Fate

I have always been like this, never paying attention to the smallest details. Had I realized sooner that he was a member of the royal family of the Moonlight Kingdom, I would rather have died beneath the hooves of the horses. For me, there is only one thing to say—the pace of updates here is many times faster than other sites, and there are fewer advertisements.

It’s not that I lack resolve; I had barely escaped with my life, only to find myself running back under the horses’ hooves once more.

The destruction of my Ruan family’s Cloud Realm Kingdom—who’s to say the royal family of the Moonlight Kingdom didn’t play a part in it? Only just now did I recall that the person Yun Heng saw when he rescued me from the Cloud Realm Palace looked so much like Li Yexuan.

Why did he come to my bedchamber? Was he there to stop those audacious soldiers? It hardly seems likely. With an entire kingdom destroyed, perhaps he was just taking advantage of the chaos to gain something. After all, being a royal brother or uncle is no easy task; a single misstep can invite suspicion.

Or perhaps, he came for me? Though I am not plain, I hardly possess the kind of beauty that would drive someone to obsession—especially since Li Yexuan has never even seen me.

As I thought this, I suddenly sensed something wasn’t quite right.

A thud—my head hurt. I looked up and rolled my eyes at Yun Heng, who had knocked me on the head.

“Focus, little one. If you overstep later, this minor general won’t be able to protect you.”

I wanted to retort, but I couldn’t let Yun Heng lose face, so I merely pursed my lips and said quietly, “Yes, I understand.”

Lifting my gaze slightly, I saw Li Yexuan’s eyes actually resting on me.

I really wanted to ask him: am I truly that pleasant to look at?

The banquet hadn’t officially begun yet, but already many of the court ministers were coming over to greet Yun Heng and Li Yexuan.

Caught between these two illustrious men, I felt utterly awkward. I had no choice but to stand behind them, bending slightly, shifting further behind Yun Heng to avoid anyone questioning whose maid I was.

Such banquets were not lacking in young ladies; many officials had brought their wives and children. The Moonlight Kingdom, like the Cloud Realm Kingdom, was not so strict as to confine women indoors—they could appear at certain occasions.

I gradually felt many unfriendly gazes directed at me.

With two outstanding men, admirers are inevitable. I spotted more than a few starry-eyed girls, and sensed the two men beside me were feeling a bit awkward themselves, as if put on display for all to see.

So, I became a target for their arrows, riddled with holes from all sides, struck even while lying low. Fortunately, I was just a servant girl, meek and docile, and the owners of those hostile glances did not come forward to trouble me.

I secretly planned to demand double compensation from Yun Heng later, while as for Li Yexuan, I’d let it go—whatever happens, I have no desire to be entangled with him.

Yet fate often refuses to align with our wishes; later I felt ashamed of my thoughts at that moment—they were so childish.

If I could choose again, I would have feigned unconsciousness the instant I learned Li Yexuan was the Night King, though such a notion was even more naive.

Ultimately, there is no escaping the manipulations of fate, no matter that in my bones I carry memories of a previous life, as the ruler who brought glory to the Ruan family and recorded its brilliance in history.

In the end, I would come to understand that my bond with Li Yexuan was not forged in this moment, but much earlier, though I realized it far too late.

Rising and falling, who can say what is clear?

Since it cannot be explained, naturally, it cannot be seen clearly either.