First annul the engagement, then sever ties with the empress; the empress reigns supreme.

Upon hearing this, he had no doubt that Gu Junxi was lying.

After regaining his senses in Luoyan City, he realized that he had no memory of that period at all. However, he did not expect that such an important thing was hidden in that lost memory.

He was filled with remorse and hatred for himself for losing that memory.

Mu Lingye's amnesia wasn't of his own volition, so besides feeling sorry for him, how could Gu Junxi possibly blame him at this moment?

She didn't want to bring it up, but since Mu Lingye brought it up, she stopped avoiding it.

This was, after all, a knot in her heart.

Gu Junxi shook her head, honestly and frankly saying, "I do feel a little wronged, but it's not your fault!"

Hearing Gu Junxi say she felt wronged, Mu Lingye felt a sharp pain in his heart.

He gently rubbed his two index fingers against Gu Junxi's cheeks, as if trying to etch her image deep into his mind: "How can this not be my fault? You should blame me. I... next time... next time I promise I won't forget these things, okay?"

After Mu Lingye finished asking his question, Gu Junxi did not respond, but her cheeks turned bright red.

Feeling guilty, Mu Lingye thought his words weren't sincere enough when Gu Junxi didn't respond.

He looked anxious, and his grip on Gu Junxi's hands tightened. Without warning, he hit himself in the chest: "If you still feel wronged, then hit me until you no longer feel wronged and you've vented all your anger, okay?"

With a loud thud, Mu Lingye truly struck himself hard, even flinching and coughing twice. Despite the pain, he didn't stop; true to his word, he continued to pull Gu Junxi's hand and pound it against his chest.

Gu Junxi had already learned martial arts, so she knew that the heavy punches Mu Lingye delivered while holding her hand were not only delivered with force, but also with internal energy.

Continuing to fight wouldn't necessarily kill them, but it would certainly result in injuries.

This injury was completely unnecessary.

When Mu Lingye grabbed her hand and tried to hit her again, Gu Junxi pulled back forcefully: "Stop hitting me, I'm not angry."

"Then...why are you ignoring me?" Mu Lingye asked, her eyes reddening with grievance.

Gu Junxi avoided Mu Lingye's gaze, forcefully pulling her hand away from his and saying in a voice so soft it was almost inaudible, "Who...who would ever do this to you again? Don't even think about it!"

The woman's shy and bashful demeanor was something Mu Lingye felt he would probably never forget for the rest of his life.

He finally realized, belatedly, that Gu Junxi wasn't still angry with him, but rather shy.

Mu Lingye felt a warmth in his heart and quickly reached out to grab Gu Junxi's hands, which were trying to pull back.

His large hand enveloped her small hand, his eyes held an ambiguous, almost suggestive gaze, and his tone was completely unrelated to his usual persona—that of a rogue.

"That won't do. There must be a next time. We're husband and wife, and we've already established marital intimacy. Most importantly, how can I let you live like a widow? Wouldn't that be incredibly irresponsible of me as your husband!"

Only Mu Lingye could explain his desire for marital relations as fulfilling a duty.

Gu Junxi's cheeks burned even hotter. She glared fiercely at Mu Lingye and said, "I'm willing to live like a widow!"

Gu Junxi's glare at this moment had no intimidating power at all. Instead, Mu Lingye felt as if a kitten was scratching at his heart, a tingling, numb itch that was uncomfortable but not painful.

He couldn't control himself and pulled Gu Junxi into his arms, whispering in her ear, "But I can't bear to. Tell me, when can we have a next time? I'll be ready."

The scorching breath on her face made Gu Junxi feel like her face was melting, and her head was spinning, making it impossible for her to think clearly. She gave Mu Lingye a perfunctory push: "It depends on how you behave..."

Upon hearing this, Mu Lingye's lips, which he had been waiting for, pressed down on Gu Junxi's, swallowing all of her breath in one gulp and giving her no chance to speak.

Well……

Gu Junxi first let out a sound like a cat's meow, and then succumbed to Mu Lingye's invasion and plunder.

The carriage continued to move forward. A breeze blew, causing the carriage curtain to flutter, revealing a couple inside the carriage, completely absorbed in their love.

After Zuo Chengfeng sent Gu Junxi to the palace, he waited for news. When he heard that everything had been resolved, he returned to the palace gate to wait for Gu Junxi to leave.

However, before he could even greet Gu Junxi and Mu Lingye after they left the palace, they had already boarded the carriage.

Zuo Chengfeng felt a pang of disappointment, but he still silently followed behind Gu Junxi and Mu Lingye's carriage, intending to escort Gu Junxi back to her residence.

Riding on horseback, he never expected to witness Gu Junxi and Mu Lingye being intimate in the carriage again. A pain that did not match his appearance flashed across his face, which was clearly not a good man and was unruly.

He slowed his horse's pace, no longer following closely, and finally watched the carriage disappear into the distance. Zuo Chengfeng turned away dejectedly and entered a restaurant.

Gu Junxi and Mu Lingye did not experience a relationship crisis due to Feng Yang and Feng Wu's desire for a marriage alliance; instead, their relationship deepened because of it. In fact, besides Zuo Chengfeng, Mu Lingxuan was also the one who was hurt the most.

Mu Lingxuan left the palace soaking wet, his heart filled with sorrow and frustration, but he had nowhere to confide in. He then arranged to meet Gu Lichuan and Gu Konghao, and they went to a restaurant together.

The three of them hadn't met for a long time; to be precise, it had been since Gu Junxi married into the Crown Prince's residence. They hadn't had a proper encounter since, and after a year apart, the once close-knit group had grown distant.

Moreover, during this year, Gu Yuanbai remained idle at home. The Gu family, which was once extremely prosperous and unparalleled, had fallen to the point of being ignored by everyone.

Mu Lingxuan picked up his wine glass, took a small sip, and found the wine extremely bitter as it went down his throat.

He thought of his past glory and the lively scene when Gu Junxi and Gu Juntang surrounded him. He couldn't control himself and tilted his head back to drink the wine in his glass in one gulp.

"Was I really wrong? Kong Hao, Li Chuan, I never intended to replace Gu Junxi. I just didn't like her clinginess. I just wanted to give her some space and let her change her temper. How did things get to this point between us?"

"I have humbled myself and retreated again and again, but she still won't turn back. She would rather choose that sickly Mu Lingye than look back at me."

Mu Lingxuan said this hoping to receive comfort from Gu Konghao and Gu Lichuan, but no one comforted him.

Gu Konghao took a sip of wine, glanced at his severed fingers, and felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

But he has long since stopped complaining and has learned to face his problems squarely and try to repent.

He realized that he was no longer on the same page as Mu Lingxuan.

Gu Lichuan and Mu Lingxuan are at different levels.