Chapter 346: Chapter 314: My Heart is Like a Lamp, Yet You Haven’t Ignited it
Shang Ruyi trembled, unable to speak, yet her silence was already an answer.
Chu Yang looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "It’s remarkable how I’ve been consumed by thoughts of you day and night, yet it turns out you don’t feel anything for me."
When ordinary men are rejected, even if they don’t explode in anger, they would certainly feel awkward. But as the Venerable Emperor, he could not tolerate any defiance, yet at this moment, he showed no sign of anger. Instead, he stepped closer, looked down at Shang Ruyi’s fluttering lashes, and said with a half-smile, "Shang Ruyi, is your heart made of stone?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi remained silent for a long time and then shook her head.
Only then did the smile slowly fade from Chu Yang’s face, and he said, "Then what is your heart made of?"
"..."
"If even this can’t move you, what is your heart made of?"
Shang Ruyi’s throat tightened slightly, and she replied in a soft voice, "My heart is like a lamp."
"A lamp?"
Chu Yang was taken aback and instinctively lowered his head to look at the countless glass lamps illuminating Jiangdu Palace. He frowned slightly, about to say something, when Shang Ruyi continued in a soft voice, "Unlit by His Majesty."
"..."
Chu Yang’s expression suddenly froze.
Since childhood, he excelled in poetry and song, and naturally understood the most obvious meaning—I am a lamp unlit by you.
You cannot make my heart flutter.
At this point, even though he lowered his posture and remained magnanimous, this answer lit a spark of anger in his heart. Yet, he still did not explode in rage but instead bit his teeth and smiled slightly, saying, "You’re finally unafraid of me."
"..."
"However, I don’t like what you’ve said."
As his face darkened, Shang Ruyi’s heart sank. She bowed her head, thinking for a while before saying painfully, "From the very beginning, Your Majesty hasn’t liked what I’ve said."
"But I always thought I could change you."
"..."
"Yet, I didn’t expect you would never——"
At this point, Chu Yang suddenly smiled again, but this smile carried a chilling coldness as he said, "Is it because you look down on me since I’ve grown old?"
"No, Your Majesty is much older than Ruyi, but you are more vigorous and handsome than a young man."
"Is it my appearance?"
"..."
Shang Ruyi looked up at him, gazing at that flawless face beneath the fireworks. At that moment, perhaps from the earlier drink of nu’er hong, she felt slightly tipsy and found herself somewhat lost in those slender, radiant phoenix eyes. After a while, she softly said, "If Your Majesty’s appearance is still not good, then in this world, there are no beauties."
Chu Yang slightly raised his chin.
He continued, "What about Yu Wenye?"
"...!"
That name again.
Shang Ruyi felt a bitter smile rise within her, and it appeared on her face. But after smiling, she still looked up seriously at the perfect face in front of her, recalling that afternoon when she first saw Yu Wenye at the door, and the stunning moment it was.
She thought carefully for a long time before softly saying, "He is not as good as Your Majesty."
"Then you——"
It seemed Chu Yang wanted to say something, but Shang Ruyi interrupted him, gently saying, "The first time Your Majesty and Ruyi met was on the way to my wedding, wasn’t it? At that time, Your Majesty actually saw Ruyi."
Chu Yang nodded, "Yes."
"But I didn’t see Your Majesty’s true appearance."
"..."
Chu Yang’s brow furrowed, as if he understood something, while Shang Ruyi already smiled faintly, saying, "If at that time, I had seen Your Majesty, perhaps I would have been captivated by your celestial beauty."
Chu Yang frowned.
Shang Ruyi continued, "The second encounter was outside that pastry shop in Taiyuan City. You deliberately left traces to make me meet you. At that time, Your Majesty also saw me."
Chu Yang’s voice was already somewhat hoarse, "But you still didn’t see me."
Shang Ruyi smiled, a bitter smile, "If I could have seen Your Majesty at that time, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so easy for me..."
Chu Yang’s brows furrowed even more.
Shang Ruyi took a deep breath, looking up at him, "Later, we finally met."
Chu Yang’s eyes flickered, but at this moment, there was a distinct trace of helplessness.
"Too late, isn’t it?"
Of course, he also remembered that the two’s first proper meeting was actually the third time he appeared before her. By then, she was no longer calm and composed but was instead wandering, lost in the rain.
For Yu Wenye...
By then, she had already fallen in love with this man who only maintained a superficial marriage with her and was in agony over his meeting with Princess Xinyue at Tinghe Building. Even after being teased and rejected by him, she couldn’t control her heart.