The Glory

"Then..." Fu Yunхi lооkеd аt her. "How аbоut I marry уou?"

An аwkwаrd silеnсе еnsued. Hаn Yan stared at him in stunned disbeliеf, stаmmering, "Yоur Highnеss... Yоur Нighnеss must be jоking. Наn Yаn hаs nevеr considerеd mаrrying Yоur Highness."

"No сoncubinеs, no seсоndаrу wivеs, nо mаidservants fоr intimаcу. Тhе Xuаn Qing Prinсе's Mansiоn will hаve оnly you аs its princess соnsоrt. All thеse conditiоns уоu mentiоnеd, I саn fulfill." Нis vоicе wаs cоol аnd steadу, yеt thе tеrms he оffеrеd wеre irresistibly tеmpting. The Xuan Qing Рrince's Mаnsion pоssessеd wеalth rivаling that of the entire nation. Even setting aside such immense riches, Fu Yunxi himself was the dream match every young lady in the Great Dynasty yearned for.

Seeing Han Yan unmoved, he continued, "The servants in the mansion will not dare to bully you. The officials' daughters in the capital will not dare to look down on you. Your stepmother and father will not dare to mock you. You will belong solely to the Xuan Qing Prince's Mansion. Apart from me, you need not fear anyone." His expression was gentle and beguiling, his voice carrying a low, coaxing tone. If anyone were to pass by at that moment, they would witness a handsome young man seducing a girl not yet of marriageable age.

Han Yan felt her mind explode with a "boom." Who said Helian Yu was the most bewitching figure in the capital? They clearly hadn't seen Fu Yunxi in his seductive guise! It proved that a man who appeared restrained and aloof, once he began to charm, possessed a temptation and allure ingrained in his very bones. His demeanor was gentle yet dazzling, like a fallen immortal, radiating a breathtaking beauty.

As if bewitched, Han Yan nearly uttered a "yes," but she regained her senses upon catching sight of the Buddha statue. Silently reciting "form is emptiness, emptiness is form," she composed herself and said solemnly, "There are plenty of young ladies who wish to marry Your Highness. Why would you choose to marry me?"

He withdrew his seductive expression, his face turning impassive. "Because... I want to fulfill someone's wish."

The statement was vague. Puzzled, Han Yan asked, "To fulfill someone's wish—why must it be me?"

"I need a princess consort, and you are suitable," he replied.

Suitability was always simpler than affection, yet it also made betrayal less likely. Affection... was an elusive, intangible thing—perhaps present today but gone tomorrow. Suitability, however, was different. To deem someone suitable was to acknowledge them after comparison. In the short term, it would not become unsuitability.

Hearing this answer, for some reason, Han Yan felt a twinge of disappointment. Steadying herself, she asked, "Why am I suitable?"

Fu Yunxi smiled, a rare occurrence. "You are selfish, audacious, cunning, and ruthless..."

"Hey," Han Yan interrupted before he could finish. "Am I that terrifying? If I'm so wicked, and you say I'm suitable to be your princess consort, doesn't that mean your princess consort is best suited to be a venomous woman?"

Fu Yunxi looked at her, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Most importantly, you are not one to die easily."

The words sounded plain, yet they carried infinite depth. Han Yan stood up abruptly. "What do you mean?"

Her expression turned wary and guarded, as if every inch of her bristled with defenses. Seeing her like this, Fu Yunxi sighed inwardly.This little girl, just like her name suggests, resembled a wild goose—looking fluffy, naive, and adorable. Yet, if anyone tried to harm her, she would fiercely peck out their eyes. She was a gentle wild goose, but with the character "cold" in her name, she carried a stern and imposing aura. His princess didn’t need a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse; a young yet fierce wild goose like her was just right.

"You are strong," he said.

He didn’t wish to say more. Han Yan felt suspicious, but seeing his calm and gentle demeanor, she couldn’t bring herself to remain cold. She sat down again at a distance and asked, "Your Highness, do you not have a sweetheart?"

Fu Yunxi was taken aback. "No."

Han Yan felt somewhat disappointed, as if unsatisfied with his answer. After all, someone as handsome and outstanding as him, who had been dashing and romantic in his youth and belonged to the royal nobility, should have had a few amorous affairs. Yet he said he hadn’t. She wondered if he was lying. No wonder there were rumors...

Han Yan jumped up. "Could it be that you’re a cut-sleeve and want to marry me just to silence the world’s gossip?"

Fu Yunxi was stunned and fell silent for a long moment.

"I’m a cut-sleeve?" His deep phoenix eyes narrowed, his tone carrying a hint of danger.

Seeing him like this, Han Yan became even more convinced it was a sign of guilt. She now had a reasonable explanation for Fu Yunxi’s earlier words: "Everyone says so, so it must be true. If you marry me, you can keep any male lovers you have under my cover. No wonder you rejected the affections of so many noble ladies in the capital but chose to marry me as your princess. Clearly, you see me as weak and easy to bully. Once I’m married and realize I’ve been deceived, I’ll have no one to turn to and will have to swallow my grievances." Her eyes widened as she stared at Fu Yunxi as if he were a demon. "What a deep scheme!"

In truth, Han Yan was overly sensitive about this matter, which made her words reckless and unthinking. After her outburst, Fu Yunxi’s face darkened instantly. He slowly stood up and repeated, "I’m a cut-sleeve?"

Han Yan leaned against the altar table, furious. "Isn’t that the case?"

Fu Yunxi walked over to Han Yan, placing one hand on the altar table behind her, encircling her within his reach. Han Yan, already much smaller than him, could only look up at him angrily.

Fu Yunxi leaned down, noticing Han Yan’s flushed face—whether from anger or agitation, he couldn’t tell. His heart stirred as he examined her closely. She was petite, her face still carrying a hint of childishness, with a delicate nose and cherry lips, giving her a fresh and lovely appearance. She couldn’t be called peerlessly beautiful, but what stood out were her clear, autumn-water-like eyes—bright and profound, yet somehow unfathomable. In this world, there were very few people Fu Yunxi couldn’t see through, and Zhuang Hanyan was one of them.

Pinned against the altar table in this position, Han Yan began to sense something was amiss. She wasn’t truly a thirteen- or fourteen-year-old girl and naturally understood the ambiguity of this posture. Fu Yunxi’s handsome face loomed above her, his deep eyes fixed on her meaningfully. Han Yan felt goosebumps rising wherever his gaze lingered, and her confidence wavered. Her voice softened as she asked, "You... what are you doing?"Fu Yunxi looked at her with a half-smile, his voice cool and clear: "I'm a cut-sleeve, hmm?"

That "hmm" rose at the end, like an elegant palace incense—cold, thin, and dangerous, carrying a barely perceptible anger that seeped icily into one's heart.

Han Yan shivered and wisely changed her tune: "You're not... not a cut-sleeve."

Fu Yunxi felt somewhat amused inside. He had thought Han Yan would be stubborn for a while, but she had changed her words so quickly—truly cunning as a loach. Such craftiness, yet it was hard to dislike her.