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Qingli felt even angrier after hearing this. What kind of heir was Nangong Rong? It turned out he harbored such intentions, deceiving the emperor and Su Qingyue, using these tactics to force Su Qingyue into marrying him. How despicable!
If it weren’t for Nangong Yan being present, Qingli would have loved to kick him away again.
Nangong Rong was too flustered to think of anything else. Su Qingyue’s words meant he had deceived the emperor!
That was a crime he could not bear.
Nangong Rong immediately knelt down and hastily explained, “No, Your Majesty! I truly admire Miss Su. Today, I wanted to express my feelings to her, which is why I asked for your opinion in advance. Every time we meet, Miss Su has not treated me poorly, so I thought she might like me too. I didn’t realize I was being self-indulgent.”
As he spoke, a bitter, self-deprecating smile appeared on his face.
Hearing this, Qingli couldn’t help but laugh derisively, but when her eyes met Nangong Yan’s, that mocking smile quickly faded. She swallowed the words that had been on the tip of her tongue and instinctively moved behind Su Qingyue.
Nangong Yan then noticed Qingli behind Su Qingyue, her features also bearing some familiarity.
Nangong Yan frowned, his eyes fixed on Qingli.
Qingli felt uncomfortable under his gaze and lowered her head even further.
Could it be that he recognized her?
Qingli felt a sense of unease and didn’t dare to look up.
Su Qingyue, seeing Nangong Rong’s pretense, coldly said, “Is Young Master Rong a fool? Can’t you see how others treat you? The way you slander my reputation doesn’t seem like love; it feels more like enmity. I don’t recall having offended you, so why do you act this way?”
Su Qingyue’s blatant dismissal took Nangong Rong by surprise. The Su family clearly indicated they wanted Su Qingyue to become the empress; that was why she was still unmarried at such an age.
But was Su Qingyue now unwilling to become empress? Did she believe that Nangong Rui had a better chance at the throne? Was she willing to offend him for that reason?
The thought of this possibility made Nangong Rong grit his teeth. Why did Su Qingyue think Nangong Rui had a better chance?
With this in mind, Nangong Rong’s tone turned cold.
“Miss Su, are you sure you have no feelings for me? If so, I will not pursue you any further. I’ll take it as I misunderstood and apologize!”
Nangong Rong stared intently at Su Qingyue. If she said yes, then she would have no chance of marrying into the Prince of An’s residence, which would mean her hopes of becoming empress would also diminish by half.
Su Qingyue undoubtedly understood this.
She understood very well, and that was precisely why she responded this way.
Under Nangong Rong’s scrutinizing gaze, Su Qingyue calmly nodded. “Yes, I have never had any feelings for Young Master Rong. I hope you will not pursue me any longer.”
Hearing her maintain that stance, Nangong Rong’s heart grew cold. He smiled bitterly with anger, secretly gritting his teeth. “Fine. Since that’s the case, I will no longer have any designs on Miss Su. For the previous matter, I apologize.”
Due to Nangong Yan’s presence, Nangong Rong could only offer this apology; otherwise, he would solidify the charge of deceiving the emperor, and everything would truly be ruined.
What innate Phoenix destiny? Such a foolish woman was not worth it. He didn’t believe that without Su Qingyue, he couldn’t ascend to the throne. He was determined to strive for that position and make Su Qingyue kneel before him one day.
With these thoughts, Nangong Rong felt slightly better.
Hearing Nangong Yan’s words, Su Qingyue also breathed a sigh of relief. She had unexpectedly severed the path of marrying Nangong Rong so quickly—what a pleasant surprise!
Now, only Nangong Mo and Nangong Rui remained as candidates.
Su Qingyue’s expression improved significantly, and her tone softened as she said, “It’s alright, I accept Young Master Rong’s apology. I only hope you will remember what you said today.”
Upon hearing this, Nangong Rong gritted his teeth in anger. “I will certainly remember it well.”
After saying this, Nangong Rong stepped back.
Nangong Yan’s gaze shifted away from Qingli, glancing at Su Qingyue before slowly asking, “Why is Miss Su wearing a veil?”
Su Qingyue’s heart tightened, and she could only respond, “Your servant’s appearance has been damaged, so I must wear a veil.”
Su Qingyue thought to herself that she needed to speed up her plans for disfigurement. If she fell into a situation where she could be accused of deceiving the emperor, it would be disastrous.
Hearing this, Nangong Yan said nothing more. He cast one last glance at the sisters before turning to leave.
As soon as he departed, both Qingli and Su Qingyue breathed sighs of relief. Qingli was worried about being recognized, while Su Qingyue feared that Qingli would discover the truth about her not being disfigured. She also felt intimidated by the aura Nangong Yan exuded; with him around, she didn’t dare to breathe too loudly.
After all, everyone knew that Nangong Yan had a notoriously bad temper. Though he was a rare wise emperor, his moods were indeed erratic.
Once back in his carriage, Nangong Yan immediately ordered an investigation into Su Qingyue and her companion, Qingli.
Nangong Rong, riding on horseback, was so furious he seemed about to explode. He clenched his fists tightly, casting fierce glances back at Su Qingyue’s carriage, silently vowing that she would regret this in the future.
With Nangong Yan’s command, the convoy set off. It wasn’t until they had gradually moved away that Su Qingyue instructed the coachman to start their journey.
Qingli looked at Su Qingyue and asked, “Qingyue, were you really afraid of those people just now?”
Su Qingyue forced a smile. “Not particularly afraid. It’s just that our family’s power isn’t as great as theirs, and many things we have to comply with. But I don’t want to comply.”
Having the chance to start anew, Su Qingyue only wanted to live for herself and enjoy her life, not wanting to get caught up in the struggles for the throne.
In this lifetime, she would let them fight it out on their own; she would no longer participate.
Seeing the lack of joy in Su Qingyue’s eyes, Qingli said, “That Young Master Rong seems to be doomed to die young. You don’t have to worry; once he’s gone, you won’t have to fret anymore.”
Su Qingyue was taken aback. “Doomed to die young?”
In her previous life, Nangong Rong had not died; he had merely been incapacitated by Nangong Mo, losing his eligibility to be emperor. He remained bedridden until his death, still alive.
Su Qingyue had not truly witnessed Qingli’s abilities, so she was somewhat skeptical.
Qingli nodded and continued, “Yes, I glanced at his face earlier. No need to know his birth date or perform complex calculations; just a glance at his features reveals that he is destined to die soon, most likely within three months.”
Looking at Qingli’s serious demeanor, Su Qingyue frowned, unsure whether to believe her, but she also felt that Qingli did not seem like a liar.
At that moment, Ziluo, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them and asked Qingli, “Miss Qingli, you can tell fortunes too?”
Qingli nodded. “Yes, I learned from the Seven Mystic Sect. Fortune-telling and face reading are basic skills.”
“The Seven Mystic Sect?”
Ziluo, who had seemed indifferent before, now displayed surprise.
Qingli nodded. “Yes, do you know about our Seven Mystic Sect?”
Ziluo replied, “I’ve heard of it in the Jianghu, but only in passing. I don’t know the details.”
Qingli’s interest piqued, and she eagerly asked, “What have you heard about our Seven Mystic Sect in the Jianghu? Tell me!”
Ziluo saw her excited and curious expression, and her previous doubts about Qingli being a fraud dissipated significantly. She slowly began to speak. “There aren’t many rumors about the Seven Mystic Sect in the Jianghu. They say it’s a very ancient and powerful sect, and it’s quite mysterious. It’s rumored that those from the Seven Mystic Sect can perform magical feats, capable of anything, but these tales sound more like legends, so no one believes them.”
Qingli laughed. “Capable of anything? How did that rumor even start? It’s odd that anyone would believe such things. The people of the Seven Mystic Sect aren’t that powerful. We do practice medicine, fortune-telling, and exorcism—those are our specialties. The mystical arts are the foundation of the Seven Mystic Sect. As for me, I’m the most talented person in our sect and will be the next leader!”
Su Qingyue felt no need to guard herself around Qingli. But even if she did, these were not things that couldn’t be said.
Su Qingyue asked, “A-li, are your parents also from the Seven Mystic Sect?”
Qingli shook her head. “I don’t know. I have no parents. I was picked up by my master.”
Upon hearing this, Su Qingyue’s heart tightened. Looking at Qingli’s indifferent attitude, she felt a pang of discomfort. However, thinking of her own parents, she also felt that if Qingli were truly her sister, then not growing up in a family could be a kind of blessing in itself.