Jing Xunce had been frowning tightly all the time. After a long while, he finally opened his mouth to explain, "Of course I love you, Qier. Don't you believe my love for you even now? I only hate her now, there's no love left."
Hearing this, Mu Fengqie already understood. She was completely heart - broken. She slumped like a deflated ball, looking dejected.
"Heh, without love, where does hatred come from? If you had truly let go in your heart, you wouldn't be like this. When you truly stop loving someone, you stop caring. Don't deceive yourself anymore."
After saying that, Mu Fengqie lay down on the bed and closed her eyes. Jing Xunce still sat there in a daze. Now even he himself didn't know what he was thinking. He knew that ever since he saw the empress, his heart had started to feel in a mess.
He did hate her in his heart, and he indeed couldn't completely stop caring about her. So did he still have feelings for her deep down?
Jing Xunce found that he couldn't figure out his own thoughts. So he stood up and walked out of the room.
The moment she couldn't hear his footsteps anymore, Mu Fengqie couldn't help but burst into tears. It was only now that she realized how bitter love could be. She also sighed at how wise she had been in her previous life.
In her previous life, she hadn't gotten married even when she was fifty. So she had never suffered the pain brought by men in her whole life. Now she really regretted it, regretted falling in love with a man so easily.
When A Ru came back, she saw Mu Fengqie crying on the bed like a tearful mess. This scene really shocked A Ru. "Sister, what's wrong? What on earth happened? Why are you crying like this?"
She knew that the two of them must have something to talk about, so she deliberately left the room. Judging from Mu Fengqie's current state, it seemed that their conversation hadn't gone well.
"I... I'm fine... I'm really fine. Don't worry," Mu Fengqie sobbed.
A Ru wasn't stupid enough to really believe her words. "Sister, if you're feeling sad, just tell me. Bottling it up in your heart will only make you sick. You can tell me all your innermost thoughts. We're the closest people, aren't we?"
Hearing this, the tears that Mu Fengqie had just stopped welled up again. "A Ru, as an experienced person, I'm telling you not to like a man too much. Otherwise, you'll get hurt badly. Never fall in love with a man easily."
Originally, she had planned to live a good life with him and give him a child. But unexpectedly, his ex - girlfriend had come looking for him. The facts from ancient times to the present had proven that a man who couldn't let go of his ex - girlfriend was definitely not a good man. He was an out - and - out scumbag!
A Ru frowned slightly. "Sister, have you ever heard the saying 'the on - looker sees most of the game'? Actually, I think Brother - in - law loves you in his heart. He has already let go of that woman. Otherwise, why would he take care of your feelings and push that woman away?"
A Ru had already seen the clues, but the two of them just hadn't noticed. Jing Xunce's strong reaction might be because he was still attached to the past, or maybe he himself didn't know what was going on.
It seemed that Jing Xunce was really a blockhead. It was a waste that she had created that time for him. He was really such a dullard!
Mu Fengqie didn't believe what A Ru said at all. "If you don't love the Fifth Prince anymore and don't care about him, would you still hate him in your heart?"
A Ru shook her head. "I don't know either, but I know that we should cherish the present. You two have gone through so many hardships together. I believe you should know each other very well by now. This is also an opportunity, Sister. Don't be so pessimistic. Maybe things aren't as bad as you think."
A Ru's words touched Mu Fengqie. She didn't want to just give up like this. She was also a woman. Didn't the youth she had wasted deserve to be compensated?
Thinking of this, she calmed down. As time ticked by, the man from the brothel was brought into the room. Jing Xunce and Yuan Yuhan guarded beside him.
"You must have something important to ask me since you've gone to so much trouble to find me," the man asked.
At first, when he saw Jing Xunce and Yuan Yuhan, he could tell that they were men dressed as women. Going to the brothel with so much fanfare, they must have something important to ask him. Since he had been sold here, he could only wait patiently.
"Are you a descendant of the Ruan family?" Yuan Yuhan asked.
Hearing this, the man was stunned for a moment, then quickly regained his composure. "So what if I am? I'm a person in the brothel now. The things in the past have nothing to do with me."
Thinking of this, he let out a cold snort. He had never thought that he would end up in such a sorry state one day, reduced to a brothel inmate and labeled as a low - class person wherever he went.
"As a descendant of the Ruan family, do you know anything about the defense map of the Qin Dynasty?" Yuan Yuhan asked again.
A flash of surprise crossed the man's eyes. He seemed not to have expected them to ask such a question. Then the surprise on his face faded away completely.
No matter who was in front of him, the past had nothing to do with him. He was no longer the mighty general he used to be, so he didn't want to think about other things.
"I don't know. You must have the wrong person. I'm not who you're looking for. Do whatever you want to me. Anyway, my life is worthless. I might as well leave this world quickly."
Seeing that he refused to say anything, a hint of displeasure and impatience flashed across Jing Xunce's face. "What if I can help you revive the Ruan family?"
Hearing this, Ruan Ming was greatly shocked. He looked at Jing Xunce in disbelief. "Is what you said true? Who on earth are you? Why can you help me revive the Ruan family?"
Actually, Ruan Ming was a bit tempted when he heard this. After all, he didn't know where the other members of the Ruan family had been exiled to. He had really wanted to find them all back, but he no longer had the ability.
The Ruan family used to be so glorious. Except for the little prince, the status of the Ruan men was the same as that of the women in Nanqing. But now the Ruan family was no more.
But the person in front of him said that he could help him revive the Ruan family. He didn't know his identity, so he still kept a bit of caution in his heart.
Jing Xunce said without any hesitation, "The one who was wrongly accused of colluding with the enemy and betraying the country."