I Can't Give It

In response to Luo Zhao's question, Gu Chengyin replied:

"Your Highness, do you still remember what I wanted when we first met?"

Luo Zhao furrowed her brow. Of course she remembered.

Every meeting with Gu Chengyin, every single word, she recalled vividly, not daring to forget a single detail.

The first time she met Gu Chengyin was in North River City, Luoshui Prefecture.

Back then, she was about to be surrounded by a rebel army of hundreds of thousands, and she was preparing for a clever escape.

It was at that moment that Gu Chengyin appeared.

He emerged from nowhere, wearing an old set of clothes washed so many times they had turned pale.

Then he attacked her and hung her up.

And he even claimed that without losing a single soldier, he could reach the Divine Capital within ten days.

Luo Zhao thought it was a joke at the time.

Without losing a single soldier? Arrive at the Divine Capital in ten days?

This fool who popped up from nowhere—what right did he have to boast like that?

But she also remembered clearly that Gu Chengyin had laid down one condition.

The condition was that she had to give him her absolute trust.

Luo Zhao's eyelashes trembled slightly.

She suddenly understood what Gu Chengyin wanted.

From beginning to end, this man had controlled her for just one thing.

Luo Zhao lifted her head and looked at Gu Chengyin.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating his face.

Those eyes were exactly the same as they had been in North River City.

Startlingly bright, calm as still water, yet hiding depths she could not fathom.

"You..."

Luo Zhao hesitated, her voice tinged with uncertainty:

"You want... my absolute trust?"

Gu Chengyin nodded, then asked:

"So, Your Highness, now that we're here, will you give it?"

Luo Zhao blinked.

Absolute trust?

To Gu Chengyin?

Toward this damned Red Egg—unreserved, pure, one-hundred-percent absolute trust?

If she were still the Luo Zhao from North River City, she would never give it.

Back then, she trusted no one. Only herself.

But now...

After witnessing Gu Chengyin's methods, after seeing his skills.

After watching him walk step by step to where he was today.

Now, would she give it?

Luo Zhao didn't know.

From the perspective of a crown prince, she should.

If she gave Gu Chengyin absolute trust, then all she had to do next was one thing.

Lie back.

And wait for Gu Chengyin to carry her to victory.

He would handle the hidden arrows and open spears of the court; he would deal with the scheming between noble families and commoner scholars; he would clear every obstacle on her path to the throne.

Luo Zhao would have to do nothing, think of nothing.

Just obediently remain the crown prince and wait for Gu Chengyin to lift her onto that seat.

How easy.

A blessing many would beg for and never receive.

But...

Luo Zhao closed her eyes.

From a personal perspective, she would not give it.

Because she hated.

She hated Gu Chengyin.

Hated how little he cared about her.

Hated how he treated her like a puppet he could manipulate at will.

Hated how he casually spoke those four words—absolute trust—as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

Did this Red Egg even understand what absolute trust meant?

It meant putting her life in his hands.

It meant abandoning all her defenses, all her schemes, all her cautious vigilance.

It meant becoming a mindless puppet—believing whatever he said, doing whatever he told her.

Even if she were carried to victory, so what?

Even if she ascended to the highest position, so what?

She would gain everything.

But the price would be losing everything.

Because she would just be Gu Chengyin's puppet.

A puppet doesn't need its own thoughts, its own will, its own joys or sorrows.

A puppet only needs to do one thing.

Give absolute trust, and then obey.

Luo Zhao opened her eyes and looked at Gu Chengyin.

Those eyes held exhaustion, resentment, anger, and an indescribable bitterness.

"I can't give it."

Her voice was soft but resolute.

Gu Chengyin let out a slight sigh, though he showed no sign of surprise.

Not just him—even Lin Qingyan, Shangguan Yunying, and Gu Xiaoli showed no surprise either.

Because this was Luo Zhao.

No matter how much she endured, no matter how high her tolerance, she had her own bottom line and principles.

She could pretend to be hypnotized, swallow her pride, and play her role.

She could act in front of Gu Chengyin for months, but she would never hand over absolute trust.

That was Luo Zhao's last line of defense.

Her final dignity as a human being, as a crown prince, as an independent individual.

The chamber fell silent for a moment.

Just then, Lin Qingyan suddenly broke in and asked:

"Chengcheng, you're not thinking of hypnotizing Zhao'er again, are you?"

Her voice carried a hint of wariness, her cool eyes fixed on Gu Chengyin, her brow slightly furrowed.

Gu Chengyin turned to Lin Qingyan and asked in return:

"Would Little Aunt stop me if I did?"

Lin Qingyan did not answer immediately.

Her brow furrowed deeper, a troubled expression spreading across her face.

In those eyes, usually as cold as frost, complex emotions now churned.

She was hesitating, weighing, struggling.

On one side was Gu Chengyin, on the other was Luo Zhao.

On one side was the person she liked, on the other was her niece, whom she had watched grow up.

Whom should she help?

Lin Qingyan bit her lip and said nothing.

Gu Chengyin shifted his gaze to Shangguan Yunying.

"Yunying, would you stop me?"

Shangguan Yunying's face changed.

She looked at Luo Zhao, then at Gu Chengyin. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Would she stop him?

Logically, she should.

She was Luo Zhao's chief lady-in-waiting; protecting the crown prince was her duty.

But Gu Chengyin was... he was her...

Shangguan Yunying lowered her head, her fingers twisting together inside her sleeves, tangled like a knotted mess.

Gu Chengyin turned his gaze to Gu Xiaoli.

"Xiaoli, you... never mind, you can't stop me."

Gu Xiaoli blinked her large, dark eyes.

She was not as tangled as Shangguan Yunying, nor as hesitant as Lin Qingyan.

Because she had sworn a deadly oath not to harm Gu Chengyin.

Only when Gu Chengyin went against Luo Zhao's will and tried to bully her could Gu Xiaoli ignore the restrictions of the oath and prioritize protecting Luo Zhao.

The reason she had sworn such an oath was that Gu Xiaoli believed Luo Zhao would keep up the act forever.

But she never imagined Gu Chengyin would voluntarily lift the hypnosis.

This completely exceeded all of Gu Xiaoli's expectations—on this point, she had lost to Gu Chengyin as well.

Luo Zhao sat on the edge of the bed, watching the reactions of these three people.

Her dim eyes suddenly reignited with a flame of hope.

She was not alone!

Lin Qingyan was hesitating—that meant she still cared about her niece.

Shangguan Yunying was conflicted—that meant she still remembered her as Her Highness.

Gu Xiaoli hadn't spoken, but she hadn't immediately agreed to help Gu Chengyin.