Chapter 140 Risking Everything (No Longer "Pei Yuanzheng")
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhaoxing's heart stirred slightly, and when he looked up at Pei Yuanzheng, a hint of emotion flashed in his eyes.
Lu Zhaoxing's nose tingled slightly, but he simply nodded gently, his voice choked with emotion: "Yuanzheng, thank you."
Pei Yuanzheng looked at her, his eyes filled with reluctance and longing, as if he wanted to etch her image inch by inch into his mind and into the depths of his soul.
Never forget.
His gaze lingered on Lu Zhaoxing's face, every detail making his heart ache and making him reluctant to part with her.
But Pei Yuanzheng finally hardened his heart, paused, and slowly said, word by word, "After today, Pei Yuanzheng will no longer bother you."
I will no longer disturb her life, and I will no longer make things difficult for her.
It will no longer remind her of those unpleasant experiences from the past, nor will it become an obstacle between her and Shen Minghe.
He would silently protect her, safeguarding her from where she couldn't see him, but he would never appear before her again, disturbing her peace.
Pei Yuanzheng will try his best to sever all his thoughts.
He will try his best to... give up... those thoughts...
He won't! He'll reappear in another form!
Lu Zhaoxing's heart skipped a beat after hearing his words, as if he had been stung hard by something.
A sudden wave of disappointment and melancholy washed over her, and Lu Zhaoxing's heart tightened slightly.
She stared blankly at Pei Yuanzheng, opened her mouth as if to say something, but her throat seemed to be blocked, and she couldn't make a sound.
Lu Zhaoxing's eyes began to redden uncontrollably, and the calmness in his eyes was instantly shattered, replaced by a surge of complex emotions.
She thought she had already let go, and that after meeting and talking things out this time, she could be completely at peace...
But upon hearing Pei Yuanzheng's words, she realized that deep down, there was still a place reserved for him.
It still aches faintly at this moment.
They were childhood sweethearts, having known and cherished each other since their youth, and spent the purest years of their lives together.
They had seen each other at their most vulnerable and shared each other's happiest moments. That unspoken understanding had long been rooted in their hearts.
Such a heavy past, such unforgettable ties, how can one so easily let go?
Lu Zhaoxing stood frozen in place, clutching her skirt tightly. After a long while, she slowly nodded.
"Okay." Her voice trembled noticeably as she uttered only the word "okay," and then said nothing more.
All the words I wanted to say ultimately turned into silence. Saying anything more would have been superfluous and would only have added to the sadness.
Pei Yuanzheng gave Lu Zhaoxing another deep look.
Those eyes held so much affection and regret, so much longing and reluctance to part.
His eyelashes trembled slightly as he fought back the tears welling up in his eyes, as if he were saying his final goodbye.
A moment later, Pei Yuanzheng suddenly turned around, without looking back, and strode out of the hall.
His steps were heavy, each one treading on a broken heart.
The moment he turned away, a scalding tear finally slipped from the corner of his eye, just like Pei Yuanzheng's heart at that moment, shattered and never to be pieced back together.
Tears streamed down his cheeks; this was his unspeakable pain, and a past he could never undo.
Pei Yuanzheng let his tears flow freely. His figure appeared particularly lonely and desolate in the night, carrying a sense of resolute determination, before finally disappearing outside the palace.
Lu Zhaoxing slowly closed the palace door with a creak, cutting off her view and severing all past connections and possibilities between them.
From then on, they were separated by vast distances and never crossed paths again.
Lu Zhaoxing stood there stunned for a long time, staring at the tightly closed palace doors. The calm in his eyes completely collapsed, and tears finally streamed down his face.
She raised her hand and gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but she couldn't wipe them away. The emptiness and pain in her heart lingered for a long time, refusing to go away.
After a while, Lu Zhaoxue pushed open the door and walked to her side, gently patting her back.
Lu Zhaoxue comforted him softly, "Zhaoxing, don't be sad. Your big day is in a few days. You should get some rest."
“Pei Yuanzheng...you two are not meant to be, you should let it go.”
Lu Zhaoxing slowly came to his senses, nodded, and raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face.
The desolation in her eyes was gradually suppressed, and she regained her composure. Although there was still some emptiness and pain in her heart, she believed that time would eventually erase all the pain.
...
When Pei Yuanzheng walked out of Chengqian Palace, it was already very late at night, and a chilly evening breeze blew in his face.
The palace walls stood tall and imposing, the glazed tiles gleaming coldly in the moonlight. The long palace path was deserted, with only his footsteps echoing in the silence.
Feeling dull and lonely, he gradually moved away from the place that held his deepest longing.
Pei Yuanzheng walked aimlessly along the palace road. The tear stains on his face had long been dried by the cold wind, leaving only faint traces.
The pain in his eyes had faded somewhat, replaced by a bottomless heaviness, and a resolute determination that burned ever brighter.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Pei Yuanzheng stopped at a secluded palace wall and raised his hand to touch the cold wall.
Looking up at the sky, the cold moonlight shone on his pale face.
"Destined to meet but not to be together...destined to meet but not to be together." Pei Yuanzheng murmured softly, a self-deprecating yet obsessive smile curving his lips.
As he finished speaking, the determination in his eyes intensified, and his aura instantly became cold and sharp.
Pei Yuanzheng raised his hand and touched a jade pendant he kept close to his body. It was a token of love that Lu Zhaoxing had given him years ago.
This jade pendant now gives him boundless power.
All the helplessness and forbearance of the past vanished completely with Lu Zhaoxing's words, "Destined to meet but not to be together."
From this day forward, he will no longer be Pei Yuanzheng, who only knows how to bear the expectations of his family.
He wants to live for himself this once! To risk everything for the one he loves!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com