Free Web NovelChapter 271: Chapter 271: They Returned... Except Him
Two days passed in the Sea Empire palace, and life gradually settled into a quiet yet tense rhythm.
Yue Yue had been summoned by the Empress several times during these days.
The Empress always smiled gently, spoke calmly, and treated Yue with a strange mix of curiosity and approval, yet Yue could feel that nothing in this palace was ever truly simple.
Alongside those meetings, she had also crossed paths with Liran many times.
That woman appeared graceful and harmless on the surface, always approaching Yue Yue with soft words and a friendly demeanor, but Yue was not blind.
She could clearly sense the probing beneath those smiles, the deliberate attempts to get closer, to test her reactions, to find an opening.
However, none of it truly affected her. Yue neither confronted nor entertained her. She simply responded when necessary and ignored everything else.
Compared to the storm quietly building in her life, such shallow tactics were not worth her attention.
Her thoughts had been occupied by far more important things.
That afternoon, while she was resting quietly in her room, a piece of news reached her that instantly broke through her calm. Cang Yuze and Han Soi had returned from the SSS level polluted zone.
The moment she heard it, her eyes lit up, and a genuine smile spread across her face. A warmth rose in her chest that she had not felt in days.
Finally, they were back.
For the past few days, even though Feng Yanshen had been by her side, there was always a faint sense of incompleteness lingering within her.
Now, with Cang Yuze and Han Soi returning, it felt like everything was slowly coming together again.
For a brief moment, she allowed herself to feel that simple happiness, the kind that came from having the people she cared about return safely.
But as quickly as that warmth came, another thought quietly surfaced in her mind.
Xing Luoguang.
The smile on her lips slowly faded as his image appeared in her thoughts. It had been so long since she had last seen him.
Days had turned into weeks, and weeks had stretched even further, yet there was still no sign of him.
She had asked about him many times, and every single time, Xing Luoye had given her the same answer that Xing Luoguang had something important to deal with, and he would return as soon as he was done.
At first, Yue Yue had accepted it without question. She trusted them, and she did not want to appear unreasonable. But as time passed, a quiet uneasiness had begun to grow in her heart.
If he was truly just busy, then why had he not contacted her even once?
Not a single message.
Not a single call.
It was as if he had completely disappeared from her world.
Her fingers tightened unconsciously at her side as that thought settled deeper into her chest. A faint bitterness rose within her, one she could not easily suppress.
They were already married, bound together, so how could he stay away like this? Even if he was busy, was it really so difficult to spare even a moment for her?
That question lingered painfully in her mind.
Her eyes stung slightly as emotions surged up unexpectedly. For a brief second, tears threatened to form, but she quickly shook her head, forcing those feelings down.
"No..." she murmured softly to herself. "He must be busy."
She repeated those words again, as if trying to convince herself more than anything else. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
There had to be a reason. There had to be something she did not know. Otherwise, she did not want to think about the other possibilities.
Before her thoughts could spiral further, the door suddenly opened.
Yue Yue instinctively looked up.
And in the next moment, she saw them.
Cang Yuze and Han Soi stood at the entrance, their tall figures instantly filling the space. But the moment her eyes landed on them, her heart tightened slightly.
They had clearly come straight from the battlefield. Their clothes were stained with blood, torn in several places, and their bodies still carried the faint scent of danger and exhaustion. It was obvious they had not rested even for a moment after returning.
Without thinking, Yue Yue immediately moved toward them, her steps quick and instinctive, driven purely by the relief of seeing them safe.
But just as she was about to reach them, both of them stepped back at the same time.
"Don’t come closer," Cang Yuze said quickly, his voice firm but not harsh.
Yue Yue stopped mid step, confusion flashing across her face.
Han Soi smiled gently, his expression soft as always despite the fatigue in his eyes. "We’re still covered in blood and dirt," he said calmly. "You’ll get dirty."
Yue looked at them silently, her eyes lingering on their injuries and the exhaustion they tried to hide. She did not care about getting dirty. That had never mattered to her.
But before she could say anything, Han Soi had already stepped forward slightly and reached out, gently patting her head with his clean hand.
"We just came to see you first," he said softly, his gaze steady and warm. "Are you alright?"
Yue Yue’s chest tightened slightly at those words. Even after everything they had gone through, the first thing they did was come to her. She nodded quietly, her voice soft. "I’m fine..."
Cang Yuze moved closer as well, his usual sharp expression easing slightly as he reached out and lightly pinched her cheek. "Wait for us," he said, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "We’ll be back after cleaning up."
Yue looked at both of them for a moment before nodding again. "...Okay."
Neither of them stayed longer. After making sure she was safe, they turned and left just as quickly as they had arrived, heading off to wash away the traces of battle.
Yue stood there for a while after they left, her gaze lingering on the empty doorway. Slowly, she returned to her seat and waited.
Time passed quietly. Not too long after, the door opened once again.
Yue Yue looked up immediately.
This time, Cang Yuze and Han Soi had returned, completely refreshed. Their clothes were clean, their hair slightly damp, and all traces of the battlefield had been washed away.
They looked like themselves again, calm, steady, and familiar.
