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there someone else?" his icy voice can freeze the Pacific ocean. Yan Gen was about to shook his head to deny it but thought again. If he said that there is no one and he simply didn't like him, Zhu Mingli will just become more persistent. On the other hand, if he said that he loves someone else and showed him how infatuated he is to that person, he might give up the idea of pursuing him and drop his marriage proposal. Yan Gen gritted his teeth and bites the bullet.

"Yes, there is someone else already. Your highness, I no longer love you nor do I want to reignite my feelings for you. Let us let bygones be bygones" Zhu Mingli deeply look at him "Who?" his jaw tightened when he asked that question.

"It doesn't matter who it is, as long as it's not you" After throwing out those words, he made a run for it, sprinting with his small feet. Unfortunately, Zhu Mingli is more flexible than him, he reacted quickly and grabbed a hold of his arm, not giving him a chance to even take a single step away from him

"Who?" This time, the question sounded more grievous. Yan Gen heard him making a nice sounds of his knuckles, ready to kill someone. He gulped in nervousness, whatever happens, he must protect his gorgeous face. It can't have a bruise or the enjoyment of staring at his reflection to worship Zhilan's beauty will lessen.

"It's..." racking his brain to come up with a name that actually exist, he thought and thought again. Casually saying a name won't do, the person in front of him will surely investigate whoever owns the name he mentioned and if he finds out that they have no contact to each other, he'll become a dead meat.

Right now, there's only one person that he can think of as a human meat shield "It's my cousin, Wei Yuu..." afraid that his counterattack is not enough, he followed it up "I love him with all my heart" Yan Gen himself doesn't have time to let in sink those words, saying whatever comes to his mind in order to drive him away.

His silence and his iron like hold in his arm were enough for Yan Gen to know that he's livid, what terrified him the most is his murderous eyes, the whiteness of his eyes were turning red. Their surroundings were bustling and yet they couldn't hear anything of it. Their attention is focused on each other.

Unable to endure the pain in his arm, Yan Gen softly whimper "Let go, you're hurting me..." His arm feels like it was about to snap. The hand holding him loosened a bit. He actually wants to shout at him but didn't dare to, guaranteed that Zhu Mingli will beat the shit out of him if he do that.

"What didn't you like about me? I...--I'll try to change" Yan Gen blink when he heard his pleading tone again. His change in mood is really too fast. "You are you. You don't need to change for me"

"Then why can't you like me?!" Because your atittude is unbearable! Aren't you aware of that yourself? Yan Gen keeps mum, lest he accidently said those words and get into more troubles.

Zhu Mingli didn't bother to wait for his answer either "What do you like about that sly fox anyway?" he snorted. Yan Gen instantly became displeased when he addressed him as such. Wei Yuu is not a sly fox, he knows his personality well.

"He has always been kind and considerate towards me. Never forcing me to do anything without my consent" The last three words were emphasized. Isn't this indicating that he was no less than a beast compared to the gentleman Wei Yuu?

Zhu Mingli felt his heart clinched, Zhilan defended her dear cousin, and threw dirt at him, not sparing a single thought about him. He let out a mocking laugh, not knowing whether he's mocking her or his pathetic self. He was reduced to this extent and she's still not willing to give him a chance. "You think Wei Yuu is as gentle as he appeared to be in front of you?" He said, sneering.

"Stop slandering him, I know him enough to judge his character" Just because you didn't get the girl, you'll splash dirty water on someone. Princes are really hard to deal with if they don't get what they want.

"Do tell how much you know him?" Zhu Mingli cupped his rosy cheek with his free hand "Lan-er, is it because you're too naive or because Wei Yuu's acting is too good that you failed to see his true face?" Yan Gen cheeks took a brighter shade of red in anger. Is he implying that he's stupid or Wei Yuu is two face? Either way, he's upset.

"No ambitious man will be as kind and considerate as your cousin. As you may or may not know, Wei Yuu is far more ambitious than you think"

When Yan Gen was about to open his mouth to retaliate against him, a cunning smile made its way to his reddish thin lips, his eagle like eyes focused behind him. "Look behind you and my words will be proven right" Baffled, he follows his direction and his sight immediately landed to a familiar figure not far from where they're standing.

Among the crowds, he's especially eye catching with his noble temperament, cool countenance and beautiful appearance, wearing a clean white robe. It was easy for Yan Gen to spot him once when he looked at the crowd.

At present, Wei Yuu is standing in front of a stall, solving riddles, and standing closely beside him is a pretty young girl, about 15 or 16 year old, wearing a bright yellow hanfu. Anyone will say that they're a well match couple base on their beautiful looks and how they're standing so closely to each other.

Like a devil in the dark, Zhu Mingli bent down a bit, lowering his head to the level of his head and hotly whispered in his ear "You see... Wei Yuu will not hesitate to do anything for his ambition. That girl beside him is the daughter of the second-in-command Gu Jing, also the niece of the empress. You do know what your clan is currently lacking?"

Their clan is full of scholars or politicians, not a single one of them were send to the battlefields. Their women were also married to either the royal family or to a high-ranking civil officials. What they lack couldn't be more obvious. Military power.

"Wei Yuu is actually way worse than me. You were only deceived by his fake image. You don't know how many underhanded things he did in the dark"

Wei Yuu's gentle, kind smile which originally belongs to him is now directed to another woman. Lightly laughing to each other when one of them said something funny.

"Didn't you implied before that you wanted to own your husband? Wei Zhilan... I can let go of my ambition as long as you give me your heart. Can Wei Yuu do that for you?"

His hot breath scalded his skin.