Chapter 150 - 3.46

Although he was indeed in love with her, he must admit that it wasn't to the point where he would be able to sacrifice everything for her. He was a person who grew up in harsh conditions and had many ambitions in life. One of the reasons why Xu Jiaqi caught her eye was because she, too, had such ambitions like the ones he possessed.

Above anything else, the only thing he could do to honor the flames of love that were put out was to watch Xu Jiaqi be at the peak of her happiness.

This encounter with her was a special one. He probably won't be able to find another one like her in the future. How would he be able to meet someone like her that could trigger these slanted thoughts inside him?

"Telling him.. By that, you mean..?" Xu Jiaqi's brows creased. She had followed the agreement strictly since she didn't want to ruin this chance, so she truly had no idea about how Xie Yongrui was doing apart from receiving news that Xian Ruo is thriving more than ever.

He Yiyuan didn't reply immediately. He got up from his chair, and stood up with his back turned towards Xu Jiaqi.

"It means that you should leave. The agreement is broken, I will back out of it. Naturally, since we didn't state any compensation policy for it, there shall be no losses for both parties. The ties won't be broken, but the rewards you directly receive from doing your work will be ended. You should return to Xian Ruo, I will immediately prepare for your departure." He Yiyuan waved his hand, gesturing for her to exit the vicinity. He was in the brink of a breakdown, and he didn't want her to witness a pathetic side of himself. He wanted all her memories of him to be great.

In this sense, he was truly a desirable man that many would covet. But the only person who managed to enter his eyes didn't share the same feelings.

Xu Jiaqi took He Yiyuan's words and kept it inside her heart.

Telling Xie Yongrui about everything. But what did she have to tell? He already knew that she also felt something towards him. What more did he need?

She was a bit troubled as she couldn't process the meaning behind it right away, but she got the gist of his intentions. It was time for her to leave. It might seem like he was being unreasonable, but he also understood his point of view. It was highly likely that he had been planning to release her this way without her even saying anything.

This conversation and his confession was a pivotal part in He Yiyuan's path.

If she had accepted, then he would start to work on detaching Xu Jiaqi from Xian Ruo.

In this case, she rejected, so must he keep her in this land any longer? It wasn't out of spite, but Xu Jiaqi had also begun to harbor thoughts of returning.

Rather than being faced with her request to return out of her own volition, him nullifying the contract would create less troubles for her and return her safely.

"...He Yiyuan, thank you for all this time. I truly.. appreciate the chance that you have given to me, and I believe that both you and I will reach much greater heights in the future." Xu Jiaqi bowed her head, which was something she usually would never do.

There was a lot of gratitude towards this person, even though he did cause her to have some grievance along the way. The positive outweighed the negative by a large gap.

Five years. She was taken care by this Kingdom for five years. Granted, she also worked hard, but more than anything else, she was the one to profit out of it. And everything was only possible because the man in front of her, who was full of surprising secrets, helped pave her way and create an opportunity for her to make her name big.

"Thank you? I am kicking you out, and you are thanking me? Until the very end, you truly are a mystery." He Yiyuan did not want to drag it out any longer and walked away from her, leaving Xu Jiaqi alone. He wanted to make an impactful moment in front of her.

It was so miserable. The fact that he was this affected by his emotions and his logical thinking was nullified.

He began to walk along the flowery corridor of the castle.

"...My liege, was it truly the right decision to let her go? She would've been a great Empress. If it was you, you could obtain her." Zheng Jianyu approached He Yiyuan from his hiding spot. He was told to not eavesdrop, but he didn't need to hear anything to know that his master was not at his best mood right now.

"Zheng Jianyu, didn't I ask you before? Not as your King, but as a fellow person.. You are the person I trust the most in this entire world, and I suppose the same goes for you, right?" He Yiyuan chuckled. "For the first time, I was able to think that power and glory isn't all that matters. Am I getting rusty?"

"..No. I must say that what youa re experiencing is becoming more humane. And the one to turn you this way is.."

"Xu Jiaqi, that cheeky girl."

"..My liege, I shall trust your decisions and follow you wherever you go. That has been my intention from the very beginning."

"Ah, you little shit. Didn't I tell you to call me Yuan when we are alone? We are brothers before anything else, although not by blood!" He Yiyuan draped a piece of cloth over his face. Behind the fabric, a face burdened by regret and shame was present.

Though, this could release him from the many shackles that he got as a result of everything. A way for him to breakthrough.

-Xie Yongrui, you truly are a lucky soul.. If you don't take care of her, watch your back, you might get stabbed out of nowhere.