122 Making a Choice

Lying on the bed, Yun Xueyan felt drowsy after taking her medicine. Her head throbbed painfully as she rubbed her temples and closed her eyes, recalling Duan Nanyu’s words from a few days ago.

He had said that as long as she recovered, he would let her go.

But she didn’t know where she would go. The world was vast, yet there was nowhere she could find shelter. Moreover, she had no skills; once she left the Xiao Prince’s residence… she would have nothing.

Duan Nanyu mentioned that Feng Xilou wanted to take her away. Where to? The Prime Minister’s mansion?

She didn’t want to go there. Although Feng Xilou cared for her there, she still couldn’t do anything for herself. She no longer wished to rely on others for survival—she was exhausted.

“Yan’er, what are you thinking about?” Duan Nanyu entered carrying a tray, dressed in his court robes, full of vitality—the only time he wasn’t wearing his usual black attire.

Yun Xueyan sighed softly. Had he just come straight from the morning court without changing?

“Nothing, I just woke up and you returned before I could get out of bed,” she said, propping herself up slightly. Looking at his noticeably thinner face, when he sat down, she reached out with concern. “You’ve lost weight; you haven’t been resting properly.”

Indeed, ever since she fell ill, he had cared for her day and night without leaving her side, his sleep restless. She was deeply moved—her heart ached from it.

But she no longer had the strength to stay by his side. His love had grown deeper, but it had also brought her too much pain—pain deep in her bones.

And then there was Yun Xiyin—the woman she could never come to terms with.

His mood brightened slightly, stirred by her words of concern. He smiled bitterly to himself; she could now easily sway all his emotions.

“Good that you’re recovering. I’m fine,” he said gently, blowing on the porridge to cool it before bringing it to her lips. “Eat something, you still have medicine to take later.”

After a pause, Duan Nanyu’s gaze darkened as he looked at her. His voice was sharp as if each word cut him deeply. “When you’re fully healed, if you want to go with Feng Xilou…I won’t stop you.”

He had lost the imposing aura of the Xiao Prince; in front of her, he was no longer the cold, commanding prince who once ruled the winds and clouds. He was just a man sitting before the woman he loved.

Eating the porridge he offered, Yun Xueyan found it bitter, even more so than the medicine. Tears welled up and slipped down her cheeks unnoticed.

“Nanyu, I won’t go. I’m staying,” she said through blurred, tear-filled eyes. She saw his efforts, his attempts to make amends for his mistakes. She was not heartless.

“I’ll wait until Yun Xiyin’s child is born. I’ll stay by your side.” She wept, swallowing all resentment and grievance. Although she harbored bitterness over Yun Xiyin’s child, after all, it was still a child.

She could not be cruel enough to take that child’s life.

Her words made Duan Nanyu tense as he stared at her. Setting down the porridge, he pulled her into his arms tightly. “Yan’er, what did you just say? Did I hear you right? You want to stay?”

His voice trembled with emotion, and despite his efforts to hold back tears, they spilled over. He was grateful for her forgiveness, grateful for her choice, grateful she would stay by his side.

At last, things were improving. He would cherish this chance dearly.

“I said I want to stay by your side. I’m not leaving,” she smiled faintly, letting Duan Nanyu hold her tightly.

“Thank you, Yan’er. Thank you for giving me this chance.” All his previous fears and worries vanished. She would not leave with Feng Xilou; he… could still have her.