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He still remembered the sensation of almost being suffocated when Su Tianrui nearly strangled him with his hug!

"Tsk!"

Seeing such aversion from him, Su Tianrui rolled his eyes dramatically and dismissed him with a wave of his hand.

Originally, everyone’s attention was drawn to Yan Xiangkai, but unexpectedly, because of a single remark from He Lienuo, Yan Xiangkai was put into a difficult and embarrassing situation.

Many people sneered, paying him no further mind, even losing anticipation for the dishes that Master Niu was about to prepare.

Yan Xiangkai’s expression turned even uglier, standing there awkwardly, unsure whether to keep talking or to stay silent; his face twitched several times.

Ru Chun couldn’t bear it and stood up, wanting to demand an explanation from He Lienuo.

"Who are you, and how do you know so much about Dongling..."

"Chunchun!"

Before Ru Chun could finish speaking, Yan Xiangkai hurriedly pulled her back to sit down and gestured for her to stop talking.

Ru Chun couldn’t contain her anger and worry: "Dad, you shouldn’t be afraid of him..."

"Shh!"

Yan Xiangkai covered his daughter’s mouth with one hand and quickly glanced around, whispering, "Didn’t you hear what Second Master Su just called him? He Lian. Remember, He Lian is the royal surname of Xiliang. This man, he’s not simple at all!"

Ru Chun was startled and her eyes rolled around twice as she finally grasped the key point.

The rumors had already spread throughout the Capital city that the Crown Prince of Xiliang was coming to Dayong for a marriage alliance. It was said that he would arrive in just a few days.

At such a critical moment, suddenly a man bearing the surname He Lian appeared, and moreover, a very wealthy one. Indeed, this man’s identity was suspicious.

She would be better off staying cautious; she definitely didn’t want to marry and enter an alliance with that desolate place called Xiliang!

What Ru Chun was thinking about was precisely what Yan Xiangkai was worried about. Originally, the best candidate for the marriage alliance would have been Yao Hanai, but now that Yao Hanai had been involved in such a scandalous affair, a new candidate would definitely need to be chosen.

Looking around the entire Capital city, there weren’t many ladies qualified to be the Princess for the Marriage Alliance. Su Qiuyu was protected by Su Zhe and Empress Su, so she definitely wouldn’t go to Xiliang.

As for Ru Chun? Although Consort Liu intended to have Ru Chun marry the Second Prince as his Main Consort, Ru Chun herself didn’t agree!

Yan Xiangkai frowned deeply. He knew his sister’s character the best—if Chunchun insisted on not doing as she wished and she pushed her out for a marriage alliance, his sister would definitely do it!

He only had this one daughter!

Not knowing if it was his own emotions affecting Ru Chun, she suddenly bit her lip, turned her head to Yan Xiangkai, and asked somberly, "Dad, if Aunt insists on making me enter the marriage alliance, will you..."

Yan Xiangkai abruptly looked up, staring blankly at his daughter. Amidst the tumultuous events at the competition site, he seemed deaf to them all, feeling nothing but a buzzing in his head.

If his sister really wanted his daughter to be part of a marriage alliance, what should he do?

Seeing the conflicted look on her father’s face, Ru Chun’s hopeful heart sank immediately. She knew it, she had always known, that her father had always favored the aunt in the palace. No matter how difficult, he would never let the aunt suffer.

Let alone her, even her own mother, her father’s legal wife, had to step aside in front of the aunt.

"Dad, I understand."

Ru Chun’s demeanor grew dim. When she asked the question earlier, she had still harbored some hope, hoping that her father would think of her for once, just once. But she was wrong. In her father’s heart, there had always been room only for that aunt!

"Chunchun, dad, dad won’t let you enter a marriage alliance, believe me," said Yan Xiangkai, still staring at her dejected expression, finally snapping back to reality and firmly taking his daughter’s hand, repeatedly assuring her.

However, his assurances now seemed insignificant.

To Ru Chun, those were just temporary placations, like when she was a child and her father brought back delicious fish from Dongling after much hardship.

She wanted some, but her father always sternly prevented her, and then sent them to the palace for her aunt.

Her father’s words seemed just like yesterday: "Your aunt is very upset alone in the palace, she can’t even eat what she desires.

You are outside the palace, with the love and care of your parents, but your aunt has nothing.

For the sake of our family, your aunt gave up her happiness to enter the palace, so you must be dutiful to your aunt, understand? "

In her view, the aunt had become a consort for the sake of the entire Yan family. But at her young age, she couldn’t understand why the Yan family, which was doing fine, needed her aunt to secure its position by entering the palace?

Furthermore, the aunt she met in the palace was so different from the one her father spoke of. Where was the despair and hardship? She seemed to be living happily in the palace.

She was too young to understand back then, but as she grew older, she gradually came to realize that the aunt was different in front of her father than she was in front of others. Even her mother noticed it, but her father simply refused to see it.

It was only later that she learned the word "hypocrisy" and understood that it described people like her aunt; she then no longer wanted to visit the palace.

At first, her father didn’t know why and thought she was being childish, but after she spoke out the truth, not only did he not believe it, he also scolded her more harshly, accusing her of being ungrateful, calling her an ingrate!

Haha, an ingrate, indeed!

At this thought, Ru Chun, who had always been strong and competitive, inexplicably felt her eyes redden. Everyone said she was proud, but she just couldn’t allow herself to admit defeat.

She didn’t want to be a puppet at the mercy of others, nor did she want to be the Main Consort of Zhao Hongsheng. What did that high position have to do with her?

In the distance, an earnest gaze fell upon her, full of puzzlement, compassion, curiosity, and mostly, sympathy and sorrow.

Suddenly, a loud cheer erupted, pulling Ru Chun back from her reverie. She surreptitiously wiped away a tear and widened her eyes in surprise.

Lin Yuan, is she going to perform an acrobatic show?