Profound meaning

Xiao Yiqing paused for a moment, then smiled brightly at Shangguan Zeyu: "Your Highness, you're back?" Up to this point, Xiao Yiqing didn't realize that she had hurt someone who was more important to Shangguan Zeyu than his own life.

"What are you doing?" Shangguan Zeyu was radiating a chill, not from the weather, but from the depths of his soul.

Xiao Yiqing paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Your Highness, I'm sorry to have worried you. It's nothing. I was just asking the servants where Your Highness is."

Shangguan Zeyu suddenly looked like he could eat people.

He didn't look at Xiao Yiqing again, but went straight to Butler Cui's side and asked with great concern, "How are you?"

Butler Cui's eyes, lips, and expression seemed frozen by the heavy snow. Hearing Shangguan Zeyu's question, he simply said softly, "Your Highness, you're back."

Shangguan Zeyu then scooped up Steward Cui and ran towards the nearest room, shouting urgently, "Go find a doctor! Quickly!!"

In an instant, all the servants who had been surrounding Xiao Yiqing dispersed, leaving Xiao Yiqing standing alone in the swirling snow.

Only then did Xiao Yiqing feel a little scared, and she couldn't help but recall Chunhua's nagging in her ear.

Steward Cui is not seriously injured, but he is too weak and has caught a cold. The doctor said that as long as he takes his medicine on time, avoids getting cold, and gets plenty of rest, he will recover in five or six days.

Despite this, Shangguan Zeyu still did not intend to let Xiao Yiqing off easily.

Xiao Yiqing has become well-behaved, staying in her Peach Blossom Village these past few days, keeping to herself and not venturing out.

Shangguan Zeyu arrived at Peach Blossom Village without even bothering to wash up.

Xiao Yiqing was nervous, scared, and excited all at the same time. She wanted to take care of him in every little detail, but Shangguan Zeyu coldly rejected her.

Seeing that Shangguan Zeyu was angry, Xiao Yiqing tentatively said, "Your Highness, I did not torture Steward Cui. I only made Steward Cui kneel on the ground. I did all this without any malice. I just missed Your Highness so much and wanted to know where you were!"

Shangguan Zeyu made no attempt to hide his sarcasm. After she finished speaking, he sneered and said, "Your Highness really knows how to excuse yourself! If Your Highness says you didn't harm Steward Cui, then everything I saw was fake?"

"No, no, no, Your Highness, what you saw is real, but... there's more to it than meets the eye!"

"What secret?" Shangguan Zeyu looked at her, coldly waiting for her to continue her fabrication.

As expected, Xiao Yiqing played the victim, saying, "Your Highness, I am currently very pregnant and truly cannot walk or get angry! But that Steward Cui clearly knows my difficulties, yet he still tries to make me angry! Your Highness, do you think I should punish him a little?"

Shangguan Zeyu felt very puzzled and couldn't understand it.

He carefully examined Xiao Yiqing from head to toe, and then from toe to head, and asked, "Is the Princess Consort feeling heavy? Is it inconvenient for her? Am I seeing things or am I deaf?"

Whether Xiao Yiqing failed to understand Shangguan Zeyu's meaning or was deceiving herself and unwilling to admit it, she shyly said, "Your Highness, have you forgotten? I am pregnant with your child!"

Shangguan Zeyu was not surprised at all. To be precise, he showed no expression whatsoever. He stared at her stomach for a while, as if he were looking at something insignificant, and said, "Is Your Highness confused? I don't remember when Your Highness became pregnant with my child!"

Xiao Yiqing's blissful, shy smile froze on her face. She thought she had misheard, and her lips trembled as she stammered, "How...how could this be? Your Highness...you've forgotten?"

Shangguan Zeyu did not immediately deny her, but instead stared at her coldly, waiting for her to continue.

Xiao Yiqing was initially embarrassed, but seeing Shangguan Zeyu's coldness, she felt a chill in her heart and her eyes stung with tears. She said, "Your Highness, those nights when I admired the moon with you and whispered sweet nothings in your ear, could it be... could it be... could it be... all fake?"

Xiao Yiqing stammered for a long, long time before she could finish this simple sentence.

But Shangguan Zeyu seemed to have no memory of these things. He remained indifferent and said, "I do not remember these things."

Xiao Yiqing was so shocked that her face turned pale. She hurriedly said, "How could that be? Your Highness, you must be mistaken!" As she said this, she seemed to suddenly remember something. She quickly took out a pink sachet embroidered with a butterfly from the cuff of her left sleeve. With trembling right hand, she quickly took out a round pink jade pendant the size of a lychee from it.

"Your Highness, do you still remember this? This is what you gave me! You said it was for our child!" As she spoke, Xiao Yiqing wished she could immediately hand the jade pendant to Shangguan Zeyu.

Shangguan Zeyu did not intend to accept the jade pendant she offered him. He merely glanced at it casually and said, "Your Highness, do you not understand my intention?"

Xiao Yiqing really didn't understand!

She was in pain and confused, and asked, "What is Your Highness's intention?"

Shangguan Zeyu sighed helplessly, then looked at her again, his expression cold and his eyes icy, and said, "I have never touched you, so how could I have a child with you?"

Xiao Yiqing was so shocked that she staggered back a step. There was no sound in her ears except for a buzzing sound.

Shangguan Zeyu showed no pity for her pain and disbelief, and said, "Others have this jade pendant; you're not the only one who owns it."

"How is this possible?" Xiao Yiqing couldn't believe it would turn out this way, and in her anxiety, she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Shangguan Zeyu remained calm and said, "You only remember the part of what I said that you want to remember, and you haven't remembered the true meaning I wanted to express at all."

Xiao Yiqing was, after all, a devoted lover, and by this point, tears were streaming down her face, and she was filled with grief.

"Your Highness is making excuses! Your Highness doesn't want to acknowledge this child and is just spouting nonsense!"

"Is the Princess sure she's pregnant?"

Shangguan Zeyu's words were like a thunderclap from a clear sky, startling Xiao Yiqing so much that her eyes widened in surprise.

"Your Highness, you can think carefully about what I said to you back then."

Xiao Yiqing couldn't believe that she had misremembered or misunderstood, but she still listened to Shangguan Zeyu's words and slowly recalled the happiest time since she married into the royal family.

"Your Highness, why have you been so kind to me lately? So kind that I think this is all a dream!"

"Then, my beloved, let's just treat it as a dream!"

"Why must it be a dream? Dreams end, but if it's real, it will stay that way forever."

Shangguan Zeyu just smiled and remained silent.

Did she misunderstand back then? Shangguan Zeyu wasn't spoiling her, but rather indifferent?

"Your Highness, I am not young anymore, and I long to have my own child."

"I also want to have my own children, but the current situation is dire, and I have no choice!"

"Your Highness, with my father here, you will be alright."

“I understand my beloved consort’s affection for me, but this matter now involves more than just one person. Let alone your father, even if my father were alive, he wouldn’t necessarily say that everything is fine.”

"Your Highness, please rest assured, you will be alright! Your concubine will definitely not let anything happen to you!"

"My beloved consort, this life has been so difficult. If there is an afterlife, I wish that you may have all your desires fulfilled!"

"Your Highness, I have something to ask you. Please don't be angry."

"Ask whatever you wish, my beloved consort."

"Your Highness, did you ever love me?"

Did you ever love me?

Thinking of this, Xiao Yiqing suddenly couldn't remember how Shangguan Zeyu had answered her. She seemed to remember that she felt very sad at the time, but she comforted herself that it was okay, it was okay.

So, at that time, he answered her that he didn't love her?

Why would she still think he loved her? Because he went to the Xiao residence to take her home?

Xiao Yiqing suddenly felt that her mind was in complete chaos, like a tangled mess of hemp thread, impossible to unravel.

"The past is settled, and I do not wish to repeat the pain of the past! I am here today to tell you that you must not interfere in the affairs of the Prince's Palace again, otherwise, I will not give you another chance!"

"Because of Butler Cui? Or because of someone else? Liu Ruyi? You can't live without her? You miss her that much? She abandoned you!" Xiao Yiqing had woken up from her painful memories.

When Shangguan Zeyu heard her mention "Liu Ruyi," the coldness in his eyes deepened, and he said coldly, "I will not hold this against you this time, but if you do it again, I will show no mercy!!!" Then he got up and left without looking back.

As Xiao Yiqing watched his resolute departure, her heart clenched violently once again, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

She couldn't understand how she could be so shameless. He had made it so clear, so obvious, that he didn't love her, so why was she still heartbroken? Why was she still sad? Why was she still living a life worse than death?

Does she think she can't live without him?

Who is she? She is Xiao Yiqing, the one who was pampered by her father and never lacked love!

She doesn't need his love! She can do without his love!!

Even though Xiao Yiqing told herself this again and again, she was still in unbearable pain, and tears kept flowing.