After a long ti, Lu Ziyuan’s lips parted, his voice trembling: "It’s my fault. I’ll treat you well from now on, never letting you be sad again. For the rest of my life, only you..."
"Let’s forget it," Xie Wanqing interrupted him with a low chuckle, "You bear the responsibility for the Lu Family’s legacy. How could I put you in a difficult position, asking you to stay with just ? How will the Lu Family thrive?"
The words he once said impatiently now turned into a sharp blade, casually thrown back by her.
Lu Ziyuan’s eyes were unknowingly red, he shut his eyes tight, gripping her hand firmly, his voice hoarse: "What must I do for you to be willing to return to how things were?"
Xie Wanqing sighed softly, "There’s no going back. I don’t dare let myself be foolish again."
With a hint of self-mockery in her tone, she said: "These days, I’ve co to understand that it’s not entirely your fault. I’m the one who underestimated myself, attaching myself eagerly—who would value and cherish that?"
Even the most ordinary man among the masses wouldn’t care much for a woman who threw herself at him, let alone Lu Ziyuan.
He had everything, everything was at his fingertips, with so many good things within his reach. What did her wholehearted devotion an in comparison?
Lu Ziyuan clenched his jaw: "Even if you’re angry, don’t speak of yourself in such a way. You did nothing wrong; it was my issue."
"I don’t want to discuss who’s right or wrong with you here," Xie Wanqing looked at their intertwined hands and said, "Let go of . We’ve said all we needed to."
"...Can we," Lu Ziyuan pursed his lips, "can we not break off the engagent?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Wanqing beca furious: "You’re being unreasonable again!"
"No, it’s not that," worried she’d be angry again, he tightened the grip of his palm, and soothed her: "I’m just discussing with you. I misspoke before, hurting your feelings. You can find a way to punish , and we can postpone the wedding. Whenever you forgive , we can marry, isn’t that okay?"
"It’s not okay," Xie Wanqing looked at him with suspicion and doubt, furrowing her brows: "I rember you said it wasn’t necessary to marry , so why are you clinging so hard now?"
Lu Ziyuan’s breath paused slightly, his gaze focused on her face, examining her expression carefully.
In the end, he realized her words carried no hint of mockery; they were purely full of doubt.
Clearly, in her heart, she always thought his unwillingness to break off the engagent was rely out of reluctance to be dumped by his fiancée, with no other reason.
—She didn’t see his true feelings at all.
His fist gradually tightened, and Lu Ziyuan’s gaze grew increasingly somber.
After a while, he spoke with a voice full of difficulty: "Since I was twelve and we got engaged, I’ve never thought about marrying anyone else in my life. My previous words were reckless and impulsive... Can you forget them all?"
These words revealing his true feelings left Xie Wanqing sowhat surprised and also sowhat enlightened.
Indeed, during this ti, his repeated entanglent without agreeing to call off the engagent actually didn’t match his usual behavior.
Not even strong self-esteem could explain his behavior.
Sotis, she wondered if his persistent clinging perhaps ant he wasn’t entirely indifferent towards her.
He should also have feelings for her.
Although that affection might be very slight, it indeed existed.
But those dreams were too harsh for her to dare let herself think in that direction.
—Who would be so cruel to the one they loved?
Upon hearing his words now, she was surprised, even felt like laughing.
So, he actually truly liked her too.
Yet, in her dreams, after she resolutely married him, how did he treat her?
He preferred cradling his cousin’s concubine rather than being slightly patient with her.
Perhaps, in his eyes, no matter how cold he acted, no matter how bad he treated her, she wouldn’t truly be angry—why bother putting in any effort?
It felt as though from the bottom of his heart, he believed she wasn’t worthy.
Thinking about it made it quite laughable—both of them seed so foolish.
With no interest left to speak to him, Xie Wanqing moved her wrist slightly and said blandly, "Let go of ."
Lu Ziyuan obeyed, releasing her hand, yet his gaze remained firmly locked on her.
After a few monts of silence, he said: "Okay, since there’s resentnt in your heart, I promise to withdraw from the marriage."
Xie Wanqing, who was rubbing her wrist, heard this and looked up at him: "Not being unreasonable?"
Lu Ziyuan gave a wry smile: "Not being unreasonable."
With that, he suddenly stood up, took a large step to her front, and trapped her in the chair between his arms.
Xie Wanqing’s pupils widened, watching him lean closer.
They exchanged glances briefly, and before she could speak, she heard him say: "But our relationship won’t end just because of breaking off the engagent. Listen to , Lu Ziyuan will marry no one else but you in this life."
His voice was firm and strong, leaving Xie Wanqing montarily stunned as he pulled away.
The oppressive feeling from his proximity imdiately dissipated. She rose quickly, retreating several steps, her face showing an expression of full resistance: "Then you should give up this idea sooner—I will definitely not marry into your Wuyuan Marquis Mansion again."
The word ’again’ was missed by Lu Ziyuan as due to the engagent termination.
Seeing her disgusted expression, he recalled what she said at Marquis Qu Mansion that day, and his brows imdiately dyed with a hint of anger: "Don’t look at like that; I’m not dirty."
"Who knows," Xie Wanqing’s lips curled with a sneer: "But whether you’re dirty or not has little to do with . Please leave."
Lu Ziyuan stared steadily at her, "You still don’t believe ?"
Xie Wanqing grew completely impatient: "What does it matter whether I believe you or not? You wanted to think this way before."
"I didn’t know you cared about this," Lu Ziyuan’s expression fluctuated, his mind flickering between her praise for that old man being clean and the vision of her looking at him full of disdain.
After a while, he gritted his teeth and said: "Since you care about this, I certainly can’t let you continue misunderstanding ."
His jawline tensed as they faced off for a few monts. He extended his arm, gripping her shoulder, pulling her close one word at a ti: "I did say so foolish things, and you can convict for them, but I haven’t touched anyone else—I don’t accept this accusation."
"Besides..." The girl under his palm struggled hard; he slightly relaxed his hold, allowing her to escape as his gaze followed her, continuing: "Though I did entertain thoughts of taking concubines for the Lu family’s offspring, never have I let any woman near ."
Despite having said those foolish things, he hadn’t truly acted upon them.
Since childhood, unless studying with princes in the palace, he’d be rolling in the barracks with his grandfather, or second uncle, disliking the scent of won’s costics.
For eighteen years, his eyes only had room for this one girl.
Since sixteen, over the past two years, he had repeatedly been ordered to quell rebellions and bandits, and local officials often sent won to him.
There were vibrant and sultry beauties, as well as those with clean and fresh looks; unrefined ones and coquettish ones too—there were no won those officials seeking favor couldn’t find.
Each was at their most tender age, like a flower bud waiting for him to pick.
He had no intention to preserve himself for anyone, nor did he fear being manipulated by accepting one.
Yet he hadn’t touched any.
He hadn’t even entertained a lustful thought.
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