Ji Yunshu said, “I am not your prisoner.”

Speaking solemnly.

The palace servants replied, “Miss is noble and precious—naturally not a prisoner.”

“Since I’m not a prisoner, you cannot force me to do anything. These past two days I’ve said nothing, but that doesn’t mean I have no awareness.”

“Miss, calm your anger. It’s us servants who were wrong. It’s just that His Majesty gave orders that we servants must take good care of Miss and not leave her side for even half a step. If there’s any mishap, we servants won’t be able to keep our heads!”

The crowd prostrated themselves on the ground, each body trembling.

That was a capital offense worthy of beheading.

No one dared be careless!

Ji Yunshu was so angry her chest heaved unevenly. The force on her wrist increased further.

Her neck seemed to already have a bloody mark pressed into it—extremely terrifying.

If it went any deeper, she would probably bleed profusely.

Seeing this, the palace servants quickly urged, “Miss, you absolutely must not hurt yourself. We beg you.”

“We beg you.”

“His Majesty also cares about Miss, which is why he has us watch Miss eat.”

“Yes, we hope Miss understands.”

Bah!

They had forced her for two days and still hoped she would understand?

If she understood, she wouldn’t have resorted to this desperate measure!

At this moment, she was so angry she wanted to tear down the entire hall. Yet when she saw those servants’ terrified appearances, the ruthlessness and fury in her heart gradually dissipated.

After all, these were so many lives. If she truly became ruthless, Wei Yi might really kill them all.

Alas—

In the end, her heart couldn’t harden!

That impulsive feeling just now also gradually receded. Her hand holding the shard slowly loosened and dropped.

Her fingertips released, and the shard fell from her hand to the ground.

Shattering into two halves!

And the tablecloth in her other hand also slowly slipped to the ground, crumpling into a ball!

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief!

At least their heads were preserved!

Ji Yunshu sat in the chair, let out a sigh, her tone also softening. “Forget it, forget it. If something really happened to me, all of you probably wouldn’t survive either.”

“Thank you for Miss’s understanding!”

“Clean things up.”

“Yes, thank you for Miss’s great kindness.”

The servants quickly cleaned up.

While several other palace maids immediately went to find a medicine box to apply medicine to Ji Yunshu’s neck.

Fortunately the wound wasn’t very deep—it had only drawn a line of blood.

“Miss, you absolutely must not do such things again. Why hurt your own body?” The palace maid applied medicine while trying to persuade her.

But she didn’t say a word!

Only feeling the faint pain in her neck!

The pain made her chest feel as if ants were gnawing at it.

Unable to scratch!

After the wound was tended to, Ji Yunshu said nothing.

She rose and walked to the window, pushing open that tightly closed window. Cold wind rushed in eagerly, sweeping through her frail body. The chill surged up, making her shiver involuntarily.

Outside the window stood a large tree. Moonlight poured down, projecting the tree’s shadow onto that tall surrounding wall. The mottled tree shadow swayed faintly with the gentle breeze, like a painting!

But it was a painting trapped within palace walls. How good could it look?

Alas…

She sighed.

Only after the palace maids confirmed she was all right did they truly feel relieved.

Discussing in low voices: “If His Majesty finds out, we…”

They didn’t dare say more.

Someone said, “Let’s leave it like this for now. At least Miss is fine. Even if His Majesty truly blames us, we won’t necessarily be beheaded.”

“That’s not certain. His Majesty said Miss must not be injured. Now with things like this, we… do you think His Majesty will kill us?”

“Enough, stop frightening yourself.”

“Alas…”

Everyone felt extremely uneasy!

Hoping His Majesty wouldn’t discover it, hoping that when the time came His Majesty would show mercy and not kill them.

Everyone nervously cleaned up the things on the ground, and just at this moment, Wei Yi arrived.

Eh!

Everyone got a huge fright!

What they worried about had come to pass!

If he discovered it, everyone could prepare for their heads to roll!

A palace maid dropped to her knees on the ground.

“Your… Your Majesty…”

Just about to bow, Wei Yi raised his hand to stop them and waved several times, indicating they should quietly withdraw.

The servants exchanged glances, not daring to make a sound, and tiptoed out.

In the entire hall, only Ji Yunshu and Wei Yi remained.

When he looked at that thin figure standing by the window, his heart both ached and was filled with an intense possessive desire.

Ji Yunshu withdrew her gaze from the mottled tree shadow on that wall. Faintly sensing someone was watching her from behind, she furrowed her brow slightly. Turning around, she met Wei Yi’s unfathomably deep eyes.

The two looked at each other this way. Neither spoke.

For a long while—

Wei Yi walked toward her, saying as he went, “Shu’er, I know you’ll hate me. But aside from using this method, I have no other choice.”

How innocent he sounded!

Ji Yunshu said, “I don’t hate you!”

“…”

“I can’t bring myself to hate, and I don’t know how to hate.”

She was only disappointed.

Wei Yi’s eyes carried sorrow. “I’d rather you hate me than have no feelings at all. The more you’re like this, the more I feel I have absolutely no place in your heart.”

She smiled slightly. “What needs to be said, I think Jingrong has already told you. I don’t want to repeat it a second time.”

Now, her heart had already turned to ashes.

“Must it be this way?” Wei Yi asked her.

Must it be this way?

These six words pierced Ji Yunshu like needles.

She smiled—extremely bitter.

“Wei Yi, you still haven’t understood even now.”

“What should I understand?”

“…”

Ji Yunshu didn’t want to say anything more to him. She stepped past him.

But Wei Yi grabbed her hand. With a forceful twist of his wrist, he pulled her entire person into his embrace, holding her tightly.

“Shu’er, don’t push me away. I cannot endure days without you. I cannot watch you stay by Jingrong’s side with my eyes open. I can’t!”

Roaring with all his might.

But this time, Ji Yunshu didn’t compromise again. Both hands pressed against Wei Yi’s chest, pushing him away forcefully.

And she shouted loudly, “Don’t touch me.”

Her tone carried such disgust!

Such revulsion!

Wei Yi watched helplessly as she struggled free from his embrace. When he wanted to reach forward and grab her again, Ji Yunshu stepped backward.

Pulling away the distance.

Her eyes reddened. The pain and distress in her heart could no longer be hidden!

“Wei Yi, I’m begging you. Please don’t touch me anymore. I would rather the Wei Yi of the past had already died than face you as you are now.”

Eh!

Wei Yi’s entire body trembled.

His eyes immediately grew moist!

His face full of pain, he said, “Am I really that detestable to you? Shu’er, why?”

“Am I really that detestable to you? Shu’er, why?”

“Am I really that detestable to you? Shu’er, why?”

Why? You ask why?