Chapter 517 478: Shang Miaoyan: Thank You, Fairy Ye, for the Dao Companion

Pei Yuhang turned his face away, avoiding Shang Miaoyan's gaze.

But Shang Miaoyan relentlessly circled around to face him. She clasped her hands behind her back, her slightly forward-leaning body tracing a graceful curve, her red lips almost touching his ear.

"So... don't tell me Ye Liyuan locked you out again? Did you have no choice but to come sleep here for a night?"

"What nonsense are you talking about... The Cold Spring is where I normally cultivate. What's so strange about me resting here?"

Pei Yuhang silently laid out his bedding, not wanting to speak with Shang Miaoyan anymore.

But Shang Miaoyan was already convinced by her own judgment. Her beautiful eyes narrowed, and she couldn't hide the delight at the corners of her mouth.

'It must have been that "shrew" Ye Liyuan who kicked my beloved Xiaohan out!'

'Ye Liyuan, oh, Ye Liyuan. You've given me the perfect opening!'

'Since you've personally delivered Xiaohan to me, I'll be sure to enjoy him thoroughly~!'

Shang Miaoyan licked her lips. She reached out a finger, just about to touch Pei Yuhang.

But with a wave of his hand, Pei Yuhang extinguished the lights in the room and simultaneously placed a Barrier around his bed.

"Xiaoxuan, I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep."

Shang Miaoyan: "..."

...

...

「Meanwhile, in another part of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion.」

Another heartbroken person was sobbing.

"Wooo... Ah Han doesn't love me anymore... He despises me..."

Ye Liyuan's frail figure was curled up and trembling slightly beneath a silk quilt.

The flickering candlelight illuminated her delicate, tear-streaked face. Her eyes were red, but her complexion was deathly pale, as if she had suffered a terrible injustice.

Ye Liyuan choked back a sob, biting her cherry-red lips, but she still couldn't stop the whimpers escaping her throat. Crystalline tears rolled down from the reddened corners of her eyes, soaking the pillowcase a darker shade.

"Why did it turn out like this? Wooo... What did I do wrong? Why would Ah Han treat me like that! Wooo..."

A broken whisper escaped through her teeth.

Ye Liyuan bunched up the bedsheets, her heart filled with both pain and utter confusion. 'Why? Why would Ah Han push me away when I tried to be intimate with him?'

'His eyes were filled with such terror, as if he didn't even recognize me.'

'And then, he just left me...'

'Ah Han... What does he despise about me?'

'Clearly, I didn't do anything wrong... Or rather, I didn't do anything at all.'

'I just came out of seclusion, and Ah Han started treating me with all sorts of strange coldness.'

"Who is it! Who's framing me!"

Ye Liyuan angrily raised her hand, Sword Qi gathering at her fingertips as she prepared to slash down and vent the hatred in her heart.

But the energy at her fingertips dissipated mid-air, and her hand fell limply to her side.

"Wooo—Ah Han, come and comfort me!"

"Don't you dote on me the most? Aren't you the one who can't bear to see me wronged?"

"Woooo... COUGH! COUGH!"

Ye Liyuan had cried until her voice was hoarse and her throat was dry.

She was so tired. The image of Pei Yuhang pushing her away tormented her mind like a swirling nightmare.

Crying and crying, Ye Liyuan eventually fell into a deep sleep...

「In a pitch-black chaos.」

She saw a small, silver-haired figure kneeling before her...

'Is that Ah Han's head disciple, Qing Yueqiu?'

'What is she doing kneeling before me?'

"Madam, I'll never do it again... I'm begging you, please don't tell Master."

The still-childish Little Yueqiu knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically in her direction, soon scraping her fair forehead raw.

This terrified Ye Liyuan, and she instinctively wanted to help the girl up.

'Seriously, I'm her master's wife, a kind and beautiful one at that, not some harsh and sinister stepmother from a storybook. How could I have scared Little Yueqiu this badly?'

But Ye Liyuan found she couldn't control her body or speak. She could only watch helplessly as Little Yueqiu trembled in terror.

A moment later, a voice rang out, stunning Ye Liyuan.

"You ill-mannered little thing, stealing and wearing the clothes Brother Pei took off. Did you really think I don't know what's going on in that head of yours?"

"Did you think you could fool me just because you're young? Do you take me for a fool?!"

The voice was stern and harsh, like the cold glint of a sharp knife or a block of eternally frozen ice. Although... Ye Liyuan recognized it as her own voice, it felt so incredibly unfamiliar.

'Am I... scolding Yueqiu?'

'And her stealing and wearing Ah Han's clothes... that's so perverted... But why don't I have any memory of this?'

'Is this... a nightmare?'

"Madam, I was wrong. I'm begging you, please don't tell Master, I'm begging you... I'll do anything."

Little Yueqiu lifted her small, tear-stained face, pleading with her.

Although Ye Liyuan didn't know what expression she was wearing, it must have been terrifyingly grim. Otherwise, why would Little Yueqiu be so frightened?

"Tomorrow, you will go to Brother Pei and tell him... that from now on, you will cultivate the Forgetfulness Sword Dao, and that I will personally be your instructor. Understand?"

"The Forgetfulness Sword Dao..."

Little Yueqiu froze, then began to cry even louder.

"No... I don't want to cultivate that... If I do, I won't be a normal person anymore..."

"You don't have a choice... you vile disciple with designs on your master!"

"And now, I'm going to erase your memories of the last few days, lest a malicious disciple like you run to Brother Pei and slander me first!"

As she spoke, Ye Liyuan saw her own hand reach out, moving to cover Little Yueqiu's terrified face.

Amidst Little Yueqiu's cries, the scene gradually dissolved into chaos.

「In the blink of an eye.」

She seemed to be on a mountaintop.

In the distance, a joyous-looking mansion was adorned with lanterns and colored streamers, apparently preparing for a grand celebration.

Ye Liyuan gazed into the distance, then made a startling discovery.

That was the mansion for her wedding with Ah Han!

She couldn't possibly mistake it!

'But why am I dreaming of this place?'

"Brother Pei."

A soft, affectionate call made Ye Liyuan turn her head.

And then, she saw someone she never would have expected.

'Nangong Jin?'

...

CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP—

The chirping of the birds outside the window disturbed someone's sweet dreams.

Or rather, nightmare.

"Why... was I a bad person in my dream?"

"That couldn't have been me..."

Ye Liyuan's long eyelashes trembled. As she slowly opened her eyes, they were still veiled with a lingering mist. She murmured softly, her voice filled with confusion.

She subconsciously reached out to touch the space beside her on the bed. Her fingertips met the cool silk of an empty, cold spot, devoid of the familiar warmth.

'Ah Han didn't come back all night...'

'He really doesn't want me anymore!'

When this thought arose, Ye Liyuan could no longer spare a thought for any dream.

She choked back a sob, tears threatening to fall once more.

But Ye Liyuan quickly tilted her head back, took a deep breath, and forced the tears back down.

'Crying won't solve anything.'

What Ye Liyuan desperately needed to understand now was why Ah Han had started to despise her!

'Ah Han must have misunderstood something...'

'Perhaps he heard some slander while I was in seclusion.'

'But according to Xiaoxiao, while I was in seclusion, Ah Han only interacted with Senior Sister...'

'Wait, besides Senior Sister, there was someone else!'

'Nangong Jin!'

'Ah Han only started acting so strangely after he got off the ship that went to welcome Nangong Jin.'

'Did Nangong Jin say something to him...?'

Ye Liyuan clenched her delicate fists, her chest heaving with anger.

"I have to go find that woman and get some answers!"

"If that woman still has designs on Ah Han and is trying to steal him by slinging mud at me, I'll never forgive her!"

...

...

「On the other side, Pei Yuhang was also already up.」

After refusing "Fan Xuan's" offer to help him dress as a way to repay his hospitality, he had gone to the kitchen early to prepare an exquisite breakfast for Liyuan.

But he still wasn't ready to face her.

In the end, he could only have Xiaoxiao deliver it to Liyuan for him...

'Yesterday, I resisted the urge to confront Liyuan in front of Fan Lingling. But at night, when Liyuan wanted to be intimate... I still ended up hurting her.'

'Perhaps I should have been calmer then...'

Pei Yuhang murmured, feeling a pang of regret for hastily pushing Liyuan away when she tried to get close.

BUZZ—BUZZ—

The buzzing of a Transmission Token suddenly interrupted Pei Yuhang's thoughts.

After he activated the Transmission Token, Junior Sister Nangong's voice, as cold and detached as a puppet's, sounded in his ear.

[Brother Pei, you must have noticed something is amiss these past two days.]

Pei Yuhang fell silent.

And to Nangong Jin, his silence was an answer in itself.

[Brother Pei, can you come and see me?]

[Regarding Ye Liyuan... I might be able to tell you more.]