The man narrowed his phoenix-like eyes. “Father may not agree to his request, and Emperor Ronghua is unlikely to marry him.”
Mu Qingshuang chuckled. “So?”
“As long as Emperor Ronghua doesn’t marry him, he has no reason to force you to leave.”
“But he has already spoken,” the woman’s voice suddenly sharpened. “Are you suggesting I shamelessly cling on here?”
Xiao Hanjin frowned as he looked at her flushed face, red with anger. “Qingshuang, leaving here won’t make your life any better.”
To be fair, Xiao Yixun had treated her well over the years.
Although she was only a concubine, they had grown up together, and she never lacked anything that a proper wife would have.
Mu Qingshuang closed her eyes weakly, her whole body trembling. “In that case, you should leave.”
Feicui, unable to hold back any longer, spoke up. “Your Highness, as soon as you left earlier, the young lady vomited blood and fainted. She has been injured frequently these past few days, and today her injuries are severe. Although you stopped the bleeding, her illness has worsened. Please, help her.”
Mu Qingshuang bit her lip in embarrassment. “Feicui, don’t beg him!”
Xiao Hanjin walked over to her, frowning. “Think carefully. If you step out of the Second Prince’s residence today, you truly won’t be able to return.”
Mu Qingshuang opened her eyes and looked at him, her expression caught between a smile and a cry. “He is now wholeheartedly set on marrying Emperor Ronghua and has long since stopped tolerating me.”
“Alright,” the man said softly. “I understand.”
Mu Qingshuang’s breath hitched, her gaze fixed on him in a daze.
She couldn’t help but wonder: if she hadn’t agreed to the Emperor’s request back then, or if she had told him the truth earlier, how different would things have been between them?
“Han Jin,” she said, her voice hoarse. “I’m sorry…”
Xiao Hanjin’s gaze paused. After a long while, he said, “Don’t think too much about it.” His voice lowered slightly. “I will find a way to treat your illness. Hongyu is already on the way and will arrive tomorrow. She can temporarily control your condition.”
……
Late at night, at the Crown Prince’s residence.
Emperor Ronghua, wrapped in a fox fur cloak, waited in the courtyard for a long time before finally seeing Xiao Jiu return from outside.
The little fox jumped straight to her side and relayed the news it had gathered. “The Second Prince knelt in the palace for two hours, but the Emperor still hasn’t relented. However, it seems it’s only a matter of time.”
Emperor Ronghua nodded, picked it up, and walked into the house.
The door was wide open, and perhaps because the lights were too bright or the wedding dress on the floor was too vivid, it caught her eye before she even entered.
Emperor Ronghua hesitated for a moment but eventually walked over and picked it up. The heavy fabric felt weighty in her hands.
Xiao Jiu’s expression was complicated. “Rongrong, there’s one more thing.”
“What is it? Tell me.”
“Mu Qingshuang seems to have… moved into the side courtyard.”
After saying this, it looked at her with concern.
Emperor Ronghua’s steps faltered, a fleeting look of confusion in her eyes. “I see.”
She lowered her gaze and continued forward, bending down to pick up the scattered items she had thrown aside during the day, one by one, with focused attention.
Just as Xiao Hanjin entered, he happened to see this scene.
For a moment, he actually thought she was reluctant to part with them.
But then, he saw her turn around and throw all the wedding-related items into a wooden bucket in the corner—a bucket specifically used for trash.
Xiao Hanjin’s eyes widened in shock.
His handsome face darkened to the extreme, and he strode toward her with large, swift steps.
