"You must have left, or where did this lantern come from?" Qing Si shook her head, "There is no such thing in the prince's room."

  The person below is very wronged: "I'm a slave... I've really been here all along!"

  Qing Si wanted to say more, but Huai Yu reached out and pulled her back.

  "Don't wrong others." She smiled quietly, "The door is guarded, aren't there still windows?"

  Some people are used to walking through the door in a dignified manner, but if they meet an unconventional lady who teaches them how to climb over walls, then once they start climbing, no one will be able to detect it.

  Qing Si looked at her with a clear expression but didn't seem to want to pursue the matter, so she closed her mouth.

  Li Huaiyu lifted her skirt and entered, picked up the lantern to take a look, gently rubbed it with her fingers for a moment, thought for a while, then tucked it into her tiger skin cloak and turned to leave for the guest room.

  Jiang Xuanjin was standing by the window in a daze when suddenly the door was kicked open.

  With a "bang", he was startled and his heart skipped a beat. He turned around to see Li Huaiyu poking her head in, smiling and asking him: "Sir, are you free?"

  His fingertips trembled and then clenched into a fist. He furrowed his brow and said, "Your Highness should have asked this when you knocked on the door."

  "You're not unaware of me, are you? When have I ever had the habit of knocking on doors?" She stepped in and said, "It's quite embarrassing to come so late, so I'll just get straight to the point..."

  "The moat of the First Line City has slowly filled with water, and in a few more days, when the dam upstream of Danyang is fully opened, it will be a great success. At that time, I plan to formally incorporate the First Line City into Danyang, what do you think, Your Highness?"

  Jiang Xuanjin lowered his eyes, slightly turned his body to the side: "If it weren't for Your Highness, Yicheng would have been a dead city long ago. The people of this land are already deeply devoted to Your Highness. If you want to incorporate it into Danyang, what opinion can I possibly have?"

  He didn't stop him at all, and he didn't even mean to stop him. In fact, he had thought about it long ago, so now when he answered, there was no hesitation at all.

  The previous idea didn't hold up, Huai Yu looked at him steadily for a while, walked around to face him, and asked: "Even if Dan Yang is adjacent to Zi Yang from now on, it doesn't matter?"

  "It doesn't matter." Jiang Xuanjin seemed reluctant to see her and turned his body sideways again.

  Hua Yu was delighted and hurriedly went before him: "Sir, what do you mean by this? Aren't we sworn enemies who cannot live under the same sky? Why didn't you even let me compete with you for the border city?"

  All along, I thought they were sworn enemies, wasn't it just her? Jiang Xuanjin clenched his fist and said coldly: "Your Highness is eager for me to fight with you?"

  "No, I just don't understand." Looking into his eyes, Huai Yu's face wore a smile, but her gaze was exceptionally sincere. "What is your intention towards me now?"

  She thought he had misunderstood her and would never show mercy to her, but... things seemed to be different from what she thought.

  Or... or is there a possibility...

  Jiang Xuanjin furrowed his brow, his face looking somewhat pale, and remained silent for a while before saying in a low voice: "Aren't you very clever?"

  "Since you're so clever, then go ahead and guess."

  Hua Yu was dazed and stared blankly at his eyes.

  Jiang Xuanjin's eyes are really good-looking, calm as a ink lake, dynamic as a vast ocean, seemingly hiding many emotions inside, but when meeting her gaze, all of them were retracted, leaving only a tranquil and calm blackness.

  She stretched out her hand, took out the lantern hidden in her cloak and held it up in front of him, asking: "Is this yours?"

  Her expression seemed confident, but in reality, she was very nervous, like walking on thin ice, afraid that one misstep would cause the ice to crack, and her breathing became extremely light.

  Jiang Xuanjin lowered his head, his eyes scanning over the lantern, his pale lips opening slightly: "What if it was mine?"

  Acknowledged!

  He actually admitted it!

  Heart skipped a beat, Hua Yu blinked her eyes, this person was too straightforward, she unexpectedly felt a bit skeptical: "You..."

  "What's wrong?" he said in a low voice, "I'm pleased with you, does this riddle need to be guessed for so long?"

  Like a huge hammer, it slammed into her heart with a loud "thud", the things in her chest cavity paused for a moment, and then started racing out of control. A wave of heat spread from her throat to her entire body, scorching her until she trembled slightly.

  Jiang Xuanjin... likes her?

  Li Huaiyu's pupils constricted as she stared at him in shock, shocked not only by the words but also that he would dare to say them out loud.

  With his eccentric personality, what kind of mood was he in when he thought she was carrying someone else's child and still told her that?

  "Do you find it strange too?" Looking at her reaction, Jiang Xuanjin sneered and curled his lips, "I also find it strange that you deceived me, used me, and betrayed me. How could I still be fond of you."

  He turned around calmly, with his back to her and said: "So just watch the joke, throw away this lantern, it's worthless anyway. I heard that the marriage between the prince and Lu Zhuanggui is approaching soon, so I'll congratulate you two in advance for a hundred years of harmony. Tomorrow I will set off to return to Ziyang, after giving gifts I will send them."

  His tone was very calm, Jiang Xuanjin stepped forward and walked towards the inner room: "Trouble Your Highness to bring a door for me when you go out."

  He looked very good and didn't show much embarrassment. He entered the inner room, stood calmly by the window, and gazed out at the quiet black night.

  It's all right, everything that needs to be said has been said. After leaving, there won't be any regrets. She can mock him behind his back as she pleases; in any case, it will be hard for them to meet again after this farewell. At opposite ends of the world, he can pretend that this person never existed.

  It doesn't matter, he can live without her and she can also live without him.

  Footsteps sounded from behind, someone came over, reached out to lift his thick sleeves, and grasped his trembling fingertips.

  "Zi Yang Jun is really carefree." She smiled, "If you're so open-minded, why are your hands still so cold?"

  His body stiffened, and the person by the window stretched his neck without turning around.

  Hua Yu reached out and pinched his chin, forcing him to turn his face back around.

  That solitary and cold person now had red eyes, with thin lips pouting stubbornly, and misty air in his pupils.

  Her throat tightened, and Hua Yu hooked her lips: "Can I understand that you really like me, want to spend a good life with me, so now you're so sad?"

  "No." He croaked, "The wind is too cold."

  Smiling wryly and shaking her head, she said: "You're telling the truth. You dared to say it just now, what are you afraid of now? Can't a broken pot be smashed?"

  You're just smashing pots, your whole house is full of smashed pots!

  He shook off her hand and frowned: "Is it still meaningful to ask these questions now?"

  "There is." Huaiyu nodded seriously, "There is for me."

  The night wind blew in, mixed with a bit of chill. Jiang Xuanjin looked at her and stretched out his hand to close the window: "If I didn't want to spend a romantic life with you, you would be like Bai Xueji, unable to even enter my courtyard, let alone other things."

  "Huh? Wait a minute? Huai Yu was shocked: "Bai Xue didn't enter your courtyard? Who are you kidding? You favored her the very first day she came, didn't you?"

  Jiang Xuanjin furrowed his brow and looked at her with a foolish expression: "Who told you?"

  "White......" The corner of her mouth twitched, and Huai Yu reacted. She was really stupid, believing even Bai Xuanji's words? Bai Xuanji couldn't wait for her to feel disgusted in her heart, but she actually fell for it.

  Jiang Xuanjin looked at her with a strange expression: "You think I'm Second Brother? Anyone can be taken into the yard at will?"

  She slightly choked back a sob, and with her jade-like fingers, she gently scratched her temples, finally swallowing the lump in her throat.

  "...she said,"You're willing to spend your life with me, why don't you trust me?"

  Jiang Xuanjin asked in a low voice: "What do you believe? Do you believe that you are not the eldest princess of Danyang, or do you believe that your approach to me is not for revenge?"

  From confessing to Shan Yilin in the mountain stone bamboo forest, to confronting him in the heavenly prison, she has never denied these two points. In fact, if she had continued to lie and deny at that time, he might have wavered.

  But she didn't, she was Dan Yang, and she came just for revenge, deceiving him.

  "What do you want me to do?" he asked her, "If you were me, what would you do?"

  Silent as a jade pendant.

  She knew very well herself that if someone dared to deceive her emotions like this, she would have them cut into pieces and hung on the city gate.

  "Fate is playing tricks on me," she muttered, "If Huairen hadn't asked you to deliver the poisoned wine to me, I wouldn't have thought you were the one who killed me, and I wouldn't have gone looking for trouble with you."

  Two people missed their fate from the start, she liked him, but in his eyes, she was a demon king. He sent her on her way, and she regarded him as an enemy. When they met again, she thought of revenge, deceiving and using him, but unexpectedly, she took revenge on the wrong person.

  It's too late for regrets, all the truth has been revealed, and there is no escape. They are destined to drift further apart.

  If Jiang Xuanjin didn't say these things today, Huaiyu thought of letting go. Time will wear away everything, and two people without fate, separated by so much hatred, are destined to be in pain if they force themselves together. It's better to forget each other in the world.

  But he spoke up, and it turned out that he was also looking forward to a romantic encounter.

  She didn't lose to him, so who did she lose to? Heaven?

  Li Huaiyu suddenly felt very resentful with a slight narrowing of her eyes.

  Let him go like this, with a love-hate that is hard to let go of, and live alone. Is it really pleasant? A person's life is not long, emotions are born without bringing death, and they cannot be taken away when they die. If they are not worn out in this world, they will be brought to the underworld, but they cannot be used as money!

  Her heart suddenly cleared up, she asked him: "Can you write a divorce letter for me?"

  There's no divorce paper, and even if we were to get married again, it wouldn't be right. Jiang Xuanjin lowered his eyes and said in a low voice: "It can be done."

  "Add one more clause to the divorce paper." Huai Yu handed him a pen and ink, "After you divorce me, all the things we own together, whatever I want, will belong to me."

  This remark was meant for others to hear and criticize her for being overbearing. But Jiang Xuanjin said nothing, just nodding his head.

  Watching him put down his pen, Huai Yu smiled contentedly and waited until he finished writing. He then excitedly picked up the letter paper, blew on it gently, carefully folded it and put it in his bosom before asking him: "Do you know where Qi Jin is?"

  Jiang Xuanjin said: "In Zi Yang, if you want to see her, I'll let her come and accompany you."

  "That's great." Huai Yu patted her belly, "I have every confidence in Qi Jin's medical skills. It looks like there are still a few months to go before I give birth, so let her come and deliver the baby for me."

  His face turned even paler, Jiang Xuanjin averted his gaze, stiffened for a moment, and still nodded: "Alright."

  "You might as well stay too," she said. "Since we've all been waiting for so long already, a few more months won't make much difference."

  Jiang Xuanyin shook his head and was about to refuse without even thinking about it.

  "Huai Yu smiled and interrupted him: "It's settled then, Your Highness, remember to send a letter to Qi Jin soon, and when you get a response, be sure to tell me. Also, the moat is about to be filled with water, please do us the honor of joining us to take a look."