Chapter 78: Utterly Endearing

Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Utterly Endearing

Shen Tingyu took out two teacups and filled one for her first. "Have some water to soothe your throat."

Cui Lingyao was indeed thirsty.

She hadn’t felt it while talking with Xie Jinbai for so long, but now, with the tea in front of her, her mouth felt dry and parched.

She picked up the teacup and downed it in one go.

Shen Tingyu watched her quietly, then raised his arm to refill her cup. "Are you willing to tell me about it?"

Cui Lingyao gave him a look and mouthed the words, "Could someone be eavesdropping?"

She never forgot that the reason her identity had been exposed was a single, casual remark she’d made to Shen Hanyue in a carriage, which Xie Jinbai had happened to overhear.

Shen Tingyu paused, glanced out the carriage window, and said, "Go ahead and speak freely."

Cui Lingyao trusted him, and his words immediately put her at ease. "He knows my identity," she said. "No matter how I deny it, it’s useless. He’s certain that I’m..."

She stopped, leaving the rest unsaid.

Of course, Shen Tingyu knew which identity she meant.

He wasn’t surprised. He had anticipated this situation.

Or rather, before coming to the Duke Zhao Mansion, he had prepared for every possible contingency.

Shen Tingyu lowered his gaze, his eyelashes casting a shadow as he stared at the teacup before him, lost in thought.

A few moments of silence passed.

Cui Lingyao was the first to break the silence. "Our marriage agreement... it can’t stand anymore."

Shen Tingyu’s eyes shot up. "You’re going to marry into Prince Yu’s Mansion again?"

"...No," Cui Lingyao said. "He didn’t force me on that point. He just forbade me from having a marriage agreement with anyone else."

Hearing this, Shen Tingyu was taken aback for a moment. Then, after a long pause, he actually laughed.

He sighed with a laugh. "Truly worthy of the Great General who made his name young and has never known defeat."

It seemed like he was giving her leeway, a stark contrast to his formerly uncompromising and domineering attitude.

In reality, he had only ever given her one choice.

To marry him again.

The only difference was whether it would be sooner or later.

And even that ’later’ probably had a deadline.

But Xie Jinbai’s handling of the situation was superb; he didn’t provoke her rebellious streak.

That’s why she could still say in a calm tone that he hadn’t forced her.

’What brilliant tactics.’

’As expected, a man who can command an army of thousands and dominate the battlefield would never be a mere brute.’

Cui Lingyao wasn’t slow-witted. She understood the implication in his words.

She mentally replayed her meeting with Xie Jinbai from earlier that day.

The scenes and conversations, from the moment she entered the courtyard to the moment she left, replayed in her mind.

First, the Washing Ink Turtle had awakened her lingering feelings from the past. Then, he had gotten straight to the point, exposing her identity and catching her completely off guard.

He had recounted the past in detail, clearing up the misunderstanding about Li Wanrong.

During their talk, he repeatedly accused her of being stingy with her affection, claiming their emotional investment was unequal. He painted himself as just a man who, upon discovering his wife might not love him, couldn’t help but test her again and again.

And since she had indeed approached him with a mission, his accusations naturally made her feel very guilty.

’Then he started getting physical.’

’He held her for a long time.’

’He even kissed her.’

’He took every advantage.’

Running through the memories, Cui Lingyao realized she had been led by Xie Jinbai’s tempo the entire time.

That man had held nothing back, employing a round of tactics from gentle persuasion and feigned weakness to outright intimidation.

He had even buried his face in her neck and shed silent tears.

The very picture of someone deserving of pity.

For a man who had always been so cold, proud, untamable, and utterly dominant to suddenly act this way... even someone with a heart of stone couldn’t help but be moved.

No matter how calm and rational Cui Lingyao was, she was still only human.

She had been swept along by his rhythm.

Seeing how crazed and stubborn he was, she had even thought he would drag her back with him today.

So when he finally took a step back and gave her some breathing room, she had actually been surprised.

She had genuinely believed he wasn’t forcing her.

’Honestly... He played me for a fool, and I still thought he was being kind.’

Cui Lingyao’s expression darkened. She snatched up her teacup and took a hard swallow.

Shen Tingyu’s gaze had been on her the whole time. Seeing her reaction, his eyes narrowed slightly. "Setting aside everything Xie Jinbai said and did today, ask yourself what you truly want. If you could start over, would you marry him again, or would you choose a completely different life?"

"...I can’t set it aside."

Cui Lingyao’s tone was complicated. "He was my husband. He already knows my identity and has made it clear he won’t allow me to be with another. Under these circumstances, how can I possibly set it aside?"

Xie Jinbai’s status was what it was.

In Shen Tingyu’s eyes, he was just Prince Yu. Even with strong support in the imperial court, he wasn’t the Crown Prince yet.

Even if he were the Crown Prince, it wouldn’t mean much.

After all, Great Yue had enjoyed a century of prosperity. While its successive kings might not have all been enlightened rulers, none had ever erred in matters of basic propriety and morality.

The act of a king stealing his subject’s wife was unheard of.

It wouldn’t matter if Xie Jinbai ascended the throne in the future. As long as they were successfully married, nothing could change that.

But Cui Lingyao knew that next year, at the age of twenty-five, Xie Jinbai would be instated as the Crown Prince.

At twenty-six, he would ascend the throne as emperor.

It would happen in the blink of an eye.

’Moreover, an age of chaos is coming.’

’If Xie Jinbai lives, the empire will be safe.’

’If Xie Jinbai dies, he must leave behind a legitimate heir to ensure a stable transfer of imperial power.’

’That way, Great Yue won’t fall into civil war. Even if the Alien Clans rise again, the empire won’t be like scattered sand, picked off one by one.’

’And what I have to do... is make sure he leaves behind a legitimate heir.’

The carriage fell silent.

Shen Tingyu picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and asked her, "So, what have you decided?"

Cui Lingyao didn’t hesitate. "Let’s call off our engagement," she said directly.

Xie Jinbai’s bottom line was that no other man could come between them.

She still wanted to complete her mission, so she couldn’t, and wouldn’t, challenge that line.

Cui Lingyao said, "Our engagement was just a stopgap measure to allay Xie Jinbai’s suspicions. Now that my identity is completely exposed, it’s no longer necessary."

’No longer necessary...’

Shen Tingyu’s fingers trembled slightly.

He subconsciously tightened his grip on the teacup to hide his trembling knuckles and asked again, "Have you really... thought this through?"

His strained voice betrayed a hint of his true emotions.

Cui Lingyao heard it loud and clear.

Thinking of all the effort he had put into this engagement, a sour feeling suddenly swelled in her chest.

She pressed her lips together and gave a soft "Mm." "In any case, I am very grateful to you."

After arriving in Great Yue again, faced with Mrs. Shen’s grave illness, her own imminent marriage, and her panic during Xie Jinbai’s nightly visit, Shen Tingyu’s appearance had greatly soothed her anxiety.

He had given her a clear direction.

Even if that direction had been completely thrown into disarray by Xie Jinbai in such a short time.

She thanked him earnestly.

But Shen Tingyu seemed not to have heard her.

He released the teacup, his body falling back against the carriage wall as if drained of all strength. He didn’t speak for a long time.

Cui Lingyao didn’t speak either.

She felt a little awkward.

And for some reason, a stifling sensation came over her.

The carriage was clearly spacious, yet she felt like she couldn’t breathe.

She wished the carriage would go faster so they could arrive sooner.

At some point, Shen Tingyu looked over at her. Seeing her cramped and uneasy expression, he sighed silently. "Don’t be like that, Yaoyao. You’re making me feel embarrassed."