"Li Chengze, you still have the nerve to mention the Crown Princess?!" Before I could react, Xiao Rui was like an enraged lion. He suddenly protected me behind him and roared, "Look at you now, you don't look like a prince at all!"

"It's none of your business what I look like!" Li Chengze was driven even crazier by Xiao Rui's anger. He pointed at me with a fierce look on his face, "I came to the palace to take Qingya away. Anyone who dares to stop me will be killed without mercy!"

"Who dares?" Xiao Rui suddenly drew out the sword from his waist and pointed the tip of the sword at Li Chengze. "For that woman, you actually wanted to kill the emperor and usurp the throne. Now you want to take my wife by force. You are simply insane!"

"Killing the king and usurping the throne? Hahahahahaha..." Li Chengze seemed to have heard some heavenly joke and suddenly laughed up to the sky. His laughter was filled with sadness and despair. "The victorious king loses the bandits. It has always been like this since ancient times! Even if I lose, I will drag you down with me even if I die!"

As he spoke, he suddenly pulled out the sword of the guard beside him, put it on his neck, and roared like a madman: "Lin Qingya, I will ask you one last time, are you going with me or not? If you don't go with me, I will die in front of you now!"

I was frightened by his crazy behavior and didn't know what to do for a moment.

"Qingya, don't be afraid." Xiao Rui held my hand, and the warmth from his palm gave me a little strength. "Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Li Chengze, his tone cold: "Li Chengze, you are crazy! Do you think that if you die, you can win Qingya? You are wrong! You will only make her hate you more!"

"Shut up!" Li Chengze yelled hysterically, "You don't understand, you don't understand anything! I love Qingya, I love her more than anyone else! For her, I can give up everything, including the throne, including my life!"

"What you call love is to imprison her by your side, making her like a canary, without freedom and happiness?" Xiao Rui exposed him mercilessly, "Li Chengze, you are too selfish! You don't understand what love is!"

"I'm selfish? Hahaha..." Li Chengze laughed so hard that tears came out of his eyes, as if he had heard some heavenly joke. "I'm selfish? What about you, Xiao Rui? Do you dare to say that you didn't approach Qingya just to get her? Do you dare to say that you don't have any selfish thoughts towards her?!"

His words were like a bolt from the blue, ringing in my ears. I looked at Xiao Rui in disbelief, hoping that he could give me an explanation, a denial.

However, Xiao Rui's silence is more hurtful than any words.

I saw a flash of panic in his eyes, but it was quickly covered up. He avoided my gaze and said calmly: "Li Chengze, what are you talking about? There is nothing wrong between Qingya and me, don't slander me!"

"Innocent?" Li Chengze seemed to have grasped his sore spot and pressed him step by step, "Then tell me, why did you bring Qingya to your palace? Why did you hug her so much? Do you dare to say that you don't have any improper thoughts about her?!"

I felt as if my heart was being torn apart, the pain was unbearable.

I originally thought that Xiao Rui was sincere to me, and I originally thought that he really liked me. However, his current appearance of trying to hide his feelings made me doubt whether his intention to approach me was really that simple.

"I..." Xiao Rui opened his mouth, as if he wanted to explain something, but under Li Chengze's aggressive gaze, he couldn't say anything.

"What, you have nothing to say?" Li Chengze sneered, his eyes full of pride, "Xiao Rui, you are nothing but a hypocrite!"

I couldn't stand this torture any longer, so I shook off Xiao Rui's hand and said coldly, "That's enough! Shut up, all of you!"

Although my voice was quiet, it carried an unquestionable majesty. The air in the room froze instantly, and everyone looked at me in surprise, including Li Chengze and Xiao Rui.

I took a deep breath, suppressed the anger and sadness in my heart, and said word by word: "Li Chengze, go away, I will not go with you, never!"

"Qingya, you..." Li Chengze looked at me in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe that I would say such a thing.

"And you, Xiao Rui," I turned to look at him, my eyes full of disappointment and pain, "Go away, I don't want to see you anymore."

Xiao Rui's face was pale and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing. He just looked at me deeply, then turned and left.

"Xiao Rui!" I couldn't help but call him, with a barely perceptible tremor in my voice.

He paused but did not turn back.

"Tell me, how much of your feelings for me are real and how much are fake?"