Having finished writing the letter, he blew on the fresh ink, tucked it into his sleeve, and returned to Xiaosuisui’s bedside. Xie Pan’Er was near the bed, having just finished washing Xiaosuisui and tucking her in.
"Master Ji!"
After tidying up, Xie Pan’Er turned around, saw Ji Youzhi, quickly curtsied, and prepared to leave.
Ji Youzhi grabbed her arm.
Xie Pan’Er froze, her body stiffening as she turned tear-blurred eyes toward him.
Seeing her reaction, Ji Youzhi sighed softly to himself before releasing her hand.
"There’s no need for you to avoid . Although we have no romantic entanglent, I consider you family. I hope you can do the sa with ."
Xie Pan’Er couldn’t help but widen her eyes, staring at him in utter disbelief and confusion.
She didn’t know how to react.
Seeing her expression, Ji Youzhi realized he might have been too abrupt. He led her out of the room to a secluded corner and spoke to her plainly.
"I have refused the Emperor’s decree to marry us. I assu you’ve learned of it already?"
Xie Pan’Er swayed, nearly fainting.
Quickly, Ji Youzhi supported her and said, "Don’t faint yet, hear out first."
Pan’Er wrenched free from him fiercely. "Let go of ! Don’t pretend to be caring! Ji Youzhi, I am indebted to the Ji Family and grateful for the kindness of the Princess, but that does not an I owe you anything or will allow you to trample on .
"Yes, it’s true that I love you and want to marry you. My desire to stay in the Ji Family is real as well. But if you don’t reciprocate my feelings, so be it. I understand your refusal of the imperial marriage decree. I have decided to beco a stranger to you from now on, not lingering in your sight. I will tear you from my heart.
"So I beg you, Master Ji, if you see in the future, please pretend not to see . Can you treat as a stranger?"
Xie Pan’Er’s words were filled with sorrow. Tears stread down her face, and her nose ran.
Her gaze was fixed on Ji Youzhi’s eyes, the sadness in them evident.
"Miss Xie, please don’t be upset. Can you just hear out? I am aware of your feelings for , but I don’t feel the sa way about you.
"However, I’m willing to consider you my sister and let you beco a young lady of the Ji Family."
Xie Pan’Er was dumbfounded. She couldn’t believe Ji Youzhi would propose such a thing. If they couldn’t be husband and wife, they should beco brother and sister?
What kind of twisted logic is that?
"You are indeed impossible to reason with!"
Xie Pan’Er felt insulted. With a flick of her sleeves, she stord off.
Ji Youzhi stood rooted to the spot, scratching his head as he watched Xie Pan’Er’s retreating back. Where did I go wrong? he wondered.
Xie Pan’Er ran to a cliff’s edge, slumped onto a rock, and buried her face in her knees, wailing loudly.
She couldn’t understand. What about her wasn’t good enough?
Why couldn’t Ji Youzhi love her?
He claid they had no romantic destiny, yet he also said his romantic destiny wasn’t in this Mortal Dust?
Shouldn’t matters of the heart be decided by the heart itself?
"Does he not have a heart?
Or is there truly no romantic destiny between us?
Is he truly destined to have no wife in this life?"
Xie Pan’Er sobbed, murmuring these questions to herself through her tears.
A handkerchief was offered to her. It was distinctly yellow, embroidered with golden thread in the likeness of a vivid, life-like golden dragon.
Xie Pan’Er stood up in panic, respectfully curtsied, and stamred, "Your Majesty."
"Look at you, such a ss of tears. Even I feel distressed seeing you like this!"
The Emperor personally wiped her tears away.
Panicked, Xie Pan’Er drew back. "This humble subject dares not!"
The Emperor placed a hand on her shoulder, preventing her from withdrawing. "If I weren’t the Emperor, but just a young master from an official’s family like Ji Youzhi, would you still avoid like this?"
Hearing this, Xie Pan’Er froze for a mont. After a short pause, she finally understood what the Emperor ant.
Yes, she had been avoiding the Emperor from the start. Why? Because she knew what she wanted.
What did she truly desire?
Was it the love between her father and mother, the stories of her grandfather and grandmother, or the countless sordid affairs she had witnessed within high walls and grand compounds?
All she wanted was simple, pure love.
Her choice of Ji Youzhi was, naturally, due to her affection for him.
Moreover, she had observed the Ji Family and knew they were people of deep faithfulness. Most importantly, there was the kindness the Second and Third Madams had shown her.
She had once thought that if she were truly lucky enough to beco sisters-in-law with won like the Second and Third Madams, the rest of her life would likely be very comfortable.
These were all the things Xie Pan’Er had planned for her future.
Unfortunately, Ji Youzhi had no romantic feelings for her. Even more vexing, Xiaosuisui had claid that Ji Youzhi had no romantic destiny left in this Mortal Dust!
The more Xie Pan’Er thought about it, the more her heart ached.
The pain reached the point where it was difficult to breathe.
"Pan’Er, you can think of ... just as an ordinary person. In front of you, I am not the Emperor.
"Consider a friend, a worthy one. When you’re troubled, you can confide in . Whenever you feel sad, my shoulder is yours to lean on."
The Emperor advanced, calmly wiping away her tears and gently drawing her into his embrace. At her most vulnerable, he made his move, taking the first step to win her heart.
"Pan’Er, I know you want to cry. I know you’re heartbroken. Go on, cry.
"I’ll give you strength. If you need to cry, cry loudly; don’t hold back. I’m here for you through thick and thin. I will be a listener. I won’t laugh at you, nor will I point fingers and say you’re wrong. Matters of the heart are a path for two people. You don’t need to be afraid, and you certainly don’t need to feel so unworthy."
Xie Pan’Er’s defenses crumbled completely. She burrowed into the Emperor’s embrace, sobbing her heart out.
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