After the divorce, I was adorned in a phoenix robe, while my ex-husband's entire family dug up

The Regent's Palace.

A cold, stern face emerged in the dim candlelight. Pei Yi rested one hand on the table, his long eyelashes casting shadows.

"Brother Yi!"

A clear, pleasant sound came from outside the study.

Xiao Mengxi, the second young lady of the Xiao family, skipped and hopped in. The girl was dressed in red and full of energy.

Pei Yi put down the wolf-howling calligraphy brush in his hand, raised his eyelids, and smiled faintly, "You're back."

Xiao Mengxi stopped in front of Pei Yi, exhaling a puff of white breath. Her nose was red from the wind and snow outside. She lowered her eyes shyly and asked softly, "Brother Yi, do you like my outfit today? What do you think of this pattern? Do you think it looks good?"

Pei Yi glanced at it quickly. The red dress was embroidered with mandarin ducks, which made Xiao Mengxi look even more beautiful with her fair skin. She was indeed extremely beautiful.

"It is beautiful, but since you are not yet married, it is not proper to embroider mandarin ducks on your clothes. Let's throw this one away and have someone make a new one."

Xiao Mengxi's smile froze instantly. She looked down at the tips of her shoes and couldn't think of a reply for a long time.

Finally, as if gathering her courage, she said in a trembling voice, "Brother Yi!"

"I originally... I just wanted to show you if the pattern looked nice, I embroidered it on purpose. If you thought it looked good, then on that day, on your wedding dress..."

At this moment, Pei Yi's surroundings suddenly turned cold, his brows furrowed slightly, and his eyes lost all warmth.

I will not marry you.

"I've made myself very clear, Xiao Mengxi."

These words struck Xiao Mengxi like a blow to the head, leaving him with a lump in his throat.

She knew it from the very beginning, but everyone around her said they were a perfect match. These days, Brother Yi had been taking care of her like an older brother, allowing her to stay at the Prince's Mansion and even sending people to protect her.

She didn't believe it. Did Pei Yi not have any feelings for her at all?

She had seen all sorts of men since she was a child, and with her looks, no man would not be attracted to her, let alone if she took the initiative to show her affection.

When the regent initially refused, she thought it might be too early to say anything, since the two hadn't seen each other for a long time. Give her some time, and there's no man she can't win over.

Who knew that after so much time had passed, the reply would still be these few cold, impersonal words?

Does he truly have not a single ounce of compassion, not even the slightest bit, for himself?

Her once-proud self-confidence was dealt such a severe blow for the first time.

I don't know where she got the courage, but her tone became less soft and gentle than before, and even a little sharp.

"Brother Yi, I know you can't forget my sister."

"Wei Zhaoning only resembles my sister by a third, yet you treat her this way. Why can't I? I am my sister's own sister! Look at me closely; I resemble my sister just as much as Wei Zhaoning!"

"My personality is very similar to my sister's. You won't even treat me as a substitute!"

Pei Yi's gaze froze for a moment. "I have always regarded you as a younger sister. Don't underestimate yourself. The most important thing for a woman is to respect and love herself and learn to value herself."

I have already explained the reasons to your father. I will not marry you, and I will not develop any feelings for you beyond that of a brother and sister.

The Prince's mansion is deserted. If you wish, you can stay here to keep Xiao Qi and the others company, as long as you like. However, if you have other intentions, staying in the mansion will not make you happy. It would be better to go back sooner.

This is a clear invitation to leave.

Xiao Mengxi felt her body trembling. Her brother Yi had never said such harsh words to her before. Almost every year she would stay at the Prince's Mansion for a period of time, and her brother Yi had never said anything. Now he was actually going to kick her out.

"Self-respect? So Wei Zhaoning knows how to respect herself? She's married, and she probably just heard that you like my sister, so she's using her resemblance to the dead to benefit from your good looks!"

Will Brother Yi scold her for being shameless? Or will he just be hypocritical?

"Brother Yi, do you still have my sister in your heart? If you really still have her in your heart, you shouldn't be looking for a substitute from a stranger! I told you, I can imitate her even better. All this time, haven't you seen how I feel about you? I can learn to imitate my sister to the point that you can't even recognize her, and you..."

"Snap—"

A memorial was slammed heavily onto the table.

Pei Yi narrowed his eyes. "Pack your things and get out of here before tomorrow."

If they were polite before, now they don't care about anything at all, not even giving the young girl the most basic courtesy.

Looking at Xiao Mengxi's astonished expression, Yun Ce couldn't help but click his tongue. "Grandma, who told you to walk right into the line of fire?"

The name Wei Zhaoning is a major taboo for the prince. Whenever someone mentions it, the prince becomes displeased. Even worse, those who try to curry favor with the prince by deliberately speaking ill of Wei Zhaoning never return unscathed.

Let alone others, even he, who had served the prince for many years, couldn't figure out what the prince was thinking. He was always unpredictable, and it was wrong to speak or not to speak. Praising was wrong, and scolding was wrong.

At this critical juncture, the fact that Miss Xiao dared to bring up this matter was admirable, and Yun Ce silently gave Miss Xiao a thumbs up in his heart. She was truly courageous! She was indeed a valiant daughter of a military family!

Both of the Xiao family's daughters are renowned. They can fight on the battlefield and be gentle and considerate at home, making people feel sorry for them. They are both capable of being both assertive and accommodating, and they can control themselves with ease.

Unfortunately, Miss Xiao was provoked today and couldn't control herself...

After a long while, Xiao Mengxi finally came to her senses. "Brother Yi, what did you say?"

She found it incredible. She and the Regent had known each other on the battlefield for five years. Her impression of the Regent had always been that of a caring and considerate older brother next door. Although he was ruthless on the battlefield, he was always warm and comforting in private.

What did he just say?

Tell her to... get out?

Something exploded in her mind; in all her life, no one had ever dared to say such disrespectful things to her.

Although the regent was of much higher status than her, she never expected that he would use such hurtful words to deal with her.

Unable to bear the feeling of her self-esteem being trampled on, she stubbornly ran out with tears in her eyes, knocking down several guards at the door.

Yun Ce: "......."

"Your Highness, it's so late. If Miss Xiao runs away...should we go after her?"

Pei Yi glanced indifferently at the guards outside who had been knocked down and were getting up, then sighed and said, "No need. Go to the Xiao residence tomorrow and have General Xiao personally take her back."

After he finished speaking, he paused for a moment, then cursed at the guards, "Useless things, get out of here."