My enemies became my companions

Chapter 732 Still Sleeping Together (Part 2)

Both women demanded an explanation from him.

Chen Yi glanced at Qin Qingluo, then at Min Ning, his mouth opening and closing as if to speak, then stopping himself, unsure of how to explain himself...

How did we end up back here again?

Chen Yi felt completely overwhelmed. He had thought that Min Ning had finally backed down and resolutely left, but he hadn't expected her to stay.

Not only did he not leave, but he also emerged from behind the screen in such a provocative manner, laying bare the bloody conflict that had already been put on hold before him once again.

This was even more terrifying than facing the Pure Saintess holding up the Bright Palace.

Qin Qingluo's gaze was like an ice pick, growing colder and colder, piercing his skin. He could feel the brewing in those snake eyes. If he hadn't retained a shred of reason, he probably wouldn't have used cold words, but rather thunderous methods.

As for Min Ning… Chen Yi looked at her. She stood straight, like a pine tree that refused to bend, but her slightly trembling fingertips and the fleeting vulnerability deep in her eyes revealed that she was not as calm as she appeared.

She was gambling, undoubtedly betting all her pride and loyalty, hoping that Chen Yi would give her a different answer.

Chen Yi was sweating profusely; he was truly being roasted over a fire.

He subconsciously wanted to look at the nuptial wine in his hand, but the clear liquid now seemed like a hot potato.

Who should this wine be given to? If it's given to Qin Qingluo, it's tantamount to pushing her away in front of Min Ning; if she doesn't drink it, or if it's given to Min Ning... that would be tantamount to slapping Qin Qingluo in the face on the spot, and the Southern Border King's Mansion would probably really be in turmoil tonight.

Who's behind this?

Yin Weiying?!

Chen Yi almost gritted his teeth and uttered the name in his mind.

He knew it! He knew that whenever Da Yin made a move, it was never for anything good! All that talk about helping out or doing someone a favor was bullshit. This clueless woman had clearly figured out Min Ning's personality, planted a thorn in her heart, and was now hiding in the shadows, watching the two fight, waiting to see this show that would leave both sides exhausted!

"Ah."

A cold, mocking laugh broke the suffocating silence.

Qin Qingluo slowly stepped forward, her tall figure bringing an even stronger sense of oppression. She didn't even look at Chen Yi anymore; her deep, serpentine eyes locked onto Min Ning.

“Miss Min,” she said calmly, “our wedding ceremony with him was witnessed by heaven and earth, and was arranged by our parents. It was the final step. You were about to leave, but now you’re blocking my way. Do you want to cause trouble at this crucial moment, or do you think I’m too easy to talk to?”

As the last word fell, the temperature in the bridal chamber seemed to drop several degrees, and even the flames of the red candles seemed to shrink in fear.

Min Ning raised her chin slightly and met her gaze without flinching: "Your Highness is too kind. Etiquette is rigid, but people's hearts are flexible. I will not fight for your marriage. What I am fighting for is not just a cup of wine, but an attitude, an attitude... what Chen Yi really thinks of me!"

Her gaze was intense as she turned to Chen Yi again, each word seemingly squeezed out from between her teeth: "Chen Zunming, tell me! In your heart, what exactly am I, Min Ning?"

The two women's gazes, like two red-hot branding irons, were simultaneously fixed on Chen Yi, one on the left and one on the right.

He felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown into a bustling city, all his scheming, all his hesitation, all his greed exposed at that moment.

Explain...

What explanation can he give?
To say I'm sincere with you all? — Hypocritical!
He says I can only choose one? — He wouldn't give up either of them!
Saying that the three of us should go together...—I'm afraid we'll fall out on the spot before we even finish the sentence.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Chen Yi's forehead. His hand holding the wine glass was as steady as a rock, but his mind was in turmoil, a complete mess.

Now it's really a case of being caught in a bind...

Inside the bridal chamber, the candlelight flickered, as if shrinking back in fear, while a chill spread even more between the two women, as if winter had suddenly arrived overnight.

The female prince's eyes grew increasingly angry. She was furious at Chen Yi, who was ultimately a disappointing bitch, always greedy and indecisive. She was also furious at Min Ning, who had been generous enough to give up the night, but now that Chen Yi had returned, she was no longer giving up. In this back and forth, she was being treated like a monkey.

She was the ruler of this southern border, and tonight she was the rightful groom. In her eyes, Min Ning's actions were nothing short of an insult coming to her door.

The female prince took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently with her python robe, and slowly stepped forward. In the end, she was the one who had to clean up this mess.

Since that bitch is having trouble making a decision, let her make the decision.

"Attitude?" Qin Qingluo's voice suddenly rose. "Min Ning, what attitude do you want? Do you want him to break off the engagement, or do you want me to hand over the position of Princess Consort? Do you think that affection and loyalty can supersede all etiquette and rules?"

With each sentence she spoke, she took a step closer.
The candlelight cast a huge shadow behind her, as if to completely devour that stubborn red.

"Min Yuechi, you were going to leave anyway, so why are you going back on your word?"

Min Ning's inherent pride kept her from giving an inch.
"Your Highness, I'm not asking you for an explanation, I'm asking him for an explanation."

“Finding him is the same as finding me,” Qin Qingluo said, enunciating each word clearly.

Min Ning did not confront him directly, but continued to stare at Chen Yi, her voice still clear: "Etiquette and rules? Your Highness, please ask him yourself! When has Chen Yi ever truly cared about those damn rules? If he really cared about rules, things wouldn't be like this today! I'm not fighting for that marriage, you've already married him, that's a fact. What I'm fighting for is his sincere heart! I want him to tell me clearly and plainly what my place is in his heart! Whether I deserve an explanation!"

"Sincerity? Weight?"

Qin Qingluo couldn't listen anymore. Enraged, she laughed. She suddenly realized that her confidante, Min Ning, was utterly unreasonable.

"Okay! You want a larger portion, right?"

She abruptly turned to Chen Yi, her snake-like eyes flashing with cold light, each word resounding like an explosion in the bridal chamber:
"Chen Yi, tell her, tell me! Tonight, here, in our bridal chamber, before we drink the nuptial wine, who will you choose?!"

Almost at the same moment, Min Ning also took a step forward, her phoenix eyes filled with a resolute determination, and her voice was equally firm:
"Chen Zunming! Tell me! Do you want an explanation or not?!"

Two gazes and two voices, like two peerless blades, simultaneously slashed at Chen Yi, who stood frozen in the middle.

Chen Yi stood rooted to the spot, suddenly feeling as if he had fallen into an ice cave. No matter how he thought about it, he never imagined that after the calm, things would develop to the point of being on the verge of war.

That taut string, that powder keg that had been building up for so long, was finally about to explode...

A fierce glint flashed in Qin Qingluo's eyes, and she said no more.

Her tall figure suddenly lunged forward, her left hand flashing out like lightning, her five fingers forming a claw, the tip of her fingertips making a whistling sound as she aimed directly at Min Ning's Jianjing acupoint on his right shoulder, intending to subdue him.

Min Ning was already on high alert. He knew her intention as soon as he saw her shoulder twitch. When that hand reached out, he immediately tapped his toes and floated back half a step like a red lotus in the wind. At the same time, he blocked with his left arm, accurately blocking Qin Qingluo's wrist.

Snapped!
With a crisp sound of flesh striking flesh, the two men's arms separated after a brief touch.

Qin Qingluo's attack missed, so she immediately changed her move, turning her claw into a palm and releasing a burst of energy from her palm to strike Min Ning's ribs. The palm wind covered a very large area, forcing Min Ning to no longer be able to dodge with his movements.

Min Ning's eyebrows shot up. Instead of retreating, she advanced, twisting her waist and turning to the side, narrowly avoiding the main force of the palm strike. Her right hand, with fingers like a sword, swiftly struck Qin Qingluo's elbow, forcing him to defend. This finger strike was incredibly fast and carried a penetrating force. If it landed, the entire arm would feel numb and sore.

Qin Qinglu snorted coldly, turning her strike into a slash, her hand like an axe, aiming for Min Ning's fingertips.

boom!Boom!
Two muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously.

Their palms clashed, sending a gust of wind through the air, causing their clothes to flutter wildly.

Min Ning felt a surge of energy and couldn't help but take a half step back to release the force. A slight flush of anger crossed her face. Qin Qingluo's figure also swayed slightly, and the look of shock and anger in her eyes as she looked at Min Ning deepened. She hadn't expected Min Ning's skill to have improved so much. In their previous exchange, she had actually fallen behind by half a level.

The two suddenly separated, facing each other at a distance of about ten feet.

In the glow of the red candlelight, Qin Qingluo's python robe was slightly disheveled, and his breathing was somewhat heavy. Min Ning, dressed in fiery red, had his chest rise and fall slightly, his sword-wielding hand as steady as a rock, though his fingertips trembled slightly.

These few exchanges, which happened in the blink of an eye, were already extremely dangerous and fraught with killing intent. In the bridal chamber, the murderous aura did not dissipate because of this collision; on the contrary, it became even more concentrated and sharp.

Qin Qingluo's anger intensified. As the ruler of the Southern Frontier, she had never been provoked like this before, except when facing Chen Yi.

Her inner energy surged, and the energy condensed again in her palm, even more solid than before. She lowered her body slightly and was about to pounce again, determined to suppress this arrogant and ignorant heroine with thunderous force.

Min Ning was not to be outdone. She took a deep breath, suppressed her surging blood and qi, and her phoenix eyes became even sharper. She exerted force with her feet, twisted her waist, and was about to launch another attack, her finger-wind sword intent ready to be unleashed.

With a second, even more intense clash about to erupt, the two figures are about to collide once more.

Swish!
A dark shadow suddenly appeared between the two of them, as unexpectedly as in a movie!
The two women were so quick that they both thought they were one move behind each other.

But by the time they could see clearly, the person had already come between them.

He held the pair of nuptial cups, still as steady as a rock, in his left hand, while his right hand, with fingers pointing like lightning, struck first, precisely and accurately, on the acupoint on Qin Qingluo's wrist, where the palm force was gathering. His fingertips contained sword intent, and with a gentle flick, Qin Qingluo's palm force, which was about to be unleashed, dissipated by more than half like a punctured balloon, and its forward momentum was also halted.

At the same time, he slightly twisted his left wrist, silently blocking Min Ning's rapidly pointing fingertips with the back of his hand. The cup trembled slightly, and a powerful yet flexible force was released, completely dissolving Min Ning's penetrating finger force that was concentrated at one point. The shock made her fingertips slightly numb, and her attack vanished instantly.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Yi neutralized the two women's fight with just one hand and one finger.

He stood frozen in place, as if he had never moved. But his eyes, which always held a hint of mockery or profundity, were now calm as still water as they slowly swept over the two women who looked astonished.

"enough."

Chen Yi spoke, his voice not loud, yet clearly reaching their ears, carrying an unprecedented coldness and solemnity.
"Qin Qingluo, Min Ning."

He addressed them by their first names, his gaze lingering on their faces.
"If you want to argue, that's fine, but resorting to violence is unreasonable."

The two women paused simultaneously, as if by prior arrangement.

The Queen's face turned ashen, and she was about to exert force again, but her surging true energy was swallowed up by the sword intent as if it had been swallowed up by a mud ox entering the sea. Chen Yi only pressed down lightly, and Qin Qingluo's true energy was suddenly blocked, as if a river channel had been cut off and stagnant.

The female knight was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, she reached out her hand, but Chen Yi struck her first, stopping her in mid-air.

"Still want to make a move?"

Chen Yi looked around at the two women and said, word by word:

Do you really think I can't do anything about the two of you?

The two women eventually came to blows, taking a step that Chen Yi had tried so hard to avoid, and truly crossed the line.

Previously, he had been caught in the middle, unwilling to push one woman away and unwilling to break free from the other, which put him in a difficult position. He had to feign weakness, but now that the two women had broken off relations and started fighting, he finally had a legitimate reason to use force to suppress them.

Having come this far, should we still pretend to be weak?

Chen Yi made a decision immediately, his eyes showing no more hesitation, but instead a long-lost fierceness resurfaced.

Previously, he prevented the two women from fighting because his meridians were broken, and he was powerless to subdue them both by himself. But now things are completely different.

He slightly released the force from his fingertips, and Qin Qingluo felt a numbness in her wrist. The true energy she had gathered dissipated like a receding tide, and her entire arm instantly became weak and powerless. Min Ning also felt a supple yet irresistible force spreading along her fingertips, forcing her to withdraw her fingers and defend herself.

Both of them took a half step back at the same time, their faces filled with shock and anger, but even more so with disbelief. When did he acquire such cultivation?!

Chen Yi ignored their surprised and uncertain expressions. His gaze swept over the still steady nuptial cup in his hand. The wine was clear, reflecting the flickering candlelight, and also reflecting a trace of weariness in his eyes, as well as... a kind of cold hardness indicating a firm determination.

"Confess?" He suddenly chuckled, raising his eyes and slowly moving his gaze between Qin Qingluo's tense face and Min Ning's stubborn brows. "Didn't you all want to confess? Fine, I'll give you yours."

With a flick of his wrist, he handed one of the glasses of wine to Min Ning.

Min Ning was taken aback, and subconsciously took the cup. The cool touch of the jade cup made her fingertips twitch slightly.

Qin Qingluo's snake-like eyes narrowed sharply, and a chilling aura emanated from her. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Chen Yi steadily hand her another cup of wine.

"This cup is yours." He looked at Qin Qingluo, his tone leaving no room for argument.

The two women each held a cup, looking at each other in bewilderment, unsure of his intentions. The tense atmosphere in the bridal chamber became somewhat eerie.

Chen Yi stopped looking at them, turned around and walked to the wedding bed covered with a bright red brocade quilt with mandarin ducks, and sat down with an air of authority.

He spread his arms and rested them on the edge of the bed, looking calmly at the two people standing frozen in place. In the depths of his eyes, which always held calculation or tenderness, there was now only an almost savage honesty.

"Choose?" A cryptic smile played on his lips as he declared with a defiant air, "I'm not acting anymore. I can't choose, and I don't want to choose anymore."

He paused, his voice echoing clearly in the silent room:
"Qin Qingluo, we are married by proper channels. We have bowed to heaven and earth and drunk the nuptial wine. We will be together for life."

“Min Ning, you are the person I have long admired. We met when we were both humble, and we entrusted our lives to each other. Of course, I cannot sever this bond.”

His gaze became extremely aggressive as it swept over the two equally strong-willed and stunningly beautiful women.

"So, I'm not performing tonight."

Both of you must drink this nuptial wine.

This wedding night...

Chen Yi leaned forward slightly, the candlelight casting deep shadows on his face, and he spoke slowly and deliberately.
"I want them all, to sleep with you in the same bed, tonight, right here."

The words fell like a thunderclap.

Qin Qingluo's eyes widened suddenly, her knuckles turned white from gripping the wine glass, her tall and delicate body trembled slightly, her shock mixed with overwhelming anger at being offended, and a trace of... a flutter that even she herself could not understand.

Min Ning was struck dumb, her cheeks instantly turning crimson red, then quickly fading to pale. She couldn't believe her ears, and a surge of heat rushed to her head.

The room was deathly silent, save for the faint crackling of the burning red candles and the sudden, rapid, and disordered breathing of the two women. They were both bewildered and had not expected that Chen Yi, who had previously been showing weakness, would so suddenly break the deadlock.

Chen Yi had been showing weakness for too long, and had been forced to retreat step by step by the two strong-willed women, to the point that they had forgotten how he had treated them in the past.

Almost simultaneously, both women felt a chill creep up their spines.

Chen Yi watched the fascinating changes in their expressions, from extreme shock and shame to struggle and hesitation... He knew that his words were too shameless and forceful, but he was tired of the endless tug-of-war.

Since a moment of gentleness cannot satisfy both, he might as well bare his fangs and force the issue, preventing the two women from fighting over it, and firmly bind the person he cares about to his side.

He slowly stood up and walked towards the two frozen women, his steps steady.
“The wine,” he said slowly in a low voice, “let’s drink it together.”

(End of this chapter)