Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Finale

Qi Jingchun quietly suggested to Mrs. Qi that someone as beautiful as Shen Siyi should be sent to the Imperial Palace.

Mrs. Qi, however, thought the idea was too bold.

After all, the Emperor was deeply in love with the Empress. Though his harem was filled with countless beauties, none enjoyed his favor as much as she did.

If she were sent in only to fail at winning his affection, it would all be for nothing!

But Qi Jingchun said, "Mother, you’re oversimplifying things. No matter how much he dotes on one person, a man’s heart can still change. Besides, Shen Siyi is so beautiful, and the Emperor is only a man. Feelings grow with time and constant companionship. How could he not be moved by such a beauty?"

Mrs. Qi found herself thinking that her daughter had a point.

However, before they could create an opportunity for Shen Siyi to enter the palace, Xie Suzhi paid another secret visit.

One evening, as Shen Siyi was combing her hair, a figure vaulted through her window.

Shen Siyi jumped in fright; it was all so sudden.

When she saw it was Xie Suzhi, her eyes went wide. "Xie Suzhi, be honest with me. Do you have some kind of fetish for illicit affairs? Why must you always climb through my window?"

Xie Suzhi, however, strode to her, grabbed her by the wrist, and pulled her to her feet.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Shen Siyi asked, staring at him in astonishment, and found herself gazing into the deep ocean of his sharp eyes.

"I want to ask you, why did it have to be me? There are so many powerful and influential young masters in the Capital City. Why didn’t you choose one of them to start rumors with?"

Shen Siyi laughed. "Is that all this is about? There’s no particular reason. I met you first, I think you’re handsome, and you feel good to the touch. Being with you, I’m certainly not the one losing out."

She sat back down and resumed combing her black hair.

Xie Suzhi watched her quietly from behind. After a long moment, he said suddenly, "Either you marry me, or you give up on this scheme entirely. If anyone else in the Capital dares to be the subject of rumors with you, I will not spare him."

Shen Siyi froze. She turned to look at him and saw that his expression was utterly serious.

"What are you talking about? You want to get married?"

"I’ve ruined your reputation. I’ve seen your body and your feet. I should take responsibility for you."

Shen Siyi laughed and waved her hand dismissively. "That’s not necessary. There’s no need."

To her surprise, Xie Suzhi strode forward and seized her hand.

"It is necessary," he insisted. "Shen Siyi, whatever you want to do, I will do it with you. And if there’s something I can’t do, I’ll risk everything to make it happen for you."

Shen Siyi abruptly snatched her hand back. "I never planned on getting married! You... Just let me think about it."

At first, she had only wanted to escape Mrs. Qi’s oppression and avoid being paraded before endless potential suitors.

She had never imagined that Xie Suzhi would actually want to marry her.

Xie Suzhi agreed to give Shen Siyi time to think it over.

After that, he began to court her ardently.

Every day, he had people deliver nearly a hundred chests of betrothal gifts to the Qi Mansion.

Mrs. Qi was stunned. Word spread throughout the Capital that the famously cold and ruthless Chancellor Xie had fallen in love with an adopted daughter of the Qi Family.

If Shen Siyi so much as casually mentioned that a hairpin was pretty, Xie Suzhi would have it bought for her by the next day.

Once, after a misunderstanding led to a bitter argument with Qi Jingchun, she hid under her covers, crying silently. Xie Suzhi rushed to her side and simply sat with her the entire night without saying a word.

Gradually, Xie Suzhi became someone Shen Siyi could rely on.

They were drawn to each other, until finally, they fell in love.

But Mrs. Qi refused to approve of their relationship. She still wanted Shen Siyi to enter the Imperial Palace.

With her beauty, becoming a favored imperial concubine would be no problem at all.

When Shen Siyi discovered that it was Qi Jingchun who had instigated Mrs. Qi’s scheme, she felt there was no longer any reason for her to remain with the Qi Family.

So, the next time Xie Suzhi came to see her, she said quietly, "Are you afraid of offending the Qi Family? If you’re not, I’ll elope with you."

Xie Suzhi was taken aback for a moment, then replied, "They should be afraid of *me*. I can see you’re not happy here. Otherwise, who do you think is responsible for your eldest brother repeatedly hitting walls at court and now treading on thin ice?"

A smile spread across Shen Siyi’s face.

She stood up. "Your words are enough for me. But, Xie Suzhi... if I go with you, will you be good to me? For a whole lifetime? Because... I might never be able to go home again."

Xie Suzhi swore a solemn oath.

"I will be good to you for the rest of our lives. I will cherish you, and I will cherish our children."

Shen Siyi had been deeply moved, but at his last words, she smiled through her tears and gave him a playful push.

"You’re thinking way too far ahead. I never said I was going to have your children."

"Then we won’t. You can just think of me as a machine whose only purpose is to spend money on you."

"’Machine?’ Where did you learn that word?"

"I remembered when you casually mentioned a ’heart pacemaker’ last time."

Shen Siyi and Xie Suzhi’s story was long and arduous.

They would go on to face countless hardships, at one point even separated by a millennium of time and space.

But through it all, they both held fast in their hearts to the vows they made when they first came together.

"No matter the distance, no matter the place, my love for you is my only faith in this life. You are the morning star that guides me through the vast, empty universe."

*

The End

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