She still stood quietly, not reaching for the flute he offered. That flute wasn’t hers, nor was it his, so since he had made his decision, he would no longer keep it.

No wonder he wouldn’t accept the gift she wanted to give him.

This was Lian Yu.

Seemingly gentle, but decisive when making choices—more ruthless than anyone, kind only to his women.

“Thank you for not waiting until the end of today to tell me. This is very good. In the future, should there be anything requiring His Majesty’s assistance, Li Huaisu will certainly speak up. For other matters, I will certainly not cause His Majesty unnecessary trouble. Right now, there’s one thing I want to propose to His Majesty. Aside from overturning the case, this humble minister’s worthless life—whether good or bad, life or death—please do not concern yourself with this humble minister’s affairs in the future, Your Majesty.”

Suzhen didn’t take what he offered, only answered quietly.

Lian Yu stared at her intently, his expression changing. Finally, he took a light breath and placed the flute on the ground.

He said: “I’ll have Xuanwu escort you back.”

“No need. Also, two things: First, you can withdraw the personnel you stationed around my residence. Now I pose no threat to you—this chess piece of mine is useless, and the assassins probably won’t target me anymore. You know I like freedom.” Suzhen thought for a moment and said.

“As you wish.” Lian Yu nodded.

“Second,” Suzhen paused for a long moment before finding her voice, “that night between you and me… you didn’t give contraceptive medicine, and I had many thoughts that night and forgot as well. Though it may not amount to anything, if it’s truly so absurd… I cannot keep your child. Now the time for taking medicine has passed—what do you plan to do?”

Both of Suzhen’s hands were cold. She tried to make her tone sound calm and normal, but from Lian Yu’s strange look, she knew her face must be extremely pale.

She straightened her back. This question wasn’t a threat, nor did she want to throw a tantrum about life and death—she just wanted a solution. Perhaps she also wanted to see what he would actually do.

“You needn’t worry. Earlier you said to have me withdraw the people protecting you. You know some of these people were hidden outside your residence while others were disguised directly as cooks and servants in your household. Before I had Xuanwu escort you back that day, I had already instructed him to find the guard captain stationed around the Court of Judicial Review and notify the ‘cook’ in your residence to put medicine in your food. There will be no child.”

He stood with hands behind his back, answering quietly.

In his eyes was certainty—the confidence of having everything under control and leaving nothing to chance.

Suzhen felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar, shivering with cold. It wasn’t that she particularly wanted this child—his child—but this answer truly made her… Both hands in her sleeves were shaking, continuously shaking. From the corner of her eye, she could see Lian Yu silently watching her.

That gaze wasn’t the indifferent, cold fierceness of their previous breaks, and even retained traces of anguish. But then this anguish slowly became still, finally turning peaceful.

The process of slowly erasing a memory from one’s mind must look like this. He had made up his mind to forget her.

It hurts, Lian Yu—it really fucking hurts, Suzhen thought. Strangely, no matter how dry her eyes felt, not a single tear would fall.

Very good, Lian Yu. This is better than choosing A’luo and still saying “Li Huaisu, I still have you in my heart, I can’t bear to part with you.” Very good—clean and complete, leaving no room for hope.

“Master, Master—”

Since what needed to be said was finished, if she said more it would seem laughable. She also wouldn’t bid farewell. Just as she forcefully threw down the food basket and prepared to leave, someone ran toward them from the street.

“What is it?” Lian Yu’s voice deepened slightly as he looked toward the approaching person.

It was Baihu. Reaching Lian Yu, she urgently reported: “Master, after you left court today, Miss A’luo went to your sleeping chamber looking for you. When she discovered you weren’t there, she took Meier and also left the palace, saying she was going home to visit her uncle. But half an hour ago, when palace maids were cleaning, they found a letter in her room saying she was leaving the capital and asking Master not to think of her. The palace maid came to report, and this subordinate didn’t dare delay—I immediately left the palace to find you.”

“Where did she go?” Lian Yu’s expression suddenly tightened.

“The letter didn’t say—only that she was leaving.” Baihu shook her head.

Lian Yu pondered briefly: “She said she borrowed her sister’s name to live all these years but never properly paid respects to this person. Before leaving, there’s one place she must visit—I know where she is.”

“Did Little Chu and Qinglong also come?”

“They came. Master changed routes, fearing criminals might take advantage. Qinglong also brought additional people. They’re over there.”

“Very good. All of you follow me.”

He spoke and stepped forward, but paused slightly, giving Suzhen one last look. Seeing this, Baihu became concerned, but she didn’t dare question Lian Yu. She turned to Suzhen instead: “Forgive the disturbance, but please understand—Miss A’luo is truly suffering.”

Suzhen wanted to mock her. A’luo had been forced to conceal her identity for years and was indeed pitiable, but why should she be the one to show understanding for her suffering? Wasn’t this laughable? She also wanted to pick up the basket from the ground and hurl it viciously at this girl’s face, but ultimately didn’t.

She couldn’t even be bothered to hit or scold anymore.

“Take care.”

Behind her, his voice came, followed by hurried departing footsteps, clearly showing what weighed on his heart.

Suzhen felt as if her feet were filled with lead—she couldn’t take a single step. She lowered her head and bit hard into the back of her hand, then strode forward.

It’s possible. Without parents, she still walked on like this. Without Li Zhaoting, without Leng Xue, she still… This time, without Lian Yu, it was also possible.

“Li Huaisu, Li Huaisu, what happened between you and my Sixth Brother? Your eyes… what’s wrong?” Two people ran over quickly, supporting her on the left and right. On the left was Lian Xin, on the right was… Little Zhou?

What an absolutely unexpected combination. Behind them, Wuqing, Zhuiming, and Tieshou stood at a distance.

Suzhen suppressed her voice: “How did you all get here?”

Little Zhou rarely frowned, but Lian Xin spoke quickly: “I was afraid that A’luo would bewitch Sixth Brother. These past days I’ve had my palace maids gather information. Last night Sixth Brother stayed in her room for a long time. I felt uneasy and insisted on sneaking out today to warn you—”

“Princess, are you sure you’re not pouring salt on an open wound?” Little Zhou snapped.

Lian Xin immediately stopped: “I…”

“Don’t argue.” Suzhen also spoke quietly to stop them, then looked at Little Zhou: “Let me finish Lian Xin’s story. Then she went to the Court of Judicial Review but couldn’t find me. You knew I was here, so you simply came together to hide nearby and watch the excitement.”

“Li Huaisu, we’re concerned about you. Who told you to get soaked like a ghost yesterday?” Little Zhou glared at her fiercely.

“I know you’re all concerned about me, but the current situation is that Lian Yu and I are finished. He and A’luo are the real couple. He’s going to where Gu Shuangcheng died to find Gu Xiluo, bring her back to the palace, and never separate again. Lian Xin, go back to the palace. The Empress Dowager won’t like you constantly running to my residence.”

After a moment of silence between Lian Xin and Little Zhou, Lian Xin spoke first, almost grinding her teeth: “Let’s go find Sixth Brother and Gu Xiluo. You were perfectly fine with my Sixth Brother—she can’t just quietly steal him away. That little slut!”

“Are you going or not?” She extended her palm toward Little Zhou with obvious solidarity.

Usually fearless Little Zhou hesitated this time. Lian Xin angrily said: “I didn’t expect you to be so cowardly. If Sixth Brother punishes you, I’ll protect you even if I die. If we have one more person, Li Huaisu will have more momentum. Aren’t you her friend?”

“Fine, I’ll go. But not to create momentum—I can’t let Huaisu and His Majesty grow further apart. We’ll go let His Majesty see Huaisu’s grievances.” Little Zhou extended her hand, slapping it against Lian Xin’s palm.

A crisp sound rang between them. Even Zhuiming and Tieshou, who had automatically switched to tragic mode because of Suzhen, looked somewhat stunned. In Wuqing’s cold eyes, something seemed to flicker briefly.

“Lian Xin, stop making trouble. Thank you for your kindness. No matter how much I dislike Gu Shuangcheng—perhaps I should say Gu Xiluo—if we’re truly discussing right and wrong, her return isn’t wrong either. If Lian Yu had chosen me today, I wouldn’t sympathize with her, because when I loved Lian Yu, she wasn’t there. I was upright and didn’t owe her anything. If Lian Yu chooses her, I won’t entangle them anymore. No matter how fucking miserable I am, that’s my own business now. Without Lian Yu, I can still live. What’s wrong with that?”

Suzhen grasped both their hands and spoke word by word.

Lian Xin and Little Zhou looked at each other, momentarily unable to find words to refute her. But someone laughed: “You speak correctly, but Huaisu, everyone’s position is different. As friends, we want to seek some justice for you, even though we know we’ll be badly defeated.”

Suzhen shuddered. Wuqing had moved like lightning, stepping forward to tap her acupoints. He asked Lian Xin: “Do you know where Gu Shuangcheng died?”

It was a place surrounded by courtyards on all sides, with green mountains and clear waters in the distance, and large rice fields beside which a patch of rough ground rose abruptly. In the middle of this rough ground stood an eerie solitary grave. When Lian Yu arrived with his people, Shuangcheng was kneeling before the tombstone in worship while Meier burned offerings nearby.

“I’ve come, and I hope it’s not too late.” Lian Yu spoke word by word as he walked toward her.

Seeing Lian Yu, Shuangcheng was both surprised and delighted, standing up slowly with some uncertainty.

When Suzhen was carried over by Lian Xin and the others, this was the scene she witnessed. Suzhen thought: Wuqing, you bunch of little devils—aren’t you just stabbing me in the heart again?

Ming Yanchu and the others were quite shocked to see Wuqing, Lian Xin, and the group suddenly appear. But Shuangcheng suddenly knelt toward Suzhen: “Director Li, Gu Xiluo begs you for one thing—please re-examine this case and seek justice for my sister Gu Shuangcheng.”