Chapter 29 Chemical Reactions

of you are willing to follow me"The seven people all looked nervously at Yun Qianyue.Yun Qianyue stared at them seriously: "Are you following me because my mother ordered you to, or is it your own wi...Chapter 29 Chemical Reaction

This sentence had a tremendous impact, causing all guests present to be shocked and look at Yun Qianyue and the youth in disbelief.

"Haha, you like Yun Qianyue!" The youth seemed unaware of how much effect his words had. Seeing Ye Qingran's sword clatter to the ground with a clang, she suddenly pointed at him and burst out laughing.

Ye Qingran's face darkened but he did not refute her.

"Tsk tsk! So even Tian Sheng Empire’s little devil favors Yun Qianyue of Yun王府’s spoiled and wayward Miss!" The youth made two "tsk" sounds before looking at Yun Qianyue, saying, “I didn’t say wrong. You are indeed a rotten peach blossom.”

Yun Qianyue rolled her eyes and frowned, saying: "What nonsense are you talking about"

"But this little devil's martial arts aren't bad!" The youth seemed not to have heard Yun Qianyue’s words as he looked at Rong Jing. He sized him up from head to toe and made another "tsk" sound, saying: “You look like a proper person too; why can’t you stop her peach blossoms”

Rong Jing’s eyes flickered but he did not speak.

"I’m starving! I want to eat! Eat!" The youth waved his hand and went toward the nearest seat. He ignored everyone's gazes, sat down on a chair with a thump, grabbed a drumstick, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Yun Qianyue looked at that seat; she saw that it was where Night Tianyi and other princes were seated. There was also Night Tiansheng and Night Tianyu as well as some younger princes. Apart from Night Tianyi, Night Tiansheng and Night Tianyu all stared curiously at the youth, seemingly trying to guess his identity.

Only then did Yun Qianyue notice Night Tiansheng. Except for him no longer wearing attire representing the Crown Prince's status, it seemed that a period of incarceration had left no marks on him; if anything, he was even more calm and indifferent than before. Sitting beside him was Night Tianyu, who looked just as usual. The two sat extremely close, obviously having privately reached an agreement to join forces. On the other side opposite them sat Night Tianyi, like mountains apart, indicating a clear boundary between them. However, there were two younger princes sitting very closely with Night Tianyi: Prince Eleventh and Prince Twelfth.

"Wanting to eat without handing over the antidote Impossible!" Ye Qingran was somewhat annoyed as he kicked his sword on the ground towards the youth.

Yun Qianyue suddenly intervened, gently catching the flying sword in her hand.

"What are you doing I want to kill this rascal! Are you really intimate with him and siding with him" Ye Qingran glared at Yun Qianyue without caring about being exposed by the youth. He had always liked Yun Qianyue anyway; anyone in the city who could see clearly could tell that. The only thing was, he had been pretending to forget her after ingesting a love-forgetting potion for his uncle the Emperor and father King, which backfired on him. Now, it seemed even more trouble awaited him, judging by his father's rigid expression. He was extremely annoyed at this youth.

"Do you want to stir up Yun王府 until it’s upside down Guests still need to dine! There will be plenty of time for fighting later; no fighting today," thought Yun Qianyue about the connection between them. At that moment, she had been shocked by what the youth said; let alone Ye Qingran. His sword falling indicated he still harbored feelings for her, so how could King De not see through this love-forgetting potion's ineffectiveness to him over such a long time Furthermore, today’s incident at Yun王府 would soon reach the old emperor in the palace, and trouble was sure to follow for Ye Qingran. Especially with his control of 400,000 troops within and outside the city walls, any feelings toward her wouldn’t be good news for the royal family. She couldn't help but feel a headache.

"Then make him hand over the antidote!" Ye Qingran glanced at his blackened hands and said resentfully.

"Luo Yu, give me the antidote," Yun Qianyue looked at the youth engrossed in eating. She wondered how long he had gone without food

"Nope!" Luo Yu mumbled through a mouthful of chicken leg.

"No" Yun Qianyue walked over to him and, seeing how unbothered by others around him he was, she lowered her voice. "Is there no antidote or are you pretending If you don’t give me the antidote even though it exists, I have many ways to make you admit that you do!"

The youth paused in his chicken leg eating and looked at Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue stared seriously back. Each time she got closer, she noticed the boy had incredibly beautiful eyes, like moonlight shining brightly from the sky. Such a pair of eyes could belong to someone with a bad heart Just playing some pranks on the outside

The youth suddenly hummed, “There isn’t any and that’s final!”

Yun Qianyue narrowed her eyes and asked, "Then what can be done to make the black on his hands fade away more quickly"

The young man suddenly smiled slyly at Yun Qianyue and said, "If you kiss me once, I’ll tell you."

Yun Qianyue thought this was quite an unusual request. She looked up at the handsome boy who seemed to be smugly watching her. He was only a child despite his age being close to hers. Feeling both exasperated and amused, she didn’t say anything.

"What’s wrong If you agree with me, I have a way to make his hands return to normal. And isn’t this little devil fond of you He has done many things for your sake, hasn’t he Asking you just to kiss me once is such a small sacrifice that you can’t even do it If you can’t do it, in my opinion, you don’t deserve him treating you so well," the young man glanced at Ye Qingran’s blackened face and slowly told Yun Qianyue.

Yun Qianyue thought he was trying to provoke her! She turned around to look at Rong Jing. Seeing his calm expression, when their eyes met, he raised one eyebrow at her—this small action would be unnoticeable if she did not know him very well. Then she looked back at Ye Qingran.

Ye Qingran angrily said, "Forget it! I’ll just accept this state of my hand for now! Little missy, kick him out right now!"

"Yun Qianyue, you’d better not kick me out; otherwise, you will regret it!" The young man turned to Yun Qianyue and warned her in a veiled way.

"First option: Kick you out. Second option: Tell the method. Choose one," Yun Qianyue suddenly smiled at the boy and said nonchalantly, "I’m very soft-hearted; I like sweet words. If anyone threatens or intimidates me, it won’t work, because my hands are strong enough to make no mercy."

The young man snorted and looked away. His gaze swept over a nearby table before he suddenly shouted loudly, “Leng Shaozhuo, write for Yun Qianyue…”

Yun Qianyue immediately pressed an acupuncture point to silence the boy.

"Who’s this naughty kid Kick him out!" Yun Qianyue said softly and helplessly. With a flick of her hand, she sent the young man flying outside the main gate. A dark figure flew far away until it disappeared completely without making any sound.

"Well done! You should have kicked him out earlier," Ye Qingran cheered.

The guests present remained silent as they were confused about what had happened and who this young man was, not to mention his connection with Yun Qianyue, Rong Feng, Rong Jing, Ye Qingran, and even Leng Shaozhuo.

Leng Shaozhuo naturally attended the banquet today and sat beside the Prince of Filial Piety. He was surprised that the boy could read his letter to Yun Qianyue just by reading it once. His face turned pale when he saw Yun Qianyue stop him from speaking, not even glancing at him. Lowering his head, he looked dejected.

The Prince of Filial Piety glanced at his son and then Yun Qianyue as well as Rong Jing, Ye Qingran, and Ye Tianyi. He sighed deeply in his heart, feeling much older than just a few days ago.

"Jade Bracelet, Green Branch! Sweep up here and set the table," Yun Qianyue instructed Jade Bracelet and Green Branch who had been standing by at the banquet hall.

"Yes, Miss Yun!" The two of them immediately responded and called people to clean up.

Yun Qianyue glanced at Ling Lian and Yi Xue before looking in the direction where the young man was kicked out. Both of them understood instantly and left quietly.

"Let me see your hand," Yun Qianyue walked toward Ye Qingran and said.

Ye Qingran stretched out that hand to her.

Yun Qianyue studied it for a moment before turning around to ask Rong Jing, "Do you have any way of dealing with this"

Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran’s hand and said two words coldly, “No!”

Yun Qianyue frowned and said to Ye Qingran, "This seems to be something formed through a chemical reaction. You got it on you, and your sweat quickly caused it to deteriorate into what it is now. This shouldn't harm your body; it should fade away over the next few days."

"Is that so" Ye Qingran frowned. "What's a chemical reaction"

"If I explain, you won't understand!" Yun Qianyue reassured him confidently after another look: "No worries, it shouldn’t harm your body."

"I only touched his collar. What is that thing on him How can it react with sweat" Ye Qingran asked curiously. She believed that since Yun Qianyue could say this, she must understand.

“I don’t know what it is either; we’d need to test it,” Yun Qianyue didn't wish to continue the conversation and changed topics: "How did you two start fighting"

Ye Qingran wouldn’t be someone who doesn’t understand propriety. He had to have known that today was Yun Li’s adoption ceremony, with many guests in attendance; if he hadn't been provoked, he shouldn’t have started a fight in the Cloud王府, disrupting the banquet.

"He showed me a portrait and asked if I knew who it is. I didn't tell him, so he attacked me and tried to sabotage me. Tolerating his actions was impossible, so I fought back." Ye Qingran glanced at Yun Qianyue as she mentioned the portrait, her tone serious.

Yun Qianyue smiled sarcastically and pulled a face. Ye Qingran naturally knew that the person in the portrait was hers; over these years whenever Yun Qianyue went out, she mostly dressed up like a man, which led to several encounters with Ye Qingran even though back then she avoided him. But when they talked about it recently, Ye Qingran said he had been avoiding her deliberately and seemed to have recognized the person in the portrait as hers.

"You really know how to attract trouble!" Ye Qingran whispered into Yun Qianyue’s ear.

Yun Qianyue blushed, "I didn’t do it on purpose!"

Ye Qingran suddenly chuckled and leaned close to her, whispering: “The more you attract trouble, the better! I hope that weak beauty will be so envious she dies!”

Yun Qianyue pushed him away. "Less gloating!" Done speaking, she ignored Ye Qingran and walked towards Rong Jing, grabbing his hand as she said tenderly: “I’m dead tired; let’s go back to my room for dinner.”

Rong Jing glanced at Ye Qingran but didn’t say a word. He let Yun Qianyue pull him along to the Moonlit Pavilion.

Night Tianyi watched their departing backs and suddenly called out, "Moonie!"

Yun Qianyue stopped in her tracks and turned back towards Night Tianyi, raising an eyebrow. "What does the Seventh Prince want"

Night Tianyi looked at Yun Qianyue silently.

"Was the hospitality insufficient during the banquet" Yun Qianyue asked again, meeting his intense gaze as if treating him like a regular guest.

“The hospitality was perfect!” Night Tianyi shook his head and smiled softly: “No worries! I’ve just been thinking that we haven’t chatted on the wall for ages. It seems age has taken away some of our former fun.”

"We used to do a lot of mischief back then; since you’re already grown up, why remember it Not worth mentioning," Yun Qianyue smiled lightly and left with a casual remark, unwilling to continue the conversation or look at Night Tianyi again. She pulled Rong Jing along as she turned.

Seeing her leave, Night Tianyi’s face paled slightly but he didn’t say anything further.

The hall was silent; many people thought about their past entanglements with the Seventh Prince and Yun Qianyue. Seeing them not speaking well to each other now made everyone believe there were issues between them. They watched as Rong Jing and Yun Qianyue left, a man of refined elegance holding hands with an elegant woman. The scene they left behind was like a painting that made others feel envious even while admiring it. Some people sighed in admiration; some sighed in pity.

“My brother, you really don’t understand women! A woman’s heart can be soft as water or hard as steel. After having done so many wrongs to Moonie, how could she still treat you nicely In my opinion, your future relationship will be like the water in this cup, gone forever.” Night Tianyu picked up his teacup and didn’t drink from it but flicked a hand and dropped it on the ground.

"Fourth Brother seems to understand women!" Ye Tianyi regained his composure and raised an eyebrow at Ye Tianyu.

"I don't know much about women, but when it comes to Moon Sister... I actually know quite a lot. After all, you haven’t been in the capital for five years; I’ve watched Moon Sister grow up." Ye Tianyu chuckled, "She chased after Second Imperial Brother ten years ago. When she decided to turn her back on him without any sentimentality, I think no one understands it better than him. If Seventh Brother has time, he can seek advice from Second Imperial Brother, and I believe you two would get along well."

Ye Tianqiong’s body stiffened slightly for a moment before he looked at Ye Tianyi with a deep smile and said, "I am different from Seventh Brother. Although she chased after me for ten years, it was just an act; she never wanted to marry me nor did she truly care for me. But towards Seventh Brother, she is different. She has been sincere all these years. Now that Seventh Brother has made her heart cold, she will cut ties decisively. I don’t think my experience would be of any use to him. Perhaps it’s better if Seventh Brother handles his own affairs!"

"If she becomes cold-hearted because he loves her, then so be it! In fact, I’d prefer if she remains cold towards me forever." Ye Tianyi ignored the coordinated verbal attack from Ye Tianyu and Ye Tianqiong. He did not deny his feelings for Yun Qianmo but gave a faint smile, "It’s still better than her never having truly cared for anyone else."

These words left Ye Tianyu and Ye Tianqiong speechless.

The guests in the hall were also momentarily at a loss for words.

"How boring!" Night Qingran suddenly snorted, calling out to Rong Feng who was sitting there, "Rong Feng, my hands are itching terribly. You owe me one for throwing that wine pot at me earlier; let’s go outside and have a match."

"Alright!" Rong Feng readily agreed and stood up.

No longer speaking, Night Qingran took large strides towards the gate of the estate. After taking two steps, he seemed to find it too slow, lightly tapped his toes, and used his light-foot skills to leave. After walking for a couple of steps, Rong Feng saw that Night Qingran had used his light-foot skills and did likewise to follow him out.

After the two left, Jade Bracelet and Green Twig had already instructed people to clean up the mess caused by the battle between Night Qingran and the youth, resetting the banquet. Prince Yun and Yun Li hurriedly hosted everyone back to their seats, and the interrupted feast resumed its course. Soon enough, everyone forgot about this brief interruption and began drinking again. Cloud Manor quickly regained its lively atmosphere.

At this moment, Rong Jing and Yun Qianmo had already returned to Moonlit Pavilion. U Mother knew her mistress wouldn't be in the main hall mingling with guests on such an occasion, so she prepared meals beforehand; seeing them return, she promptly set up a table.

Since leaving the banquet until finishing half a meal, Yun Qianmo hadn’t heard Rong Jing speak. Moreover, he ate very little today—she had barely eaten what she had served him. She finally noticed something amiss and looked at him with a question in her voice, "What’s wrong"

Rong Jing glanced up at Yun Qianmo and asked gently, "What is a chemical reaction"

Yun Qianmo blinked, smiling at him, "You’ve been silent for so long because you were thinking about this"

"Mm." Rong Jing responded without much emotion.

Yun Qianmo looked at him; his eyes and brows remained as exquisite as ever. To others, his expression seemed perfectly normal, but she could see the faint gathering of energy between his brows—a sign that he was in a bad mood. Unlike when he showed jealousy or anger towards her, this emotion came from within, darker and more complex. She knew Rong Jing might seem indifferent to things around him but was always sensitive about matters concerning her. She understood where such sensitivity stemmed from; she sighed suddenly and said, "Rong Jing, if you want to know something, just ask me. I won’t hide anything from you."

"I only want to know what a chemical reaction is!" Rong Jing looked at Yun Qianmo again with the same emotionless tone.

“A molecular transformation where molecules break down into atoms and ions, then recombine as new substances. This process is called a chemical reaction. Commonly in reactions, light emission, heat generation, color change or precipitate formation occurs. Whether it's a chemical reaction can be determined by whether new substances are formed.” Yun Qianmo explained.

Rong Jing raised an eyebrow, seemingly not fully understanding.

Yun Qianmo sighed and dredged up long-forgotten knowledge to explain further: "For example, when Luo Yu blackened Night Qingran's hand today, it was actually just a trick. That substance simply changed color in reaction with his palm sweat, creating something like melanin that turned his hand dark; essentially, he got stained. However, this kind of color change can already be considered a chemical reaction."

Rong Jing nodded slightly, seeming to grasp some concepts.

"Anything else you want to know Shall I explain physical reactions too" Yun Qianmo asked again.

"Good!" Rong Jing glanced at Yun Qianyue and nodded.

"A physical reaction refers to a change in the state or form of matter, but not in its inherent properties." Yun Qianyue explained to Rong Jing. Seeing him looking at her, she reached out and picked up a cup of water, poured it into a bowl, and continued: "Just like this cup of water, whether it’s in a cup or in a bowl, it remains the same. The only difference is its form changes, but its essence is still that of water."

Rong Jing nodded.

"Let me give you another example. When we put our clothes into water, they get wet; however, they remain clothes. Once wet clothes dry up, they are still clothes, whether wet or dry." Yun Qianyue continued.

Rong Jing nodded again.

"Do you want to know anything else" Yun Qianyue felt for the first time as if she were sitting with a child. She had all the potential of being a teacher, patiently explaining everything he wanted to know.

"These concepts—physics, your studies in ethnic languages, and Chinese phonetics—are learned together" Rong Jing asked softly. Though it was a question, his tone suggested certainty.

"Yes!" Yun Qianyue nodded. Long-buried memories suddenly flooded her mind, colorful and vivid, as if the dam holding them back had broken open. She realized she had never forgotten anything. Her originally light mood darkened slightly. Why did that boy know about chemical reactions He said he invented it himself—was it a coincidence, or was there someone else from another world besides herself who passed it on to him

She saw the plane explode over Vienna; Xiao Qi's remains were nowhere to be found. And she had carried a time bomb and jumped off the National Security Bureau building, waking up here after the bomb exploded. Was it possible that Xiao Qi was like her or even arrived earlier If the portal of time and space opened due to the explosion, could there be any connection

Could it mean that Xiao Qi is alive and living in this world just as she is

At this thought, her heart suddenly started pounding. For years, she had known clearly that Xiao Qi was dead, but a voice deep inside told her he might still be alive, unwilling to accept his death, which made it impossible for her to forget him. She never imagined that he might have also undergone time travel and soul rebirth, living well in this world.

If he were alive, where would he be

"What are you thinking about" Rong Jing suddenly held Yun Qianyue's hand; his gentle tone carried a hint of melancholy.

Yun Qianyue’s body trembled slightly. Although subtle, the movement reached Rong Jing’s palm. His eyes narrowed and he looked at her: "Are you thinking about that person"

Lifting her head to meet Rong Jing's face, Yun Qianyue noticed his brows were furrowed even deeper. She suddenly realized how clever Rong Jing was; had he guessed on the night of the banquet when she mentioned chemical reactions Otherwise, why wouldn’t he have spoken a word since returning until now, only asking what a chemical reaction is after she did. Despite never having told him about Xiao Qi, Yun Qianyue felt that Rong Jing's sensitivity would allow him to understand without being told. He was naturally gifted and intuitive; even if some things required no explanation, he could grasp them easily, especially given his deep understanding of her over the years. Anything not belonging to this world and any thoughts she held back were never hidden from Rong Jing, as she didn’t try to hide anything from him.

"Yun Qianyue, I’m asking you a question," Rong Jing tightened his grip on Yun Qianyue's hand.

"Yes!" Yun Qianyue admitted without hesitation. She indeed was thinking about Xiao Qi; there was no way to hide it from Rong Jing anyway, nor did she want to keep secrets. Those past memories she tried so hard to bury and forget were still deeply rooted in her heart, perhaps becoming a part of who she is due to their long concealment. Any slight trigger would make them resurface uncontrollably.

Though Rong Jing knew the answer, Yun Qianyue's "yes" made his heart tremble.

Gazing at Rong Jing, Yun Qianyue opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. Too much time had passed since she buried those memories; now, suddenly confronted with Luo Yu’s actions and their implications, she didn’t want nor could bear to think about it. Yet, she had no choice.

Watching Yun Qianyue closely, Rong Jing felt her face surrounded by a veil of mist despite being close enough to touch; though his hand held hers, there seemed to be an insurmountable distance between them, as if they were separated by countless mountains. His heart turned cold.

"Yun Qianyue, after all this time, you still can't forget him" Rong Jing asked again in a soft voice.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.

"Given the time we've spent together, I treat each day as a year. I think that with 360 days in a year, I can spend 360 years with you. And if we live for a hundred years, it would be thirty-six thousand years. Not considering what's to come, even just the time from when we started our relationship until now—three months and ten days—is equivalent to one hundred days, which equals one hundred years. We've already spent a hundred years together! Can you still not forget him" Rong Jing spoke very softly.

Yun Qianyue felt her heart tighten at his voice and words; she suddenly felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Qianyue, tell me, how many more years do I need to give you before you forget him" Rong Jing asked softly once again. He stared at Yun Qianyue's face without blinking.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips tightly as if sealed by something. She wanted to speak but remained motionless, as if frozen by the ice from millions of years ago. She also wanted to ask herself how many more years it would take before she could forget him. Could she even forget

"Is he still alive" Rong Jing asked.

Yun Qianyue curled her fingers and remained silent.

"Speak!" Rong Jing's voice suddenly grew louder.

Yun Qianyue closed her eyes helplessly, shook her head, and finally opened her lips. Her voice was hoarse as she struggled to say, "I don't know either. Perhaps he is still alive and has come into this world like me, living somewhere in a corner of the world. But maybe not—maybe I'm just being overly cautious. In that case… The chemical reaction could have been a coincidence…"

Rong Jing tightened his grip on Yun Qianyue's hand once more.

Yun Qianyue felt pain from the force he was applying, which seemed to penetrate her heart directly.

"Qianyue, does your hand hurt" Rong Jing suddenly asked softly; his tone was unexpectedly gentle in that moment.

"Yes," Yun Qianyue nodded without opening her eyes and not looking at Rong Jing's face.

"But do you know that my heart hurts far more than your hand, by millions of times" Rong Jing said.

Yun Qianyue pursed her lips again. She didn't know how to respond. She had always known that whenever she touched the person deep in her heart, it was as if there were mountains between her and Rong Jing. Perhaps those weren’t just one mountain but multiple peaks with valleys. Her heart was encased in endless ice, while his was filled with sharp thorns. Those thorns pricked at her soul—how could she not hurt He felt pain, and so did she.

Rong Jing suddenly let go of her hand and stood up.

Yun Qianyue snapped her eyes open to see Rong Jing no longer looking at her. Instead, he turned around and stood by the bed with his back facing her, looking out the window. She couldn't see his expression; his delicate hands were behind him. His white brocade robe seemed covered in a layer of ice in just that short moment, radiating an icy aura. The room's temperature suddenly dropped because of his presence. She looked at him and her expression became somewhat dazed.

How long had it been since they last felt estranged over Xiao Qi Had it been a very long time

As he said, every day was like a year to him, not in the sense of making each day feel long and arduous but rather hoping to lengthen their love. Both of them had subconsciously sealed Xiao Qi away deep within their hearts. The seal on her heart couldn't be broken, so Rong Jing helped her avoid breaking it. She thought that after a deep conversation, she was willing to use all her strength to forget and never remember; but some things came suddenly even before she could forget them, catching her off guard.

For example, perhaps Xiao Qi really does live in a corner of this world somewhere.

Rong Jing suddenly turned around and met Yun Qianyue's gaze. All the emotions visible in her eyes were absorbed by him; his expression suddenly darkened as he gave a faint smile before turning away from Yun Qianyue and walking towards the door.

Without hesitation, Yun Qianyue grabbed his hand tightly when he passed by her side, holding on with all her might.

—— Excerpt —— his hand, and bitterly smiled with a voice as soft as if it were without sound, "Can’t retrieve them But I just want you to retrieve them for me. What should I do""Seventh Prince! Don't force things!...