Chapter 1101 The Human Heart Is Unpredictable
Upon hearing the last sentence, Xiao Yuansui's expression stiffened slightly.
Shang Ruyi was naturally praising Yuwen Ye. Whether it was when she was captured by Xiao Yuansui and taken to Xingluocang City, or when she was captured by Chu Yang and taken to Jiangdu, it was always him who saved her from danger. Especially when she was kidnapped by Ashina Zhuxie, it was he who risked losing the position of Crown Prince and the danger of being trapped in the grasslands, and rescued her from the Western Turkic camp.
Seeing Xiao Yuansui's lips twitch slightly, yet he couldn't utter a single word for a long time, Shang Ruyi raised her chin slightly and said, "If you want to demand chastity from women, then first demand capability from men."
"..."
"If men cannot protect women's chastity, they cannot demand that women remain chaste."
"..."
"After all, no one needs chastity except men."
"..."
"It's completely meaningless."
Xiao Yuansui stared wide-eyed, listening to Shang Ruyi's words with a look of astonishment. Only after hearing the last word did his expression slowly return to calm, but he still had an indescribable solemnity and bewilderment. After a long silence, he looked at Shang Ruyi again, his eyes filled with admiration and some inexplicable struggle. Finally, he sighed and said, "You, what you said makes sense."
After saying that, he suddenly smiled and said, "I knew I hadn't misjudged you."
Shang Ruyi frowned: "Hmm?"
Xiao Yuansui said, "To be able to survive in such a chaotic world, to survive several near-death experiences, you say it's because you're lucky, because the people protecting you are strong enough, but actually it's also because you have brains, integrity, and you yourself are strong enough."
Shang Ruyi said, "At least, I won't take my own life for those two lines of poetry."
"..."
“I don’t have a lover, but I still have family and friends. Each of them has done their best to protect and care for me. If I really die, the tears any one of them shed for me would be enough to make me regret it so much that I would crawl back from the underworld.”
After saying that, she looked at Xiao Yuansui and said, "You shouldn't bully someone who has nothing."
Xiao Yuansui remained silent.
He may not feel much remorse, but looking down on a woman is one thing, and bullying a weak woman is another.
For most men, the ability to control a woman's life and death is something to boast about, but for him, it wasn't. He had the ability to control the lives and deaths of many more people, so he didn't care how heavy her life was or how painful her death was. He had too many complicated emotions towards Lüxiao, but he also knew in his heart that there was no love. He couldn't love a prostitute who clung to anyone; at most, he could only feel a little pampering.
He just didn't expect to be reprimanded like this by Shang Ruyi.
He looked at Shang Ruyi for a while, then suddenly said, "Do you know that saying these things to me does you no good at all?"
Shang Ruyi said, "Oh?"
"If you had agreed to my request, even if it was just a pretense, I would have at least protected you and not let you suffer any injustice or harm. But now that you've let me know your true feelings, you're just a tool for me to exchange or to blackmail Yuwen Ye."
Shang Ruyi slightly curled the corners of her lips, but it wasn't a smile; rather, it was an expression of helplessness, yet also a frank one.
Of course she knew that once she realized Xiao Yuansui had feelings for her, she completely understood why she was able to escape unscathed from him when the two sides fought so fiercely in Xingluo Cang City. At that time, the best choice for her was to play along and maybe find a chance to escape—although such a chance was extremely slim.
But she still told Xiao Yuansui her true feelings and her innermost thoughts, completely severing that path.
She was simply furious.
He was furious that Green Smile's years of unrequited love had been wasted, and even more furious that she, as a woman, was so easily manipulated and bullied by a man.
At least I vented my anger after saying those words.
Now that she had vented her anger, it was time to face the harsh reality. Shang Ruyi gripped the gold earring tightly in her hand and said calmly, "If you really want to use me to exchange for something, you'd better let me be whole."
"..."
"I don't really need to remind you of this, do I?"
Xiao Yuansui looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "Your Highness, don't worry. Actually, whether or not I need you to exchange for something, or no matter how you respond to me tonight, I won't do anything to you."
"..."
"Actually, I'm not exactly a gentleman, or even a good person."
"..."
"But I still understand the importance of repaying kindness."
"..."
"At least, I won't let anyone hurt you while you're with me."
Shang Ruyi said, "Thank you."
After saying those two words, she pursed her lips. Although it was only a brief, almost fleeting silence, it still made her feel a little uncomfortable. So she immediately said, "Then, I'll take my leave."
Xiao Yuansui nodded calmly, neither stopping her nor saying anything more. Shang Ruyi then turned and walked out of the tent.
As soon as she stepped outside, she breathed a long sigh of relief.
In fact, she could somewhat anticipate that Xiao Yuansui wouldn't harm her, but human hearts are unpredictable. Before she finished speaking the last word, no one could be sure whether Xiao Yuansui would feel ashamed and enraged, and then take her life, or—even without taking her life, cutting off one of her hands and sending her to Hulao Pass would be enough to unsettle Yuwen Ye.
Fortunately, this person was a decent gentleman.
As she breathed a sigh of relief, Shang Ruyi realized that she was shivering all over. She had just broken out in a cold sweat, and the cold wind made her feel chilly to the bone. She shivered and quickly walked back to Green Silk's tent.
It's still as quiet here as it was just now.
She walked to the bedside and looked down. Green Silk was obviously still asleep, lying quietly on the bed with a pale face. The candle flame flickered slightly, the wick almost melting into the wax, making the light in the tent dim.
Shang Ruyi hurried over, pulled out a hairpin from her hair, and carefully adjusted the candle wick.
The candles were lit again.
Just then, she suddenly realized that the gold earring she was holding was missing. She hurriedly looked around and turned her head to find that the earring had fallen by the bed. She went over and squatted down to pick it up. Just then, a pale, bloodless hand suddenly reached out and picked up the earring.
"...!"
Shang Ruyi was startled. She looked up and saw that it was Lüxiao.
She had woken up at some point, her face completely pale, except for her unusually red eyes, which were quietly staring at the earring she had picked up.
"So that's how it is..."
Hearing her muttering to herself, Shang Ruyi was puzzled and surprised. She was about to ask something, but before she could speak, Lüxiao suddenly raised her hand and used the sharp end of her earring to slash Shang Ruyi's face hard!
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