Chapter 121 I only wish to be with you forever

Zhong Min ate too fast and started coughing right after she finished speaking. She quickly turned her head away, but she didn't expect Xiao Mingzheng to have stood up and walked to her side, patting her on the back.

"Why are you eating so quickly? Look how badly you choked." He frowned slightly and said softly. At this moment, he didn't know what Zhong Min was so anxious about. When he heard her say that she also had something to tell him, he couldn't help but feel a little worried when he saw this situation.

Zhong Min quickly recovered and shook her head towards Xiao Mingzheng, saying, "It's okay, it's okay. I'm sorry to have worried His Majesty."

"I'm glad you're okay." Seeing this, Xiao Mingzheng didn't say anything more to her. He withdrew his hand and sat back in his seat. He looked at Zhong Min and said, "You said you had something to tell me. I've almost finished eating, so you can go ahead."

Zhong Min knew what she was going to say, and was afraid that speaking it out would affect Xiao Mingzheng's mood to some extent. So after thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Highness, please speak first. My matter is not very important and it's not urgent. We can talk about it later."

Hearing Zhong Min's words, Xiao Mingzheng smiled slightly: "That's fine, then I'll tell you first."

As he spoke, Xiao Mingzheng suddenly reached out and took Zhong Min's hand. Seeing this, Zhong Min was startled and subconsciously wanted to pull her hand back. Although this was not the first time Xiao Mingzheng had held her hand, the circumstances were different and naturally the same. Moreover, she had originally intended to explain everything clearly and did not want any misunderstandings to arise between them.

"Your Highness, please speak directly if you have something to say. Zhong Min is all ears." She simply withdrew her hand and placed it under the table, looking a little embarrassed. In fact, her attitude was now very clear. A smart man like Xiao Mingzheng should be able to see it clearly.

This time, Zhong Min was really mistaken. Men and women often look at problems differently, especially in matters like this. Seeing Zhong Min like this, Xiao Mingzheng just thought that she was embarrassed, so he felt relieved.

Zhong Min is naturally a smart person. Xiao Mingzheng thought that she must have felt his concern and care for her these days. This girl has never had much concept about matters between men and women. Now she must have finally figured it out, which is why she is a little shy and reserved.

"Min'er, I have asked people to choose an auspicious date. After I am done with this busy period, I will marry you as my concubine. I will definitely arrange a grand wedding for you then." Xiao Mingzheng didn't think any more and directly told Zhong Min what he was thinking. He just wanted her to know his thoughts. Although he was not very good at expressing himself, some things would naturally be better achieved through actual actions.

However, after he finished speaking, everything did not go as he had expected. Zhong Min was obviously stunned, but he did not show any joy. Instead, his face looked a little unhappy, as if he was unwilling.

Xiao Mingzheng suddenly felt a little worried. He couldn't understand Zhong Min at the moment. He didn't know what she was thinking. He didn't know why her expression was so special when she heard this good news that was enough to make any woman happy.

"What's wrong with you? Do you feel that time is too tight, or that you're not ready yet?" Seeing this, Xiao Mingzheng said again, "If that's the case, then I'll have someone set a date further in the future."

Zhong Min took a deep breath and finally raised her head to look at Xiao Mingzheng. She stood up, bowed to him, and then said very seriously: "Your Highness, I am deeply grateful for your love. However, I am of low status and cannot be worthy of Your Highness. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."

Such an unhesitating rejection immediately made Xiao Mingzheng's face darken. He never expected that Zhong Min would refuse so decisively, without even a trace of hesitation.

"Whether you are worthy of me or not is up to me. If I say you are worthy, then you are worthy. No one dares to make any comments. You don't have to worry about it." He looked at Zhong Min again, his eyes piercing. "I just want to know if you are willing to marry me."

That kind of look made Zhong Min want to escape, but she reminded herself that hesitation was unacceptable at this moment, and what she should have most was decisiveness and firmness.

"Your Highness, Zhong Min is just an ordinary person who only wants an ordinary life. Zhong Min does not want to marry Your Highness, so please grant her wish." She said in a deep voice. After she said this, she felt extremely relieved, as if the clouds had cleared and the sun had appeared.

She knew better than anything else what she should want and what she shouldn't have, and now, some little episodes that shouldn't have happened were finally sorted out. This was what was truly good, and this clear and unique her was the real her.

"Why?" Xiao Mingzheng's expression at this moment was extremely calm, so calm that he looked extremely cold. Zhong Min hadn't seen Xiao Mingzheng act like this in front of her for a long time, and this moment seemed to bring her back to the time when she first met this person.

Why? Seeing this, Zhong Min couldn't help but sigh secretly. Just as he was about to answer, he heard Xiao Mingzheng speak again: "I heard that Liu came here a few days ago. Did she say something to you that she shouldn't have said?"

Xiao Mingzheng was unwilling to believe that Zhong Min's current answer was sincere. He did not believe that Zhong Min did not like him at all, and he did not believe that the woman who relied on and trusted him during those two days in the mountains was only doing so out of a need to survive.

"It has nothing to do with Concubine Liu. She just came to visit me that day, nothing else. My own decision has nothing to do with anyone else." Zhong Min naturally understood what Xiao Mingzheng meant. He thought that Concubine Liu threatened her, so she was worried and did not agree to him.

"So, do you feel that being a concubine is unfair to you?" Xiao Mingzheng slowed down his tone and said patiently to Zhong Min, "You should know that if I were to become the principal wife, I would have to report it to the court first. And with your current status, I'm afraid it would be difficult to be granted, so..."

"Your Highness has misunderstood. Zhong Min didn't mean that." She interrupted Xiao Mingzheng, not wanting to beat around the bush any further, and said directly, "Zhong Min doesn't want to do it simply because she doesn't want to. It has nothing to do with anything else. I don't like being constrained. I don't seek wealth or fame in this life. I just want to live a free and unfettered life, following my heart."

"If you marry me, I will never restrict you. If you are not used to the life in the palace, I can also buy another house for you outside the palace and will not let you suffer any grievances." Xiao Mingzheng also stood up and looked straight into Zhong Min's eyes, not allowing her to escape. At this moment, he suddenly had an impulse. No matter how many demands she made, he was willing to satisfy her as long as she nodded and married him.

"Your Highness..." Zhong Min sighed slightly upon seeing this. Originally, she didn't want to say anything too forceful, but if she didn't explain the reason completely at this moment, Xiao Mingzheng might not let her go so easily. After all, he was the prince. Regardless of other things, just in terms of face, such a rejection was something he had never experienced before.

"Your Highness, Zhong Min has always had her own principles and beliefs. Many of her ideas may seem childish and ridiculous to others, but to me, they will never change." Without giving it any more thought, she looked at Xiao Mingzheng calmly and said, "If Zhong Min were to marry, the man she marries doesn't need to be rich, famous, or both physically and mentally, but there is one thing that is absolutely essential."

"Which point?" Xiao Mingzheng couldn't help but ask Zhong Min.

Seeing this, Zhong Min said word by word: "Love each other, miss each other, and be together for life!"

For a moment, the whole room suddenly fell silent. The two stopped talking and just stared at each other quietly. At that moment, it was so quiet that they seemed to be able to hear each other's heartbeats, and at that moment, it was as if they could not feel anything at all.

Xiao Mingzheng's face was unusually grim. Zhong Min's words left him feeling suffocated. He had always known her to be generous, but he hadn't imagined it could be this big. While being in love, missing each other, and dating each other was certainly possible, being together for life was something he could never truly achieve.

Regardless of whether he loved other women or not, regardless of whether he wanted to or not, he could not change the existence of those concubines in the back garden, nor could he change the fact that he would continue to marry other women in the future. She was so smart, how could she not understand his situation? Even if it was for political reasons, having many wives and concubines was inevitable. Even if he was not a prince, but just an ordinary man in the world, it would be difficult for him to marry only one person in order to continue his family line.

After a while, he finally recovered from his silence and said to Zhong Min expressionlessly, "Don't you think your request is too demanding? Even if there is someone who is willing to be with you forever, how can you guarantee that they are the one you love, miss, and love deeply? It's probably difficult to achieve both of these things at the same time."

"Things like this can't be forced. Everything is determined by fate. If I find someone like that, I'm truly lucky. If I never find someone like that in my lifetime, there's nothing to complain about. At least I can live my life the way I want. For most people, that's a great blessing."

Zhong Min was very relieved. If I get it, I am lucky. If I lose it, it is my fate. Everything is up to fate. It is really a great joy in life. This is better than forcing herself to share a husband with another woman and living a life of depression, fighting and scheming all day long.

"What a blessing!" Xiao Mingzheng said, turning and walking out: "I am sorry for being so abrupt today. I have other things to do. You should rest well."

"Your Highness!" Seeing that everything had been discussed, Zhong Min quickly walked up to Xiao Mingzheng and said, "Your Highness, I have something else to ask. Please wait a moment."

Xiao Mingzheng looked at Zhong Min with a complicated expression, but after a moment he agreed: "Go ahead."

"I previously made an agreement with the prince that I would be set free once I had built a comprehensive security system for him," Zhong Min said bluntly. "Now I believe my mission is complete. I beg the prince to follow our agreement and release me from the palace. I will be deeply grateful!"