After her transformation and rebirth, she manipulates the innocent and ruthless to overthrow the wor

As my thoughts returned, I saw the woman sitting opposite me looking down at the plate of pastries, but the subtle action of biting her lip betrayed her.

"I'm sorry," he said.

When she first met Duan Li, and brought him to the capital, she only wanted to use him and have more leverage for her revenge.

But when the time for parting finally came, she felt a pang of reluctance. And she knew very well that this reluctance was not simply because she had lost a bargaining chip.

It turns out that he was under the tree that night, wanting to say goodbye to her...

She shook her head. "It's nothing. You should pursue your own path instead of being trapped by my side."

Duanli hesitated, wanting to say something, but in the end, she said nothing.

She rummaged in her pocket, took out a soft cloth bag, and placed it on the table.

He chuckled and said, "I originally intended it as a winter solstice gift for you, but now it can only serve as a farewell present."

As Xiao Ran moved, the cloth bag was slowly lifted, revealing an exquisite headband. Its background was as black as ink, embroidered with dark gold cloud patterns. It was simple yet not vulgar, showing the maker's dedication.

Duan Li reached out and took the headband, examining it closely. Every stitch, every pattern, and every decoration on it looked excellent, but upon closer inspection, he felt something was amiss. He touched the several crookedly sewn blue gemstones on it.

Xiao Ran scratched her nose somewhat awkwardly, "Uh... I asked Yunniang to make the forehead band, but that day I just happened to find these sapphires quite fitting, so I took it upon myself to sew them on..."

"If you think it's ugly, you can cut it off."

A slow smile curved Duan Li's lips, but the next moment surprised Xiao Ran. He didn't expect Duan Li to lift his bangs and put on the forehead ribbon.

"Does it look good?"

Duan Li was already extremely handsome, but he usually had a detached and aloof demeanor, exuding a coldness that kept people at a distance. At this moment, the headband tied on his forehead seemed to soften the chill around him, not only making his deep-set eyes even more striking, but also adding a touch of dashing heroism to him.

"It's absolutely gorgeous." Xiao Ran was mesmerized, her bright eyes fixed on Duan Li, filled with amazement.

She still remembered the first time she saw him, a thought inexplicably welling up in her mind: she felt that if he wore a headband, his cold and aloof demeanor would be enhanced. But now that she had actually seen him, it suited him even better than she had imagined, as if the headband had been made for him.

Duan Li nodded slightly, letting out a soft "hmm" through his nose. Then, he slowly stood up, his gaze drifting to the window, and said softly:

"I have to go now."

Xiao Ran panicked and hurriedly stood up, her voice filled with urgency: "Will we ever meet again?"

As soon as she spoke, she noticed the slightly questioning look in Duan Li's eyes, realized her mistake, blushed, and quickly corrected herself:

"What I'm trying to say is, whether we meet again or not, I just ask that you not forget me, okay?"

Duan Li's lips curled up slightly, and a rare smile appeared in his eyes, like ice breaking on an ice field, bringing spring back to the earth.

"meeting."

Only when Duanli's figure completely disappeared from sight, only when that inexplicable emptiness surged like a tide, only when Chuntao beside her called "Miss" several times, did Xiao Ran come back to her senses as if waking from a dream.

She pondered the word "will" that had been uttered as she left, and a ripple of emotion began to stir within her. It wasn't a "okay," but rather a hopeful "see you again."

He will not forget her; they will surely meet again.