Rebirth and Rewriting Fate

Gu Ruoxiao stepped in. He had rushed into the palace today and sent Feng Xing to check on their injuries, but Feng Xing hadn't come back to report. So he had to come and ask himself.

"We were talking about how Lord Luo confessed his love and proposed to Miss Yun Chu, and even gave her a bracelet," Feng Xing blurted out without any hesitation. The next second, Cheng Feng covered his mouth.

"Lord Luo?" Gu Ruoxiao asked, his voice tinged with anger. His heart seemed to be swept by a sudden storm, stirring up waves of turmoil.

Everyone inside the room held their breath, and Feng Xing was covered in the mouth and dared not make a sound.

“Feng Xing!” Gu Ruoxiao called out.

Chengfeng had no choice but to release Fengxing. "It's Lord Luoyan," Fengxing said weakly. He felt as if he were in the middle of a storm, but it was the calm before the storm.

"And then?" Gu Ruoxiao asked coldly.

"Then, then Suibo saw Miss Yun Chu staring blankly at the jade bracelet."

Suddenly betrayed by his brother, Sui Bo could only grit his teeth and agree.

The atmosphere inside the room became somewhat strange for a moment.

Chiwu had no choice but to speak up, "Master, the fact that the jade bracelet is still here doesn't prove anything."

"Then what do you think that proves?" Gu Ruoxiao's tone was almost frozen.

Chiwu dared not reply.

Gu Ruoxiao's thoughts became incredibly chaotic at that moment, countless fragments flashing through his mind. Then, an indescribable mix of jealousy and urgency crept into his heart, like an invisible rope tightly binding him, making it difficult to breathe. Anxiety and unease surged within him like a tidal wave, almost making him lose his footing. He remained silent for a moment, then turned and left. Chiwu quickly followed, keeping a distance.

As night deepened, Yun Chu sat quietly by the dressing table in front of the window, her eyes fixed on the objects on the table, her heart overwhelmed by a tidal wave of complex emotions. On the table lay a dagger, a pair of hidden darts, and the jade bracelet.

Looking at these items, Yun Chu couldn't help but sigh. Since her rebirth, sighing had been the most frequent thing she did, filled with too much helplessness.

Yun Chu had to admit that Luo Yan was indeed an exceptional choice for a husband. The number of people in the capital who favored him was no less than those who liked Gu Ruoxiao. He quietly entered her world with a warm presence, bringing with him his consistent gentleness and care. His smile was like the warmest sunshine in spring; his eyes were gentle and sincere. He gave her the warmth of a friend, and she always regarded him as a very important friend.

Now that the truth has been revealed.

She knew that the best way to forget a past relationship was perhaps to start a new one. Luo Yan's words were what made her hesitate: give him a chance, and give herself a chance too. But did she really want to do that?

She believed Luo Yan would treat her well. But what about her? Her feelings for him stemmed entirely from friendship. There was someone else lingering in her heart, yet it was utterly impossible—the facts wouldn't allow it, and neither would the person involved. Even if she wanted to try, there was no chance of success; after all, forced relationships are never sweet. She closed her eyes, her heart filled with deep conflict and struggle.

She was unsure if she was ready for a new relationship, feeling that she was taking advantage of Luo Yan. This opportunity made her hesitate.

"Alright, I'll think about this difficult decision tomorrow." As Yun Chu got up to close the window, she noticed Mo Han standing outside.

She asked in confusion, "Mo Han?"

Mo Han did not answer, remaining motionless.

Yun Chu walked to the door, opened it, and looked outside.

An uninvited guest was standing in the courtyard. Gu Ruoxiao had inexplicably appeared in Qingfeng Courtyard.

Xu Li, Nan Rao, Zhu Ling, and Ping An were also standing on the other side of Yun Chu's house.

Seeing this, Yun Chu had no choice but to speak up, "You were looking for me?"

Gu Ruoxiao looked at her without saying a word.

"Come in," Yun Chu said, stepping aside to let Gu Ruoxiao into the room.

"Did you need something?" She poured him a cup of tea and placed it in front of him, then turned and sat down on the edge of her bed.

Gu Ruoxiao looked up and scanned the dressing table. He saw the dagger, the hidden arrow, and the jade bracelet they had mentioned.

"Are you really going to marry Luo Yan?" Gu Ruoxiao asked.

Yun Chu suddenly looked up at Gu Ruoxiao and said angrily, "You're spying on me!"

Although she had always known that things at Qingfeng Courtyard would eventually reach the Prince's Mansion, she felt her privacy had been violated when Gu Ruoxiao spoke of it so openly.

Ignoring her question, Gu Ruoxiao persisted in asking, "Are you really going to marry Luo Yan?"

Yun Chu laughed angrily, "Gu Ruoxiao, whether I marry Luo Yan or not, and who I marry, is none of your business."

"I did not agree to the marriage proposal put forward by General Shen," Gu Ruoxiao suddenly said.

Yun Chu frowned. What did he mean by suddenly telling her this?

"It is none of my business whichever prince chooses to marry. It has nothing to do with me." Yun Chu suddenly bristled like a hedgehog. "Similarly, it is none of your business which prince marries."

"You don't like him," Gu Ruoxiao said definitively.

Yun Chu looked at him, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair. She suddenly felt so useless, so easily seen through by Gu Ruoxiao, and all her past actions around him seemed like those of a clown.

She closed her eyes and then opened them again, looking directly at Gu Ruoxiao. "Why are you so sure I won't like him! There's a saying that familiarity breeds affection. Why can't I start learning to like him now? I can like you, and I can like him too!" Yun Chu retorted, her eyes red, filled with an overwhelming sadness.

"You dare!" Gu Ruoxiao roared.

Yun Chu smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Gu Ruoxiao, even if you don't like me, you can't take away my right to like someone else, can you?"

Gu Ruoxiao fell silent.

Yun Chu sat back down on the edge of the bed. She closed her eyes to calm herself down and said, "Don't you think it's a joke that you're arguing with me like this? Dongchi is constantly invading. Shouldn't you be using this time to appease General Shen and Shangguan Wan'er? Shangguan Wan'er likes you. You have the perfect combination of timing, location, and people. Are you going to reject Shangguan Wan'er after rejecting me? That's too cruel of you."

"I don't like Shangguan Wan'er," Gu Ruoxiao said.

Yun Chu was taken aback and looked at him. If he didn't like Shangguan Wan'er, why would he like her? Yun Chu smiled self-deprecatingly. What did it matter if she didn't like her? Ultimately, it was none of her business.

The silence inside the house lasted so long that Mo Han wanted to rush in and see if anything had happened.

It took so long that both sides calmed down.

"You can go now, I'm tired and need to rest," Yun Chu said, urging him to leave.

After a moment of silence, Gu Ruoxiao got up and went out the door. When he reached the door, he stopped and said, "If I say I regret it..."

Yun Chu watched his retreating figure, her brows furrowed slightly. She didn't understand what he meant by those words.

But Gu Ruoxiao didn't continue. He stepped out the door and even closed it behind him.