Chapter 221
Tao Tao straightened up and walked towards the corridor leading to the door. The wind was fierce, making her skirt flutter and her flowing black hair fly in the air, giving her a strange and unrestrained sense of freedom.
The fine mist and rain splashed on her face, feeling cool, but she didn't raise her hand to shield herself, continuing to walk forward with firm steps.
Asu, with its magnificent long tail, hovered above her head, but soon got tired and stood on her shoulder as a means of transportation.
She felt a weight on her shoulder, turned her head to look at it, and saw its proud little chest. She reached out and pinched its round belly, which felt soft and warm, and it felt quite nice to the touch.
He chuckled teasingly, "You really need to lose some weight; you're a bit chubby."
It was incredibly heavy; the moment it stepped on her, her shoulders slumped downwards, almost causing her to lose her balance.
As if he understood, Asu stared at her with a hint of resentment in his rapidly blinking black eyes. "Not fat! Beautiful! Especially beautiful, Asu is so handsome."
"Okay, okay, you're the prettiest." She agreed, both amused and exasperated.
Sometimes I see it and think it's quite beautiful, so I casually compliment it a few times, and it ends up being remembered.
The girl appeared at the doorway. When she saw who it was, her eyes widened in surprise, and she asked, "Why are you here? It's raining so hard."
The face beneath the hood lifted its head, its features gentle, a tender smile playing on its lips, and softly called out, "Xiao Tao, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
"The rain is too heavy, let's go inside and talk."
Tao Tao led Qi Heng into the room, while Shen Lin stood guard at the door.
"I received the gift you sent, thank you." As she spoke, she poured him a cup of hot tea, looked up at him, and placed it beside him.
He then poured himself a cup of tea, stood up, walked over to Shen Lin, and handed it to him.
Shen Lin stared in astonishment at the tea in front of him, then turned his gaze to the Crown Prince. Only after receiving a nod from the Crown Prince did he accept the tea with both hands.
He said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Highness."
"It was nothing." He then went into the house and sat down in front of Qi Heng.
Qi Heng held the teacup in both hands, the rising steam blurring the hesitation between his brows and eyes. He pursed his lips, feeling a sense of helplessness, wanting to say something but afraid that saying it would change everything.
"Xiao Tao...I..."
She had never seen him lower his head and stammer like this before, and was a little surprised that the usually calm and composed Crown Prince would look so uneasy.
Tao Tao didn't interrupt him, and just quietly watched him, waiting for him to finish speaking.
"Xiao Tao, I love you and want to marry you as my wife. I have already obtained my father's consent, but after much thought, I am afraid that it is not appropriate. I would like to ask for your opinion."
"If you have no interest in me, there is no need to worry. Just pretend I never mentioned it, and let the matter of the arranged marriage be dropped."
As soon as he finished speaking, he took a sip of hot tea to calm his flustered mind, then looked up at the girl in front of him with sincere eyes and a serious expression, without the slightest hint of pretense.
She wondered to herself, could the Emperor take back what he had said?
The heavy rain outside never stopped, pounding on the ground. The sound of dripping water was noisy and chaotic in her ears, but his words were clear and firm, entering her mind without missing a single detail.
Qi Heng clenched his fists, staring at her with an unusually direct and almost offensive gaze, his expression showing a hint of nervousness and trepidation.
It was as if he was waiting for the girl in front of him to give him an ultimatum.
Suddenly, Tao Tao chuckled, "Yanli, are you joking? I don't quite believe what you're saying."
His pupils dilated suddenly, realizing she didn't believe him, and he quickly said, "Every word I've said comes from the bottom of my heart; it's not a joke!"
"I have already told my mother about my feelings for you. If you have no feelings for me, that's fine too. I know very well that I have never been able to get what I like. I am willing to marry you as the Crown Princess. This is my sincerity."
"Of course, you don't need to worry about this, nor do you need to force yourself because of my identity. We will continue to get along as before."
After he finished speaking, his eyes dimmed, his face turned pale, and even the smile on his lips seemed forced.
"Then do you know that Duan Gan and I actually..." she was testing him.
Before she could finish speaking, he interrupted her, "I don't care, Xiaotao. What I care about is your opinion. I hope you can put aside all your concerns and tell me the truth honestly: have you ever felt even a little bit of affection for me?"
No, she thought to herself.
Tao Tao feigned shyness, lowering her head and avoiding his gaze.
Qi Heng is really a good person. As the crown prince, he showed no contempt or disdain for Tao Tao, the former funeral director. On the contrary, he was gentle and polite, knew how to behave properly, and even said that the two were good friends.
Regardless of the purpose, she felt happy at the time, as she was used to being looked down upon.
It's really comfortable being with him.
Seeing this, he called out anxiously, "Xiao Tao..." but then stopped speaking.
He reached for her hand on the table, but as he got closer, he realized something was amiss, and his slender fingers curled slightly as he suppressed the surging emotions within him.
Just as he dejectedly withdrew his hand, a soft, warm little hand suddenly covered the back of his hand.
Qi Heng's eyes widened suddenly as she stared at her, her breath catching in her throat, as if afraid that what she was seeing was just an illusion.
"Yanli, can you become emperor? Even if you are the crown prince now, can you guarantee that you will inherit the throne in the future?"
Tao Tao opened her amber almond eyes, full of innocence, and her clear, crisp voice uttered words that were indeed astonishing and chilling.
His eyes flickered slightly, revealing a hint of confusion. But then he thought that perhaps she felt her identity was too dangerous, and even she could see that her father disliked him, which was why she was worried.
If he doesn't ultimately ascend the throne, then not only him, but also the ministers and army that followed him will be doomed.
Thinking about it this way, he suddenly felt he had to back down from her. He hadn't thought things through and had acted too impulsively. He hadn't considered what would happen to her if he lost.
Qi Heng suddenly gave a wry smile. "I'm sorry, I was impulsive."
"Don't apologize. As long as you wholeheartedly fight for what is rightfully yours, I am willing to stand behind you and support you."
After saying that, Tao Tao stretched out her other hand and placed both hands tightly on the cool back of his hand. His image was reflected in her eyes, and only his image was reflected in her eyes.
He gazed into her eyes, slightly stunned. It was as if countless dazzling fireworks exploded in his mind. His heart was burning, and hot blood spread from his heart to every part of his body, finally rushing to his head with a buzz.
His head began to spin, and his eyes instantly reddened.
After all these years... after all these years, is he finally going to truly have someone he loves? So it turns out he can have things he loves after all?
She said she was willing, she said she would support him...
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