583 The Secret About the Past 201

Mo Li shook her head profusely and said, "No, you're not my husband. My husband doesn't speak in this tone. You just… just look like him."

Realizing that she was beginning to murmur incoherently in a drunken stupor, Ye Xiaotian asked, "Do you regret marrying your husband?"

"Do I have a choice? I've never had the freedom to choose right from the beginning. I guess it'll remain that way for the rest of my life," Mo Li said with a mirthless chuckle.

Ye Xiaotian was perturbed to hear her words.

He had gotten into a relationship with her when he was 20 years old and she, 18. In the blink of an eye, he was already 31 and she was 29 years old.

So many years had passed without them even realizing.

Perhaps it was just like what she said, the decision will forever lie in his hands.

"My husband is like an emperor while I'm just a servant who serves him in his palace. I thought I could finally leave life in peace after giving birth to Jiani and marrying you. But in reality… a woman who can't be independent is bound to be at the beck and call of others for the rest of her life," said Mo Li, forcing a lopsided smile while tearing up.

"…"

—

In the dead of the night, Jin Yiheng returned to his bedroom to sleep, leaving Jin Qingyan alone on the bed in the master's bedroom.

Fan Shixin's words about the latest situation were still ringing in his ears.

"Young Sir, we received an update today. It's said that someone had trespassed on the president's office. They're in the midst of catching the trespasser…"

"I don't care, you don't have to tell me about it."

"Young Sir, haven't you always been concerned about the country's current affairs? I didn't mean anything else," Fan Shixin said solemnly.

"Did I say that you meant something else?"

Fan Shixin was at a loss for words.

Jin Qingyan knew exactly what he meant, and that the trespasser must have been An Xiaoning.

Why should I miss sleep over this matter?

Jin Qingyan closed his eyes, anger surging through him.

They were no longer husband and wife now.

I treated her so well, yet how did she treat me!?!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

He told himself again and again that she wasn't worth his while!

However, his heart refused to listen to his consciousness and he simply could not get his mind off her.

Jin Qingyan felt like he was holding himself cheap.

He was well aware that any progress between Tuoba Gucheng and An Xiaoning would be impossible, especially since they were half-siblings. Furthermore, Tuoba Gucheng would be getting married very soon.

Waves of disappointment hit him at the thought of her tacit approval in the video.

Jin Qingyan sprung up from his bed, picked up the glass of Dreamyanghe he had poured earlier, and began drinking sluggishly.

He was not in the least bit sleepy at all.

He had sunk deep into a trance.

He was put through such emotional torment, all because of this damned woman.

There was no way one could empathize with someone else's pain unless they had been put into their shoes.

In the pitch darkness of the room, he stood alone in a corner.

All of a sudden, there were noises that disrupted the silence.

Jin Qingyan remained still while the door of his bedroom opened gently.

A silhouette belonging to a woman entered the room, a tiny torchlight in her hand.

She tiptoed inside and walked toward the bed. To her astonishment, there was no one on the bed.

She then scanned her surroundings using the torchlight and got a great shock when her eyes landed upon the window.

"Ahh!" Bu Xianxian flinched and shrieked in terror, clutching her chest.

"What are you doing in my room in the middle of the night?" He reached out for the remote control of the automatic window and pressed it gently, after which the room lit up in no time.

"I'm… I'm here to patrol…"

What an absurd excuse.

Jin Qingyan knew her motive. He was initially already in a bad mood, yet she had made things worse.

"Put the keys down and get out immediately."

She plucked up her courage and confessed, "Nick… I really, really adore you. I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you. Could you just give me a chance?"

Staring at her, Jin Qingyan said, "I remember having said this to you countless times. Xianxian, I'm warning you one last time. If you behave like this again, I'll send you back to N Nation. We'll have nothing to do with each other from then on."

A gloomy expression formed on Bu Xianxian's face immediately as the look of hope in her eyes vanished.

"Okay."

She swiftly exited his bedroom.

Jin Qingyan grabbed the intercom handset and instructed, "Come up immediately."

After putting down the handset, Jin Qingyan sat down on the bed, appearing forlorn and depressed.

Fan Shixin bumped into Bu Xianxian leaving when he rushed back. He cursed her in his head and immediately knew why Jin Qingyan had called for him.

Thus, the first thing he did when he entered the room was to apologize. "Young Sir, I saw Ms. Bu exiting when I arrived moments ago. When did she come upstairs?"

"I should be asking you that! Just how do you guard the house? Do you know that she has the keys to my bedroom?"

Fan Shixin was shocked out of his wits when he caught sight of the keys on the table. "Young Sir, I really don't know how she managed to get a hold of them. This Ms. Bu is not a simple woman."

"Replace the lock of my bedroom door with a biometric one tomorrow," Jin Qingyan instructed.

"Yes, I'll definitely do that tomorrow."

"Alright, you may go and rest."

"Young Sir, didn't you go to bed earlier? Why don't you seem sleepy at all?"

Jin Qingyan sniffed and said, "I'm suffering from insomnia. Bring me some medicine."

"Alright."

Fan Shixin immediately rushed downstairs. He returned less than ten minutes later and handed Jin Qingyan a small paper bag containing sleeping pills with a light dosage.

After taking the pills, Jin Qingyan felt a little dizzy and finally fell asleep.

—

It was the day of the wedding photoshoot.

An Xiaoning had been on duty all night. Just as she was about to catch up on some rest after having her breakfast, Tuoba Gucheng instructed her to tag along with him.

An Xiaoning felt a strong urge to roll her eyes at him. I didn't get to sleep at all last night and he's still thinking of occupying my time in the day. Isn't he being too inhumane?

But then again, which subordinate would dare disobey their employer's instructions?

The wedding photoshoot was to be held at a renowned bridal store in B City.

Lin Shishi had yet to arrive when Tuoba Gucheng and his entourage did.

Donning a uniform, the store manager greeted with a smile, "Your Highness, the attire for the photoshoot has been prepared for you, would you like to take a look?"

"Sure."

"Alright, please come with me." The store manager then led him upstairs.

She pushed a white door open to reveal two stacks of garments, which were in the latest designs, carefully tailored to his measurements.

The bunch of bodyguards waited downstairs while Tuoba Gucheng headed upstairs with An Xiaoning and one other bodyguard.

Staring at the twenty-odd sets of suits, he asked An Xiaoning, "What do you think of them?"

An Xiaoning nodded and answered, "They all look amazing, but I think these few would suits you better."

She pointed at a few sets, which he coincidentally happened to fancy as well.

"We don't have to take too many wedding photos. Just one outdoor shoot and three indoor backdrops will do," Tuoba Gucheng said to the bridal store manager.