Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

The last rays of the setting sun slanted in through the half-open window, bathing the small space in a soft golden glow, making everything seem so warm and peaceful. Their shadows stretched and intertwined in the gentle light, filling their hearts with even more love, as if time itself had frozen at that moment.

"Ruo Xiao".

"Ok?"

"If it weren't for me, would you have helped Dongfang Yunche?"

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t care about the conflicts in Dongchi.” Gu Ruoxiao lowered her head and kissed Yun Chu’s hair. “But as for the prince of Dongchi, I have more faith in Dongfang Yunche to take the throne.”

His gaze was profound, as if he could see through the torrent of history and the direction of the future; his voice was deep and firm, and every word revealed an unquestionable determination.

"Why?" Upon hearing this, Yun Chu frowned slightly, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and confusion, and asked softly.

Gu Ruoxiao sighed softly, turning his gaze to the window. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on his face, adding a touch of composure and depth to his appearance. "The eldest prince of Dongchi is indeed warlike and treacherous. If he ascends the throne, Dongchi will inevitably be plunged into continuous warfare, and the people will suffer greatly from the chaos of war. His ambition and greed doom him to be unable to become a benevolent ruler."

"What about Dongfang Yunche?" Yun Chu asked thoughtfully. She wanted to know what Gu Ruoxiao thought of Dongfang Yunche, so she continued to ask.

"Although Dongfang Yunche is ruthless, he possesses the decisiveness expected of an emperor. He acts swiftly and decisively, which is crucial for a monarch. More importantly, while he shows no mercy to his enemies, he has a rare compassion for the people. After ascending the throne, he might be able to implement some policies that benefit the people's livelihood, allowing them to live a more stable life." Although Gu Ruoxiao disliked Dongfang Yunche's covetousness of Yun Chu, she had to admit that he was the best candidate for emperor for Dongchi.

"Mmm." Yun Chu responded softly, not wanting Gu Ruoxiao to go against his wishes because of her.

"Yunchu."

"Ok?"

"I treated you badly back then, so why didn't you choose to go with him?"

"I don't know." Yun Chu smiled softly. "I never thought about leaving Kyoto. Perhaps I still have some lingering feelings. I'm afraid that if you really come back one day, I'm afraid you won't be able to find me."

"You and him, me and you, we all have childhood ties. If I hadn't come first and confessed to you first, we wouldn't be together. Right?" Gu Ruoxiao's voice was filled with unease.

Upon hearing this, Yun Chu laughed, "You're wrong. If we're talking about who met whom first, I met Dongfang Yunche when I was six and you when I was eight. He was one step ahead of you. But I remember our encounter when we were little, not his. Who do you think was more important to you?"

"I want to hear what you have to say," the person above said in a muffled voice.

Yun Chu couldn't help but smile. He, like himself, hoped to hear a clear answer: "Gu Ruoxiao, to me, whether in the past or in the future, you are the most important person."

“You are here with me too.” Gu Ruoxiao’s voice was tinged with laughter.

“However, you are right about one thing,” Yun Chu said with a smile.

"what?"

"If you hadn't confessed to me, we wouldn't be together. Because at that time, I always thought you didn't like me, and you only helped me because you're a nice person. And if you didn't like me, I would never have bothered you," Yun Chu said calmly.

Gu Ruoxiao closed his eyes, concealing the heat in them. He remembered that Yun Chu had wanted a divorce because he said he didn't like her.

"Luo Yan was so good to you, why didn't you accept him back then?"

"Ruo Xiao, do you know? At first, I was really sad, but later I realized that we had so many beautiful memories together, and every time I think of them, I feel happy. As for Luo Yan, in the end, I let him down. Because I realized that, apart from you, I seem to have lost the ability to love."

Yun Chu spoke slowly, her voice gentle yet full of affection.

Gu Ruoxiao kissed Yun Chu's forehead and said, "What if I really can't come back?"

Yun Chu paused for a moment before speaking, "Ruo Xiao, Dongfang Yun Che was right when he said I was stubborn. I had already decided that I would live the rest of my life cherishing the memories of you, and it wouldn't be so hard to bear."

Gu Ruoxiao's eyes were a little wet. He looked at Yun Chu with deep affection and said, "You have to believe that even if I don't come back, I will fall in love with you again. We will be together for all eternity."

“Alright, we’ll fight for you through life and death.” Yun Chu replied with a smile.

Gu Ruoxiao looked at the person in his arms, lowered his head and kissed her. He felt that he hadn't been good enough to her.

At first, they were embracing and kissing, but suddenly Gu Ruoxiao flipped over and pinned Yun Chu down on the bamboo couch, kissing her passionately.

As they were kissing, Yun Chu felt something poking her back. She touched it, picked it up, and saw that it was the jade pendant.

Gu Ruoxiao glanced at it, snatched the jade pendant from Yun Chu's hand, threw it aside, and then pressed it down heavily.

"Call me brother."

"Ok?"

"You've been calling him 'brother' for half a month now."

Yun Chu was taken aback and found it somewhat amusing. Was Gu Ruoxiao jealous and bringing up old grievances?

"You were eavesdropping on our conversation?"

"So, are you going to call out or not?"

He pressed her down on the couch and kissed her, while teasing her with one hand.

Yun Chu, exasperated by the persistent pestering, called out in a sweet and charming voice, "Brother~"

"Call again."

"Brother~" Yun Chu felt that matching her voice at this moment was too embarrassing.

"Mmm." The person buried in her chest worked even harder.

Yun Chu closed her eyes speechlessly and helplessly. A jealous man is truly terrifying.

The sunset is infinitely beautiful, and I love it most as dusk approaches.

Nan Rao and Zhu Ling, accompanied by a maid carrying a food box, were about to step into Jingxuan Courtyard when they were stopped by Chi Wu at the gate.

The two women exchanged a knowing glance at the closed door. Nanrao then instructed the maid behind her, "Put the food on the stove to keep it warm."

The maids behind them obeyed and left.

Zhu Ling pulled Nan Rao to sit on the steps at the entrance of the courtyard, while Chi Wu darted back to the tree.

Zhu Ling rested her chin on her hand, watching the sunset. She thought that this was the second time her mistress had missed dinner on time since returning to the Prince's mansion; the last time was the day she first came back! Adding to that the noise from the bedroom at night these past few days... Zhu Ling blinked, leaned closer to Nan Rao, and whispered happily, "Do you think we'll soon have a little prince?"

Nan Rao smiled and looked at Zhu Ling, saying, "Maybe she's a little princess!"

"Then a young prince and a young princess, making a perfect family, wouldn't that be wonderful?" Zhu Ling thought to herself, resting her chin on her hand.

"I need to make clothes for the young prince and the young princess," Zhu Ling muttered.

Nan Rao smiled, thinking to herself that she should stew some nourishing food for her young mistress to help her recover.