn chilly. Zhi Lin thought Feng Changqing should have arrived at her chambers by now; however, they needed some conversation to pass the time.

"There's something I need your help with."

""Hm" Startled, Zhi Lin had just been thinking of what topic to bring up when Long Ye spoke. She raised her eyes and watched as he took out a brocade pouch from his bosom. "Why are you all so fond of using these for clever plans"

"Heh, I'm joking," said Long Ye, passing the pouch over to Zhi Lin. "Should there ever come a day when she loses everything, please give this to her. If on the contrary she gains everything one day, just bury it."

Zhi Lin held the pouch in hand; inside was something hard—likely a hairpin or something of that sort—and the rest must be letters. She put the items back into her bosom and said, "I'll do as you ask, provided I'm still alive then. Heh."

"You will be," replied Long Ye earnestly, looking at Zhi Lin meaningfully. "I promise, so please, no matter what he does, don't betray him; my brother is actually a person afraid of loneliness."

Zhi Lin opened her mouth but found herself unable to say anything. In the end she gave Long Ye a smile.

"In ten days it will be Mother Empress's birthday; you should also have become empress by then. I'll give my congratulations now," said Long Ye, bowing and smiling. "I hope you’ll show mercy to Bu Yao."

"You don’t want Bu Yao to be the empress" Although it looked like she was the most likely candidate for empress at this moment, Zhi Lin couldn't help but ask.

Long Ye only smiled without responding, leaving the question hanging in the air for Zhi Lin. unable to sleep. Actually, they aren’t trying to stay awake intentionally but rather because they can’t fall asleep.Qi Lin wrapped herself in an outer coat and quietly pushed open the door, stepping...