Keep your voice down. Are you trying to look glamorous dressed as a forced lover?

"Ji Mingzheng, don't mention Wen Sheng, don't talk about whether Wen Sheng is suitable or not. I'm just asking you, are you really unwilling? And do you not regret it?"

She walked over, placed her hand on Li Qingyan's shoulder, and looked into his eyes.

Ji Mingzheng's eyes flickered, and he looked away for a moment before raising his eyes to look at her.

"After Your Highness said those words before, I swore that if I like Your Highness, I will take Your Highness's surname. I don't want to change my surname to Li."

He smiled and raised his hand: "But I can continue to play along with Your Highness. We are now bound together. I will do anything to help Your Highness, even at the cost of my life."

Ji Mingzheng felt that this was good for all three of them.

But Li Qingyan's smile vanished completely. She shook her head and said, "No need. Since you're unwilling, you don't need to play along."

As acting progresses, intimacy and closeness become necessary.

Ji Mingzheng's smile faded. So, he didn't need to act anymore?

"Are you sure you don't need it?"

"No, thank you."

If a closer relationship is not destined to develop in the future, then there is no point in acting.

Li Qingyan stood up: "I understand what you mean. I won't cause you any trouble."

She was planning to visit him more often in the future, but the happiness was so short-lived.

She lost the only place where she could relax.

Perhaps if she spoke up a little later, his attitude would change. After all, feelings can be cultivated, but she didn't have that much time.

She thought they all felt the same way, but it turned out she was just being delusional.

Ji Mingzheng, whom she was most confident in, also rejected her.

For two consecutive days, she was rejected, and Li Qingyan's departing figure from Changfeng Palace was filled with anxiety.

Ji Mingzheng watched her retreating figure, his hands gripping the armrest tightly. He opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say anything.

After leaving Changfeng Palace, Li Qingyan stood for a moment, then suddenly turned towards Zhenxing Pavilion.

She was going to ask Wen Sheng; she needed to get all the answers tonight, whatever the outcome, so she could be prepared.

Previously, Li Qingyan had some confidence in Wen Sheng, who had the most "ease of being taken advantage of," since they had indeed gotten along quite well later on.

But after being rejected by Ji Mingzheng, Li Qingyan's confidence greatly diminished.

When she saw Wen Sheng, she couldn't even manage a smile.

"Your Highness." Wen Sheng was somewhat surprised by her arrival, looking at the forced smile on her face with a puzzled expression: "Why that expression?"

Doesn't Your Highness and Ji Mingzheng get along very well?

"It's nothing."

Li Qingyan shook his head and, after entering the Pillow Star Pavilion, quietly looked at Wen Sheng for a moment.

Wen Sheng looked down at herself: "Why is Your Highness looking at me like that?"

"Wen Sheng, how do you feel about our relationship right now?"

"That's good." Wen Sheng was genuinely puzzled. "Why does Your Highness ask that? Has something happened?"

"I just wanted to confirm. If you, Wen Sheng, feel that we're not close and our relationship is just so-so, then I don't need to ask the following questions."

She's not a masochist and doesn't want to keep seeking out torture.

Wen Sheng's eyes showed even more doubt. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Does Your Highness need money again? If it's not a large amount, I can raise it as soon as possible. If it's a large amount, it may take some time to process."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingyan finally couldn't help but laugh.

He thought she wanted money again, but as the saying goes, where money is, there is love, and Li Qingyan regained his confidence.

"I don't need the money right now, but I'll need you in the future."

She carefully chose her words before speaking: "I've already told you about my situation. I may encounter many similar situations with traditional Chinese medicine in the future. If we need to have more in-depth contact, I wonder if you would be willing?"

Wen Sheng's eyelashes trembled, and in an instant she understood why she had asked that question earlier.

Everything inside the cabin proved that his previous aversion to intimacy stemmed from his aversion to other people, but not from his aversion to her.

He was originally her concubine, so Your Highness doesn't need to concern yourself with it.

But since she asked, she probably asked Ji Mingzheng as well.

"Your Highness, didn't you ask Mingzheng first? Were you dissatisfied with his answer?"

Li Qingyan frowned: "Why did you ask him first? Does he want you to accept or reject him regardless?"

Does this attitude mean she's been rejected again?

Could I really be that unlucky?

Amidst Li Qingyan's incredulous speculation, Wen Sheng's brow twitched. Ji Mingzheng had refused? That shouldn't be the case.

Seeing Wen Sheng remain silent, Li Qingyan took a deep breath and pressed, "Wen Sheng, what is your answer?"

Wen Sheng paused for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, could I consider it and give you an answer tomorrow?"

Li Qingyan breathed a sigh of relief for no apparent reason, because Wen Sheng did not refuse immediately, and she actually thought it was a good idea.

Li Qingyan smiled bitterly. Sure enough, people's bottom line is lowered little by little.

If it were Ji Mingzheng before, she would definitely have complained that Wen Sheng needed to consider it for a night, and that her cooperation level might not be high enough afterwards.

But now she just nods.

"Okay, you can think about it." She even thought that this matter was of great importance, and it was normal for him to consider it.

Wen Sheng said he needed to think about it, so Li Qingyan gave him time and space and then took his leave.

She also needs time to calm down and think about the follow-up issues.

Wen Sheng watched Li Qingyan leave, then stood quietly for a moment.

Ji Mingzheng actually refused, which surprised him.

He couldn't help but wonder if Ji Mingzheng had rejected him, which was why he had thought of him.

He was always the one who had to settle for second best, because others were unwilling to approach him.

He was actually used to it, but he had just told Ji Mingzheng that he wouldn't like her and that it was just a business relationship, but Ji Mingzheng rejected him.

Is it because of that kiss His Highness gave when he was drunk?

He bears responsibility for this matter; he could have avoided it, but he didn't.

But when they were both about to fall, His Highness chose to support Ji Mingzheng. His Highness prefers Ji Mingzheng, and Ji Mingzheng also likes her.

He needed to find out the reason why Ji Mingzheng refused.

Wen Sheng couldn't wait until dawn and set off immediately.

Ji Mingzheng had just lain down when Wen Sheng suddenly arrived.

"Yin Gong, I have something to discuss with your general."

Before Ji Mingzheng could speak, Yin Gong immediately nodded: "Yes, Lord Wen."

The general's demeanor was off, and so was His Highness's departure; Yin Gong was secretly anxious.

Ji Mingzheng sat up, and Wen Sheng sat on the edge of the bed. She glanced at the forced smile on Ji Mingzheng's lips and cut straight to the point: "Ji Mingzheng, you clearly like Her Highness, so why did you reject her?"

Ji Mingzheng's brow twitched: "She came to see you? And asked you about it?"

"Yes, why did you refuse? You clearly like His Highness." Wen Sheng pressed.

Ji Mingzheng lowered his head, his fingers tracing the patterns on the blanket, appearing quite nonchalant: "If I don't like her, I'll naturally reject her. Where did you get the idea that I like her?"

He looked up: "But you, His Highness asked you if you agreed? Don't be silly and refuse."

Wen Sheng pursed her lips: "Ji Mingzheng, stop being so stubborn, okay?"

His expression was serious: "Now is not the time for jokes, nor is it the time for stubbornness."

"As you can probably tell, our princess seems easy to talk to, but she is also very decisive and always keeps her word."

"You rejected her this time, but have you considered that she might never contact you again and will completely give up on you? You'll regret it then, and it won't be easy to win her back."

Ji Mingzheng's hand, which was poking at the blanket, froze for a moment, and his face paled.