Chapter 442: Chapter 442: You’re Still Going All In

Song Lianhe thanked her friends, then turned and called for Shuang Ye to whip up a few dishes. "Tonight, we drink until we drop!"

Cao Ying and Xuan Mei exchanged a look, then nodded emphatically in perfect sync.

"Alright!"

"Until we drop."

Shuang Ye was furious too. She brandished her spatula with such force it nearly struck sparks.

Song Lianhe realized her tolerance for alcohol had improved lately. After two whole jars of wine, she barely felt a thing. Cao Ying and Xuan Mei, on the other hand, were swaying and stumbling, dead drunk.

Chuckling, she picked up another pot of wine and went to sit in the pavilion.

"How much longer are you going to wait?"

The voice startled her, and she turned her head.

Zhou Junlin slowly strolled closer.

"Well, well, if it isn’t Prince Ling. I heard you’ve gotten a divorce. I’m not sure if I should congratulate you or offer my condolences."

Zhou Junlin, however, was nonchalant. "Congratulations are in order."

Song Lianhe cupped her hands in a mock salute. "Well then, congratulations!"

But as she did, some wine sloshed out of the pot in her hand, dampening her dress.

Zhou Junlin immediately took the wine pot from her and used a handkerchief to help wipe her dress.

Song Lianhe froze, then subtly moved away. "I can get it."

Zhou Junlin looked at her, then stepped back.

"I requested a decree from my Father Emperor. Prince Hang and Consort Zhao Hui have been escorted back to Nanchen. Now that Prince Xin has ascended the throne, he will never allow Consort Zhao Hui to bring him shame. But from what I know of her, she wouldn’t have left herself without an escape route."

Song Lianhe thought for a moment. "Yan Jiayu may be ruthless, but he’s not one to annihilate his enemies completely."

"You seem to know him quite well."

Song Lianhe looked up. Zhou Junlin was clearly bothered. She pursed her lips. "You didn’t do anything when Song Xilan’s affections strayed, and now you have the nerve to meddle in my business!"

Zhou Junlin shot her a look. "So you know she fell for Zhou Cangyan? Are you drowning your sorrows over him, too?"

Song Lianhe retorted irritably, "Zhou Cangyan would never betray me!"

"Hah. He’s already taken her back to his manor, and you still say he wouldn’t betray you?"

Zhou Junlin took a step forward, his gaze fixed on her. "You know it as well as I do. As the main characters of this book, they can’t change their ending. But I can! I can cast aside everything that belongs to the male lead. I can give up the throne! I just want to do what I want to do!"

"You’re right. Your current situation is what everyone envies most. But won’t you regret it? That’s the throne we’re talking about!"

He chuckled. "So what? The moment I realized that every decision I make, every step I take, everything that happens around me, every word they say, has all been arranged by someone else... my life suddenly became meaningless."

He looked at Song Lianhe. "Only you are real."

Song Lianhe added, "And Song Xilan, your former Princess Consort."

Yes, she really knew how to spoil the mood.

"It’s because she broke free from her constraints that she chose to leave you. See? She’s real, too!"

Zhou Junlin suddenly let out a laugh. "So, you’re still going to risk it all?"

The smile slowly faded from his face. "Have you ever considered that if you give up now, you could live a peaceful, stable life? With me here, I would never let you suffer any wrong. But if you insist on being with him... what kind of ending do you think is waiting for you?"

Song Lianhe thought about it carefully. "Disappearance? Or... being wiped from existence?"

"Don’t you dare say that!"

Zhou Junlin’s expression was frightening.

Song Lianhe, however, was unconcerned. "Me? I’ve died once... uh, no, three times! If I still can’t be philosophical about life and death after all that, wouldn’t I be letting down fate’s grand design? So, just like you, I want to control my own destiny."

She looked at him and smiled gently. "Just this one time."

Zhou Junlin looked like he wanted to say more. He clenched his fists, but in the end, he only gave her one last, deep look. "I understand."

Song Lianhe didn’t know when Zhou Junlin left. She remained in the pavilion, admiring the scenery. Eventually, as she sat there leaning against the railing, her eyelids grew heavy and closed. The wine pot in her hand slowly began to slip...

CLACK.

A hand reached out and caught it just before it could shatter on the ground.

The pot was set aside, and someone slowly lifted Song Lianhe into their arms.

"Prince?"

Shuang Ye, who had come looking for Song Lianhe, was startled to see the man walking toward her, carrying her mistress.

"Why are you..."

"Let’s get her back to her room first."

"Yes."

Shuang Ye quickly followed behind him. She watched as he gently laid Song Lianhe on the daybed, removed her shoes, and pulled the covers over her.

"Go brew some sobering soup."

"Yes..."

Shuang Ye had a million questions, but she had always been intimidated by Zhou Cangyan. At his command, she obediently went to the rear kitchen to prepare the soup. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Zhou Cangyan took Song Lianhe’s hand, then reached up to brush a stray lock of hair from her forehead. "I’m not lucid for long. This is the only time I can come see you."

Song Lianhe, unaware of who was with her, felt only a sense of irritation. She swatted his hand away, then rolled over, trapping his other hand beneath her.

Zhou Cangyan chuckled softly. Not wanting to disturb her, he simply lay down beside her and gathered her into his embrace.

A short while later, Shuang Ye returned with the sobering soup, only to walk in on this scene.

She immediately and quietly placed the items on the table, then backed out and carefully closed the door.

Song Lianhe was sleeping fitfully, squirming in his arms. Zhou Cangyan gently stroked her back, and only then did she gradually quiet down, falling into a deep sleep not long after.

"Just wait for me a few more days, until I’ve taken care of all this trouble."

Song Lianhe vaguely heard someone speaking by her ear. The voice wasn’t loud, but it annoyed her and disturbed her peace.

Gradually, the voice faded away.

But a corner of her heart was suddenly left feeling empty.

「The next day, the sun was bright and beautiful.」

Song Lianhe went to check on Zhou Yang. His spirits were much improved, and he was practicing his Health Preservation Skills with Third Great-Uncle.

"When are you returning to the palace?"

She asked, leaning against a pillar with her hair unbound.

"There’s no rush."

There was a new strength in Zhou Yang’s voice, and he no longer looked so old.

"Biwu is in the palace. Nothing will go wrong."

"You’re certainly carefree."

"Sigh. It’s not that I don’t want to return. It’s the Empress..."

The Empress sent a messenger to say how comfortable and harmonious life in the palace was for her and the other consorts. The message between the lines was that he was, frankly, superfluous.

Zhou Yang, feeling guilty for having offended so many people by doting on Consort Zhao Hui and Prince Hang, was in no position to argue. He decided to simply stay here long-term and treat it as a period of rest and recovery.

After hearing this, Song Lianhe expressed her understanding. "It’s true, you’re not exactly missed back at the palace."

Zhou Yang was so angry he had to laugh. "You little rascal, if you keep being so impertinent, I’ll have you punished!"

"Fine then. You can treat your own illness."

"You... Alright, alright. I shouldn’t have angered Doctor Song."

"That’s more like it."

Zhou Yang said with resignation, "You know, your temper is the spitting image of your maternal grandfather’s!"

"It runs in the family!"

Not wanting Zhou Yang to overexert himself, fearing his vital energy was low and might leave him vulnerable to illness, she called Shuang Ye to help him back to his room.

When Zhou Yang saw Shuang Ye, he smiled faintly. "Thank you for your hard work."

Shuang Ye was overwhelmed by the honor. "Holy Emperor, you flatter this servant."

Zhou Yang looked at Shuang Ye, then glanced at Song Lianhe, looking as if he wanted to say something but held back.

Just then, Lu Shunfu arrived.

"Holy Emperor, this old servant has found you at last!"

He fell to his knees, clutching Zhou Yang’s legs and sobbing his heart out. "Holy Emperor, this old servant nearly followed you to the grave!"