Chapter 533 This tone and expression always make her feel that something is wrong?
"Mo Liyuan..." Her voice was soft, but every word was clear, striking at Mo Liyuan's heart. "You promised me, you promised me with your own mouth that you would never take a concubine in your lifetime, that you would never betray me. How long has it been? Have you thrown all those vows to the wind?"
Mo Liyuan's brows knitted together, a wave of irritation and powerlessness welling up in his heart. "Yu'er, you know perfectly well that I don't really want to take a concubine! If it weren't for the Queen Mother threatening to die, how could I... I just said, I'll just pretend she doesn't exist! I also strictly forbade her from setting foot in the main courtyard! Isn't that enough?"
Lan Xiyue's lips suddenly curled up in a faint, self-deprecating arc. "Heh... Today, I was also wrong." She looked away, gazing at the gray sky outside the window. "I had thought that no matter what the Queen Mother said, I would just endure it and bear it. But for some reason, I just couldn't suppress that evil fire... In the end, she fainted from anger."
Seeing her attitude soften, Mo Liyuan's heart softened, and he embraced her again, this time even tighter, as if rubbing her into his bones and blood. "Yu'er, just now at Jingfeng Pavilion, I was so worried about Mother's health that I... neglected you for a moment. It's my fault. I came back to explain things to you."
His low voice was filled with soothing and apology, "It's not your fault. I once said that I would handle everything, but I failed to do so. Mother... is old, and sometimes her words and actions are inevitably extreme and stubborn. Yue'er, promise me that no matter what she says in the future, you will not take it to heart and don't argue with her. Just think of it as for my sake and be patient, okay?" His tone was almost pleading.
Lan Xiyue was held tightly in his arms, her cheek pressed against his solid chest, feeling his steady, strong heartbeat. She raised her hand and gently patted his back, her movements as gentle as if soothing a restless child, her voice unusually gentle. "Okay, okay. I know you're having a hard time. Go do your thing. I'm... fine."
Mo Liyuan's tense heartstrings finally relaxed a little after hearing this.
He loosened his arms, held her face in his hands, and looked into her eyes carefully. There seemed to be no anger in those beautiful eyes, only a calm lake.
He finally breathed a sigh of relief and placed a gentle yet solemn kiss on her smooth forehead, with a touch of comfort and promise: "I'm going to the study to take care of some official business. If you're still unhappy, come find me anytime, okay?"
Lan Xiyue nodded obediently, even slightly curling the corners of her lips towards him, revealing a gentle and flawless smile: "I understand, go ahead."
Mo Liyuan looked at her submissive and docile appearance, and the uneasiness that had just been suppressed in his heart surged up like an undercurrent, even more intense than before. This is not like her... This is so unlike her.
With her personality, she shouldn't be so calm. He couldn't help but look at her deeply a few more times, trying to find any trace of disguise in her calm eyes, but found nothing.
Finally, he suppressed his doubts, stroked her hair again, and then turned around and strode towards the study with a lot on his mind and lingering uneasiness.
The moment the door closed, the gentle, almost perfect mask on Lan Xiyue's face instantly melted away. The curve of her lips suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cold indifference, and the calm lake water in her eyes instantly solidified into ice that would not melt for thousands of years.
She slowly turned around and looked back at the desolate courtyard, but her eyes were empty and penetrated the scenery before her.
"Mo Liyuan..." She chewed the name silently in her heart, with a hint of sharp pain and cold sarcasm, "I can't do what I promised. I shouldn't have made those beautiful promises so easily!" The resounding oath was still ringing in her ears, but now it became the most harsh irony.
Yes, you might be able to remain calm and dismiss her now, but what about next time? What if the Queen Mother threatens your life again, or even goes so far as to demand that you consummate your marriage and bear her a child? Will you still be so resolute in pushing her away? Will you still watch your biological mother literally crash into a wall and die right before your eyes?
Lan Xiyue, ah Lan Xiyue... She closed her eyes, her thick eyelashes casting a faint shadow on her pale skin, covering the pain and self-loathing surging in her eyes.
How could you become so indecisive, so...emotional? Didn't you live a carefree and carefree life when you were alone? Has the warmth and comfort of coming here made you so weak that even being his nominal concubine feels like a thorn in your throat, unbearable?
A strong feeling of fatigue and the urge to escape swept over her. She opened her eyes, and there was only resolute coldness in her eyes.
She thought of the southern Xinjiang that the strange old man had been talking about, and had promised to go see it for him, but she never went. Well, after her brother got married, she would go out for a walk and get some fresh air, and see the place that the strange old man had talked about, which was filled with poisonous miasma but also full of vitality.
If on the day I leave... her eyes suddenly became sharp and cold, like a poisoned blade, Mo Liyuan, if you really dare to touch that woman... then from now on, there will be a real severance of all ties between you and me. I, Lan Xiyue... will never want you, this person, this love again.
"Princess?" A cautious call interrupted her thoughts.
Hatsuharu walked in carrying a red lacquer tray with freshly brewed hot tea and a few plates of exquisite snacks on it.
She could tell at a glance that the princess was in an extremely low mood, with a layer of gloom hanging between her brows, and even the aura around her was chilling.
Hearing the voice, Lan Xiyue slowly turned around. The biting coldness on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a seemingly relaxed and casual expression.
She walked over to the table and sat down, motioning for Uiharu to put down the tray.
Chuchun put it down as she was told and looked at her worriedly: "Princess, you..."
Lan Xiyue raised her hand to interrupt her, her eyes falling on Chuchun's beautiful young face. She suddenly spoke, her tone deliberately lighthearted, yet with a certain seriousness that left no room for doubt: "Chuchun, you and Chuxia... both have someone you love, and both are good men in the palace, right?"
She paused, looking at Chuchun's cheeks, which instantly flushed red and her eyes widened in surprise, and continued, "How about this, I'll make the decision for you. I'll pick a good day and hold your wedding in a grand ceremony. How about that?"
Chuchun gasped at the sudden proposal, nearly losing her grip on the teapot as she muttered, "Princess?! You...you're..." She was completely bewildered. The princess had just been so lost in her dejection, how could she suddenly jump to the topic of their marriage? And...this tone, this demeanor, always made her feel something was off.
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