Seeing Feng Xiao stride off with wide steps, Murong Yi Xuan stood in his spot a moment before he walked further into the house to come to Feng Qing Ge’s courtyard.
The two maids in waiting there immediately bent their knees in greeting when they saw Murong Yi Xuan and addressed him: "Lord Third Prince."
"You’re both dismissed." He remained standing within the courtyard, and indicated to the two maids for them to recuse themselves.
The two maids exchanged a glance with each other and nodded their acknowledgement to Murong Yi Xuan as they curtsied and walked outside.
Feng Qing Ge was inside her room when she heard Murong Yi Xuan’s voice outside, and her heart became more aggrieved the more she thought about it.
"Qing Ge, I have something I need to talk to you about." He stood in front of the door, and did not go in.
The room door opened with a creak and Feng Qing Ge stood behind it with a rather annoyed expression on her face as she asked: "What do you want to say? Are you going to tell me that you did not mean to intentionally stand back and watch me get slapped by someone? Or are you telling me that your heart has been moved by that pretty girl that had her face veiled?"
Murong Yi Xuan looked at her with a highly complicated expression on his face as he listened to her words. He was silent for a while before he said: "I’m sorry."
Seeing him apologise, Feng Qing Ge’s heart thumped and suddenly feeling flustered, she said: "Big Brother Murong, I have been feeling that you seem very distant from me these past few months. Do you really no love me anymore?"
"Qing Ge, you are a fine girl, more than fine really."
He lowered his eyes, and in his mind, he thought of that girl with her face veiled as he said: "It can be said that we liked each other from our childhood and I had always thought that we would continue on , to the point that just a few months ago, I had been prepared to ask my Royal Father to issue a decree to finalize our marriage."
"Big Brother Murong, you....."
"Hear me out completely." He then looked up at her and continued: "But in the recent months, just as you have been feeling, I have also felt that the two of us were growing further and further apart. I do not know when the feeling of my heart racing whenever we were together in the past stopped happening. I know this is being very cruel to you, but I do not wish to lie to you."
Looking at her tearing without a sound, he turned his eyes away and said: "I had actually wanted to tell your father earlier about annulling the arranged betrothal between us but as your Grandfather had suddenly gone missing, your father then had to lead the guards out to search for him. For this matter, I will speak to your father about it in a few days."
Feng Qing Ge leapt forward and hugged him tightly and sobbed helplessly. "No! I don’t want that! Big Brother Murong, I do not want to annul the betrothal! I only love you and I have loved you for a very very long time. Do you even know that?"
He let her hold him as his lowered eyes filled with guilt and he said: "Qing Ge, please do not do this. In future, I will still treat you just like my little sister, isn’t that good as well?"
"No! I do not want to be your little sister! I don’t want it! Big Brother Murong, tell me, is it because I am not good enough? Or in what way am I not doing well enough? Tell me, I will change. I will definitely change." She raised her head and looked at him with tears flowing down her face in sorrow, unable to believe all that she had just heard.
[She had genuinely loved him, really truly loved him. For him, she had learnt Feng Qing Ge’s each and every move, the way she spoke, her mannerisms. For him, she could even live with Feng Qing Ge’s identity her entire life, facing him with Feng Qing Ge’s countenance. But now, now he was saying that he wants to annul the marriage?]
He then pulled off the hands she had clasped tightly around his waist and looking guiltily at her, he said: "Qing Ge, I am not doing this in a fit of anger. This thought had been weighing in my heart for quite a long while and it is only today that I am saying it out aloud. I really hope you can understand that affairs of the heart cannot for coerced and I am very sorry that I have hurt you."
The moment his voice dropped, he did not look at her again but just strode away from there with wide steps.
Feng Qing Ge fell to the ground dispirited and despondent, staring in a daze at the unhesitant back of the departing figure, her nails digging deeply into her palms.