Dongfang Yi watched as the man in front of her left the imperial kitchen and gradually disappeared completely from her sight.
She took a bite of the osmanthus cake on the table, but this time it tasted bitter.
How could she not recall the first time she met Helian Qi?
It was also in the same place, where she had been completely at ease with him.
But now, things had changed, and they could never go back.
Thinking of this, a bitter smile appeared on her face. Then she picked up the plate of pastries and left the imperial kitchen.
Walking on the deserted palace avenue, although it was late at night, the palace was still brightly lit.
As Dongfang Yi walked, she was still thinking about what had just happened in the imperial kitchen.
Suddenly, she heard a sound behind her, and then a dark shadow flashed across the top of her head.
She was startled, and her eyes were filled with vigilance as she looked around.
At this hour, could there be an assassin in the palace?
Thinking of this, her heart skipped a beat. Her mind raced as she thought about how to protect herself if the assassin attacked.
Just as she was thinking, the dark shadow in the distance flew towards her. Dongfang Yi instinctively wanted to throw the plate of pastries in her hand.
But then she heard a familiar male voice in the air.
"Xiaodong, it's me!"
When she opened her eyes after hearing the voice, she saw Situ Qing in a night - suit, taking off the black veil on his face.
"It's you!" Dongfang Yi exclaimed excitedly.
Since she returned to the palace, she hadn't seen him for a long time. To be honest, she missed him.
Thinking of this, she pulled him behind a wall warily.
After all, there were too many spies in the palace. Situ Qing was the former prince of the previous dynasty. If he appeared here, he would surely arouse suspicion and be mistaken for an assassin who had come to the palace to assassinate.
"Why are you here?!" she asked.
But Situ Qing didn't answer her question. Instead, he suddenly hugged her tightly.
The strength was so great that Dongfang Yi could hardly breathe.
Just as Dongfang Yi was about to say something else, she felt a bit of wetness on the back of her neck.
Was he crying?
In her memory, she had never seen Situ Qing cry. Even when he was covered in blood from injuries, he didn't shed a single tear.
Thinking of this, she gently patted the back of the man in front of her with a bit of pity and asked softly, "Qingqing, what's wrong with you?"
Situ Qing slowly let go of her. His peach - blossom eyes were red.
"Come with me, Xiaodong."
He had waited for so long, and finally, he had this chance. He had arranged everything outside the palace. This time, he could guarantee that the woman in front of him would never be threatened again.
After hearing this, Dongfang Yi frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly, and then lowered her eyes, making it impossible to see her expression.
Go with him?
She did yearn for freedom, but when she heard this news, her first reaction wasn't joy but a sense of inexplicable loss.
Situ Qing opposite her seemed to sense her mood, so he asked, "What's wrong, Xiaodong? Don't you want to go?"
Dongfang Yi hesitated and looked up at the man in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Situ Qing. I can't go."
After hearing this, Situ Qing roared out of control, "Why?! Do you still love Helian Qi?"
His hands grabbed Dongfang Yi's shoulders so tightly that she felt a sharp pain.
She frowned and tried to pry the man's hands off, but her body suddenly lost its balance and was pressed back into his arms.
"Xiaodong, come with me. Helian Qi can't give you anything. Have you forgotten what he did to you?!" he still roared.
Dongfang Yi struggled with all her might to get out of his arms. She stared at him without blinking and said, "I haven't forgotten!"
"But I can't go. My parents need me now!"
In fact, it wasn't just her parents. There was also Donghua. If she disappeared, what would Helian Qi do to her? And Concubine Shu and the others... She already had things in this palace that she didn't want to let go of.
Situ Qing looked at the woman in front of him, who was making all kinds of excuses not to leave the palace with him.
His expression gradually became hurt, and a bitter smile appeared on his lips.
Was it really too late for him? She didn't want to leave with him at all.
Thinking of this, he reached out and stroked the woman's cheek in front of him. His peach - blossom eyes seemed to be filled with mist. His mouth opened and closed as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't say a single word.
Dongfang Yi watched his heart - broken appearance. She also felt reluctant in her heart, but she couldn't force herself to go with him.
She knew that there were still some things she couldn't let go of.
"Qingqing, promise me to take good care of yourself, okay? Don't come to this dangerous place in the palace again." she said.
Situ Qing gave a bitter smile and replied, "Aren't you afraid that you'll never see me again in this lifetime, Xiaodong?"
His words made Dongfang Yi speechless for a moment. She knew that what he said was true.
In this era, it was not easy to meet, especially since she was now deep in the palace.
"The Dongsheng Kingdom will soon fall, Xiaodong. You'll leave the palace sooner or later. I'll come to pick you up then."
After leaving this sentence, Situ Qing turned around and disappeared into the night. Soon, there was no trace of him.
Dongfang Yi was left alone on the spot, staring blankly at the direction where he had gone. Her mind kept echoing his words.
"The Dongsheng Kingdom will soon fall."
What did he mean by this?
Her heart was pounding fast. A sense of unease spread, and she always felt that something major was about to happen, but she couldn't figure out what it was.
Situ Qing was the former prince of the previous dynasty. Was he going to do something to the country?
Thinking of this, Dongfang Yi didn't dare to think further. She truly regarded Situ Qing as her best friend, and she also knew Helian Qi well.
She knew that he was not the kind of person who would be easily deceived. So if Situ Qing was going to do something against Helian Qi, she could hardly imagine Situ Qing winning.
She had seen that man's cruel side. How could Situ Qing be his match?
Thinking of this, the unease in Dongfang Yi's heart kept growing, but her feet kept walking towards the Queen's palace.
Soon, she returned to the palace gate.
"Your Majesty, where did you go in the middle of the night?!"
Donghua rushed out with a panicked look on her face. She had also gone to the bedroom in the middle of the night and found that Dongfang Yi wasn't in bed. Her sleep was instantly startled away, and she was afraid that something dangerous had happened to her.
Now seeing her come back in a daze, she still couldn't help feeling uneasy.
What on earth had happened to Her Majesty?