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

"This is not my achievement. Even if he was exhausted and about to collapse, he would pretend he wasn't tired just to show me."

Gu Junxi angrily stuffed grapes into her mouth.

For the past few days, she has been feeling weak and unable to eat for some reason, with a particular craving for sour foods.

However, with the recent hot weather, it's normal to feel sleepy and crave refreshing, sour and cool foods, so no one thinks much of it.

Xi'er didn't understand Gu Junxi's meaning: "Your Highness, you've confused me. Why would His Highness need to prove to you that he's physically strong!"

Good physical strength means good health. Good health means no illness.

This still means they intend to avoid communication and continue to keep it from her.

Matters between husband and wife are known only to outsiders.

Xi'er is still an unmarried girl, so it's not good for her to know about these things.

Gu Junxi: "It's nothing, you don't need to know. I'm tired, you should go back and rest. You can come over to wash up tomorrow morning!"

Gu Junxi and Mu Ling stayed together every night and didn't like being waited on, but Xi'er was already used to it.

She didn't find it strange that Gu Junxi gave her such instructions, but she could vaguely sense that Gu Junxi's emotions were off.

It looks like she's angry with Mu Lingye.

As a servant, do your job well and don't pry into your master's affairs.

Xi'er should agree and leave the room.

Almost as soon as Xi'er left, Gu Junxi locked the door from the inside.

As the moon rose high in the sky, Mu Lingye returned to Gu Junxi's courtyard under the cover of night. The courtyard was quiet and deserted.

He called out several times, but no one came out to greet him.

"Strange, where did Xi'er go?" Xuan Ying exclaimed.

In the past, Mu Lingye would sometimes return home late at night, and Gu Junxi would always arrange for someone to guard the door on those occasions.

Xi'er would only go back to her room to rest after Mu Lingye returned.

This is the first time the entire courtyard has been so dark and quiet.

At this moment, Mu Lingye had already guessed the reason for today's unusual behavior. He wasn't angry, just a little uneasy.

He ignored Xuan Ying's doubts and walked step by step toward the main room. He tentatively pushed the door open, and sure enough, it was locked from the inside.

"Ah Xi?" she called softly.

Gu Junxi's calm voice came from inside: "I'm asleep. Your Highness, you should find another place to rest."

"Could you help me open it?" Mu Lingye lowered his status.

There was no response from inside this time. Mu Lingye stood at the door for a long time before leaving.

The news that the Crown Prince had been refused entry by the Crown Princess spread throughout the mansion the next day.

It appears that the Crown Princess and the Crown Prince had a quarrel.

But later, Mu Lingye acted as if nothing had happened, sticking to Gu Junxi during the day and following her back to her room every night. Unfortunately, Mu Lingye was stopped at the door by Gu Junxi before he could even step inside.

"Your Highness, please wait. I have caught a cold today and I am afraid I may infect you. Your Highness should find another place to rest."

As soon as he finished speaking, the room door was slammed shut right in front of him.

Gu Junxi ate an extra half bowl of rice for dinner, and showed no symptoms of catching a cold at all.

This is a blatant refusal to share a room.

Mu Lingye waited outside the room for another half an hour. On the third day, everyone in the Crown Prince's residence knew that it wasn't His Highness and the Crown Princess who had quarreled.

It's the Crown Princess unilaterally ignoring His Highness.

His Highness clung to him shamelessly.

Mu Lingye didn't care at all that the people in the Crown Prince's residence knew his attitude towards Gu Junxi. His fear of his wife wasn't genuine, but rather out of respect.

The reason they cling to each other so persistently is because of love.

What bothered him was that Gu Junxi was really ignoring him.

No, it's not that I'm ignoring it, it's just that I'm very indifferent.

When he speaks, she replies with an "Mmm".

He would put food on her plate and say thank you, but he would leave it aside without eating it.

It's that kind of particularly distant attitude.

This reminded him that the period right after they got married was even worse than that period.

Having shared intimate moments, how can one bear to return to the old, lukewarm, and indifferent life?

Mu Lingye knew that Gu Junxi was really angry and he had to coax her back, otherwise the longer it dragged on, the deeper the conflict would become.

"He brought it on himself." Murong Yuan gloated, yet he was truly heartbroken.

He specially arranged for a table of dishes that Gu Junxi liked to eat, and also bought Gu Junxi's favorite fruits from a shop outside.

Under the cover of darkness, someone lured Gu Junxi to the garden pavilion.

Gu Junxi had just arrived when she saw the arrangement inside the pavilion, and then turned and left.

Mu Lingye hugged Gu Junxi from behind.

After a few days apart, as soon as I got close, I felt that Gu Junxi's scent was better than before.

He rested his head on Gu Junxi's shoulder and sniffed her: "Axi, I know I was wrong. I'm telling you the truth, so please don't be angry with me."

Gu Junxi, who had been sulking, softened her stance because of Mu Lingye's words.

Mu Lingye is the Crown Prince, yet in front of her, he not only lacks the dignity of a Crown Prince, but also bows and scrapes before her.

Moreover, the purpose of the Cold War is not to be angry, but to solve the problem.

"Where did you go wrong?" Gu Junxi didn't turn around, letting Mu Lingye hold her.

Mu Lingye exhaled a breath of stale air: "I went to see my royal uncle for a checkup. He said I wasn't sick, but he felt I was indeed ill, with some inexplicable illness."

Mu Lingye revealed that he was unable to touch Gu Junxi.

“My body craves you, but I can’t touch you. I don’t know if this condition is temporary or permanent. Ah Xi, I admit I’m selfish. Even if this illness is permanent, I don’t intend to let you go.”

As Mu Lingye finished speaking, he tightened his grip on Gu Junxi, a look of obsession appearing in his eyes.

Even if it's cruel enough to force Gu Junxi to live a life of widowhood, he still doesn't want to let Gu Junxi go.

Mu Lingye felt that at this moment, he was no different from the selfish Mu Lingxuan.

But he just doesn't want to change.

"You're afraid that if I find out the truth and realize that we can't have a marital relationship, I'll leave you, so you're hiding it from me."

Gu Junxi understood the main reason why Mu Lingye had kept it from her.

It's really hard to admit your own dark secrets and dark side.

Mu Lingye admitted that all the excuses he had made before, saying he was afraid Gu Junxi would worry, were just that—excuses. The real reason was right now.

He nodded with difficulty.

"Then let me go, I'm leaving!" Gu Junxi said without moving.

"Axi!" Mu Lingye cried out in anguish, suppressing his pain as he said, "I won't let you leave. I'll lock you up!"

"Let go!" Gu Junxi said.

Mu Lingye hugged Gu Junxi tighter and tighter, without saying a word.

After a long silence, as if he still couldn't bear to hurt Gu Junxi, he lowered his head and silently let go of her hand.

Once Gu Junxi was free, she took a few steps forward and then turned around.

Not hearing Gu Junxi's departing voice, Mu Lingye raised his head and met Gu Junxi's gaze.

"you……?"

Mu Lingye's lips moved slightly.

Gu Junxi put her hands behind her back, her face showing a playful and charming expression, lively and cheerful: "What, you're allowed to hide things from me, but I'm not allowed to lie to you? Or do you really want me to leave?"