The daughter of the emperor was reborn and was spoiled by the sickly prince.

"Five years ago, I did redeem myself, but it was the Second Prince who redeemed me. His purpose was to let me get close to Yu...close to His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin." Ruyan's tone was gentle, but her thoughts were complicated.

She looked at Gu Mingzhao with watery eyes.

But Gu Mingzhao lowered his head and played with the wine glass on the table, absent-mindedly, as if he didn't hear Ruyan's words.

Liao Qinglan looked at the two of them.

Ruyan's gaze made her feel a little uncomfortable.

She coughed lightly and leaned slightly towards Gu Mingzhao to block Ruyan's view.

"Why did Li Jin ask you to come?" Liao Qinglan asked puzzledly.

"Because I once framed His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin and put him in prison. The Second Prince wants to confirm whether His Royal Highness has really lost his memory. If he has, he will definitely not keep me by his side." A hint of bitterness flashed in Ruyan's eyes.

"Miss Ruyan, you and His Highness are old acquaintances, why do you put him in danger time and time again?" Liao Qinglan was puzzled, with a hint of blame in her tone.

"I didn't mean to harm His Highness!" Ruyan was emotional, her voice trembling slightly, "Regarding the Dali Temple matter, I didn't know that the person that the Second Prince wanted to deal with was him... As for the matter of Jizhou, the Second Prince said that if it succeeded, I would be the prince's concubine... Who can easily resist such temptation?"

"Since you helped Li Jin, why did you fall back into prostitution?" Liao Qinglan asked.

"Because I don't have the ability to gain a foothold by the side of His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, the Second Prince thinks that I am useless and is discarding me like a worn-out shoe." Ruyan said with dim eyes.

"But you were originally the top performer in Zuihonglou. Even if Li Jin gave up on you, it wouldn't be that bad..."

Liao Qinglan hesitated and did not say the rest of the words.

But Ruyan understood what she meant.

How could a brothel's top lady, a person who sits high up in the clouds and is the center of attention, fall to the point of serving drinks in public?

"There are always countless new people in our industry. After a few months of absence, the glory of the past is long gone. In the words of Mother Wan, it is a great grace for her to give me a place to stay in this world."

Ruyan's voice was desolate, as if she had already accepted her fate helplessly.

When Liao Qinglan heard her say this, she felt mixed emotions.

This world is too harsh on women. If they take even a single wrong step, they may fall into an endless abyss.

After losing their usefulness, being discarded is indeed something Li Jin could do.

Wasn't she treated like this in her previous life?

If it weren't for her good family background and Li Jin still needed the support of her father and brother in the court, her ending would definitely not be as simple as being imprisoned in the palace.

If Gu Mingzhao had not started the rebellion, her hard days would have seemed like they would never end.

To some extent, she in her previous life and Ruyan in this life have reached the same destination through different paths.

Perhaps because of this tragic experience, when Liao Qinglan saw Ruyan, she actually felt a sense of sympathy.

But when I thought about Ruyan's goal of marrying her husband, I couldn't say any words of comfort.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the room was solemn and the three of them were speechless.

Gu Mingzhao sat quietly, his eyes fixed on the wine glass in his hand, and remained silent.

Ruyan sat opposite Gu Mingzhao, her eyes fixed on him.

Even though the two of them were sitting so close, Ruyan felt that the table in front of them was like an insurmountable chasm that was difficult to cross.

Ruyan opened her red lips slightly, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice: "Your Highness, you haven't said a single word to me since you entered the room... Even today, you still don't want to recognize me?"

When Liao Qinglan heard this, her heart trembled slightly and her eyes involuntarily turned to Gu Mingzhao.

Gu Mingzhao once told her about some of the past, but she could feel that Gu Mingzhao hated the past deeply.

If I stay here the whole time, will it embarrass him?

Thinking of this, she said softly, "Since you still have old things to talk about, I won't bother you anymore. Let's go outside and take a walk to get some fresh air."

After saying this, Liao Qinglan slowly stood up and prepared to leave.

But just as she was about to turn around, a warm and strong hand tightly grasped her wrist.

Gu Mingzhao's movements were swift yet gentle. He pulled her gently, and her body swayed, and she sat down next to him again.

The two figures are closely dependent on each other and are inseparable.

The three of them were originally sitting in one direction of the square table.

This sudden change resulted in Liao Qinglan and Gu Mingzhao sitting side by side, facing Ruyan, who had a complicated expression.

For some reason, Ruyan suddenly felt a little nervous.

She had always been famous for her appearance, but for the first time in her life she felt ashamed of herself.

Even though Liao Qinglan was wearing men's clothes, her elegant and refined appearance could not be concealed. Her bright eyes were charming and her gaze was full of brilliance, which complemented Gu Mingzhao's extraordinary handsomeness, making them look like a perfect match from a painting.

The two figures snuggled together, and a gentle smile flashed in Gu Mingzhao's eyes.

Ruyan saw this affection and felt pain in her heart.

The two of them looked so well matched that my existence seemed quite unnecessary.

Liao Qinglan gently pried open Gu Mingzhao's hands and whispered with a hint of anger: "What are you doing? We are outside."

Gu Mingzhao didn't care. Instead, he covered her hand with his palm and whispered softly, "If I let you go, you will have all sorts of crazy thoughts when you go back. You still need me to comfort you. It's better for you to stay here and listen together."

"Humph, you asked me to stay here. If you hear something you shouldn't, don't regret it."

"There's nothing you shouldn't hear. I've already said that there will be no more concealment or deception between you and me."

They spoke very softly, but Ruyan was very close and heard everything they said.

Her mind told her that she should leave here, but she just couldn't take a step forward.

In my heart, I felt a little embarrassed about my inappropriate eavesdropping, but also had an indescribable curiosity and desire.

I never thought that His Royal Highness the Prince of Qin, who was always cold and stern in front of outsiders, actually had such a gentle and affectionate side.

To her, this tenderness was both out of reach and full of temptation.

Even though she knew it didn't belong to her, it was enough to be the most gentle comfort for her in the years to come.