Was it you that night?
Chapter 123 - 121: Casting a Spell on Qinghe

Chapter 123: Chapter 121: Casting a Spell on Qinghe

Nan Sheng’s impression of Qu Nian still lingered in the past century.

From the time she could remember, she was disliked by Nan Lan, because her birth father abandoned them for another woman.

Qu Nian had left when she was too young, so she had no impression of him, vaguely remembering only one thing: her father abandoned her for another woman already dead.

About ten years after Qu Nian disappeared, she encountered him by chance, and that was when she learned he was her birth father.

Qu Nian gave her an Immortal Pill. After taking it, she obtained an immortal fate, could practice Qi Refinement, and lived longer than ordinary people.

It was from that time that her luck began to improve.

How could she have imagined that a hundred years later, today, she would hear her father’s name from Xiao Chen’s lips?

"Brother Xiao, do you know about my background?" Nan Sheng took a while to collect herself and said with a bitter smile, "Brother Xiao surely didn’t expect that, in fact, I am a child despised by my own parents."

"You are fortunate to have survived that disaster, while Liu Sanniang and her two children died without a complete corpse," Xiao Chen said, giving Nan Sheng a deep look.

Nan Sheng had no reason to pity herself – others were far more pitiable.

Nan Sheng was of a sensitive nature and instantly sensed a change in Xiao Chen’s attitude.

She recalled that Qu Nian had abducted Shen Qinghe. Had something happened on this trip that caused a shift in Xiao Chen’s attitude?

"What is his purpose in abducting Qinghe?" Nan Sheng subtly changed the topic.

Xiao Chen sneered, "He fancies himself a lover. Knowing that Qinghe took the Snow Bone Grass, he wants to dig out Qinghe’s heart to revive Liu Sanniang. If you had obtained the Snow Bone Grass, he wouldn’t have abducted you, would he?"

Nan Sheng’s expression changed slightly; she realized Xiao Chen’s words were laced with sarcasm, mocking both Qu Nian and her.

"Is Brother Xiao blaming me?" Nan Sheng asked in a muted voice.

What did this have to do with her?

Even if she was Qu Nian’s daughter, she was not the one who made Qu Nian abduct Shen Qinghe.

"I’m just thinking, Nan Lan must have been a national beauty for Qu Nian to disregard his wife’s feelings and marry her as his secondary wife after meeting her, right? And after Liu Sanniang’s death, Qu Nian acted as if he could not live without Liu Sanniang. It’s really laughable," Xiao Chen said, his tone filled with intense disdain.

Nan Sheng, hearing this, mistakenly thought Xiao Chen despised her for being Nan Lan’s daughter.

In truth, Xiao Chen despised himself.

His true feelings were for Shen Qinghe, and yet he married Nan Sheng. He saw his reflection in Qu Nian.

After experiencing several Illusory Realms, he understood deeply one thing – he was drifting further and further away from Shen Qinghe. Even in dreams where she didn’t know Dongfang Wuya, her choice was still Dongfang Wuya, not him.

"Does Brother Xiao no longer wish to marry me?" Nan Sheng asked, her eyes brimming with panic.

Xiao Chen sighed softly, giving no answer to her question, and headed towards the Spring Breeze Tower.

Nan Sheng watched his lonely figure receding, her heart aching as if pricked by needles.

When the whole world had forsaken her, Xiao Chen’s determination to marry her had never wavered, which made her fall for him step by step.

Yet, just as she truly fell for Xiao Chen, he began to look elsewhere.

He indeed favored Shen Qinghe. Qinghe’s abduction this time caused Xiao Chen’s heart to waver.

Shen Qinghe had already taken Yan Changsheng away; Nan Sheng couldn’t allow Shen Qinghe to take Xiao Chen too.

Although she was reluctant to admit it, the reality was different from the plot in the book.

In the book, because Shen Qinghe died early, she naturally obtained the Snow Bone Grass. But in the book, Qu Nian did not abduct her, an act that now, in reality, had been carried out.

This was a complete departure from the book’s storyline.

It should be said that after Shen Qinghe survived, many plots in the book deviated, and the chief culprit was Shen Qinghe herself.

In the book, Yan Changsheng and Xiao Chen fought over her until they were bloody and bruised, but in reality, Yan Changsheng betrayed her, and even Xiao Chen wanted to annul the marriage.

After a moment of thought, she went to the front of Spring Breeze Pavilion and stood still.

She did not enter the Spring Breeze Pavilion but raised her voice and said, "Brother Xiao, don’t feel pressured. If Brother Xiao does not wish to get married, let’s call off the wedding. I don’t want to see Brother Xiao struggle."

Xiao Chen was immersed in his own thoughts and did not respond.

He recalled that absurd dream. In the dream, Shen Qinghe had married Dongfang Wuya and bore him a daughter, but then she passed away early due to her weakened body.

What struck him most was that, the moment he saw Qinghe’s daughter, it was as if he saw Qinghe standing in front of him.

After so many years, even though he was already married, he still remembered Shen Qinghe.

If he were to marry and have children in reality, and still couldn’t forget about Shen Qinghe after many years, would he feel the same regret as he did in the dream, regretting that Shen Qinghe did not marry him?

Meanwhile, Shen Qinghe returned to Simple Residence Courtyard, where she saw no sign of Shen Zhiyao. On inquiry, she learned that Shen Zhiyao had left Sky Pole Sect to look for her and had not yet returned.

Knowing that Shen Zhiyao was with Shu Xiu, she felt slightly relieved.

"Senior Brother, besides Senior Sister Shu, did anyone else go out to look for me?" Shen Qinghe asked further.

"Senior Brother Wu went as well. Don’t worry, with Senior Brother Wu watching over her, Zhiyao will be fine."

Shen Qinghe thanked him and returned to Simple Residence Courtyard to continue her Qi Refinement.

At dusk, she made a few dishes and soon ate her fill.

Perhaps it was because she had spent a long time in the Illusory Realm, but she started yawning incessantly after meditating only briefly, overcome with an unexpected urge to sleep.

Seeing that Zi Hour was approaching and Shen Zhiyao would probably not return tonight, she simply laid down on the bed, planning to sleep through the night and continue her Qi Refinement the next day.

No sooner had she touched the pillow than she fell into a deep slumber, completely unaware that there was something amiss with this situation.

Only after he confirmed she was asleep did Yan Changsheng enter the bedroom, sitting on the edge of the bed to stare blankly at Shen Qinghe’s sleeping face.

He didn’t know why, but he had a particularly strong desire to see Qinghe today. Since she was unwilling to see him, he came up with a compromise and cast a Hypnosis Spell on her.

She was indeed a bit inexperienced, completely oblivious that he had cast a talisman on her; feeling tired, she obediently lay down to sleep.

He watched her peaceful sleeping face in a daze, feeling increasingly at ease the longer he looked.

Luckily, Shen Zhiyao was not around, so he gently pushed Shen Qinghe to one side of the bed and lay down beside her.

"Qinghe..."

He silently mouthed the name Shen Qinghe, finding it increasingly pleasant to the ear. He hadn’t noticed before, but now that he was in love with her, everything about her seemed wonderful. She was beautiful and had a good temperament, and even her name, matching the scent of fresh grass on her, was particularly lovely.

Now, it seemed that every time he thought of her, his heart ached as if it were being torn apart. While he could deceive himself in the Illusory Realm, now he could no longer ignore the pain.

Without a doubt, because of her, he had developed a Heart Demon.

Even with his talents, there would be no place for him in Sky Pole Sect in the future. Being expelled from the sect was bearable, but what he feared most was never having the chance to see her again.

In this moment, seeing Qinghe provided a slight relief from his heartache.

And he could only approach her without her disdain when she was unconscious.

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Have I ever mentioned before that the male leads will gradually become twisted and dark?