28: Everything I have is because of him.

Zhou Jinan held the hairpin in his hand, his cheeks swollen, looking utterly wretched.

Two years ago, he accidentally saw Luo Yongan at a gathering and was instantly captivated by her beauty, falling hopelessly in love. After the New Emperor ascended the throne, Luo Yongan became the Eldest Legitimate Princess of the Daxing Dynasty, and Zhou Jinan became even more obsessed with her.

He was obsessed with her peerless beauty, and even more so with her status. Grand Chancellor Zhou had always valued him, treating him like his own son, and unexpectedly went to propose marriage on his behalf.

Unfortunately, the flowers desired the stream, but the stream was indifferent. Luo Yongan didn't even remember his name, and moreover, she only loved Mo Yingqi; she had only ever wanted to marry him from the start.

Now, the matter of The Two Legitimate Princesses marrying a seventh-rank Captain in the Pacification Bureau—a Captain with no background—had spread like wildfire throughout the capital and even the Daxing Dynasty.

Of course, this was all a scheme by the two sisters, cutting off all retreat for Mo Yingqi, leaving him no power to refuse. Although this was detrimental to the sisters' reputation, they simply did not care about such things.

As long as they could keep him, everything was worth it.

However, Zhou Jinan was furious. He already intensely hated the Pacification Bureau and the Flying Fish Guard. Especially Mo Yingqi. For the past year, he had been following his uncle's orders, targeting this "Smiling Yaksha" who had rapidly gained fame in the capital.

They had clashed several times, and he, already in the wrong, had been played by Mo Yingqi multiple times. He was already suppressing rage, and now, the man Luo Yongan and Luo Yongning were going to marry turned out to be him!

"Temple Official Zhou, Her Highness requests your presence." A maid approached and spoke to him coldly. "The Imperial Son-in-Law is also present. If the Temple Official knows propriety, he should understand what to say and what not to say. If this happens again, it won't just be twenty slaps."

Zhou Jinan couldn't help but tighten his grip on the hairpin, but he quickly released it. He could only bow slightly and speak politely to the maid: "Please lead the way, Miss."

The maid merely glanced at him coldly, said nothing, and turned to leave. Zhou Jinan could only follow silently behind her. Before long, they arrived beneath a large tree, where Luo Yongan was gently fanning herself with a round fan, her eyes fixed on Mo Yingqi and Luo Yongning, who were catching fish in the river nearby.

It was as if the world contained only herself, the Mo Yingqi in her eyes, and her own younger sister. Ying Hong saw Zhou Jinan and gently reminded her: "Your Highness, Temple Official Zhou has arrived."

Luo Yongan nodded, but did not avert her gaze, speaking in an icy voice: "Tell him to stop twenty paces away, and if he dares to look at me, gouge out his eyes."

Fortunately, Zhou Jinan knew his place and stopped twenty paces away, bowing respectfully: "Your Humble Servant pays his respects to..."

"Her Highness has instructed me that although the Temple Official's gift is valuable, Her Highness is not lacking in jewelry," Ying Hong interrupted him directly. "Her Highness agreed to let you come simply to inform you that she will marry the Imperial Son-in-Law soon. Please, Temple Official, put away those sordid thoughts, and furthermore, stop opposing the Imperial Son-in-Law."

"Your Highness, Your Humble Servant, Your Humble Servant..." Zhou Jinan lowered his head, his tone flustered. "Your Humble Servant merely admires Your Highness, and besides, the Pacification Bureau is inherently..."

"You admire Her Highness? There are many who admire Her Highness; one more or one less makes no difference," Ying Hong didn't give him a chance to speak, her tone full of contempt. "But in Her Highness's heart, there is only the Imperial Son-in-Law. Temple Official, do not covet what you should not, and do not say what you should not. Doing so will only make people feel... disgusted."

Zhou Jinan felt as if he had been punched hard in the chest, a suffocating knot of frustration building up inside him that he could not release.

A person can be extremely cruel to someone they don't love, especially if that person is Luo Yongan. If the current setting hadn't been inappropriate, Zhou Jinan would likely have been dismembered by Ying Hong and her people long ago.

"Do you know what your purpose is?"

Luo Yongan spoke as if granting a favor, but unlike the gaze filled with love and obsession fixed on Mo Yingqi, her voice was devoid of emotion and warmth.

"Your purpose is to let Yingqi see that no one else matters in my eyes; he is my only one." Luo Yongan spoke without a shred of pity. "Everything I have is because of him. I am happy because he is happy; I am sad because he is sad..."

"Similarly, I am angry because some presumptuous mangy dog annoyed my Yingqi... Although you don't even qualify as a mangy dog, you still managed to annoy Yingqi."

"Therefore, Temple Official Zhou, if you persist in your delusion, I don't mind personally... dealing with you, Grand Chancellor Zhou's dog. Tell me, if you one day lose all use, would your good uncle still care about you as he does today?"

Zhou Jinan's pupils involuntarily dilated. Since his father was imprisoned and tortured, and his mother died suddenly from a heart attack out of fear, he had been taken in and carefully raised by his uncle.

Grand Chancellor Zhou treated him like his own son. All his expenses were no less than those of the true young masters and young ladies of the Zhou Residence. He even hired famous teachers for his careful instruction. When he wanted to enter the Dali Temple, Grand Chancellor Zhou pulled strings for him. Even though Zhou Jinan was stubborn and inflexible, Grand Chancellor Zhou never complained, but instead praised him for being reasonable and upright in his official duties.

But having stayed by his uncle's side, he had indeed witnessed how his uncle discarded former protégés and subordinates. When Grand Chancellor Zhou was ruthless, even Zhou Jinan felt utterly unfamiliar with him, as if that benevolent uncle had suddenly became a different person.

He just couldn't believe it. He and his uncle were blood relatives, and he was highly valued by him. How could his uncle heartlessly abandon him the moment he lost his value, like he did to others?

Thinking this, he inexplicably felt ridiculous. Luo Yongan was The Emperor's daughter. Although The Emperor and his uncle maintained a peaceful façade, they had long been mortal enemies. Luo Yongan's words were nothing more than an attempt to sow discord between him and his uncle. Why should he care?

"I have said all I need to say, Temple Official, act accordingly." Luo Yongan finished speaking, then turned and walked toward the river. "Oh, and by the way, Temple Official should keep that hairpin for himself. If you ever fall on hard times, you can sell it to buy yourself a few meals of leftovers."

Zhou Jinan stared at the hairpin in his hand, the knot of frustration in his heart making him feel even worse. To be publicly humiliated by the person he had admired for two years—even his initial marriage proposal and his momentary outburst today—had all been used by her as a means to show affection to the Flying Fish Guard he hated.

"Temple Official, please return now?" The maid who brought him scoffed. "Why bother? Everyone in the capital knows how favored the Imperial Son-in-Law is by The Two Highnesses. The Empress held this Polo Match today, firstly, to chat with the official's wives, and secondly, because The Two Highnesses wanted an excuse to go out and enjoy themselves with the Imperial Son-in-Law."

"Yet, Temple Official, you chose to spout nonsense in this setting. I truly don't know what you were thinking. No matter how much you say, you will only provoke Her Highness's disgust and earn the ridicule of others."

Having said that, the maid looked at Zhou Jinan's slightly trembling body, the mockery in her tone intensifying: "Don't you think you look ridiculous like this? Aunt Ying Hong was right; there are countless people in the capital who admire Her Highness, but if she doesn't love you, she doesn't love you. Does Her Highness have to care what every admirer thinks?"

"Temple Official, at least try not to disgrace your uncle. You are the nephew of the esteemed Grand Chancellor and a Temple Official of the Dali Temple. Acting like this... only makes people think you are petty."