The man in blue suddenly stood up, pointing angrily at the man beside the woman, his finger trembling and his voice shaking. "You... you actually have another one?"
The woman bit her lip. "Let me explain..."
"I won't listen. The facts are right in front of you. What more explanation do you have?"
Tears welled in the woman's eyes after being yelled at like that. Through her tears, she said, "I truly love you... you guys."
The man in blue was initially slightly moved by the word "you," until he heard "you all" following the woman's name.
You, you, you...
The man in blue broke down, clapping his hands and saying, "Don't you know that a person can only have one true heart?"
The woman paused for a moment, her sobs subsiding, before saying, "I know."
The man in blue was even more bewildered. "Then how dare you say you truly like me?"
The female protagonist looked up at the man in blue, her eyes filled with tenderness. She said, "If I like you today and like him tomorrow, isn't it all true love?"
The man in blue. "..."
Everyone present fell silent.
Only Tong Aning sighed.
[Such strong logic... So she segmented her true feelings?]
" Wulang."
The woman slowly took the man in blue's hand, pressing it against his palm, as if they were back in those intimate times together. She said, "You can't say I don't love you; it really hurts me."
"You... you... you..." The man in blue laughed angrily, shoving the woman away. "And now it's my fault?"
"It was your fault to begin with."
The man beside the woman made the accusation.
The man in blue was about to faint. He was born and raised in the capital, and had finally found a woman he liked, but he didn't know when the atmosphere in the capital had become like this.
The man in blue closed his eyes tightly. "From now on, from now on we'll sever all ties."
The man in black interjected, "I'm cutting ties with you too."
The woman was at a loss. She said, feeling wronged, "You clearly wanted to be with me year after year, but now you've left me... Although I can't love you forever, the love I felt at that moment was real."
After listening to it so much, Cen Yu's head started to ache.
He couldn't be bothered to listen any longer and waved his hand, saying, "Teach these people a lesson and then kick them out."
Sichen replied, "Yes."
Once all those people had been driven out, Cen Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, as if he had preserved a piece of pure land.
Xue Lin said, "I'll take Miss Tong home."
"OK."
Tong Aning boarded the carriage of Prince Yong's Residence, where she sat facing Xue Lin.
Xue Lin asked, " Miss Tong, are you still thinking about what happened earlier?"
Tong Aning shook her head.
Xue Lin poured tea for Tong Aning Tong Aning, who thought it was tea, but instead smelled a milky aroma.
She exclaimed in surprise, "Milk tea?"
"Yes."
Xue Lin pushed the cup towards Tong Aning. Tong Aning took a sip, and the milk tea made her eyes sparkle. She put down the cup and asked, " Heir Xue also like milk tea?"
"I'm fine with anything."
Tong Aning braced herself on the table, leaned forward, and asked with a smile, "Is Heir Xue trying to accommodate me?"
Xue Lin met Tong Aning's gaze, coughed lightly with his fist to his lips, and said, "Not entirely."
"Um?"
Tong Aning shook her head, the hair ornament on her head swaying with her movement. Xue Lin said, "After all, I invited Miss Tong to be my special advisor, so there should be some things Miss Tong likes in the carriage."
Tong Aning her, and she murmured, " Heir Xue is quite considerate."
Although she was called a special advisor, half of the appointments were actually requested by Tong Aning herself.
She asked Xue Lin if the Jingzhao Prefecture was particularly lively and must have many unknown stories. Xue Lin then asked her if she wanted to go to the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Not counting official positions, Xue Lin only needs to ask Tong Aning about anything he doesn't understand when it comes to women.
Su Zhouyue didn't stop her, and Tong Aning entered the Jingzhao Prefecture in a daze.
A plate of delicate pastries was placed beside them, and Xue Lin pushed it towards Tong Aning, saying, "What are your thoughts on what happened earlier, Miss Tong?"
Tong Aning, munching on pastries, rested her chin on her hand and said, "I don't have any thoughts."
"Um?"
"It seems unfair to dwell on it just because the protagonist is a woman, since men do it quite often too. I've long forgotten about it now."
Xue Lin glanced at Tong Aning, and in that glance, he seemed to see Tong Aning's kind and gentle nature.
*
Mid-Autumn Festival.
Originally, everyone was together in a happy family reunion, but now that Tong Fengye is gone, everyone feels a little sad.
"Madam, the Third Young Master has sent a letter."
The old woman handed the letter that the servant had given her to Su Zhouyue.
As soon as Su Zhouyue received the letter, before she even opened it, several heads crowded around, especially Tong Aning, who stared intently at the letter in her hand.
When Fengye was around, Aning often played around with him; now that he's gone, she misses him.
Su Zhouyue smiled and opened the letter.
One look at the handwriting and you know it was written by Tong Fengye himself. It still looks like scribbles, and even Su Zhouyue, his own mother, has to carefully examine it.
It begins with elegant phrases like "seeing this letter is like seeing you in person," but afterwards it goes off like a wild horse that has broken free and never returns.
The letter said that he and Feng Chu had arrived safely at the military camp. Although they were just soldiers, they were already content. They hadn't taken out the letter Su Zhouyue had given them yet, and fearing that others would recognize their identities, they had even given themselves new names.
The names were on the next page. Looking at the two new names, Su Zhouyue paused.
Tong Aning read it aloud, " Amao, Agou?"
She laughed heartily, "Third Brother and Feng Chu are truly geniuses at naming things!"
Su Zhouyue sighed, "This is what they mean by 'you only realize how little you know when you need it'."
Tong Aobai said, "I think these two names are quite good; they represent both cats and dogs."
As Tong Aobai finished speaking, the cat, which had been peacefully sleeping under the tree, meowed twice.
Tong Yi'an: "The cat is hungry!"
She dashed into the house to get food for the cat.
"What is this?" Tong Aning asked.
Tong Siyan, "These Yi'an made herself."
Tong Aning: "... Can people eat this?"
Tong Yi'an: "Sure, but Fourth Sister, are you sure you want to fight with the cat for food?"
Tong Aning: "..."
Tong Yibin said, "Let's hurry up and eat, otherwise Fourth Sister will be so hungry she'll have to fight the cat for food."
Tong Aning: "..."
She looked at Tong Yibin, and in a fit of anger, she snapped, "Big Brother!"
[I'm just craving food, not starving!]
Tong Yibin smiled with refined elegance.
Today is a day of family reunion, and the dishes are all perfect, for good luck, with everyone's favorite dishes included.
Tong Aning exclaimed, "Why is this dish different from the others?"
Tong Aobai proudly said, "I made this myself. Back in the day, it was this dish that made me stand out from many suitors and get your mother to choose me."
Tong Aning looked again at the dish on the plate, which she couldn't tell was chicken or duck, and gave an awkward laugh.
Su Zhouyue: "Don't listen to your father's nonsense."
Tong Aobai's eyes widened. "How can this be nonsense?"
"I chose you because I wanted to see who could carve something perfectly good so ugly."
Tong Aobai: "..."
Tong Yi'an laughed heartily, and feeling her father's gaze, she said, "This duck is quite cute."
Tong Aobai: "... These are mandarin ducks!"
Tong Yi'an: "... Oh."
[Actually, mandarin ducks aren't that different from ducks...]
Tong Aobai: "... If I say they're mandarin ducks, then they're mandarin ducks."
Su Zhouyue: "Hurry up and eat!"
The reunion dinner passed amidst everyone's laughter.
After nightfall, the Eldest Princess and Wei Mingning arrived at the Marquis's residence together, followed by Xue Lin.
[So lively?]
Xue Shang's expression was somewhat unnatural.
Tong Aning asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong?"
What else is wrong?
Xue Shang glanced at Xue Lin Xue Lin stood ramrod straight, exuding gentlemanly decorum. Xue Shang said, "I originally brought you a gift as well."
Tong Aning asked expectantly, "Where's the gift?"
"It's lost."
Tong Aning: "?"
She immediately replied, "It's alright if it's lost, Your Highness, there's no need to worry."
Xue Shang smiled, " Aning has such a sweet tongue."
Xue Shang raised her hand, "Fortunately, I had prepared a gift."
Wei Mingning with some dissatisfaction, "Your Highness, have you finished delivering them?"
Xue Shang: "..."
What's the rush? It's like they're afraid she'll steal Tong Aning, their goddaughter.
She stepped aside, Wei Mingning handed a brocade box to Tong Aning.
Tong Aning was overjoyed to receive gifts for the Mid-Autumn Festival. "Thank you, Your Highness, thank you, Godmother!"
Xue Shang's gaze fell on Xue Lin, and she teased, " Alin, where's your gift?"
Xue Lin also prepared a gift?
Rather than believing that Xue Lin came specifically to deliver a gift, Tong Aning preferred to believe that he had been pulled in at the last minute.
Tong Aning said, "This is enough for me..."
But there was a heavy weight in my hand.
For some reason, Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai suddenly looked at each other.
Su Zhouyue said, " Aning, go and put the gifts away first, then take the young master for a walk in the courtyard. We'll talk."
"Yes."
A marquis's residence is not the same as a prince's residence.
However, its strength lies in the fact that every plant and tree is the result of Su Zhouyue and Tong Aobai's hard work, making it exceptionally harmonious while also exuding a strong sense of home.
The two walked slowly along the cobblestone path, with lamps lit on either side of them. Neither spoke; they walked in silence.
Tong Aning suddenly spoke up, "Your Highness, look."
Xue Lin looked up and saw the full moon hanging high in the sky.
Tong Aning said, "The moon is so round tonight."
Xue Lin was taken aback. Was the moon this round before?
The two continued walking, Tong Aning muttered, "But the assassins probably won't get any missions tonight."
Xue Lin was surprised by Tong Aning's whimsical nature, wondering how she had come up with this idea from the moon. He asked, "Why?"
Tong Aning's eyes blinked. "Isn't it said that a dark and windy night is a night for murder?"
[The moon is so big and round; it's already given itself away before any murders have even been committed.]
Xue Lin chuckled, " Miss Tong is right."
Tong Aning chuckled and continued leading Xue Lin forward, the bright moonlight stretching their shadows long behind them.