She gave everything she had, only to be toyed with in the palm of his hand.
Di Ronghua suddenly felt a splitting headache, as if her mind were about to explode.
She pressed heavily on her brow, turned around, and stiffly, slowly began walking back the way she came.
No wonder, despite his initial dislike for her, he had repeatedly forced her to stay through various means, even making her feel at times as though he had grown fond of her.
No wonder, back when she was still willing to ask him that question, he had always brushed it off with vague responses.
So, it was merely because he couldn’t let her go—after all, she was Mu Qingshuang’s younger sister?
What an ironic reason.
Even more ironic was that she could supposedly save Mu Qingshuang?
Was it only because she was pregnant that he hadn’t acted yet?
Hah.
Di Ronghua shut her eyes briefly, a searing pain coursing through her limbs and bones, even her breathing laced with agony.
She had always thought she could control her emotions well, that she had donned layers of armour, that Xiao Hanjin could no longer hurt her.
But now, reality had dealt her a resounding slap.
The truth was, at least until moments ago, deep in her heart, she still loved Xiao Hanjin.
Indeed, as she had once said, feelings for someone don’t vanish so easily. She could reject him countless times, treat him coldly, but in this all-too-brief span, she hadn’t succeeded in forgetting him.
All her coldness and avoidance were just instinctive self-preservation, a shield against sinking too deep once more.
Yet when the truth was laid bare, she understood what it meant to be covered in wounds.
“Princess!”
Juye’s startled cry snapped her back to her senses.
Only then did Di Ronghua realise one foot had stepped into the lake’s edge, her shoes, socks, and hem soaked through.
She abruptly pulled back, “Juye… you mustn’t tell anyone I came here today.”
Juye looked at her in surprise, “Princess, what’s wrong?”
“Promise me.”
“Alright, alright, alright!” Juye nodded hurriedly, eyeing her nervously, “This servant will agree to anything! Princess, are you unwell? Why do you look so pale?”
“No.” She closed her eyes, “Let’s go.”
…
When Xiao Hanjin returned to the palace, he caught sight of a woman standing amidst blooming flowers, her back to him as she trimmed the branches of white crabapple with scissors.
He strode towards her with long legs, intending to embrace her from behind as usual. His hands were halfway there when she suddenly turned around.
Their eyes met, and for a fleeting moment, the air around them stilled.
Her face was utterly expressionless, steeped in a thick, icy chill.
Xiao Hanjin’s gaze narrowed slightly, but he pressed forward, bending to hug her.
This time, however, she raised her hand abruptly, the sharp blade of the scissors pressing against his neck.
The man’s movements froze once more.
Thus, twice, he failed to hold her.
The surrounding air solidified completely.
“Your Highness,” Xiao Hanjin’s dark eyes locked onto hers as he spoke in a low voice, “What’s wrong?”
Di Ronghua stared at his handsome face, so close, tinged with a hint of shadow and a trace of affection. Yet her heart brimmed with a piercing coldness.
“The blade’s at your throat…” The woman’s red lips parted slightly, “What do you think is wrong?”
A mere fraction more, and the scissors would slice his throat.
Xiao Hanjin glanced down at it, squinting faintly, then lifted his eyes to meet her stark black-and-white gaze, “Who upset you? Are you taking it out on me?”
