I walked slowly on the way back. Xin'er and the carriage were waiting halfway up the mountain, not far away. But I walked slowly, and it felt like I had walked half a lifetime to reach the short distance.
Zhou Mian was waiting for me on the way. I was surprised, but I passed by him as if I didn't see him. He held my arm tightly and shouted for the first time: "Le'er."
My body stiffened and I couldn't move any further.
"Twenty years have passed since you and I met. I have liked you for twenty years, and the four years of border crossing have not made me forget you. Maybe in this life, I can only like you to the end."
It was as if a bolt of lightning struck my forehead, but miraculously I was alive and could still speak.
"What did you say?"
Zhou Mian suddenly let go of his hand, and the extremely affectionate look in his eyes disappeared in an instant. Fortunately, he was still willing to tell me the truth.
"I have always longed for my empress. For this reason alone, I deserve death. Only by staying away can I preserve my empress' reputation and my life."
"Why?" I looked at him dreamingly, "You know clearly that I have been waiting for you all those years, why did you make me wait in vain? You said you like me, then why don't you marry me?"
Zhou Mian's eyes gradually turned red, and I had already shed tears.
"Because the current Holy Emperor is the most suitable choice for emperor."
What does this have to do with me?
There was endless sadness in Zhou Mian's eyes: "When the empress was young, her heart and eyes were full of him. The verbal engagement was just a beautiful dream that I weaved for myself."
Intention: The roots of love have already been deeply planted