Shangguan Yun's eyes were slightly red. He grabbed Wei Dongling's hand and asked, "I'm not willing to give up. I still want to ask you one last time..."
"Lord Yun!" Wei Dongling raised her eyes and interrupted him. Calmly, she said, "Even if you ask me a thousand or ten thousand times, my answer remains the same. You and I are good friends! We always have been! If nothing unexpected happens, we'll always be!"
Shangguan Yun stared at her intently and fell silent.
"I'm a timid person. I never dared to have any other feelings for you before. Later, my heart was filled with Yu Zixi. I was in love with him and only wished to grow old with him. I know you have feelings for me, but I can't give you any response."
Seeing the happy and silly smile on Wei Dongling's face when she mentioned Yu Zixi, Shangguan Yun's heart tightened. He suddenly stood up, pulled her into his arms, and slowly tightened his embrace. If Yu Zixi had never appeared in her world, if she hadn't been a servant in the Qi Mansion back then and had the courage to look him in the eye, maybe she would have fallen for him to some extent.
"You're so proud. I believe you won't accept pity or charity. And I can't offer you these either." Being pressed against his chest by his big hand, Wei Dongling knew she was powerless to struggle, so she stopped struggling and said in a low voice, "I came here today because I really don't want to see you lose your sense and abandon your parents to become a monk. I know you're extremely intelligent; you're just temporarily confused. When you discover that there are still important people and things that need your careful protection in the future, you may regret today's decision. I don't want to see you sad in the future..."
Shangguan Yun's eyes were red. He rubbed his chin against Wei Dongling's head and lowered his head to gently smell the faint fragrance of saponin in her hair.
Wei Dongling felt a pang of heartache. She hugged his waist back and murmured, "I've been dependent on others since I was a child. Even seeing my parents was a luxury. After coming here, I've always regretted not being able to accompany them more. Now, it's too late."
Thinking of her parents, she felt silently sad. Back then, she was annoyed by all kinds of forced marriage requests. Now, even a phone call is a luxury. She wondered how her parents were doing.
"Don't be sad," Shangguan Yun tightened his embrace on the beauty in his arms and sighed softly. "We're the best of friends, always!"
Wei Dongling pushed him away with tears in her eyes. She raised her little finger and smiled. "Let's pinky promise!"
Shangguan Yun looked at her in confusion and slowly stretched out his little finger like her.
"Not to change for a hundred years!" Wei Dongling hooked his finger childishly and sealed the promise, completely unaware that a figure flashed by outside the window.
Shangguan Yun glanced at the figure leaving outside the window. A helpless bitter smile appeared on his face.
"I'm leaving!" Wei Dongling turned around to pull the door of the meditation room. Shangguan Yun still followed closely beside her, reluctant to be separated from her for a single step. Wei Dongling waved her hand and said with a smile, "Think it through clearly! No matter what you choose, I hope you'll be happy! Also, you must eat well and not starve yourself thin!"
"Okay." Shangguan Yun rarely responded to her. He watched her leave. When he looked up, he saw another woman standing outside the door. Shangguan Yun withdrew his gaze and gently closed the door.
Qi Jinxuan froze on the spot when she saw this. Her look towards Wei Dongling was dark and filled with a hint of hatred.
Wei Dongling didn't bother to pay attention to her. She just nodded slightly and quickly ran away. She thought Yu Zixi in the carriage must be waiting impatiently. Then, she was stunned when she saw the empty carriage. She quickly asked Pin Hao, "Where's Young Master Yu?"
Pin Hao looked at her sympathetically and replied, "Young Master Yu got impatient and went to look for you. Not long after, I saw him running away with a gloomy face."
He must have seen her hugging Lord Yun and misunderstood!
Wei Dongling said anxiously, "Why didn't you stop him?"
Pin Hao scratched his nose helplessly. "He's the master. Besides, I couldn't stop him."
Wei Dongling was speechless. She had no choice but to hurry back on horseback.
Pin Hao sent her to the gate of the Su Mansion and then turned around and left. As soon as Wei Dongling stepped into the gate, she saw a man waiting in the courtyard. When he saw her coming back, he bowed from afar.
Aunt Liu in the house was overjoyed when she saw her coming back. She stepped forward and said, "Miss Wei, this young man has been waiting for you for a long time but refused to come in and sit. Hurry up and invite him in for a cup of tea!"
Wei Dongling replied with a smile. When she got closer, she was surprised to find that it was the bodyguard Fang beside Lord Rong. Wei Dongling said in surprise, "How have you been, young man?"
Captain Fang bowed with his hands clasped and said with a smile, "My master has long wanted to get together with Miss Wei, but unfortunately, you've been away from the capital. Just now, he got the news that you've returned, so he quickly sent me to pick you up to have a chat in the teahouse."
"Okay. Please wait a moment, young man. I'll change my clothes and come right away."
Wei Dongling rushed into the side hall. She urgently searched for several kinds of good tea and tonics and filled a whole table with them, which made Aunt Liu beside her a bit dumbfounded.
Wei Dongling looked around but didn't see Cui Huan. After asking, she learned that she had gone to the shop with Luo Xunlong. She thought Cui Huan probably didn't want to disturb her and Zixi. Wei Dongling had no choice but to carry box after box of gifts out by herself.
When getting into the carriage, Aunt Liu called Jing Zhe to get on and told them to go slowly and be careful. Only then did she watch them leave.
In the Bashan Yeyu Teahouse, Captain Fang led Wei Dongling and Jing Zhe in.
In the large private room at the innermost part, Lord Rong was playing chess with a middle - aged man. Hearing Captain Fang's report, Lord Rong quickly nodded and told her to come in.
Wei Dongling came in with a beaming smile. She curtsied and greeted them.
Lord Rong stopped playing chess. He quickly stood up to support her and waved his hand to tell the others to leave.
Wei Dongling said with a laugh, "I thought the owner of this Bashan Yeyu Teahouse was some high - ranking official. It turns out to be you, Lord Rong!"
Lord Rong pulled Wei Dongling to sit down and waved his hands repeatedly. "No, no! This is the property of Prince Rui."
"Really?" Wei Dongling laughed. Suddenly, she thought of Prince Rui's young master, Murong Xuan. It had been a long time since she last saw him. So this Bashan Yeyu was opened by his family! Wei Dongling playfully sighed, "When I left home just now, I rummaged through all the good tea stored at home, thinking of bringing it for you to taste. Now it seems that my so - called good tea is not presentable at all! It's not even half as good as Prince Rui's tea!"
Lord Rong said with a laugh, "Although Prince Rui's tea is good, in my heart, your tea is the most to my taste!"
The two looked at each other and smiled.
Captain Fang brought up some snacks and fragrant tea and poured tea for the two of them.
Lord Rong held the teacup and asked, "I sent people to your mansion several times to invite you for a chat. I heard that you went to Hanzhong City?"
Wei Dongling nodded.
There was a glint in Lord Rong's eyes. He glanced at her and asked, "What were you doing so far away as a young girl?"
How could Wei Dongling have the nerve to say that she had gone thousands of miles in search of her husband? She could only smile awkwardly and say, "I originally wanted to go there to consider doing some milk tea business. But that place was deeply affected by the battles in the northwest. The business situation was far from satisfactory, so I had to return to the capital first and then consider developing in other places."