We have no future. Let us break up.

In the quiet evening hours at the secluded courtyard of the Prince Jun Manor, the Dowager Princess harbored no suspicions regarding Yue'er's true identity—after all, the imaginative capacity of a cloistered noblewoman simply did not extend that far. Even so, she remained entirely disinclined toward her son's subordinate. With a disapproving frown, she cautioned Yue'er, "I hear that Junior Minister Yang is no longer directly under Jun'er's command. Paying a visit at this late hour is bound to invite gossip, wouldn't you say?" Devoid of true discernment, the Dowager Princess regarded a ruthless, vicious woman as an ideal daughter-in-law, while taking an instant aversion to someone genuinely kind-hearted. One could only wonder how she had managed to secure her exalted position as princess consort in the first place, or how she had managed to survive without falling victim to court intrigues. Truly, she was an old woman utterly incapable of distinguishing good from evil.

Fearing that Yue'er might be subjected to embarrassment, Zhao Chengxian hurriedly stepped in with an explanation. "Junior Minister Yang was recently transferred to the Ministry of Punishments and has yet to adjust to the transition. She merely came to consult me—after all, I am her former superior!"

Eager to shift the subject immediately, he turned his gaze toward the Dowager Princess and her entourage, demanding, "Mother, did I not explicitly issue an order that no one within the Prince Jun Manor is permitted to enter this courtyard without authorization? Mother, how is it that you are the very first to break this rule? How expect me to maintain discipline among the dozens of servants in this household hereafter?" He could think of no other excuse swift enough to prompt the Dowager Princess to withdraw.

Consort Qin, however, flatly refused to back down. Slipping gracefully to Zhao Chengxian's side, she looped her arm through his and pressed her entire body against him, cooing with affected sweetness, "My Lord, you cannot speak thus. How can those lowly servants possibly be compared to the Matriarch? She came solely out of concern for you. If Your Lordship would only grace my quarters with your presence for a while, the Matriarch would have no reason to intrude upon this courtyard!"

Upon hearing this, the Dowager Princess nodded repeatedly in approval. Beside her, Consort Yu shot Consort Qin a withering glare, deeply resentful that the latter had stolen the spotlight.

Zhao Chengxian gently pushed Consort Qin away. Catching a glimpse of Yue'er, he could instantly discern the paleness of her complexion. Naturally, no one could bear to witness the person they loved locked in an intimate embrace with another; to pretend indifference was an impossibility unless one harbored no genuine affection for the man whatsoever—much like the late Consort Xiang.

With an awkward expression, Zhao Chengxian muttered, "Did I not state that I wish to set aside such personal matters for the time being, and focus entirely on serving the country and the people? Why must you all corner me like this?"

One could only imagine the sheer mortification Zhao Chengxian felt at that moment. To be confronted with the entanglements of another woman right in front of the girl he loved—such a scenario belonged strictly to this archaic era; in modern times, an explosive fallout would have been guaranteed.

Consort Yu assumed an air of grave maturity and remarked, "My Lord, you are the sole surviving heir of the Zhao lineage, bearing the heavy responsibility of continuing our ancestral line. You cannot simply let your personal whims dictate everything." One would think Zhao Chengxian had committed some heinous crime, judging by the way they banded together to corner him.

The Dowager Princess chimed in with her own persuasion. "Indeed. Consort Yu has spoken the very thoughts in my heart, My Lord. You cannot let your feelings for a single individual blind you to your duties. If I were to pass away without ever laying eyes upon a grandchild of yours, I would be too ashamed to face your father in the netherworld, let alone our illustrious ancestors!" The Dowager Princess nearly broke down in tears, managing to rein in her emotions at the very last second.

Hearing these words, Yue'er could not help but fall into a bitter reverie: *Have I truly brought ruin upon you? Had I never entered your life, you would still be that dashing, unbridled Prince Jun, free from the burden of such confrontations. Perhaps I ought never to have appeared in your world, never to have disrupted the natural course of your days. Perhaps it would be best for you to remain a man untouched by love...*

Yue'er felt acutely that she was someone who never belonged by Zhao Chengxian's side. At that moment, she could only gaze at him through a haze of heartache. Every single word uttered by the Dowager Princess felt like a sharp blade piercing deep into her heart, yet she forced herself to maintain a facade of serene detachment. No matter how excruciating the pain, she had to endure it.

Only Zhao Chengxian fully comprehended the agony Yue'er was suffering. Casting a worried glance at her stoic endurance, he raised his voice and snapped at the women, "That is enough! I shall handle this matter as I see fit. Junior Minister Yang and I still have official business to discuss. Return to your quarters and rest!"

Turning immediately to Zheng Hai standing nearby, he commanded, "Escort them back to their rooms at once!" With that, he grasped Yue'er's hand and pulled her swiftly inside the chamber.

Naturally, the Dowager Princess and the consorts departed in a state of profound frustration, though they were powerless to resist. Zhao Chengxian had never before lost his temper with his mother to such a degree; it was abundantly clear that his anger was entirely genuine. In truth, the blame lay entirely with the Dowager Princess for arriving at the worst possible moment—to stumble upon Yue'er's presence was nothing short of walking straight into humiliation.

Once inside the room, Yue'er stood lost in thought, offering not a single word to Zhao Chengxian, whose face was etched with remorse.

He stepped toward her and pleaded softly, "My little moon, please pay no heed to whatever nonsense my mother uttered. She has always been prone to overreacting, especially concerning matters involving Rong'er and me since we were children. You know how she is, don't you?"

Seeing that Yue'er remained entirely expressionless, a wave of panic washed over him. He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her as he murmured, "When you eventually marry into the Prince Jun Manor, Mother will grow to adore you. She might even favor you more than she favors me—by then, I'll likely be the one growing jealous..."

Before Zhao Chengxian could finish his sentence, Yue'er interrupted him, uttering the very words he dreaded most in the world.

Raising her tear-filled eyes to meet his gaze, Yue'er spoke with an eerie, bone-chilling calmness. "Both you and I know very well that we have no future together. Let us part ways. That way, you can return to being the dashing, carefree Prince Jun you once were, and I can walk my own path without any lingering burdens."

She was forcing herself to utter those words against the crushing agony in her chest, every single syllable wrung out by sheer willpower. It was the Dowager Princess who had made her realize that persisting in this relationship would only inflict ever-greater harm upon Zhao Chengxian.

Zhao Chengxian understood all too well why Yue'er had spoken such cruel words, yet he resented how effortlessly the concept of parting slipped from her lips. Seized by a flare of frustration, he demanded loudly, even knowing it would wound her, "Is breaking up really that easy for you?"

Staring intently into her eyes, he continued, his voice trembling with emotion, "Do you have any idea how agonizing it is to try and forget you? For two whole years I have tried, yet I simply cannot do it. And now you expect me to simply revert to being that unbridled Prince Jun? My carefree spirit died and was reborn alongside you—did you not know that?"

Hearing her speak of an end to their relationship shattered his heart completely; his greatest terror was the prospect of Yue'er slipping away from him once more.

Stirred to sudden agitation, Yue'er fired back, "I refuse to ruin your life out of sheer selfishness! You have your duties, you have your obligations—are you simply going to turn a blind eye to all of them? Your mother only wants what is best for you, and the truth is that I *have* brought you grief. Had you never crossed paths with me, you would still be the dashing Prince Jun, effortlessly managing your household of consorts, surrounded by a crowd of children by now!"

With every ounce of remaining strength, she shouted out the final words before collapsing into a crouch, burying her face in her knees as she wept uncontrollably.

Zhao Chengxian dropped down beside her. Gently cupping her face, he brushed away the traces of tears with his thumbs, a soft smile playing upon his lips as he murmured, "You silly girl. Do you truly believe I have no heirs because of you?"

Yue'er offered no reply, simply staring at him through her tears.

Zhao Chengxian explained gently, "Consort Yu, who entered the manor earliest, has been here for seven or eight years. She never conceived a child even before I laid eyes upon you. I have never desired children with anyone other than the woman I truly love, which is why I quietly ensured that my consorts drank medicinal draughts to prevent pregnancy—though none of them were ever aware of it. Prolonged use of such remedies carries inevitable side effects; in that sense, your appearance actually spared them further harm."

Pulling her tightly into his embrace, he whispered, "Never speak of parting again. Remember this: you have never brought me harm, and everything I endure is entirely of my own free will."

Pressing her cheek firmly against Zhao Chengxian's chest, Yue'er finally understood. There was simply no separating herself from him—how could two hearts bound by such absolute devotion ever truly be torn apart?