Chapter 30: The Cold-Hearted Prince with a White Moonlight 10

Situ Che looked at his own grandmother in disbelief.

The Empress Dowager shot him another glare, ignoring him entirely.

"Luoluo, if he ever bullies you, just tell your Imperial Grandmother. I will certainly see justice done for you!"

"His Highness treats me very well."

In the presence of the Empress Dowager, Jing Yunluo still spoke up for Situ Che. After all, her goal was to bridge the distance between them, not to push him away.

Situ Che was surprised by her words, having expected her to use the Empress Dowager as a shield to complain about him.

"You, always defending him!"

Though the Empress Dowager appeared gentle and kind before Jing Yunluo, she was currently itching to thrash her unfilial grandson.

"Why did you help me speak earlier?"

Inside the carriage on the way back to the Prince's residence, Situ Che suddenly asked.

Jing Yunluo, who had been resting with her eyes closed, smiled upon hearing the question. "I don't want to be seen as a pitiful creature in the eyes of others forever. Besides..."

She opened her eyes and looked at him. She held her gaze, a silence that made the watched Situ Che feel uneasy.

"Besides what?"

Jing Yunluo looked away, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Before I was married, my father told me that the more one cares about something, the more one becomes trapped by it. If one day I can truly stop caring, I will never be hurt again. Situ Che, I admit I haven't let go of you yet, but I am trying. One day, I will no longer be trapped by the name Situ Che."

Her eyes were bright and her smile genuine as she spoke; Situ Che knew she meant every word. He felt that he should be happy to hear her say this—after all, shouldn't he be relieved that the person who had pestered him for so many years was finally choosing to let go and forget? Yet, he could not summon any joy. He didn't even know why.

"But don't worry, I won't occupy the position of the Princess of Jin for nothing. I will treat your illness; consider it compensation for all these years of pestering you. However, as for continuing the family line and bearing children, I'm afraid I cannot do that. If we can annul this marriage in the future, you may take a new wife. If not, I won't object to you taking concubines. Their children can be registered under my name and become your legitimate heirs."

"And what about you?"

"What?"

"I said, what about you? What do you get out of this?"

Situ Che could not understand; everything she had just said offered her absolutely no benefit.

Jing Yunluo lifted the carriage curtain to look outside...

"What I wanted, I already received on the day we were married. As for anything else, I do not covet it."

Only then did Situ Che realize that what his Imperial Brother had told him—that Jing Yunluo was a woman without desires—was true. For the last decade or more, the only thing she had ever truly wanted was him.

Suddenly, the carriage came to a jarring halt. Jing Yunluo tipped backward, and Situ Che instinctively reached out to steady her, pulling her into his arms.

"Are you all right?"

Jing Yunluo pulled away, shaking her head slightly to indicate she was fine. However, Situ Che noticed her ears were slightly flushed; he knew she was shy.

[Target affection level increased by 5%. Current level: -15%. Please continue your efforts!]

Jing Yunluo hung her head and pursed her lips. See? Men were all the same. She wondered what was up with the coachman, helping out like this?

"What happened?" Situ Che lifted the other curtain to ask Zhaoyun outside.

"Reporting to Your Highness, someone is blocking our path."

"Who?"

"It is... the maidservant of Miss Jin."

Upon hearing this, Situ Che hurried out of the carriage. Jing Yunluo sighed and followed. She recognized the young maid; it was the one who had stayed by Jin Yunlan's side at the welcome banquet.

"Your Highness! Prince of Jin! Please, I beg you, save my mistress!"

"What happened?"

Situ Che had intended to step down immediately, but seeing Jing Yunluo follow and noticing the crowd gathering, he hesitated. The maid knelt and kowtowed several times before speaking...

"After the banquet, my mistress had just returned home when she was beaten by her husband. She has fallen into a coma. Please, Your Highness, save her!"

"What? Why would he strike her?" Situ Che's rage was evident to everyone. The surrounding onlookers began whispering about the relationship between the Prince of Jin and the now-married Miss Jin.

"Because... because my mistress attended the banquet, that is why... why he beat her."

"Insolent! Does he have no regard for the law?" Situ Che nearly forgot his pretense.

"Your Highness, your health is poor; you must not let anger overcome you." Jing Yunluo’s calm voice pulled him back to his senses.

"If your mistress was beaten, you should report it to the authorities or seek out Minister Jin. Why block the Prince of Jin’s carriage?" Jing Yunluo saw through this sob story instantly, finding the tactic crude.

"This... this..." The maid was speechless.

Just as Situ Che was about to step down, Jing Yunluo caught his arm. Pretending to straighten his robes, she whispered, "Your Highness, think carefully. If you go to support Lady Gu in public, consider what the people of the capital will say."

"I cannot care about that now!" Situ Che pulled his arm away and prepared to leave.

"Your Highness!" Jing Yunluo’s sharp cry halted him. She bowed to him and said, "Your Highness, Jin Yunlan was bullied by her husband, yet she neither reports it to the magistrate nor informs her own father, coming only to you. Do you not find that strange? If you punish young Master Gu today, you will surely be labeled as arrogant and defiant of the law. Are you certain you wish to proceed?"

"That has nothing to do with you!"

With that, Situ Che walked away. Jing Yunluo watched his back and lowered her head, a bitter smile on her face.

[Fine, fine, 'nothing to do with me.' Situ Che, just you wait and see how I torment you later!]

"Your Highness, the Princess..." The coachman was bewildered, unsure where to go.

"Return to the residence. Oh, and from now on, don't call me the Princess. Just call me Miss Jing."

"Ah?" Before the coachman could react, Jing Yunluo had already stepped back into the carriage.

At the Gu residence:

Situ Che stood at the front gates, and young Master Gu stood opposite him.

"Your Highness, this is a private family matter. I fear it would be quite inconvenient for you to interfere."

"I treat Yunlan as my own sister. You have bullied my sister; how can I not intervene?" Situ Che’s face was filled with fury. It was clear he would not be dissuaded.