My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Wei Nanxun quickly recalled the past days they had spent together, the sore neck after falling asleep, his pause when she asked his name, and his unusual behavior when he saw her wearing the jade pendant.

At first, it was just a guess, but it was like finding a loose thread, and soon a piece of rope was pulled out, and then there was a huge hole that could not be patched up.

His lies weren't particularly clever, but they were incredibly easy to deceive this young woman who had taken a liking to him.

She was 90% certain that Pei Ji was the owner of the jade pendant.

The prince of the Northwest he had always suspected was not her savior, but him, Pei Ji.

In other words, he recognized her from the very beginning; he knew she was the woman in the palace who had mistakenly taken an aphrodisiac and thrown herself at him.

When Wei Nanxun thought of this, her heart felt as if it had fallen into an abyss, and she became completely cold.

For a moment, shame and embarrassment prevented her from lifting her head.

She couldn't imagine how complicated and suspicious his feelings would be when he saw her again.

He didn't dare to think about what kind of frivolous and unscrupulous woman she was in his heart.

If she had met him at a different time and place, she would have been eternally grateful and devoted to him.

But he chose the worst method to deceive her and play tricks on her.

She didn't blame him for concealing his identity. After all, he was covered in wounds at the time, and must have been ambushed and plotted against by the enemy. It was understandable that he was wary of people.

But after spending time with her, he believed she wasn't a bad person, and he could reveal his identity.

He was such an intelligent man that he should have seen through her delusions long ago, but he didn't stop her; he even played along with her in this game.

She thought she had found love, but in the end, it was all for nothing.

Pei Ji's gaze never left Wei Nanxun.

He noticed her odd behavior immediately and wanted to explain that he hadn't meant to lie to her and was willing to be honest with her.

Pei Yuyan's arrival was truly unfortunate, as he exposed all the lies in the most undignified way.

“Ah Yue, it’s not as you think.”

Pei Ji subconsciously reached out to her, but Wei Nanxun dodged him directly.

"Your Highness, there is a difference between men and women. Please show some respect." She lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes drooping, trying not to look at the person in front of her, attempting to make herself as comfortable as possible.

After saying that, she added very softly, "This humble woman is not named Guan Yue."

She then took a few steps to the side and knelt down: "Your Highness Prince Su, I was blind to your greatness and have offended you many times these days. But I think that you, who conquer the world and love your people like your own children, will not care about my little mistake."

Her voice was calm and without any inflection, which made Pei Ji feel a sense of unfamiliarity and loss that he had never experienced before.

The words "distinction between men and women" and "self-respect" stung him like needles, reminding him of Wen Zhuxi who had come to his door that day.

In her eyes, was he really just like that kind of scoundrel?

Pei Ji felt as if his chest had been soaked in water, an unbearable soreness and swelling. His throat felt like it was blocked by something; he wanted to speak, but couldn't utter a single word.

"Do you have to be so distant with me?"

"Your Highness is too kind. You and I are worlds apart, so how can you talk about being estranged?"

Her eyes were also stinging. Just before today, she had dreamed of growing old with this man, and thought he would never lie to her or hide anything from her. Little did she know, he had never told the truth from the very beginning.

She had never known whether Prince Su had a principal wife, but she figured that for someone of her status, even becoming his concubine would be a step up for her.

Wei Nanxun gave a self-deprecating laugh, then thought of the jade pendant at his waist. He slowly untied it, respectfully held it up above his head with both hands.

"We found the prince's things before, and today we can finally return them to their rightful owner."

Pei Ji disliked her humble and self-deprecating manner, and hated even more that she distanced herself from him.

She returned the things to him only after he agreed.

"Since you found it, it's yours. There's no reason to take back what I've given away."

Wei Nanxun was slightly taken aback. She had gotten used to his accommodating manner. In their daily interactions, she usually made the decisions, and he rarely objected.

Not used to his domineering manner, she paused for a moment, then gripped the jade pendant tightly.

Forget it, she was too lazy to argue with him, lest it make her seem like she was trying to get entangled with him.

All she wants now is to leave here and go back to Beijing as soon as possible; she doesn't want to see anyone.

"If that's the case, then I thank Your Highness for your kindness."

After saying that, he kowtowed heavily again before getting up, hanging his head and trying to back away.

But before they could take more than a few steps, they were blocked by a wall of people.

Pei Ji was truly furious with her attitude. He would rather she throw a tantrum or even cry, but she showed no emotion whatsoever and wanted to be a stranger to him.

Can she like him if she wants, and dislike him if she doesn't?

There's no such thing as a free lunch.

Since he was the prince she kept calling out, then her wish was granted.

"When did I ever let you leave?"

Wei Nanxun frowned, and couldn't help but quickly look up and glance at him.

She called him "Your Highness" in a fit of impotent rage, deliberately trying to distance herself from him and sever ties. How could he actually act like a prince?

Wei Nanxun rolled her eyes so quickly and skillfully that they were almost invisible before she lowered her head again.

That one glance made Pei Ji feel less upset; at least he knew she was angry, not that she really wanted to cut ties with him.

"Your Highness and I have settled our score. I have other important matters to attend to, so please do not make things difficult for me."

He saved her once, and she saved him in return, so they're even.

Pei Ji hated hearing her talk about settling things even, so he raised an eyebrow, about to say something.

Before they could even speak, a figure suddenly appeared between them.

"Uncle, I've come to escort you back to the capital. If you have nothing else to do, please come with me."

Pei Yuyan had been waiting by the side the whole time, watching the two of them go back and forth as if no one else was around. The veins on his forehead throbbed, and his hands clenched and unclenched repeatedly.

He could roughly guess that Pei Ji had been spending time with Wei Nanxun these days, and that she was unaware of his identity, suggesting a rift between them.

He could tolerate Pei Ji holding the Jade Unicorn Talisman, so he had no choice but to bow his head to him. He could go back and discuss and decide on matters of state later.

But he couldn't bear to watch Wei Nanxun flirting with his uncle. He could lower his head, but he would never give in to a woman.

After he finished speaking, he looked at Wei Nanxun and said, "Ah Xun, you have been away from the capital to escape the summer heat for some time now. Your elder sister is very worried about you. Now that we have met, I will naturally send you back."

As he spoke, he reached out to take Wei Nanxun's hand, acting like a good brother-in-law and a good older brother.

But before he could touch her wrist, it was firmly grasped by another hand with strong, powerful knuckles.

The force was so strong it felt like it was going to crush his hand bones, causing him to wince in pain.

He heard that cold, emotionless voice above him: "Who gave you permission to touch her?"