"I love you, that’s your qualification!"
Ten words, resounding with a thud.
Gan Yuan’s breath tightened, her fingers clasping at her side slowly curled up, her nails digging deeply into her palm.
The consequences were too frightening to contemplate.
The man before her would definitely be angry, enraged, pained!
If she didn’t see him, she could flee far away, but facing those eyes, how could she harden her heart?
"Ajue!" She took a deep breath, gazing into the man’s eyes, and spoke slowly, "Have you ever considered that once I accept this ring, it might bring disaster upon you? You might lose your throne, lose... many important things. Do you truly not care?"
"Of course I care," the man said calmly, holding the ring, "But I care about you more, and about Xiao Jue! If a man can’t protect the woman and child he cares about the most, what right does he have to be king? I’m willing to make an effort, and I’ll take all the consequences."
He was the royal heir, she harbored an unspeakable secret...
Neither of them were ordinary, doomed to be unable to do as they pleased like ordinary people.
She loved this man, and for him, she was willing to sacrifice everything.
But she was truly afraid, afraid that he would be implicated, afraid something would happen to him.
Huangfu Jue listened quietly to each of her words, and in her eyes, he saw nothing but love.
Because he cared, he understood the feeling of being extra cautious.
Being an heir was his destined fate.
It would be a lie to say he didn’t care about the throne, the kingdom...
Since his early years, his mother had taught him, "If one cannot govern his own home, how can he govern a kingdom?"
If he shrank back from even this small matter, what right did he have to control the fate of this nation?
There were no sweet nothings, only deeply considered certainty and persistence. His proposal was not a spur of the moment decision; from the moment he recognized her, he knew this day would come eventually.
The man’s calmness seemed to infect Gan Yuan; her breathing and heartbeat gradually returned to their normal rhythm.
She could tell that this was not an impulsive act. Gazing into Huangfu Jue’s fearless blue eyes, her trembling fingers began to regain strength.
If he dared to stake everything, why couldn’t she be brave and take a chance?
So far, Moses dared not make a move, or perhaps... even he was afraid of Huangfu Jue...
What if... she really succeeded?!
The man stretched out his right hand, opening it towards her in mid-air.
The clenched fingers gradually relaxed, lifted...
Trembling, she placed her palm in his.
She loved him, wanted to be with him, and even if there was only the slightest chance, she was willing to sacrifice everything to fight for it.
The man’s lips curved into a smile as he cradled her slender fingers. Gently, he slid the ring onto her left middle finger, holding both her hand and the ring in his palm, his voice deep.
This ring was tailormade for her, only she was qualified to wear it.
The ring, made of an unknown metal, felt heavy on her finger, as if it had been on his person for too long, even carrying his body warmth.
Gan Yuan understood that it was not just a ring, but a piece of his true heart, which she couldn’t and didn’t want to betray.
"I will... cherish it as I cherish life!"
Just as she loved him.