Following that force, she was brought to a place with no one around.

The surrounding area was brightly lit with lanterns, many trees planted about. It had less of the clamor and more tranquility.

At this moment, the sky grew darker and darker, and a light breeze began to blow, causing the red lanterns hanging in the corners to sway vigorously. The candlelight inside flickered faintly, as if it could be extinguished at any moment.

Ji Yinshu had walked too quickly just now and was still somewhat breathless. Once she caught her breath, she could finally see clearly the person who had brought her away.

“Wei Yi?”

Wei Yi’s clean face reflected in the lamplight, as if countless points of light were slowly smoothing his sharp edges, making him gentle as jade. Those clear eyes carried intensely warm affection and adoration as they fell upon Ji Yinshu, yet they also carried a faint melancholy.

He asked with concern, “Shu’er, are you alright?”

She shook her head!

“I’m fine.” She smiled, looking around and taking a deep breath. “This place is still better—peaceful and quiet.”

“Then let’s stay here a while longer.”

“Alright.”

“Just you and me.” Wei Yi deliberately emphasized.

Ji Yinshu met his gaze, reached out to pat his head, and said indulgently, “Alright, just you and me.”

He immediately broke into a big smile.

But when Ji Yinshu lowered her hand from his head, just as it slid halfway down through the air, he caught it.

He held it very tightly!

Gazing deeply at the woman before him.

Ji Yinshu froze slightly, seeming somewhat unaccustomed.

Not unaccustomed to him holding her hand, but unaccustomed to that kind of gaze.

Because the more Wei Yi was like this, the more she felt filled with a sense of guilt and remorse.

So—

She forcefully withdrew her hand bit by bit from his fingertips.

Pretending nothing had happened!

But Wei Yi’s gaze didn’t “restrain itself”—instead, it grew even more intense.

She tried her best to avoid it, stepping over to a large tree. Absentmindedly, she reached up and plucked off a leaf, rubbing it in her hands, saying, “Once winter arrives, these leaves become ice cold too.”

Wei Yi said, “When spring comes, everything will be better.”

The corners of her mouth curved into a bitter smile.

She didn’t know how to respond.

Just as she was about to pluck down another leaf—

Wei Yi suddenly spread his arms wide and pulled her into his embrace.

Before she could react, her body had already crashed into that warm chest. A surge of warmth hit her ice-cold, flushed nose, making her entire body go weak.

That feeling both reassured her and terrified her.

Wei Yi held her tightly, slowly lowering his head and burying his face in her hair. His even breathing gently brushed against Ji Yinshu’s ear and neck.

Ticklish.

Tingling.

She couldn’t help but tremble all over, not daring to move.

The rustling of leaves around them grew louder. The sound of wind rolling into her ears carried a sharp, stinging pain.

The candlelight stretched the shadows of the two figures longer and longer…

After a long while—

Wei Yi spoke into her ear, “If we hadn’t come to the capital, if you hadn’t met Prince Rong, if Father and Mother hadn’t died, Shu’er, would we have married?”

Eh?

That voice rolled from his throat, so helpless and melancholy.

Ji Yinshu’s hands hung powerlessly at her sides, tightly clutching her own collar with such force that her fingertips gradually turned white.

“Wei Yi? We…”

He interrupted!

“I know.”

“…”

“I know there are no ‘what ifs,’ and I also know that even if there were ‘what ifs,’ I still couldn’t change anything. In the end, you would still meet him.”

His tone revealed desolation and sorrow.

“Ah!” Ji Yinshu’s eyes immediately turned red. She opened her mouth, words caught in her throat, unable to say a single sentence.

Wei Yi held her like this for a very, very long time.

Until—the woman in his arms trembled severely, and only then did he release her.

She lowered her gaze, not daring to meet the gentle look in the eyes of the man before her.

Wei Yi slowly took out an exquisite box from his sleeve and held it before her.

Slowly opening it!

Inside was a hairpin. A translucent jade bead of emerald green was set at the top of the hairpin, with a golden thread wrapped around it in a circle—simple and beautiful.

This was what he had secretly selected when buying jade for Tang Si.

He took it out, held it between his fingertips, the corners of his mouth slightly curved, then inserted it into Ji Yinshu’s hair bun.

Beautiful!

That jade reflected the light, radiating an emerald glow.

“It looks so beautiful. Shu’er, can you promise me you’ll never take it off?” His eyes were full of expectation.

But Ji Yinshu’s mouth was dry, her tongue parched. She raised her head, gazing at Wei Yi’s eyes.

Silent!

Did she agree?

Or not agree?

Seeing her not responding for a long time, Wei Yi lowered his head and suddenly kissed her lightly on the forehead, saying seriously, “Shu’er, can you give me one chance, one truly genuine chance?”

“Wei Yi?”

“You don’t need to answer me right away.”

“It’s not that…” Ji Yinshu told him very seriously, “We are family.”

“But I don’t want to be just family!” He said loudly. “From the first time I saw you, I knew that in this lifetime, it could only be you. All this time, you’ve been the one accompanying me, protecting me. I’ve also really, really worked hard to become a normal person, to be able to protect you the way you protect me. I can do it now. I can do it. Shu’er, I’m no longer that fool who understood nothing. Whatever Prince Rong can do for you, I can do for you even if it costs me my life!”

Ji Yinshu’s entire body trembled. Tears fell, sliding down and seeping into her skin, hurting as if sulfuric acid had been poured on them. Her chest also felt as if a needle had been stuck in it, the pain tearing her apart.

Reason told her she couldn’t do this!

She stepped back, her gaze firm, looking at the somewhat agitated Wei Yi and telling him, “I’ve always regarded you as family. In the past, now, and in the future. I hope you think the same way. And I told you my feelings long ago. Wei Yi, I said I could take care of you for a lifetime, could even die for you, but I’m sorry—I cannot love you. Do you understand?”

“Cannot love?”

“Yes!”

Wei Yi’s eyes reddened. All his courage was crushed by those words just now.

Like a helpless child after suffering a blow.

She knew she was like someone taking a knife and stabbing it fiercely into Wei Yi’s chest, and not just once.

But wasn’t she in pain too?

That kind of pain nearly killed her.

Afterward, Wei Yi softly called out, “Shu’er.”

Then tried to take Ji Yinshu’s hand.

But she stepped back!

Wei Yi’s hand that fell empty stopped in midair, and what was pressed into his hand was the very hairpin he had just inserted into Ji Yinshu’s hair.

She had pulled it out and returned it to him.

“I’m sorry, Wei Yi.”

This hairpin—she could not accept it!

Wei Yi gripped that hairpin tightly and finally nodded. “Alright, I understand. I don’t want to make things difficult for you either. But Shu’er, you must remember—no matter when, as long as you feel tired, as long as you need me, I will be by your side. No matter when.”

After speaking, his mouth curved into a smile.

Warm as spring!

He was always like this—clean and pure.

Without a trace of impurity.

That comforting smile gradually dissipated some of Ji Yinshu’s sense of guilt.