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Jun Mo Xie stood silently, his arms behind his back, eyes half-lidded with a faint shadow of disappointment and sympathy flickering through their depths as he looked at Guan Qing Yue.
The scene before him, an emotionally shattered young man clinging to a delusion, was a tragedy in itself, and one that he had not intended to drag out longer than necessary.
He let out a long, almost imperceptible sigh, his lips moving in a soft murmur that only those closest to him could hear.
"âŚOnly you can clear the fog now," He whispered, gaze drifting toward the door as if expecting someone. "I can't bring myself to shatter his heart with words."
Jun Wu Yi and the rest of the room exchanged glances, puzzled by Jun Mo Xie's cryptic words. Just as Jun Zhan Tian was about to ask what he meant, a faint creak echoed through the hall.
The door slid open with an eerie stillness, and a gentle breeze flowed in, carrying with it the faint fragrance of plum blossoms.
A slender silhouette stepped into the room with unhurried grace.
Her long, dark hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back, and her delicate features were tinged with a quiet sorrow. She wore a simple yet elegant pale-blue robe, which seemed to blur the line between mortal and ethereal. Her gaze swept the room before finally settling on one personâGuan Qing Yue.
The second young master of the Guan family froze.
His eyes widened, bloodshot and raw, as he stared at the woman who had haunted his dreams, for whom he had bled, for whom he had cast aside honor, reason, and nowâhis very future.
His lips trembled as he took a step forward. His voice cracked, trembling with disbelief and longing.
"Yue'er⌠WâWhy? Why are you here?"
His voice was filled with more than just confusion. It was a cry of a man desperately trying to hold onto a lifeline that was already slipping from his grasp.
Chu Yue'er paused. Her eyes softened with a complex mix of emotionsâguilt, helplessness, and the burden of truths too heavy to bear. She looked at him, her lips parted slightly, then pressed together. For a moment, she couldn't speak.
She knew the weight of her actions.
She knew the depth of this foolish boy's feelings.
And yet⌠what could she say that wouldn't cut him more deeply?
Before she could respond, Guan Dong Liu took a step forward. His eyes had turned dark and stormy the moment he saw her face. The woman his son had defended so vehementlyâthe one who had dragged the entire Guan family into a web of danger and disgraceâstood right before them, unashamed.
Fury surged in his chest like a raging tempest.
"Youâ!" He began with clenched fists, his voice rising like a clap of thunder. "You're the one! The reason behind all this madness! My sonâmy son was willing to defy the heavens for your sake! How dare youâ"
But just then, Jun Mo Xie raised his hand slightly and spoke, his tone calm and unhurried.
"Patriarch Guan, please⌠there's no need to lose your composure. Let's not disrupt what must be said."
His words, though soft, carried the gravity of an emperor's decree.
Guan Dong Liu stopped, frowning heavily. He turned to Jun Mo Xie, frustration etched on his face. "You ask me to stay calm while this woman turns my son into a madman? What nonsense is this?"
Jun Mo Xie let out another sigh, tilting his head slightly as he looked at the ceiling, as though weary of the world's foolish dramas.
"The assassination attempt on me earlierâŚ" He said lazily, "was part of my own design."
The words fell into the room like a hammer blow.
Guan Dong Liu's eyes bulged.
Guan Qing Bo stumbled back, his mouth opening in disbelief.
Even Guan Qing Yue's body jolted.
"What⌠what did you say?" Guan Dong Liu asked, barely able to contain the shock.
Jun Mo Xie smiled lightly, a cold glint flashing across his eyes. "It was all part of my plan. Every detail, every move⌠the involvement of your son was expected. And allowed."
There was a heavy silence.
Jun Zhan Tian, sitting at the head of the room, let out an annoyed grunt. He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at his grandson.
"Hmph! This brat⌠if not for him being the only grandson I have left, I would've wrung his neck myself," The old man muttered.
Jun Wu Yi pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled heavily. "Mo Xie, your antics truly defy all logic."
Jun Mo Xie didn't answer. His gaze was fixed on Guan Qing Yue, who stood motionless, face pale, his eyes now swirling with a mixture of confusion, fear, and disbelief.
The young master stared at Chu Yue'er, his voice hoarse. "W-What does he mean? Wasn't it you� Weren't you the one who wanted to⌠teach him a lesson? Didn't you say he humiliated you?"
Chu Yue'er let out a breath and finally stepped forward, the tips of her fingers trembling ever so slightly.
Her voice was gentle, too gentle.
"No, Qing Yue," She said, meeting his eyes. "It was all Mo Xie's plan from the beginning. I merely did as he asked."
Her next words were even softerâbut they struck like thunder.
"If I ever wanted to teach Mo Xie a lesson," she said softly, "I could have done so directly. Do you think I'd need to go through you to do it? It's not like he'd mindâhe's never been afraid of me."
Her voice was calm, but there was something resolute and final in her tone.
"Then⌠why?!" Guan Qing Yue's voice trembled.
Chu Yue'er shook her head slowly, and her next words exploded in the hall like thunder.
"Because I love him."
Boom.
It was like thunder had exploded inside the room.
The words echoed again and again in Guan Qing Yue's mind.
"I love Jun Mo Xie," She repeated, her voice firmer this time.
Guan Qing Yue's body swayed, his mind numbed. He staggered backward, his lips moving, trying to form words, but failing.
The rest of the room was equally stunned.
Guan Dong Liu's mouth hung open in shock.
Guan Qing Bo blinked rapidly.
Jun Wu Yi looked at Mo Xie, his expression unreadable.
Even Jun Zhan Tian's eyes widened slightly before he let out a quiet tsk.
Guan Qing Yue finally choked out the only words that came to him. "W-What did you just say�"
Chu Yue'er closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, filled with painful honesty.
"I love Jun Mo Xie," She repeated clearly, the words now ringing throughout the hall.
"NoâNo! That can't be!" Guan Qing Yue roared, shaking his head violently. "You hated him! You hated his family! You told me⌠you told me you'd make them payâŚ!"
Chu Yue'er smiled bitterly. "I did. I hated the Jun Family. I hated Jun Zhan Tian. My heart was filled with rage, bitterness, and the desire for vengeance⌠I let my pain cloud my judgment, but that was before."
She turned to look at Mo Xie, her eyes softening.
"Now⌠I've changed. Because of him."
Guan Qing Yue's knees buckled slightly.
"You're lying!" He shouted, desperately clinging to denial. "He must have forced you! He must have threatened you somehowâthere's no wayâYue'er, heâhe tricked you!"
At this point, even Guan Dong Liu could no longer hold back his rage. He raised his hand, ready to strike his son again, but was a step late.
Slap!
The sound was crisp and loud.
Guan Qing Han slapped her brother. She stepped forward calmly, her hand having just landed harshly across her brother's cheek. Her eyes were cold with disappointment.
"Brother," She said quietly, "stop humiliating yourself."
"You think he forced her? That's the easiest excuse you can come up with? Have you ever really listened to Yue'er? Have you ever seen the way she looks at him? Have you ever asked why she acted the way she did?"
Guan Qing Yue's mouth opened⌠but no sound came out.
Guan Qing Han continued, her voice unwavering.
"I've known for a while now. Mo Xie told me everything... about what happened between them. About how things have come to this."
She turned and looked at Chu Yue'er for a moment before turning back to her brother.
"Before you shout another word, at least have the decency to listen to her full story. Just once. Listen not as a man who loves her, but as a person who respects her."
She placed her hand gently on his shoulder and added, "Maybe then⌠you'll understand."
--- ⌠⌠⌠---
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