Qian Renxue Confesses, Sisters Speak from the Heart

Xue Ke came to the side hall and left the palace with Xue Qinghe, returning to the Prince's Mansion.

"Brother, I have something to tell you."

"Alright, let's go to the Study and talk." Xue Qinghe guessed that it was probably related to Emperor Xue Ye.

The two arrived at the Study and each found a seat.

"Brother..." Xue Ke hesitated.

"It seems Father Emperor's conversation with you today was related to me." Xue Qinghe took an unhurried sip of tea.

"That's right, it was indeed related to you, Brother. Father Emperor said many things to me today."

Xue Qinghe looked at Xue Ke with an attentive expression.

Xue Ke deliberately sighed, looking deeply troubled, before slowly speaking.

"Brother, Father Emperor kept testing me today. He asked what I thought of you and told me to assist you wholeheartedly, but he also wanted me to promise him that I would do everything possible to stop you from making a move against Xue Beng. I know what Father Emperor meant: if you spare Xue Beng, he'll feel at ease handing the throne over to you. I'm afraid Father Emperor wasn't worried that I would tell you about today's conversation. On the contrary, he wanted to use my mouth to warn you."

Xue Qinghe frowned slightly upon hearing this. He gently set down his teacup and stared at Xue Ke as he seriously asked, "What I want to know is, Xiao Ke, how did you evaluate me as your brother before Father Emperor today?"

"I told Father Emperor that you were a formidable tyrant, suited to be emperor in these troubled times."

"From your tone, it seems you know about your eldest and third imperial brothers." Xue Qinghe asked as if casually, though his hands had already begun trembling slightly and his heart was far from calm.

"Yes, I had already guessed it. Brother, you were the one who killed them." Xue Ke answered calmly, as though she were stating something insignificant.

Xue Qinghe shot to his feet, clenching his fists. His expression was complicated as he looked at Xue Ke, his voice trembling slightly. "Y-You don't blame me?"

Xue Ke rose to her feet as well and met Xue Qinghe's eyes. "If I blamed you, Brother, I wouldn't have said those things to Father Emperor today."

Xue Qinghe let out a deep sigh and said helplessly, "Xiao Ke, why are you helping me like this? Aren't you afraid I'll treat you the way I treated them?"

"Because you're my brother! I know you never wanted to hurt Xiao Ke, and I've always believed that, whether now or in the future, you would never hurt me. Didn't I say it before? Brother is the most important person in Xiao Ke's life. Xiao Ke will spend her entire life protecting Brother!"

Xue Ke's tone gradually became agitated, and her face flushed red.

"Xiao Ke..." Xue Qinghe felt deeply ashamed. Six years ago, she had already harbored the intention to kill Xue Ke more than once, and she had deceived her throughout these six years. She felt that someone as hypocritical as herself was utterly unworthy of Xue Ke's sincerity.

Xue Qinghe hesitated for a moment, then finally made up her mind. She said to Xue Ke, "Xiao Ke, watch carefully. I'm not your brother at all."

Golden light suddenly burst forth from Xue Qinghe's body. Her figure slowly shrank by a size, and when the golden light faded, a stunningly beautiful woman stood before her.

The woman appeared to be in her early twenties. Her skin was white as snow, her nose high and straight, and her narrow phoenix eyes were striking. Her cloudlike golden hair, bright as sunlight, naturally cascaded down her back. Pride and majesty could not be concealed within her golden eyes. She was like a goddess descending from the heavens, sacred and inviolable. One could not bear to defile her, yet could not help wanting to kneel beneath her golden dress.

The golden-haired woman parted her lips slightly and slowly said, "Xiao Ke, I've actually been deceiving you all along. Your real imperial brother, Xue Qinghe, was replaced by me long ago. My true identity is the Holy Maiden of Spirit Hall. My name is Qian Renxue."

Xue Ke's huge eyes widened as she stared without blinking at Qian Renxue before her. Her cherry lips parted slightly, and she was utterly stunned by Qian Renxue's breathtaking beauty.

Good heavens! So this was Qian Renxue! She was ten thousand times prettier in person than in the anime. I'm in love, I'm in love.

Xue Ke swallowed to keep herself from embarrassing herself. Her lively eyes swept over Qian Renxue from head to toe, and she put on an enlightened expression. "So you're a sister! I called you Brother for so many years—you really kept me in the dark!"

Seeing Xue Ke standing there motionless with a shocked expression, Qian Renxue asked miserably, "I was the chief culprit behind the deaths of your eldest, second, and third imperial brothers. So... how will you treat me now?"

At this, Xue Ke ran to Qian Renxue, opened her arms, and threw herself into her embrace. Wrapping her hands around Qian Renxue's slender waist, she said seriously:

"Whether you're Xue Qinghe or Qian Renxue, no matter what you've done, I only know that you truly cherish me. That alone is enough!" (If you don't understand why Xue Ke doesn't mind what Qian Renxue did, please reread Chapter 5.)

You killed Xue Ke's brothers. What did that have to do with me, Zhang Wenbiao?

After saying that, Xue Ke rubbed her little head against Qian Renxue's chest, looking extremely affectionate.

"Xiao Ke... I-I don't deserve such sincerity from you." Qian Renxue extended a fair, slender hand and gently stroked Xue Ke's head.

Xue Ke raised her head and gazed deeply into Qian Renxue's golden eyes, saying sincerely:

"I will protect you for all my life. No matter who you are, no matter what happens, those words will always hold true."

Qian Renxue held Xue Ke and slowly sat down, placing Xue Ke on her lap. She looked at Xue Ke with a complicated expression. The two tacitly remained silent.

"Xiao Ke, will you still support me in becoming the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire?" In the end, Qian Renxue was the first to break the silence and could not help asking.

"Of course I support you, Sister Xue. Surely you don't expect me to support that annoying Xue Beng instead? Over the years, Sister Xue's accomplishments have been clear for all to see. If the future of the Heaven Dou Empire is placed in your hands, it will certainly be far better than placing it in the hands of a wastrel like Xue Beng."

"But I'm from Spirit Hall. I'm not a member of your Heaven Dou Imperial Family."

"What does that matter? In my eyes, the emperor's surname isn't important at all. As long as the emperor genuinely considers the people and can give them good lives, does the emperor's surname really matter?"

What did the emperor's surname have to do with Xue Ke? Xue Ke only wanted to join hands with Qian Renxue, defeat Tang San, and live well.

"Xiao Ke, thank you! Thank you for your sincerity, and thank you for your selfless love! Your sister will always cherish you like a real younger sister." Qian Renxue smiled, her smile as beautiful and moving as a hundred flowers in bloom.

"Sister Xue, I'll also treat you as my real elder sister. Whether the Heaven Dou Empire still exists in the future or not, my heart toward you will never change."

Xue Ke returned Qian Renxue's smile with a sweet one of her own. Warmth surged through Qian Renxue's heart at the sight, and she hugged Xue Ke even tighter, as though holding Xue Ke meant holding the entire world.

The protagonist transmigrated into Xue Ke's body when Xue Ke was only six years old, while the protagonist was already twenty. How could the mere six years of feelings and memories in this body compare to the emotional memories of twenty years from her previous life? Thus, after transmigrating, the protagonist's emotions and memories from her previous life had always held the upper hand. She was almost indifferent toward her current family and had no sense of belonging to Heaven Dou. I already explained this in Chapter 5.