Sikong Wuyou was initially surprised, but then recovered his senses and smiled, saying, "Ningning, don’t leave, stay and keep me company, okay?"

"Okay." An Ning responded and followed him with a smile.

Sikong Wuyou stayed with An Ning, sitting on the long corridor in the pavilion. Neither spoke, but the silence did not affect their connection.

Time, if it could always be like this, would not be bad.

However, even the most beautiful moments are bound to be broken.

Not far away, An Bingfeng watched the man and woman in the pavilion; the man was unparalleled in beauty, and the woman was charming and adorable.

What a lovely pair!

Being able to marry into the Royal Residence, it’s this girl’s good fortune.

"Sir, the Prime Minister has arrived..."

Bai Su, who was standing a bit closer, stepped forward a few paces and reminded him.

Sikong Wuyou’s gaze had already turned in that direction.

An Ning also instinctively looked over. But this time, her gaze revealed a significant change compared to before.

An Bingfeng himself was curious; when the girl arrived today, her gaze was icy cold. Yet in this short time, what did he see in her eyes?

It seemed to be pity and sympathy, along with an extreme indifference.

How peculiar; An Bingfeng, as Prime Minister, had wealth and power—what could he have that warrants sympathy?

Undoubtedly, what An Bingfeng detested the most was being looked at with such a gaze.

However, An Ning’s gaze pierced straight into his heart, making him even less concerned about her.

An stepped directly into Sikong Wuyou. "In recent days, I’ve faced misfortune. It’s all thanks to the kindness of Wuyou for taking me in; now that my poison has been purged, I shouldn’t linger and disrupt further. Hence, I shall take my leave tomorrow at dawn."

"No need for formalities, Prime Minister. I’m not one to meddle in others’ business. Besides, someone else brought you here, didn’t they?" Sikong Wuyou deliberately glanced at An Ning as he spoke, clearly mocking An Bingfeng.

He refused An Ning, and yet now, wasn’t it An Ning who saved his life?

Still, Sikong Wuyou thought he might owe a debt of gratitude to An Bingfeng for abandoning An Ning. Otherwise, he might have never met An Ning in his lifetime and would have been destined for solitude.

An Bingfeng also looked at An Ning but did not speak words of thanks.

After a long while, he finally spoke, "An Yu has always longed for his mother from a young age; if he returns, he will not obediently leave, which will only make your mother more reluctant. Tomorrow, I will take An Yu away, and you’ll have to console your mother yourself. In the future..."

"I understand." An Ning quickly responded.

As for the future, not that they are foes, but upon meeting again, at best, they’ll just be strangers.

An Ning’s tone was sharp, but An Bingfeng did not rush to retort, instead he observed the vacant surroundings.

His eyes were profound and sharp, seemingly able to draw people in.

However, An Ning was not afraid of him.

"An Yu... is he okay?" She hadn’t intended to ask, but reflecting on An Yu’s kindness to her and her mother recently, she wished to be hardhearted, yet it seemed her heart refused to cooperate.

"He’s fine, just a bit slow to adjust for now. Once he spends some time back in the capital city, he’ll naturally be better." This statement aimed to comfort An Ning and reassure himself.

An Yu was like this as a child—if he didn’t get what he wanted, he’d fuss. But now, he’s grown up and is no longer the same.