She didn’t want to say it was because Guard Lin was leaving, so she was in a bad mood.

She was in a bad mood all day.

Even though Sister Anqi spent the whole day with her, trying everything to cheer her up, she still didn’t feel happy.

At this moment, even the delicious food cooked personally by her mother couldn’t tempt her appetite.

"Youyou?!" An Ning’s tone was a bit stern.

An Youyou was always lively and cheerful, she would never turn into this state for no reason.

An Youyou pouted.

She didn’t want to say anything.

She just felt it would be embarrassing to say it out loud.

How could she be so gloomy because of a guard?

Anqi saw that the Empress was angry and quickly spoke up, "Youyou is upset because Guard Lin left the Imperial Palace."

An Ning frowned.

At that moment, her heart couldn’t help but tremble slightly.

Just hearing Lin Zichan’s name made her inexplicably agitated.

She was long past that so-called age of first love.

"Leaving doesn’t mean he won’t come back. You can’t keep clinging to Guard Lin, he has his own matters to attend to," An Ning said calmly.

She roughly understood.

This morning, she saw Lin Zichan and realized he might have been waiting there for An Youyou.

There was a warmth in An Ning’s heart.

Just thinking of Lin Zichan playing with An Youyou, a warm current seemed to flow deep within her heart.

"No, that’s not it," An Youyou countered, "Guard Lin won’t be coming back."

An Ning was taken aback.

Thinking she had heard wrong.

"Otherwise, I wouldn’t be this sad," An Youyou muttered softly.

"You mean Guard Lin left the Imperial Palace for good, resigned?" An Ning confirmed.

An Youyou nodded, "He said he was leaving, and I would never see him again."

"Did you hear wrong?" An Ning still couldn’t believe it.

She didn’t believe Lin Zichan would simply leave like that.

Even if he didn’t believe she would choose him in half a year, he couldn’t leave so easily.

Absolutely impossible.

It must be that An Youyou is too young and misunderstood.

"It’s true," Xiao Luming spoke at this moment.

An Ning looked at Luming.

"Today, Guard Lin entered the palace specifically to bid farewell to me," Xiao Luming said to An Ning, "He’s leaving, completely leaving the Imperial Palace, and won’t be returning."

An Ning’s fingers visibly trembled.

Continuously, incessantly trembling.

She really didn’t want to believe it, that Lin Zichan would abandon everything here and leave alone.

Would break his promise to her and just leave like that.

But Xiao Luming wasn’t Youyou; Youyou could be careless and misunderstand things, but Luming wouldn’t.

No wonder Luming’s mood was also so low.

It must be because of Lin Zichan’s departure.

Thinking of this.

An Ning directly got up from the soft couch.

"Mother," the three of them called out to her in unison.

"When your father arrives, you start eating, don’t wait for me," An Ning left a sentence and left without waiting for the children to ask questions.

Her steps were still somewhat unsteady.

All An Ning wanted at that moment was to find out.

She wanted to find out why Lin Zichan had to leave, why he suddenly had to leave.

An Ning walked quickly.

The whole person seemed anxious.

And as she just walked out of the Fengqi Palace gates.

She bumped into someone head-on.

"Your Majesty!"

"Madam."

The Palace Attendants around them were all startled.

An Ning directly ran into Fu Xingyi’s arms.

Fu Xingyi was indeed a little pained by An Ning’s force.

He groaned softly, with a tone of indulgence, "Has little Ning been practicing the Iron Head Skill?"

An Ning pursed her lips.

At that moment, she tried hard to calm down.

"What’s the matter?" Fu Xingyi looked at An Ning in his arms, obviously sensing her unusual state.

An Ning stepped away from Fu Xingyi’s embrace.

She looked up at him, watching him smile gracefully and elegantly.

Clearly the same face, but it was easy to distinguish between them.

He and him, different.

"Is it because you waited too long for me, so you couldn’t help coming to call me for dinner?" Fu Xingyi said gently, with an apologetic tone, "Sorry to keep you waiting."

An Ning bit her lip.

There would always be much restraint with Fu Xingyi.

Just didn’t want to hurt him.

Instinctively choosing the best way for him.

But.

An Ning looked at Fu Xingyi, "I need to leave the palace for a moment, the meal is ready, Youyou, Luming, and Anqi are waiting inside, you accompany them for the meal first, I’ll be back later."

As she spoke.

An Ning turned around and left without hesitation.

Fu Xingyi grabbed An Ning’s hand.

An Ning paused slightly.

With a gesture from Fu Xingyi, all the Palace Attendants around them wisely retreated.

"Leaving the palace at this hour, where are you going?" Fu Xingyi asked.

His voice was as calm as ever.

But An Ning seemed to feel a trace of coldness.

An Ning pursed her lips.

Before she could speak, Fu Xingyi helped her finish, "To find Lin Zichan?"

An Ning turned her eyes to look at Fu Xingyi.

Then, she admitted, "Yes."

She didn’t want to hide from Fu Xingyi.

The more she hid it, the more guilty she felt towards him.

So she would rather tell him everything openly.

"What did you promise me yesterday?" Fu Xingyi asked her.

His eyes slightly red.

Sorrow and heartbreak marked them, and even some anger too.

An Ning bit her lip hard.

Fu Xingyi was understandably angry too.

She had indeed promised Fu Xingyi yesterday that she wouldn’t meet with Lin Zichan for six months, but broke the promise the next day.

Those words were indeed slapped back painfully.

"It’s only half a year," Fu Xingyi said deeply, "If he can’t even wait for half a year, is he still worth entrusting?"

"I think there’s a misunderstanding between us," An Ning declared with certainty.

Fu Xingyi’s eyes moved slightly.

"It must be a misunderstanding," An Ning reaffirmed.

If not a misunderstanding, Lin Zichan wouldn’t simply leave.

She didn’t believe he would just abandon her and leave.

"I promised you six months, and I will definitely keep that promise. I just have some things to confirm with him," An Ning said urgently, "I’ll be back soon."

Ancient times were different from the apocalypse.

In ancient times, without any communication tools, once gone, who knows how vast the world is, she would have no way to find him again.

Perhaps they would truly never meet again in this lifetime.

And she didn’t want to leave herself with such lifelong regret.

Half a year.

Not only was it half a year for her and Fu Xingyi, but also for her and Lin Zichan.

Fu Xingyi remained silent.

Endlessly silent.

An Ning saw the struggle in Fu Xingyi’s eyes.

She could understand his reluctance.

But she hoped he could allow it.

"Can you?" An Ning sought confirmation.

Her eyes carried a plea.

"When have I ever refused your request?" Fu Xingyi suddenly smiled.

The smile on his face, however, was full of hurt.

It made An Ning feel a bit uncomfortable at that moment.

Always feeling she was often unworthy of him.

"Go early and come back soon, the children and I will wait for you to have dinner together," Fu Xingyi’s smile turned peaceful.

He seemed to see her sadness, so he didn’t want to make it difficult for her.

An Ning bit her lip, ultimately suppressing her emotions.

She said, "Okay."

Then she turned around and left without hesitation.

Fu Xingyi just watched An Ning’s figure. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Watching her get further and further away, his eyes turned increasingly cold.

His fingers moved slightly.

A shadow quickly appeared beside him, "Your Majesty."

Fu Xingyi whispered instructions.

The shadow accepted the command and quickly left.

Fu Xingyi’s eyes still looked in the direction where An Ning had left, even though An Ning was already out of sight.

An Ning, don’t blame me for being too ruthless.

I am simply defending the love between us from being violated by anyone!