Originated from mountains and seas, life never ends

"……what?"

The corners of Nangong Huaxue's mouth twitched slightly, and she was somewhat unable to understand what he meant.

"What do you mean?"

"Literally." Qingyi put down the teacup, "He looks dead. He won't live long."

"…How long was that?"

"About three to five years." Qingyi raised her fingers and rubbed them carelessly, "At most."

Nangong Huaxue's heart sank to the bottom, and soon his mood became heavy again.

"How come? He—"

Nangong Huaxue wanted to refute, but the previous events suddenly emerged in her mind.

Why did they choose a successor so early in her teens? Why did they keep paying attention to her cultivation for the past two years? Why did they suddenly let her get involved in political affairs during this period of time...

All the anomalies have been explained.

Nangong Huaxue fell silent and lowered her eyes to look at the tea in the cup.

"Actually, you don't need to be sad." Qingyi said slowly.

Nangong Huaxue paused, looked up, and a hint of hope appeared in her eyes.

"According to the way he lives now, two years will be enough." Qingyi took a sip of tea and laughed.

Nangong Huaxue: ...

"Can you save?"

Perhaps he couldn't bear to see her sad, so Qin Xiao asked.

"I don't know." Qing Yi put down the teacup and said nonchalantly, "I didn't really look at it."

Nangong Huaxue, however, ignited hope.

"Qing Yi..."

Nangong Huaxue chuckled and put on a flattering smile.

"You feel--"

"Hey——" Qing Yi interrupted her, and glanced at her with pale eyes, and said in a mocking voice, "I remember someone once said that I am a cold and heartless man, how come——"

"Well, that's not... I was young and ignorant." Nangong Huaxue smiled flatteringly without blushing.

Qing Yi glanced at her and snorted coldly: "Even if I agree, will he agree?"

Speaking of this, Nangong Huaxue got a headache. He rubbed his eyebrows and told the two of them what happened yesterday.

"…I don't know how he was so sure, but he was almost certain."

At the end of the conversation, Nangong Huaxue felt a little guilty.

Qing Yi sneered and said nothing. Qin Xiao seemed to be thinking about something, and after a moment, he sighed.

"This is too clever." Qin Xiao's expression was complicated.

Nangong Huaxue: ...

Qing Yi laughed sarcastically: "There is no one stupider than you."

Qin Xiao: ...

Nangong Huaxue wanted to say something for Qin Xiao, but she turned to meet Qingyi's sarcastic gaze. Qingyi glanced at her and said, "Oh, there is indeed one here."

Nangong Huaxue: ...

"It was so easily discovered by someone." Qing Yi couldn't help but laugh sarcastically when he thought of this.

...How could someone's character be so bad?

Nangong Huaxue had a complicated expression and couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she racked her brains.

"So can you take a look?" Nangong Huaxue asked patiently.

"Okay." Qing Yi restrained his smile and straightened his sleeves. "How much have you prepared?"

"You make an offer." Nangong Huaxue sat upright.

Qing Yi was not polite and said, "Fifty million gold coins."

"can."

Nangong Huaxue didn't even blink.

Qingyi paused and raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Qin Xiao's eyes were dim and he was somewhat surprised by this.

Facing the surprised looks of the two, Nangong Huaxue touched the tip of his nose, feeling a little embarrassed: "I am the ruler of a country after all... I still have this little treasury."

“And he’s worth the price.”

The man's usually cold face relaxed slightly, and his sharp eyes softened, but as his eyelids fluttered again, he returned to his previous inhuman appearance.

"Then let's make an appointment for tomorrow." Qingyi lowered his eyes and stood up slowly, "You choose a place and come find me when the time comes."

Nangong Huaxue just nodded and listened to him speak slowly.

"It's better to be early."

"I see."

Nangong Huaxue agreed.

After the matter was said and done, Qingyi had no intention of staying. He turned around and was about to leave, but he paused and caught the object thrown by Nangong Huaxue.

"what is this?"

There was a small porcelain bottle in Qingyi's hand. When she opened the stopper, the aroma of pills wafted into her nose.

This was found by Nangong Huaxue in Wang Ji's room. Although the secret compartment in Wang Ji's room was complicated and secretive, she still had her old skills and she basically understood it after just a quick glance.

"It can replenish blood and qi." Qingyi brushed her nose and threw it back into her hand, "It can also help men avoid pregnancy."

"Ah?" Nangong Huaxue's eyes widened.

"It only lasts for one month." Qing Yi knew what she was thinking as soon as he heard it, and added in a bad mood, walking out without stopping.

The door of the room opened and closed, a draft blew through the hall, and Qin Xiao withdrew his gaze.

Nangong Huaxue stroked his forehead with a complicated expression.

"...I'm sorry, I've got you into trouble." After a long silence, Nangong Huaxue looked up and met his calm eyes, feeling a little guilty, "If I hadn't been recognized--"

"No need." Qin Xiao shook his head and interrupted her, "He is a smart man, he will find out sooner or later."

"That……"

"If you don't mind, I can talk to him in person tomorrow." Qin Xiao was afraid that she would be embarrassed, so he took the initiative to say it.

"Is this... really okay?" Nangong Huaxue hesitated.

"Maybe we can find out his attitude?" Qin Xiao smiled slowly, calmly and gently.

Qin Xiao's calmness gave her some confidence. Although she was still hesitant, she finally nodded and said that she would go and talk to Wang Ji.

"..." Qin Xiao looked at her. Nangong Huaxue was immersed in thought and did not speak for a long time.

"...Are you angry?"

After a while, Qin Xiao hesitated.

“Ah?” Nangong Huaxue raised her head, met his worried gaze, and laughed, “No… I just feel a little blocked in my heart… It’s nothing.”

Nangong Huaxue waved his hands, and there was a drumming sound from his chest. The blue veins on his forehead were beating slowly. He couldn't help but sneer from his throat as he thought of something.

Qin Xiao: ...

Although Nangong Huaxue appeared to be calm and composed, the dark clouds above his head were about to solidify into entities.

This look was exactly the same as when he found out that his adoptive mother was ill and would not live long, or even worse.

"You..." Qin Xiao hesitated.

"I'm fine." Nangong Huaxue forced a smile, "You go back first."

Qin Xiao said nothing more.

When Qin Xiao left, the smile on his face fell.

Nangong Huaxue stared at the remaining half cup of tea in her hand, feeling like there was something stuck in her throat that she couldn't swallow.

After a while, he put down the teacup and slowly stood up.

royal palace.

As soon as Wang Ji entered the door, he felt something was wrong.

"Don't you have anything you want to tell me?"

Nangong Huaxue sat by the floor-to-ceiling window with a tea table in front of her, and raised her head slightly.

Wang Ji's heart skipped a beat and he paused visibly, looking at the gloomy emperor in front of him, unsure of what she was referring to.

"...Your Majesty, what's wrong?" In an instant, he smiled, sat down beside her and stretched out his hand to embrace her.

Nangong Huaxue turned away, looked at him coldly, and said nothing.

The atmosphere was silent, the cold wind was howling outside the window, the bright moon was hanging high in the sky, the lights in the house were on, the orange flames were swaying, but there was no warmth at all.

Looking at the emperor with a cold and distant expression, Wang Ji fell silent.

Clearly, what he said before hasn't been explained yet, but looking at her angry expression, it seems as if he has done something wrong.

Nangong Huaxue endured for a long time, and finally couldn't help but ask: "How is your body...?"

Wang Ji was stunned, then understood, and replied with a smile: "Of course it's good——"

"Really?" Nangong Huaxue turned his head suddenly, his eyes like torches, and his tone was sharp, "How many years can you live?"

"…What is your majesty doing?" Wang Ji asked in a confused tone, "Where did you hear this?"

As he spoke, he slowly moved closer and tried to put his arm around her waist, but she dodged him again.

"I ask you a question, and you just have to answer it." Nangong Huaxue suppressed his anger and tried to make his voice sound calm.

"...Your Majesty, don't worry." Wang Ji was silent for a moment, then reached out again, grasped her wrist without allowing any resistance, and held her in his arms, "There are still several years left."

"How many years?" Nangong Huaxue laughed in anger, "Then should I thank you for dedicating your few remaining lives to this right?"

"Your Majesty, what you said is really chilling." Wang Ji was not angry at all, and seemed to want to explain, "My grandfather was only fifty when he died, and my father was only thirty. I have lived until now-"

"What? Not only do you want to be far superior to others in terms of cultivation, but you also want to die a few steps earlier than them?" Nangong Huaxue sneered, "You still have a hope of competing for the position of the shortest-lived patriarch of your Wang family?"

"That's still out of reach." Wang Ji laughed, "The shortest-lived one was only seven years old—"

Nangong Huaxue's face was as cold as ice, and she forced Wang Ji to stop talking.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will make arrangements."

Wang Ji thought she was afraid, so he took the initiative to say, "Before his death, the late emperor gave me a token that can command the royal guards, and half a tiger talisman. I will hand it over to your majesty before I die..."

"Although Xuyi is still relatively young, I will train him to be a qualified family head in the next few years. You don't have to worry about the Wang family's position in the future..."

"You seem to be quite concerned about my mother, but don't worry. She is the one who gave me life, and I believe she loves me deeply. In order to prevent her from being sad after my death, I will definitely send her down before I die."

Nangong Huaxue: ...

Wang Ji was still chattering about the layout between the various powerful families, the tendencies of the surrounding small countries, and the affairs of the family...

It seemed that all he said was to make her understand that before he died, he would pave the way for her in the future, and there would not be anyone who could threaten her position, and her status would not be shaken in the slightest because of his departure.

Nangong Huaxue looked at him quietly. Wang Ji was still talking about something, which seemed to be about the Luoyun family, but she couldn't listen any more.

He would arrange everything before his death so that his death would not be a big deal for the country.

...What about her?

From Wang Ji's words, it seemed that he had never considered whether she would be sad after his death. He kept talking about the division of power and influence, trying to use this to reassure her.

Nangong Huaxue opened her mouth slightly, wanting to do something, but couldn't say anything.

She wanted to ask him if he had ever thought about her feelings.

But she couldn't ask.

At this moment, Nangong Huaxue suddenly understood those awkward characters in those storybooks.

How embarrassing...

Nangong Huaxue looked grim, and her throat seemed to be blocked by something, making it difficult for her to utter a single word.

Wang Ji noticed her increasingly bad complexion, paused, and stopped talking: "Your Majesty...is there anything else you are worried about?"

Looking at Wang Ji's puzzled eyes, Nangong Huaxue was silent for a while, and suddenly smiled, with a bit of self-deprecation in his smile.

"Nothing, just go out."