Blossom In Adversity - Vol. 2

C399. Two Fools in Love.

Chapter 399: Two Fools in Love

Gu Yanxi clasped the hand entwined with his and let out a faintly chilly smile. "If it weren’t for crossing paths with you, I had no plans to marry. The family line doesn’t depend on me to continue—the surname’s secure enough without my contribution."

Hua Zhi arched a brow, her curiosity laced with a hint of teasing. "So, no concubines to fulfill the noble duty of producing countless heirs?"

A shadow flickered across Yanxi’s face. "Never. I won’t let my mother’s tragedy repeat itself. I stood by her grave and swore two things: I’d avenge her and never follow in Prince Ling’s footsteps."

Hua Zhi studied him closely, sensing the steely resolve behind his words. She couldn’t help but feel that if Yanxi had the choice, he’d sever ties with his father entirely. In his heart, it seemed the man he once called father was now nothing more than "Prince Ling."

Breaking the tension, Hua Zhi spoke with a soft determination. "My father might be a bit of an old stickler, but he’s a kind soul. My mother? She’s a sentimental crybaby—too simple-minded to plot against anyone."

Yanxi’s gaze lingered on her, as if absorbing every word. He said nothing, letting her voice fill the silence.

"And if—when—that day comes," she continued, her tone light but tinged with something wistful, "they’d welcome you with open arms. We could live closer to them, set up a ladder if we needed to talk across courtyards. My father would show you his prized antique scrolls, and my mother would probably scold you for spoiling me too much."

Her voice faltered slightly as she spoke, as though realizing she wasn’t just comforting Yanxi anymore. She was painting a picture of a future she wanted to believe in. A future where their lives could intertwine in something as simple and beautiful as the everyday. If only they could make it that far.

"Hua Zhi."

Hua Zhi looked up.

Yan Xi's eyes sparkled with excitement as he spoke, his voice brimming with conviction. “One day, I’ll sit down with your father, admiring antique paintings together. I’ll even gift him some of my prized pieces—both paintings and antiques. I’ll lend an ear to your mother’s endless complaints and spoil you even more, just to make sure she scolds me even harder the next time we meet. And Bai Lin? Whatever he asks for, it’s his.”

“You think just giving him things will work? Xiao Liu won’t stand for that. And then there’s Sui’an, Xiao Han, Bai Yu... they all call me ‘sister,’ you know.”

“Fine, I’ll spoil them too. Whatever they want, as long as they’re willing to call me...” Yan Xi paused, lowering his voice to a playful whisper. “Brother-in-law.”

The idea of such a life lit him up inside—so perfect, so within reach, it felt like a dream he didn’t want to wake from.

The two of them locked eyes, and it was unclear who started laughing first, but the sound soon echoed between them, filling the space with unrestrained joy.

“Idiots, both of us,” Hua Zhi teased, her gaze soft but mischievous. Her eyes, slightly damp with emotion, seemed to hold a glimmer that Yan Xi found impossible to ignore. Despite being bone-tired—having traveled back from Yuzhou without rest, immediately reporting to the palace, and now sitting here with her—he suddenly felt as if he could head straight back to Yuzhou and not miss a beat.

At the door, Ying Chun gently cleared her throat, holding a lantern as a silent nudge. “Miss, it’s getting late.”

“Has the rain stopped?”