Mistakenly recognized as a cousin, thousands of pampered

Tao Jiuxi was imprisoned in the yard, and the gate was locked with a bang.

She was filled with resentment, but helpless. In this world, apart from the person who delivered the food, even Tao Qingwan was hard to find.

The night was as dark as ink, quietly permeating the entire yard. Only the faint moonlight added a touch of light to the quiet courtyard.

Tao Jiuxi's door suddenly made a slight noise. She instantly got up from the bed, not even bothering to put on her shoes, and hurried off the bed barefoot.

When I looked up, I saw Shen Zhiyi. He was standing there quietly, his figure looking so lonely and desolate under the moonlight.

The resolute expression on Shen Zhiyi's face when he left Tao's house had disappeared. Now his face was full of sadness, as if he had suffered a serious blow.

"How dare you come here?" Tao Jiuxi asked softly, with a mixture of surprise and worry in his eyes.

"A Xi."

The loneliness on Shen Zhiyi's face softened instantly when his eyes met Tao Jiuxi.

He took a few steps forward, gently lifted Tao Jiuxi off the ground, let her feet step firmly on the surface of his shoes, and then hugged Tao Jiuxi tightly in his arms, as if only in this way could his panicked heart be slightly at peace.

Sensing Shen Zhiyi's depressed mood, Tao Jiuxi soothed him softly, "What's wrong? It's just been half a day since we last met."

"Your father doesn't agree with you marrying me." Shen Zhiyi said sullenly, with a hint of frustration and helplessness in his voice.

"Your mother doesn't like me yet!"

Tao Jiuxi smiled lightly. She really didn't expect Shen Zhiyi to be so depressed because of this matter. He didn't have this expression when he deliberately angered her father before leaving.

Seeing Tao Jiuxi's nonchalant attitude, Shen Zhiyi was slightly stunned, then gently let her go.

At this moment, his heart was extremely complicated.

He knew very well that Tao Jiuxi attached great importance to feelings. He had even gone on a hunger strike for his father in the past, and the person he cared about most was his sister.

Now that Tao Hongyuan was so strongly opposed, he was really afraid that Tao Jiuxi would back off and hesitate. However, Tao Jiuxi simply regarded his father's opposition as a simple sign that his mother didn't like him.

"Will you leave me because of your father?" Shen Zhiyi stared at Tao Jiuxi and asked again carefully.

Tao Jiuxi raised his hand slightly, and gently hooked his fingers behind Shen Zhiyi. A playful smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he said softly: "Carry me to bed."

The voice was like the chirping of a nightingale, with a hint of coquettishness.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyi immediately did as he was told. He stretched out his arms, easily picked up Tao Jiuxi and carried her sideways, then walked steadily to her bedside.

He carefully put Tao Jiuxi down and was about to get up, but unexpectedly Tao Jiuxi was quick-witted and put his arms around his neck. With a nimble turn, he pressed Shen Zhiyi under him in an instant. His movements were skillful and natural, just like what Shen Zhiyi had done to her before.

Tao Jiuxi looked down at Shen Zhiyi beneath him, a teasing glint in his eyes.

She raised her eyebrows slightly, then leaned down without hesitation and kissed Shen Zhiyi's lips with a smile in her eyes.

When Shen Zhiyi was touched by those soft lips, a fire seemed to be ignited in his heart instantly, and he responded to Tao Jiuxi in fascination.

The two of them were immersed in this warm atmosphere until the air around them became thin, and Tao Jiuxi reluctantly left Shen Zhiyi's lips.

However, her slender and soft hands became restless again. She gently stroked Shen Zhiyi's lips, her fingers slowly stroking his lips, with a hint of lazy charm in her eyes.

"Ayi, if I don't want you, won't your mouth be kissed by someone else?" Tao Jiuxi raised the corners of his mouth and teased, with a teasing gleam in his eyes.

"Ah Xi, there is no option for you to leave me. Whether you are willing or not, you can only stay with me in the end."

Shen Zhiyi hugged Tao Jiuxi tightly, not giving her any chance to break free. His tone was firm and domineering, as if he was declaring his sovereignty.

"Are you up to something again? Do you dare to threaten me?" Tao Jiuxi punched him directly on the shoulder.

"I did not mean that....."

Shen Zhiyi immediately became timid.

Tao Jiuxi couldn't help laughing when he saw his expression.

"After you left today, my father and I carefully confirmed that the marriage was real. It was arranged by my grandfather when I was three years old. Since then, their family went to the border and never came back. I have never met the person I was engaged to." Tao Jiuxi looked solemnly and said to Shen Zhiyi seriously.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyi involuntarily tightened his arms around Tao Jiuxi.

"My father said that the reason he hadn't proposed marriage was because I was still young. In the past two years, I've reached the right age to marry, but I've encountered misfortune in my family, so that's why it's been delayed."

"Today, my father specifically mentioned that person to you. I guess you know him, right?" Tao Jiuxi asked softly, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Shen Zhiyi sat up straight, and Tao Jiuxi also left his arms.

"Axi, Ji Qingyi is the person who saved me from falling into the water, and he is also my friend who I have been with day and night in the frontier." Shen Zhiyi's expression was extremely serious. His heart seemed to be pressed down by a huge rock, so heavy that he could hardly breathe.

He loved the woman in front of him deeply, to the bone, but she was his best friend's fiancée. How could he not feel uncomfortable?

If the other person was not Ji Qingyi, perhaps he would not feel so suffocated and unable to breathe as he does today. The feeling of oppression was like a haze covering his heart, which could not be shaken off.

Tao Jiuxi looked at Shen Zhiyi's furrowed brows and said slowly, "I knew there must be a reason why you were acting so abnormally today."

"He once saved me, and neither you nor I can let go." Shen Zhiyi's voice was low and hoarse, revealing the pain in his heart.

Tao Jiuxi watched Shen Zhiyi in pain, his heart filled with pity.

She remembered that when they were on the boat, Shen Zhiyi told her about things on the border. Although life was hard at that time, they might not even have enough to eat during the war, and they often faced life-and-death dangers, but she could see that there was a gleam in Shen Zhiyi's eyes when he mentioned what happened back then.

Compared to when she first met Shen Zhiyi, he was calm and distant from everyone. He was completely different.

It seems that those youthful years were like a bright light, illuminating Shen Zhiyi's life and leaving a deep mark in his heart.

It was precisely because they were close friends since childhood that Shen Zhiyi felt even more uncomfortable.

"Although he and I were related, we've never met, not even seen their portraits. We have no feelings for each other. You don't need to blame yourself so much."

Shen Zhiyi looked at Tao Jiuxi, who now understood him more and more, and smiled bitterly.

"When we first fell in love, you didn't know about this relationship, and you took advantage of me so much. Now, there's no way for you to back down." Tao Jiuxi knew that Shen Zhiyi had no intention of backing down, but he must be feeling extremely uncomfortable at the moment, so he spoke out to try to ease his inner torment.

"Axi, I will talk to Qingyi about this matter after he returns to Beijing, okay?" Shen Zhiyi said firmly. He knew very well that this matter must be faced and cannot be avoided.

"Why?"

"It's all because of me. I don't want you to have to deal with this. I'll take care of it."

"Well, just don't be anxious, and don't ask His Majesty for permission to marry. After all, my father is right in this matter. He's very stubborn. Even if you ask for permission, he might tell His Majesty right away that I already have an engagement and I refuse your request."

"The emperor won't give him a chance to refuse." Shen Zhiyi said confidently. He believed in his position in the emperor's heart and believed that the emperor would understand his feelings.

"Ayi, I know you have a deep relationship with His Majesty, but in this matter, my father is right."

Tao Jiuxi thought about it carefully today. If the marriage was granted, would his father agree?

However, if you deny it and refute it on the spot, the matter will only become more difficult to resolve.

She didn't want this incident to make the relationship between Shen Zhiyi and his father more tense.

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhiyi nodded without saying anything.

He understood that what Tao Jiuxi said made sense and that this matter could not be handled impulsively but needed to be considered carefully.

Seeing that Shen Zhiyi still looked serious, Tao Jiuxi said coquettishly: "Look, I'm here and I'm not going anywhere."

After saying that, he took the initiative to hug Shen Zhiyi.

Apart from her deep affection for Tao Qingwan, she did not have such strong feelings for other family members of her original body.

However, she also had to observe mourning for the original owner's mother for a year.

There are still two or three months left, which is just the right time to properly deal with these complicated matters.

Tao Jiuxi's words were like a reassurance, which made Shen Zhiyi feel a little relieved.

He also decided to wait until Ji Qingyi arrived in the capital before confronting and solving this difficult problem head-on.

In Shen Zhiyi's heart, as long as Tao Jiuxi's heart remains steadfast, as long as Tao Jiuxi does not listen to her father's words and think of leaving him, that is enough.

Sometimes he loved in an extremely humble way, completely unaware that in Tao Jiuxi's heart, his love had already quietly changed from the initial "it's okay with you" to "it has to be you".