Chapter 80: It Is You Whom I Love!

Luo Yunjin understood her own body better than anyone. She no longer possessed the spirited vigor of her youth, nor did she have the time or the capital to continue chasing after love.

Rather than letting that woman pine for her after she was gone, it was better to simply part ways now.

We might not both find happiness in the aftermath, but at least Sister Yanhui won’t be too burdened by grief, Luo Yunjin thought, her confidence wavering.

Her logic told her this was the best path for them both, yet her heart refused to let go.

Back in the Western Regions, Sister Yanhui had clearly accepted her pursuit. They had promised one another to watch the blossoms in spring, gaze at the moon in autumn, and tread upon the snow in winter. But in the end…

In the end, they were destined to be together, yet fated to be apart.

The more Luo Yunjin dwelled on it, the more a bitter ache swelled in her chest. Tears escaped her bright eyes, sliding uncontrollably down her cheeks, while her fingers instinctively tightened around the scroll in her hands.

How she wished Sister Yanhui could be hers—hers alone.

But now, she no longer had the strength to struggle, to fight… for the person who was destined never to belong to her.

I only hope that from now on, Sister Yanhui will be happy and healthy, and that every wish of hers in this life is fulfilled.

Outside the hall, the sound of hurried, disorganized footsteps echoed. She caught a faint hint of Sister Yanhui’s voice.

Her lips curved upward in an instinctive smile, though the expression was quickly smoothed back into a mask of calm. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and carefully tucked the scroll away.

Luo Yunjin looked down in thought. Since Sister Yanhui was able to appear in the capital, she must have resolved all her troubles. The various factions in the Western Regions would likely never pose a threat to her again.

The heart that had been suspended in her chest finally settled. Then, a flood of even more indescribable emotions surged within her.

With a sharp creak, the doors were pushed open. Lou Yanhui rushed into the Inner Hall, trailing Imperial Physicians behind her. The moment she entered, her eyes met Luo Yunjin’s complicated gaze upon the bed.

Lou Yanhui froze, instinctively calling out, “Little Jin…”

Against the backdrop of Lou Yanhui’s slightly trembling voice, Luo Yunjin lowered her eyes, avoiding her gaze.

She thought: Since Sister Yanhui is here for a political marriage, perhaps we should maintain a sense of propriety.

After all, their past was anything but “innocent.” If the Empress found out, it would only cause unnecessary trouble for Lou Yanhui.

Lou Yanhui didn’t know what she was thinking, but seeing that Little Jin wouldn’t even look at her, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sorrow.

Has Little Jin truly given up on me?

Lou Yanhui opened her mouth, her lips trembling. It took a long moment before she managed to speak through a choked voice. “I… I borrowed several Imperial Physicians from the Empress…”

But before she could finish, Luo Yunjin cut her off.

“The Princess of the Western Regions is too kind to trouble herself, but this Princess is fine. There is no need for an examination.”

She knew the state of her body. Even the most skilled physician would likely find their efforts in vain. Rather than dying in the midst of agonizing treatments, she would rather sink into this state while remaining conscious. At least then she could continue her self-deception and preserve the fleeting joy in her heart.

Faced with Luo Yunjin’s defeatist attitude, Lou Yanhui’s eyes filled with a mix of anger and heartache. However, when she saw the stubbornness in the other woman’s gaze, she eventually bowed her head and pleaded in a trembling voice.

“Little Jin, let the physicians check your body first. I… I have so many things I want to tell you.”

Luo Yunjin lifted her eyes, her gaze sweeping over the pain in the other woman’s expression. She sighed softly in her heart.

Her intuition told her that her Sister Yanhui had never changed. If she so desired, they could return to the way they were two years ago. In fact, after the passage of time, their feelings for one another had likely only grown deeper.

But it was precisely because of this that she didn’t dare let her heart run wild.

Her Sister Yanhui possessed extraordinary wisdom and peerless methods. If she wished for it, she could even take the throne as the Queen of the Western Regions. Though she didn’t know why Sister Yanhui had become the object of the Empress’s political marriage alliance, she didn’t want her own presence to drag her down.

At twenty years old, Lou Yanhui was in the prime of her life. She shouldn’t waste her time on a sickly wreck like her. Her life was only just beginning.

At that thought, Luo Yunjin lowered her gaze, her tone turning several degrees colder.

“The Princess of the Western Regions should return. I have nothing to say to her.”

Though she had little contact with the Empress, she knew her sister’s nature—suspicious and brutal. If the Empress grew suspicious of Sister Yanhui, life in the capital would become incredibly difficult for her.

For my sake, it isn’t worth it…

Therefore, it was best they kept their distance.

Lou Yanhui was blind to these thoughts. Hearing the repeated rejection, her deep eyes shimmered with tears. She tried desperately to force them back, but it was useless.

Is Little Jin still blaming me for my past involvement with the Huamu Clan?

But later… after she had seized control of the situation, she had personally ended the lives of over a hundred members of the Huamu family. Everyone except Hua Yuhu—the man who had broken Little Jin’s heart.

She had severed Hua Yuhu’s limbs and brought him to the capital, intending to show Little Jin that she had never loved anyone else.

Just as Lou Yanhui’s heart felt stifled with grief, unsure of how to speak, Luo Yunjin’s gaze flickered over Lou Yanhui’s tearful eyes. With a helpless sigh in her heart, she continued.

“Since the Princess is here for a political marriage with our Kingdom of Luo, she should not waste her thoughts elsewhere.”

Especially not on me.

It was both a reminder and a warning.

Lou Yanhui heard it, but for a moment, she couldn’t grasp the connection. She was here for a marriage alliance, and her heart had always been on Little Jin; there was no contradiction there.

Wait… has Little Jin misunderstood?

“I… I have already made it clear to the Empress,” Lou Yanhui said, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on Luo Yunjin, searching for a reaction. “I love you. You are the one I wish to marry.”

Luo Yunjin’s face betrayed a momentary flash of shock and joy before it was quickly suppressed back into a mask of calm.

“That has nothing to do with me. Besides, the Empress would never agree to it.”

Even as she spoke those duplicitous words, Luo Yunjin’s heart felt as though it were bleeding. If she had heard this two years ago, she wouldn’t have known what to do with herself from sheer joy.

But now… times had changed, and people had changed. Knowing she likely didn’t have long to live, how could she have the heart to burden someone else? Especially the person she had cherished and loved for so many years.

Lou Yanhui, who was staring intently at Luo Yunjin, did not miss that fleeting spark of joy. Though she didn’t understand why Little Jin continued to resist her, she spoke with absolute gravity.

“The one I wish to marry is you. Therefore, it has everything to do with you.”

Hearing her speak with such solemnity, Luo Yunjin maintained a facade of indifference on the surface, but only she knew what she was feeling inside.

Her emotions became even more turbulent when Lou Yanhui added, “And your sister has already agreed.”