Feng Xi Yang’s eyes were filled with confusion, her lips trembling slightly. She gazed at Xia Jingshi in disbelief, a glimmer of joy slowly appearing in her eyes. “You came,” she whispered.

“Mm,” Xia Jingshi’s gaze fell on her face, intentionally ignoring the tears that were falling silently. “You don’t seem to be in good spirits.”

“No, I’m fine now,” Xi Yang hurriedly wiped away her tears with her sleeve. “Is there something—I mean…”

Xia Jingshi smiled faintly, stopping her explanation. “This Prince understands. No need to explain.” As he spoke, he had already walked in.

Xia Jingshi stopped in front of her. “Ning Fei and Xue Ying are about to be married. The necessary preparations need to be made. Can you manage everything on your own?”

Xi Yang stared blankly at his rain-dampened clothes, hesitantly asking, “You want me to handle this?”

Xia Jingshi nodded slightly. “Of course, unless you feel…”

“Please rest assured, my husband,” she looked up, her eyes bright. “Xi Yang will take care of everything!”

Xia Jingshi paced a few steps, pondering, then spoke gently, “When I return from the capital, I’ll have someone transfer the affairs of the inner city to you. You’ll need to familiarize yourself with them one by one. After all, you are this Prince’s principal wife. Many matters should rightfully be under your authority.” As he said this, his gaze fell on a piece of green-clay snowflake paper on the desk. He couldn’t help but turn his head to look closer.

Feng Xi Yang rushed over in embarrassment, crumpling the paper in her hand. She chided softly, “How can my husband casually look at someone else’s writings!”

With just a glance, Xia Jingshi had already seen the words on the paper. His eyes changed from clear to deep. “Rest early,” he said, already starting to walk out.

Seeing him about to leave, Xi Yang thoughtlessly chased after him, blocking the doorway. She hastily handed him the crumpled paper, “Xi Yang had no intention of hiding anything from my husband. It was just idle scribbling. I was afraid you would laugh, so I hurried to put it away.”

Xia Jingshi tugged at the corner of his mouth but didn’t reach out to take it. “This Prince had no other intention, I just need to return to continue handling official business. It’s late, you should rest early too.” Xi Yang remained silent, stubbornly standing there with the paper ball raised.

After a moment of standoff, Xia Jingshi sighed softly, “Even with a thousand kinds of feelings, who else can I tell? This Prince has already seen it—if you have anything else to say, you might as well say it all now.”

Feng Xi Yang was silent for a moment, her eyes brimming with sadness and pain as she looked at him. She forced a self-mocking smile. “I’ve become weak lately, unlike myself. Well, since we’ve come to this point, let’s clear things up… Perhaps my husband thinks our marriage is just a political alliance, but for Xi Yang, wealth and power mean nothing. Whether a prince or a commoner, as long as I’m with the one I love, even the hardest life would be sweet.”

She unconsciously clenched and unclenched the paper ball in her hand. “I just want my husband to stay by my side often and talk with me, to share burdens when we face difficulties. I’ve been hinting, overtly and covertly, always hoping that my husband could spend this life with me. Perhaps my status has troubled you, or perhaps there are other obstacles between us, but Xi Yang’s admiration for you is genuine in every aspect. We are already husband and wife, aren’t we? Why can’t my husband try to slowly accept Xi Yang?”

Xia Jingshi remained as calm as if all he heard had nothing to do with him. Only the light in his ink-black pupils flickered slightly, unusually bright and deep. “People always say what they can’t have is the best. So, your current feelings might be intense, but they will soon fade, and then disappear. When you look back in the future, you’ll realize it was just a momentary illusion. Yes, this Prince can give you support and warmth, but none of that would be love. Moreover,” he glanced faintly at the stunned Feng Xi Yang and continued slowly, “Even if this Prince were willing to give it, you’d better not crave that momentary warmth, because you never know when you might lose it. When that time comes, you’ll only feel colder.”

“Your gentleness and attentiveness are indeed unmatched by others, and of course, so is your cruelty,” Xi Yang smiled bitterly. “Why won’t you even lie to me… If you just said it, I would truly believe it. If you said you loved me, I could even persuade Father King to give up Fu Yixiao…”

“It has nothing to do with Yixiao,” Xia Jingshi imperceptibly clenched his fist. “Don’t disturb her happiness anymore.”

“Then what about my happiness? Why won’t you consider me for once?” Xi Yang smiled, accidentally blinking away a tear. “Why is your heart and mind full of her? What exactly do I lack compared to her…” She truly felt pain, a more real, heart-wrenching pain this time. For years, she had thrown herself wholeheartedly into her love for him, unknowingly sinking deeper and deeper, wanting with all her heart to make Xia Jingshi happy, wanting to dedicate herself to him, only to be shattered by his few casual words.

Xia Jingshi spoke calmly, “Someone as intelligent and confident as you, why ask such questions? We both know that this marriage is a poisonous quagmire, yet we both willingly sink ourselves into it, satisfying each other’s weaknesses. Why bother confronting this Prince about it now?”

In the light of the corridor lamps, Feng Xi Yang saw Xia Jingshi’s eyes. This elegant and aloof man had eyes devoid of emotion, hope, or the slightest ripple. Though they were as black as obsidian, they somehow exuded a sense of empty, desperate grayness.

She couldn’t help but shudder.

“Rest,” came a sigh-like whisper as Xia Jingshi brushed past her. Feng Xi Yang suddenly turned her head, her eyes filled with intense emotion. “My husband, I won’t let go!”

Xia Jingshi’s figure only paused for a moment before continuing forward. The howling wind caught his vague reply, hurling it against her ears, “Do as you wish!”

As if that last sentence had drained all her strength, Feng Xi Yang weakly supported herself against the wall, fumbling her way back to the bed.

The silk-covered quilt was still cold as if it could never be warmed. The spirit beast patterns on the bed curtains seemed to leap and dance as usual, as if they were about to pounce on her. She had nowhere to escape, nor the strength to flee. Unable to move, she lay with her eyes open until dawn.