Chapter 57: Prince Rui!

"Brother Li, are you asking me to go home with you?"

Zhang Xiaolan was taken aback when Li Rui confessed he had admired her for a long time and now wanted her to return home with him. What was going on? Had he deceived her with his previous words?

"Lanlan, would you be willing to come back to my residence with me? I will take good care of you and become the person closest to you."

Li Rui was never skilled with sweet words or flattery to please a woman. His way of expressing himself was straightforward, leaving Zhang Xiaolan at a loss for how to respond.

"Brother Li, do you like me now? Why didn't you answer when I asked you before?"

Zhang Xiaolan was unwilling to keep guessing or speaking in riddles—that wasn't her style. She cut straight to the heart of the matter, needing only to know whether or not Li Rui truly liked her.

"I... I..." Li Rui was once again rendered speechless by her question. His awkwardness with words surfaced at critical moments, causing him to falter.

"Oh, I see. You have concerns, don't you? Just tell me honestly what they are."

Pressed by Zhang Xiaolan's questioning, Li Rui stammered for a long time but couldn't utter a single word.

Zhang Xiaolan considered that Li Rui had never mentioned his identity during this time. Perhaps he had secrets he couldn't share, or perhaps he already had a wife and children.

Given Li Rui's age, it wouldn't be surprising if he did have a family. But if that were the case, Zhang Xiaolan would have nothing further to do with him; she could not accept the custom of sharing a husband.

"My true identity is Prince Rui."

Li Rui finally revealed the truth about who he was. While he had his reasons for holding back before, now he spoke honestly out of genuine feeling for Zhang Xiaolan.

"Prince Rui! Are you the emperor's younger brother or older brother?"

Zhang Xiaolan was truly shocked. She hadn't expected to encounter a royal prince here. All this time, it had never occurred to her that Li Rui might be of noble blood.

"I am the current emperor's younger brother," Li Rui replied modestly, showing none of a nobleman's arrogance.

"Then why didn't you tell me before? Were you afraid I'd cling to you because you're a prince, so you purposely kept silent until you could send me away?"

Suddenly, Zhang Xiaolan understood why he had hidden his identity. She was a foreigner, and it wasn't easy to earn their trust. Maybe that had been his plan all along, but now, having developed feelings for her, he wished her to stay and so revealed himself.

"No, I was afraid..." Li Rui tried to explain but found himself unable. Could he admit that, from the very first time he saw her, she had reminded him of the childhood companion he once cherished, and that was why he felt compassion for her?

If he said that, Zhang Xiaolan would surely walk away at once. Who would want to be someone else's substitute? Even if he tried to explain that his feelings for her now were sincere, it would be hard for her to trust him.

"So you say you're not afraid I'd cling to you? Then tell me clearly, what is it?"

Zhang Xiaolan saw him hesitating again and knew he was still hiding something.

"It's because I didn't dare to like you."

Driven by Zhang Xiaolan's questions, Li Rui could not hide any longer. He bowed his head and spoke these words—yet in that moment, a misunderstanding arose, for Zhang Xiaolan assumed he must already have a wife.

"Didn't dare to like me? Really! What is there to be afraid of—do you think I'd eat you alive, or do you already have wives and children?" Zhang Xiaolan probed further. She simply could not understand what else Li Rui could be hiding; she preferred a direct answer.

"I once had a wife."

The moment Li Rui spoke, Zhang Xiaolan felt a pang of disappointment. She had known it was unlikely that a man of Li Rui’s age had never married. Though she did harbor some feelings for him, if he already had a wife, she would not entertain any further thought of a relationship with him.