The King of Northern Border walked out of Jiang Yuli's room, looking at Xue Zining for a long time. Xue Zining calmly asked, "Your Highness, is there anything else? If not, this commoner will take her leave!"
The King of Northern Border said coldly, "As you wish."
Xue Zining curtsied, turned, and left.
The King of Northern Border suddenly ordered the person beside him, "Keep a close eye on her."
"Yes, Your Highness."
The King of Northern Border gazed at Xue Zining's retreating back, lost in thought.
Outside the King of Northern Border's mansion, Xue Zining let out a slight sigh of relief.
She did not go back directly but headed towards Shen Yunxiu's residence. After walking for a while, she stopped, as someone was following her. She guessed it was someone sent by the King of Northern Border.
She needed to shake off the King of Northern Border's men without him noticing anything unusual, which presented a dilemma for Xue Zining.
Suddenly, a carriage caught her eye. It was a carriage from the Yan family. Xue Zining's eyes brightened slightly.
Immediately, she stopped the Yan family's carriage. The driver did not expect anyone to dare to stop the Yan family's carriage on the street and had to pull on the reins urgently. The horse neighed, and the carriage stopped abruptly. A clear, cold voice emerged from the carriage, "What happened?"
The driver said with lingering fear, "Young master, someone has stopped the carriage."
As soon as the words fell, Xue Zining saw a slender, fair hand reach out, parting the curtains with elegant, beautiful fingers. Then, a refined and handsome face appeared.
It was him, Yan Zhao.
Seeing her, his gaze was faint, without the slightest change. "May I know why the young lady stopped my carriage?"
"Do you really... not recognize me?" Xue Zining felt a slight pang in her heart.
She saw his expressionless face, his demeanor cold. "Does the young lady think I should recognize you?"
His tone was as cold as a late autumn night, making it difficult for her to cope.
She couldn't help but take a step forward and say, "You should recognize me. I am A Ning..."
She saw his gaze was cold, filled with frost, as if looking at someone unimportant. "Miss A Ning, you have the wrong person. I don't know you..."
"But..."
"Miss A Ning, can you move aside?"
His cold voice seemed to pierce through her, chilling her to the bone at that moment.
She felt only a sense of powerlessness and slowly moved aside.
So, he truly did not recognize her...
Raising her head, tears flowed down.
She could hardly remember the last time she cried, but this time she felt wronged, deeply wronged.
Yan Zhao, you can choose not to recognize anyone, but why not recognize her?
Your A Ning, you don't recognize her either?
For a moment, she felt that heaven and earth, all things, could not attract her gaze in any way.
It was like the despair of being abandoned, a despair that left her feeling cold all over.
Once, she thought everyone could stay away from her, and she also had someone waiting for her in the distance, illuminating her way home.
But now, she didn't know where to go. The person who had once illuminated her way home was gone.
She slowly crouched down, hugged herself, and began to sob uncontrollably.
"Stop..." Yan Jinchao in the carriage suddenly spoke.
The driver quickly stopped the carriage.
"Young master, is something wrong?" the driver asked.
"Has she left?" the voice from the carriage sounded again.
The driver was taken aback. "Is the young master asking about the young lady from before?"
"Mm," the voice came from the carriage.
The driver looked behind, faintly able to see the young lady hiding on the street. He said, "Young master, that young lady is squatting there now, crying..."
"Let's go!" the voice from the carriage suddenly said.
The driver was puzzled by the young master's reaction, but he was just a driver, and some things were not for him to ask.
Inside the carriage, Yan Jinchao clutched his chest. For some reason, upon seeing the young lady just now, his normally tranquil heart began to beat violently, as if he and she had a deep connection in the past.
However, he truly had never met her...
Now, hearing her cry, his chest felt a great discomfort, as if he were in sorrow.
What was happening to him?
"Young master, it's raining," the driver suddenly said.
"Stop..." Yan Jinchao suddenly said.
The driver was startled, and then Yan Jinchao in the carriage continued, "Turn around and go back."
"Yes," the driver replied.
Returning to their original spot, the driver said, "Young master, we have returned to our original spot."
Yan Jinchao lifted the carriage curtain, only to find that the young lady was gone.
After a long moment, he suddenly smiled, a little self-mockingly. He stepped into the carriage and said to the driver, "Return to the mansion."
After the carriage left, Xue Zining, who had already moved away, returned to the original spot. Rain poured down on her head, soaking her entire body.
She slightly curved her lips. The despair from before seemed to have vanished. He must still remember her, right?
Yan Zhao, since you don't recognize me, then how about I make you recognize me anew?
The rain grew heavier. She covered her head with her hands and ran quickly through the rain, her mood no longer filled with despair.
It was easy to shake someone off in the rain. Soon, she had lost the person behind her and entered Shen Yunxiu's home.
Looking at the thoroughly soaked Xue Zining, Shen Yunxiu was stunned for a moment.
"Do you have any clean clothes?" Xue Zining asked.
Shen Yunxiu was startled and said, "Please forgive this commoner, Your Majesty, but I do not have women's clothes here, only my own."
"Then bring your clothes!" Xue Zining said.
Shen Yunxiu's face flushed slightly. He returned to his room, picked out a new set of clothes he had never worn, and handed them over. "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"
Xue Zining smiled. "You're lending me clothes to wear, and you ask for my forgiveness? I should be thanking you."
Although Xue Zining was tall, Shen Yunxiu's clothes were still a bit large on her. The loose robe, however, could not hide her slender legs.
Shen Yunxiu turned his face away, avoiding looking at her faintly visible, long, white legs.
"Close the door, it's a bit cold," Xue Zining said.
Even though she had changed into clean clothes, she still couldn't resist the encroachment of the wind and rain.
Shen Yunxiu closed the door. Turning back, he saw the disheveled Empress. The makeup on her face had been washed away by the rain, revealing a serene, fair complexion that seemed to glow.
Beneath the loose robe, the slightly unfastened collar exposed her fair, tender neck.
Shen Yunxiu looked up, avoiding her gaze. The temperature of the stove in the room also rose.
He couldn't help but rush to drink a large mouthful of cool tea, which helped to lower the heat in his body considerably.
"Shen Yunxiu, I want to rescue Wen Yuxi," a clear and melodious voice rang out.
Shen Yunxiu turned back and looked at Xue Zining. Xue Zining said, "I need your help."
Shen Yunxiu bowed and cupped his hands. "This commoner will certainly help Your Majesty, but Your Majesty needs to plan this matter carefully."
"I know..." Suddenly, she looked out the window. Shen Yunxiu was startled. "Your Majesty..."