Chapter 250: Estrangement

Wanning's heart grew completely cold. She picked up her clothes nearby and haphazardly put them on.
She slowly got off the bed and picked up the two disheveled clothes from the floor and placed them on the chair. Taking a few slow steps, she looked out of the window with a confused expression in her eyes, and despairingly said, "Are you satisfied with forcefully taking advantage of me?"
Gao Ziang swiftly tidied up his clothes, pulling the leather belt from the bed, while glancing at Wan Ning without saying a word.
"I can't help but feel nostalgic. You used to be so gentle, so afraid of your little sister getting hurt even a little bit. But now, do you still care about my feelings even a little bit? What has made you who you are today? Yes! Can I expect you to remain unchanged? Looking back, all the tenderness and sweetness you once had now seem so sad. Brother, you are smart, you know me well, and you wouldn't be indifferent to what belongs to you. Or maybe, even this tiny bit is just a luxury for me? What does it matter if we are so close? Our hearts have long been apart."
"Wan Meimei, I -"
"Shut up! Don't call me anymore! I am no longer your Wan Meimei!" Wan Ning's voice interrupted Gao Ziang abruptly.
"When did we start to have cracks? I never thought we would come to this point." Wan Ning's heartache was like a knife twist. "I haven't even been born yet and already have a marriage contract with you. You have been good to me since childhood, willing to entrust everything to you, but never considered whether you trust me at all! And yet, at this moment, when I need you the most, I thought you would treat me gently, but you easily assumed that I would betray myself to the emperor. Have you ever considered that I would hold on to this love? I would fight for my life to hold on to this love? You no longer understand me, or perhaps your heart has already flown away, flown to where? Is it my sister, or Qingfang Ge? I heard there is a girl who has fallen for you."
"Wanning, stop overthinking, there is only you in my heart."
"Until now, you still say such things! It's truly shameless. You have always woven me into a dream, sweetly intoxicated, a foolish dream that is hard to wake up from. Now it's time for the dream to end. It's all my fault for dreaming in the first place. Ever since you became engaged to your sister, it was destined that there would be no future for us to meet. The torment of never having a future encounter. I once naively thought of you as the only lifesaving straw in this world, the only warmth, the only brightness in my life. Now when I think about it, I was really too naive. Just as you thought, I will eventually belong to the Emperor. Didn't you say it yourself? The Emperor is a wise ruler. It conveniently gives you an excuse for your romantic affairs, while we have no reason to continue. All the glory in the world is fleeting, everything eventually fades with the setting sun. Although your sister has hurt me before, she spoke the truth in one thing—when you give everything to him, his love for you has already turned sour, while your love for him has just begun. Since your love has turned sour, it's better for us to end things early. I will return the tokens to you, everything you gave me will be returned in full. From now on, we will gaze upon each other as strangers in this worldly realm, pursuing our own happiness, with no more ties between us."
"Wanning, why bother? Be calm. It is true that we have some conflicts that make both of us unhappy, but it's not to this extent."
"The arranged marriage is just a strategy implemented by the elders for their own interests. We are just pawns, toys in their hands, manipulated by them. Maybe from the beginning, we shouldn't develop feelings. I realize now, I shouldn't have sold myself to the emperor, but I shouldn't have sold myself to you either. My father is dead, and my uncle still won't let go. When will your Gao family stop plundering the Li family? Get out of the Li Mansion immediately! I don't want to see you! Go!"

Gao Ziang admitted that he had let Wan Ning get wronged and caused her great harm, and this time she was completely heartbroken. When Wan Ning was angry, she probably didn't even know what she was saying. Now, it's useless to say anything, and saying more is not helpful. Instead of continuing to make her angry here, it's better to wait for her anger to dissipate a bit.

“Okay, I'm leaving."
Gao Zian picked up a cloak and put it on Wan Ning. The graceful lines of her neck and collarbone were clearly visible. He took the opportunity to lovingly wrap her in it and said, "Don't catch a cold. Don't be angry either, I'm leaving now." With that, he walked out.
Wanning collapsed to the ground, supporting herself on a round stool with one weak arm. The tearing pain in her delicate body persisted, and the agony in her heart grew even stronger. Tears silently streamed down her face. Is this the man she had loved for so long, the one she was supposed to depend on for the rest of her life?
Since when? The resentment towards him has been flowing like a flood, day after day.
Gao Ziang is even more restless in his mind. He can feel that Wan Ning still deeply loves him and hasn't changed a bit. She has not been touched by any other man.
Yaner saw that Master Gao's face was particularly ugly, knowing that the two of them might have started quarreling again. When she entered Wan Ning's room, seeing Miss's disheveled clothes, she knew what had happened.
She walked up and squatted down beside Wanning, gently calling out, "Miss."
Wanning glanced at her. Yanner tried to help her up, but unexpectedly, she obediently sat on the bed with Yanner.
"Yan'er, I now hate this bed."
"Miss, this servant understands you. Young Master really went too far this time."
"From now on, I am like a stranger to him." Wanning wiped her tears quietly, feeling a sharp pain in her heart.
"Miss, young master indeed did something wrong. But in this humble servant's opinion, he was simply jealous. You are alone and without support, he could be your stronghold. Maybe you should consider it again?"
Wanning knew that Yanner had always been thinking like this. No matter what happened, she would just silently endure it. Not wanting to argue with her, Wanning said, "Yanner, please go out and let me be alone for a while."
"Okay, I'll do as you command. Just tell me if you have any orders."
Wanning lay on the bed for a while, but the more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. She didn't want to stay on this bed any longer.
At a time like this, apart from Yanner, she really wanted to find another person to confide in. The people around her all wanted to continue with the young master from the Gao family, so she couldn't tell them. Who else could she turn to? Should she go to the Gao Mansion and find her sister? After all, they grew up together. No! Going to the Gao Mansion would be like seeking trouble!
Wanning thought for a moment. Yes, fortunately there was this friendship with Zhang Hanyu. She secretly came to the Zhang family's residence without Yaner knowing.
The gatekeeper of the Zhang family knew that a marriage between the Zhang family and their cousin's family, the Zhu family, was imminent. They needed to handle it carefully when other Misses came to see the young master. They couldn't arouse suspicion from Miss Zhu, but also couldn't neglect the visitor.
So he personally went to Zhang Hanyu and reported, "Master, there is a young lady looking for you."
"A young lady? Let her in."
"Master, would it be better for you to go out and see if you should let her in or not?"
“什么人啊？这么特殊！故弄什么玄虚？”
“少爷，您出去瞧瞧吧。”