The young girl remained silent for a long time. Wen Yuxi looked up and saw the crystal tears glistening in her eyes.
She was crying.
Wen Yuxi felt as if his heart was being clenched, a feeling that was deeply unsettling.
In his haste, he picked up a handkerchief to wipe the tears from the girl's face.
A delicate, white jade hand grasped his, and he instinctively looked up, meeting the girl's clear gaze filled with unwillingness.
A ripple stirred within him.
Wen Yuxi couldn't help but say, "Although soul transference is the best solution now, His Highness the Crown Prince has not yet agreed. He will wait until your body can no longer bear your soul before sending it into the Empress Dowager's corpse. During this time, you can do whatever you wish."
Anning trembled, looking up at Wen Yuxi with disbelief, and asked, "Really?"
Wen Yuxi, unable to deceive her further, nodded. "Yes."
"He actually agreed?" Anning was somewhat confused. She had expected Xue Jingyun, with his obsession for Xue Zining, to be eager for the soul transference once he knew the soul was in her body.
Wen Yuxi looked up and, after a pause, said, "He proposed it himself, Princess Anning..."
He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "No one's dedication to Xue Zining can surpass Xue Jingyun's. However, he chose not to extract your soul directly. In reality, he also wishes for you to have a choice."
"A choice?" What if she said she only wanted to be herself?
"Yes."
Anning smiled foolishly, a touch of sadness and mockery in her voice, "What choice? In the end, it will still be my soul, won't it?"
"This is unavoidable, Princess Anning, you..."
"Shouldn't have appeared, is that right?" she asked Wen Yuxi, looking up.
Her gaze was colder than ever, piercingly cold, chilling the heart.
Wen Yuxi could not bear to look into her eyes any longer and simply nodded.
Anning stood up and said to him with a faint smile, "Thank you for telling me the truth today. No matter what, I am truly living here. Every day, every event, I have lived and am living. I cannot erase these memories. As for the future, I don't wish to think about it. I only want to live each present day well."
She turned towards the door and stopped suddenly, her voice carrying back, "Please convey my thanks to him for not forcibly taking the soul. But I have no other gratitude. I am me, not anyone else. I am Anning, not Xue Zining..."
With that, she left without looking back.
Wen Yuxi watched her figure disappear, sighing. This choice was truly difficult.
As she stepped out of the Qian Jin Tower and took that first step, her tears began to fall, one by one, then more, until they flowed uncontrollably.
"Miss, what's wrong?" a woman approaching her couldn't help but ask.
Anning shook her head, "I... I'm fine, just a little sad."
The woman took her hand and sat her down at a noodle stall, ordering a bowl of clear broth noodles. She said softly, "Did you run away from home?"
Anning didn't answer. The woman sighed, "When I was young, I also thought the outside was better and longed to leave. But once I went out, I realized how treacherous people could be outside; it's not as good as home..."
"Your noodles are here, honored guest," the waiter said, bringing the dishes.
The woman patted her hand and said, "Eat your noodles and go home early. No matter how good it is outside, it's not as good as home."
"Eat!" The woman pushed the noodles towards her and said softly.
"Mother, Father is looking for you?" a little girl ran over.
The woman lovingly stroked the little girl's head. "Alright, let's go."
The woman looked at Anning and said, "Miss, after you eat your noodles, go back. No matter how good it is outside, it's not as good as home. Don't linger too long." The woman then led the little girl away.
Anning looked at the clear broth noodles in front of her, picked up her chopsticks, and brought them to her mouth...
It was already evening when she returned to Anning Palace. Rong Cui rushed forward to meet her, her voice filled with worry, "Your Highness, where did you go? I was so worried. The Emperor..."
As Anning entered the sleeping quarters, she saw the Emperor An, whose expression was far from pleasant.
"Anning, do you know your mistake..."
Before Emperor An could finish his words, Anning rushed towards him, "Father..."
Emperor An looked at Anning crying in his embrace, his heart thrown into disarray.
He reached out a large hand and stroked her head. "My Anning, who bullied you? Tell Father, and Father will stand up for you?"
She shook her head, "I just missed Father."
Emperor An couldn't help but smile. "You child, if you miss me, come see Father, or ask Rong Cui to send a message, and Father will come see you."
Emperor An's embrace was broad and warm. Thinking that she might not be able to feel this embrace again, she couldn't help but shed tears.
Seeing this, Emperor An asked softly, "Anning, you're a bit unusual today. What happened? Tell Father."
"Father, if one day you discovered that I am not Anning, what would you do?"
Emperor An paused, then chuckled, "What are you thinking, my child? How could you not be my little Anning? I can't say for other things, but how could I not recognize my own child?"
"Father, I am serious," Anning said, looking up at Emperor An.
Her gaze was too clear, and Emperor An became serious. "Then Father will keep searching until he finds his little Anning."
Hearing this, Anning lowered her gaze and said, "What if someone had taken over her body?"
"Anning, it's not that Father is lecturing you, but what are you thinking about all day? How can such a magical thing exist? Are you perhaps afraid of the wedding in a few days?"
Anning remained silent. Emperor An sighed, "Anning, you will always leave Father's side someday. But, you must believe that Father has a good eye for people. The Crown Prince of Xue Kingdom is a good man, a suitable match. Don't be nervous."
Anning nodded. "Father, thank you for your constant tolerance. No matter where I am in the future, I will remember you."
"You are speaking more and more absurdly, Rong Cui, escort your princess back to rest," Emperor An instructed.
Rong Cui stepped forward and said, "Your Highness..."
Anning moved away from Emperor An's embrace, looked up at him, and bowed, "Father, thank you..."
Emperor An shook his head and chuckled, "You child..."
After leaving Anning Palace, Emperor An's smiling face vanished. As he walked, he said, "Mo Bai, go investigate where Princess Anning went today and whom she met. Report everything you find to me."
"Yes, Your Majesty." Mo Bai took his orders and left.
His little Anning was very unusual today; it seemed she was hiding something from him.
As the sky completely darkened, Mo Bai returned. He had not found anything significant, only that the princess had cried while speaking to a woman, and the woman, out of kindness, had given the princess a bowl of noodles.
Emperor An mused that perhaps seeing that woman had reminded his little Anning of the Empress.