Lu Ziyuan patted her head, coaxing, "As long as I’m alive, no one dares to criticize me. As for after I’m gone, I never care about posthumous fame."

Forcing a wife away from her husband?

He had planned to do this long ago; now it just happened a bit sooner—what of it?

"Is it worth it?" Xie Wanqing’s heart was full of complexities, her lips struggling to force a smile, "You’ve spent your life defending against foreign enemies, building achievements, you shouldn’t be so focused on romance."

In a lifetime, one enjoys fame and fortune, reaches the highest position, holds the power of life and death with no one to balance; if there’s anything worth caring about, isn’t it posthumous fame?

This girl is so cold-hearted, rarely showing emotion in front of him. Lu Ziyuan felt joy in his heart, and laughed softly, "Moved by this?... If you’re moved, why not give yourself to me?"

Xie Wanqing: "..."

She was speechless and choked up, her complexity dissolving instantly due to his interruption. Just as she was about to say something, her chin was grasped and lifted, he bent close and kissed her directly.

At the moment their lips met, Xie Wanqing hurriedly avoided, "Don’t!"

As she evaded, Lu Ziyuan’s lips fell on her cheek, his breath paused slightly, softly saying, "Don’t be afraid... don’t be afraid..."

"I’m not forcing this on you, but I can’t bring myself to let you go back." He backed away a bit, his eyes lowered to look at her, "Wanwan, try to understand me, I’m truly scared, I don’t want to experience the despair of not knowing your life or death again."

The world crashing down would be like this.

Echoing in her mind was the scene of him collapsing heavily to his knees, Xie Wanqing pressed her lips tightly together, still trying to make the final struggle, "I’ve been captured by the Jin people for so long, just a ruined flower..."

"Shut up!" Lu Ziyuan’s expression changed.

"That’s the truth," Xie Wanqing did not back down, instead lifting her head to meet his gaze, "Remember Liu Manrou, whom you personally ordered to the army?... What I suffered is not much different."

She stared into his eyes, searching for even a hint of thorn, disgust, embarrassment, stiffness.

But there was nothing, his eyes showed nothing, instead he pinched her chin, leaned down, and kissed her fiercely, saying, "That’s nothing to worry about; it’s Jin Wuji who should die. You’ve always been fine, don’t speak such self-deprecating words again." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Saying this, he again curled his lips into a smile, "My Wanwan is proud and arrogant, didn’t she dislike reading those women’s studies books the most? Saying they’re written by pedantic scholars to suppress women, using chastity and womanly virtues to bind you. You’re quite right, I’ll order them banned."

Xie Wanqing tightened her grip on the cotton blanket, strangely feeling her heart’s change.

She actually could truly feel his sincere protection.

He is the commander of three armies, he cannot be unaware that in her current state of mind, she couldn’t withstand the slightest disturbance.

She is sensitive and anxious, self-abasing and timid, no longer the girl who, upon confirming the dream was real, decisively ended her engagement, hurriedly remarried without looking back, fearless.

But he didn’t do that.

He didn’t act as a savior, reaching out to her as she fell into the abyss, saying’no matter what you’ve been through, I don’t mind’—words that outwardly showed no concern but internally confirmed her ruined state.

Nor did he, when seeing her face sudden upheaval and unsteady mind, use manipulative tactics to crush her spirit.

Xie Wanqing pondered for a long time whether she was previously blinded, or has the man in front of her changed?

After a long while, she dryly said, "I thought you’d care a lot about these things."

The day of her wedding, his expression of rage was still vivid in her mind.

How could he not care that she was touched by another man?

Lu Ziyuan also recalled those moments; his jaw tightened for an instant, then smiled honestly, "Of course I care; to be frank, that weakling is the person I hate most in my life."

His smile was cruel. Xie Wanqing pressed her lips tightly together, saying nothing more.

"Wanwan, be with me," Lu Ziyuan gazed steadily at her, after a long time, unable to resist leaning in to peck her forehead, "No matter how guilty I am, you’ve punished me for so long, shouldn’t my sentence be up?"

Since she hasn’t sentenced him to death, she must give him a chance to make amends and turn over a new leaf.

He’s already suffered the most painful punishment in this world, shouldn’t he also be allowed a glimpse of hopeful dawn?

Xie Wanqing reached to touch the forehead he had kissed, silently pausing for a long time, avoiding his eyes filled with expectation, saying, "So much has happened all at once, don’t pressure me into giving you an answer so soon."