Princess Xiangrui in Huanzhu

The autumn wind was bleak, and the tree in front of Ruyi Pavilion finally shed its last leaf. It stood there alone, as if quietly waiting for the arrival of winter.

Benjamin sat quietly in front of the canvas, holding the paintbrush in his hand, staring at the canvas in front of him with concentration.

A beautiful painting is presented on the canvas, and the characters in the picture are lifelike, as if they will walk out of the canvas at any time.

A closer look revealed that the person in the painting was actually an acquaintance - Yue Wanhan. Her beautiful face, lively eyes and cheerful smile were all vividly portrayed by Benjamin with delicate brushstrokes.

Even without a real person as a model, he still managed to portray her vividly, showing that Benjamin had already memorized the image of Yue Wanhan.

However, Benjamin seemed a little irritated at this moment. He frowned and put his brush aside. This was already the third portrait of Yue Wanhan that he had painted.

Over the past two days, his thoughts have been like a tangled mess, unable to be cut or sorted out, and he has fallen into deep entanglement.

This feeling is completely different from when I realized my feelings for Xiaoyanzi many years ago. Although I was struggling internally at that time, at least I had a clear direction. And although it was painful, there was no need to hesitate about giving up.

A single arrow can destroy a relationship between two people who love each other, which is really unpleasant, but giving up is also reasonable, and it seems that there is no need to think about it.

But now facing Yue Wanhan, his mood was so complicated, he didn't know whether to advance or retreat.

Originally, he thought he could accept the reality calmly, leave the Qing Dynasty calmly, even alone, and return to his hometown.

But at the critical moment, he found that he was finally defeated by his own heart. He had to admit that he liked Yue Wanhan.

In fact, there is nothing strange about this. Yue Wanhan is not only beautiful, but also has a good family background. More importantly, her vigorous vitality deeply attracts him. No one doesn't like sunshine, and no one doesn't yearn for light. And Yue Wanhan is the one who can bring warmth and hope to others.

And now that this ray of sunlight was pouring down on him, his first reaction was to hide, to hide in the dark, where there was no sunlight.

He Xi's words just opened a hole in the cage of his self-binding, and the sunlight began to rush in again.

Benjamin could only face his own heart honestly. After all, no matter how hard he tried to be tough, he would have no chance and would have missed it.

This is not the modern era. Even if there are thousands of miles between us, we can still see each other with just a phone call or a video call, or fly to each other's side.

Once Benjamin leaves, it may be that they will never see each other again in this life, whether in life or death.

Benjamin sighed. There were too many problems between him and Yue Wanhan. Could love alone really solve them?

he does not know.

"Benjamin, the Fifth Prince wants to see you." Xiao Qizi said impatiently.

He has always loved to associate with powerful people, but in the end, they all treated him as nothing.

Benjamin frowned, wondering what the Fifth Prince wanted to talk to him about, but he still stood up and followed Xiao Qizi out. Along the way, Xiao Qizi didn't say a word, just led the way, which made Benjamin feel a little strange. Finally, they arrived at the Fifth Prince's residence. After Xiao Qizi informed him, he took Benjamin into the room.

The Fifth Prince was sitting at the table. When he saw Benjamin come in, he stood up and greeted him with a smile. After a few pleasantries, the Fifth Prince got to the point: "Benjamin, I came to you today to talk to you about Yue Wanhan."

Benjamin's heart tightened, not knowing what the Fifth Prince would say. He looked at the Fifth Prince quietly, waiting for him to continue.

Benjamin and Yongqi hadn't seen each other for a long time. In just a few years, Yongqi seemed to have aged ten years.

The young man who was high-spirited, confident and had a hearty laugh is no longer there. Now there is a bit more sadness and gloom between his brows.

However, when he saw his old friend whom he had not seen for a long time, he still greeted him with a gentle smile, as if nothing had changed.

It is ironic that in this huge Forbidden City, which is neither big nor small, Yongqi and Benjamin never met again.

Yongqi was under house arrest and unable to go out; and Benjamin was unwilling to visit Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi.

At the beginning, Benjamin would go to the Fifth Prince whenever he had something to do, trying to comfort and support them. But gradually, Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi's self-esteem became extremely sensitive, even a little extreme, and their attitudes towards people around them became worse. In comparison, Xinrong seemed more calm and at ease.

Facing such a situation, Benjamin felt helpless. He knew he couldn't change anything, so he decided not to bother them anymore.

Perhaps for Yongqi and Xiaoyanzi, seeing Benjamin is not a happy thing. After all, he represents a past that is full of pain and helplessness.

He was present in that past, and his presence always brought back unpleasant memories, so it might be better for them if he didn't appear.

Later, Benjamin couldn't help but go to see Xiaoyanzi, but the result of that meeting made him feel very uncomfortable.

Because he found that the cheerful, lively, kind and righteous Xiaoyanzi in his impression had completely changed. She seemed to have become a shrew who complained and grumbled all day long.

It is hard to say who is at fault for this matter. Perhaps everyone is responsible. So Benjamin chose to escape and leave again.

But now, when he saw Yongqi, he felt as if he was in a different world. There seemed to be an unbridgeable gap between the two of them, and he felt an inexplicable sense of separation.

There was a chessboard in front of Yongqi's desk, on which the black and white chess pieces had already formed a certain layout. Yongqi waved his hand gently, motioning Benjamin to sit down.

Xiao Qizi bent over with a flattering look on his face and said flatteringly: "Fifth Prince, I..."

However, Yongqi did not seem to understand Xiao Qizi's intention. He just waved his hand casually and asked Xiao Qizi to leave.

If it were the Yongqi of the past, he would definitely be generous and would never be stingy with such a flattering servant.

But now it is different. Since he was confined, most people in the palace are sycophants who take advantage of others' misfortunes. Yongqi's life is naturally no longer as carefree as before. Faced with Xiao Qizi's hint, Yongqi can only pretend to be ignorant to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Although Xiao Qizi was dissatisfied, he didn't dare to say anything and had to retreat in disgrace.

"Benjamin, we haven't seen each other for a long time." Yongqi's voice was filled with emotion and reminiscence.