Favoring a Hidden Mistress? Engagement Broken

He said so much, and Xie Wanqing quietly listened until the Crown Prince’s name was mentioned. Only then did her brows furrow slightly, and she said, "Or what? Wait for you to ascend the throne and wipe us all out together?"

Of course, she minded that her death in the previous life was orchestrated by her aunt and cousin. If he hadn’t been so relentless, she wouldn’t have wanted Pei Yuqing and her father and brother to support the other side.

Even if she knew he would ascend the throne in the previous life, coming back again this time probably couldn’t change that fact, but she had to try; she couldn’t just sit and wait for death, right?

Thinking this way, Xie Wanqing’s tone became somewhat indifferent.

She said, "The Crown Prince ascending is the best choice for both the Pei and Xie Families."

So, she could let go of the grudge of being killed.

Lu Ziyuan’s face had completely darkened.

He was silent for a long while and when he spoke again, his voice was somewhat hoarse.

"Can I understand that, in your heart, I am your greatest enemy? As long as you can deal with me, you can forgive everyone else?"

The greatest enemy...

Xie Wanqing’s heart jumped suddenly, instinctively wanting to deny it.

The words were at the tip of her tongue but changed, "If you can let go of the past, stop entangling with me, and ensure that after ascending, you won’t settle accounts with the Pei and Xie Families, letting us live in peace, I wouldn’t want to be your enemy."

"A peaceful life?" Lu Ziyuan sneered lightly, "Wanwan, that old man deceives you repeatedly, and you still want to live a peaceful life with him?"

"..." Xie Wanqing did not speak; she didn’t want to provoke him further.

Another moment of silence fell.

Other than the light tapping of his fingers on the table, the room was extremely quiet.

After a long time, Lu Ziyuan looked up seriously at her and gave a cold smile.

"I’m not as forgiving as you. You can let go of the grudge of being killed, but I can’t let go of the grudge of having my wife killed. No one can stop me from dealing with them."

"As for the Xie family, ... I won’t touch your maternal family."

She was destined to openly become his Empress; he would not harm her family.

"I only have one request, Wanwan, please be fair to me too," he said, looking at her, "So many people can be forgiven, can be spared, why are you only heartless to me?"

Why only heartless to me...

Xie Wanqing’s breath caught, and before her appeared some memories of the past life she was unwilling to bring up or recall.

...Of course, it’s because among those people, I only gave my true heart to you.

Because she had given her heart, she truly felt the pain, a pain so intense she didn’t dare to forget, a pain so intense she didn’t dare to soften.

Her aunt had long resided in the deep palace, and she rarely saw her cousin, even though they were blood relatives, Xie Wanqing’s feelings for them were limited.

Even knowing they were the true culprits of her murder, to her, besides the shock, it didn’t cause much sorrow, not even compared to the hurt caused by Lu Xiyao.

After all, Lu Xiyao had once been her intimate friend; they had been inseparable female friends since they were young, and their decade-long friendship wasn’t false.

But even for Lu Xiyao, after Xie Wanqing married into the Lu family, and her attitude changed drastically, their friendship also hit a rift.

Even though later, Lu Xiyao offered a jade bracelet to make peace, to Xie Wanqing, the feelings could never return to what they were before.

That day, upon hearing from Lu Ziyuan that the jade bracelet was poisoned, and Lu Xiyao intended to take her life, Xie Wanqing felt shock and confusion, but her sadness was so fleeting that it vanished before she had time to feel it.

The feelings she had given out were finite, and once exhausted, they were done.

Among those who had hurt her, only Lu Ziyuan was different.

She had truly, wholeheartedly, and lovingly gone to him.

Growing up together as childhood sweethearts, her first youthful love, passionate and pure, Xie Wanqing poured all her courage to love into it, regardless of the cost, regardless of the consequences, like a moth to a flame.

In the end, she lost utterly.

That sincere love, she could never retrieve it herself, nor could she give it to anyone else.

Even knowing it was all a misunderstanding, she never really lost, such wholehearted courage she could never have again.

How could she speak of forgiveness so easily?

Her hand was held, interrupting Xie Wanqing’s thoughts. She looked up to find the eyes of the person across, unknown since when, had turned red.

"Wanwan, what would make you willing to give me another chance? I don’t believe you have no feelings left for me at all."

"..." Xie Wanqing lowered her eyes, wanting to withdraw her hand, but it was held tight.

Lu Ziyuan pressed her palm to his lips, lowering his head to kiss her fingertips.

Today at the temple to offer incense, she was dressed simply, not even wearing a bracelet on her wrist, her ten fingers as slender as jade, glowing softly with no trace of the rouge-loved nail polish by the Capital’s noblewomen.

His lips touched them softly, kissing them repeatedly, his hot breath making the fingertips tremble uncontrollably, trying to pull away, but the palm was held firmly.

Xie Wanqing became a bit anxious, biting her teeth to glare at him, but he, with his reddened eyes, was also gazing unblinkingly at her.

Their eyes met, and he said, "I have felt your emotions when Liu Manrou entered the residence, ... During those two years, I never entered her courtyard, and you..."

"Isn’t your punishment enough? After your marriage, every day and night I spent in jealousy and agony, more painful than you were back then,"

"I know I was wrong, I really realized my mistake," Lu Ziyuan’s voice choked slightly, "Will you come back? Don’t treat me like this anymore."

The young General, known for his decisiveness, at this moment, was softly acknowledging his wrongs.

He said, don’t treat me like this...

It seemed their roles had reversed, now it was his turn to wait for an answer with persistence, humbly pleading for her return.

Xie Wanqing listened quietly until the end, suddenly remembering when she was determined to break off the engagement, her cousin Xie Ruyu had once said, that someday it would be Lu Ziyuan crying and pleading for her return.

At that time, Xie Wanqing couldn’t even imagine this man in tears.

Yet now, looking at his somewhat teary eyes, she felt no imagined satisfaction, instead, a sense of melancholy arose.

"Don’t be persistent, Lu Ziyuan, we really can’t go back," she lightly curled her fingers, and said, "That Xie Wanqing who loved you wholeheartedly, with eyes only for you, can never come back unless you can turn back time, or..."

She raised her other hand, pointing to her temple, "Or make all those memories disappear from here, forget all those hurts."

The reason they are called wounds is because they hurt.

As long as they hurt, there will be memories.

"You asked why I was only heartless to you, I can answer," Xie Wanqing looked at their clasped hands and said, "Because I loved you, I truly loved you, so a hundred stabs from my aunt and cousin can’t compare to the weight of one ’vicious woman’ from you."

When you fall in love with someone, you give them the power to hurt you, no hurt can be deeper than that given by the one you love dearly.