At that time, his elder brother was in charge of the household, and he, the incompetent young master, was looked down upon by everyone in the mansion. Only Lian'er would talk to him, support his studies, and stand up for him when he was bullied by those people in the mansion.
He even later eliminated his arrogant older brother for his sake.
If it weren't for the letter from the capital insisting on bringing Lian'er back, he would have taken Lian'er and fled far away even if he didn't want this position.
He closed his eyes tightly, suppressing the hatred in them.
If it weren't for those people preventing them from being together, they would be the most loving couple.
Just as he was reminiscing about those distant memories, he suddenly heard footsteps coming in from outside.
He thought it was Fan Li returning, and lazily opened his eyes to look.
The person who entered was wearing a cloak that covered him completely.
Even though the person hadn't shown a single finger, his chest pounded violently when he saw him.
He stood up excitedly, looking at the newcomer in disbelief.
The newcomer then removed the hood from his cloak, revealing the face he had been longing for.
"Lian'er!"
The King of the South's voice trembled.
He stared at the person in front of him in disbelief, not daring to blink, for fear that the person would disappear in the blink of an eye.
The eldest princess was named Sima Lian, and she was a few years older than the Prince of Nan.
"Brother Sheng."
The King of the South's lips trembled, and he looked extremely distressed.
He staggered forward a few steps and nearly fell.
The person he longed for day and night was right in front of him, yet he didn't even have the courage to touch her.
"Brother Sheng, I know about what happened to you."
The Grand Princess's calm gaze and her indifferent voice, so different from what he remembered, slowly cooled the passion in the Prince of the South's heart.
"I'm sorry, I know you'll blame me, but I just can't help it. I didn't mean to ruin your reputation, I just wanted to do something to make you happy."
The Grand Princess stood dignified in the center of the room, her eyes filled with pity.
"For me?"
She asked.
Before the Prince of the South could nod, the Grand Princess shook her head.
"No, you're just doing this for your own selfish reasons. If you really cared about me, you would never do something like this in my name."
Such accusations almost drove the Southern King to his breaking point.
"That's not it, I just..."
The Grand Princess interrupted him, saying, "Fortunately, it is my son who has come to handle this matter this time."
The King of the South opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.
"Lian'er..."
The Grand Princess took a step closer to him, and the tenderness that the Prince of the South longed for finally appeared in your eyes.
She said in a consoling tone, "Brother Sheng, the Emperor and the whole world are watching. I want you to be safe and sound, but I can't. There are too many things between us."
The light in the eyes of the Southern King gradually dimmed.
"Lian'er, do you mean you want me to confess?"
The Grand Princess didn't nod, but her eyes conveyed the same meaning.
The Southern King took a step back in disappointment.
“I thought you felt the same way as me. I believed everything you said over the years. They all advised me to see the situation clearly. They all said that you were just representing the court to appease me and that you only wanted the power in Jiaozhou. They advised me to make plans as soon as possible.”
"But I don't believe it. I'm convinced that you still care about me. Otherwise, why did you help me back then? Why have you kept in touch with me all these years?"
"But now I'm actually starting to believe what my advisors are saying."
He stared straight at the Grand Princess.
"I just want one question from you: all these years, have you ever truly cared for me?"
The Grand Princess's eyes flickered slightly. She opened her mouth, then nodded hesitantly.
But her momentary hesitation made the Southern King instantly understand something.
"It seems that it was all just wishful thinking on my part all along."
He roared in frustration, then turned to look at the Grand Princess's still calm eyes. Overwhelmed with grief, he angrily kicked over the low table in front of him, tripping and falling to the ground.
The commotion caused Fanli, who had been guarding outside, to rush in.
"Mother."
The Grand Princess waved to him, signaling him to leave.
Fan Li hesitated as she looked at the Prince of the South, but it was the old nanny by the Grand Princess's side who persuaded her to go out.
The Prince of the South sat on the ground, looking dejected and disheveled. The Grand Princess stepped forward to help him up, but the Prince of the South dodged her.
"There wasn't a single bit of sincerity in him."
The Grand Princess pursed her lips tightly.
She didn't try to help him up; she simply looked calmly at the Prince of Nan.
"What do you want me to do? I married your older brother back then. Even if I have feelings for you, I can't be with you."
The Prince of the South looked up at her, his handsome face now completely bloodless.
"Why not? We could have left after my older brother died, but you refused."
The Grand Princess shook her head.
“I was pregnant at the time. Where would you take me? I’ve lived a life of luxury since I was a child. Could you earn money to support me? You couldn’t. Besides, you couldn’t leave Jiaozhou given the situation. Brother Sheng, you’ve always been so naive, never considering the consequences…”
"They're all excuses!"
The King of the South rebuked him angrily.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on what’s going on in the capital. You’re quite satisfied with your husband, aren’t you? You’ve even given birth to two children for him. Everyone says you two are a loving couple with a harmonious family. But how could you forget the child you left me with at birth?”
"For so many years, he has never even known that you are his mother."
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
