The prince loves me like his life, but I force him to rebel

Seeing Li Yiru's focused expression, Gu Nianzhi couldn't help but smile and said, "Yiru, don't stare at me like that. It's embarrassing." There was a hint of teasing in her voice, trying to ease the awkward atmosphere. Gu Nianzhi's smile showed both familiarity and helplessness towards her friend, as well as a hint of embarrassment about the current situation. Her eyes moved between Li Yiru and Sima Yao, hoping to break the gradually solidified atmosphere.

Li Yiru finally came to her senses, her face flushed, and she said, "Oh, I just think it's such a coincidence." Her voice was a little flustered and shy, like a child who was caught eating candy. She turned her head away a little embarrassedly, and her hands unconsciously fiddled with the corner of her clothes. The corner of her clothes was rubbed back and forth in her hands, as if it was an external manifestation of her inner anxiety.

For a moment, the atmosphere became a little subtle, and the three of them fell into a brief silence. Gu Nianzhi's eyes were full of helplessness and confusion, not knowing how to break the silence. She felt like countless ants were crawling in her heart, anxious and helpless. "What should I do? Why did the atmosphere become so strange?" She secretly complained in her heart.

Sima Yao lowered his eyes, as if thinking about something. His eyes were deep and complex, as if hiding a turbulent ocean. His lips were slightly closed, forming a firm line. Li Yiru secretly glanced at Sima Yao, her heart still full of curiosity and confusion. "What is he thinking about? Why does he look so deep?" Her heart was like a little rabbit, beating non-stop.

At this moment, a car horn sounded outside the convenience store, breaking the brief silence. The horn sounded sharp and urgent, like a sharp blade slashing across the calm lake, instantly disrupting the originally solidified atmosphere. Gu Nianzhi raised her head, looked out the window, and said softly, "It's time for us to go. Let's find a place to have a good chat." There was a hint of fatigue and expectation in her voice, as if she wanted to find a quiet corner as soon as possible to vent all the secrets and difficulties in her heart.

Li Yiru and Sima Yao nodded, and the three of them walked out of the convenience store together, their figures gradually disappearing into the night. The night wind blew gently, bringing a hint of coolness, blowing the corners of their clothes and hair.

Li Yiru pulled Gu Nianzhi aside, her expression full of curiosity and eagerness: "Where did you find such a handsome guy? Is his name really Sima Yao?" Her voice was full of excitement and curiosity, like a kitten that found a new toy. She glanced in the direction of Sima Yao frequently, her eyes flashing with excitement, mixed with a desire for the unknown and a desire to explore. Her heartbeat accelerated involuntarily, and every beat was accompanied by further curiosity about this mystery.

"It's hard to explain." Gu Nianzhi looked embarrassed, her brows knitted tightly together, her face full of helplessness and entanglement. Her eyes wandered, as if she didn't dare to stay in any one place for too long, for fear that Li Yiru would see through her inner secrets. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but was stopped by some invisible force. "I really don't know how to tell you, this matter is too complicated." Gu Nianzhi sighed softly, and the sigh seemed to come from the depths of her soul, full of helplessness and heaviness.

Her hands fiddled with the corners of her clothes nervously. The corners of her clothes were crumpled, smoothed, and crumpled again in her hands, as if they were the external manifestation of her chaotic emotions. "Yi Ru, you don't know, what I have experienced in the past six months is beyond my imagination. I haven't figured it out completely myself, how can I tell you?" Gu Nianzhi thought silently in her heart, and every thought was like a tangled mess, which made her feel extremely troubled.

"Come on, it's a long story, and it's hard to explain. What have you done in the past six months? You even keep secrets from me?" Li Yiru pretended to be angry and turned her head away, her eyes wide open, her face full of dissatisfaction. Her heart seemed to be ignited, anger and loss intertwined. "Aren't we best friends? Why did you hide it from me?" She shouted in her heart, feeling that she was excluded from her world by Gu Nianzhi.

She crossed her arms in front of her chest, trying to hide her inner hurt in this way. "Gu Nianzhi, if you don't explain things clearly, I won't let you go easily." Li Yiru's voice was a little threatening, but more of a desire for friendship and a persistence in the truth.

"Aren't we good friends who can talk about anything? It's really sad that you're hiding things like this." Li Yiru's voice was a little aggrieved, and her voice trembled slightly, as if every word carried a heavy weight. Her eyes were full of loss and confusion, which was the pain of being rejected by the person she trusted the most.

Li Yiru's heart was like a turbulent ocean, with waves of confusion and sadness constantly hitting her heart. "I always thought there were no secrets between us, and we could share everything with each other, but now you are keeping it to yourself." She muttered silently in her heart, her eyes slightly red, and her lips unconsciously pursed, as if she was trying to suppress her inner emotions.

"Let's not talk about that for now. How has my theater been doing in the past six months?" To be honest, Gu Nianzhi originally wanted to buy the Phoenix Kingfisher Hairpin for the theater's rent. Now that she has wasted half a year in books, she wonders how the rent problem is in reality now. Gu Nianzhi's eyes were full of anxiety and worry, and her voice became anxious. She stared at Li Yiru, as if she wanted to find the answer immediately from her expression.

Gu Nianzhi was like an ant on a hot pot, extremely anxious. "The theater is my hard work, nothing can go wrong." She kept praying in her heart. Every heartbeat was accompanied by worry about the fate of the theater, and the anxiety made her breathing become rapid.

Li Yiru turned her head and her eyes became a little dim: "After you disappeared, the actors had to find their own way to make a living, and the landlord has been asking for the rent. Four months ago, I negotiated with her and gave her a little fee to temporarily allow her to put the things in the theater. It's just that the theater is located in a remote area, and the economic situation in recent years has not been very good, so it has not been rented out yet." Li Yiru's voice was full of helplessness and fatigue. Her voice seemed to come from a deep cave, full of powerlessness.

Li Yiru recalled the days of running around for the theater over the past few months. Every negotiation with the landlord made her exhausted. Her shoulders drooped slightly, as if she was bent by an invisible burden. "I really tried my best, but I still can't change the status quo." She sighed silently in her heart, with a trace of guilt and helplessness in her eyes.

She had put in so much effort to maintain the status quo of the theater. She spent countless nights tossing and turning in bed, thinking about how to solve the rent problem. Every time she communicated with the landlord, she forced herself to persuade him to give her more time. But the cruelty of reality was like a ruthless knife, piercing her heart again and again.

"Where did you get the money to pay my rent?" Gu Nianzhi's eyes widened, her face full of surprise and confusion. Her eyes were wide open, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets, and her eyes were full of disbelief. Her lips trembled slightly, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between her teeth, with deep astonishment. She knew in her heart that Li Yiru's financial situation was not good either. Gu Nianzhi's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand, filled with worry about her good friend and fear of the unknown.

"It's not the rent. The rent for your place is tens of thousands a month. How can I afford it? I pay the landlord three thousand a month, but the premise is that as long as she rents out the house, I have to move your things out immediately. Now that you are back, what are you going to do with this theater?" Li Yiru shook her head helplessly, her brows furrowed, her eyes full of confusion about the future. Her brows were wrinkled into a deep "川" shape, and every wrinkle seemed to tell of her inner helplessness and worries. Her eyes were empty and confused, like a lamb lost in the fog, unable to find the direction.

Li Yiru's voice was filled with fatigue and helplessness, as if every word had exhausted all her strength. "I know this is not a long-term solution, but I really can't bear to see the theater disappear like this." She thought silently in her heart, feeling helpless and confused.

Gu Nianzhi was silent, her heart was heavy. She looked at Li Yiru, her heart full of guilt: "Yiru, thank you for your hard work in the past six months. I really didn't expect to cause you so much trouble." Her voice was low and hoarse, as if it had been polished by sandpaper, and every syllable was full of deep self-blame and regret. Her eyes were full of pain and guilt, which was an indescribable heaviness.

Li Yiru patted Gu Nianzhi's shoulder gently: "What are you talking about? We are good sisters. How can I watch your theater disappear like this? But you have to think carefully about what to do next." Her hand fell lightly on Gu Nianzhi's shoulder. The movement was gentle but firm, as if conveying an invisible force.

Gu Nianzhi was silent. She just stood there blankly, like a statue without a soul, her eyes became empty and lifeless, her thoughts seemed to fall into a bottomless dark abyss. Her face was filled with deep sorrow at the moment, and her frowned brows were like two deep ravines, as if carrying endless worries. Her tightly closed lips trembled slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but was blocked in her throat by the heavy pressure.

The scenes of the old theater kept flashing through her mind. Those beautiful memories were like sharp knives, piercing her heart. Grandpa's wonderful performance on the stage, every posture, every line of lyrics, were full of his love and persistence for opera. Grandpa's posture was light and agile, and every movement was smooth and natural, as if integrated with the opera. His voice was melodious and lingering, penetrating the entire theater, making people intoxicated.

The cheers and applause from the audience, the intoxicated smiling faces, the atmosphere full of enthusiasm and joy, every moment is deeply engraved in her memory. The theater at that time was full of vitality and vigor, and it was the sustenance of people's hearts and the source of joy. Now, facing such a difficult predicament, she feels extremely painful and confused, and doesn't know what to do.

However, she seemed so powerless under the pressure of reality. The theater that was once full of hope and dreams was now facing such a difficult situation. The high rent was like a monster with bared fangs and claws, greedily devouring her confidence and courage. Every time she thought of the huge amount she had to pay every month, she felt as if she was in an endless swamp. The more she struggled, the deeper she sank.

Gu Nianzhi's heart seemed to be weighed down by a heavy stone, and she could hardly breathe. "How can I get so much money together?" She cried desperately in her heart. Every number was like a sharp knife, piercing her nerves. She seemed to be able to see the hideous face of the "monster", laughing at her incompetence and weakness.

Not to mention the subsequent operation, the basic rent alone was like a bottomless pit. She tried to find various ways to raise funds, running around, asking relatives and friends for help, and even considered some risky ways of borrowing. But every effort was like a stone sinking in the sea, without bringing the slightest turnaround. Her steps became heavy and tired, and every step was like dragging a heavy burden.

"Why is no one willing to help me? Can't they see my efforts and determination?" Gu Nianzhi's heart was filled with pain and confusion. She felt like a small boat drifting in the storm, unable to find the direction and hope. The surging waves could swallow her up at any time, making all her efforts and dreams come to nothing. Every rejection and every disappointment made her heart colder and more desperate.

Seeing Gu Nianzhi's silence, Li Yiru also had the answer in her heart. She looked at Gu Nianzhi's lonely figure, and an indescribable pain surged in her heart. The pain was like a fine needle, piercing her heart little by little. She knew very well that Gu Nianzhi had a deep affection for the theater. It was not just an industry, but also a family inheritance and a spiritual pillar deep in Gu Nianzhi's heart.

Li Yiru's eyes were full of helplessness and pity. Her gaze was like soft silk, gently covering Gu Nianzhi's body, but it could not alleviate her pain. "I wish I could share all this with you, even if it's just a little bit." She said silently in her heart.

She immediately changed the subject: "It's getting late. I haven't had supper with you for a long time. Let's go eat skewers together."