Xu Rong looked at Chu Lian's expression and had already guessed what had happened. Given that person's temperament, if he liked someone, he would definitely not let go. Xu Yang only felt a hard-to-express anger in his heart, but he didn't know what he was angry about. Was it because of the man's actions? Or was it because the woman in front of him didn't cherish herself and he was angry about that? Or was it because of his own uselessness that he was angry?

  The anger in his heart almost suffocated him, and he couldn't help but take a step forward, embracing the pale-faced woman in his arms.

  But Chulianruo suddenly seemed to be startled, and she pushed him away. Chulianruo looked at Xuyang, her eyes which were previously filled with fatigue now shone with determination. Xuyang saw her lightly parting her red lips, saying word by word: "Your Highness, please prioritize the bigger picture."

  His hand froze in mid-air for a long time before he withdrew it, and the pale face that had been visible earlier now wore an almost manic smile. Hehe, what's most important is the overall situation, what exactly is the overall situation? Was she reminding herself that if they were intimate at this moment, then his reputation as a chaste and moral person would be ruined, and his ambition would be exposed for all to see, and all her schemes would be destroyed in an instant?

  Watching his movements, Chu Lian Ruo naturally guessed what he was thinking in his heart. He must think that he has already devoted himself to the emperor, right? Originally, she could have explained it, but at this moment, she changed her mind. Since it's an inevitable event, what's the use of explaining now? Moreover, the affection in Xū Yáng's eyes made Chu Lian Ruo feel a bit tense. If such a bond were to form between them, many things would become even more difficult, wouldn't they? Never mind, let him give up early then.

  Thinking so, Chu Lian still swallowed back the explanatory words that had reached her lips.

  Chu Lian Ruo looked at the man in front of her, and her previously pale complexion had regained its composure. However, his eyes still held a desolate meaning.

  After a long time, the smile on Xiang Yang's face stopped, and his expression turned cold. He looked at Chu Lian Ruo, one word at a time, saying: "How I wish that on that day when you said you could help me ascend to the throne, I had refused you." After finishing speaking, he turned around and left, the purple clothes fluttering in the wind, giving off a desolate feeling.

  Chu Lian stood there, and at that moment, Xū Yáng's sentence "I wish I had refused you" made her feel bewildered. Was this the ending they wanted?

  After that day, Chu Lianruo's heart slowly calmed down. She spent her days reading books in the Qian Niao Pavilion or learning some needlework with Si Wei.

  According to Xun Rong's temperament, he should be waiting for her to enter the palace now. But the more he wants to see her, the less Chu Lianruo lets him have his way. When it comes to a man who is used to getting what he wants, the rare times when things don't go his way pique his interest instead.

  It was just Xū Yáng, and since that day, he had never seen him again. Thinking of that day, Chǔ Lián Ruò's eyes sank, now the two of them had already set foot on that road, and it was certain that they could not turn back. As for Xū Yáng, after a period of calmness, he would also come to understand.

  Days passed like this, and Chulian almost forgot to count the days. Such rare quiet days made her feel inexplicably at ease.

  As the sky was about to darken, Si Wei busied herself preparing dinner. Chu Lian Ruo sat by the window, and the house had not yet lit its lamps. The moonlight outside was like a wash, illuminating the world in a tranquil silence. Under such moonlight, Chu Lian Ruo felt as if she were in a dream.