Eunuch Su, Eunuch Su!

"No, it's not possible."

Huiming was taken aback by Eunuch Su's words. For a moment, she wondered if she had heard wrong.

Ever since Eunuch Su's return, everything had been going smoothly. He had confessed his feelings for her, and she had reciprocated, finally letting go of her past reservations.

She had assumed that their future together, as close companions, was a foregone conclusion. But why did Eunuch Su say it was not possible?

Huiming bit her lip, using the action to pull herself out of her disappointment and frustration. She tried to think calmly about the reason.

"Is it because the matter of revenge is too dangerous? Do you still not want to involve me?" After much thought, Huiming could only come up with this possibility. She took a step forward and said sincerely, "I have said that no matter what lies ahead, we will face it together. Besides, didn't you say that you have confessed everything to the Emperor? With the Emperor's protection, you will surely be safe…"

Huiming knew that Su Jin had told the Emperor everything about Prince Xin and Prince Rui's attempts to win him over.

And the Emperor's reaction was within Su Jin's expectations. The Emperor was always suspicious and would not miss this opportunity to see through his sons' schemes.

After the two princes had even tried to win over the Emperor's most trusted eunuchs, the Emperor was furious. However, he soon sneered and told Eunuch Su to keep quiet, continue to play both sides, and report everything back to him.

According to Eunuch Su, even if Prince Xin and Prince Rui joined forces, their power and influence were not even half of what the late Crown Prince had. Even the mighty Crown Prince had fallen from grace under the Emperor's power, let alone Prince Xin and Prince Rui. The only risk now was the Emperor's health. As long as the Emperor was alive, Eunuch Su, with the Emperor's support, would be safe.

Others, unaware of the future, would naturally worry about the Emperor's health, as he often fell ill. But Huiming, who had lived through it once, knew that the Emperor's life was like a candle in a cage, seemingly about to be extinguished at any moment. But in reality, it burned steadily. Even when his limbs were numb and he could barely speak, the Emperor's mind remained sharp. He could still summon his officials and handle state affairs. If it weren't for the rumors of Prince Xin's potential ascension and Prince Rui's ruthlessness in killing Prince Xin's entire family before launching a rebellion, the Emperor, with his tenacity, could have lived for a few more years.

Even when he was angered to the point of near death by Prince Rui, the Emperor still held on. He saw that the Ninth Prince was too weak to rule and had no choice but to abdicate, putting the Seventh Prince on the throne.

In just a few days, as the Retired Emperor, he promoted the loyal Grand Tutor and arranged a marriage for the young Emperor. He even disregarded protocol and summoned the daughters of several high-ranking families, choosing the most suitable one to be the Empress. Knowing the young Emperor's personality, he even went against his doctor's orders and personally taught the young Empress for half a day. He had prepared everything for his future grandson, ensuring a smooth transition of power.

Of course, the Grand Tutor passed away soon after. And although the young Emperor was engaged, the marriage was never consummated, and no heir was born. As time passed, the Empress's father, who had hoped to control the court through his grandson, could no longer bear it. He poisoned the young Emperor… but that was something no one could have foreseen.

It was ironic that the Emperor, like a miser, had guarded his throne so tightly. He didn't allow any of his sons, not the capable Prince Rui nor the gentle Prince Xin, to come close to it. But when he finally reached the end of his life, he realized that there was no one suitable to inherit the throne. He could only reluctantly pass it on to the Seventh Prince, who had no interest in it and was completely unsuited for it. In the end, the throne did not pass down as he had wished. It was karma, but it was a pity for the pure and kind young Emperor.

If the Emperor had a spirit, would he regret it?

These thoughts flashed through Huiming's mind in an instant. She came back to her senses and looked at Eunuch Su. "If you are still worried about this and want to send me away, then you are not treating me like your own."

Eunuch Su shook his head and unconsciously turned the red lacquer jewelry box in his hand. After a long silence, he said carefully, "You are young and inexperienced. You don't understand… that being in a relationship like this… is wrong."

Huiming frowned at his words. "If it's consensual and we're both happy, what's wrong with it? It's not harming anyone. Many people in the palace are like this."

"That's because you've been in the palace for so long and have heard and seen so much that you think it's normal. But in reality… it shouldn't be like this." Eunuch Su's lips held a trace of bitterness, but he still explained patiently to Huiming, "Men marry women, that's the way of the world. I… I am a eunuch, I can no longer be considered a man…"

"Eunuch Su!"

Huiming couldn't bear to hear him belittle himself like this. She interrupted him sharply, her voice serious, "It's not my first day in the palace, nor is it my first day knowing you. When you say such things, you are not only looking down on yourself, but also on me."

Under the moonlight, Huiming's eyes were as bright as the stars. "You care for me," she said, her voice softening. She stated matter-of-factly, "And I also like you. It's that simple. Nothing else matters."

"Huiming…" It was such a simple sentence, but Su Jin felt as if he had been immersed in warmth. His whole body felt comforted. When he spoke again, his voice was choked with emotion.

Aware of his loss of composure, Su Jin paused, turned sideways, and took a deep breath before he could speak again. "Most palace maids who enter into these relationships do so out of desperation. They know they have no hope of leaving the palace and cannot bear a lifetime of loneliness, so they seek comfort from eunuchs."

What he said was true. Huiming fell silent and listened as Su Jin continued, "But you are different, Huiming. You can leave the palace. You don't need to lower yourself like this. You have a long life ahead of you. If you easily commit to me now, you might regret it later…"

Seeing Huiming open her mouth to retort, Su Jin shook his head, signaling her to let him finish.

"To be honest, I have admired you from afar for a long time." Su Jin looked up at her quickly, then turned away again, his voice low, "I have been holding back for a long time. Now that it hasn't even begun, I can still tell myself that I only want you to be safe and happy. But if I agree now, even if you regret it in the future, even if you hate me and are miserable every day, I will not let you go. I will use any means necessary, even force and confinement, to keep you by my side."

This was the first time Eunuch Su had revealed such a dark side in front of her, and it was directed at her.

But Huiming found that she was not afraid at all. Instead, hearing these possessive words made her feel a strange sense of joy.

Huiming patted her cheeks and couldn't help but smile slightly. "I already told you last time, I won't regret it."

Su Jin gripped the jewelry box tighter and repeated his previous words, "You are still young…"

"Fifteen, I'll be sixteen next year. I'm not a child anymore!" Huiming interrupted him, "My younger sister is more than a year younger than me, and her marriage is already settled."

Su Jin raised his eyes again. "Your sister is outside the palace, it's different. You entered the palace at ten, everything you've heard and seen is limited. You haven't experienced much of the world. So even though you've grown older, your mind is still not mature."

What kind of logic was that!

Huiming's eyes widened, but she couldn't tell Eunuch Su about her rebirth. She racked her brains but couldn't come up with a rebuttal.

Seeing her expression, Su Jin, despite his worries, couldn't help but smile tenderly. He took a step forward and placed the red lacquer jewelry box in Huiming's hand. His voice was gentle, "I originally thought that after you left the palace, I would wait for two years. If after two years, you still had feelings for this old eunuch, I would naturally agree to you. But I didn't expect…"

Thinking of Huiming's sadness after seeing her family, Su Jin vaguely glossed over the topic and continued, "But you don't want to leave the palace." He still couldn't help but try to persuade her, "Actually, as long as you are willing, it doesn't matter if you don't go home. I will make sure you are well taken care of, that you will live a life of comfort and never be bullied…"

Hearing that Eunuch Su was still so persistent, Huiming glared at him and watched as he swallowed the rest of his words. She then snorted coldly, "I still need to stay in the palace to take care of the Seventh Prince. You should stop thinking about sending me away!"

Su Jin knew about Huiming's close relationship with the Seventh Prince. It didn't matter before, but recently, he had noticed the Emperor's growing disappointment with both Prince Xin and Prince Rui. The Ninth Prince's health was failing, and Su Jin couldn't help but have other thoughts about the Seventh Prince. However, the situation was still unclear, so he hesitated for a moment and didn't say anything.

"In short, leaving the palace is absolutely impossible." Seeing Eunuch Su's silence, Huiming continued, "Since you said so, let's stick to the two years. After two years, I'll be eighteen, and you can't say I'm immature anymore. At that time, it won't be as simple as today. You'll have to hold a grand banquet, have a matchmaker, and properly… no…" Huiming paused, changing her words, "Marry me properly!"

After saying these words with conviction, Huiming's face flushed red. She grabbed the jewelry box and, without waiting for Eunuch Su's response, turned and went back to her room.

Inside her room, Huiming leaned against the door, trying to calm her racing heart. Thinking about what Eunuch Su had said, she sat down in front of her dressing table and couldn't help but smile.

Eunuch Su had already hinted at this when they had agreed on the two-year timeframe. But at that time, she was too preoccupied with his safety and the rebellion two years later that she didn't think much of it.

Who would have thought he would still have such concerns?

Thinking of this, Huiming chuckled to herself. He talked about using any means to keep her by his side. If he was truly that kind of person, he would have forced her into this relationship a long time ago! Why wait until now to "remind" her?

But it didn't matter. Huiming lowered her head, twirling the pink pearl between her fingers, her heart gradually calming down.

She and Eunuch Su were meant to be together. She had waited for so long, she could wait two more years.

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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