See Yaoer eyes complex staring at himself, Xuanjing suddenly awakened, nervous said: "Yaoer, I."
Wished to speak but stopped, wanting to explain but not knowing how to open his mouth.
He struggled for a while and said, "Take care of An An and You You, I will go to pick the flowers on the other side, wait for me."
With those words, he turned to leave.
"You don't have to go."
He hadn't taken two steps before being called back by Yu Yao.
Seeing Xuanji stop and turn around, looking at her with a puzzled expression, she said in a complex tone, "I never wanted the flower on the other side. I just wanted to test your sincerity."
Xuanji was immediately alarmed, rushing forward to take her hand and explaining urgently, "Yaoer, I'm not afraid of death, I just fear that if I die, what will happen to An An and You You."
"I know."
He had not finished speaking when Yu Yao interrupted him.
She raised her eyes and stared at him, her eyes complex as she continued, "Maybe you really like me and really love me, but in your heart, you care more about the children. If it weren't for An An and You You, you wouldn't want to return to the secular world."
Her words are like the fine rain in the spring breeze, gently brushing across Xuanjing's heart, yet also stirring up ripples.
He looked at her, his deep eyes reflecting both release and confusion.
As if in this moment, the emotional barriers between the two quietly crumble, but new boundaries are erected.
"Yaoer, do you know that in my heart, you are as important as An An and You You. I'm not indifferent to you, but as a father, I can't imagine a world without them. But I also understand that without you, my world would lose its color."
Xuanji's voice was deep and sincere, each word as if extracted from the depths of his heart, carrying an unshakeable conviction.
Seeing her eyes slightly red, she only lowered her gaze and remained silent.
He was once again in a panic to explain, "The prince is different from me. An An and You You are not his own children, he has no sense of responsibility as a father. He just needs to be responsible for the pure love you."
"If I were in his position, I could also love you without looking back."
Yu Yao heard these words and her eyes became even more complex. She gently pulled back the hand that Xuanji had been holding tightly, turned around, and did not let him see the tears in her eyes.
As night deepened and the world fell into silence, only their breathing sounds and occasional insect chirps from afar intertwined together.
"Xuanji, between you and me, it's not just a choice between love and responsibility; it's also the entanglements of past lives and present. Du Fengye is my debt from a past life, my connection in this life. I cannot ignore his presence, nor can I deny his deep affection for me."
Xuanji's heart trembled. Debt from a past life, connection in this life?
He seemed to understand something, yet he did not seem to understand, but it could be certain that something had happened between the two of them, and it was profound.
"Since that's the case, I won't force you. No matter how you choose, I will not blame you. But there is one condition: if you marry Du Fengye, I want to take An An and You You with me."
As Xuanji finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment. The gazes of the two people intersected in the air, each carrying countless words.
Yu Yao suddenly sneered at the man in front of her, who kept saying that she was as important as their children, but his words and actions were telling her otherwise.
Children first, she second.
Although it is not appropriate to be jealous of one's own children, she just can't help feeling uncomfortable in her heart.
Since her task was only to give birth for Xuanji, now that the child has been born, there was no need to waste time and energy on Xuanji.
She would choose who loves her more and who makes her happier and more joyful.
As for An An and You You, she could visit them when she has time, and they would not lack love from her.
Xuanji will definitely be willing to marry again if he dared to marry a stepmother who would mistreat her children. She would not mind if Xuanji had to become a monk again.
After she made up her mind, she no longer hesitated and her expression turned cold. "Since that's the case, you can take the child if you want."
After she finished speaking, she turned and disappeared into the night.
Xuanji stood there, dazed and full of bitterness and regret, wanting to protect his children, but inadvertently hurting her.
The night wind blew, bringing a chill, but Xuanji seemed to feel no cold.
Xuanji's mind kept flashing with Yaoer's words and the resolute departure of her back, he didn't know what he did wrong.
He just wanted to keep his children, he couldn't really let her marry another man with the kids, could he?
Xuanji wanted to run after her, but he didn't know what to say if he really caught up with her.
Standing there for a long time, Xuanji returned to the house.
At this moment, An An and You You were sleeping soundly. Looking at the two children sleeping sweetly, he felt a softness in his heart.
He bent down to kiss the children's little faces, gently lifted them, and vanished in an instant from the mansion.
When the week's aunt went to relieve herself and came back, she was going to check if the two young masters had kicked off their blankets, but when she returned, she found that the two children were gone.
The week's aunt was so scared that her heart palpitated wildly. Just as she was about to scream, she saw a piece of paper in the cradle.
She slightly stunned, picked it up and saw what was written inside. Unfortunately, she couldn't read or understand what was written on the paper.
She had no choice but to take the note to find Zhou Bo, who couldn't read or write either. Mrs. Zhou was nowhere to be found, and there was no one else in the mansion who could read or write.
Reluctantly, Zhou Bo had to take the note outside and seek help from others.
Although the night is deep, there are always a few households nearby with their lights on.
Zhou Bo gently knocked on the door of a nearby house, and the person who opened the door was a scholar with an elegant appearance. He had sleepy eyes and clothes loosely draped over him, clearly already asleep.
The scholar yawned and walked to the door, asking, "Old sir, I wonder what brings you to knock on my door at this late hour?"
"I apologize for disturbing you at this late hour."
Zhou Bo slightly bent his waist and looked apologetic. Then, he said honestly, "Old man can't read or write, please help me look at what's written on it?"
With that, he hurriedly handed over the note.
The scholar nodded slightly, then yawned again. He reached out to take the note, and with the faint light from the lantern hanging outside the courtyard, he could see it clearly enough.
"Old man, this note is signed by Xuanjing, saying that he took the children and asked you not to worry."
He handed the note back to Zhou Bo, "Old man, that's all."
Zhou Bo heard these words and breathed a sigh of relief. Xuanjing, the father of the two young masters, would naturally not harm them.
He didn't understand why the child was taken away at this late hour.
Could it be because of Du Fengjun? Did they have a misunderstanding with Madam? That's why they took away the two young masters?
He thanked the scholar and turned to leave.
Back at the mansion, Zhou's wife met him in a hurry, "Old man, did you find out who it was? What did the note say?"
Zhou Bo looked at Zhou's wife and then recounted the scholar's words to her.
Zhou's wife listened and stamped her foot in worry, "What are we going to do? Mrs. Zhou will be frantic when she comes back."
The night was as dark as ink, and all was silent except for the occasional sound of a watchman's bell from afar, which broke the tranquility of the night.
Xuanjing returned to Wei Mansion with An An and You You, and he ordered someone to prepare the side room in his own palace, which was decorated warmly and securely.
He then placed the two children in the cradle in the side room and took careful care of them.
He was afraid that he wouldn't know how to take care of the children, so he ordered someone to find two experienced old nannies who could take care of An An and You You right away.
Of course, most of the time he took care of them himself. Only when he didn't understand, he would ask those two nannies for help.
The two old maids looked at each other with puzzled expressions. The King of Wei was clearly a monk, and where did these two children come from? Yet he loved them so much?
Who knows, it might even seem like the King of Wei's own children.
The night was as dark as ink, and the east palace was shrouded in dim lights.
A streak of light suddenly descended to the doorway of Du Fengye's study, slowly revealing an exquisite figure, it was Yu Yao.
She came over at this late hour because she was worried that the fool would really find a sorcerer to help him enter the Underworld.
Mo Jue is an ordinary person in this life. If he really goes, he will never be able to come back.
She was about to push open the door when she heard Du Fengye's voice, mingled with the urgent discussions of the sorcerers, faintly discernible.
"Your Highness, the Underworld is not something an ordinary person can easily tread upon. It requires the gathering of earthly treasures and special techniques to open the door to the realm of the dead."
An elderly sorcerer spoke slowly, with a look of unease in his eyes.
"So that means there is a way to go?"
Du Fengye raised his eyebrows and urgently said, "Tell me quickly."
Probably because he was a phoenix snake in his previous life and was born in the animal world, his courage was naturally very large, there was no fear in his bones, and he had a kind of excitement of exploring the unknown.
He was also curious about what the Underworld actually looked like.
Yu Yao stood at the door and couldn't help but smile, "This fool, actually went."
She was hesitating whether to push open the door, when Du Fengye in the study noticed someone outside who was trying to eavesdrop.
He gently raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet, and went to the window. Looking outside, he saw a familiar figure, bathed in moonlight, exquisite and gentle.
Seeing who it was outside, Du Fengye's heart rejoiced, and he was about to open the door to let her in.
However, she hesitated for a moment as if she was unsure whether to come in.
Du Fengye immediately understood what was happening and whispered to the sorcerers, instructing them to leave for the time being.
The few sorcerers didn't understand what was happening, but they all got up and left one by one.
Yu Yao saw someone come out of the house, and immediately disappeared from sight. Only after the sorcerers had left did she appear again.
