Chapter 157: Affection, Promise
The night had fallen, and the evening breeze carried a slight chill. The entire inner palace was silent, not even the chirping of insects could be heard. Yun Che sat in the Guanfeng Pavilion behind the Tai Xuan Hall, when he received simultaneous invitations from both the Crown Prince and the Third Prince—and their appointed times were exactly the same. You... you're hesitating over which invitation to accept?
Yun Che did not answer, instead asking back, "Senior Sister, which one do you think I should agree to? One is the Crown Prince, the other is the Third Prince. It seems neither is someone I can refuse."
Lan Xueruo's face flickered with deep complexity as she hesitantly said, "I... I want to hear your decision. Your matters... I have no right to interfere."
"...I've heard that the current Cangfeng Imperial Clan is in turmoil, with undercurrents flowing everywhere. The Emperor is currently ill in bed, not long for this world. If he were to pass away one day, all those storms and undercurrents would burst forth at once... Senior Sister, I want to know, would you be willing for me to get involved in this imperial struggle?" Yun Che asked with a calm expression.
"No! I wouldn't! Not even ten thousand times over." Lan Xueruo shook her head urgently. "Junior Brother Yun, I know you're not the type to crave power and authority. You definitely won't do that, right?"
"What if I absolutely must get involved?" Yun Che said softly.
Lan Xueruo's body stiffened, her large eyes filled with panic as she looked at Yun Che. "Why must you get involved? You don't understand how dangerous and terrifying the storms and undercurrents within the imperial clan are. Once you're entangled, you may never be able to escape. The complexity and danger here are beyond your imagination. Junior Brother Yun, you shouldn't be someone who delights in power and conflict. What do you want to do? Are you really planning to side with the Crown Prince or the Third Prince?"
"You're right. I have no desire for power, and even less interest in conflict. But in this world, many things aren't about whether we like them or not—sometimes we have to do them regardless." Yun Che turned his gaze to Lan Xueruo, looking at her tenderly. "Senior Sister... should I call you Senior Sister Xue Ruo, or... Her Highness Princess Cang Yue?"
Lan Xueruo's beautiful eyes suddenly widened, a momentary tremor and panic flashing in her gaze. She lowered her head, stammering, "You... you already know? Was it Mentor Qin who told you? I... I really didn't mean to hide it from you. I just... just..."
Yun Che didn't let her finish, speaking softly as if to himself, "The first time I saw you, I was captivated by your gentle elegance and pleasing appearance. Later, when the Xiao Sect branch caused trouble, you risked being implicated to save me. After that, you personally went to the branch sect alone and shared a life-and-death escape with me... Then, coming to this Cangfeng Imperial City and entering the Cangfeng Mystic Palace, you have always carefully arranged and taken care of everything for me. Without you, I would have died at the hands of Xiao Zaihe, or perhaps I would be somewhere unknown now, still on the run, eating and sleeping in the open, without this stable place to stay."
"You've done so much for me. I thought you had fallen for me, and I enjoyed every moment spent with you... Until yesterday, when I received the invitation letter and Mentor Qin told me everything. Only then did I realize that the reason you treated me specially, the reason you went personally to the Xiao Sect branch, and the reason you brought me to the Cangfeng Imperial City, was because you saw my talent and potential, and to fulfill your father's wish—to have me represent the imperial clan in the Cangfeng Ranking Battle. What I had imagined before was merely me being delusional..."
Yun Che's words carried a faint sense of loss and sadness, throwing Lan Xueruo into great turmoil. His last sentence, in particular, stabbed at her heart. She cried out in panic, "No! That's not true! It's true that I chose you because of my father, but I never meant to keep it from you forever, let alone use you. I was just waiting for the right time to tell you everything. Because the longer I spent with you, the more afraid I became... Afraid that if you ever found out, you would think I was deceiving and using you. And the reason I was afraid is because... because..."
"Senior Sister..." Yun Che interrupted her again, his voice sad. "I think... I need some time alone..."
With those words, Yun Che disappeared from the pavilion. It was only then that Lan Xueruo suddenly realized that the person beside her was already gone. Her heart felt an unprecedented panic and fear, as if something precious had been taken away from her. She hurriedly chased after him, but in just the span of a few breaths, Yun Che's silhouette had completely disappeared.
That night, Lan Xueruo could not find Yun Che anywhere. Her heart was filled with unbearable panic and tangled emotions, leaving her utterly disoriented. She had clearly prepared herself many times to tell Yun Che her true identity, but every time she faced him, she lost her nerve. She was afraid that saying it would create an insurmountable distance between them... She was also afraid that Yun Che would misunderstand her intentions.
But now, Yun Che had learned the truth through someone else's words, and the hurt in his eyes when he left made her feel as if her heart had been torn apart. She had thought that they had grown close enough that telling the truth wouldn't change anything, but now it seemed she had been far too naive.
She returned to her room, but sat alone until dawn, unable to sleep a wink. Her heart was a tangled mess. She felt she must find Yun Che and explain everything to him clearly. She was not the kind of person he imagined. She had never thought of using him, nor had she ever thought of him that way... But how could she make him believe her?
The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, someone gently knocked on her door. When Lan Xueruo opened the door, her face full of exhaustion and anxiety, she saw Yun Che standing there with a gentle smile.
"Senior Sister, I've thought it over." Yun Che looked directly into her eyes. "No matter who you are, you will always be the Senior Sister Xue Ruo who saved my life. And I, I really like you. So, no matter what your identity is, it won't change my feelings for you. I was just a little upset yesterday, but now I'm completely over it. So, don't worry."
Lan Xueruo's eyes instantly reddened. She wanted to say something, but her throat felt blocked. She could only shake her head vigorously. She knew that this must be Yun Che comforting her. How could he let go of something so easily after just one night? He must have forced himself to say these words for her sake.
But Yun Che's next sentence completely stunned her.
"Senior Sister, will you marry me?"
Lan Xueruo's mind went blank. She stood there, staring at Yun Che in a daze, as if she hadn't heard clearly. "You... what did you say?"
"I said, will you marry me?" Yun Che repeated, his voice soft but firm. "I know this might be a bit sudden, but I really do want to marry you. Not because of your identity, nor because of your beauty, but because you are you. When I was alone and helpless, it was you who gave me warmth. When I was in danger, it was you who risked everything to save me. When I was wandering, it was you who gave me a home. Senior Sister, I'm not a person of many words, but I know my own heart. I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you give me that chance?"
Tears streamed down Lan Xueruo's face, but this time they were tears of joy. She threw herself into Yun Che's arms, sobbing, "I do! I do! I've been waiting for you to say that for a long time!"
Yun Che held her tightly, gently stroking her hair. "Then it's settled. I will go with you today to meet your father. I will cure his illness, and then I will ask him to marry you to me."
"Mm!" Lan Xueruo nodded in his embrace, her voice filled with happiness and satisfaction.
The two held each other for a long time under the morning light, their hearts finally completely connected.
...
Later that day, Yun Che followed Lan Xueruo to the imperial palace. He used his medical skills to treat the ailing Emperor of the Cangfeng Empire. The Emperor was overjoyed and readily agreed to their marriage, officially betrothing Lan Xueruo to Yun Che.
From then on, Yun Che's position in the Cangfeng Empire became unshakable. The Crown Prince and the Third Prince both tried to win him over again and again, but Yun Che politely declined every invitation. He had no interest in power struggles; all he wanted was to cultivate and spend his life peacefully with the person he loved.
But fate would not let him rest so easily. The storm of the entire Eastern Divine Region was brewing, and Yun Che, whether he liked it or not, would eventually be swept into an even greater whirlpool.
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