In the end, Long Fei Ye pulled Han Yunxi over and hugged her tightly. This way, he managed to quell the strongest desire he had ever felt in his life.
Han Yunxi was terrified. She didn't dare to move and allowed him to hug and stick to her.
Although she was frightened and nervous, she had to admit that she was a little happy and expectant. However, she wasn't crazy enough to forget that they were in a carriage.
After a long while, when she felt that Long Fei Ye had calmed down, she carefully lifted her head to look at him. It was only then that she realized that Long Fei Ye had been staring at her for a long time.
The incident at Heaven Mountain had long been thrown to the back of her mind. Seeing his cold gaze and his silence, she instinctively buried her head in his embrace.
She thought that they should have finished walking the hundred steps, right? She couldn't even tell if she had walked more, or if he had walked more.
Legend had it that there was a kind of path called the path of no return. Every time you took a step forward, the path behind you would disappear. There was no way to retreat, and there was no way to turn back.
Han Yunxi thought that the hundred steps between them must also be a path of no return. Once they finished walking, it would be over. If they didn't turn back, they wouldn't walk again.
At least, to her, that must be the case.
After a long silence, Han Yunxi murmured, "Long Fei Ye."
"Mm." Although his face was cold, he immediately answered her.
"Have you heard of the saying of a hundred steps?" Han Yunxi asked.
"What's a hundred steps?" Before meeting Han Yunxi, how could Long Fei Ye have heard of such a thing? Even if he had heard of it, he would have turned a deaf ear.
"There are actually only a hundred steps between any man and woman in the world. As long as one person takes a step closer to the other person, it is the beginning of a relationship. Some people can finish walking the hundred steps very quickly. Some people can't finish walking the hundred steps in their lifetime. Some people will even retreat further and further, "Han Yunxi said mildly.
Long Fei Ye listened and didn't express his opinion.
Han Yunxi frowned. "What do you think?"
Long Fei Ye thought for a moment and said, "There should be another type."
Han Yunxi didn't understand. She just wanted to ask him what he thought of this saying. Who knew that Long Fei Ye would answer, "Some people will walk past you and pass by you in the end?"
Han Yunxi was slightly surprised. After Granny Zhao told her about the "one hundred steps" theory, she pondered for a long time. She really didn't think that there was such a possibility.
She had to admit that this was probably the saddest thing of all. She muttered to herself, "You'll only overreach if you work too hard, right?"
Long Fei Ye was very smart, but in the face of such an unfamiliar topic, he did not know where to start thinking. Of course, he didn't like it either.
As long as he took a fancy to it, not to mention a hundred steps, even a thousand steps would be completed.
"What nonsense are you thinking?" he asked with a frown.
Han Yunxi resentfully stopped talking, but for some reason, she couldn't help but recall Long Feiye's words again and again. "Some people will walk past you before brushing past you, won't they?"
The more she thought, the sadder she felt. She shook her head to clear her mind.
Very soon, they arrived at Taoran Restaurant.
Han Yunxi saw Duanmu Baiye as soon as she stepped out of the carriage. She was extremely disappointed. "Looks like we won't be able to get rid of this guy!"
"Do you think you can depose the crown prince of a country with just a few words?" Long Fei Ye murmured.
"You …" Han Yunxi was stunned. Could it be that Long Fei Ye was provoking Duanmu Baiye on purpose? Wasn't it to topple him?
"Emperor Kang Cheng is smarter than Tianhui. Moreover, Duanmu Baiye's mother's clan has great influence in Western Zhou. It'll take more than a day to shake him. Duanmu Yao even colluded with Jun Yi Xie, but Emperor Kang Cheng only ordered her banished from the imperial palace. He didn't chase after her to Celestial Mountain. There's a reason for all of this. I'll explain it to you later, "Long Fei Ye murmured.
Now Han Yunxi was even more certain that Long Fei Ye had provoked Duanmu Baiye to help her vent her anger.
Her heart warmed as she decided not to disappoint Long Fei Ye's efforts, nor her own forbearance. Duanmu Baiye had to pay the price!
After getting off the carriage, Long Fei Ye and Emperor Kang Cheng only nodded as before. Long Fei Ye ignored Duanmu Baiye, and Han Yunxi didn't even spare him a glance. She wanted to nod at Emperor Kang Cheng as a form of greeting, but the emperor didn't even spare her a glance. He didn't even give her a chance.
Han Yunxi nodded halfway, but didn't feel awkward. She pretended nothing had happened. Duanmu Baiye, on the other hand, saw it and his lips curled in disdain.
Han Yunxi saw it too, but she didn't fuss over it. She held her head high and puffed out her chest as she walked alongside Long Fei Ye.
Her greeting to Emperor Kang Cheng wasn't out of humility, nor was it to curry favor with him. Emperor Kang Cheng's reaction revealed his narrow-mindedness and narrow-mindedness. What was there to be embarrassed about?
Emperor Kang Cheng glanced at Han Yunxi out of the corner of his eye. Although he hated this woman for stealing his son-in-law, he couldn't help but admire her bearing and strength of character. If it had been any other woman today, even if she was from the imperial family, she wouldn't have been so calm and at ease.
Naturally, Long Feiye saw all of it with his own eyes.
The entire teahouse had been booked, so it was empty. A servant led the way. Emperor Kang Cheng gestured to Long Fei Ye to go first. Long Fei Ye didn't say anything, but politely gestured for Emperor Kang Cheng to go first.
The two of them didn't argue and walked forward together.
One was the Emperor, the other the Duke of Qin. Although they were on equal footing, Long Fei Ye had the upper hand.
Han Yunxi walked confidently beside Long Fei Ye, while Duanmu Baiye followed respectfully behind Emperor Kang Cheng. As the Crown Prince, he was undoubtedly the most humble of them all. Unfortunately, he still refused to come to his senses. From time to time, he would glare resentfully at Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi.
They took their seats in the teahouse in the middle of the lake.
Like Northern Li, the people of Western Zhou preferred wine to tea. Taoran Ju was one of the rarest teahouses in Western Zhou. It was also one of the most expensive teahouses in Western Zhou. They served a type of tea called Bramble Tea, a precious specialty of Western Zhou.
Once they were seated, tea was served. Emperor Kang Cheng wasn't in a hurry to get down to business. Instead, he introduced Bramble Tea to Long Fei Ye.
"Duke of Qin, this tea grows on the brambles of the desert. Only a hundred or so leaves can be plucked from a single patch of bramble land every year. As a result, only two jars of Bramble Tea are produced in the Tengge Desert each year. One is in Taoran Ju, and the other is in Zhen's possession."
As Emperor Kang Cheng spoke, he invited Long Fei Ye to sample the tea. "Try it. You didn't get to try it when you came seven or eight years ago. You must try it today."
Long Fei Ye nodded, but casually handed the tea to Han Yunxi. "I wanted to bring you here to try this Bramble Tea seven or eight years ago. Unfortunately, you didn't come."
Uh …
Han Yunxi was stunned. What was Long Fei Ye talking about? Seven or eight years ago, the distance between them wasn't just a hundred steps. It could be considered several thousand years.
Emperor Kang Cheng and Duanmu Baiye were also stunned. Father and son glanced at each other in shock. Could it be that Long Fei Ye and Han Yunxi had been together since seven or eight years ago? Was that why he'd always looked down on Yao Yao?
Although it was a surprise, it made sense. Han Yunxi was betrothed to Long Fei Ye before she was even born. Naturally, she'd known Long Fei Ye before Yao Yao did. It turned out that this woman really was pretending to be a good-for-nothing at the Han Estate!
Han Yunxi quickly accepted the tea. After taking a few sips, she said, "Sweet. You hate it the most."
Both Emperor Kang Cheng and Duanmu Baiye felt awkward.
Long Fei Ye took the teacup and sniffed it. "Is this tea sweet?" he asked Emperor Kang Cheng.
"Yes," Emperor Kang Cheng replied honestly.
Long Fei Ye didn't say whether he liked it or not. He only nodded and set down the teacup.
Emperor Kang Cheng quickly recovered from his embarrassment and ordered someone to change it to Tianning's black tea. Duanmu Baiye didn't even dare to look at his imperial father. How was he supposed to know that Long Fei Ye didn't like sweet things?!
Although there wasn't the smell of war, the husband and wife were singing the same tune to give Emperor Kang Cheng a show of strength.
After drinking a few cups of black tea, Duanmu Baiye stood up with his teacup in hand.
Although he was proud and spoiled, he still had self-awareness. He used the tea in place of wine to toast Long Fei Ye. "Your Highness Duke of Qin, this one was impetuous just now and made a slip of the tongue. My intentions weren't sincere. I hope that a great man like you won't hold a grudge against a lowly person like me and forgive this one."
It was enough for a proper crown prince to go this far.
As he spoke, he downed his cup of tea in one gulp. Unfortunately, Long Fei Ye was busy pouring tea for Han Yunxi. Just like at the Chamberlain of Dependencies, Duanmu Baiye treated him like air.
Duanmu Baiye raised two more cups of tea and downed them both in one gulp as an apology.
Unfortunately, Long Fei Ye ignored him.
Duanmu Baiye helplessly cast an innocent look at Emperor Kang Cheng, who kept a straight face. It wasn't clear whether he was angry at Duanmu Baiye or Long Fei Ye, but he didn't say a word.
Duanmu Baiye was stuck between a rock and a hard place. If he went forward, would he have to kneel down and apologize to Long Fei Ye? How could that be possible? If he retreated, wouldn't this matter be ruined?
Although his imperial father's gaze was frighteningly dark, he could only beg him for mercy.
The pavilion was silent. Han Yunxi was calm and composed as she drank tea and admired the lake scenery. After Long Fei Ye poured her a few cups of tea, he poured one for Emperor Kang Cheng as well.
Emperor Kang Cheng was also polite as he chatted with the Duke of Qin. It seemed like he'd given up on Duanmu Baiye.
In reality, Duanmu Baiye was truly stupid. Both Emperor Kang Cheng and Han Yunxi knew that as long as Duanmu Baiye apologized to Han Yunxi, the Duke of Qin would be appeased and this matter would be dropped.
Unfortunately, Duanmu Baiye couldn't accept this and couldn't swallow his anger.
He could only stand there.
The longer he stood there, the angrier Emperor Kang Cheng became. He originally knew that Duanmu Baiye had been provoked by Long Fei Ye on purpose, so he didn't really plan on punishing him.
Now that he saw how stupid Duanmu Baiye was, Emperor Kang Cheng was determined to punish him.
Drinking tea wasn't like eating or drinking. If there wasn't enough common topics to talk about, it wouldn't last long.
Before long, Long Fei Ye was about to leave.
Duanmu Baiye panicked. "Your Highness Duke of Qin, this one was wrong! What will it take for you to forgive this one? "
It would've been better if he hadn't said that. Now that he did, Emperor Kang Cheng almost smashed his teacup!
What would Long Fei Ye do? Of course he would continue to ignore Duanmu Baiye.
Not only did he ignore Duanmu Baiye, but he also gave Emperor Kang Cheng a meaningful look, as if to tell him that he didn't care about Duanmu Baiye.
Emperor Kang Cheng's original plan was for him to appear incognito and make the Duke of Qin stay, giving the crown prince an opportunity to apologize. But now it looked like he had no choice but to apologize in person. Otherwise, he really wouldn't be able to keep the Duke of Qin.
He finally looked straight at Han Yunxi …
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