If I could refuse, I shouldn't have met her in the snow seven years ago, and I shouldn't have saved her with the miracle drug. Letting her die young would have saved the world from such a troublesome girl.
If he could refuse, he shouldn't have accepted the peach blossom bookmark six years ago when the little girl gave it to him. He shouldn't have been tempted to agree when she pestered him to be her study companion.
If he could refuse, he shouldn't have fallen for this silly girl all these years. From then on, everything in the world would only have the girl's smiles and frowns, and everything else would have paled in comparison.
Yi Chenli was awkward. He rejected all external forces that could shake his life and will, but he missed one thing: her.
She was an unexpected event in his life, and also his only light.
"The peach tree is young and tender, its blossoms are bright and beautiful. This maiden is going to her husband's home, may she bring harmony to her family." When he was little, he saw this line of small words on the peach blossom bookmark and thought the girl was a bit naive. She didn't even understand what it meant before giving him the bookmark.
Little did he know, he was the one who truly didn't understand. Perhaps from that moment on, all of their destinies were already set in stone.
An Chaoli suddenly felt that since his last meeting with the Sixth Prince, he seemed to have undergone considerable changes.
The last time I saw him, he exuded more repression and restraint, but today, beneath that restraint lay an unstoppable sharpness. The young man, who spent his days secluded in the palace, seemed naive and innocent, but in reality, he was patiently waiting for his chance to strike. This disaster relief effort seemed to have fallen into the hands of the Sixth Prince by sheer chance, but how many unexpected events are there in this world?
The day when he first shows his talent and shines in front of others is probably not far off.
Was this change in him for his own sake, or for Yuan'er's?
An Chaoli asked inquisitively, "What exactly does the Sixth Prince mean?"
Yi Chenli said frankly, "I promised you before that I would give Xiao Yuan'er a chance to see the outside world and experience a different life. Now, I regret it, and my promise is no longer valid."
Yi Chenli was not the type to change his mind easily, but he didn't mind such back-and-forth with An Yuan'er.
Yi Chenli's bluntness left An Chaoli speechless, and he unconsciously felt the pressure from the young man. He wasn't someone who could be manipulated at will; on the contrary, if things went wrong, it was hard to tell who would offend whom.
An Yuan'er paced back and forth by the door, the cold wind stinging her skin.
She stamped her feet impatiently. "Ah Li said it would be quick, how come it's taking so long?"
She secretly lifted the tent flap, peeking her head out.
There seemed to be a long period of calm inside. After the calm, she clearly heard a voice.
Yi Chenli met An Chaoli's gaze at the same level, his eyes resolute, his voice not loud but exceptionally firm: "I'm afraid that after she sees the outside world, she won't think I'm the best anymore. Call it despicable or selfish, she should be mine alone in this life. I won't give her another chance to be given to someone else."
"If one day her surname is to be preceded by another, it can only be mine. An Yuan'er is mine, there is no other possibility in this life."
Yi Chenli's words sounded more like a domineering declaration.
Without restraint, beneath the forced posture lay only tender affection, and An Chaoli felt a surge of blood rushing to his head.
In front of a father, this man was so arrogant that he actually said his daughter had no other possibility, and that his daughter could only be his.
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