The two maintained a good relationship afterward.

In order to marry Su Wanwan, Lu Youting even defied Zhou's wishes several times.

He was once forced to kneel in the freezing cold for three days and three nights, which made him seriously ill.

In the end, he still had to marry someone else.

Su Wanwan cried her eyes out, becoming the laughingstock of the palace.

Rumors circulated in the palace that she had abandoned all pretense of modesty and dignity in her pursuit of becoming a princess.

Seeing that the matter was almost settled, Xia Xueyi felt much more at ease and couldn't help but look at Lu Xingjian's expression.

She still remembered one year during the Lantern Festival in the first month of the lunar calendar, when Lu Xingjian was still the Crown Prince and was ordered by the Empress to take her out of the palace to see the lanterns.

Lu Xingjian didn't seem to want to see the lanterns; he just wandered around the streets.

She ran after him, panting and nearly tripping, her carefully styled hair becoming disheveled.

Until, in the dim light, they saw Prince Rong, Lu Youting, and Su Wanwan standing under the lamp, chatting and laughing as they guessed riddles.

Su Wanwan was fourteen years old at the time, and she was quite tall for a girl. She was carrying a rabbit lantern in her hand.

Standing next to the tall and handsome Lu Youting, she appeared petite and delicate, tilting her head back and calling out in a sweet voice:

"Brother Youting, I want that lamp again."

The two of them laughed without a care in the world.

It was a genuine, heartfelt joy, her eyes seemingly filled with stars.

Lu Youting leaned down and whispered something in her ear.

It took Su Wanwan a while to react. Her face turned bright red with embarrassment, and she angrily punched Lu Youting with her little fist.

But he held her in his arms, apologizing and coaxing her gently, just like lovers playfully bickering.

Even the air smells sweet.

At that time, Lu Xingjian was only a fifteen-year-old boy, handsome and dashing.

However, compared to Lu Youting, who is four years older, he still appears quite immature.

He watched from the side for a while with a blank expression before giving a soft laugh, his tone nonchalant:

"Uncle Thirteen likes Wanwan, what a pity, the Empress Dowager has already chosen a princess for you."

Lu Youting's smile gradually faded. After a long silence, he finally said:

"I will plead with my grandmother that I will not marry anyone but Wanwan."

She was standing behind Lu Xingjian at the time and just happened to see him crush the jade thumb ring behind his back.

Later, Lu Youting still married Liu, the daughter of the commander of the Eastern City Military Command.

Princess Rong comes from a military family and has a fiery and jealous personality. It is said that in recent years, the Rong Prince's mansion has not even had a concubine to warm his bed.

Once Su Wanwan marries into the Rong Prince's mansion as a concubine, she will inevitably have to contend with the Rong Prince's wife, and she probably won't have a good life.

If she waits a few more years until her beauty fades and Prince Rong loses interest in her, her life will likely be wasted.

Lu Xingjian pursed his thin lips, his slightly cold gaze falling on Su Wanwan.

Su Wanwan parted her pink lips slightly, looking at Lu Youting with surprise on her face, without giving Lu Xingjian a single glance.

Lu Xingjian couldn't help but think of how she had looked last night in his arms, her pink lips slightly parted, her face full of shy charm.

A hint of melancholy flashed in his eyes, and his voice was clear and cold:

"We must also ask Su Shi's opinion on this matter, so as not to disturb the peace of the Great Empress Dowager in the afterlife."

He emphasized the last few words.

This caused everyone's expressions to turn serious.

The warning was all too obvious.

Who doesn't know that it was Zhou who broke up Lu Youting and Su Wanwan, this loving couple, back then?

Bringing up the Zhou family member who died many years ago is like raising the banner of filial piety and standing on the moral high ground.

Anyone who dares to let Su Wanwan marry Lu Youting is disobeying the Zhou family and is blatantly unfilial.

Empress Dowager Wang looked at Su Wanwan: "Wanwan, what do you think?"

Su Wanwan had already regained her senses, and her tone was respectful and calm:

"Replying to the Ancestor, the Su family has a family rule that daughters of the Su family cannot become concubines. I can only disappoint the kind intentions of Prince Rong and Princess Rong."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed.

Lu Youting frowned, his handsome face filled with disbelief:

"Wanwan, welcoming you into the manor is not only Princess Rong's wish, but also mine. Think it over carefully before making a decision, there is no need to have any concerns."

Su Wanwan bowed slightly: "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. However, Wanwan is, after all, a daughter of the Su family and dares not disobey the family precepts. Please forgive me, Your Highness."

Lu Youting was struck as if by a heavy blow, his face turned extremely ugly, and he was about to say something.

Three-year-old Lu Xingce couldn't stand the atmosphere in the palace and started crying and demanding to go out and play.

Lu Youting grew impatient with the pestering and had no choice but to take his son outside.

As Su Wanwan watched the father and son walk away, she inadvertently met Lu Xingjian's extremely cold eyes.

She simply lowered her eyes, focusing on her own thoughts, as if the matter had nothing to do with her.

The atmosphere remained tense, and Empress Dowager Zhang's expression was very unpleasant.

Su Wanwan's words were a blatant slap in the face to her.

Xia Xueyi, on the contrary, was somewhat smug.

Why did Su Wanwan have to use the reason that "a woman from the Su family cannot be a concubine" to refuse Prince Rong?

Wouldn't that mean she was ruining her chance to become a concubine in the palace?

Judging from the Emperor's ugly expression, it was clear that he had indeed considered taking her into his harem.

However, if Su Wanwan doesn't get married, she will become a problem sooner or later.

Her eyes darted around, and she immediately had an idea. She spoke up right away:

"Madam Su, since you refuse to be a concubine, will you accept or refuse the marriage proposal from the Duke of Anguo's mansion? The Second Young Master Gu has never been married before."

Now that Su Wanwan has married into the Duke of Anguo's mansion, even if Lu Xingjian still has feelings for her, he can only give up.

Otherwise, that would be making an enemy of the Duke of Anguo's mansion, which would be tantamount to self-destruction.

Su Wanwan knew that Xia Xueyi was setting a trap for her, but she accepted it calmly, speaking respectfully and obediently:

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