flstandardbreds Chapter 153
Chapter 153
“But you really came back, and even said you wanted to marry me. From that moment on, my heart could no longer hold anyone else.”
"But……"
"But this is not right. How can I, in my condition, marry you?"
More than anyone else, he wished he were the son of an honest family, but he wasn't; he was a brothel man who had been with thousands of men.
The better Nalan Jingwen treated him, the more he despised and loathed himself. She was so noble and pure, how could she be defiled by someone like him?
"It's not worth it... I'm not worthy of you doing this for me..."
"I only ask that in my next life, I can marry you cleanly and without guilt."
Nalan Jingwen shook his head, "In the next life, you will not be Jinse. I only want Jinse."
Jinse froze, her lips trembling, but she couldn't utter a word.
"You feel dirty, you hate yourself, you despise yourself, but why don't you pity yourself?"
If you don't love yourself, cherish yourself, or stand by yourself, then who else will love you?
"Could Jinse back then have imagined that Jinse now would despise her so much?"
Nalan Jing looked at him with a disappointed expression.
"This was never your choice; you were forced into it. You were helpless at the time, which is why you should save yourself from this predicament. No one in this world is more important than yourself, and you should not belittle yourself or your life because of others."
Jinse wept uncontrollably, her expression one of extreme anguish.
"It's no use... I can't save myself..."
There was nothing he could do.
"But I can, I can save you, you can ask me for help!"
"Would you like to come back with me?"
She reached out her hand to him. Jinse looked at that hand, her eyes flashing with expectation, but it was once again replaced by pain.
"Do not……"
"Your Highness, please leave. Jinse promises you that she will not seek death again. Your Highness, please pretend that you have never met Jinse."
Nalan Jingwen looked at him with a solemn expression.
"And what about from now on? Are you going to continue like this? Would you rather hide in a corner and peek than see me, Your Majesty?"
Jinse gave a bitter smile, her slightly hoarse voice trembling.
"From now on, Your Highness will still be the noble Prince of Fengtian, surrounded by husbands and servants, enjoying the bliss of family life."
She would never remember him again; he was just one of the most insignificant people she had ever met in her life.
Nalan Jingwen shook his head, "And what about you? Don't you include me in your future?"
"I will always remember Your Highness."
He will love her forever, and spend the rest of his life loving her.
He was content as long as he held onto those memories.
Nalan Jingwen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again, saying, "Since you are unwilling to go back with me, then return what I gave you."
Jinse suddenly looked up, her scarlet eyes filled with disbelief, her lips trembling, and tears streaming down her face.
"That thing was only given to my husband. Since you do not wish to be my husband, then return it to me."
Jinse couldn't believe that she could be so heartless!
His hands trembled as he took the ring out of his pocket and handed it to Nalan Jingwen, his fingertips lingering with reluctance.
Nalan Jingwen took the ring back immediately, then took out a red brocade pouch from his pocket and said to Jinse, "This was a gift from you to me, and it is now useless."
"Since it's useless, let's burn it together."
As she spoke, she threw the brocade pouch and the ring into the fire. A slender figure rushed over and began searching frantically in the raging flames with bare hands.
His voice choked with sobs, and he was filled with utter despair.
"No...please...don't do this to me..."
"How could this be……"
The burning flames spread to him and ignited his clothes.
Nalan Jingwen pulled the man up, extinguished the flames on his body, and shouted sternly, "What are you doing?!"
"Are you crazy?! You'll be burned alive!!"
Jinse shook her head, tears streaming down her face. She had never cried so miserably, helpless and desperate.
"Please... don't do this..."
At least don't do that...
He tried to break free from her grasp and lunge at the flames again, but Nalan Jingwen held him tightly.
"You didn't want to be my husband? Then burn it down, so what are you crying about?!"
Jinse just shook her head, unable to utter a single word, struggling incessantly.
That was the only thing she ever gave him; how could it just be burned like that? It shouldn't be like this…
That shouldn't be...
He could see nothing; the flames were too great, burning away all his hope as well.
He suddenly lost all his strength, slumped to the ground, his eyes glazed over, as if his soul had been ripped away, his lips constantly murmuring.
Nalan Jingwen's expression was complicated as he knelt down and hugged the person in his arms.
"Jinse, why are you so concerned about that ring?"
Jinse remained silent, her expression still blank, offering no response whatsoever.
Nalan Jingwen didn't seem to care and continued, "You care about that ring because it was a gift from me, right?"
"If you can't bear to part with that ring, then you can't bear to part with me. Since you're so reluctant to part with it, why don't you come with me?"
"Will you come with me? Be my husband."
She kissed the corner of his lips and said gently, "You have your principles, and I have mine. If you don't want to come with me, you should give up everything, including the memories you have with me."
"But you can't do it. Your heart tells me that you love me and you can't bear to part with me. Why do you have to go against your own heart?"
Nalan Jingwen raised her hand and wiped away the tears on his face.
"Do you really want to see me surrounded by a multitude of consorts, without you by my side?"
"Follow your heart and come with me, won't you?"
She kissed Jinse's lips, deepening the kiss with seductive words that brought him back to his senses.
Jinse stirred, the blank expression on his face vanished, and he was crying, looking utterly helpless, like an abandoned child.
"It's gone... Your Highness..."
He spoke incoherently, but Nalan Jing understood what he was saying and kissed away his tears.
"Come with me, and I'll buy you as much as you want."
“It’s different…it’s different…”
"If you promise me, I will find that ring."
She hugged him and coaxed him.
"I never lie; if I promise something, I will always do it."
Jinse looked at her helplessly, as if bewitched, and nodded.
Nalan Jingwen chuckled softly. Jinse felt something being stuffed into her palm. Looking down, she saw the ring lying there.
His hands trembled as he clutched the ring to his chest, then suddenly burst into laughter, a mixture of tears and laughter.
Nalan Jingwen pulled him into his arms again and kissed his hair.
"You have agreed to go back with me, so you are not allowed to go back on your word."