Chapter 99

Chapter 99: Do You Really... Consider Me Your Family? Gan Qiongying was putting on a pitiful act outside, but the carriage curtain remained completely still. Pouting, Gan Qiongying didn’t persist for long and soon climbed into the carriage herself. She glanced at Lihua, who sat inside with his eyes closed, and took a seat opposite him. Lihua kept his eyes shut. Although he had just rescued Gan Qiongying and even felt a sense of relief as if having narrowly escaped death, he had no desire to face her now. Or rather, he simply didn’t know how to face her. He had become fully aware of just how easily Gan Qiongying could sway his emotions. For her safety, he had almost without hesitation cut off his own escape route. After those men had shown themselves before the Regent, even though they all wore face coverings, they could no longer remain in Yindu. Before entering the tailor shop, Lihua had already instructed them to return to Jinchuan as soon as the matter was resolved and assist with the evacuation there. These men were the most skilled operatives Lihua had trained over many years, originally meant to remain hidden in Yindu to aid him in disappearing without a trace when the time came for his feigned death. But now... Lihua’s eyes remained closed, his eyelashes trembling slightly. Even now, he didn’t blame Gan Qiongying for running off recklessly or for disregarding the danger and following the Regent into the tailor shop. He only blamed himself—why was he so easily swayed? Why was he so quick to sacrifice his own escape route for another person? Even though he didn’t believe Gan Qiongying’s claim that she had mistaken someone else and followed the Regent into the tailor shop, Lihua couldn’t bring himself to blame her. Instead, he felt an overwhelming urge to embrace her, to feel her presence and safety. His skin prickled with goosebumps as he suppressed this desperate longing. But Lihua didn’t move. He refused to allow himself to. His heart might be disobedient, but at least his body remained under his control, preventing him from appearing too desperate or pitiful. At least until he understood whether Gan Qiongying had any feelings for him, he didn’t want to sink into the humiliation of longing for something he couldn’t have. He could feel Gan Qiongying’s gaze lingering on him, wrapping around him layer by layer like silkworm threads, threatening to cocoon him completely. Lihua couldn’t move, couldn’t break free, and from head to toe, he was willing to let it happen. Outside, Manyue had already explained everything and even managed to persuade Chen Wa not to rush into committing suicide to atone for his failure, reminding him that staying alive would be of greater use to the Princess. This, of course, was something Gan Qiongying had instilled in Manyue. These loyal servants raised in feudal society were useful, but they were all too ready to die for their masters. Gan Qiongying had told Manyue that once a person dies, they lose everything—even their soul vanishes, and all their aspirations come to nothing. Just like the real Princess Duanrong, apart from Gan Qiongying, no one would remember her. Only by living well could one accomplish what they truly wanted. These were truths distilled from five thousand years of wisdom. Chen Wa, upon hearing this, felt as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes. He immediately abandoned the idea of seeking death before Gan Qiongying and instead quickly mounted his horse to ride ahead and intercept the reinforcements. Because the reinforcements Chen Wa had called were people Princess Duanrong had explicitly ordered must never be exposed to the public. Earlier, due to the emergency, Chen Wa had no choice but to mobilize those individuals. Now that the Princess was safe and sound, Chen Wa had to intercept them before they gathered and entered the streets. Chen Wa galloped away on his horse, while the carriage slowly moved forward. This carriage belonged to Lihua, and its destination was not the Princess Manor but the Consort's residence. Although there were few attendants outside the carriage, at this moment, Lihua's porters were hidden among the crowd, taking turns to discreetly escort the carriage toward the Consort's residence. Inside the carriage, from the beginning until now, only Gan Qiongying had been speaking. "Husband, are you still angry with me? I've already sent Gu Ming and Gu Qing away." "Nothing happened with them. It's just that their family members were in trouble, and after you took charge of the Princess Manor, they couldn't freely use the funds. In their desperation, they came to me for help." Gan Qiongying said, "Manyue can testify that when I was alone with them, we only discussed their family matters. I didn't watch them dance or listen to them play the qin." "After sending them away, I immediately came to find you, Husband. Who would have thought I'd mistake someone else for you..." Hearing this, Lihua finally opened his eyes and looked at Gan Qiongying. His gaze at this moment was not sharp, but it was as profound and unfathomable as when he had locked eyes with the Regent earlier, as if he could see through everything. Gan Qiongying's words abruptly stopped. Under such a gaze, she could no longer stubbornly persist in lying. In truth, Gan Qiongying hadn't wanted to lie, but there were some things she truly couldn't reveal to the God of Wealth. Even though the God of Wealth had just saved her life, Gan Qiongying had to remain clear-headed. She would find other ways to repay him, but she absolutely could not disclose any of the plans or arrangements between Gan Lin and herself to anyone. Gritting her teeth, Gan Qiongying looked at Lihua and decided to share only what she could, mixing truth with half-truths. "Alright, I'll tell the truth. I didn't follow the Regent because I mistook him for you." Gan Qiongying rose from her seat, knelt beside Lihua's knees, placed her hands on his legs, and looked up at him with sincere eyes. She said, "He lured me there. I was waiting for you in the private room, but you never came. Out of boredom, I opened the door and looked outside." "At some point, he noticed me. He used 'His Majesty is poisoned and on the brink of death' to trick me into following him all the way to the tailor's shop." "You know I can't enter the palace at all. The palace is controlled by the Empress Dowager's faction, so I have no way of learning about His Majesty's safety." Because this part was true, Gan Qiongying's expression was filled with genuine helplessness and worry. "His Majesty is my only younger brother and my only family. If something really happened to him, what would I do?" "By the time I reached the tailor's shop, I already knew I had been deceived, but I had to go in and get answers." "But after the Regent lured me there, he began to make trouble. Because of his leg injury from the arrow, he threatened me in various ways. He had too many people with him, and I couldn't escape..." "Fortunately, His Majesty wasn't really poisoned." Gan Qiongying was lying about this part, so she didn't dare look Lihua in the eye. Instead, she pretended to be afraid, wrapping her arms around Lihua's legs and burying her head in his lap. Gan Qiongying said a great deal, but Lihua remained with his eyes closed. The only sign of anything amiss was his hands, hanging at his sides within his sleeves, clenching tighter and tighter. The fingers that had just been bandaged and stopped bleeding began to bleed again from the force, sending sharp pains through him. He appeared to have no reaction at all, even closing his eyes once more. But Lihua was not fully conscious at this moment; not even the pain could clear his mind. He could tell Gan Qiongying was lying. Having seen so many people, how could he be easily deceived by such verbal tricks, except when his concern clouded his judgment? He knew Gan Qiongying was avoiding something and hadn't been completely honest with him, but Lihua had no desire to expose her. After all, he too was keeping secrets from Gan Qiongying. Too many things stood between them, and their positions were not even aligned. If he were to truly reveal that he was Zhongli Zhengzhen's older brother, that he carried the bloodline of the Jinchuan royal family, and that his marriage to Gan Qiongying was only to steal her network of influence... Lihua truly couldn't imagine how Gan Qiongying would react. Even if he said he hadn't handed over the real network and had given Zhongli Zhengzhen a fake one, Gan Qiongying would never trust him again. Given that he absolutely could not reveal his own identity, how could he expect Gan Qiongying to bare her heart to him just because he was moved and shaken? Lihua lifted a finger, wanting to touch his own face, but that was all he did—merely lifted a finger. His heart was filled with immense sorrow. He couldn't even begin to confess, because even his appearance wasn't real. How could he explain all this to Gan Qiongying? And how could he make Gan Qiongying believe in his position and stand with him because of his so-called feelings? Under such circumstances, how could Lihua demand honesty from Gan Qiongying? Meanwhile, Gan Qiongying had no idea of the turmoil in Lihua's heart. She was still tirelessly coaxing the God of Wealth. "I've done many foolish things in the past. Those people in the rear courtyard... leaving them to you was truly unfair. I'll personally take care of all of them in the next couple of days." "After that, can we go back to how we were before?" Gan Qiongying really needed Lihua's two hundred thousand taels every month. If she could get more, that would be even better. Gan Qiongying hugged Lihua and cooed, "Don't be angry with me anymore, okay? Besides His Majesty, you're the only family I have..." Despite all she had said earlier, Lihua hadn't reacted much. Only after Gan Qiongying said these words did Lihua finally open his eyes abruptly. He looked at Gan Qiongying once more. He reached out from his sleeve and lifted Gan Qiongying's face. Her chin was slowly raised, and in the swaying carriage, their eyes met—one evasive with guilt, the other gentle yet pained. Lihua spoke, his usually clear voice now slightly hoarse: "Do you really... see me as your family?" Even with mountains and seas standing between them.