Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps broke her train of thought.
Su Fu keenly turned her head, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes.
When she saw that the person who had come was Xiao Junhe, the corners of her lips lifted slightly, and a gentle smile appeared in her eyes.
After Xiao Junhe stepped into the room, Su Fu immediately rose to her feet, her movements graceful and composed.
She walked toward him with light steps, then slightly bent forward in salute.
“Your Highness.”
Her voice was clear and soft, carrying a trace of joy and excitement.
Xiao Junhe paused for a moment before giving a slight nod in response. “Mm.”
He walked past Su Fu and took a seat opposite the tea table where she had been sitting.
Su Fu shot Qiuxue a look, signaling her to stand guard at the door.
Qiuxue bowed and withdrew to the entrance to keep watch.
Su Fu returned to the tea table and sat down facing Xiao Junhe.
Before she could speak, Xiao Junhe spoke first in a cool tone. “Miss Su invited me here today—is it about the imperial decree of marriage?”
“Yes,” Su Fu replied.
Xiao Junhe mocked himself inwardly. As expected…
Recalling the scene at the teahouse last time, when he had seen Su Fu talking with Wu Yuan, his dark eyes dimmed slightly. “I’ve heard that Minister Su intends to marry you to Wu Yuan. I had someone investigate him—he is not a good match.”
“I know,” Su Fu said calmly.
Her frank response surprised Xiao Junhe somewhat, and the tightness in his chest instantly eased. As long as Su Fu did not like Wu Yuan, that was enough.
Thinking of the imperial marriage decree, a complicated look crossed his deep-set eyes.
After a moment of silence, he slowly said, “Regarding the imperial decree… From what I understand, Miss Su has not been treated in the Su household as a legitimate eldest daughter ought to be. Now that the decree has been issued, I believe that, given your current circumstances, marrying into the General’s Manor would be your best option.”
“Of course, this would only be a temporary arrangement. After you marry into the General’s Manor, we can divorce in due time. At that point, I will give you a sum of silver and set you free.”
After he finished speaking, time seemed to freeze.
The room fell into an unusual silence.
Su Fu quietly gazed at the man before her.
His normally handsome brows were slightly furrowed, his expression solemn.
Whether in her previous life or this one, he had always treated her so well—considering everything for her, even planning her way out.
Su Fu’s eyes reddened slightly, a sour ache rising in her chest.
She blinked, and a tear slipped down her cheek.
Seeing her cry, Xiao Junhe’s heart, which had only just calmed down, grew flustered again.
Panicked, he said, “Don’t cry. If you truly don’t wish to marry me, I’ll go to the palace right now and beg His Majesty to retract the decree. Even if I’m punished for it, I’ll make sure he agrees to annul our engagement!”
As he spoke, he hurriedly stood and moved toward the door. In his haste, he even stumbled over the table leg.
Su Fu couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight.
Then, with her eyes still slightly red, she looked at Xiao Junhe, wiped the smile from her face, and said seriously:
“I am willing to marry you. I asked you here today to tell you that when I received the imperial decree of marriage, I was very happy.”
Xiao Junhe turned back in disbelief. “What did you say? Could you repeat that?”
Smiling softly, Su Fu met his dark eyes and said clearly, word by word, “I said, I am willing to marry Your Highness. I am willing to marry Xiao Junhe.”
At that moment, Xiao Junhe could almost hear his own heartbeat.
The sudden turn of events left him momentarily unable to react.
His lips parted as the question slipped out, “Why?”
Even though Su Fu had lived through two lifetimes, facing the man before her still made her shy.
A faint blush rose to her cheeks. Lowering her head, she spoke softly:
“Because… I hold affection for Your Highness.”
Though her words were quiet, they stirred great waves in Xiao Junhe’s heart.
To learn that the one he had always loved also loved him in return—it was like feeling the warmth of spring sunshine in the midst of a cold winter’s day.
He felt as though the sunlight outside had wrapped around him, warming him from head to toe.
He suddenly wanted to reach out and embrace Su Fu, but restrained himself out of propriety. Though the Emperor had issued the marriage decree, they were not yet married. He could not risk damaging her reputation.
He knew well how harsh this era was toward women. For them to be alone together in a room for so long was already improper.
His crescent-shaped lips parted slightly. “Rest assured, I will never let you suffer any grievance in the future,” he said solemnly, as though making a vow.
“I believe you, Your Highness.”
“When I return home, I will discuss it with my father and mother. We’ll choose an auspicious day and formally present the betrothal gifts at the Su residence.”
“Alright.”
Watching Su Fu’s every smile and expression filled Xiao Junhe’s heart with an extraordinary sense of contentment.
Su Fu suddenly recalled that in her previous life, on the second day after she and Xiao Junhe were married, the Western Ling Kingdom had invaded, and Emperor Jingwen had ordered Xiao Junhe to head to the northern desert.
So she asked, “Will Your Highness still go to the northern frontier?”
“The northern frontier has already been pacified. The Western Ling Kingdom likely won’t dare to invade again in the next few years,” Xiao Junhe answered truthfully, with no intention of hiding anything from her.
Su Fu’s expression grew solemn.
If that were the case, why had the Western Ling Kingdom launched another attack on Nansang Kingdom so quickly later on?
Could there have been some hidden scheme…
She wanted to warn Xiao Junhe to beware of the Crown Prince, but she had no suitable reason to do so.
Noticing her slight frown, Xiao Junhe thought she was worried about the dangers he might face in future campaigns. He gently reached out and touched the crease between her brows.
The moment his fingers brushed her, both of them froze.
Xiao Junhe quickly withdrew his hand, his tone tense. “Miss Su, forgive me. I… did not mean to offend you.”
His dark eyes quickly scanned her face, afraid she might be angry.
Su Fu returned from her thoughts, her red lips curving slightly. “We’re already betrothed—why does Your Highness still call me ‘Miss Su’?”
Seeing that she wasn’t upset, Xiao Junhe finally relaxed. He asked tentatively, “Then may I call you A-Fu from now on?”
“Of course. I once saved a little boy who fell into the water—he also called me A-Fu.”
As she spoke, she carefully observed the changes in his expression. Sure enough, the calm on Xiao Junhe’s face wavered.
He stared intently into her bright eyes, hardly daring to believe it. “A-Fu… you still remember?”
Silently, Su Fu answered in her heart: In my previous life, I didn’t remember—and I missed out on someone as wonderful as you. In this life, I refuse to miss you again.
The smile in her eyes deepened, warm as spring sunlight. Softly, she said, “Your Highness, long time no see.”
“A-Fu, long time no see.”
After speaking, they looked at each other and smiled.
In that instant, the distance between them seemed to draw closer, as if they could both feel the joy deep within each other’s hearts.