Chapter Nine, Acceptance

No wonder she has been longing day and night, yet she cannot wait for him to come and take a glance at her

She smiled bitterly

After the felt mat, Yonghe also hazily woke up, wiped his face, and jumped up, "Jingxuan Ge, are we going back to Beijing?"

Meili slowly stood up, she ... ? ... what should she do? In the future, she would see him often, and if she kept feeling shy and evasive, it would only make things more awkward for both of them, right?

Indeed, in order to escape the arranged marriage imposed by his ancestors, he took advantage of her misfortune; he has already repaid what he owed her long ago

"Brother Jingxuan, you... need not feel guilty," she said, as if comforting him instead. "Everything I have encountered is of my own making. I am rather grateful for these two years of living in the cold palace, as it allows me to live a bit more at ease, and I feel I have some explanation to offer to the old lady."

When she sees him again, she will address him as Your Highness or as you

When she smiled at him, when she looked at him calmly, when she generously rewarded the imperial physician with a deep understanding of human affairs, and when she cherished the food that had become dirty, he was not particularly surprised. Only at this moment did he suddenly realize that no matter how annoying she might be, she was merely a girl of sixteen or seventeen. He had never considered that she could be fragile. Despite having deliberately said so many hurtful things to her and done so many hurtful acts, she had shamelessly ignored the past, entangled him, and entangled him to the point that he became ruthless.

When Ziqing's sister came to see her again, she actually already knew the answer, yet she still stubbornly asked whether the candy was given to her by Jingxuan

Thank you. She looked at the bag of candy he had bought two years late and said, "I no longer love eating zongzi candy"

Jing Xuan finished his grooming and stepped out of his tent. Last night, the Emperor had urgently summoned him back to the capital to handle pressing matters, prompting him to set out early, rising earlier than usual.

In the evening, she still could not believe, nor did she want to believe this truth. She took out a piece of candy and put it in her mouth; it was so bitter! That candy was even more bitter than the bitter herb! The bitterness seeped from her mouth into her heart

By the time she woke up, it was already past lunchtime. The men, having spent the entire morning engaged in horseback riding and archery, were tired, and the women, having played to the point of exhaustion, were all returning to their tents for a midday nap. The young palace maid, who had been watching over her for such a long time, was also feeling drowsy and swaying. Meili apologetically urged her to go and rest.

The one sent to attend was a young maid. Meili instructed her to stay by the bed, and if she screamed in her sleep, to wake her immediately

He looked at her and surprisingly felt a sense of unfamiliarity

She was taken aback, how could it be him? Hadn't he returned to Beijing?

"Zongzi candy!" he coldly snorted, expressing his displeasure.

He recalled the wounds on her arms and the piercing screams she let out in her dreams at midnight. He furrowed his brow for a moment, then coldly relaxed it. What did all this have to do with him? Was it he who wanted her to trample the old lady to death? Was it he who wanted her to flaunt herself everywhere, provoking the wrath of heaven and the anger of the people?

Sister Ziqing cried, urging her not to be infatuated any longer, urging her not to torment herself any further

"Brother Jingxuan." As he turned to leave, she suddenly called out to him. He was taken aback for a moment; did she just call him Brother Jingxuan? It seemed that no matter how she addressed him, whether familiar or distant, he felt a sense of awkwardness.

In the camp, apart from the patrolling guards, there were no other figures in sight. Although the sun was somewhat intense, it felt warm, casting a soft glow on her, making her feel relaxed and comfortable. Meili strolled towards the small river, enjoying the freedom of being unnoticed, and couldn't help but smile.

She always bullies and hurts others, how could she be vulnerable

As she watched his departing figure, she suddenly felt a profound sorrow; she always looked at his back.

He turned his head and walked away, not wanting to hear a single word of what she said, not wanting to hear even one word!

Here, take this. As he handed the paper bag in his hand to her, he felt a wave of annoyance and frustration. He had pity for the hardships she had endured over the past two years. In the past, she would always ask him to buy her various snacks, and he had always ignored her requests without a second thought. Now that he thought about it, it seemed a bit excessive; he decided to treat it as compensation for her, just this once

The previous Meili would not have spoken to him in such a manner, nor would she have been so humble and polite. She was like a willful and domineering little beast, forcefully pushed into a dark cage, and when released, transformed into a gentle and docile rabbit. What kind of suffering compelled such a profound transformation?

After throwing a handful of stones, she turned around to pick them up again when she caught sight of a pair of magnificent boots. Startled, she looked up directly at the owner of the boots. The sunlight was shining on the person's handsome figure, and she squinted her eyes to clearly see his features

Yes, Yonghe nodded

Isn't the estrangement like that of a stranger exactly what he desires? Very well. He squeezed the horse's belly, and the horse neighed once, raising its four hooves and galloping away swiftly

She sat by the river, watching the flowing water, unable to resist picking up some small stones and tossing them into the water one by one, creating little splashes. She couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. ... Two years of lonely and dull life had taught her this somewhat tedious form of self-entertainment, otherwise ... . ... she would truly go mad.

Behind the dying embers of the campfire, he saw her

Her hand, hidden in her sleeve, trembled lightly, stirring a long-forgotten memory within her... She knew he was waiting outside the Southern Study for the Emperor to finish receiving his subjects. Quietly, she slipped into the room, where he was sitting by the kang table, reading a book. She jumped over and leaned on his back, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck, playfully acting spoiled towards him.

Later, she heard several palace maids and eunuchs outside in the corridor chattering and mocking her for her delusions, shamelessly. It was then that she realized her ancestor intended to take advantage of the opportunity presented by her having caused this great disaster to marry her off to him, claiming that once she became a wife and mother, she would naturally become stable and mature, no longer causing trouble. In order to rid himself of her, Jing Xuan even requested the emperor to punish her severely, which led to her three years of confinement.

What is it? She did not reach out to take it

All that needed to be said has been said, and both she and he should find closure... From now on, they are strangers, with no significant past and no future together

He remained silent

He silently gazed at her. Although she had clearly grown taller, her overly slender figure and sharp face made her appear even more petite than before. Her long eyelashes no longer stared at people in an arrogant and rude manner; they always hung half down, densely concealing her bright and tranquil large eyes. Those eyes were originally very beautiful, and the brilliance within them was undoubtedly dimmer than before, yet somehow they possessed an indescribable charm, appearing both humble and stubborn.

Jing Xuan tightened his grip on the reins and coldly uttered a "hm".

She does not believe in evil, and the next day she takes one mhetushucomcom...! ... It is still so bitter!

He turned around coldly to look at her. If she thought that this bag of candy meant he had changed his mind, he would resolutely tell her the truth: he had never had the slightest affection for her! In the past, present, and future!

He urged the horse to accelerate, yet the wind by his ears could not carry away her piercing cries from the night: Save me—save me—.

She looked at him with a faint smile, that same kind of smile! The kind that inexplicably made his heart ache!

Meili was already sleeping restlessly, and she was awakened by the sound of conversation. Her dazed eyes gradually focused, and she saw Jingxuan, who was taking the reins not far away.

Hmm. Jingxuan turned over and mounted the horse, graceful and neat. "You should take good care of our ancestors. The Emperor has Ziyu over there. If you don't understand or are unfamiliar with anything, ask him more questions." He looked at his horse and stroked its mane.

When she buried all the candy in the corner of the wall, she finally believed in reality. From then on, she never ate candy again, for she did not wish to relive that bitterness

When she first entered the Anning Hall, Sister Zhiqing secretly came to see her and brought a large bag of zongzi candies. She was overjoyed and asked if they were brought by Jingxuan, as she had only told him about it. Sister Zhiqing hesitated, and she thought it was a tacit acknowledgment.

This was the last time she called him "Jingxuan Gege"

The sky is a deep blue, and the birds are joyfully chirping in the still sparse morning light, adding a touch of freshness and warmth to the spring morning

She skillfully styled a simple bun for herself; in the Anning Palace, there was no one to attend to her, and she had long been accustomed to managing the trivialities of life on her own

Instead, she smugly threatened him to buy her zongzi candy before she would let go. She remembered leaning close to his ear and loudly telling him: "I love eating zongzi candy the most!" She hoped that such a loud volume would reach his heart, making him remember the things she loved to eat, so that when he saw this item on the street, he would instinctively think of it as something she liked.

Brother Jingxuan, I have never had the opportunity to thank you for the inheritance left by my parents

She quickly stood up, finding herself alone. She wanted to greet formally again but felt truly awkward, momentarily frozen in place.

She carefully stored the candies, reluctant to eat them, intending to have one only when she misses him dearly

Even if it was just for a brief moment, his heart was still pierced with pain

Jing Xuan frowned in annoyance and unhesitatingly tossed the paper package into the river, unnecessary! He was truly unnecessary!

She leaned against the tall felt mat, her body curled tightly into a ball, exuding an inexplicable sense of fragility and helplessness. Her head tilted against the mat, a line of tears hanging at the edge of her delicate and slender cheek, evoking a sense of compassion. He even clenched his fists, deliberately restraining his inexplicable feelings of pity and guilt.

"Come here, prepare the horse!" He commanded indifferently, and the agile attendants had already brought the horses for him.

He scolded her, demanding that she let go, saying it would be improper if the eunuchs and palace maids saw them.

The Emperor, as usual, led the men to hunt for game, while the women, lacking any enthusiasm, each played in the hills and woods. Meili had gone early to attend to Empress Xiaozhuang, helping her with her grooming. Empress Xiaozhuang, feeling pity for her sleepless night, specially arranged for someone to assist her in getting some rest. Meili also wished to take this opportunity to avoid the crowd and did not decline the offer.

She could not believe ... ! ... that he was so fed up with her to this extent !

You ... ... "This is the first time she addressed him in this manner, and she paused for a moment herself, saying, 'Be careful on the road.' She bowed to him with utmost courtesy