For a long time, Qing Ye didn't answer.
The smile at the corners of my lips slowly faded.
I lowered my head, my gaze dark and unreadable, my voice cold. "So this is your choice?"
Qing Ye said nothing.
I suddenly burst out laughing, a little crazed, as two streams of tears slowly slid down my cheeks.
"So that's how it is."
"Even at the very end, I still wasn't chosen—not even once."
"Heh heh heh. Hahaha."
"How ridiculous."
I laughed and cried at the same time, each tear falling onto the bed. "I only wanted to be favored once."
"Am I, Ye Xiaoyao, really that awful?"
Qing Ye stopped hesitating and pulled me tightly into her arms.
A glimmer of hope returned to my ashen eyes. I gently stroked her hair with my fingertips, as though I'd found a lifeline in the depths of despair.
"Qing Ye."
"I can give you one more chance."
"Answer me. The question I just asked."
I tried to straighten her head and stroked her face, as if I wanted to carve her features into my heart forever.
"No one in this world will ever love you more than I do."
"Be good. You only have to answer this one question."
"I can give you everything." My gaze was tender and mad, like a gambler making his final bet.
Qing Ye's heartstrings snapped.
There were two equally cruel choices.
One meant torturing herself; the other meant torturing the person she loved most.
How could she possibly answer?
Even if this was the answer Junior Sister wanted.
Still, she knew what Junior Sister had paid to give that answer.
She knew what pain Junior Sister was enduring.
Junior Sister could fool herself, but she couldn't fool Qing Ye.
Qing Ye knew everything too.
She could