Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I was at a loss for words.

This was the true Li Cheng’en.

Simply because I could not cater to his every whim, he hated me and resented me. He was unreasonable and blind to my sincerity.

I suppressed the surge of tears welling up in my heart.

I could not cry in front of someone who despised me.

Enduring the bitterness in my throat, I said word by word, “Fine. From this day forward, you have no sister, and I have no brother. We shall be strangers, having nothing more to do with one another.”

I turned away as quickly as I could, but the moment I did, tears streamed down my face.

He shouted loudly behind me, “I do have a sister! My sister’s name is Zhao Duanhua, not you, Li Nanping!”

After that, we truly became strangers.

At palace banquets, I no longer sat beside my Imperial Mother. My seat was taken by Zhao Duanhua.

She was all smiles, acting spoiled with Imperial Mother, being affectionate with Li Chengze, and chatting and laughing with Li Cheng’en.

She was smooth and tactful, navigating the social circle with ease.

The area was filled with laughter and joy, drawing everyone’s gaze.

The crowd looked at her, then at me, the smiles on their lips carrying a deep, unspoken meaning.

I turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, drinking cup after cup of wine. Under my Imperial Mother’s somber gaze, I got drunk for the first time in my life.

It was the first time I had ever broken the rules.

But breaking the rules felt wonderful.

Later, I left the palace to ride my horse, galloping through the outskirts. It was the first time I had ever acted wild, and it was exceptionally liberating.

I no longer kept my Imperial Mother, Li Chengze, Li Cheng’en, Luo Chen, or Zhao Duanhua in my heart. Thus, they could no longer sting me.

Yet, I still felt desolate and lonely.

With no family and no friends, I was like a wandering ghost.

The world was bustling, but I was all alone.

So, when I encountered Xie Wuyang covered in blood on the road, I only hesitated for a moment before hauling him onto my horse.

I left him outside the palace and found someone to look after him.

Lü’e would occasionally tell me about Xie Wuyang’s condition, but seeing that I had no heart to listen, she stopped mentioning him.

Later came my Emperor Father’s birthday festival.

The gift I had prepared vanished into thin air, while the gift Zhao Duanhua presented was the very one I had made with my own hands.

That day, everyone thought I would swallow the bitter pill for the sake of appearances.

But I did the opposite. I held a hairpin against my throat, forcing my Emperor Father to personally investigate how my gift had ended up in Zhao Duanhua’s hands.

Zhao Duanhua cried, trembling so hard she could barely stand.

Li Cheng’en stepped forward of his own accord, claiming he had broken Zhao Duanhua’s gift and promised to compensate her, so he had simply taken mine.

With a long face, he said he hadn’t thought much of it, only thinking that Sister Nanping had many treasures, so he had just grabbed it.

Emperor Father was furious.

He punished Li Cheng’en severely. Not only did he order him to apologize to me, but he also personally struck him ten times with a rod.

Li Cheng’en’s screams were shrill. He stared at me with pure hatred, like a vengeful demon.

Upon returning to the inner palace, my Imperial Mother gave me a harsh slap.

“Are you satisfied now? You siblings share in both honor and disgrace. Did you want the entire palace to laugh at me?”

I clutched my face.

My heart was like dead ashes.

Though my heart ached terribly, I forced myself not to shed a single tear.

The corners of my mouth curled into a cold sneer. “You all are you, and I am me. It is impossible for us to ever share honor or disgrace again.”

I burst into my Emperor Father’s bedchamber and knelt on the floor.

He looked at me coldly, the fatigue and impatience between his brows impossible to suppress.

“What do you want again?”

Again?

That is how things go in this world. I was not at fault, yet because I was dragged into the mess, even being faultless became a fault.

Suppressing the bitterness, I said softly, “Your daughter was wronged today and seeks compensation. I want a Princess Manor. I beg Emperor Father to grant me permission to move into the Princess Manor starting today.”