It is said that a sister-in-law is like a mother. Empress Rong was the Ninth Prince’s elder sister-in-law, so calling him “A’Jiu” was not without reason.

But it was clear enough that the Ninth Prince was not particularly fond of that particular form of address.

He walked over and sat in the jade chair, accepted the tea a servant brought him, and took a light sip.

“A’Jiu…” Empress Rong fixed her gaze on his serene, composed face, her breathing unable to steady itself despite her efforts.

All these years, she had seen him not infrequently — yet each time, he grew more breathtaking than the last!

Why was it that among brothers, his elder brother possessed not even one ten-thousandth of his charm?

Empress Rong stood there, staring at Zhan Qingcheng in a trance, utterly captivated.

Until, at last, he furrowed his brows — clearly displeased: “What brings the Empress here?”

He was as cold and distant as ever, just as he had been since he was very young, all the way through to now.

“A’Jiu, this One has not seen you often recently — this One has missed you dearly…”

“The Empress ought to be missing the Imperial Brother.” Zhan Qingcheng’s impatience was plainly evident.

Had it been anyone else, hearing those words from the Ninth Prince would have caused no end of embarrassment.

But Empress Rong appeared entirely accustomed to it. Not a flicker of displeasure crossed her eyes. In fact, the gaze she fixed upon Zhan Qingcheng was suffused with a sense of pleasure and delight.

She waved her hand, dismissing all the palace maids and servants, and then shot Yu Jingfeng a pointed glare.

Yu Jingfeng, at a loss, could only say: “Your Highness, your subordinate will go and fetch a fresh pot of tea.”

This Empress truly had no concept of propriety — always seeking to be alone with their Prince, without even the slightest concern for what people might say!

And to make it worse, her skin was thicker than the bark of a tree. She truly seemed to fear nothing at all!

“Is A’Jiu still angry with this One?” Once all unnecessary persons had been sent away, Empress Rong looked at Zhan Qingcheng and let out a soft sigh.

“There are words this One has long wished to say to you — words this One has kept buried in her heart for many years…”

Zhan Qingcheng sat drinking his tea, and though his eyes rested on the figure before him, his thoughts had drifted to the little maid back in the bedchamber.

By now, she ought to have woken up.

“A’Jiu, for all these years you have resented this One for not keeping you by her side — haven’t you?”

This question had truly been lodged in the Empress’s heart for far too long. She had not come today intending to raise this matter.

Yet upon seeing the man before her, growing more devastatingly handsome with each passing day, her heart itched, her composure faltered — she simply could not hold herself back!

“A’Jiu, this One was constrained by… never mind. In any case, you must know — the greatest regret of this One’s life is that she did not keep you by her side.”

She was filled with remorse, more bitter than she had ever known.

Zhan Qingcheng merely raised a slight frown, his gaze indifferent: “Why should this Prince have remained by the Empress’s side?”

The Empress’s brow furrowed briefly, then smoothed in the next instant: “A’Jiu, don’t throw a temper — this One truly regrets it.”

His expression remained like still water, yet the Empress pressed on: “If this One were to say — that she is willing to be with you now — would you…”

“Outrageous!” Zhan Qingcheng’s expression darkened, and with a sharp crack, his cup struck the table — nearly shattering.

“A’Jiu…”

“As the Empress, you may not care for your own reputation — but this Prince has no wish to have his name sullied by you!”

“A’Jiu?” The Empress was visibly shaken. He was the Prince Shezheng, whose power eclipsed all beneath heaven; a mere Empress would indeed not be worth a second glance to him.

But to him, she… was far more than just an Empress.

She… was the woman he had loved for all these many years!

“A’Jiu, back then, you held onto this One and begged her to take you away…”

The Empress bit her lip, casting her mind back to those distant memories, her heart still unable to stop its frantic pounding. “A’Jiu, you adored this One from the time you were a child — this One knew it. After enduring all these years, this One no longer wishes to continue like this! A’Jiu, for your sake, this One can give up everything!”