"As long as your names are written there, no matter how close you once were, you'll ultimately have to stand on opposite sides."
"The Zhu Family can have only one person become Empress, and the Dai Family can have only one person ascend the throne."
She drew a gentle breath, a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.
"From the moment we were born, we were pushed into this gamble. There was no way out."
She curled up a little closer into Su Yu's arms, as if drawing a trace of warmth from him, her tone softening:
"Actually, Big Sister has always treated me well, except for the time I was ambushed while I was in the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Those people told me themselves that she had sent them. I really didn't want to believe them!"
"Even over all these years, though Big Sister kept her distance, she never truly did anything to hurt me."
"Now that I think about it, perhaps it was because I was still in the Zhu Family before. She still had her reservations and couldn't bring herself to act against me."
She let out a soft sigh and rested her cheek against Su Yu's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat, as if gently settling all those heavy memories inside it.
Su Yu gently patted her back. The warmth of his palm passed through the fabric, and he pulled her more tightly into his arms:
"It's all right. There may truly be some misunderstanding here. With me around from now on, I'll always stay by your side."
"Mm."
Zhu Qing responded from within his embrace, her voice as soft as a murmur in a dream.
She wrapped her arms around Su Yu's waist and buried her face against his chest. Her breathing gradually grew steady and