Whereabouts, Both Comforting and Bitter

The sudden promise and confession caught both of them off guard. It was never part of their plans—in fact, neither had ever imagined that, under such circumstances, they would speak their hearts and reveal their true feelings to each other.

But feelings are never something you can plan. When emotions run deep, words that usually stay buried in your heart just spill out naturally. Neither of them regrets it in the slightest.

After voicing their true feelings, the bond between them grew even closer. This intimacy wasn’t about gestures or actions—it was a connection beyond words, a meeting of souls. A single glance, a small movement... and the other would respond with a knowing smile.

Sean Xuan, as the only witness, saw the changes between the two and felt both comforted and heartsore. He was glad their relationship was deepening, but the closer they became, the less Serena needed him.

Serena now had a man strong enough to shield her from every storm, and willing to do so. His presence was becoming optional.

Of course, emotional progress didn’t interfere with business. Prince Nolan had already sent a covert warning to Liancastle, and decided not to linger at the Imperial Mausoleum. He would return directly with Serena and Sean.

Vincent Su’s life was at stake. Nolan had neither time nor heart to keep up appearances. If the world wanted to talk, let them talk.

The three of them rode hard, day and night. At this moment, Serena couldn’t bring herself to mention her possible pregnancy, nor could she let Nolan slow down for her sake. If her delay led to Vincent Su’s harm, she’d regret it for the rest of her life.

Meanwhile, the Vincent Su they worried about was still barely alive. At this moment, Lady Min’s people had thrown him into a dungeon; the wound on his back left him dazed and confused.

Vincent Su had no idea how many days he’d been here. He only knew someone came every day to feed him a little water and food. His back wound had been crudely bandaged but not medicated, so the injury was now festering and swollen. Feverish and half-conscious, Vincent drifted in a haze.

One day, he had a brief moment of clarity and saw the person who brought him water every day. In that instant, Vincent Su wished he hadn’t woken up—he’d rather die than learn that the man he’d treated as a brother had sold him out over a woman.

"Belle!" Seeing Bella Qin, Vincent Su felt not joy but anger—anger and deep disappointment filled his heart.

He felt like a fool. When Prince Nolan doubted Storm Cloud Bu, he’d actually vouched for Bu and pleaded for him. He really was hopelessly naïve.

"Brother Su, you’re awake." Bella Qin was startled to see Vincent Su wake up; her pale little face lit up as she carefully picked up a chipped bowl and fed him a little water. "Brother Su, are you all right?"

"I’m fine." Nothing hurts more than a dead heart. Betrayed by a brother and left in such a miserable state, what did it matter if he was fine or not?

Bella Qin didn’t think much of it. Hearing Vincent say he was fine, she naturally assumed everything was all right and let out a long sigh of relief. "Brother Su, I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ve been worried sick these past few days. There’s no medicine or clean water here, and I’m not skilled at this—I could only bandage you as best I could."

"Thank you, Belle." Vincent Su couldn’t help but feel angry at Bella Qin, but when he met her innocent eyes, he just couldn’t bring himself to scold her.

Even if Bella Qin had ambiguous feelings for Storm Cloud Bu and kept Bu hoping, it was Bu who made the choice to betray a brother. On that point, Bella wasn’t at fault.

Vincent Su shifted his stiff body and asked, "How many days have I been here?" He was desperate to know how long he’d been missing.

The longer he was missing, the harder it would be for people in the capital to find him.

The happiness on Bella Qin’s face faded instantly. She shook her head heavily. "I don’t know either. It’s always dark here—candles burn day and night. They bring lots of food and water at once, and only deliver more after we finish the last batch."

Vincent Su knew Bella Qin’s temperament and didn’t hold out much hope. He asked, "Then do you remember how many meals you’ve had here?"

But it had been too long—even Bella Qin couldn’t remember. She hung her head and whispered, "They’ve kept me here a long time. I don’t know myself." For her, this was the darkest stretch of her life; she finally understood what it meant for every day to feel like a year.

"If you don’t know, you don’t know. Don’t worry—someone will come to save us." Vincent Su sighed softly. In his condition, there was no way he could escape. As for Bella Qin, he didn’t really expect much.

All he could do now was wait for rescue. The pain in his back was so sharp he didn’t dare move, let alone try to escape.

"Mm, I believe Brother Lance will definitely come for me." Bella Qin’s eyes lit up at the mention of Lance Quinn. It was this belief that had kept her going all this time.

"Storm Cloud Bu? You don’t think he’ll come save you?" Vincent Su felt sad for Storm Cloud Bu—even now, Bella’s mind was full of Lance, and Bu didn’t even register.

Everything Storm Cloud Bu had done for Bella Qin was nothing but a joke.

"Isn’t Brother Storm Cloud Bu just Brother Lance’s subordinate? If he comes to save me, it’ll only be because Lance ordered it." Bella Qin spoke as if it were obvious—she’d always seen it that way.

Storm Cloud Bu was Lance Quinn’s man; his kindness to her was just Lance’s command.

Vincent Su let out a bitter, mocking laugh and slowly closed his eyes. "If you say so, then so be it."

He didn’t have the strength to say more, nor any interest in helping Storm Cloud Bu chase after a woman. It would be better if Bella Qin never looked at Bu for the rest of her life. Over a hundred members of the Su Clan had died—no matter how close, even for a brother, this blood debt had to be paid.

When Lady Min learned of Prince Nolan and Serena’s whereabouts, she ordered someone to get word to Storm Cloud Bu, telling him to find a way to inform the Ghost King of her location and draw the Ghost King in.

Lady Min knew how formidable Prince Nolan was. Even with Bella Qin and Vincent Su as hostages, she didn’t believe her people could subdue Prince Nolan and kill Serena.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and Lady Min didn’t want to miss it. To be safe, she didn’t mind dragging Ghost Hall into the mix, even if it meant taking a risk.

Of course, to get Ghost Hall to act, Lady Min also leaked one crucial secret: the Heaven-Son Sword!

Prince Nolan and Serena had no idea what the Heaven-Son Sword was, but the Ghost King did. Its importance was self-evident—especially since he’d failed to capture the Former Dynasty Princess last time.

The Ghost King was supremely confident in his own strength. With these two pieces of news, he knew the risk but was still ready to take the gamble. After all, none of them could easily kill him—and if he managed to capture the Former Dynasty Princess and seize the Heaven-Son Sword, the imperial hoard would be his.

"My lord, Eastlyn’s people are searching everywhere for us. This really isn’t the right time to show up in Eastlyn."

It wasn’t as if no one in Ghost Hall tried to dissuade the Ghost King, but he was always arrogant, convinced he was unmatched in the world, and never listened to anyone else. Once he made a decision, no one could change his mind…