After the system set its sights on the dragon throne, the princess started courting death every day.

After weighing the pros and cons in his mind, Xiang An still couldn't come up with a reason for a mild refusal.

Honestly, when it comes to confessing feelings, given her personality, if she doesn't like someone, it's best to reject them decisively and clearly; if she does like someone, she'll accept on the spot without hesitation or ambiguity.

The question is, why would he like her?

Where did his affection come from? Was it fabricated? Just a casual remark? Or was he trying to put on an act for the emperor? Was there a conspiracy?

Before Xiang An transmigrated, the only contact between the original owner and Fu Qingbai was this rumor incident.

After she transmigrated, the two of them had more contact, but now they've restarted the game four times, with Fu Qingbai's memories being wiped clean by the system four times.

So now that the rumors have just ended, why would he suddenly say he's attracted to someone he's only just met?

Xiang An looked up in a daze, while Fu Qingbai looked down at her.

A stalemate ensued.

Suddenly, a warm hand gently lifted the back of her head, jolting Xiang An back to her senses. She took a large step back, creating distance between herself and Fu Qingbai: "Fu Qingbai?"

My hand fell empty.

"Excuse me." Fu Qingbai pursed her lips slightly. "Is it sour?"

"It's not sour." Xiang An shook his head. Why would his neck be sore after looking up for a while? He picked up the bundle on the table, turned around and walked out. "It's hot. General Fu, you should go home early."

The more you say, the more mistakes you make; sometimes, the answer is simply not saying it.

It would be best if they went home and went back to their own mothers. Oh, no, he went home to his/her mother, and she went home to her brother.

Fu Qingbai's lips drooped slightly, and he couldn't help but take half a step forward: "Princess..."

"boom!"

The sound of a bench shattering suddenly came from outside the restaurant.

"You filthy woman! You shameless woman! You eat my food, drink my water, I married you to serve me, so what's wrong with me taking a little money now?! If you dare to cling to me again, believe me, I'll chop you up with one knife!"

"You took the last bit of money from the family, what are we going to do about Nini's illness?!"

The shouts of insults filled the street. The once deserted street gradually became crowded with people due to this sudden change, and Xiang An and Fu Qingbai both looked out the window.

On the street, a man and a woman were locked in a standoff. The man held silver in his hand and wanted to leave, while the woman sat on the ground with red eyes but did not shed a single tear. She tightly hugged the man's legs with both hands, dragging him with most of her body, using all her strength to refuse to let him go.

"You slut! You slut!!" The man was stronger than the woman. With a forceful pull, he freed one of his legs from the woman's grasp and began kicking her mercilessly, but the woman was stubborn and refused to let go.

Just as Xiang An was about to speak, Fu Qingbai spoke up first: "What's going on?"

The guard at the door said, "Reporting to the general, the man is a notorious gambler on this street, and the woman is his wife. The family's livelihood depends entirely on her embroidery and laundry. Nini is their daughter. The man doesn't come home often, and when he does, it's only for money. What happened today is common between the couple."

Xiang An: "Why isn't anyone breaking up the fight?"

The guard hesitated and didn't speak.

Xiang An: "Does the law of this country prohibit breaking up fights?"

Guard: "No, it's..."

Fu Qingbai glanced at him indifferently, and the guard dared not hesitate any longer, saying, "Every time someone tries to break up a fight, they can stop it on the spot. After the crowd disperses, the woman will definitely be beaten severely. If no one breaks up the fight, the beating may not be so bad. The woman's brother doesn't care, and reporting it to the authorities has the same effect as trying to stop the fight. So, over time, naturally no one will break up the fight anymore."

Looking down at the woman below who refused to shed a tear, he asked An, "Is there no other way?"

Guard: "That's all."

"..." Xiang An took out a bag of silver: "After things are over, secretly slip this silver to the woman and tell her if she wants to work at the princess's residence. If she does, she can come tomorrow; if she doesn't, don't force her, and give her the silver as usual."

"Yes." The guard accepted the order and left.

Xiang An looked at the crowd on the street with a sorrowful expression and asked casually, "What did the general want to say just now?"

Fu Qingbai's lips curled into a flat smile: "Where is the princess going today?"

Xiang An turned around and looked at him inquisitively: "The First Prince's residence, what's wrong?"

Fu Qingbai: "Can I not go?"

"Why?" Xiang An met his dark, beautiful eyes. "Could it be because he kicked you out of the carriage last time, and you hold a grudge against him? That's normal, you must hate him. But your reason won't stop me from going to my brother's house. He and I were injured together a few days ago, and I don't need to say more, the whole capital has heard about it, right? Now that I'm better, how can I not visit him? So, if General Fu really doesn't want me to go, please say so clearly or give me a reasonable explanation."

Fu Qingbai pursed her lips and remained silent.

Xiang An smiled slightly and said, "It seems General Fu has no answer. In that case, I shall take my leave. He was indeed wrong about what happened in the carriage, and as your sister, I feel guilty about it. However, he was right about one thing: I should keep my distance from you. Although we are now allied, it is better to avoid or minimize our meetings unless necessary. This will make it more effective for me to plead for you in the future, won't it?"

A warm summer breeze blew in through the window, causing the orchid branches and leaves to sway gently, filling the room with fragrance.

Across from her, Fu Qingbai lowered her thin double eyelids and said in a low voice, "Cruel nature."

Xiang An spread his hands: "Everyone knows about this, but he has never mistreated me. I am not afraid of him."

Aren’t you afraid?

Of course she was afraid; she had personally experienced and witnessed how Xiang Xin slaughtered people in the last game.

Fu Qingbai fell silent again, his thin lips pursed slightly, the corners of his mouth turned down a little. Xiang An glanced at him, then at the sun outside, and couldn't help but think, "What is this guy thinking? If he has something to say, he should just say it already. I'm busy, and it'll be dark soon."

a long time.

Fu Qingbai looked up, her dark pupils filled with stubbornness, and said in a hoarse voice, "Can't I... not go?"

Xiang An gently shook her head: "General Fu, we are allies. If what you say makes sense, I will of course listen to you. But without any evidence, why can't I suddenly go to see my brother?"

Fu Qingbai remained silent, taking a step back to make way for her.

Before leaving the private room, Xiang An comforted her, saying, "General Fu, you don't need to worry about me. If he really wants to hit me, I can't avoid it no matter what. As your elder brother, the eldest brother is like a father. Father is too busy with state affairs to discipline his children. As the eldest brother, he naturally has the right to discipline his younger brothers and sisters."

She spoke casually, but in her heart she was thinking: "I have no complaints whatsoever. If anyone dares to hit me, I'll definitely hit them back."

Outside, as soon as Xiaoling saw Xiang An come out, she lifted her skirt and rushed out without a care, anxiously asking, "Princess, how is it?"

"It's alright. Let's go to the First Prince's residence." Xiang An said as he got into the carriage.

As the carriage wheels rolled, Xiang An nestled in the soft chair, feeling completely safe. The tension in her heart suddenly eased, leaving her with a sense of emptiness.

You're quick to refuse, but why do you feel so bitter inside afterward?

"System, does Fu Qingbai like me, or the original owner of this body?"

You are one person.

"A person? The original body's appearance, my soul?" Xiang An sneered.

When she couldn't sleep at night, she looked in the bronze mirror several times and found that she looked eight or nine parts similar to the original owner of the body. Sometimes she couldn't even tell who she was. If the two of them weren't from different eras, she might have thought she had amnesia.