In the corridor, Yun Yi Han was watching Ling Zhou and Tian Wu practicing kung fu in the garden. After not seeing her for some time, he noticed that Ling Zhou’s lightness kung fu had improved significantly. Looking at her joyful and laughing face, a desolate feeling suddenly swept through Yun Yi Han’s heart. He didn’t know how long he could watch her like this. In three months, she would become someone else’s wife. No matter how much he loved her, in the end, it would all be for nothing.
“Yi Han…” Li Bi Han always appeared wherever he was, her eternally gentle voice never loud – something he found most helpless.
“Come with me… I have something to tell you.” He hesitated, still feeling he should tell her the truth.
“Hmm? Okay…” She smiled softly, her rosy cheeks almost dazzling in the warm sunlight.
She followed Yun Yi Han to the study and gently closed the door.
He moved to the desk and took out something wrapped in yellow cloth. Li Bi Han was shocked to see the yellow color, which represented the emperor; her heart suddenly ached.
Seeing Li Bi Han’s stunned expression, her face turning from rosy to pale, he sighed silently. He unwrapped the item in the yellow cloth and placed it directly in front of Li Bi Han.
“The… Imperial Seal!” She looked at the jade stone on the table in shock, which emitted a mysterious aura, a top-quality imperial seal.
“Look at what’s engraved on it.”
“Receiving the Mandate of Heaven, may prosperity and longevity continue.” She carefully approached the imperial seal, reading the eight characters one by one.
“This is the imperial seal of the She Yu Kingdom.” He carefully wrapped up the seal again.
“How do you have the imperial seal of the She Yu Kingdom?” Li Bi Han’s voice grew softer, afraid of the answer.
“Bi Han, I don’t want to hide this from you anymore.” He looked steadily into Li Bi Han’s eyes. The woman before him always gave selflessly, never asking for anything in return. “My real name is Yu Hen, and I am also known as the Flyin…
Swallow Prince, the monarch of the She Yu Kingdom. Yun Yi Han is just an alias, a false name to conceal my identity.”
“…” She was too shocked to speak. The man she had shared a bed with actually had such an identity and status.
“I came to Night Yu years ago to gather intelligence. The palace’s affairs are managed by my brother Yu Ling, who is one year younger than I. Because the emperors of the She Yu Kingdom never publicly announce their names, Yu Ling has been acting as the emperor, and his reputation as the Flying Swallow Prince even surpasses mine.”
“Why did you come to Night Yu?” Li Bi Han supported her body that was about to slide down, having been by his side for so long without knowing he was actually the monarch of the She Yu Kingdom.
“For the Flame Talisman…” He deliberately lowered his voice, with a tone of unwillingness to not obtain what he wanted. “These years in Night Yu, I’ve watched the emperor wage wars. Although he has never invaded She Yu, one day he will still attack. I cannot let She Yu perish in my hands, so I must obtain the Flame Talisman.”
Yun Yi Han looked at his hands, stained with countless bloodstains. “Only by obtaining the Flame Talisman can I strengthen She Yu and prevent foreign invasions.”
“…” Her lips trembled. Yun Yi Han, no, Yu Hen, had actually been carrying such a mission.
A month ago, in the war with Ye Yao, retreating from Ling Zhou was just one of the reasons. Lord Lie had already told me that Ling Zhou and the owner of the Flame Talisman, Su Mi’er, were friends.
He recalled that day’s situation. If Jing Fei hadn’t told him in advance, he might have truly believed that Ling Zhou had been captured by Ye Yao’s people. Su Mi’er was precisely using his compassion for Ling Zhou to place this bet; but unexpectedly, Yu Hen had ultimately turned the tables on her.
“To obtain the Flame Talisman, the first person I want to deal with is Su Mi’er.”
“So you actually…” She didn’t dare to continue; everything around them felt charged with unspoken tension.
was within Yu Hen’s control. “Why are you telling me these things?”
Li Bihan’s voice trembled slightly. She was afraid she might die by his hand the next second. Usually, the more one knows, the more dangerous it becomes, especially with someone like Yu Hen.
“I just don’t want to keep hiding things from you. The Emperor might have already discovered my true identity, and the military forces have been reduced by thirty percent. I think this general’s mansion will soon be razed to the ground.” He surveyed the mansion where he had lived for several years.
“So?” She seemed to understand a bit why he was telling her this.
“If the Emperor truly decides to condemn me, I hope only I will bear the consequences.” When he came to Ye Yu, he had never thought about returning alive. Now that Yu Ling was capable of standing on his own, he could feel at ease.
But the unexpected appearance of Xia Ling Zhou had completely disrupted his entire plan. Moreover, she had been constantly undermining his strategies, forcing him to change his originally well-established plans time and again. He had even abandoned his original intentions because of her.
She was truly the nemesis of his life!
“亦痕, do you love me?” She stepped forward slowly, embracing his waist.
It was impossible not to love her.
Love? He suddenly became rigid. He had been working tirelessly for the expansion of She Yu for years, long since disregarding life and death. Wholly dedicated to She Yu, he had never considered possessing love. He was simply moving forward alone in solitude. No one could understand; no one could comprehend his loneliness.
For the first time, he was experiencing the act of revealing his inner thoughts and only now felt the bitterness in his heart.
The gentle woman behind him was worthy of love, but his heart had already been filled by someone else, leaving no space for anyone else. She had occupied everything.
“You still love the Princess.” She released her grip powerlessly, bitterness coating her voice.
of a mute eating coptis. “Even if you truly didn’t attack Ye Yao for the Flame Talisman’s information, your heart still holds concern for her—something that cannot be erased.”
Did he love her? Without Ling Zhou by his side, he constantly worried about her safety. When she encountered dangers, he would hastily decide without considering the consequences. Hearing her frank words broke his heart into two, and he even had thoughts of growing old with her. Was this the feeling of loving her?
“Bihan, I…”
“You don’t need to say more. I understand.” She laughed desperately. “Yu Hen, thank you. Thank you for once making me happy. Promise me that if you survive, you’ll live happily with Princess Ling Zhou.”
“…” Yun Yihen looked at her forcibly smiling eyes, and a vague sense of heartache arose in his heart.
He didn’t know how long these days would last, hoping that in the remaining days he could make her happy as compensation for his betrayal. Yun Yihen gently lifted her tear-stained face and bent down to kiss Li Bihan’s trembling lips, which were quivering from crying.
“Yun Yihen, I’m going out for a walk now…” Ling Zhou kicked open the study door and saw the scene before her.
Her heart skipped a beat, and her expression darkened. “Sorry for interrupting your business; please continue.”
With a bang, she closed the study door and leaped onto the roof in one motion. Her heart was unsettled. Wasn’t she already indifferent? Wasn’t she already past caring?
“Ling Zhou…!” Yun Yihen opened the door, only to see the azure sky. Xia Ling Zhou had long disappeared. “Bihan, I’m going to find her.”
With that, Yun Yihen also vanished into the sky like the wind. Li Bihan gently curved her mouth. He could not help but love her and could never make space for her.
Must Be Happier Than Me (1)
