The evening sun, casting its light on Linghe Temple, appeared both gentle and cold.
A gentle breeze blew.
The monk’s robe was swaying lightly in the breeze before him.
An Ning almost couldn’t rember the first ti she saw him, and in this mont, his image was clear again.
Her nose tingled with bitterness.
Her eyes were already red and teary.
Her throat choked with emotion.
Yet when she finally spoke, her voice was surprisingly calm.
She said, "Gu Xingchuan."
There was no doubt, it was him.
The monk was currently lowering his head, drawing water.
His slow and fluid motions beca noticeably stiff upon hearing her voice.
After a while, he seed carefree again.
He did not respond.
Nor did he acknowledge or deny it.
"Why did you co here?" An Ning asked him, standing behind him.
It seed she did not require his answer, she had already confird his identity.
The monk finally managed to fill two buckets of water.
Just as he was about to leave with the two buckets,
An Ning gritted her teeth and walked directly in front of him, blocking his way.
He still wore a mask at this mont, his gaze on her was icy.
An Ning asked him, "Are you still going to hide from ?!"
The monk was silent.
From beginning to end, he didn’t utter a word.
An Ning reached out directly, intending to remove the monk’s mask.
The monk’s eyes shifted slightly.
Last ti he intentionally avoided her, but this ti he just watched her, not refusing.
An Ning bit her lip tightly.
She was sure it was him, but at the mont of revealing, she began to fear.
Her fingers trembled.
Her hands touched the mask, trembling without removing it from his face.
No one knew how long they stayed like this.
An Ning’s fingers twitched a little, leaving the mask.
"Since when did you beco so timid?" The person under the mask suddenly spoke.
The familiar voice, gentle and warm, made An Ning’s eyes fill with tears instantly.
She gave up only because she didn’t want to make things difficult for Gu Xingchuan.
If he truly didn’t want her to see him, she wouldn’t look.
However, Gu Xingchuan’s words made her hand move back.
Then, she took off his mask.
Beneath the mask, the familiar face ca into view.
And in that mont,
tears uncontrollably poured down like a torrent.
She couldn’t, control it at all.
It really was Gu Xingchuan.
The Gu Xingchuan she thought was gone, suddenly appeared before her, catching her off guard.
"Is it too ugly?" Gu Xingchuan asked in a low voice, seeing her tear-streaked face.
There seed to be a hint of self-deprecation in his tone.
An Ning’s restrained emotions caused her body to tremble uncontrollably.
The joy of finding soone she thought dead surpassed all worldly beauties.
With a choked voice, she said, "So you were afraid of being too ugly, that’s why you didn’t see ?"
Gu Xingchuan seed to laugh.
His laughter was still as warm as before, like a spring breeze.
In reality,
he wasn’t ugly at all.
Even with a shaved head at this mont, it couldn’t hide his handso features or his gentlemanly deanor.
He was probably the best-looking monk she had ever seen.
Thinking of a monk.
An Ning’s nose inexplicably turned sour again.
She asked, "Was it Xiao Jinxing who made you beco a monk?"
Spared his life, then forced him to sever all ties with the mortal world.
"How much do you misunderstand him?" Gu Xingchuan asked with a smile.
An Ning’s eyes flickered.
Her heart seed to sting for a mont.
"How did you survive?" An Ning asked.
She wanted to know the truth behind many things.
Gu Xingchuan placed the two buckets on the ground, then walked slowly towards the courtyard.
An Ning followed his steps.
The breeze caressed her face, cool and comfortable.
"The Emperor helped with a substitution," Gu Xingchuan said. "When I was taken for execution, the Emperor found a death row prisoner with similar height and build to replace for the beheading."
"How did he manage that?" An Ning was surprised, "Since it was a public execution, how could it not be discovered by anyone?!"
"It’s not difficult," Gu Xingchuan explained. "First, the Emperor ordered that no civil or military officials were allowed to witness my execution, claiming it was to leave so dignity in the end. The officials wouldn’t be suspicious; after all, in their minds, the Emperor valued , so doing sothing for at the last mont was reasonable. Secondly, since the officials didn’t co, and few people recognized , finding soone similar to to take my place wouldn’t be easily detected. Of course, the Emperor arranged for the officials and executioner in advance, so during the execution, there would be no slip up. Lastly, the person substituting was dressed in my clothes, and his face was deliberately disfigured so that his true appearance couldn’t be seen. Like this, they easily fooled everyone,"
Gu Xingchuan recounted calmly.
As if he was telling soone else’s story, light and carefree.
"Did you know beforehand?" An Ning asked, "Knew that Xiao Jinxing wouldn’t kill you?!"
"No, it was only at the mont of execution did I know. I always thought I was dood. The Emperor had no reason to spare . Logically and emotionally, he couldn’t have allowed to live. Publicly, I’ve wronged him and the people of the world, my death was well-deserved. Privately, he couldn’t possibly not mind the bond between you and . Yet in the end, he spared for your sake."
An Ning lightly bit her lip.
Was it really for her?
If it was for her, why keep it a secret from her?
An Ning was silent.
Gu Xingchuan looked at her expression, "Are you wondering why the Emperor would do this?"
An Ning’s lashes trembled, she looked up at Gu Xingchuan and nodded honestly.
"I was also puzzled why the Emperor privately did so much for you, yet ultimately chose to keep it a secret from you," Gu Xingchuan stated bluntly, "So, when he secretly sent away from Xun City, I asked him."
"What did he say?" An Ning looked at Gu Xingchuan.
"What do you think he said?" Gu Xingchuan countered.
An Ning shook her head.
She didn’t know.
She didn’t know if Xiao Jinxing was acting out of complete disappointnt in her, thus doing this much for her, but choosing to hide it.
Back then, she did everything she could to save Gu Xingchuan.
She had thought about Xiao Jinxing using such a thod to spare Gu Xingchuan’s life.
She just didn’t believe Xiao Jinxing would actually free Gu Xingchuan.
Like Gu Xingchuan, she understood clearly that Xiao Jinxing really had no reason to keep him alive, and as a king, his pride wouldn’t allow him to spare Gu Xingchuan.
He couldn’t possibly go soft for Gu Xingchuan’s sake.
So everything she did was to make Xiao Jinxing sincerely let Gu Xingchuan go, rather than finding ways to let him escape!
She knew as long as he didn’t kill Gu Xingchuan, he would sohow survive.
She always thought that Xiao Jinxing eventually chose his power and throne, and killed Gu Xingchuan.
After Gu Xingchuan’s execution, she really left no hope for herself.
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