"Wanwan, who among ordinary men doesn't have the desire to make progress and strive for success? I was born into an imperial family, born with great wealth." Xiao Changtai said earnestly, "I knew from a young age that the prince would have a short life span, and the world would eventually fall to a prince, so why can't it be me? I'm not inferior to others in civil and military affairs, so how can I be willing to be inferior to others?"
"You refuse to be inferior to others, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ye Wantang asked with red eyes.
He was a prince. When ordinary families knew that the legitimate son could not inherit the family business, the illegitimate sons would do everything they could to get him. Ye Wantang did not blame him for being ambitious. She was not qualified to force a man to give up his ambition for her.
If he had told her earlier and let her think it over, she would have left earlier if she couldn't bear it.
"Wanwan, I love you, I can't live without you. I know you are calm by nature, I have tried, I really tried to let go for you, but I... I still can't help but be tempted by power." Xiao Changtai held Ye Wantang's arms and lowered his head dejectedly, "Wanwan, I really tried my best, I'm sorry for you."
Hearing his choking voice, Ye Wantang closed her eyes in grief, tears rolling down from under her long eyelashes. After a while, she spoke weakly: "Why did you come to find me now?"
Xiao Changtai's body stiffened slightly. She should have known his intention very well, but she asked knowingly, which meant she had no intention of leaving with him. Xiao Changtai raised his head suddenly, his eyes locked on her tightly: "Wanwan, you... do you hate me?"
Shaking her head lightly, she said lazily, "I'm so tired, really so tired."
"Wanwan, can you give me another chance? I have been expelled and I no longer have the strength to fight. All my extravagant hopes have been shattered. I have saved some money in the past. If you and I leave, we will really wander around the world and make the world our home. Just like when we first traveled around the mountains and rivers." Xiao Changtai pleaded humbly.
Ye Wantang looked at his face, her mind filled with Shen Xihe's words. Her heart was divided into two halves. One half was her love for him, which made her want to nod involuntarily. The other half was Shen Xihe's warnings and lessons from the past, which made her harden her heart and break up with him.
The words were on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't speak. She never thought that one day she would be so weak, so weak that she couldn't even utter a decisive word.
"Wanwan, I have nothing left. Are you going to abandon me too?" Xiao Changtai was hurt by the struggle in Ye Wantang's eyes. She was more determined than he thought, and her estrangement from him was even deeper. He let go of Ye Wantang and slowly took a few steps back. "Since even you don't want me, what else in this world do I have worth clinging to?"
As he spoke, he pulled out a dagger, and a cold light flashed across Ye Wantang's eyes. The next moment, before she could scream to stop it, bright red blood splattered out, and two drops splashed on her cheeks. She was stunned for a moment, and Xiao Changtai's body fell down.
"Atai—"
Ye Wantang rushed over but failed to support Xiao Changtai. Both of them fell to the ground. Xiao Changtai put on a weak smile, but fainted before he could say a word.
Ye Wantang's loud shouting alarmed the servants, and the Ye Mansion was in chaos.