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墨書 Inktalez
Uncle Yu gently pushed open the palace door and took a look inside with Qing Wu.
In a dim corner of the room, the Young Emperor was engrossed in reading a book. From time to time, he would lift his pen to jot down a note or two.
Uncle Yu stepped inside slightly and said softly, "Your Majesty..."
Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by Huo Yun'ai's indifferent voice.
"I am busy. Leave. Do not disturb me unless it is urgent." He continued to focus on the scroll in front of him, not looking up.
Uncle Yu glanced back at Qing Wu and then looked at the Emperor again. "But..."
"I said leave! Out!"
Each word was pronounced clearly, filled with anger.
Uncle Yu was startled by the Monarch's fury.
He looked anxiously at Qing Wu, who shook her head to indicate that he need not worry. Only then did he let out a nearly silent sigh and cautiously withdraw.
Qing Wu walked into the room and gently closed the door. She then stepped forward slowly until she reached Huo Yun'ai.
The figure of the newcomer blocked some of the light. A slight shadow fell before him, making the words on the scroll blur even more.
The young man was somewhat annoyed; he slammed the scroll onto the table and looked up sharply, ready to scold, but he froze completely upon seeing the slender figure before him.
Qing Wu seemed unaware of his anger and, as usual, asked, "What kind of tea do you want? I can have Dou Mama pour it for you. If you don't mind my poor skills, I can pour it myself."
Huo Yun'ai noticed her expression remained calm, as if she was no longer angry due to his abruptness, which made him feel a bit relieved, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
However, upon recalling the things he heard yesterday, the smile on his lips became somewhat stiff.
He took a moment to compose himself, lowered his voice, and asked, "I heard Madam Wu visited your home yesterday. Do you know what she was there for?"
His tone was somewhat cold.
Qing Wu found it a bit strange but couldn't pinpoint what was off, so she replied, "Sister Xia's car broke down..."
"You and I both know that's just a superficial excuse."
Qing Wu felt a bit displeased.
She was aware of Huo Yun'ai's ability to gather information. But she didn't expect that Huo Yun'ai would go so far as to investigate her family's privacy.
Otherwise, how would he know that Madam Wu's visit had another meaning?
Perhaps even her mother and the others in the house were unaware!
Thinking of this, the girl spoke again, her voice somewhat heavy, "My mother intends to arrange a marriage with the Xia Family. Madam Wu is helping to facilitate it."
"And what else?"
Qing Wu was taken aback for a moment, then felt a flicker of anger.
She even told him about her brother's marriage, such a private matter. Yet he still suspected that she had ulterior motives and was hiding something else.
So she spoke a bit sharply, "What else could there be? If I were to have one or two more, would you suspect that I was hiding three or four? Since you always doubt me, why bother asking!"
Huo Yun'ai had been holding back her feelings, with no one to confide in. Now that she wanted to seek confirmation from her face-to-face, she was met with her avoidance of the topic.
Her heart sank bitterly.
She had intended to lay everything out, but he truly didn't know how to start. The more he hesitated, the angrier she became.
The Young Emperor took a moment to calm himself, striving to keep his tone steady: "Listen, Madam Wu intends to arrange a marriage between your family and hers?"
"My family? The Wu Family?"
As he relaxed a bit, Qing Wu also reined in her anger. After thinking for a moment, she shook her head and said, "That can't be. The sisters of the Wu Family are already married. The others are either too old or illegitimate. How could it possibly..."
"Then what is going on between you and Wu Linxi?"
"Wu Family's brother? He's a really nice person who often plays with me, and there's..."
Qing Wu paused, looking at Huo Yun'ai's increasingly dark expression. Suddenly realizing something, she said in disbelief, "You mean my mother and Madam Wu want to matchmake me with Brother Wu?"
"You didn't know before?"
"My mother might discuss my brother's matters with me, but how could she possibly talk to me about things concerning myself!"
Seeing her face full of astonishment, with not a trace of disgust or reluctance, it seemed she was not opposed to the idea of the two families forming a marriage alliance. The Young Emperor felt that the anger he had just suppressed could no longer be concealed. However, he did not want to lash out at her and could only speak in a stiff tone, "Since you know now, just keep your distance from them in the future."
"That's impossible."
Qing Wu rarely got angry, but once she did, it was hard for her to calm down.
She had already been upset, and upon hearing his command-like words, she immediately rejected him: "I don't know what the adults are planning. With the New Year approaching, the two families will naturally interact more frequently. The Wu Family has always treated us well; how could I possibly ignore them!"
"Why can't you?" Huo Yun'ai became anxious when he heard she would continue to meet with Wu Linxi. "You know very well what their intentions are!"
The thought of others coveting his girl made the Young Emperor feel suffocated and nearly drove him mad.
But Qing Wu found his words somewhat ironic.
"Even if that's the case, so what?"
She turned her head to look at the ground beside her, bit her lip, and finally huffed, "You were so frivolous with me a few days ago, yet because you have treated me well all along, I tried to forgive you. Now the Wu Family hasn't done anything wrong; they simply value me, and that has become an unforgivable sin that no longer allows me to interact with them? How is that reasonable!"
Taking a deep breath, she looked up at the tall young man not far away and asked, "May I ask Your Majesty one question? If they merely entertain such thoughts, should I then ignore them and keep my distance? Then for someone like you who has already done something so excessive, would it not be wrong for me to even glance at you?"
The Young Emperor was left speechless.
What had happened a few days ago... indeed, he had lost his patience and was at fault first.
But his feelings for her were not comparable to those of others.
Looking at the boy's stunned and bewildered expression, Qing Wu had no idea what he was thinking. She assumed he had nothing to say in rebuttal, so she shook her head in disappointment and turned to walk outside.
Huo Yun'ai hurriedly chased after her.
Just as she opened the palace door and was about to step out, a hand grabbed her arm, and he said angrily, "Are you planning to just walk away?"
He had thought that she couldn't possibly leave before he had a chance to explain himself.
But then he realized that even if he wanted to say something, he didn't know what to say.
It was ridiculous that Wenwu, who was talented in many areas, couldn't sort out the chaotic thoughts in his heart and articulate them into coherent words.
Therefore, when Qing Wu turned back and asked, "Is there anything else, Your Majesty?" the boy stared at her blankly, unsure of how to respond.
In his anxiety, his expression grew colder, and he blurted out, "You are in danger now; if you leave the palace, I won't be able to protect you. Zheng An's spies are all over the capital. If you go out, you might fall into his trap!" Then realizing his tone was too harsh, he sighed softly, "Don't do something you'll regret."
He meant that it would be him who would regret it. However, Qing Wu thought he was implying that she would regret it.
Seeing him ramble on at such a critical moment and even press her with "Don't regret it," made Qing Wu's heart sink further. She thought back to what he had said when he chased her home; perhaps she had misunderstood him, and he wasn't truly a heartless person.
Her heart felt desolate as she said softly, "If it weren't for our entanglement, Zheng An wouldn't be targeting me. If I had no ties to you, I would probably be safer. Over these years, I owe you a lot. But right and wrong aside, I have my own conclusions in my heart. All I can say is I'm sorry. If there's a chance in the future, I will repay your kindness."
As the last word fell softly from her lips, she forcefully pulled her arm away from him.
Huo Yun'ai wanted to keep her, but he was afraid that the girl would hurt herself by being so stubborn. Seeing her brow slightly furrowed as if in pain made his heart ache even more, and he immediately loosened his grip, wanting her to feel better.
But in that brief moment, the girl had already slipped out of the room.
Watching her delicate figure quickly run away, the Young Emperor felt an abrupt emptiness in his heart. Then, a dull pain surged within him, penetrating deep into his bones and making it hard for him to breathe. He looked around, and in an instant, everything seemed to collapse; the world ahead was shrouded in gray, devoid of light and laughter.
What gratitude?
Had their years of connection reduced to just these two words?
Surely, it should be something else.
Just like that poem said...
In extreme sorrow and pain, his mind suddenly exploded with thoughts.
In that moment, he suddenly felt clear-headed and understood.
Gazing at the figure that was growing more distant, the young man no longer hesitated. He quickly cast aside all concerns and questions, leaping into action to chase after her.
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