Keep your voice down. Are you trying to look glamorous dressed as a forced lover?

Three years have passed, and so much has changed.

His eyelashes trembled, but he quickly suppressed all his emotions, lowered his sleeves and bowed respectfully, his expression humble and restrained, revealing not a trace of his personal feelings.

"Your Highness."

Li Qingyan's smile didn't fade much after seeing his coldness.

"Long time no see, Vice Minister Song."

Having witnessed Ji Mingzheng's pretentious and businesslike manner, she was immune to it all.

Song Qinian did not smile, but simply delivered two imperial edicts related to the investiture of the Crown Prince in a businesslike manner.

Li Qingyan glanced at it and handed him the one about Xie Shu directly.

Thank you for your letter.

Xie Shu's eyes lit up, and he immediately bowed respectfully.

Li Qingyan waved his hand, signaling him to leave first.

Xie Shu took his leave without saying anything more.

Their relationship was completely open and honest, without any of the ambiguity that others speculated about; it was all perfectly innocent.

But all of this still drove Song Qinian to the brink of madness with jealousy.

With just one glance, he could tell that Xie Shu was an ambitious man and that he would never enter Li Qingyan's backyard.

But he was jealous. He was jealous that he had spent more time with Li Qingyan than he had spent with her in the past three years, and that he would continue to be her subject in the future.

Perhaps it was from the moment he heard that Li Qingyan was going back to the capital that he never had a good night's sleep again; perhaps it was because Li Qingyan was all smiles, as if those past arguments never existed; or perhaps it was because he was provoked by Xie Shu's presence.

Despite his resolve to remain calm and composed, Song Qinian lost control once again.

Li Qingyan seemed to be his natural enemy, always able to make him lose control with just a smile or a single sentence.

Or rather, she doesn't even need to do anything. Just her appearance in front of him, whether it's three years ago or three years later, whether she's smiling or serious, is enough to drive him crazy.

Because no matter what her attitude is, he will think of far too many things.

The composure and self-control that her colleagues perceived as admirable meant nothing to her.

So, as Li Qingyan watched Xie Shucai close the door, she was about to look through the documents and talk to Song Qinian when she looked up and saw that Song Qinian had already approached and was standing firmly in front of her.

Li Qingyan paused for a moment: "Do you know what I want to talk to you about?"

She gently handed the document she had found to Song Qinian: "I didn't see you last night, so I guessed you had made your choice. This is the expulsion document I drafted myself. I didn't let anyone else write it, nor did I ask you to approve it yourself."

Song Qinian didn't answer, but just stared at her intently.

Li Qingyan put it back on the table, not in a hurry, but sighed, "Don't tell me you still want to go back to the Eastern Palace and continue being your Consort Song?"

Hearing the laughter in her voice, Song Qinian's hands trembled uncontrollably.

Just thinking about how the place that should have been his beside her would soon be completely replaced by someone else.

He couldn't accept that Ninghui Palace, where they held their memories, would be occupied by someone else in the future, where he would stay by her side.

But he couldn't answer that he wanted to.

Even though he was emotionally driven and wanted to give that answer, reason prevented him from acting impulsively.

He couldn't, and wouldn't, say that.

Over the past three years, he has naturally missed Li Qingyan, especially in the first three months, when he might think of him almost every moment.

He couldn't sleep all night thinking about her, and he longed to chase after her regardless of everything, but he held back.

Through this forbearance, he gradually grew accustomed to the separation, slowly forcing himself not to think about her and focusing on his work.

These three years were a period of rapid growth for him. The emperor trusted him and was willing to give him power and opportunities.

Despite his young age, he had already been promoted to the fourth rank and become the Vice Minister of the Secretariat of the Central Secretariat just a month ago.

Judging from this momentum, he is very likely to actually challenge for the position of prime minister. Even if he can only become the right prime minister due to his male identity, he is still a prime minister.

After three years of being nurtured by power, returning to the inner quarters of the Eastern Palace would be like having nothing to do with him, let alone being a concubine or even the Crown Princess's husband.

He had already put all his learning to good use and had risen to the position of Vice Minister of the Chancellery. How could he be willing to return to the position of a concubine?

Not to mention that he wasn't her only lover, or even the most important person to her.

Li Qingyan probably knew all of this three years ago.

Song Qinian gave a bitter laugh, looking at Li Qingyan who had even prepared a demotion certificate in advance, his voice hoarse:

"You knew all along that I would only choose a career in the imperial court; you saw it clearly three years ago..."

Li Qingyan smiled; she had indeed known all along.

Power is addictive, especially when it comes to someone like Song Qinian.

"Things are going well now, and I'll take good care of you in the future."

Li Qingyan pushed the expulsion document forward: "We can still get along well from now on, it's the same."

"They're not the same," Song Qinian retorted. "How are they the same?"

Previously, Li Qingyan released him from the palace, but this was only as a favor, allowing him to return home while retaining his rank.

But this time it was different. He was completely stripped of his rank and banished from the palace. She drafted the decree of removal from the palace register, and even had the three seals of office taken back. His name was removed from the palace register, and his status was completely severed.

All of this is for his own good, for his future.

He knew perfectly well that he could only choose one: his future in the imperial court or his position as the emperor's wife.

He can't be greedy and want everything; no one will allow that.

He had known this for a long time, but when the day finally came and he became a free man, he felt completely empty inside.

He was unwilling, truly unwilling.

I was unwilling to give up on her like this, and even more unwilling to accept her calm and rational attitude.

He bent down and pulled her into his arms, his grip so tight it felt like he wanted to become one with her.

"Your Highness, I can't take it, please don't...you can't do this..."

He thought, even if she knew everything, why did she have to lay everything bare so quickly? There was no need to rush.

She could have let things slide for a while, so why was she so heartless? Or did someone remind her that she couldn't wait to write this expulsion document on her second day back in the capital?

The hatred in his heart was almost overflowing; why did he always have to leave His Highness?

He hated himself even more, hated his ambition, hated his inability to guard his heart, and drove himself into endless suffering.

His breathing became rapid, his whole body trembled, and his stomach even began to cramp.

I don't know if it was because I was too emotionally agitated and lost control, or if my physical condition flared up again.

Dizziness and tinnitus suddenly surged up at the same time, his breathing slowly became difficult, and his lungs felt like they were spasming.

Li Qingyan sensed something was wrong. When she felt the dampness on her shoulder, her movement of pushing him away froze for a moment, and the words she wanted to say were swallowed back down her throat.

"Song Qinian, what's wrong?"

The hatred that Song Qinian felt slowly dissipated when Li Qingyan asked him about it with concern and touched his cheek.

He thought that she still cared about him.

The hatred and suffocation slowly subsided. He shook his head, buried his head in Li Qingyan's shoulder, and when he smelled her familiar scent, the hatred and suffocation were soothed a little more.

But then, an even stronger sense of panic and longing surged within him. He was now bound by the proper etiquette between ruler and subject, which meant he could no longer touch her.

No.

he does not want.

He released Li Qingyan, but before she could speak, he kissed her.

at the same time.

In the Shihe Palace, Lan Jin touched her lips and let out a soft "Eh."