Su Wanwan smiled gently.
He simply closed the living room door slowly.
That smile carried a hint of reluctance and bitterness.
As Lu Xingjian watched the door close, his gaze slowly lowered and landed on Xia Xueyi, a faint shadow appearing in his eyes.
Su Wanwan sat quietly in her wheelchair, lost in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, a slender hand landed on her shoulder.
Su Wanwan smelled a faint scent of agarwood mixed with ambergris.
Empress Xia Xueyi liked to use agarwood.
Su Wanwan paused, then slowly moved her wheelchair away from that hand.
It seemed like a change of direction, but in reality, it created distance between them.
Lu Xingjian's hand froze in mid-air.
The intimacy and romance of last night vanished without a trace in this advance and retreat.
The morning sunlight streamed through the latticed windows, and dust particles swirled in the beams of light, as if an invisible barrier was being revealed.
Last night's torrential rain washed the sky clean, and this morning it's another bright and sunny day.
All the unpleasantness has nowhere to hide under the sunlight.
The sunlight was scorching and dazzling on our faces, a warning to step back and maintain proper boundaries.
Su Wanwan spoke with difficulty, her voice tinged with concern.
"Your Majesty, are you and the Empress alright?"
Xia Xueyi is so kind and magnanimous.
This only made her seem more flirtatious and frivolous.
Fortunately, despite their deep feelings for each other last night, they still didn't take the final step.
They barely managed to maintain the last shred of dignity.
Both sides have room to maneuver and can return to a state of mutual non-interference.
Lu Xingjian's expression turned slightly cold as he withdrew his hand.
He remained silent for a moment before speaking, his voice low and slightly cold:
"The Empress was just a little impulsive; she'll be fine."
really.
Su Wanwan's whole body went limp, and she said absentmindedly:
"The deep affection between the Emperor and Empress is a blessing to the world."
These words were like stirring up a hornet's nest.
Lu Xingjian became unusually cold, his jawline tightened, he withdrew his gaze from her without looking at her again, and turned to leave.
Su Wanwan felt the icy aura he left behind, as if she were frozen in an ice cave.
Did she say or do anything wrong?
How did I offend him?
Not long after, Steward Li entered with his men, smiling broadly, and said:
“Miss Su, from today onwards, you will be transferred to the Eastern Palace to take up your post. You will be staying here and will no longer need to return to the Ning Shou Palace.”
The palace maids and servants went into the bedroom to tidy up.
Su Wanwan listened intently to the sounds coming from the bedroom, feeling somewhat uneasy, and only gave a casual reply to Manager Li's words.
Steward Li slapped his forehead:
"Look at this old servant's memory. His Majesty told me to tell Guard Gu this good news, but I completely forgot about it."
Su Wanwan's face turned very ugly.
Lu Xingjian has completely blocked her escape route.
Why force her to make a living in the palace?
Manager Li said with a smile:
"The Emperor's feelings for Miss Su are unknown to outsiders. It would be better for everyone if Guard Gu found out sooner rather than later."
Su Wanwan pursed her lips. "I'll talk to him about this."
Steward Li hesitated for a moment, but still agreed:
"This old servant will go and summon Guard Gu immediately."
When Gu Ziyu arrived, Su Wanwan was in the yard, sitting in her wheelchair watching ants moving house under the tree.
The two people, one standing and one sitting, did not speak.
The air was still, with something inexplicable flowing within it.
After a long while, Su Wanwan finally spoke softly:
It's going to rain.
Actually, it rained heavily last night, but today is a sunny day. The evening glow filled half the sky, making it an incredibly beautiful time.
Gu Ziyu's voice was extremely hoarse, as if she were ill, a stark contrast to the clear, sunny voice of yesterday.
"Ants move their nests to avoid being drowned by the upcoming rains, choosing to settle on higher ground."
Do you think so too?
His voice was low and deep, carrying a hint of bitterness in his question.
Su Wanwan finally looked up at him.
Gu Ziyu's eyes were bloodshot, and he looked disheveled. Even his upright spine appeared somewhat desolate.
He looks like a completely different person compared to how energetic he was yesterday.
Her eyes slowly reddened, and she forced a smile.
"Ants are stronger than humans."
Even ants can make their own choices.
And her?
They are nothing but ants, manipulated by others.
Gu Ziyu stared intently into her eyes.
Su Wanwan turned her head and tilted her face up slightly to stop her tears from falling.
"Guard Gu, please leave."
Gu Ziyu bit her cheek, a hint of humiliation flashing in her eyes, and turned to leave.
In this palace, where hierarchy is strictly defined and social order is rigid, even as the eldest grandson of the Duke of Anguo, he was nothing more than an ant.
What choice does Sister Wanwan have?
Lu Xingjian stood at the door, quietly watching them. No one knew when he had arrived.
Gu Ziyu simply bowed and was about to leave.
Lu Xingjian looked at him with a hint of familiarity:
"You're leaving already?"
Gu Ziyu smiled.
"It's time for me to finish my shift."
The smile, however, clearly didn't reach his eyes.
Lu Xingjian ignored him and walked straight to Su Wanwan under the tree.
The setting sun was like blood.
The crimson glow of the sunset, reflected off the golden glazed rooftops, bathed everything in a fiery hue.
Each person is like a leaping flame, burning with youth and hope.
As Gu Ziyu brushed past Lu Xingjian, the smile on her face instantly vanished, replaced by a serious and indifferent expression.
Like charcoal that has burned out, leaving only cold ashes.
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