"I can't let go of the glory and riches of the palace, nor can I let go of my mother, and even more so, the glory of being a prince," Xiahou Qi said with a bitter smile. "But Ling Yue, I will not give up on you. The position of my official wife will always belong only to you."

Xiahou Qi is indeed an honest man. He is not selfish; he will make a good emperor and a good son, but he is just not a good lover.

"Xiahou Qi, my answer is also always the same; I will not marry you." Ye Lingyue felt she had already made it abundantly clear to Xiahou Qi, especially lately, since the Empress is pregnant, she likely has no time to worry about the matrimonial matters of the Sixth Prince.

Seeing Ye Lingyue's resolute attitude, Xiahou Qi no longer wished to persist.

"Ling Yue, I only ask you this. Do you refuse me because of... Prince Feng?" Xiahou Qi pondered.

Feng Xun?

Ye Lingyue was momentarily startled upon hearing the name Feng Xun, losing her composure for an instant.

She hadn't seen Feng Xun since returning to Xia Capital.

She wondered if his health had recovered.

"I heard that you and Prince Feng have been quite close," Xiahou Qi said tactfully.

Ever since hearing from the Heir Qinghai at the Imperial Hospital about the deep relationship between Ye Lingyue and Feng Xun, Xiahou Qi had been vigilant.

Prince Beiqing holds a unique presence in Daxia; though a hostage, he enjoys a higher status than any prince.

Living in Xia Capital, he does not ally with any powers. Some say he is reclusive, others say he is so handsome that he does not seem mortal.

After some inquiries, Xiahou Qi found out that Ye Lingyue was the only one who could freely enter and leave Feng Residence.

Both of them are at an age where hearts begin to stir; unmarried man and woman – if they said they had no affection for each other, Xiahou Qi would not want to believe it.

"My refusal has nothing to do with Feng Xun. Between him and me, we are good friends." In her mind, she inadvertently thought of that gentle and warm man who needed careful nurturing, and her words softened a bit.

Ye Lingyue was unaware of these changes in herself, but Xiahou Qi saw them clearly.

A sense of sourness spread in his heart.

From the corner of his eyes, Xiahou Qi glimpsed a flutter of light purple at the end of the corridor.

To win Ling Yue's heart, he did not mind playing the villain once.

"Are you saying that you have no feelings for Feng Xun?" Xiahou Qi asked again.

"None, I just regard him as a brother," replied Ye Lingyue without hesitation.

Behind her, there was the slight sound of garment rustling. Ye Lingyue was slightly surprised and turned around.

In this season of returning warmth yet still cold, the snow on the eaves of the palace corridors was starting to melt.

Feng Xun was wearing a white fox fur, standing at the end of the corridor, his eyes intently fixed on Ye Lingyue.

That sentence, "I just regard him as a brother," still lingered in the air.

Her heart sank bit by bit.

Ye Lingyue felt a moment of panic; Feng Xun, how could he be here?

"Prince Feng."

"Sixth Prince, Princess Ye." Feng Xun looked well.

After staying in the Hot Spring Palace for over a month, Feng Xun's health had "recovered". He came to the palace to thank Emperor Xia for the generosity of providing the Hot Spring Palace, but as soon as he reached the corridor, he saw a familiar figure.

Seeing Ye Lingyue, even in the dead of winter, Feng Xun felt as though he saw the warmest sunlight of winter, and he couldn't help but want to step forward.

But just then, the Sixth Prince Xiahou Qi caught up.

He grabbed Ling Yue's hand, Feng Xun knew that was the moment he should walk away, but his feet uncontrollably lingered where they were.

When he heard that the Sixth Prince was seeking marriage and offering the position of the official wife, Feng Xun's heart leaped.

Although he had long known that he was not worthy of Ye Lingyue, when he heard her refusal, Feng Xun's lips couldn't help but lift into a smile.

Ling Yue did not agree... But her next words made Feng Xun's heart plummet from the clouds to the valley.

Brother, Ling Yue referred to him as her brother.

Having not seen her for nearly a month, he had grown thinner, and his cheeks slightly sunken, enhancing the distinctness of his facial features.

Even though Feng Xun kept a smile on his face, Ye Lingyue always felt an air of gloom hanging above him, like dense rain clouds.

He called her Princess Ye, with such a distant tone.

"Feng Xun, just now?" Ye Lingyue grew nervous, stealing a glance at Feng Xun.

Feng Xun looked back at Ye Lingyue with a gaze filled with sorrow and said in a deep voice.

"I surely do not have a sister as big as you."

"Pfft." Ye Lingyue laughed out loud.

Her eyes gleamed like the new moon, and hearing Feng Xun's teasing, Ye Lingyue knew he wasn't angry.

"Good Feng Xun, you're even closer than my own elder brother." Seeing that he wasn't mad, Ye Lingyue also breathed a sigh of relief, unaware why his words had turned her worries into happiness.

Her cheeks blushed slightly, her coy expression stirred something in Feng Xun's heart.

Feng Xun gazed at Ye Lingyue, his handsome features relaxing as if the first breath of spring breeze that brushes the willow branches, not knowing whose heart it had touched.

His doting eyes almost seemed to be dripping with affection.

Ye Lingyue chatted with Feng Xun, expressing her care, while Feng Xun was not very talkative, only replying succinctly to her questions, spending most of the time simply listening.

This scene, caught in the eyes of Xiahou Qi, had an inexplicably strange taste.

Clearly, Ye Lingyue and Feng Xun were just a few steps away from him, yet between the two seemed to form a natural barrier, preventing not just others, but even the nearby flowers, specks of sunlight, and gentle breezes from intruding.

That was the world belonging to Ye Lingyue and Feng Xun.

Under his sleeves, Xiahou Qi clenched his fists, veins popping.

"Prince Feng, you were here to see the Emperor, right? He's in Chaohua Palace, let me take you there," Xiahou Qi abruptly interrupted their conversation.

"I almost forgot, Feng Xun, you're sensitive to cold, don't catch a chill," Ye Lingyue urged Feng Xun to hurry back.

"It's cold, your hands are freezing, I brought a heater, use it to warm your hands," Feng Xun ordered the Sword Slave to bring over a heater, placing it in Ye Lingyue's hands.

His fingers were icy cold, starkly contrasting the warm heater.

These actions, seemed so intimate, yet Feng Xun carried them out naturally.

Ye Lingyue was stunned, only to see Feng Xun and the Sixth Prince had already walked far away.

When they passed through the imperial garden, the Sixth Prince halted.

"Prince Feng, did you clearly hear what Princess Ye said?"

The unique understanding between Feng Xun and Ye Lingyue was like that of an old married couple, a scene not even observed between the Emperor and Empress Liu.

Yet strangely, Ye Lingyue, who was in the midst of it, was utterly unaware.

~Extra chapter for 1180 monthly votes. Goddess Feng is about to exert her power, kakaka~