Chapter 049: Might Be Related to Him

"Rui'er, stop making trouble without reason." Xuan Ye's heart was displeased, a trace of anger flickered. "You shouldn't just follow the crowd. In the future, when you become my princess, you'll face inevitable disputes. If you keep acting like this, how can you shoulder the responsibilities of a princess?"

With a snort, Ou Xinrui laughed. "Prince Xuan, how long has it been since you cleaned your ears? I've already said, I want to break off the engagement. Once we're no longer engaged, all the disputes revolving around you have nothing to do with me. I can act however I please, and I won't need to compromise myself anymore. Clearly, I have a broad, smooth road ahead—why would I choose a muddy path instead? Do you really take me for a fool?"

She shot Xuan Ye a look of utter disdain.

Xuan Ye truly believed that just because he bore the title of prince, he was some coveted treasure.

He should know, the Ou family's influence was hardly small. As the only daughter of the Ou clan leader, she was radiant and admired—why confine herself to being a mere princess?

"Prince Xuan, let me reiterate: I never use things that others have used. I have a cleanliness obsession. To put it simply, I find you dirty." Regardless of how far Xuan Ye went with that "sow," in her eyes, his attitude alone made him filthy.

"You..." Xuan Ye had grown accustomed to being adored—not just by women, but by everyone he encountered; their expectations for him were always high. The look in Ou Xinrui's eyes, as if she regarded him as trash, struck him hard.

"Xuan Ye, we could have spoken calmly and parted peacefully. That day, with a casual push, you nearly took my life. From that moment, you should have known there was no hope for us. I don't wish to hold you accountable for hurting me, because, truthfully, I was in the wrong before. You had no feelings for me, yet I clung to a marriage contract and ignored your sentiments, foolishly entangling myself with you."

Ou Xinrui narrowed her eyes; from her lazy gaze, a sharp brilliance flashed.

"But since you have no feelings for me, call off the engagement. Mutual benefit—what's wrong with that? You want to profit from the situation; I have nothing more to say. Your only fault is greed. I consider myself quite amiable. Xuan Ye, in life, give and take must be balanced. If you only demand from others, you may feel comfortable, but I won't let you have your way."

"Ugh, honestly." Ou Xinrui's tongue nearly twisted. She was a modern woman, but after so much time in the ancient world, she'd learned to speak in riddles, and it was unbearably pretentious.

"Enough, stop putting on a show in front of me. I don't like you, you don't like me. You want to use me for your own gain, but unfortunately, I won't cooperate." Ou Xinrui felt herself panting.

Indeed, for someone as lazy as her, this rare moment of diligence—speaking so much—had left her parched.

Xuan Ye drew a deep breath, his face pale. "As you said, we both made mistakes. I shouldn't have pushed you so hard that day, though it wasn't intentional. But I did hurt you, and for that, I am willing to apologize." Hearing Ou Xinrui so decisively sever their connection made Xuan Ye deeply uncomfortable.

"If we've both been at fault, why not give each other a chance? When I said I want to treat you well, I meant it—I wasn't lying." Xuan Ye spoke urgently.

He couldn't tell if his reluctance to break off the engagement with Ou Xinrui was because of Elder Xuan, or simply because he couldn't bear to cut this tie with her.

Ultimately, there was one thing Xuan Ye understood clearly: he wanted this marriage with Ou Xinrui.

"I've made myself clear, and your intentions are equally plain. If we can't get along, then so be it—let's see whose abilities are greater." Ou Xinrui refused to waste any more words with Xuan Ye.

In short, it would come down to skill.

If the Xuan family stood taller, then Xuan Ye might well marry her.

But if her powers outmatched his, Xuan Ye could look forward to marrying a fat sow.

Though, the former seemed unlikely.

"You really won't give me even a single chance?" Ou Xinrui's repeated refusals left Xuan Ye feeling smothered and pained.

"Give you a chance? Not a chance in hell!" Ou Xinrui's annoyance with Xuan Ye grew. The Ou Xinrui who once loved him was dead, and besides, she retained some of the original self's memories. She didn't feel any true affection from her former self for Xuan Ye—if anything, it was dependence.

"Prince Xuan, did you come to see Rui'er about breaking off the engagement? Has His Majesty already issued the imperial decree?" Ye Zi Fei, graceful and elegant, appeared in the room, as if oblivious to the tension between Ou Xinrui and Xuan Ye.

Seeing Ye Zi Fei, Xuan Ye felt a wave of embarrassment and betrayal. "Is it because of him that you insist on breaking off the engagement?!" Xuan Ye suddenly recalled: the last time Ou Xinrui brought up the matter, Ye Zi Fei was also present.

———End note———
Thank you, jenhui, for the four flowers.