You're Strong But Now You're Mine-Chapter 551 - 549: If I Could Start Over

"So, what's your relationship with Ming Shuiyun?"

Le Yu felt that Qing Lan's gaze suddenly became sharp.

However, he felt no guilt, and calmly said, "We are collaborators."

"Just collaborators?"

"Not just collaborators."

Le Yu chuckled bitterly, "I don't even know what feelings I have for her now—not romantic feelings, but I don't know whether my feelings for her are genuine or fake."

"The reason I came here is partly because I asked White Night to help me find you," Qing Lan said. "On the other hand, it's your sisters—Qian Yuya and Qin Yueshi—who hope White Night can take you out of Blood Prison to see Ming Shuiyun."

"They say you have the ability to ensure Ming Shuiyun doesn't need to wield the Holy Sword Guangyao to suppress the hundred thousand rebels outside. That's the fundamental reason why White Night is willing to use all their resources to send us in to see you—even though White Night doesn't want Yanjing to be destroyed overnight, they also don't want a new emperor wielding the Holy Sword to emerge."

"It's said that historically, any emperor who wielded the sword personally always created an era of prosperity, suppressed party disputes, eased conflicts, and became a wise ruler of the times. This is good news for most people, but for White Night, such a wise ruler is merely a fixer for this backward country, using absolute violence to extend its life by a century, which is why history keeps repeating."

"They'd rather have a muddle-headed ruler than a wise ruler wielding the sword, but they don't want Yanjing to suffer from war, and you can meet their needs. So they chose to meet my and Qian Yuya's request and send us into the Eighth Blood Prison to rescue you."

"However, you don't have to go see Ming Shuiyun." Qing Lan blinked, "You know what those people in White Night are like, they're just a bunch of fools who can be easily deceived. If we run off and do nothing, they won't retaliate against us."

"You're so wicked!"

"Of course, after all, I'm your student."

Qing Lan suddenly remembered something and said coquettishly, "Qin~ Teacher~"

"Ah, wait, shouldn't I call you Le Teacher?"

"Honestly, that's not really within my area of interest," Le Yu said, "But it's different the other way around."

"Huh? I thought with so many female students concerned about you..."

"If male students are concerned about me, wouldn't that be even more problematic?" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Qing Lan was stunned, "Almost got caught up in your words... Fine, I believe you're not interested in female students. What about female teachers?"

"Definitely not!"

"I heard you had some rumors with the most beautiful female teacher at Imperial Academy, Yan Yi."

"I'm absolutely innocent with her, the sun and moon can testify! I have no interest in her at all!"

"So which female teacher are you interested in?"

Le Yu's eyes wandered, "Of course I'm interested in Teacher Qing Lan."

Qing Lan chuckled coldly, "Forget it, anyway, when we return to Dongyang, I'll lock you in the house to stop you from attracting attention."

"Really, Qing Lan, you're finally willing to keep me?"

"Really, I'll lock you in the little dark room and make you write a hundred thousand words of novels for 'Youth Daily' each day."

"Qing Lan, you're becoming unfamiliar..."

"You used to support me, I would listen to whatever you asked, but now I'm supporting you, of course I want to get back with interest." Qing Lan snorted twice, "This is called karma."

"Also, didn't you always want to find the Divine Demon Well? We can issue a reward advertisement in the newspaper, and if we hear accurate information, we'll cross mountains and rivers to search for traces of this worldly secret realm. Honestly, I didn't believe in the secret realm before, but compared to your ability, it seems quite believable."

"With potential large-scale war in Guangyao in the future, can we still travel?"

"But aren't you very strong? Can't you protect me?"

"Since you've said so much already, even if I practice hard, I have to reach the Peak of Perfection. Then, in the vastness of Guangyao, there's nowhere we can't traverse."

"How many children do you think we should have?"

"It doesn't matter, I don't really care."

"True, you still seem like a child," Qing Lan murmured, "Ideally one boy and one girl, but I don't want to give birth twice, maybe a boy-girl twin..."

"Even a Divine Weapon can't fulfill such a request," Le Yu said.

"While you were away, I discussed many wedding plans with Qing Mei. I'm just following you unquestioningly, but this time you have to give me a proper position, right?"

"No problem, you can arrange whatever you want, I'll just be there."

"Ugh, what kind of attitude is that? Do you think I care much about the wedding? What I care about is your attitude!"

"My attitude is good."

"Your attitude is bad!"

"How is my attitude bad?"

"You still refuse to say 'I'm not going to see Ming Shuiyun.'"

In the Eighth Blood Prison, there was a moment of silence, Qing Lan spoke up, "You still want to go, don't you?"

"I don't know." Le Yu said softly, "I can't make a decision."

"That's rare, you're not the kind of person who's indecisive."

"I said earlier, I don't know if my feelings for her are real or not, that's not a metaphor but a description. The Holy Sword's mark has established a master-servant bond between me and her, causing me to have immense affection for her, even consider her as family."

Le Yu tightly embraced Qing Lan, "That's what scares me the most, because as a Substitute, I can't take anything with me, except for memories and feelings. Now, I don't even know how much of these feelings are impurities from the Holy Sword."

"I understand." Qing Lan gently stroked Le Yu's hair, "You've really worked hard, you deserve credit."

The simple words of comfort shattered the grievances, rage, and regret pressed deep inside Le Yu's heart by the Immortal Blood, as if a silver bottle had suddenly burst open, scattering fragments all over. Yet, the Immortal Blood physique controlled his body, making him unable to shed a tear, and he could only nod heavily, "Yes!"

"Is it because you can't confirm the authenticity of your feelings that you can't take action?"

"Yes!"

Qing Lan thought for a moment, "When I drive, if I encounter a difficult and bumpy road, I stop and check the rearview mirror, take a few steps back, maybe then I'll find a way... Since you can't decide, why not look back?"

"Back?"

"I've actually had a question I wanted to ask you for a long time," Qing Lan said. "If you had foreseen the fire on the night of the mysterious candle, if you had known you'd possibly die in the chaos... would you still have secretly communicated with White Night, formed a guild, and rebelled against Silver Blood?"

"Or, honestly become the Patriarch of the Jing Family, enjoy a lifetime of wealth, and spend the rest of your life with me?"

Le Yu was slightly startled, remained silent for a moment, and said:

"If I could start over, I suppose I'd do the same."

"Why?"

"Because I can't just watch those people suffer, lives shouldn't be so cheap, the world shouldn't be so brutal. That night when I saw the maid named Frostleaf being killed by the butler without a reason, I was destined to only become an assassin, bound to personally end this cruel pleasure."

"Then, what are you hesitating about now?"

So yeah.

What is he hesitating about?

It's unrelated to whether the feelings are fake or to the Holy Sword Guangyao.

But Ming Shuiyun believes in him so deeply, never questioning his ulterior motives; she earnestly carries out every order Le Yu gives, even acting as if his ideas are her own; she's even willing to sacrifice her future for Le Yu's prospects... Ming Shuiyun is such a girl, so attached to him, so in need of him... even if it's all just a play, how can he stand by and do nothing?

Le Yu stood up, walked to open the prison door. Qing Lan went over to hold his arm, "Have you decided?"

"Weren't you here to stop me?"

"When did I stop you?"

Qing Lan laughed, "Although I hope you'd change your mind for me, if you don't, I think you're handsome. Don't forget, I'm your student."

"I'm sorry, Qing Lan," Le Yu said. "Even though we've been through so much..."

He strode out of the cell, the sound of his steel-bottomed boots echoing through the stillness of the Eighth Blood Prison!

"I still have not made any progress whatsoever."