It's just a title.

Fu Zhi Qiao realized that her reaction was a bit too much, and awkwardly rolled her eyes: "It's windy outside, you should go home early!"

She can act to deceive herself and everyone else, but her subconscious body language can't lie. She doesn't want to see Xie Zhuo right now, nor does she want any physical contact with him.

Is this a way of telling you to leave?

A hint of gloom flashed in Xie Zhuo's eyes as he cautiously asked, "You know everything?"

"Hmm," Fu Zhi Qiao replied indifferently.

Seeing her like this, Xie Zhuo knew something was wrong: "Qiao, you know I have no feelings for her. I don't like anyone else, I only like you!"

He gripped Fu Zhi Qiao's hand tightly: "The Ministry of Rites has done a great favor for the Prince's Mansion. This marriage was arranged by my mother, and I was unaware of it."

Seeing Xie Zhuo's somewhat incoherent speech, Fu Zhi Qiao comforted him, "I know, I know."

What good would knowing do? The outcome was already laid bare, and she didn't want to know the ins and outs behind Xie Zhuo's engagement.

"I'm not interested in other people's fiancés."

Xie Zhuo's face turned pale instantly.

Fu Zhiqiao lowered her eyes: "Now that things have come to this, we should keep our promise."

The two had made an agreement that their relationship would be based on the premise that neither of them was married. Now that condition has been broken, Xie Zhuo will soon be engaged and married, and she... will not become anyone's concubine. Even if she is very attracted to Xie Zhuo, she will never compromise herself to become a concubine and share a man with someone else.

Therefore, there is no possibility for the two of them to be together again.

"No, Qiao, you can't leave me!" Xie Zhuo rejected the suggestion of separation without even thinking.

Fu Zhi Qiao gave a mocking smile, her voice devoid of any emotion: "So what do you want me to do?"

"Ah Qiao, don't worry about this for now. I'll handle it. Miss Yu and I are only engaged. I'll break off the engagement after the palace selection." Fu Zhi Qiao's indifferent attitude made Xie Zhuo feel uneasy.

He desperately wanted to keep her.

As long as he keeps her by his side, he has plenty of time to slowly win her over.

Fu Zhiqiao glanced at him sideways. Xie Zhuo's eyes were incredibly sincere, not like he was lying.

However, annulmenting an engagement is not something that can be done with just a few words, especially since his marriage certificate had already been delivered to the woman.

Once the two families exchange marriage certificates, it becomes very difficult to break off the engagement.

The annulment of an engagement requires the presence of both the man and woman and the matchmaker. The three parties must agree on the annulment agreement, and then the matchmaker must write a marriage certificate to dissolve the engagement in duplicate. Both the man and woman must affix their fingerprints and sign the certificate, and the original marriage certificate must be torn up to complete the process.

Breaking off an engagement affects the reputation of both parties, but it is more serious for the woman. Being rejected by an engagement is extremely damaging to her and a great disgrace! After being rejected, the woman will suffer tremendous public pressure. Not only will her family lose face, but it may also prevent her from marrying for the rest of her life.

The other person is the rightful owner; she's the one who's superfluous.

"Xie Zhuo, don't be like this." Fu Zhi Qiao's smile remained unchanged, but her tone was much lighter: "I know this is not your fault, nor anyone else's fault. It's just that we were destined to be apart."

Who can she blame? Should she blame Zuo Murui? As a mother, what's wrong with wanting to find a wife of equal social standing for her son?

She couldn't blame anyone.

Fu Zhiqiao gave an almost imperceptible self-deprecating smile. As the heir of a royal family, it was only natural for Xie Zhuo to marry a wife of equal social standing. Being with her was what truly put him in a difficult position!

She tried to break free from Xie Zhuo's grasp, but Xie Zhuo held her tightly and she couldn't break free. Helpless, she could only pry Xie Zhuo's fingers apart one by one.

Xie Zhuo was very strong, but he held back his strength for fear of hurting her.

Fu Zhiqiao pried Xie Zhuo's hand away, "Young Master Xie, you're about to marry another woman, there's no point in continuing this entanglement!"

Xie Zhuo's eyes instantly turned cold. He stepped forward and pulled the person back into his arms, his anger palpable, and his actions were rude.

Fu Zhi Qiao's arms were pinched painfully, and she cried out in pain. Xie Zhuo was very strong and she couldn't break free, so she simply gave up struggling and let him hold her.

"Girl!" Yinxing, who was standing at the door, looked worried after hearing her cry of pain and hurriedly pushed the door open to check on her.

"Get out!" Xie Zhuoli shouted, his eyes surging with bloodthirsty murderous intent.

Ginkgo was intimidated by his imposing manner, shivered violently, and stood there dumbfounded, not knowing what to do.

Fu Zhi Qiao: "I'm fine. You can go down first and guard the hospital gate so as not to disturb Madam."

Yu Roulan was in the courtyard next door, and Fu Zhiqiao didn't want to make a scene and disturb her.

"Yes." Yinxing came to her senses, her eyes red. After confirming that Fu Zhiqiao was alright, she reluctantly left. When she reached the corner of the corridor, she called all the servants in the courtyard to guard the gate.

Everything fell silent, and only the two of them remained in the room.

"Let go, you're hurting me!"

Upon hearing this, Xie Zhuo slowly released her wrist and immediately put his arm around her waist. Fu Zhi Qiao struggled a couple more times but couldn't break free. She sighed, "Why are you doing this? Are you going to break our promise?"

Xie Zhuo remained silent, holding Fu Zhi Qiao tightly in his arms, greedily inhaling her scent. His actions were domineering and stubborn, as if he could keep her by his side this way.

A long while passed, and he still showed no sign of letting go.

Fu Zhi Qiao's voice also turned cold: "Xie Zhuo, speak up!"

Seeing Fu Zhi Qiao's resolute attitude in leaving, a bittersweet feeling, unlike anything she had ever experienced before, welled up from the bottom of her heart.

"Ah Qiao, please don't leave me, okay?" Xie Zhuo felt a surge of panic and helplessness at the thought of being abandoned.

Fu Zhi Qiao was almost laughing in anger. Why did it seem like she was the one who got engaged to someone else? "You were the one who left first, not me."

"I like you, and you like me too, so why can't we be together?" Xie Zhuo's eyes were full of resentment, and a gloomy aura emanated from him.

"Xie Zhuo, wake up! You're engaged now." Fu Zhi Qiao angrily pushed him away.

Xie Zhuo pressed closer, gently stroking Fu Zhi Qiao's face. "Qiao, I'm sorry, I..."

He spoke quickly and with a resolute air: "The title is hers, but the person is yours, okay? Even if she marries into the family, I won't touch her, I will never touch her in this lifetime. You are the one I truly want to marry."

Xie Zhuo naturally wanted Fu Zhi Qiao to be his wife, but the difference in their social status was too great.

He had already planned to find an opportunity to have Grand Tutor Liu adopt Fu Zhi Qiao as his goddaughter, so that he could marry her as the daughter of the Grand Tutor.

"It's just a title. We can still be the same as before. My feelings for you will not change at all. I swear!" Xie Zhuo was at a loss. He could only try his best to delay and not let Fu Zhi Qiao leave him.

Fu Zhi Qiao gazed into Xie Zhuo's eyes, a hint of reluctance flashing within them. Her fingertips touched his cheek and stroked his brow. This man had a face that was perfect to the extreme; it was this face that had captivated her back then.

Xie Zhuo was like an addictive candy to her. She knew she shouldn't get involved with him or get close to him, but in the end, she couldn't resist the temptation.

She was reluctant, unwilling, and didn't want to give up, but what could she do? They had both given their all in the relationship and tried their best for each other, but reality told her that they were not suited to continue.

Continuing to do something you know will lead nowhere is self-deception.

Fu Zhi Qiao sighed and tried to speak in the calmest tone possible: "I will not allow myself to become anyone's concubine, not even you."

Xie Zhuo was about to say something when Fu Zhi Qiao interrupted him: "Today you can give the Yu family girl the title of wife, and in the future you can give her a child, and then..."

Fu Zhi did not continue speaking.

The promises are empty, but the official status is real.

She wasn't some naive young girl; she wouldn't believe a statement like "I can give you anything except the title of wife."

If a man says he loves you but can't actually give you a formal commitment, it means he doesn't love you that much, and you could be abandoned at any time.

Xie Zhuo stared intently at her, a suffocating feeling swirling in his chest.

"I said I would break off the engagement with her. Am I really that unworthy of your trust? You only want the title and not me? Is the title that important?" A mocking look appeared in Xie Zhuo's eyes as he complained defiantly. His pride as the heir did not allow him to show weakness, but he had already begged so humbly, so why was she still so heartless and cold-hearted as to leave?

Fu Zhi Qiao rolled her eyes at Xie Zhuo, looking at him as if he were an idiot. She couldn't believe those words came out of his mouth.

Xie Zhuo's image in front of her has always been composed, so composed that she often forgets his age. Yes! No matter how mature Xie Zhuo is, he is still just a young man who has not yet reached the age of twenty.

Fu Zhi Qiao couldn't quite describe her feelings. Was it disappointment? Was it heartache?

Perhaps it's a combination of both.

She even wondered if she had made a mistake from the beginning. She shouldn't have been deceived by appearances, and she shouldn't have gotten too involved with Xie Zhuo.

Xie Zhuo's thinking was indeed more enlightened than that of the people of Wei, but he was ultimately different from her. Deep down, he accepted the idea of ​​having multiple wives and concubines, while Fu Zhi Qiao was different; she could not share a husband with other women.

She wouldn't accept a relationship where the man is unrecognizable. Xie Zhuo is a young man, and he has no idea how important a title is to a woman.

Fu Zhiqiao couldn't help but sneer, "A dignified young master is willing to lower himself to serve a commoner like me. I should be grateful. How can you be so ungrateful and still dare to ask for a title?"

Xie Zhuo's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Fu Zhi Qiao's cold voice rang out again, "But, Your Highness, did I ever say I wanted to marry you?"

The temperature in the room dropped instantly.

"Ah Qiao, don't talk nonsense." Xie Zhuo's eyebrows furrowed deeply, his face so dark it could drip ink.

Seeing Xie Zhuo's unpleasant expression, Fu Zhiqiao scoffed, "Nonsense? You don't think I'm being unreasonable, do you?"

Seeing that Xie Zhuo still wanted to say something, Fu Zhi Qiao immediately asked, "Then can I marry someone else?"

"What?" Xie Zhuo didn't react.

"Since you say that status isn't important, can you accept me marrying someone else first, and then being with you secretly? Xie Zhuo, are you willing to give up the title of husband to be with me?"

Fu Zhi Qiao spoke in a calm tone, but her eyes were sharp. Her gaze remained fixed on Xie Zhuo's face, not wanting to miss any changes in his expression.

Xie Zhuo looked like he'd been struck by lightning, but he quickly understood what she meant and hurriedly tried to cover it up: "That's not what I meant..."

Xie Zhuo rarely found himself in such a sorry state.

He didn't mean to belittle Fu Zhi Qiao by using his status; he just felt wronged and scared at the same time, afraid that he really couldn't keep her.

Xie Zhuo felt as if his heart was being torn apart. The engagement with Yu Yadan was not his intention. His marriage was not up to him, the person he loved was leaving him, and his desperate attempts to persuade her to stay were futile... For the first time, Xie Zhuo felt that his status as the heir of the royal family was a burden.

The thought of Fu Zhi Qiao marrying another man made him feel suffocated and unable to breathe.

In an instant, Xie Zhuo had many thoughts. It wasn't that he didn't have cruel methods to shatter her pride and make her bow her head, but he knew he couldn't do that. If he did, he would be pushing her away from him completely.

After a long silence, Xie Zhuo couldn't help but give a wry smile.

Fu Zhi Qiao had long ago said that she would never be a concubine in this life, and based on his understanding of her, there was no room for negotiation on this matter.

She was such an extraordinary woman; he should have known long ago.

Didn't he know that from the first time they met? She despised men who took multiple wives and concubines; in her eyes, such men were "dirty men."

So now, has he been categorized as a "dirty man" by her?