Chapter 71: True Feelings on a Snowy Night

“But… how could I possibly deal with you…”

Li Yunli deliberately blocked all news as a precaution, intending to leave Yongzhou secretly without alerting the capital. However, the northwest forces still noticed the movement.

“Yun Chu!”

She called out to Yun Chu, who was already engaged in battle.

“Don’t get caught up in the fight! Stay close!”

Yun Chu’s sword clashed with a heavy, sharp blade, but he did not lose ground in strength.

Without turning back, he parried the blade with a swift strike.

“Rest assured, Your Highness!”

He wasn’t foolish. If Li Yunli could deduce that these people were from Wei, he could do the same—except he didn’t need to guess; he recognized them.

“Third Highness! We will not stop! We will not be deterred!!”

The burly man wielding the large blade openly revealed his identity, his booming voice reaching everyone on the battlefield.

“That woman must die here today!”

Yun Chu had not covered his face that day, so it was unsurprising that he was recognized.

But standing here, fighting them, meant that—through the eyes of the Wei army—he, the Third Prince of Wei, had betrayed their cause of restoring the nation.

Now that his opponent had exposed himself, continuing to fight would brand him as a traitor.

The man with the large blade, seemingly the leader, glared at Yun Chu.

Yun Chu gripped his sword firmly, not taking a single step back.

“You are seeking death. Who sent you?”

“Third Highness, come with us!”

Yun Chu’s voice deepened. “Put down your weapon. No matter what promises Zheng Siyian made, you will not leave here today.”

“You should be the one leaving, Third Highness!”

Before the man could finish speaking, Chu soldiers had surrounded him.

His loud voice had been heard by the soldiers nearby, as well as those in the carriage—Li Yunli and Shen Ziyu.

This desperate assassination attempt was doomed to fail, but the man was unwilling to give up. Even after being knocked off his horse and pinned to the ground, he still roared at Yun Chu:

“Third Highness! That woman will never trust you! You are the prince of Wei, the last bloodline of our king! As long as you live, Wei has not fallen!”

His furious cries rang in Yun Chu’s ears. Yun Chu frowned as the man was gagged and dragged away, and for a moment, he was reminded of the day his kingdom fell—when Ji Chunhui had forced him to kneel just like this.

“Victory belongs to the strong. That is all there is to it.”

His tone was calm, almost imperceptible.

Once the Chu army had captured all the enemies, Li Yunli stepped out of the carriage.

The captured men glared at her with hatred.

Li Yunli approached Yun Chu. “You know him?”

Yun Chu: “Yes, he was once a subordinate of mine in the army.”

Li Yunli: “Do you remember our previous agreement?”

Still sitting on his horse, Yun Chu lowered his gaze to the man and replied, “I remember. Any Wei soldier who opposes Chu is yours to deal with.”

The assassins sent to Yongzhou before were merely Zheng Siyian’s pawns, unrelated to Yun Chu. No matter how Li Yunli dealt with them, he remained unaffected.

But this time, these men were true soldiers of Wei.

Zheng Siyian had deliberately sent them, knowing it would be difficult for Yun Chu to sever ties.

Li Yunli saw his hesitation. “Are you struggling with this?”

Yun Chu pressed his lips together.

If Li Yunli intended to kill them, his next words could change their fate—but at the cost of breaking his promise.

And for Li Yunli, sparing them would only invite future danger.

These men were his former comrades, but to Li Yunli, they were nothing but enemies.

Yun Chu exhaled softly.

“No, Your Highness.”

“Good. Then get in the carriage.”

Li Yunli dismissed him.

Yun Chu closed his eyes briefly, then obeyed.

Once he left, Li Yunli turned to the leader of the captives.

“Take this one to the capital with me. Send the rest back to Yongzhou. We haven’t gone far—inform Ji Wenxun to lock them in the Yongzhou prison. Make sure no one rescues them.”

She glanced at the carriage.

The distance wasn’t far. Yun Chu had heard everything.

He sat quietly inside, saying nothing.

But his mind raced—how much of her decision was purely strategic?

She couldn’t recall everything from her past life, so she was still lenient toward his people.

But if she remembered everything… would she still trust him?

Yun Chu felt cold, despite it being spring. There was no brazier in the carriage.

He rubbed his fingers together, pressing them against his forehead, recalling something Li Yunli had mentioned before—

Her incomplete memory of that snowy night… and the wolves.

—

“I don’t want to love you anymore… I don’t want to love you…”

Li Yunli sobbed uncontrollably.

She had been terrified by the wolves in the snow, nothing like her usual fearless self.

Inside the small farmhouse, the fire burned bright, heating the entire room. Yet Yun Chu’s hands were still ice-cold.

As he loosened the ties of her robe at her shoulders, bitterness filled his heart. But he still held her close, forcing a smile.

“Alright, then can you hate me? Like I once hated you?”

He spoke, but deep inside, possessiveness surged uncontrollably.

His grip tightened as he undid her outer robe.

His eyes had turned red.

Li Yunli had been wounded by the wolves, unconscious in the snow, her blood attracting even more of them. Yun Chu had been alone with only his horse, Treading Cloud. It was only because of the horse’s intelligence that they managed to escape.

Otherwise, he would have been even more severely injured.

“I hate you… I hate you…”

Li Yunli’s eyes were filled with tears as she trembled, staring at his bleeding wounds.

Yun Chu knew she hated him—not just for their escape gamble, but for failing to run away.

She was proud, frustrated with herself… and resentful of him.

But at that moment, what she hated most was what was about to happen in that farmhouse—a fate she could not escape.

Yun Chu had changed into clothes he found in the farmhouse. He held her close, afraid she would be cold—but not afraid of her resistance.

He was careful to avoid her wounds but treated his own injuries with brutal disregard.

He was badly hurt. Every movement sent pain through his body. But he ignored it.

All he wanted was to see her—to look into her eyes, to find even the smallest trace of concern for him.

But in the end, he lost control.

“Li Yunli, you must never forget this night!”

His voice was hoarse as he whispered into her ear, filled with disappointment.

Because he never saw himself reflected in her eyes.

Like a wild beast, he left his marks on her.

In the end, was he really any different from the wolves in the snow?

This was the first time she had given in—and only because he had agreed to let her go if she won their bet.

But she had lost.

And so, she had to let him do as he pleased.

His knee pressed into the wooden floor, leaving a dark bruise.

As he looked up, a tear fell onto her forehead.

“But… how could I possibly deal with you…”

She had already fainted.

—

Back in the carriage, Yun Chu clenched his fists, then slowly released them. His palms were deathly pale.

He took a deep breath.

If she remembered everything… would she still trust him?

Would she still believe in him?