She wasn't risking her life; she was just taking a gamble.

As it turned out, she won.

Even though Xie Jin Yan knew she had done it on purpose, he still felt a pang of heartache.

Yu Qingwu raised her eyes, gazing at Xie Jin Yan's pale and handsome face, and said with a smile, "Your Highness truly knows me best. You always see through me at a glance; it's no fun at all."

This woman even had the heart to joke around.

Xie Jin Yan was so angry he could die. He lowered his eyes, scanning her tired face, and suppressed the anger in his heart, scolding, "Don't ever do this again. Before you do anything, discuss it with me first."

He tried his best to keep his tone gentle, but the anxiety and anger in his eyes couldn't be concealed.

This reaction satisfied Yu Qingwu.

She raised her lips, took his hand, and comforted him softly, "Your Highness, there's no need to worry. Aren't I alright?"

"Besides, if I had discussed it with Your Highness, the act wouldn't have been so convincing. Without real swords and spears, without a brush with death, how could I convince people? A Yue is one thing, but the spy behind her is not easily fooled. If he sees through it, wouldn't the scheme Your Highness has laid out all be for naught?"

As Yu Qingwu spoke, her fingertip gently caressed the back of his hand, as if comforting him, yet also as if acting coquettishly.

She was the one who had narrowly escaped death, yet it seemed as if he was the one who was injured.

Grasping the woman's pale and bloodless hand, Xie Jin Yan's reddened eyes grew even redder. After a long pause, he said in a hoarse voice, "Yu Qingwu, whether I fail or not is my business. You are just a woman of the inner court. Just do your duty. You don't need to interfere in matters of the court."

"Since I married Your Highness, I am naturally one with Your Highness." As soon as Xie Jin Yan finished speaking, Yu Qingwu interrupted him softly. Before he could say anything, she continued gently, "My family background is humble, and I cannot assist Your Highness. All I can do is this."

"Although I always say that Your Highness married me to suppress those aristocratic families, I also know clearly in my heart that Your Highness doesn't necessarily need me. The generals of Southern Border also come from humble backgrounds and have deep friendships with Your Highness. If it were just to suppress the aristocratic families, you could have married the daughters of those generals. At the very least, marrying Shen Rou would be better than marrying me."

Yes, compared to marrying her, he could have married those women from more prominent families. Even if there was no love, it would have been more helpful to him than her.

Although she had her master behind her, the martial world, and friendships with the Southern Border generals, these relationships were ultimately not as solid as the blood ties behind the daughters of noble families.

In the end, Xie Jin Yan married her more out of personal affection.

It was precisely because he had feelings for her that he had doubts because of Qin Shi's words.

But at this moment, she had almost lost her life for him, and she felt guilty for not being able to help him. This caused even the slightest doubt he had to be gradually overshadowed by this sudden sacrifice, making him feel even more sorry for her.

Sure enough, after hearing Yu Qingwu's gentle words, the heartache in Xie Jin Yan's eyes intensified.

He held her hand tightly, and his deep pupils were filled with faint tears, as if trying to restrain his emotions.

After a long time, he said in a deep voice, "I never expect Shijie to assist me in anything. Even if I did, it would never be in such a life-threatening way."

"So, promise me, don't ever put yourself in such a dangerous situation again."

As he spoke, his tone gradually softened, and a trace of tenderness appeared in his eyes.

That kind of gaze made Yu Qingwu feel a little uncomfortable and also a little guilty.

After all, she did this only to gain his trust, and not, as she had said, because she felt guilty for not being able to help her family and was willing to sacrifice everything for him.

At this moment, Qingwu suddenly realized that in terms of emotions, Xie Jin Yan seemed to be as easily fooled as he was when he was a child, and so easily trapped by the kindness others showed him.

Presumably, this was also why he had always been grateful to Gao Minyue's father, to the point of tolerating Gao Minyue's outrageous behavior again and again.

Thinking of Gao Minyue, Yu Qingwu immediately thought of something else. She changed the topic and quickly asked him, "By the way, Your Highness, how is A Yue? What do you plan to do with her?"

Hearing this, Xie Jin Yan's eyebrows and eyes, which had been so soft just now, instantly turned as cold as ice.

After a moment of silence, he slowly said, "After your accident, the maid Chun Tao beside her exposed her. A Yue originally wanted to quibble, but Chun Tao had already prepared. With both witnesses and evidence, she naturally had no way to deny it. Tonight, when there are fewer people, she will be sent out of the city. From now on… just pretend we don't know each other."

"Sometimes when I think about it, Shijie is right. A Yue's personality is indeed not suitable for living in the royal family, not even as my sister. But she has come to this point, and I am also responsible. Moreover, Uncle Gao has been kind to me, and…"

And died at the hands of his mother…

Xie Jin Yan's eyes darkened, and he didn't say these words.

He just lowered his eyes to look at the woman, and explained earnestly, "Shijie, in short, whether it's for Uncle Gao's sake or my punishment of A Yue, I can't punish her severely. The only way I can think of now is to send her away and never see each other again. But… I'm sorry for you. I know that Shijie… has suffered a lot of grievances…"

Suffered a lot of grievances?

Was he referring to being thrown into the pond by Gao Minyue, and… being bullied by Gao Minyue several times in the sect because of her martial arts skills? Or, was it being bullied by him?

Perhaps, both were true.

Thinking of the past, Yu Qingwu still had some resentment.

But she knew that resentment could not solve anything, let alone avenge the Yu family. So most of the time, she forced herself to forget and forced herself to face Xie Jin Yan as a wife.

Just like now, she was doing the same.

Curving her lips and looking at Xie Jin Yan for a moment, she pretended to be magnanimous and smiled, "I've almost forgotten those things. Maybe I did have some resentment, but you also know me. I always take revenge on the spot. Even if I can't, I always find an opportunity to take revenge fiercely. Your Highness, haven't you been retaliated against by me?"

"The feeling of falling into a trap for a day and a night wasn't good, was it?"

Yu Qingwu said with a smile in her eyes.

Hearing this, Xie Jin Yan was slightly stunned, then surprised, and laughed, "The trap I fell into back then, when I was hunting wild boars, was… was Shijie's masterpiece?"

"Otherwise? Who did you think it was?"

"I thought it was Third Shixiong! I put a sack over his head that night and beat him up…"

Pfft, that Third Shidi was really wronged…

Yu Qingwu pursed her lips, holding back her laughter…

Knock knock knock…

The two looked at each other, laughing, when there was a sudden soft knock on the door.

Hearing the sound, Xie Jin Yan's smile faded, and he stood up and said, "What is it?"

Soon, Granny Xun's anxious and troubled voice came from outside, "Your Highness, something bad has happened in Chunfang Pavilion…"