Chapter 442: The Care of the Dead 01

Chapter 442

Faced with Ru Ge's candor, Rongyue also opened up and spoke frankly with her,

"But you still helped me out of the predicament, didn't you?"

She smiled, "I want to hear the story between you and Jing Yan. Are you willing to tell me?"

Upon hearing the name 'Jing Yan', Ru Ge's heart trembled violently.

She had known Xiao Jingyan for quite some time, but in the past, whether it was meeting him or in private, she had always addressed him politely as 'Prince An'.

But Rongyue could utter Xiao Jingyan's name so naturally.

Just this one point alone made her completely different.

Ru Ge remained silent for a brief moment, then smiled bitterly and unnaturally,

"It's not that the concubine wants to hide anything from Consort Shun, but between the concubine and Prince An...there truly isn't anything worth mentioning. Or perhaps I should say, in all these years, the concubine had only that one chance to be alone with Prince An."

She took out the Double Happiness Knot that Zhao Hua had returned to her from her bosom,

Lowering her gaze, she fixed her eyes on the 'Rong' character embroidered in the center, feeling bitter in her heart.

She had been infatuated and mistaken for so many years, and now that she had discovered the truth, she felt as if she had just woken up from a dream. She didn't know who to blame anymore.

She sighed almost inaudibly, noticing the doubtful look in Rongyue's eyes, and asked:

"Consort Shun is looking at the concubine like this, wondering why this Double Happiness Knot with your name embroidered on it should have been in Prince An's possession, but has ended up in the concubine's hands, am I right?"

Rongyue nodded in curiosity, but Ru Ge said:

"Because I stole it from Prince An." Fiind updated novels at novelhall.com

"Stole?"

Ru Ge said the word 'stole' very lightly, but it sounded particularly jarring to Rongyue's ears.

Ru Ge was born into a prestigious family and was considered wealthy in the Capital City.

Although the Double Happiness Knot was made of the precious and rare Celestial Silkworm Silk, it should not have driven her, a well-bred young lady, to do anything improper.

So Rongyue probed further, "What do you mean by that?"

That was why she rambled on so sincerely to Rongyue.

She then went on to describe how she had mistaken the 'Rong' character embroidered on the Double Happiness Knot as her own nickname, and how she had clung to this illusion, eagerly awaiting each passing day...

After listening to her account of the years of longing and eventual disappointment, Rongyue couldn't help but feel pity for her,

"I don't know how to console you. To suffer from unrequited love for so many years, only to realize in the end that it was all a misunderstanding - no matter who experienced this, it would be a difficult blow. Perhaps...you might even resent me?"

"No." Ru Ge shook her head in denial, but tears still welled up in her eyes,

"Everything from beginning to end was my own one-sided infatuation. I knew that, so how could I force others to take responsibility for my one-sided feelings? Let alone blame others for it."

She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath.

After pouring out all those secrets that had been suppressed deep within her heart, Ru Ge appeared much more relaxed.

A relieved smile curved her lips,

"Now that I understand that 'the fairy had a dream, but Prince Xiang had no intentions', it was all just an illusion, a mere mirage. Reflecting on how I wasted so many years on a naive girl's fancies, it does seem rather laughable."

After a pause, she asked Rongyue,

"What about you, Your Highness? After all these years, you still keep that Double Happiness Knot. Could it be that you haven't let go of what's in your heart?"

Rongyue remained silent for a moment, not directly answering her question, but said:

"I have my parents and relatives behind me, the entire Tong clan. That's why, once I entered the palace, no matter what past baggage I couldn't let go of, I had to. For us women, many things are predetermined from the moment we are born. I have no choice, and neither do you. But...while my physical body may be confined within the Imperial City for life, I can still freely choose where to place my heart."

Her words were profound, and Ru Ge nodded in understanding, but then suddenly asked:

"Your Highness, do you believe that in this world, many things are actually predestined in the grand scheme of things?"

Rongyue paused, "What do you mean?"

Ru Ge wanted to give the Double Happiness Knot to Rongyue, but Rongyue waved her hand in refusal. As a result, Ru Ge could only suspend her hand in midair, smiling faintly as she said:

"If I had not left home impetuously that day, I would not have encountered danger and been rescued by Prince An, nor would I have found this Double Happiness Knot and mistakenly developed feelings for Prince An. Without this Double Happiness Knot, Consort Yun and Concubine Li's schemes against my Lady would have succeeded, and no matter how composed and intelligent my Lady is, it would have been extremely difficult for you to extricate yourself from this situation. So......"

As she spoke, she took advantage of Rongyue's lack of attention and slipped the Double Happiness Knot into her palm,

"Instead of saying that I saved my Lady, it would be more accurate to say that Prince An, who is connected to you by fate, was able to protect you from the unseen forces through this knot."