Palace maid Shuoning

(One)

Upon hearing this, Huo Xiao met Bao Zhong's scrutinizing gaze with composure, his expression calm yet his words solemn:

"Yes. I, Huo Xiao, have fallen for the prince's concubine, Brother Xie's woman."

Bao Zhong's pupils suddenly contracted.

He originally thought Huo Xiao would try to cover it up and deny it, but he never expected the other party to be so frank and straightforward.

"Thank you, Brother Xie." Huo Xiao saw the turbulent emotions in his eyes, and smiled slightly. His tone was frank and straightforward, without a trace of sophistry.

"I, Huo Xiao, am not a despicable person, and I would never take advantage of someone in distress. My feelings for you are my own, and have nothing to do with your Shuo Ning."

This feeling is from my heart, but I will not turn against you or fight over it. That would be childish nonsense, hardly respectable, and would damage our dignity.

I will quietly watch over her and keep this feeling hidden. Perhaps one day it will be called love.

I have known her for less than a year, and to speak of love so lightly would be to belittle it.

Too many people in this world, after only a few days of casual acquaintance, readily declare their love and promise their true feelings, thus cheapening the affection they have for each other.

I rarely mention this word, simply because "love" is a weighty word, and to say it lightly would be to take it lightly.

Since I, Huo Xiao, have chosen this person, I am willing to remain unmarried for life. But I will never add any pressure to you or cause you any trouble.

If you two can reconcile, I will be truly happy for her. If you are ultimately not meant to be, I will not try to take advantage of the situation, and will still stay by her side.

Unless one day she changes her mind and is willing to look at me, only then will I disregard everything to protect her for the rest of her life.

Bao Zhong listened quietly, his emotions churning and he was unable to calm down for a long time.

His hands, resting on his knees, unconsciously clenched slowly, his knuckles tightening slightly, and for a moment his throat felt dry.

He had been harboring suspicion and defensiveness just moments before, but now he was completely overwhelmed by Huo Xiao's open and honest affection.

A thousand thoughts swirled in my mind: shock, emotion, and an unspeakable heaviness. A myriad of emotions intertwined, leaving only silence.

Huo Xiao leaned slightly forward, raised his hand and gently patted his shoulder, his expression sincere and frank, his tone gentle yet earnest:

"Thank you, brother. Go ahead."

Go back and explain everything to your Shuoning, so she won't suffer any more.

She's suffering so much right now, it breaks my heart to see her like this. She's already endured enough hardship and suffering along the way, please don't let her suffer any longer.

Although the prince has feelings for her, only you in this world are truly suitable for her.

Clear up the misunderstandings between you as soon as possible, so you don't continue to torment each other.

The crown prince's downfall is still far off, and the future is uncertain. If someone must die in this power struggle, I am willing to take your place. I only ask that you do not make another mistake.

Everything I said before is true and I will never take it back. If you two can reconcile and all the hurt from the past can be erased, that would be the best outcome.

Even if things can never be the same again, please give it your all and leave no regrets.

Bao Zhong slowly raised his eyes to look at Huo Xiao, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

Such an upright and honest man exists in this world, yet his heart is set on Shuoning, and he is willing to remain unmarried for life.

In that instant, he finally truly understood the pain Shuoning had felt back then.

She understood that she was heartbroken because of Xiaodie's affair, and that she would rather endure the excruciating pain of taking abortion pills than give up her relationship with him.

It turned out to be him; he had never given Shuo Ning a stable and reliable support.

Shuo Ning was already lonely and always wary of others, unwilling to easily give his heart away.

He had worked so hard to win her heart, but after he got her, he failed to protect and cherish her.

It was at this moment that he truly understood Shuoning, who belonged to him.

(two)

It was past midnight.

The Prince's mansion was completely silent, with only the deep night enveloping the courtyard. Occasionally, guards carrying lanterns would patrol the courtyard, their steps slow and deliberate as they moved back and forth in the corridors.

Qingning Garden.

Jiang Shuoning curled up on the bed, his arms wrapped around his knees, tears streaming silently down his pale face.

The room was completely dark, with no lights on.

Outside the door, Zhou Zhengyin raised his hand and knocked heavily on the door, his voice coming:

"Shuoning, open the door and let me in to rest. I'm sober now, are you going to leave me frozen out here?"

The room was silent; Jiang Shuo Ning remained completely still.

Zhou Zhengyin waited for a long time, but still heard no response from inside. He had no choice but to retreat dejectedly, his anger still rising. He muttered in a low voice, "..."

"Fine, since you're locking the door and refusing to see me, I'll have someone remove this wooden door tomorrow and see how you manage to shut yourself in then."

Zhou Zhengyin's footsteps faded into the distance, dragging on until they disappeared into the depths of the courtyard.

The room was deathly silent.

Jiang Shuo's heart was in turmoil, with nowhere to put his bitterness.

She reached out and touched the hairpin that Baozhong had given her years ago, then slammed it hard onto the ground.

The bamboo hairpin struck the blue brick and shattered.

She gazed at the broken jade scattered on the ground and murmured softly:

"No more. How could I, Jiang Shuo Ning, possibly grieve for such a heartless and ungrateful person? It's not worth it, never has been."

Before she could finish speaking, tears continued to stream down her face. She hastily wiped them away, repeatedly telling herself in a low voice:

"Didn't we agree that we wouldn't love him anymore? Didn't we agree that we would let go? Didn't we agree that we would start over? Jiang Shuoning, when did you become so hypocritical?"

I've stopped loving him long ago, I've remembered that. We don't want him anymore. There are so many good men in the world, why should it have to be him? I, Jiang Shuo, am no less than anyone else, not even a fraction less.

At the same time, Bao Zhong stood quietly at the back gate of the Prince's Mansion, looking up at the towering, thick courtyard wall, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly.

He must not rashly enter the mansion, much less climb over the walls and break through the restrictions.

Once his whereabouts are discovered, all his carefully planned and meticulously executed schemes will come to naught.

Ning'er, those words I spoke tonight still hurt you. What can I do to heal the wounds that have been building up in your heart for so long?

He slowly leaned against the cold wall, the words Huo Xiao had just said in the cabin echoing in his ears again and again.

If the truth were revealed to Shuo Ning, it would only add another layer of danger to her, and Zhou Zhengyin would easily become suspicious.

Rather than that, it would be better for her to harbor resentment towards Zhou Zhengyin than for Shuoning to suddenly develop ulterior motives, expose her weaknesses, and fall into danger.

Weighing the two options, I could only swallow my anguish alone.

Even if it means she harbors resentment for a long time, even if it means she sees herself as a heartless person, it's better than dragging her into the depths of this vortex and putting herself in danger.

With his thoughts settled, Bao Zhong finally turned and quietly left, walking slowly towards the Xie residence through the biting cold wind.

The pale moonlight spread across the bluestone slabs of the long street, casting dappled shadows of trees.

From afar, one could see Xiaodie standing quietly at the foot of the steps in front of the Xie family's vermilion gate, her eyes red-rimmed, as if she had been waiting there for a long time.

At that moment, Xiaodie lifted her skirt and rushed forward, throwing herself into his arms, her arms tightly wrapped around his waist, her voice choked with sobs and tears streaming down her face:

"Brother Xie, I thought you didn't want me anymore, I was so scared. I thought you went to find her. Brother Xie, I've thought about so many things, but now I really can't let you go."

Bao Zhong raised his hand from his side, gripped her shoulder, and gently pushed her away, his voice low and calm:

"Xiaodie, our relationship is nothing but a charade, don't take it seriously. There will never be a possibility between us."