Back then, she and Xing Zhan were lovers, but because the Moon King coveted her beauty, he took her into his palace.
And Xing Zhan, for the sake of power, actually handed her over readily...
Therefore, she hated both these men immensely!
And that slut too!
It was all because of her!
The Moon Queen snapped back to reality, only to find that Xing Ru had already disappeared.
Her gaze searched frantically, and thankfully, she spotted Xing Ru standing before Yue Nan Sang.
She was so small standing before Yue Nan Sang, appearing even more delicate, making her hard to notice.
These two sisters, though of the same mother but different fathers, were nothing alike.
But perhaps due to familial ties, or perhaps because the Moon Queen had made Yue Nan Sang approach Xing Ru from a young age, the two had been very close since childhood.
Xing Ru stood before Yue Nan Sang, but her gaze was not on her.
A polo match concluded, and without a doubt, the championship once again fell to the siblings, Yue Nan Sang and Yue Bei Yang.
At this moment, all eyes in the venue were on these two, filled with jealousy and admiration.
Some were amazed by their appearance, while others were envious.
Xing Ru stood aside, as if she were invisible, and no one noticed her.
"Sang Sang, congratulations!"
Yue Nan Sang looked at her and smiled. Yue Bei Yang's gaze, however, remained fixed on Yue Nan Sang's face.
The maiden, her face flushed from exertion, her fair skin tinged red, appeared even more lovely.
Yue Bei Yang's eyes flickered, and he forcefully suppressed the emotions in his heart.
Xing Ru secretly looked at Yue Bei Yang, then turned around, about to speak to him, when he had already walked away.
"Brother Bei Yang, congratulations..."
Her words drifted into the air, unheard by anyone.
Because after Yue Bei Yang left, Yue Nan Sang also followed.
Everyone's gaze followed suit.
No one saw that in the very center of the polo field, a maiden still stood.
Ah, no! There was one person who had been by Xing Ru's side from the very beginning.
That was her hidden guard, Ling Ye.
Xing Ru felt a pang of disappointment, but she quickly cheered herself up and walked towards a certain direction.
Ling Ye, hidden in the shadows, noticed her movements and hurried to follow.
The Moon Queen watched all this unfold, her emotions churning for a long time.
As someone who had experienced much, she could discern the undercurrents between these three.
But her gaze towards Yue Bei Yang was filled with deep hatred.
Consort Li, that slut, had ruined her happiness, and now her son was going to ruin her daughter's happiness!
As expected of children born to a vixen, they were born vixen-like!
The Moon Queen looked at Xing Ru's dejected back, her expression growing even more somber.
...
"Ling Ye! Come out!"
Xing Ru stood by the lake, and had been standing there for a long time.
This was the same lake where she had fallen into the water.
Seeing it again now, Xing Ru's heart felt calmer.
Yue Bei Yang's image reappeared clearly in her mind.
Perhaps, he was just a cold person?
Perhaps, she still had a chance?
She consoled herself in this way.
Hearing her, Ling Ye finally revealed himself.
"Miss!" He bowed, but his movements were somewhat stiff.
Xing Ru looked at his stiff and unpracticed gestures and smiled, "Have you not learned proper etiquette? If you really can't manage, then you don't need to bow before me in the future..."
Ling Ye looked up, his gaze meeting her smiling face.
It was so clear and pure, clearer than the water in this lake.
He recalled the maiden in the water, what kind of expression did she have?
Was it despair, liberation, joy?
He did not understand.
But he knew that the maiden's father did not love her as much as the outside world rumored!
Although all this was arranged by the Imperial Advisor, if Xing Zhan had not heartlessly abandoned Xing Ru, she wouldn't have been thrown into the water.
Even though she wouldn't die in the end, but...
Ling Ye's gaze towards the maiden inexplicably became tinged with heartache.
Xing Ru, however, gazed at the calm lake water and said faintly, "That day, he was the one who pulled me up from the bottom of this lake."
Ling Ye did not interrupt, listening as she continued, "Actually, I... I didn't want to live anymore..."
Ling Ye knew that Xing Ru had not struggled at that time, he had seen despair in her eyes.
The maiden continued, "I thought that if I died, that would be it, but when he swam towards me desperately, I suddenly felt that there could be someone in this world who would risk everything for me, and I wanted to live!"
Ling Ye's pupils suddenly contracted. He clearly heard a sound of something breaking.
The ice that had sealed his heart shattered at that moment!
...
Another five years passed.
This year, Xing Ru had just reached her coming-of-age ceremony.
As the coming-of-age ceremony for Xing Zhan's only daughter, it was naturally a grand affair, with throngs of guests.
The Xing family was a scene of festivity, but Xing Ru was squatting in her courtyard, waiting for Yue Nan Sang.
Much had changed in these five years.
But her feelings had never wavered.
Sometimes, the image of that young man from that day would still appear in her dreams.
But it was fragmented, at one moment seeing the blurry dark figure in the water, at another seeing Yue Bei Yang clearly on the shore.
For a time, Xing Ru became confused.
Something was gradually becoming clear in her heart, but she was unwilling to admit it.
Her savior was Yue Bei Yang, and it could only be him!
"Ru'er, today is your coming-of-age ceremony, why are you not at the front hall?"
It was Xing Zhan's voice.
It had to be said, as long as his power was not threatened, Xing Zhan truly doted on his only daughter to the extreme.
But in his heart, power was more important than anything, even his own life!
He who could abandon his lover for power could now abandon this precious daughter for power.
To others, Xing Ru seemed timid, and Xing Zhan thought so too.
But it was not so. Though the maiden's exterior was fragile, her interior was firm.
And she was actually quite intelligent.
At least, she had understood her father's true nature long ago, but she was unwilling to view her father in that light.
As long as she didn't expose him, her father would still be her father.
Xing Ru smiled and stood up, "Father, I'm waiting for Sang Sang~"
A sweet smile bloomed on the maiden's face, and Xing Zhan's tone inevitably softened.
"Good~ Ru'er likes the Princess so much, do you like Father this much too?"
Xing Ru reached out and affectionately linked her arm with Xing Zhan's.
At this moment, the father and daughter looked incredibly close, as if there was not a trace of distance between them.
The next second, Xing Zhan's voice came, "Ru'er is about to come of age, do you have someone you like?"
Ling Ye, hidden in the shadows, paused.
He knew very well...
Xing Zhan had already discovered Xing Ru's feelings for Yue Bei Yang. Since he had to report everything to him, he must have known that Miss liked Yue Bei Yang.
But why, was he asking this now?