“She was not the only reason, but she is indeed part of it.” His monotone voice entered Pei Yaran’s ears again.
Pei Yaran couldn’t breathe. Su Xi-er is one of the reasons why he dismissed the Beauty Palace! I can’t tolerate this. He doesn’t like me, but has actually fallen for someone else!
“Elder Brother Hao, let me ask you something. That woman is Su Xi-er, right?” Pei Yaran’s right hand clutched her handkerchief as she stared at him with a burning gaze.
“If you already know, then why ask this Prince? You should return to the Compassionate Peace Palace and properly fulfil the duties of an Empress Dowager.” After that, Pei Qianhao turned to leave.
Pei Yaran could no longer contain the emotions that were overwhelming her. She ran up and opened her arms to hug Pei Qianhao’s waist, ignoring the fact that they were on a palace path. Her whole body was pressed against his back as she breathed in his scent.
It was only a moment before a pair of hands pulled her arms apart, pushing her back until she was stumbling to catch her balance.
The golden hairpin on her head swayed violently. Pei Yaran controlled herself and stopped her tears from flowing out, but it wasn’t enough to hide the quiver in her voice. “Elder Brother Hao, we have lived together in the Pei Residence for so many years. When I was running a fever, it was not my parents, but you who took care of me for the entire night. Even after I entered the imperial palace, you still treated me well; you even went as far as to have someone retrieve my favourite Purple Fragrance Flowers from Xiliu and had them planted them in the Imperial Garden.”
Pei Qianhao looked at her, his next words like a sharp knife ruthlessly stabbing into Pei Yaran’s heart. “We are siblings. Of course this Prince would treat you well after being raised by the Pei Family for many years.”
“Is it only because we are brother and sister that you treat me well? Did you forget about when we were young? I told you that I wanted to marry you and I would be the only woman allowed to be your bride!” Pei Yaran’s voice became louder.
Pei Qianhao did remember; however… When did I agree to such a thing? She already has such a deep obsession despite being so young; how will she manage the Imperial Harem in the future?
At the thought of that, Pei Qianhao’s brows became slightly knitted. He looked at Pei Yaran with an even frigid gaze. “When you entered the Imperial Harem and received the Phoenix Seal[1], you accepted the responsibilities of being the Empress Dowager of Beimin. Every action and word of yours have to be appropriate. This Prince doesn’t want to hear what you just said again.”
“It’s all because of Su Xi-er that you are so cruel to me! You don’t want me anymore because of her. Is she really that great? She is just a lowly little maidservant!” Pei Yaran’s expression was full of indignance, even as she tried her hardest to keep her fury under wraps.
“Pei Yaran, since you already know that, then you should stay away from her in the future. This Prince will ignore the schemes that you have used to deal with her up until now, but you would do well to think about your actions in the future.” His tone was icy cold, showing that he brooked no defiance.
His calm footsteps practically echoed in Pei Yaran’s ears, causing tears to well up in her eyes and blur her vision as she watched the familiar figure that has become a stranger disappearing into the distance.
His embrace will no longer belong to me… rather, they never belonged to me in the first place.
Pei Yaran’s hands tightened into fists as she furiously uttered a name through gritted teeth. “Su Xi-er.”
At this moment, the clear voice of a man could be heard. “Empress Dowager, men are different from women. If a man doesn’t love the woman, then they don’t, no matter how much the woman tries.”
Pei Yaran’s pained expression disappeared as she turned to look at Xie Yun. She dropped her polite facade and sneered instead. “This Empress Dowager didn’t know that the open and candid Commandery Prince Xie would also hide in the dark to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.”
1. The Phoenix Seal represents the power and authority of an Empress. However, since there is currently no Empress in Beimin, Pei Yaran will hold on to it for now.
