Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
An Xiaoning asked, “If you happen to fall in love with a woman who’s your cousin or auntie or a family member related by blood, will you continue to harbor feelings or give her up completely?”
Tuoba Gucheng answered truthfully, “As long as I’ve fallen for her, I’ll continue to love her, regardless of whoever she is, be it my cousin, aunt, relative, or an animal. Perhaps I would’ve had qualms and stopped myself from acting impulsively if it was in the past. However, I won’t do so now that I’ve become the president. Are you happy with this answer?”
How could she possibly be happy with such an answer?
An Xiaoning forced herself to smile and said, “Don’t you know that you can’t harbor feelings for your blood-related kin? That’s incestuous.”
“Love is love. What’s wrong with that? It’s not my fault that I fell in love with her. I’ll never stop unless I stop loving her one day,” he said, staring at her with a sinister smile.
An Xiaoning’s hopes were dashed. She stood rooted to the ground while staring at him and blurted, “You’re crazy.”
All of a sudden, he pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “I wanted to hug you that day in Wei Ni Estate. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you every single day. I wish I could shrink you into a trinket and keep you with me in my pocket. No one is allowed to look at you except me,” he said softly.
An Xiaoning felt a strong urge to kick him. However, she knew the consequences she would have to face should she go ahead with it.
“Your Majesty, you really intimidate me. I’m thrice-divorced and have a son. I’ve even suffered a miscarriage before. Just what do you see in me?”
He let go of her and said calmly, “I fell in love with you before I found out about those. I still don’t know what you went to the Autumn Palace under a disguise for, but I’ve never gone to investigate on that even until now. As for what I saw in you, well, I fell in love with your soul, is that enough?”
“Will you continue being like this even if I never reciprocate your feelings for the rest of my life?”
“Do you think I’ll love you forever? None of us knows what’ll happen in the future. Who knows? I might just fall in love with someone else in the future.”
“It’d be best if that happens.”
He stared at her menacingly and said, “Say that again.”
She stopped talking tactfully.
“I hope I won’t hear about you spending the night in Jin Qingyan’s room again. I don’t want you to meet Jin Qingyan too often either. Xiaoning, I’m not joking. If I ever find out that you’re in a clandestine relationship with another man, I’ll ruin you.”
“I understand,” she said, lowering her head politely.
Tuoba Gucheng felt much calmer and relieved, and he tried to pull An Xiaoning onto the bed. However, she refused and said, “Your Majesty, it’s time I get going.”
“Did I allow you to?”
“Your Majesty, it’s getting late.”
“Just spend the night here, then.”
Stunned beyond words, she objected, “I don’t want to.”
“You don’t want to? You don’t have a choice, I call the shots,” said Tuoba Gucheng as he took a seat and stared at her.
“Must you really put me in such a spot, Your Majesty? Since you won’t allow me to interact with Jin Qingyan or other men, I’ll abide by your instructions. But I can’t sleep with you. Wouldn’t that make me a homewrecker? Not to mention, I’m Shishi’s sister. Your Majesty, you’re only making us both commit a sin that way. Please don’t hold it against me for failing to concede,” An Xiaoning said truthfully.
“It’s not like we haven’t slept with each other before. We’ve even had a child together, haven’t we?”
“That child wasn’t yours. I’ve never slept with you, Your Majesty,” said An Xiaoning, who was tired of explaining herself over and over again.
“Must you really provoke me?”
“I have no choice but to explain myself repeatedly because you simply refuse to believe me.”
“Fine, I just won’t touch you. Will that do?”
“No.” She took a few steps back and said, “I’m going back now.”
He sprung up from his seat and hollered, “An Xiaoning, hold it right there!”
An Xiaoning stopped in her tracks at stared at Tuoba Gucheng, whose eyes were red and teary. “Your Majesty…”
“Come here.”
She kept quiet and walked back toward the bed.
For the rest of the night, they sat beside each other while leaning against the headboard.
She exuded a mild, floral scent that was rather familiar to him. It was a scent that no perfume could produce and was unique to her.
Neither of them spoke up, and a long silence filled the air.
“Have you ever thought about what Shishi and her family would think if they found out? When that happens, it’ll be the end of my ties with them. Your Majesty, you’re a man who handles major matters, and I believe you have the ability to make wise decisions. However, your love is too suffocating for me and I don’t have the power to accept it,” An Xiaoning said calmly with a heavy heart.
He cocked his head toward her and said, “They’ll only find out if I want them to. Whether or not I want them to find out all depends on your attitude and actions.”
“Okay, let’s not talk about this anymore,” said An Xiaoning, who felt beyond frustrated.
“Let’s drop the subject, then. You just have to be clear.”
Two hours later, Tuoba Gucheng received a call from an unknown number, after which he exited the room with a sullen expression on his face.
Her eyelids were getting heavier, and she soon fell asleep while hugging her knees and resting her head on them.
Tuoba Gucheng immediately called his mother.
“Father called me just now to say that you sent someone to M Nation to kill Uncle. Why did you do that?” Tuoba Gucheng questioned.
“Your father was maligning me. There’s no feud between your uncle and me at all, why would I kill him?” Shi Xiaoyu vehemently denied.
“Why would he frame you, then? Are you bent on creating trouble for me on the New Year?” Tuoba Gucheng said coldly.
“Gucheng, don’t listen to your father’s nonsense. I’m not trying to kill your uncle.”
“I’ll know once I call my uncle now…”
Just as he was about to hang up, Shi Xiaoyu hurriedly said, “Gucheng, don’t call him. We’ll talk when you come home.”
“You mean, you really sent someone to kill my uncle?”
“I’m not trying to kill him. The person I want to kill is someone else… It’s hard to explain over the phone. We’ll talk about it properly when you’re back tomorrow,” said Shi Xiaoyu, who planned to stall for time. Once Shi Qingzhou was killed, there would be nothing else they can do. Yet, she did not expect that her son would go against her.
“What do you mean? Stop what you’re doing immediately!”
“Gucheng… just stay out of this, alright?”
“Uncle has already settled down peacefully in M Nation. If you weren’t out to kill him, would he have called Father to say that you’re trying to kill him? Father is probably on his way back from the ancestral graveyard. If you still refuse to stop, I’ll stay out of your matters regardless of how Father decides to deal with you!”
Shi Xiaoyu had no choice but to say, “Fine, fine, I’ll stop, okay? Tell your father…”
