"And furthermore," the Prince of Jin coldly Zhou Yanhui, "If you insist on trying to convince yourself that you like me, then so be it."
The lamplight cast a soft, golden glow on him, but it did nothing to soften his hardened features.
He said, "... But don't use your affection for me as a pretext to do anything that harms or disgusts the Queen."
Zhou Yanhui had already felt utterly hopeless, but hearing the Prince of Jin's utterly disrespectful words, she still lowered her head and wept uncontrollably.
The Prince of Jin loathed her tears, which she had initially thought were simply due to her gender.
But now she knows that his affection has nothing to do with gender.
Similarly, his coldness and aloofness are also unrelated to gender.
The concept of "cherishing beauty and showing compassion" simply did not exist in the King of Prince of Jin's mind.
But she still couldn't help liking him.
Her only joy was tied to him.
Everything the Prince of Jin did, every word he said, even the arrow shot at her, made her feel that he was such a great man.
"Zhou Yanhui." The Prince of Jin called her by her full name, his gaze finally landing on her face.
Zhou Yanhui teary eyes, thinking that he had finally softened and could give her some tenderness.
However, that didn't happen.
The King of Prince of Jin said, "I always thought you were a man. I know that you turned the tide in the Xia Kingdom and withstood immense pressure. Now that I know you are a woman, I have even greater respect for you."
"But this is my praise for the strong."
"Don't embarrass yourself. You should continue doing what you're supposed to do, instead of losing face in front of a man who doesn't like you."
"I will pretend that tonight's events never happened."
"Your brainlessness is truly despicable."
"Thank you for helping me; I will do my utmost to help you in the future if needed."
"We can cooperate, we can be rivals, but we can't talk about feelings."
"As the crown prince of a nation, you should understand the responsibilities you bear."
"I can't afford it. I should step down as soon as possible, find a man to marry, and be a good wife and mother."
"She took the spot, then started crying and whining. Trying to act like a brainless woman only makes people look down on her."
"I have said all I need to say. You are in the best position to handle this."
He rarely spoke so much, but today, firstly, he didn't want to cause Tang Zhuyun any trouble in the future, and secondly, he genuinely admired Zhou Yanhui's efforts over the years.
The strong admire the strong. While others prefer women to be gentle and weak, the Prince of Jin preferred women who were clear-headed, decisive, resilient, and capable of standing on their own.
Every word was like a sharp knife, carving Zhou Yanhui's heart until it bled profusely.
Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She could only stand by leaning against the cold wall behind her.
She claimed to like the Prince of Jin, but in reality, she didn't understand him at all.
His words were so hurtful, yet she couldn't bring herself to hate him at all.
Because everything he said was correct.
As a female crown prince, she should have severed all emotional ties when she chose to embark on this path. At least before the overall situation was settled, she should not have acted so impulsively.
Did meeting the Prince of Jin ruin your life?
No, the man's words hit the nail on the head, throwing cold water on her and finally calming her down.
After speaking, the Prince of Jin turned and left without looking back.
Zhou Yanhui watched his tall figure recede into the distance, covered her mouth, and slowly slid down the wall to the ground, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face...
She was crying because she thought she was ridiculous.
She originally thought they were kindred spirits, too sophisticated for each other, and that only they could understand each other and were worthy of each other's love.
In the end, it was all just her imagination.
Zhou Yanhui regretted it.
Why did she make this trip?
If she never sees him again, can she continue to cling to hope?
It wasn't that he didn't like her, it's just that he didn't know she was a woman.
But now, everything is gone.
Zong Heng emerged from the main hall, and an attendant whispered in his ear, "I just saw the Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince of the Xia Kingdom talking to each other, but I didn't dare approach."
oh?
Zong Heng waved his hand, signaling the people to leave.
He had just noticed that Zhou Yanhui had been subtly flirting with Prince of Jin.
Could it be that Zhou Yanhui likes men?
It must be said that, given Zhou Yanhui's height and years of experience in disguise, most people would not think of her as a woman dressed as a man.
Zong Heng pondered for a moment, then slowly walked in the direction his attendant pointed.
After walking for a while, he bumped into Zhou Yanhui.
Zhou Yanhui cry her heart out, but she didn't even have that chance.
Although this trip was impulsive, undertaken to save the Prince of Jin, now that we're here, we should at least seek some benefits for the Xia Kingdom and for ourselves.
She wiped away her tears, calmed herself for a moment, and decided to come back, only to run into Zong Heng.
How cunning was Zong Heng? Seeing Zhou Yanhui's reddened eyes, he pretended not to notice and stepped forward to Zhou Yanhui.
Zhou Yanhui did not have a good impression of Zong Heng.
It wasn't because of Zong Heng's leg, but because she knew that Zong Heng was the Crown Prince's brother-in-law.
This alone is enough to clarify our position.
--She and the Prince of Jin, even if they didn't talk about feelings, had to talk about cooperation. Naturally, the enemy of her partner was also her enemy.
"Your Highness," Zong Heng said with a smile, "I wonder if there's anything I can do to help you?"
Zhou Yanhui head slightly, revealing a haughty and proud demeanor. "How can you help me? You should ask yourself that, not me."
Now it's him taking the initiative to try and get close to me.
"It seems His Highness the Crown Prince wants to cooperate with the Prince of Jin, but the Prince of Jin is simply ungrateful?"
"So what if it is?" Zhou Yanhui calmly.
Prince of Jin can give you, His Highness the Crown Prince of our dynasty can also give you; what the Prince of Jin cannot give you, His Highness the Crown Prince can still give you.
Zhou Yanhui she recalled the Crown Prince's heavily pregnant appearance.
"No need," Zhou Yanhui said deliberately. "I'm not interested."
"It's a bit early to say I'm not interested. Having more friends means having more options. It's not convenient today, but I'll invite Your Highness for drinks another day. I hope Your Zong Heng will do me the honor," Zong Heng said calmly.
"Alright," Zhou Yanhui, her blue eyes filled with pride and determination, showing no trace of the disheveled state she had displayed before Prince of Jin.
In this world, only love can make her feel miserable.
If she buries her love deep in her heart, turning it into a dormant volcano, she will have no weaknesses left.
When the Prince of Jin returned to the main hall, he was quite impatient with the clinking of glasses and the lively banquet.
He sat there, having his wine replaced with tea. He slowly sipped the tea, his thoughts drifting to Java Island.
What is Tang Zhuyun doing in the manor now?
When I get back later, should I ask her about her past?
Was she harboring doubts and afraid to bring it up, or had she completely forgotten about her background?
However, the Prince of Jin did not force her, but was worried about her, as he had things to do at home.
Putting everything else aside, aren't his own troubles enough proof?
He hoped that one day, something would happen to Tang Zhuyun's family—not the Tang Family, of course.