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Chapter 260

unedited

“You! Do you really not realize my affection for you? You’re the only woman whom I would do anything to protect… whom I had ever loved… so much so that I considered not having a chamber of concubines in the future… and only grow old together with you alone. Moreover, since you dislike having to stay in the palace, I was even thinking of ways to let you out occasionally to relieve your boredom. But in the end, you really only ever thought of me as a cold-blooded man. Do you not trust me at all?” Lee Bohan restrained his frustrations and stared into Chu Xiang’s eyes with a sorrowful expression as if his sincerity had been trampled on by Chu Xiang.

Chu Xiang replied indifferently, “I do trust you. Although we do indeed use each other, I also understand that you appreciate and love me, so much so that you’re willing to make compromises for me. Whenever something about you changes, I would also take notice of it, no matter how small of a change it may be. However, there’s only so much you can give me, and that’s just not what I want.

“Whatever kind of empress you desire… whatever kind of successor you wish you have in the future… I’m simply not capable of meeting those requirements. Rather than you one day starting to complain about me, why don’t we just end everything here instead? If you’re able to lock me up in the palace today, then you’ll be able to restrict me in various ways in the future too. And the reason for you doing so is that you want it that way. You should still remember me saying how I hate other people having control of my life. Thus, it was inevitable that I would cut off the transport of military supplies. You and I have lived together for five years now. And since neither of us owes each other anything, I will naturally do whatever I can to leave.”

Noticing the confidence and resolve in her eyes, Lee Bohan truly believed her when she said she would do anything to get her way and instinctively blurted out, “Aren’t you afraid that something would happen to your family?”

As soon as he uttered those words, he was instantly overwhelmed by regret. Without even waiting for Chu Xiang to respond, he turned away from Chu Xiang, upset by his own words. “That was my mistake. I would never use them to threaten you. You were right. I should be damned for even having the thought of keeping you restricted… for wanting to keep you next to me.”

Lee Bohan laughed at himself before saying, “There isn’t actually much to think about here. Either I let you free, making it difficult for us to meet again, or I clip away your wings and have you remain by my side, never giving me the response I want.”

He then closed his eyes and said in a deep voice, “You know that I’d hate to hurt you… that I don’t have a choice in this decision. Sometimes, I really do despise your intelligence.”

As Lee Bohan took large strides out of the palace, Chu Xiang stood next to the window, staring at his gradually leaving figure. Lee Bohan was truly head over heels for her. It could even be said that she was the only woman who had ever caused him to feel moved in his lifetime. Chu Xiang, on the other hand, did not feel the same towards him.

At that moment, Chu Xiang could remain cold-hearted, for she knew that Lee Bohan’s love for her could not compare to his responsibilities as the emperor governing a whole kingdom in the future. If some conflict were to arise between her and the country in the future, Lee Bohan would definitely prioritize the kingdom over her. Besides, it wasn’t as if she could not live on without having a man next to her, so why go through the trouble of putting herself in such a position?

If any other woman were to hear what Lee Bohan said to her just now, perhaps they would have been moved by his speech, be willing to make compromises, and become his sole wife.

But why would she make such compromises? After all, her sole purpose for transmigrating through different timelines was to search for her own happiness, not to make others happy. There are certainly plenty of men who would be willing to give their all for her. However, she would never accept this kind of love where her partner would be forced to prioritize something else more important over her in the first place. In this case, if  Lee Bohan did prioritize her over the country, he would simply end up as an incapable ruler.

In this lifetime, the two of them could indeed use each other mutually, love and protect one another, and remain as good friends with each other. But that’s where the line would be drawn, for they can never truly become husband and wife.

As Chu Xiang walked down the long hallway outside, she noticed three bird cages hanging down from the roof of the corridor. After releasing them and seeing them fly past the horizon unfettered, she then revealed a light smile.

Standing behind one of the trees around the corner of the corridor, Lee Bohan placed both his hands behind him and stared at Chu Xiang.

How long has it been since he saw her smile? Ever since she saved him on the battlefield, the atmosphere between the two of them had tensed up. She seemed to have had a premonition of such events taking place and thought otherwise of smiling at him.

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