Rеаlizing this, bоth wеrе inwаrdly shoсkеd. Реi Wеnxuan keрt his еxprеssion unchаngеd, lоwеring his hеаd to gazе at the chessboard whilе fiddling with а piеcе in his hаnd, рrеtending tо роndеr. Li Rоng, meаnwhile, lifted her еуes, siрping tea аs she seсretly оbsеrvеd him.
Реi Wеnхuan reviеwеd Li Rong’s асtiоns from stаrt to finish. Тhоugh she aррeаred willful and spоiled, her cоnduсt wаs aсtually quite mеthоdiсal. Shе wоuldn’t саusе trоuble withоut rеasоn; what sеemed likе unreаsоnаble рrоvосation was оften just her finding a way tо punish someоne. But sinсe this wаs his first mеeting with Li Rоng, what about him had displeased her enough to make her torment him like this?
However, if the premise was that Li Rong, like him, had also been reborn, everything made far more sense.
If Li Rong had been reborn now, it must be because his subordinates had succeeded. With her intelligence, she would surely have guessed before her death that he was the one behind it. Facing the enemy who had killed her, the fact that she could restrain herself from killing him outright was already an act of extraordinary mercy. Tormenting him was merely a way to vent her anger. As for whether she still intended to marry him—that remained unknown.
After all, in their previous life...
Pei Wenxuan’s heart sank. Li Rong and Su Rongqing had, in a way, been fond of each other.
Though his mind was in turmoil, Pei Wenxuan’s expression betrayed nothing. He set down the chess piece, feigning deep thought.
Li Rong secretly studied Pei Wenxuan’s expression. Seeing him appear as calm as ever, she grew puzzled.
She remembered the twenty-year-old Pei Wenxuan as still carrying a touch of youthful awkwardness, acutely aware of his circumstances and much more even-tempered. Back then, during their first meeting, though he had maintained a semblance of composure, his eyes had betrayed a hint of fluster.
After all, meeting one’s future wife—and a princess at that—should naturally stir some emotion.
But the present Pei Wenxuan wasn’t just emotionless—he treated her like an old acquaintance! That was why he dared to confront and oppose her, scheming right under her nose and outmaneuvering the other three.
This Pei Wenxuan was too strange. But if he, like her, had been reborn, it all made perfect sense.
In an instant, suspicion arose in both their hearts—a suspicion that was almost certainty. Yet both were inherently cautious people. Having doubts required verification. Moreover, if the other was also reborn, whether to let them know about one’s own rebirth became a matter requiring careful consideration.
Thus, neither spoke, each pretending to be calm and composed, as if nothing were amiss.
The two played on for a while, each harboring their own thoughts, an eerie silence enveloping them. Jing Mei and Jing Lan stood at a distance. Jing Mei whispered, “You said the princess didn’t like Young Master Pei, but I think they’re getting along quite well.”
“The princess’s thoughts…” Jing Lan sighed. “Are becoming harder and harder to fathom.”
Halfway through the game, both had somewhat tempered their inner shock. Once their emotions settled, they began to consider what to do next if the other was indeed reborn.
Outside the courtyard, rain began to fall, droplets hitting the pond and rippling across its surface.
The sound of chess pieces meeting the board intertwined with the patter of rain. Li Rong was the first to break the silence, speaking slowly, “Young Master Pei, in wanting to marry me, have you considered what life would be like after we wed?”
“I…” Pei Wenxuan hesitated, then finally said, “I would treat the princess well.”He would treat her well, because that was what he had done in his previous life.
He would try to understand this person, strive to get closer to her, and make her happy.
Back then, Li Rong liked him in white clothes, so after their marriage, aside from his official robes, he wore white for many years. Until one day, he heard that Li Rong had once said, "When Rongqing wears white, there are no immortals in this world."
He learned all the dishes Li Rong liked to eat, offering them to her again and again, until he became her personal chef—no one understood her tastes better than he did. Until one day, Su Rongqing began to learn how to cook.
Li Rong suffered from leg pain in cold weather, so he studied massage, acupressure, and acupuncture. Whenever it rained or turned cold, he would massage her legs until she felt comfortable and fell asleep. Until one day, they argued so fiercely that Li Rong told him, "I don’t need you. I have others too."
Thinking of these things, Pei Wenxuan felt somewhat distressed, but when Li Rong asked, he could only say that he would still do these things a second time.
Yet, in that moment of answering, he hesitated slightly.
Knowing the outcome already, should he try a second time?
Their relationship had not ended well—half a lifetime spent together, only to end in a life-and-death struggle. Most of their lives seemed to have been wasted.
Li Rong sensed the hesitation in his words and knew he was uncertain. She lowered her head to look at the chessboard and said slowly, "I believe you will treat me well, but will you ever come to like me?"
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan lowered his gaze.
Li Rong looked up at him, her gaze serious as she asked, "Will you see me as a wife or as an ally?"
Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Outside, the rain fell softly. Li Rong stared at the crisscrossing lines on the chessboard, as if suddenly losing interest. She tossed the chess piece into the box, leaned back in her chair, and turned to look at the lotus leaves swaying in the rain in the courtyard. Slowly, she said, "I’ve thought about it. If I were to be with you, in this lifetime, I probably wouldn’t have a husband—only an ally."
"In the inner court, husbands and family aren’t truly important. What matters is the power in one’s hands. But when a person reaches the peak and walks alone in this world, they begin to envy the warmth and liveliness of ordinary life."
As she spoke, Li Rong turned to look at him and chuckled softly. "Tell me, what’s the difference between a lonely ruler and a wandering ghost?"
Pei Wenxuan said nothing. He understood everything Li Rong was saying. He quietly watched her—an eighteen-year-old girl, who should have been at her most radiant, yet in her languid posture and every gesture, she exuded a desolation and loneliness beyond her years. She was like a beautiful ghost drifting through the world—stunning yet solitary, so much so that merely looking at her made one’s heart ache.
Seeing Pei Wenxuan silent, Li Rong smiled faintly. She thought that if Pei Wenxuan were also reborn, he would understand what she meant.
Pei Wenxuan did understand, but he didn’t know how to respond. Just then, Jing Lan walked over from a distance, holding an umbrella, and whispered to Li Rong, "Princess, it’s raining heavily. The eunuch from the palace says it’s about time to end the gathering."
"Mm," Li Rong nodded, then added, "Tell them I’m not feeling well. You go and see the guests off."Jing Lan acknowledged and withdrew. Once she had left, Li Rong turned to Pei Wenxuan, who was kneeling opposite her, and asked gently, "Young Master Pei, do you think I should marry you and live this kind of life?"
She was genuinely seeking Pei Wenxuan's opinion.
Although Pei Wenxuan had quarreled with her for many years and had even ultimately killed her, he had one redeeming quality.
He never lied to her.
Whether it was good or bad, whether this life was worth living, she believed that the answer Pei Wenxuan gave her would certainly be true.
Yet after she asked this question, Pei Wenxuan merely raised his eyes and gazed at her quietly.
Her smile did not reach her eyes.
Just like the decades of their previous life, whenever he saw her, this smile was completely different from the true eighteen-year-old Li Rong in his memory.
The eighteen-year-old Li Rong was wonderful.
Even though he was unwilling to admit it, Pei Wenxuan still remembered that at the beginning of their marriage, when he lifted Li Rong's bridal veil and saw the girl looking up at him with a mix of shyness and curiosity, and then, while drinking the ceremonial wine, she said to him in a clear, crisp voice, "Wenxuan, no matter why we are together, since we have become husband and wife, I still want to spend my whole life with you." At that moment, he too had earnestly thought about living well with Li Rong, having children, and accompanying each other for a lifetime.
Until Li Rong learned that he liked Qin Zhenzhen.
In truth, he himself did not know whether his feelings for Qin Zhenzhen counted as affection or responsibility. They had grown up together since childhood, and she had always occupied a place in his heart. He had hoped to spend his life with Qin Zhenzhen, but it was not to be.
Later, Qin Zhenzhen married Li Rong's younger brother, Crown Prince Li Chuan.
As the Crown Prince, Li Chuan was a good prince but not a good husband. Due to political alliances, even while still the Crown Prince, he already had a principal consort and four concubines, making five in total. Qin Zhenzhen, with her upright and honest nature, was unfamiliar with the schemes of the palace. Married into the Eastern Palace for a family alliance, without his help, she would have long perished in the web of conspiracies and plots.
He intervened to assist her, and Li Rong naturally knew. At first, she said nothing, but later, during a palace banquet, when he secretly helped Qin Zhenzhen out of a predicament again and nearly exposed himself, Li Rong had to step in to cover for him.
On the way home that day, they sat in the carriage. Li Rong said nothing, and he felt somewhat flustered, wanting to explain but unsure what to say. He only felt that whatever Li Rong might say would be justified.
After they returned home, once they entered the bedroom, Li Rong walked to the table, poured herself a cup of tea, and asked him with her back turned, "Do you like her?"
Pei Wenxuan stood at the door. He actually wanted to say no, but he felt he should not lie, so he could only speak the truth: "I can't let go of her."
"What is your relationship with her?"
Li Rong held the teacup, appearing exceptionally calm. Pei Wenxuan continued to answer truthfully—they had been betrothed as children, they were childhood sweethearts, his family fell into decline, the Qin family broke off the engagement, Qin Zhenzhen was forced to marry into the Eastern Palace...
"I just want to help her," he said hoarsely. "I have no other intentions. She is the Crown Prince's consort; I won't do anything."
After he finished speaking, Li Rong remained silent for a long time. That silence became Pei Wenxuan's most profound memory of that night.
He watched as Li Rong kept drinking water, cup after cup. After what seemed like an eternity, Li Rong finally seemed to recover. She turned to look at him and asked only, "Will you betray me?""No." He answered immediately, gazing at her. "You are my wife."
"I am not your wife."
Li Rong looked at him, her expression serious. "I am merely your ally."
These words left Pei Wenxuan stunned. Li Rong turned her head to look out the window, speaking calmly, "This arranged marriage—neither of us had a choice. We both did it for power. Truthfully, there is no romantic affection between us. You have someone in your heart, and I have someone in mine. We just hadn’t made it clear before, leading to some misunderstandings. Now that it’s out in the open, it’s nothing."
"It’s not a big deal," Li Rong smiled, her eyes looking as though they could brim with tears at any moment. "Why didn’t you say it earlier?"
Pei Wenxuan stared at her blankly. He wanted to deny it, yet he felt Li Rong’s words weren’t entirely wrong. His feelings for Li Rong weren’t romantic—because a person couldn’t love two people at once. With Qin Zhenzhen in his heart, how could there be room for Li Rong?
Seeing his silence, Li Rong lowered her head and spoke gently, "Once it’s clear, it’s nothing. We’ll go on as before, but I hope Lord Pei understands."
"I am not your wife, and you are not my husband. I don’t care who resides in your heart, and you shouldn’t care who I am with. We each have our own lives, our own pleasures."
"I only ask Lord Pei to promise me this," Li Rong stared at him, her gaze sharp as an eagle’s, "Since we are allies, we will never betray each other."
That night, it rained as well.
Just like this moment, a downpour poured from the sky.
Li Rong walked up to him, staring at him, and said only, "Pei Wenxuan, speak."
He couldn’t find the words.
Seeing his hesitation, Li Rong smiled. "Pei Wenxuan, if you don’t speak, I’ll assume you have feelings for me. But if there’s affection between us, then everything you’ve done would be utterly repulsive. We shouldn’t be together. I’ll go ask my father—no matter what," she said calmly, "we must divorce."
Thunder rumbled loudly. Pei Wenxuan looked at Li Rong, who was tilting her head up to meet his gaze.
In that moment, he finally understood clearly how uncompromising this woman was when it came to matters of the heart. Even if it meant mutual destruction, she demanded something pure and untainted.
So he smiled.
"Why go that far?" he spoke with difficulty. "You’re right. We are allies. I have someone else in my heart, and I shouldn’t control you. Divorce isn’t good for either of us. Let’s leave it at this, shall we?"
"Under the guise of husband and wife, we’ll live our separate lives. As allies, we will never betray each other."
"If I break this vow," Pei Wenxuan said hoarsely, and Li Rong smiled, "may I die a wretched death."
Yet, in the end, they still broke their own vows, and the oath was fulfilled as foretold.
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