Yi Xiao did not know how she had returned to the inner court. When her senses cleared, only Feng Suige stood before her, his face etched with concern. She glanced around in confusion and whispered, “Has he left?”
“Yes,” Feng Suige nodded.
Yi Xiao remained silent for a long time before suddenly laughing bitterly. “Did you see? He was in such a hurry to distance himself from me.”
Feng Suige drew her gently into his arms. “Don’t think too much. He still cares for you—otherwise, he wouldn’t have told you to take care of yourself. Perhaps he has difficulties… or perhaps he knows the Holy Emperor has spies watching the guest house.”
“I understand,” Yi Xiao replied flatly. “If I were in his position, I wouldn’t sacrifice my career for an insignificant daughter either.”
“Yi Xiao…” Feng Suige sighed, but she cut him off. “This is for the best. It removes many concerns. We never intended to involve too many people anyway.”
A maid’s sudden cry shattered the moment. The door trembled, creaking. Yi Xiao’s words stopped abruptly, her gaze sharpening. Feng Suige rushed forward, his face pale—until recognition lit his eyes. “Xi Yang?!”
“Imperial Brother!” Feng Xi Yang cried once before collapsing into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Tears streamed like broken pearls, soaking his robe. Distressed, Feng Suige asked again and again, “Why have you grown so thin? Are you ill? Has someone bullied you?”
But when he looked back, Yi Xiao had vanished. Anxiety gnawed at him, yet Xi Yang’s grief demanded his attention. He patted her shoulders gently. “Don’t cry. Tell me what happened. I’ll make it right.”
“…Everything was fine until a few days ago,” Xi Yang sobbed. “The Holy Emperor received a secret report accusing my husband of secretly manufacturing weapons. He imprisoned him in the Imperial Prison. If we cannot prove his innocence, he will be condemned for treason. Imperial Brother, he is being framed—please help him!”
Feng Suige listened, his mind racing. Seeing her frail, timid state, he asked softly, “Xi Yang, is there something else you haven’t told me?”
She trembled, clutching her handkerchief. “Why do you ask that?”
“I’m only concerned,” Feng Suige sighed. “Your nature is pure and kind, but sometimes you must be cautious. Don’t let yourself be used.”
Xi Yang hesitated, then asked quietly, “Imperial Brother… do you care about Fu Yi Xiao?”
“She is the first woman who made me want to cherish someone,” he admitted.
“Do you love her?” she pressed.
“Yes,” he answered without hesitation.
“How much?”
He thought deeply before replying, “I don’t need her to promise me anything. She need not do anything for me. As long as she is by my side, that is enough.”
Xi Yang fell silent, lost in thought. Then, almost trembling, she asked, “If she is only using you, and her heart belongs to another… would you still treat her the same?”
“Yes,” Feng Suige said firmly. “And I believe she is not that kind of person.”
Tears fell silently onto silk. Xi Yang rose shakily. “Imperial Brother, I’ll go back now.”
He guided her to the door, urging gently, “If you cannot bear something, come to me. No matter how difficult, I will shoulder it for you. Don’t endure alone.”
She did not answer, only quickened her pace and left.
In the courtyard, Yi Xiao stood upon a swing, swaying leisurely. She turned as Feng Suige approached. “Finished talking so quickly? I thought you would ask her to stay for a meal.”
Feng Suige pressed his lips together, pushing the swing softly. “She suffers inside, but for some reason, she won’t reveal it.”
Yi Xiao’s smile was sharp, concealing anger. “What I don’t understand is why she believes the Holy Emperor’s lies. Why she sneaks in to eavesdrop instead of entering openly. And what I understand least is why you knew she was listening, yet chose not to confront her. Feng Suige, we don’t have time for hesitation. If you’ve changed your mind, tell me at once.”
“Can’t you be fair?” Feng Suige’s voice trembled with suppressed anger. “The one you want to save is your closest friend, but she is my closest kin!”
Yi Xiao leapt lightly from the swing, her smile cold. “Don’t speak to me of fairness. If fairness truly existed, then whether commoner or king, anyone who does wrong should be punished—no matter their status.”
Feng Suige fell silent. In this chaotic world, what could truly be called fair? He himself had failed to achieve it—how could he demand it of others?
Yi Xiao’s anger ebbed. After a long pause, she said evenly, “People say, ‘When the heart is Buddha, the world is Buddha.’ But she has only herself in her heart. I can forgive ignorance, but I cannot forgive the inability to distinguish right from wrong.”
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