Gu Ruoyun shrugged her shoulders and stared at Xia Ming with a smile which did not reach her eyes, "You're certain?"

"I'm certain."

Xia Ming scoffed coldly and raised his head arrogantly. A malicious light flashed in his eyes, "A spoken agreement is not binding. Do you think that these people would choose to believe you or me?"

"Alright. Since you're so confident, I don't wish to say anything else to you. As for Lu Chen, I won't release him now. Go back to the Xia family home immediately. I'll release him when I feel like it."

Gu Ruoyun curled her lips as a glint flashed across her eyes.

"Gu Ruoyun!" Xia Ming expression sank, "Are you certain that you want to make Supreme Jin your enemy?"

"Do you think that Supreme Jin would still come to your aid if he found out about the truth?"

"Haha." Xia Ming laughed as if he had just heard a hilarious joke, "I'm Xia Ruoyun's biological father. If he won't help even me, why should he help an outsider like you? Let me tell you this, Supreme Jin will aid the Xia family forever! He would not believe you no matter how much explanations you give! Xue'er, we're leaving!"

Xia Ming turned his icy gaze away. However, he paused before he left and said, "Gu Ruoyun, you better release Lu Chen. Otherwise, I'll make you pay for what you've done!"

He then left without a second look back.

Xia Chuxue watched her father's figure and gritted her teeth. She turned towards Qianbei Ye and said, "My Lord, I apologize to you and Miss Gu in my father's stead. In truth, he had also suffered greatly that year. All of this had happened because of me. If there's anyone you wish to hate, hate me but please forgive my father."

Gu Ruoyun lowered her gaze as her heart snorted with an icy laugh.

If I had not become aware of Xia Chuxue's true nature long ago, perhaps I would be blinded by her righteous and awe-inspiring words.

Besides, her eyes had been fixed on Qianbei Ye from the very beginning. Her intentions cannot be concealed from the others.

Qianbei Ye furrowed his brows and an eerie light flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, he smiled and his lips curled into a peerlessly beautiful angle, "Then, Miss Xia, why don't you explain the kind of hardships your father has endured?"

This man's smile was absolutely beautiful, so beautiful that one cannot help but feel moved. If Xia Chuxue's heart does not belong to that person, she might have become deeply enchanted by him.

However...

Each time she thought of that golden-haired man in the golden robes, she would smile bitterly.

When will I ever be able to enter that man's heart?

Why is it that he's still unable to forget a dead person and never accepted my love even after so many years? It has grown to such an extent that my love has turned into hatred and I purposely made others spread slanderous gossips about Xia Ruoyun so that she would disappear from Supreme Jin's heart.

However, Xia Chuxue had forgotten that Supreme Jin had been protecting the Xia family for Xia Ruoyun's sake. If he no longer misses Xia Ruoyun, what use would he have for the Xia family?

"Father loves me far too much," Xia Chuxue smiled bitterly and lamented sorrowfully, "Because Older Sister had snatched away the Ancient Divine Pagoda which was mine by right, he had gone mad with disappointment and ended up doing all of this! That year, I had tried to reason with him but no matter how hard I tried, I could not prevent this from happening. I'm now filled with remorse! I hate myself for being so useless and for being unable to help my older sister! I've even blamed my father deep down. It's only an Ancient Divine Pagoda after all, how could it be more important than my older sister? However, he has always believed that Older Sister was too cruel. Additionally, the Mo family had threatened my life so he had no choice but to commit these acts."