“…All right,” Hua Cheng agreed.

“Who exactly is that ‘noble, gracious special someone’?” Xie Lian asked solemnly.

Hua Cheng’s finger—the one that was tied with the red affinity knot—subtly twitched a few times. He was silent for a while before he eventually answered, “If Your Highness already knows, then why ask?”

Xie Lian nodded. “I see. So I didn’t misunderstand you. It really is true.”

Hua Cheng didn’t respond.

After a pause, Xie Lian asked, his tone flat, “Don’t you want to know…how I feel about this?”

“…”

Hua Cheng inclined his head slightly—it was like he wanted to glance back but was too afraid to look Xie Lian in the eye. Only the two streaks of blood on his cheek could be seen.

“Your Highness, would you please…not tell me?”

His voice cracked as he asked.

“I’m sorry,” Xie Lian said. “Something like this has to be made clear.”

Hua Cheng didn’t need to breathe, but he still sucked in a deep breath. Although his face was awfully pale, he still smiled and replied courteously, “That’s true. It’s for the best.”

He was like a criminal on death row, waiting for his sentence. He closed his eye.

Yet his eye didn’t remain closed for long—soon it snapped open once more as a pair of arms suddenly circled him from behind and caught him in a forceful embrace.

Xie Lian buried his face in Hua Cheng’s back, but he didn’t speak either. Though nothing was said, it was enough.

It was a long time before Xie Lian felt the man he was hugging turn around. Hua Cheng fervently returned the embrace, engulfing Xie Lian in his arms.

From above his head, Xie Lian heard Hua Cheng’s staggering response. “Your Highness… You really will…be the death of me.”

Just then, the sound of an explosion echoed through the deep recesses of the cave. A blinding white light flashed through the darkness, followed by a series of shrieks from the silver butterflies.

They both looked up, and their expressions changed. Xie Lian loosened his grip on Hua Cheng’s sleeves.

“Let’s talk later!” Xie Lian said.

And thus, the two continued on—except now they were running hand in hand.

Xie Lian’s face was still hot, but he spoke with forced calm like nothing had happened. “San Lang, how did you discover that the Feng Xin and Mu Qing who approached us were dummies? Where are the real ones?”

Hua Cheng was in essentially the same state.