929 A Million Times for You 291

She took the infant away from Lin Shishi's hands, only to discover that he had stopped breathing.

"You may not be allowed to live, but I'll have spared the child's life. Why did you kill him!?!"

Lin Shishi gritted her teeth in exasperation and exclaimed at the top of her lungs, "He's mentally disabled, what's the point of keeping him alive and letting him suffer? His mother is about to die and his father can't save him, so why should he still stay alive? I'm sending him on his way to reincarnation!"

An Xiaoning instructed the nurses to carry the infant away, after which she walked toward Lin Shishi's bed and gave her a piece of her mind, which contained her heartfelt words. "We were getting along fine and there was peace between us at the start. We were family for a while and I thought that you guys were aware of my temper and boundaries. But it turned out that you didn't at all. I entered the Autumn Palace last year to save my mother while wearing the mask to hide my features. Before I rescued my mother, I found out that Tuoba Gucheng was my half-brother. However, he fell in love with me even before he got married to you. He then found out my true identity when I went to your house after leaving the Autumn Palace. Ever since then, he's been threatening me and forbidding me from seeing Jin Qingyan. Nothing changed even after he knew that I was his biological sister. Do you think I could've told you these? You're the one who doesn't trust me, and your family didn't trust that I would stay firm to my morals. I didn't intend to make you guys my enemies. Would I have threatened you with your birth characters if you and your family hadn't initiated the ban on fortune-telling practices? Four of you died but seven of my people died. Perhaps one day, I'll be killed as well. However, I'd like to say that one shouldn't just live for the sake of living. We ought to live for our pride as well. The fact that you landed yourself in such a state today is all because of your retribution."

Lin Shishi stared at her with tears in her eyes and whined a little, incapable of speech at all.

Teary-eyed, An Xiaoning looked at Lin Shishi and said, "I'll always remember the innocent and pure person you were before you entered the Autumn Palace. You used to call me 'Sister' so sweetly. Shishi, this is the end of our feud. I shall send you on your way to hell now, Sister."

....

An Xiaoning did not wish to see Shi Xiaoyu yet and had locked the latter up in a room.

She was denied contact from the rest of the world and had no idea of the ongoing changes.

Every arduous day spent inside the room felt like years to her.

Tuoba Rui arrived.

"Release me, let me out… let me out!" she exclaimed, grabbing onto him vehemently as if he was her last hope.

Tuoba Rui stared at her sternly and said, "You'd better know your place and stay here properly. You're not allowed to go anywhere at all."

"I want to see Gucheng, I want to see my son, ask him to come here. I want to see him! Did you hear me!?!" Shi Xiaoyu yelled in desperation.

Tuoba Rui said, "Gucheng has already announced that he's resigning as the president. I'm now in charge of handling the nation's political matters."

Shi Xiaoyu's eyes widened in shock as anger surged through her veins. Her vision began to turn blurry, and she took a few steps backward before collapsing onto the bed. "You're spouting nonsense. I don't believe it. Gucheng will never resign of his own accord, he won't. He'll never, ever!"

"That's just a matter of fact. Shi Xiaoyu, your plans have backfired. Do you know what awaits you this time? Just wait here patiently until the next election is over," he said coldly, glaring at her in disdain.

"Who are the candidates of the election? Is Hancheng one of them?"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you again but the entire nation now knows that Hancheng is interested in men. It's an indisputable fact. He's not involved in the election this time."

Overwhelmed with pain, Shi Xiaoyu asked eagerly, "Who is it, then? You can't be thinking of making the brazen move of selecting a female president for the very first time in history, can you? Are you thinking of making An Xiaoning the next president?"

"Xiaoning's not interested in politics and she won't be getting involved. It's Shuo."

"Shuo… Shi Qingzhou!" Shi Xiaoyu exclaimed, flabbergasted and exasperated. She turned as pale as a ghost. If Shuo becomes the president, what would Shi Qingzhou do to me…

She grabbed Tuoba Rui's arm and said in desperation, "You can't let Shuo be elected. I can't let Shi Qingzhou win, I can't…"

Tuoba Rui pushed her hand away in annoyance and hissed, "Enough, you're afraid now, aren't you? If it weren't because of the sudden change in situation, you would've killed Xiaoning and Qingzhou, wouldn't you!?! I can't feel a tinge of sympathy for you at all."

"Rui, you can't leave me and our children in the lurch. It won't be too bad if you become the president again, but think about it. If Shuo becomes the president, do you really think he won't ill-treat our children? He won't spare me either. Rui, you may be An Xiaoning's father, but you're also the father of my three children!"

Tuoba Rui took a deep breath and stared at Shi Xiaoyu before saying, "I'd definitely make sure their lives are safe, you don't have to remind me. As for you, what has your life got to do with me? It won't be enough to atone for your sins even if you die ten times."

He stormed off in a huff.

He slammed the door shut, after which Shi Xiaoyu stared blindly at a corner, feeling as if she had suffered a huge blow to her mental well-being.

How did things change so drastically in such a short time?

How… how…

—

After handling the matters about Lin Shishi, An Xiaoning proceeded to see Tuoba Rui.

Ever since she stepped foot inside the Autumn Palace, she had never once met him privately.

This time, she only decided to take the initiative to meet him after considering it carefully for a few days.

"Your Highness, he wants you to go in."

"Alright." She pushed the door open and entered.

Upon the sight of her, Tuoba Rui smiled widely and pointed at the couch. "Have a seat."

An Xiaoning took a seat on the couch while he sat down opposite her.

"Why did you come and see me? Do you have something to talk to me about?"

"Nothing much, I just wanted to have a chat with you. Actually, I'd like to thank you," she said solemnly.

"Thank me? What for? I didn't do anything," he said in a calm and gentle voice.

"That's exactly why I have to thank you. No matter what, we've more or less pulled through this ordeal. It's all the same to me regardless of whether you or my father becomes the next president."

He gazed at her and said, "I'm your father, too. I know I'm not fit to have you acknowledge me, but I still do hope that you'll one day call me your father."

An Xiaoning looked down and kept silent for a while, after which she answered, "You're still my biological father, regardless of whether I acknowledge you or not. That's a fact that cannot be changed. I don't feel ashamed about that, though. Instead, I'll just accept it with an open heart. I share the same thoughts and sentiments with my father about you. We're both very conflicted about the way we feel toward you. You may have saved my mother, but at the same time, you've also ruined her. Because of you, she had to suffer such great pain for decades. I'm heartened that you haven't been disturbing her lately. You turned out to be like just what I had expected."

"She's the only woman I have ever loved. Even to this day, I still hope that she can follow her heart and pursue her own happiness. That's all I need to be contented," Tuoba Rui said with a smile.