Yibo's POV:

That day, I sent Azure again with a letter to Zhan, but he came back with the letter unopened.

When I saw that unopened, untouched letter, I found it hard to breathe, I felt my heart being squeezed and a pit forming in my stomach.

I tried my best to finish my work early because I wanted to go see Zhan myself, I wanted to scream at him and yell at him and ask what the hell was going on with him.

However no matter how much I tried I couldn't get off work soon. That same day I also had a meeting with the emperor.

"Yibo dear, please come." the emperor said as he called me to his office. There the princess was also present, she gave me a polite smile before she went back to doing whatever she was doing before.

"You called me, your majesty."

"Indeed I did."

"What is it?"

The emperor looked at me with a gentle smile, "You see, these days I have been hearing that there is some rebel activity going on in the capital.

I want you to look into it."

"I understand, your majesty. I will immediately look into it."

"Good. I want you to report to me as soon as you find anything. Maybe those rebels had something to do with the attack on Simon."

"Understood, your highness."

"You are dismissed. The princess will see you out."

Princess Iliana Lilian Ravaryn was a beautiful and dazzling woman, she was smart and a highly learned person, she was also highly perceptive and someone I considered a friend, "Are you alright?"

"Everybody is asking me that since morning."

"Because you do not look good."

I sighed and she spoke again, "Yibo. Do you think Gideon is the right choice for being the crown prince?"

I halted and stared at her, and she spoke, "Prince Simon was right and he was the right choice, why don't you..."

"Your highness, please don't say things that can get you in trouble. The crown's decision is the final decision and no one has the right to question it."

"No." she said firmly, "The crown is meant to serve its people, the people have the right to question it."

"I am the crown's slave, your highness, I do not have that right."

"Yibo, how could you be so..."

"Please stop, your highness, or else I would be forced to take action against you."

She sighed and looked disappointed, after that we walked in silence before we parted ways.

~~

That night I was preparing to go to the Xiao residence to talk to Zhan myself, I was going to get my answers. Zhan's silence was driving me crazy and was making it hard for me to function properly.

However before I could leave I heard a knock on my door followed by my mother's voice, "Yibo."

"Yes, mother."

She stood before me and looked at me, my mother and I had never been close. She had always been a distant person, her eyes were always empty and her voice was always cold. In childhood I had always tried to get close to her but as I grew older I slowly gave up and in adulthood she and I barely talked unless it was work-related.

"I had asked about the proposals and you haven't answered me. Yibo, you are coming of age, you should at least get engaged like your brother."

"Mother, I don't want to get engaged yet."

"Why?" she said, "Give me one reasonable reason." I had no answer, "You are not in love with anyone, are you?" I said nothing and stared at her. Since we were little my mother had taught me one thing in our very interactions—one was to always be loyal to the crown, the crown comes first and everything comes second.

The crown was like our god and second was to stay away from the emotion of love as it was nothing but a distraction.

She just gave me a long hard stare before she sighed, "I expect a reply soon, and I would hope that you would say yes to get engaged to Princess Isolde."

After that she left. I snuck out of the Dawnridge residence and went towards the Xiao residence.

Once I reached the Xiao residence I used the secret passage that Zhan had told me about to reach his room. My heart was beating fast, I was excited to see him but I was anxious at the same time, I had to ask him so many questions.

Once I reached his room, I smiled as I was excited to see him but I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw a woman in his room, they both were talking to each other, and they were smiling. My heart was crushed when I saw that scene. Zhan slowly moved forward towards the woman and fixed her collar, she was wearing a uniform.

I felt like I was punched in the stomach, "Zhan?" I called out his name and he looked back at me.

I felt like my heart was ripped out of my chest when I saw his smile drop, he stood before the woman as if he was protecting her from me. He looked at me as if he was looking at danger rather than his lover, he said something to the woman, she nodded, she gave me a look before she walked away.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

Not I missed you, not how are you, not have you eaten, but what are you doing here? As if my presence was an inconvenience to him. What the fuck happened to Zhan? My Zhan. I had no idea who this cold distant person was.

"Zhan, what's wrong with you?" I asked, barely able to keep my voice steady, "and who was that woman?"

"No one. But what are you doing here?"

I was angry, "What am I doing here? I don't know, maybe I came to see you, to spend time with you, but it looks like I disturbed you! What's going on, Zhan, huh? You go off somewhere without telling me, you do not answer my letters, and when you come back you do not tell me.

You are always running away from me, you are distant, you have become indifferent and cold, most of the time you are zoned out, so what I am doing here is trying to figure out what the fuck is wrong with you!"

Zhan folded his arms, he was giving me the same distant look as if he was looking at someone else and not his lover, I did not like this look. Whenever Zhan used to look at me his eyes would sparkle, his face would light up, but right now he was looking at me with empty eyes.

"Zhan..."

"I had no idea that I had to report everything about myself to you. And why do I have to explain myself to you all the time?"

I was stunned when I heard that cold response, I walked towards him and grabbed his arms and shook him, "Zhan... that's not what I meant, what happened to you! Why are you so cold to me, what did I do? If I did something wrong then please tell me."

Zhan moved back gently, prying himself out of my hold, "I am busy, Yibo. I have duties and responsibilities, I can't always spend my time running after you like your dog."

"I never said anything like that! When did I ever interfere with your duties! I just wanted to know if you are okay! You could have just replied to my letter, I wouldn't have come here then!"

We just stared at each other. For a moment no one said anything, in the end I sighed and went forward to grab him, "Fine, let's not fight, let's just sit and talk."

However Zhan moved back and this move cut my heart into pieces, he was avoiding my touch, "I am tired, Yibo, let's talk sometime later."

I retracted my hand and said, "Is it because of that girl? Have you found someone else to warm your bed? Are you bored of me now? Really, you fucking bastard! I am trying to make a conversation here.

I am trying to sort this out but you are being such a bastard!"

Zhan gave me a sharp look, "If I am such a bastard then you should leave."

"It's because of that bitch, right? You are cheating on me or what? I swear to god I won't spare you if you betray me! I will find that bitch and I will kill her!"

That seemed to have done it, because in the next second Zhan marched towards me and slammed me against the wall, he was not gentle at all, my back hit the wall so hard that it hurt, "Don't you dare touch her, Yibo! I swear to god if you dare to harm her I will not spare you! You hear me, fucker!" he yelled at my face, he looked so agitated, so worked up that I thought he was going to hit me.

Zhan had never ever been aggressive or violent with me, he had always treated me like his treasure. He had never cursed at me before. Never. He had always treated me like I was made of glass. This was not my Zhan. This person was not my lover.

He was someone else.

My eyes stung with hot tears as I stared at Zhan. He seemed to be shocked as well as he quickly let go of me and stepped back, "Yibo..."

But I didn't let him finish, I quickly turned away from him and practically ran back out from where I came in, Zhan called my name, but I did not wait for him. I just ran out of the room.