Page 274

She knew the depth of his affection for her, and he was aware of her rekindled love for him.

But as she had told Ying Que earlier, if after three years she had grown accustomed to the boundless freedom outside, she likely wouldn't choose to return, to become a man's wife, letting those red walls of the inner courtyard confine her world completely.

In truth, he had long understood that she could not give him an answer now, for she had yet to truly live the life she desired.

Those days of spontaneity and unconstrained freedom.

Rong Shu sometimes wondered, if she hadn't left the capital in her childhood, living like many noble ladies trapped within the two gates of the inner courtyard day after day.

Or perhaps if she hadn't spent those three years in Wutong Lane in her previous life.

Perhaps then, she would willingly stay and be his wife, Gu Changjin, sharing a lifetime with him in harmony.

"I cannot commit," she said. "I have no idea how I will feel three years from now."

There had been a moment of uncertainty, on that New Year's Eve, in the Purple Imperial Palace, when she had considered accepting his proposal for three years.

But in that instant, reason suppressed the impulse that surged within her.

Back then, Gu Changjin insisted that she couldn't back away.

Indeed, she didn't retreat. She didn't say no, nor did she push him away as she once did, urging him to forget their past lives and the ties between them.

She merely stated that she couldn't commit at the moment.

In truth, Gu Changjin had anticipated her response.

She was honest with him, true to her feelings. Her words "can't commit" reflected her genuine thoughts.

Gu Changjin smiled and replied, "Alright."

He released her wrist and continued, "I'll write to you, and when the time is right, I'll come to Da Tong to see you. If after three years, you still don't wish to commit, I'll wait another three. Even a weary bird will eventually return to its nest. Whenever you're tired, seeking a place to belong, I'll always be there."

Just as she once kept a lamp burning for him, he was willing to wait for her. Three years weren't enough, then six more; until she was ready.

"But Rong Shu, you can decline me, but you can't commit to anyone else, nor can you like anyone else."

"I'll be consumed by jealousy, driven mad. So, you can only commit to me, only like me."

Rong Shu lifted her gaze to look at him.

Despite enduring severe injuries or encountering the most sorrowful and distressing situations, he could suppress his emotions as if nothing had happened. He had never spoken such domineering words in front of her before – words that didn't seem fitting for his typically restrained and composed self.

The Gu Changjin before her seemed slightly different from her memory, yet somehow, this was the true him.

Her direct and clear-eyed stare was mesmerizing, her black and white irises pure enough to captivate anyone's heart.

Gu Changjin reached up to cover her eyes, whispering, "Don't look at me like that. If you do, I won't be able to let you go to Da Tong today."

A tingling sensation spread across the palm of his hand as she lowered her gaze.

Suppressing the fluttering sensation in his heart, akin to feathers brushing against his soul, Gu Changjin endured a moment before lowering his hand and saying, "Go rest now."

Rong Shu didn't raise her eyes again. She softly acknowledged with an "um" before picking up her lantern and leaving.

It was nearing February, yet the snowfall showed no sign of ceasing, drifting down like cotton fibers, celebrating wildly in the night.

But despite the lively display, the surroundings were undeniably tranquil.

She walked, step by step, through the desolate, chilly night, as heavy snow blanketed the world in a vast, boundless whiteness. The soft crunch of her deer-skin boots sinking into the snow, again and again, echoed in his heart.

His gaze was as tangible as a physical touch, causing a prickling warmth to spread across Rong Shu's back on this frigid night. Even the fingers gripping the wooden handle seemed to be tingling with a fine sheen of sweat.

She couldn't turn back.

The darkness of night tends to dull one's reason. She should return to her quarters and rest well. When dawn breaks, those wavering thoughts would be extinguished once more.

The young miss's sapphire-blue cloak vanished around the corner of the corridor.

In the pitch-black night, snowflakes as white as frost fell.

The world seemed to have returned to its indifferent black and white hues, devoid of vitality.

Gu Changjin did not return to his quarters. Instead, he stood in the darkness for a moment before looking towards the other end of the corridor. He said calmly, "Since Mother Empress is here, why not join me for a cup of tea?"

Empress Qi emerged slowly from the shadows beneath the eaves. She wore a black cloak, her gaze fixed intently on Gu Changjin.

She had seen everything that just transpired.

The future ruler gazed at Rong Shu with a look not of a brother to his sister, but that of a man regarding a woman.

Empress Qi entered the room with a stern expression. "You mustn't harm her. After sending her away, you must not provoke her anymore!"

Gu Changjin lifted the teapot, his eyes fixed intently on the gradually filling teacup, his dense eyelashes casting a shadow over his gaze.

"Mother, rest assured. I'm sending her to Da Tong precisely to keep her away from the intrigues of the capital."

Empress Qi locked eyes with him, searching for any hint of sincerity in his words.

Seeing his open expression and the seriousness on his face, she secretly let out a breath of relief.

"Remember your words today," Empress Qi warned sternly. "Should anyone find out that the future heir to the throne once entered into a marriage with his own cousin, not only will your position as crown prince be in jeopardy, but her life will also hang by a thread."

No royal house could endure such a scandal, let alone one whose emperor bore the mandate of heaven.

How can an emperor who has committed incest with his cousin expect to be loved by his people and respected by his subjects?

Should such a scandal come to light, the uproar would be no less seismic than the outrage that greeted his father, who had naively trusted in a charlatan and attempted to defy the heavens and alter his fate.

Upon her return from the Great Mercy Temple, Empress Qi did not send anyone to inquire about Rong Shu's well-being. After the Emperor had bestowed a marriage edict upon the Crown Prince, he had even asked her to summon the child to the palace for a conversation.

How could Empress Qi dare?

One must always fear the unexpected. If Emperor Jia You were to catch a hint of the truth, the consequences would be disastrous.

Fortunately, at present, only she, Nurse Gui, and the Crown Prince were aware of her true background. As long as the prince behaved himself, that child would remain safe.

"You must keep the imperial edict for marriage that you negotiated with the Emperor hidden away, never to be used!"