The palace banquet was deathly silent.

Everyone looked at the woman in the center of the hall.

Although it was never officially announced, the officials had all heard that the Emperor doted on Princess Changning and, even with Chu Mo's prior rebellion, still intended to arrange a marriage between her and the Imperial Preceptor Pei.

But now Princess Changning is so deeply in love with Chu Mo that she has once again publicly rejected her engagement to the Imperial Preceptor.

Immediately, everyone turned to look at the people seated in front of them.

Chu Mo's hand holding the wine glass trembled violently, splashing the icy wine onto the back of his hand. His blood seemed to freeze, and for a moment he felt his consciousness gradually fading.

Jiang Fei said she wanted to marry him.

Her choice was him.

"Feifei?" Chu Mo called her name softly, cautiously.

Jiang Fei didn't look at him, still standing there, biting her lip tightly, and after a moment of contemplation, she said again, "I beg Father Emperor to grant my request."

Pei Qing was already frozen, staring blankly at the woman in fiery red, a chill slowly creeping into his heart.

From beginning to end, she didn't spare him a single glance.

Has she regained her memory? Does she now realize how much he hurt her?

She no longer wanted to marry him.

Just a few days ago, she was blushing with embarrassment at the arranged marriage, but now she says she wants to marry Chu Mo.

The emperor glanced at Chu Mo beside him, then looked at Jiang Fei: "Have you thought it through?"

Jiang Fei lowered her head, her hands clenched tightly at her sides, and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Mm."

The emperor then looked at Chu Mo: "What does the Prince of Guangyuan have to say?"

Jiang Fei finally followed the emperor's gaze and looked at Chu Mo.

Chu Mo's heart was pounding, but it froze when he saw Jiang Fei's calm eyes.

Beneath the red veil, her pale skin was reflected. Her gaze no longer held the intense love she once had for him; instead, it was as still as an ancient well, devoid of any sign of life.

She... clearly chose him, yet it seems... she has absolutely no feelings for him.

Even so, he still couldn't bear to let go.

Chu Mo stood up and walked to Jiang Fei's side, saying in a hoarse voice, "I am willing to marry Princess Changning with a grand wedding procession and the honor of being a princess. I will never marry again in this life."

He spoke to the emperor, but his eyes remained fixed on the woman in the hall, each word spoken with the weight of a thousand pounds.

The Emperor coughed lightly twice, his gaze sharp as he looked at Chu Mo: "I hope Prince Guangyuan will keep his word." He then looked at Jiang Fei and sighed softly, "Since you have made your choice, I grant it..."

"Your Majesty!" Pei Qing suddenly spoke, his voice low and hoarse.

The emperor looked at Pei Qing, but the latter kept looking at Jiang Fei.

Jiang Fei lowered her head and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Father Emperor." After speaking, she looked at Chu Mo and asked, "Does Your Highness wish to stay here any longer?"

Hearing her address, Chu Mo's fingertips trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure and stepped forward to take her hand: "Let's leave here."

After saying this, he turned to look at the emperor: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for today..."

He wouldn't listen to the rest.

Pei Qing remained standing in front of the seat, looking at the two people's clasped hands, and staggered slightly.

He hadn't apologized to her yet, for suppressing her personality and turning her into someone else; he hadn't told her that he wanted to be good to her for the rest of his life and never leave her; he hadn't even had a chance to say that he loved her, not the Jiang Fei in white, but the real her.

But at this moment, she was standing with another man.

"Cough..." Pei Qing covered his mouth and coughed softly, a metallic taste of blood rising in his throat.

He opened his palm, revealing a patch of dark red blood.

"Father, I must take my leave now," Jiang Fei's voice came.

Pei Qing snapped out of her daze and watched the two figures disappear into the distance.

A red dress is like a wedding gown.

But it was someone else's wedding dress.

"Feifei!" he suddenly called out.

Jiang Fei paused in her steps, then continued walking as if she hadn't heard anything.

She wasn't completely devoid of feeling.

Pei Qing's breath hitched, and she took a few quick steps toward her, reaching out to grab her wrist.

Chu Mo's eyes narrowed, and he turned to block him: "Does Imperial Preceptor Pei intend to defy the imperial decree?"

Pei Qing walked towards Jiang Fei, his white robes fluttering, his eyes red-rimmed.

Chu Mo narrowed his eyes and stood in front of Jiang Fei, saying, "Please, Grand Preceptor Pei, stay away from my wife."

wife.

Upon hearing the name Chu Mo, Pei Qing's fingers trembled slightly. Her usually calm heart was filled with murderous intent. After a long while, she still stubbornly walked towards Jiang Fei, reaching out to grab her wrist: "Fei Fei, don't..." go.

He didn't finish his sentence.

Chu Mo suddenly attacked him, each move deadly.

Pei Qing dodged away, no longer resembling a carefree immortal, but instead exuding a murderous aura.

One in red and one in white, they started fighting in the main hall.

The assembled ministers stared in astonishment, bewildered at the scene unfolding before them.

Only Jiang Fei watched the two of them expressionlessly until she saw Chu Mo strike Pei Qing with a palm. She rushed forward and stood in front of Pei Qing, saying, "Enough!"

Chu Mo's expression changed, and he quickly withdrew his hand.

Pei Qing's eyes welled up with emotion: "Feifei..." She still cared about him!

But the conversation abruptly ended.

The surrounding room was completely silent.

Jiang Fei's red veil loosened, like a wisp of rosy cloud slowly falling down. Her hairpins fell to the ground, and her full head of white hair hung down like silk, the strands as white as snow, reflecting her pale face. Her red dress made her breathtakingly beautiful.

Chu Mo stared blankly at Jiang Fei, without saying a word.

a long time……

"Feifei?" Pei Qing's hoarse voice sounded from behind.

Jiang Fei turned to look at him: "Grand Preceptor Pei, are you satisfied?"

Pei Qing swayed slightly.

She called him, "Imperial Preceptor Pei."

They were strangers to each other, as if they had never met before.

"Thank you for taking care of me these past few days," Jiang Fei smiled gently, her eyes slightly red, "but I'm sorry to disappoint you, I can never become the person you want."

"This princess returns the person you desired to you. Congratulations on winning the heart of your beauty."

After saying this, Jiang Fei turned around quietly and walked step by step towards the outside of the hall. Her white hair shimmered like silver, dazzling the eyes.

Chu Mo glanced at Pei Qing, wiped away the blood that had risen in his throat when he stopped, and followed Jiang Fei.

Pei Qing remained standing in the center of the hall, oblivious to the stares and whispers of those around him.

The image of Jiang Fei in red clothes and white hair kept replaying in my mind.

He dared not imagine what she had gone through these past few days, her hair turning white in an instant.

She congratulated him on winning the heart of his beloved.

He should think that way too.

Chu Mo easily gave up on Jiang Rongrong, and the Emperor no longer forced him to marry Jiang Fei.

Everything felt like it had returned to square one.

But... why doesn't she hate him? Why does she congratulate him?

“Heh…” Pei Qing suddenly chuckled softly, his eyes reddening with laughter.

How could she be so foolish?

After a long while, he bent down to pick up the red gauze and hairpins from the ground, held them in his palm, and left the place with a blank expression.

Without using a carriage, he walked back to the Imperial Preceptor's residence step by step by himself.

The guards at the gate greeted him as usual, but he did not respond. He walked into the mansion, but stopped as he turned the corner of the corridor and waited quietly.

Perhaps in a moment, someone will come to attack him with a long whip. This time, he will definitely not move, allowing her to succeed in her sneak attack.

Perhaps he'll turn his head and see someone standing there smiling brightly at him, then excitedly say, "You're back!"

But he waited for a long time, and nothing came.

The entire Imperial Preceptor's residence was deserted and deathly silent.

Like a stagnant pool.

After an unknown amount of time, a servant called out softly in confusion, "Sir?"

Pei Qing came to her senses and quietly walked towards the backyard.

In that pavilion, Jiang Fei had prepared a table full of his favorite dishes, and deliberately dressed up as Jiang Rongrong, saying to him: I know you like this;

Jiang Fei once stood among those peach trees, looking at the blossoms and smiling at him: I like peach blossoms, and I like you being happy;

She muttered "So childish" about the swing, but when she saw him, she obediently sat on it...

It's all because he likes it.

She clearly doesn't like it.

"When will you have your meal, sir?" a servant asked in a low voice.

Pei Qing did not respond, but looked at the scenery in the courtyard, and then said, "Tear all of these down."

The servant was startled and asked in confusion, "Sir?"

Pei Qing turned around: "Tear it all down, leave nothing behind."

Dinner had already been prepared in the main hall.

There were two pairs of bowls and chopsticks on the table, but no one was around it. The table was full of his favorite foods and her disliked foods.

Pei Qing slowly sat down in Jiang Fei's seat and ate the food she hated, bite by bite. When she was almost finished eating, she suddenly couldn't help but gag and her stomach convulsed.

It turns out, it really is that bad.

Li Duan's apprentice from the side courtyard came to tell him that Li Duan had made several more antidotes to put the Qilin Gu into hibernation.

Pei Qing followed the disciple to the side courtyard and arrived at Li Duan's room, which was filled with the smell of poisonous herbs.

Li Duan excitedly said, holding a sandalwood box, "My lord, these antidotes are all thanks to Princess Changning."

Pei Qing stood there in the room, stunned, and in his daze, he seemed to see her sitting at the table, trying out poisons one by one for him.

His chest was cramping with pain, and he couldn't help but bend over.

Li Duan asked again, "Hmm? Wasn't it said that today was a happy occasion for you and Princess Changning?"

Pei Qing looked at him blankly, then whispered, "She doesn't want to marry me anymore."

Li Duan was taken aback.

Pei Qing murmured again, "She said she doesn't want to marry me anymore."

In the end, before he could even shed tears, he fled in panic, heading to the guest room and ending up in Jiang Fei's room.

White clothes and peach branches are irritating to the eye.

That night, Pei Qing stayed in her room, curled up on the bed, and in a daze, he saw a woman in red riding a horse and saying to him: You are not a monster.

That was a Jiang Fei he had never seen before.

...

Princess's Residence.

Pei Qing's favorability rating has risen to 90.

When Jiang Fei heard the system report, he was sitting in a carriage, which had just returned to the princess's residence.

She remained quietly seated in the corner, her white hair slightly disheveled, her eyes lowered.

Chu Mo sat opposite her, his gaze fixed on her: "Feifei..."

“I’m sorry,” Jiang Fei interrupted him, “I know we were once betrothed, but you’ve never loved me. Your words at the palace banquet were forced by circumstances. Given my current state, if Your Highness wishes to break off the engagement, I will plead with my father tomorrow…”

"Jiang Fei!" Chu Mo interrupted her, looking at her unfamiliar, emotionless gaze, her full head of white hair, and her slightly red eyes.

He still remembered how, back in the princess's residence, she nestled in his arms, her black hair like silk brushing against the back of his hand, sending shivers down his spine. But now, her hair was as white as snow.

Just now, at the palace banquet, she stood in front of Pei Qing without hesitation, just like when the men in black were chasing him, she resolutely put on his clothes, lured away the men in black, and did everything she could to protect him.

He knew that everything was his own fault.

He just didn't understand. She knew their past, so why... why did she have no feelings for him anymore?

"Your Highness?" Jiang Fei called out to him blankly.

Chu Mo carefully stepped forward and embraced her, not daring to let go even though he noticed her body stiffened.

Even though he was embracing her, it looked as if he were curled up, pleading for her mercy.

"Feifei, I told you, you are my wife..."

"My only wife in this life."

Chu Mo's favorability rating: 95.