Feng Tianlan glanced at Xi Lin, who had her head bowed, and thought of Chen Xinyi. She did not know what would happen if she did not manage the feelings of those around her well.
“Helian, love is not something you can force. I love Mobai with all my heart. He is the love of my life. I would rather die than marry someone else. My feelings for him are as deep as yours – perhaps even deeper, but…”
Feng Tianlan paused to take a deep breath, “… But if he no longer loves me, and even if he reduces me to a life worse than death, I shall accept it and let go of my love for him. Love that is forced only results in tragedy. I love him for who he is, for the happiness, I see in his every thought and action. Even if I’m not the special someone who’ll bring joy to his life, I will still let go.”
“Is that what Xi Jin and Chen Xinyi thought?” He Lianhuang scoffed, not allowing Feng Tianlan to retort. “Love is selfish. It is not something as great as it seems. Chen Xinyi died for you. Don’t you think it was selfish of her to do so?”
“You’re right. Love is selfish. I would do nothing to destroy Mobai’s happiness, though I might selfishly hope that whomever he loved could not have made him happier than me. I wouldn’t go against my heart for the sake of some petty revenge.”
Everyone is selfish in their own ways, and she was no different. No one is perfect.
He Lianhuang regarded Feng Tianlan gloomily. “How would I know if someone loved me if I didn’t force my love upon them? Would you know the taste of an apple if you’d never tasted one before? No two individuals will share the same opinion. What may work for you may not work for me.”
“Helian, life is a complex bundle of circumstances. It isn’t something emotions can wholly account for.” Feng Tianlan sighed helplessly. She did not know how to deal with his outburst.
Xi Lin, who had been silent all this while, looked up and said, “Tianlan, don’t be troubled by him. A person in the throes of manic love will do one of two things: either he obtains the love he so desperately seeks or dies. Nothing you say or do will satisfy a person like him.”
Just like Shen Yunya and Chen Xinyi.
He Lianhuang glared at Xi Lin with narrowed eyes.
“A forced relationship is anything but sweet. It is a bitter fruit that breeds anguish and despair. It cuts like a knife, bleeding out those a party to the relationship slowly and painfully. On that note, I have decided I shan’t stay here any longer.” Xi Lin looked He Lianhuang in the eye and forcefully said, “He Lianhuang, I am going to divorce you.”
She would ask someone else to help her with the internal strife plaguing the Xi Yuan Nation. There was no need for her to stay by his side. Once upon a time, she had thought she could trust no one aside from him. When she was lonely and helpless, staying by his side afforded her a measure of comfort. That time had passed.
There was no need for her to remain any longer, now that her eyes had been opened to the truth. She would not allow him to humiliate her any further.
He Lianhuang was stunned for a moment but quickly snapped to his senses. Sneering, he said, “Divorce me? Hah! You’re my Imperial Consort. I’ll have you thrown out of the palace and into the cold.”
“I’m informing you of my decision. It’s alright if you disagree – I shall be leaving with Tianlan. Either way, the next time we meet shall be on the battlefield, whether to negotiate peace or formalize our divorce. I’m sure my royal father, the King, would be more than happy to oblige. Naturally, our child shall be returning with me. Perhaps it’ll be easier on you if you stopped thinking of the child as your own.”
Feng Tianlan stared wide-eyed at her friend’s overbearing words. It was almost as if she had become a whole new person altogether.
Xi Lin eyed He Lianhuang with cool indifference, watching as his face blackened like the stormy sky outside. She stood firm in her decision, not faltering in the slightest. “Dongshu Nation and Xi Yuan nation may be of equal strength, but I’m sure Tianlan will help me. I believe that she can sway the Fengyun Alliance to my side. When that time comes, your Xi Yuan nation will be brought to heel under the power of my Dongshu Nation. You will be besieged from both within and without. I’m sure you know what best to do for your country.”
