Frozen, because they thought of An Jin. Three years ago, on their wedding night, he was also dressed in red. At that time, her heart was already in chaos.
Who would have thought he would be completely unconcerned, directly drinking and then moving to undress her.
It was only then that she realized that even someone as calm and composed as An Jin had moments when he needed alcohol to boost his courage.
Xia Zhiyuan was momentarily dazed, staring at her face, suddenly smiling softly, seemingly genuinely moved.
“On that day, my lady accidentally replaced the new imperial consort. It seems heaven had long given a sign.” He murmured tenderly, actually taking her hand. “A Yao. This is your given name, isn’t it?”
“A Yao.” Xia Zhiyuan sat beside her, reaching out to brush her hair. “This marriage is unavoidable for you, but for me, it is a long-awaited good fate.”
Staring at him, she momentarily didn’t know how to respond.
His face was like a full moon, radiantly bright. “A Yao, forget An Jin. Stay by my side, share this great rivers and mountains with me. Isn’t this better than being a widow?”
She turned away, muttering, “Your Highness is joking. An Jin is my husband and childhood sweetheart. No one can replace him.”
Xia Zhiyuan let go of her hand, silent for a moment. He had spoken so freely before and now regretted it. He had clearly planned to lay low and curry favor, trying to gain her trust, but now had spoken the truth.
“Your Ladyship can rest assured, this palace will not force you now.” He swept his sleeve and stood up, turning his back. “As long as Your Ladyship doesn’t forget our agreement.”
“Of course—” Before he could finish, his figure swayed and fell down.
Turning around, two figures emerged from the heavy gauze curtains.
“They have finally come.”
Before leaving, he couldn’t help but look back at the Eastern Palace’s unconscious eyes.
Chapter Fifty-Five: The Husband’s Scheme
I changed into an ordinary cloth garment, put on a human skin mask, and boarded the carriage. The carriage quietly drove out of the palace gates, encountering almost no obstruction along the way. Que’er and another unfamiliar-looking woman sat across from me, and due to our tension, we hadn’t spoken.
