Suzhen elbowed toward the person’s abdomen, but just as her movement began, both her hands were seized. She wanted to cry—surely she wouldn’t be assassinated by partisan forces right after becoming top scholar >_< Just as she was about to kick the person’s lower region viciously, a scolding voice fell by her ear: “Don’t move, it’s me.”

Hearing this voice, she trembled with joy. The other person slowly released her, and without looking to see who it was, she reached out to embrace them, nestling her head into his chest and looking up at him with bright, sparkling eyes.

This was a man in white robes, graceful as jade trees and orchids.

The person Suzhen thought of day and night.

Looking at the claws grasping his arm, Li Zhaoting frowned slightly. Suzhen looked at him timidly, then defiantly pinched his arm hard. Li Zhaoting’s face had been slightly tense, but now his lip line couldn’t help but deepen slightly.

“Will you be angry with me? I took the top scholar position that should have been yours. I won by being cunning—you’re still the smartest. Don’t be unhappy.”

Suzhen had a thousand words she wanted to say to this man, but when they reached her lips, they became this—she was only afraid he might be unhappy.

Li Zhaoting also seemed surprised she would say this, slightly stunned, his gaze also becoming somewhat deeper.

“Zhaoting, how did you come here to find me? Let’s leave the palace and find a place to talk.”

Instead, Suzhen became alert, looking left and right. Seeing this place seemed to be an abandoned courtyard, she relaxed slightly.

Li Zhaoting gently pressed down on her restless head, “This is a former old palace that used to house palace maids. Now that new quarters have been built and everyone has moved there, no one will come here. Outside, it would be harder to avoid everyone’s eyes and ears. Do you think Lian Yu would completely trust you and not have people investigate you?”

“Mm, I know. Zhaoting, how did you end up with Quan Feitong?”

Seeing that he didn’t seem angry about having his rank stolen, Suzhen felt somewhat relieved and immediately thought of the key point, asking urgently.

Li Zhaoting asked in return, “What’s your relationship with Lian Yu?”

“I accidentally saved him.”

Li Zhaoting’s gaze instantly changed, the darkness in his eyes suddenly intensifying. Suzhen was slightly startled and was about to explain when she heard him say softly, “Quan Feitong is my senior brother. We share the same master, and I have a duty to assist him.”

So Quan Feitong was his senior brother. Yes, from his youth, every autumn he would go out to study, not returning until late winter. That was a part she had never participated in.

That part probably included Agu too. She had always wanted to know about Agu, to know what kind of person Agu was, but naturally couldn’t ask Lian Yu, or he’d beat her to death.

After hesitating, just as she was about to ask, she heard Li Zhaoting say in a slightly heavy voice, “You absolutely must not remain in the capital any longer. What is your identity? You are a woman. Once your identity is exposed, it will be a catastrophe. Also, don’t forget you are the orphan of a major criminal—Lian Yu will not spare you!”

“I know, I know all this, but… Zhaoting, let me ask you, do you know about my father’s past? The court said he was a Jin Prince partisan. Did he ever stay in the capital before?”

“I… don’t know. Perhaps he really was, perhaps not—who knows.”

Suzhen suddenly remembered his coldness when discussing the Feng family and her father with Xiao Si at the roadside inn on their way to the capital. She suppressed her joy at his concern for her, also suppressed the sudden chill in her heart, and asked in a low voice, “You’re telling me to leave the capital, so let me ask you something else—are you and the Prime Minister planning to… overthrow Lian Yu?”

“This is not something you should concern yourself with. Suzhen, leave this place. Find a secluded place with Lengxue and live well.”

His answer was “this is not something you should concern yourself with”—he didn’t say no. Being perceptive, Suzhen immediately understood somewhat, saying in a low voice, “I’ll just assume you and the Prime Minister intend to do this. That would count as avenging my Feng family. Then what? Whether you succeed or not, after you’re done, will you come find me?”

As if annoyed by her persistence, Li Zhaoting reached out to grasp her shoulders with some force, his gaze gradually darkening.

Finally, he smiled faintly and said, “Suzhen, I will come find you, no matter what the outcome.”

Suzhen smiled, “Because you love me?”

Hearing this, Li Zhaoting’s brow flickered, slightly furrowing.

But Suzhen still raised her eyes, staring at him intently, repeating her question, “Because you love me?”

In all these years, she had never seen him truly angry, but now the hands gripping her shoulders were so forceful that her heart and liver trembled with pain.

That familiar sharp pain twisted at her heart again, but Suzhen’s voice was so calm it frightened even herself, “I originally thought, if you said you loved me, I would leave the capital, because my family’s affairs would become your affairs too. I could entrust them to you—whether you succeeded or failed, I would wait for you in the mountains and forests, for a year or a lifetime. But you don’t love me, so I have no right to make my affairs your affairs. Zhaoting, thank you. For not loving me, yet still giving me a promise out of responsibility to our marriage contract. Thank you for not loving me and not lying to me after Father’s death, even though I know you had your reasons then. Now, one lie could save a lot of trouble, yet you won’t deceive me. Actually, I was deceiving myself. That night you came to the inn to find me, and last night—you already clearly gave me your answer. You don’t love me. You love Agu.”

“Agu’s affairs have nothing to do with you! Feng Suzhen, I ask you one more time—will you agree or not? After everything is finished, I will come find you! If you don’t agree now, there will never be another chance. I won’t care about you anymore!”

Li Zhaoting’s chest trembled slightly, his dark eyes frighteningly bright.

An angry Zhaoting was somewhat terrifying. Suzhen’s heart shrank, but finally she slowly released her hands that had been around his waist.

“If you won’t agree to my request, then secretly become the Prime Minister’s protégé. I’ll arrange an introduction for you. In the future, if you have any trouble, he can protect you!”

Li Zhaoting’s chest still rose and fell with some intensity, but his gaze slowly returned to its usual indifference.

“No, I refuse. From now on, I’ll handle my own affairs myself. Zhaoting, you don’t need to worry about me. Between us, there are no more responsibilities to speak of. I only ask… that you take good care of yourself.”

With each word, a line of tears fell, pattering onto her clothes. Suzhen still stared intently at the man before her. Li Zhaoting also stared at her intently, but at this point, all the light and shadow in his eyes had grown cold.

“As you wish.”

Those were his final two words to her. Then, without looking back, he swept his sleeves and left.

They had finally made a clean break. From now on, only her one-sided infatuation remained. On his side, not even responsibility was necessary.

This was good.

He could properly handle his affairs.

Properly nurture the feelings he truly cared about.

Staring blankly as that upright figure completely disappeared, the breath and blood that had been blocked in her throat surged up and could no longer be suppressed. She finally coughed it up, staining half her body.

Suzhen supported herself against the door frame, making herself stand straight, and slowly walked out of this room.

Lian Yu was formidable. If she secretly allied with the Prime Minister as a spy and Lian Yu discovered it, there would be trouble. Moreover, staying by Lian Yu’s side, she could learn what methods he had against Quan Feitong and try to mediate, absolutely not letting him harm Zhaoting.

Seeing her tearful appearance, he actually still wanted to say some gentle words to her—he really was going mad!

Li Zhaoting walked quickly for half the distance, then smiled self-mockingly, the corners of his eyes suddenly turning severely cold.

Remembering something, he slowly took an item from his bosom.

It was the jade flute she had given him.

He originally had a jade flute he was quite fond of, but later it was damaged. After she learned of this, she asked her father for spending money, but he refused. So she dragged her brother and Lengxue to some deep mountain wilderness to mine, gone for several months. When she returned, she brought him this jade flute, saying she had personally found the jade stone and made it herself.

The day she returned, she was dirty and disheveled. Already not pretty, she looked even more like a little madwoman then.

She was clever—today she had surprised even him slightly—but always so crazy, reckless, and immature. If not… if not for her genuine devotion to him, he…

To ensure her safe departure, he had even gone against his own heart, saying he would return to find her when the time came. This was tantamount to a promise—no matter who his future legitimate wife might be, he would give her a position and lovingly care for her!

Feng Suzhen… he closed his eyes slightly and threw the jade flute away.

This was an extremely large courtyard with old buildings scattered about—fish ponds, artificial mountains… After walking out and taking a look, Suzhen saw an archway far ahead. She had entered through that archway just now, and passing through it should lead back to the new palace area.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard soft crying sounds. Startled, she saw someone sitting on a rock by a nearby fish pond, crying sadly.

The person wore red clothes with her hair in twin buns adorned with jade ornaments and pearl networks—luxuriously beautiful.

Was it… Lian Xin?

What was this little ancestor doing here having a tantrum? Where were her palace maids and servants?

She had intended to take a detour, but in a trance, she thought of Hong Xiao—the maid who had been bought to serve her since childhood, who loved wearing red clothes and styling her hair in twin buns. She had been as lovely and adorable as could be.

Though she knew it was this girl’s brother who had killed her parents, she sighed softly and finally couldn’t help but feel pity. She walked over, crouched halfway in front of her, and said gently, “Little beauty, what’s wrong?”