"Third, I uphold the principle of ’you respect me in inch, I reciprocate by a foot.’ In my marriage, if any blind relative dares to oppress me with seniority or looks down on me because of my humble background, I will strike back, regardless of whether she is my mother-in-law or younger aunt. Whoever bullies me must die!"
After speaking, she smiled at the man and said softly: "Have you heard my conditions? If you can meet these, then I’ll retire from the world, waiting for you to marry me."
Cai Wei’s words made Nangong Yi’s expression change in thousands of ways, full of surprise, shock, irritation, doubt, anger, and finally, all subsided to calmness.
He couldn’t understand her bizarre thoughts and concluded that it’s just a strategy made up by the girl to escape from him and avoid marrying him. She knew well that he, as the legitimate prince of Great Jin, couldn’t possibly marry a woman like her as his Official Wife, or marry only one woman in his lifetime, let alone indulge her in disobeying the Imperial Mother or creating discord with her younger aunt. She knew he couldn’t do these, and therefore, she deliberately brought them up to make him withdraw due to its difficulty!
Thinking about this, he started to talk again with a bitter smile: "Wei’er, did you deliberately come up with these impractical requirements just to avoid marrying me?"
Cai Wei laughed, looking at him with clear eyes, her tone calm and serious.
"No, Nangong Yi, these three conditions are the principles that I will never change, the bottom line that I can’t cross in this life, no matter when, even if one day I am old and faded, even if I become an old woman, I’ll never change my original intention."
Cai Wei’s words were gentle and slow, like a small stream flowing slowly, without a ripple, but it shocked Nangong Yi beyond measure. He watched the petite girl on the couch with complex eyes, unable to imagine that a girl of her age could have such a proud heart.
His chest felt as if it was being crushed, leaving him breathless.
He smiled palely and said a few unconvincing words in an attempt to retrieve things back to normal: "I didn’t expect you to be a woman who values nominal status. Understand that without a husband’s love, what’s the difference of being an official wife? Even if she’s not the official wife, but she has her husband’s love, her husband won’t let her live worse than the official wife?"
Cai Wei said, "You’re right. I’m the kind of woman who cares about nominal status, and is often jealous and obsessive. My husband can only be mine, whether in name or physically. If he had any contact with another woman, I would never want him again, as you said before, it’s ’disgusting!’"
Outside the window, the night wind howled, causing the window panes to rattle.
The man’s heart sank inch by inch with the rattling of the window panes. His handsome face bore an unprecedented weariness; he looked at Cai Wei deeply, knowing that he was destined not to have her, with deep disappointment and reluctance in his eyes.
Suddenly, he resented his own birthright. If he hadn’t been born into the royal family, without those heavy responsibilities on his shoulders, maybe he could have happily proposed to her, merrily marry her home and live the life she expected, with her as a pair for life, living a simple, happy life...
How wonderful it would be to have such a peaceful and comfortable life, drinking dew at dawn, eating autumn chrysanthemums at night. But, it is, after all, an unrealizable dream...
Before he left, he released her from her acupoints and said with a bitter smile: "Well, you’ve finally got what you wanted. I won’t pester you anymore, but Wei’er, if one day I find out that you’re tricking me, I won’t be polite."
After the man said that, he headed towards the door without looking back, his tall, solitary figure looking particularly desolate.
Finally rid of him, Cai Wei sat up, releasing a long sigh of relief. Her mood instantly lightened, feeling as if a weight had been lifted.
Nangong Yi left Cai Wei’s room and landed on the roof with a single movement. Chai Feng was sitting there cross-legged, using his martial arts skills to keep the cold at bay. Upon seeing the master arrive, he quickly knelt on the tiles, eyes full of expectation.
"Master, can I go back with you now..."
Nangong Yi coldly interrupted him: "Continue to protect her and don’t let her come to any harm..."
Chai Feng got anxious: "Master, but Miss Mu is not going to marry you, but still... You’re..."
Nangong Yi turned around, his handsome face somewhat lonely: "Even so, she must be well protected. This is... a debt I owe her."
Chai Feng lowered his head, speechless. Hatred towards the woman who refused to marry their master arose in his heart. If not for her, they wouldn’t need to separate from the master, nor wait indefinitely to return to his side!