I know you didn’t come to find me because you were afraid the empress would expose that painful memory again! But have you considered that the strong girl in your eyes can also be vulnerable? Didn’t you see the tears in her eyes when you held my hand? While you were protecting me, you were hurting both of us! Can’t you see the pain in my heart?” Qingcheng almost screamed, feeling exhausted.
Dongfang Yu quickly walked to her and tightly embraced her, somewhat panicked. He didn’t realize his selfish decision had hurt her. He had wanted to protect her since childhood.
“Yu, don’t mistake pity for love. I just want you to feel sorry for me, but she is the one you truly should love. Go find her, okay?” Qingcheng whispered, gripping his clothes.
“No, Qinger, I once told you that I am your umbrella for life, protecting you forever! We will marry in five days, and by then, neither my mother nor my brother will harm you!” Despite his heartache, he wouldn’t change his decision.
Teardrops glistened, her breath delicate. The gentle breeze seemed capable of blowing her over. In quiet moments, she was like a beautiful flower reflected in water; in motion, like a willow swaying in the wind. Her heart had one more chamber than Bi Gan’s, her illness more refined than Xi Shi.
She was as delicate as Lin Daiyu and just as melancholic.
Marriage? Such a distant beauty. She once hoped to be a couple envied by heaven, but Hong-ge, despite his gentleness, was only using her as a chess piece against Yu. Now, Yu proposed marriage just as he fell in love with another. He had promised her but betrayed his conscience. Was this worth it?
Gently pushing away his warm embrace, she looked up at Dongfang Yu’s pitying gaze.
“Yu, stop deceiving yourself! You can fool me about everything, but your eyes reveal your true feelings! Though I don’t know who she is, I can sense her growing love! Go find her, tell her you love her. Just as I once told Hong-ge, even if the result later pierced my heart, my heart is content!” Her heart was not breaking because Yu was abandoning her but because she was pushing away this hard-won affection. Her heart ached, yet she did not regret.
