"Please continue."
Because Xia Yan visited the princess's mansion again and again.
As time went by.
Gu Qingqing gradually changed her opinion of him from impatience and regarded him as a friend.
Since the Gu family had a good relationship with the An family before, and now the An family had been ransacked, leaving only An Yun, Xia Yan took good care of An Yun.
An Yun once thought.
The reason why Xia Yan often visited the princess's mansion was that he couldn't let go of her.
Thinking that she was now in a humble position but still received such treatment from Xia Yan, her love for Xia Yan grew deeper in her heart.
Xia Yan had been in contact with the princess's mansion for about half a year.
Seeing Gu Qingqing smiling more often,
he thought the time was ripe.
So, Xia Yan found an opportunity to confess his feelings to Gu Qingqing.
However, to Xia Yan's surprise, Gu Qingqing was extremely shocked when she heard this and seriously rejected Xia Yan.
She also said, "Your Highness, I have no fate with you. You don't need to waste your feelings on me."
Xia Yan said, "I know it's impossible for the princess to accept me all at once. But I'm willing to wait for the princess, always, until the day when the princess is willing. Only then will I marry the princess."
Xia Yan thought Gu Qingqing just needed time to consider.
But Gu Qingqing said seriously and firmly, "Your Highness, I'll make it clear to you today. The person in my heart is not you. So, no matter if you wait for one year, ten years, or remain unmarried for life, there will never be any possibility between you and me."
Only then did Xia Yan realize that the reason she often looked eastward before was not because she was sentimental, but because she was waiting for someone.
But that someone was not him.
Zhao Shuning was a woman, so when she saw the look on Gu Qingqing's face when she looked into the distance, she could tell at once that the person Gu Qingqing liked was not Xia Yan.
Although before this, all she had heard was how in love Gu Qingqing and Xia Yan were.
Facts speak louder than words.
That night, no matter how Xia Yan confessed his feelings, Gu Qingqing firmly rejected him.
Moreover, from that night on,
the gates of the princess's mansion were closed to Xia Yan.
Even if Xia Yan had an imperial edict and wanted to meet Gu Qingqing, Gu Qingqing always found countless reasons to avoid him.
For a whole month, Xia Yan didn't see Gu Qingqing.
He really loved Gu Qingqing deeply. So, not seeing her for a month, he missed her so much that he was almost crazy.
Xia Yan felt he was going crazy.
Every night, as he walked, he would involuntarily walk to the princess's mansion.
But looking at the closed gates, he was helpless.
The situation took a turn on the night of the Mid - Autumn Festival.
Xia Yan had been drinking.
Walking on the long bridge,
from afar, he saw Gu Qingqing leading a group of people setting floating lanterns under the bridge.
He rubbed his eyes hard before believing he wasn't seeing things.
He shouted towards the bottom of the bridge, "Qingqing."
Maybe it was because of the alcohol or something else, but this was the first time Xia Yan called Gu Qingqing by her name. Usually, he always respectfully called her Princess.
Hearing someone calling her,
Gu Qingqing happily looked up.
But the moment she saw Xia Yan, all the joy on her face disappeared.
Xia Yan smiled.
Because this was the first time he had seen Gu Qingqing in three months.
He ran towards the bottom of the bridge like a madman.
But when he got there, there was no sign of Gu Qingqing by the lake. Only An Yun was waiting for him there.
Xia Yan was disheartened.
An Yun spoke, "Brother Xia."
"Xiaoyun, is she gone?"
An Yun nodded.
Xia Yan slumped to the ground dejectedly, and tears involuntarily rolled down his eyes.
"Brother Xia, why are you crying? It's not that I don't want to see you. It's just that the princess has become very strange in the past few months. She doesn't allow anyone in the mansion to see you. I don't know if she has discovered what's between us."
Xia Yan looked at An Yun in surprise.
"Xiaoyun, why do you say that?"
"Brother Xia, will you answer me a question first?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you despise me for being the daughter of a convicted official?"
Xia Yan shook his head. If he despised An Yun for this reason, he wouldn't have taken good care of her every time he visited the princess's mansion during his long stay in the State of Cangwu.
Seeing Xia Yan shake his head, An Yun showed the most brilliant smile on her face.
She threw herself into Xia Yan's arms and hugged him tightly.
"I knew it. I knew Brother Xia was a gentleman and would never despise me because of this."
An Yun lay in Xia Yan's arms.
Maybe it was the alcohol going to his head or the soft and fragrant beauty in his arms. Looking at An Yun with tears in her eyes, looking up at him like a pear blossom in the rain,
his body began to heat up.
An Yun took the initiative to offer her kiss.
This kiss made the evil fire in Xia Yan's lower abdomen surge up.
Immediately,
he held An Yun's head with both hands.
Unable to hold back any longer,
he kissed her fiercely.
Maybe it was fate.
That night, Gu Qingqing went to bed early because she was in a bad mood and didn't notice whether An Yun was by her side or not.
There were few people passing under the over - bridge.
So no one noticed the amorous scene under the over - bridge.
The next day.
Before dawn.
Xia Yan woke up.
His head still ached a bit.
An Yun was lying quietly in his arms, sleeping soundly.
Xia Yan sat up in shock.
He covered his forehead with both hands. An Yun quickly sat up and asked, "Brother Xia, what's wrong?"
An Yun was putting on her clothes while putting a coat on Xia Yan.
"Brother Xia, you don't need to regret or feel sorry for me. What happened last night was all my own will."
Xia Yan covered his forehead.
He didn't say a word for a long time.
An Yun just stood quietly beside him.
After a long time,
Xia Yan finally looked up.
The first thing he said when he looked at An Yun was, "I'm sorry."
An Yun was stunned, and her smile froze a bit.
"Brother Xia - no, Your Highness, what are you talking about? Why are you apologizing to me?"
"I'm sorry."
It was still these three words.
The smile on An Yun's face faded, and big tears kept rolling down.
"What on earth do you want to say?"
Actually, An Yun had already guessed.
If Xia Yan really liked her, after getting her, he shouldn't have such a regretful expression.
"Why? Brother Xia, tell me, why?"
"Xiaoyun!"
Xia Yan roared.
There were faint figures looking over from the long bridge.
"Brother Xia -"
An Yun's eyes were full of pleading. Her hands were a bit shaky. She was afraid, afraid of hearing the answer she didn't want.
But Xia Yan didn't intend to stop.
"Xiaoyun, I don't want to lie to you. The person I like is not you -"