Yu Jingchen looked at Nan Zhiyun, who was lowering her head in silence before him, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"Nan Zhiyun, this world is not as simple as it appears in your eyes, and things are not as straightforward as you imagine. It's not what you say it is, nor can you have things exactly as you wish. Before you act, have you truly considered the consequences?" Yu Jingchen's words held a hint of earnest persuasion.
Nan Zhiyun's eyes were red, wanting to cry but finding no reason, nor daring to. No one here would allow her such indulgence.
"So... Your Majesty knew all along, and today you deliberately intended to make this concubine completely abandon the thought of leaving the palace, is that right?" Nan Zhiyun asked.
"If I had simply forbidden you to leave, would you have listened? Would you have been happy? Would you have given up? So I had to let you experience it yourself, only then would you understand that some things are not as simple as you wish. You want to leave the palace, fine, but do you have the ability to protect yourself?" Yu Jingchen could see Nan Zhiyun's grievance, but what could be done? Some things were already facts, and they wouldn't change just because she shed a few tears.
Nan Zhiyun couldn't hold back any longer. She turned her head, and her eyes seemed to have sprung a leak. She hadn't intended to cry, but she truly couldn't hold it in.
Yu Jingchen watched her turn her head away, weeping heartbrokenly. However, there was nothing he could do at the moment. If he were to go up and comfort her, it might make her even more unsettled.
"Nan Zhiyun, the palace is the safest place," Yu Jingchen said, his expression mixed, yet he still spoke the words.
Was the palace the safest place? But this place was where she felt the deepest fear, the most apprehension, and the most aversion.
"Come back to the palace with me," Yu Jingchen said again.
Nan Zhiyun stood rooted to the spot, not moving. She didn't want to go back, but where could she go alone now? What if something like today happened again? For the first time, she felt so useless.
Seeing that Nan Zhiyun seemed unresponsive to his words, Yu Jingchen did not get angry. He took two steps forward, drawing closer to Nan Zhiyun.
"If you truly don't wish to return, I can accompany you outside for a while, allowing you to adjust and compose yourself." Yu Jingchen had made his greatest concession.
Nan Zhiyun still didn't respond. Yu Jingchen's patience was wearing thin. He directly reached out and grabbed Nan Zhiyun's arm. Startled by the sudden movement, Nan Zhiyun instinctively tried to resist.
"Let go of me..." Nan Zhiyun tried to pull her arm away from Yu Jingchen.
"Nan Zhiyun, that's enough! I've already made myself clear. What are you still thinking about? Are your thoughts incapable of turning, or do you simply wish to find death?" Yu Jingchen didn't have the time to waste with her any longer.
"I don't want to... let go..." Nan Zhiyun didn't know if she had lost her mind or what, but she was extremely resistant to Yu Jingchen's touch.
Yu Jingchen took a deep breath, managing to suppress his anger, and directly pulled Nan Zhiyun back onto the carriage. Nan Zhiyun's resistance was in vain, so she had no choice but to follow.
"Drive the carriage!" Yu Jingchen roared once he was inside, and Xinglai quickly ordered someone to start the carriage and leave.
Nan Zhiyun's wrist ached from Yu Jingchen's grip, and she harbored a deep fear of him, a fear etched into her bones that wouldn't disappear anytime soon, even triggering an instinctive reaction.
Yu Jingchen looked at the uneasy figure before him, his heart aching slightly. "Sit properly. When you calm down, I'll let go of you."
Nan Zhiyun tried her best to calm her emotions and not lose composure. Seeing her gradually quiet down, Yu Jingchen slowly released her.
"Are you alright now?" Yu Jingchen asked her. Nan Zhiyun remained silent, lost in her own thoughts.
The atmosphere inside the carriage suddenly turned quiet, becoming eerie. Yu Jingchen couldn't fathom Nan Zhiyun's thoughts, and Nan Zhiyun didn't know what she should do or how to interact with Yu Jingchen. Where were they going now?
"Do you want to return to the palace or stay outside?" Yu Jingchen asked her. Nan Zhiyun said nothing, and her current demeanor was incredibly vexing.
"If you wish to return to the palace, I will order the carriage to turn back immediately. If you don't want to return for the time being and wish to calm down, I can allow you to stay outside the palace for a while, to travel and see the sights." Yu Jingchen felt as if all his patience had been exhausted today.
"..." Nan Zhiyun slowly looked up, wanting to speak but hesitating.
"If you have something to say, say it," Yu Jingchen prompted, seeing her struggle.
Nan Zhiyun seemed reluctant to speak, her eyes red like a rabbit, as if she had been severely wronged.
"If you don't want to say it, then don't," Yu Jingchen said deliberately.
As expected, Nan Zhiyun finally spoke: "I don't want to go back... I don't want to." As soon as Nan Zhiyun said this, tears streamed down her face. Yu Jingchen inwardly grumbled, "Does your eye contain a river?"
"If you don't want to go back, that's fine. You have two days to rest and adjust. During these two days, you don't have to return to the palace; you can stay outside." Yu Jingchen agreed quite readily this time.
Nan Zhiyun almost felt like she was dreaming. Was it that easy to agree?
"However, I will accompany you." Yu Jingchen's words chilled Nan Zhiyun's heart. She didn't want to be alone with Yu Jingchen.
Yu Jingchen clearly sensed Nan Zhiyun's resistance, and this realization made him unhappy. However, given the special circumstances of the day, he couldn't be bothered to quibble over these minor details.
"If you want to stay outside the palace, you must accept this condition. Otherwise, you will return to the palace immediately, and you'll be forbidden from stepping half a foot outside the palace gates." Yu Jingchen was clearly forcing her, but given Nan Zhiyun's current state, without some coercion, how could there be any progress?
Compared to returning to the palace, this condition seemed less difficult to accept. Thus, Nan Zhiyun compromised.
"Alright..." she agreed.
Yu Jingchen raised an eyebrow. He had finally won. Spending these two days resting and relaxing outside the palace might not be such a bad thing; after all, it wasn't a significant matter.
"Where do you wish to stay? The General's mansion, or a guesthouse outside?" Yu Jingchen began to plan the next steps.
"...Outside," Nan Zhiyun said. She didn't want to return to the General's mansion with Yu Jingchen, nor did she want to live there with him, hence her preference for staying outside.