Li Rui glanced at Li Chen once after she looked at Xi Ling as she stepped inside the living room. Beside her, Xi Ying also stepped inside and looked at this scene lazily.

When his eyes fell on his son, he frowned and said

"Xi Ling, go back to your room."

Xi Ling pouted as he ignored his father and walked to his mother.

"But I want to stay with Mother."

His small fist clenched Li Rui's dress as he looked firm in not leaving the room making Xi Ying frown deeper.

Li Rui, however, just smiled and bent down to Xi Ling's face level.

"Xiao Long, go to your room. Later Mother will find you and then we will play together."

Xi Ling was very happy after hearing these words and instantly left the room without any complaint and with a bright smile on his face.

On the other hand, Xi Ying looked at his son with a baffled expression on his face.

Why does it feel that he is no longer there in his son's life?

The brat had even started to disobey him now.

After Xi Ling left the room, Li Rui finally looked at Li Chen. Her face didn't hold any emotion as she asked coldly.

"What are you doing here?"

The smile on Li Chen's face fell immediately after seeing her indifference. A moment later, he composed himself and asked with a tight smile.

"Do I need a reason to visit my Jiejie?"

Xi Ying almost rolled his eyes when he heard Li Chen's words.

Li Rui didn't come to Li Chen's mind when he was stealing such an important book from General Li's study room.

But it was a matter where Xi Ying didn't want to interfere. Here Li Rui had all the right to decide what she wanted to do.

"You do need a reason to come here."

Li Rui's cold voice sounded in the living room making Li Chen's face go pale.

Li Chen breathed deeply to control himself from expressing the despair he was feeling on seeing her behaving like this. He knew that he didn't deserve any less from what he was getting.

The study room remained silent after Li Rui finished her words coldly. Li Chen also didn't say anything.

After this long silence when Li Rui saw that he was not saying anything, she said coldly.

"Liu Lan, show the way out of Xi Manor to Young Master Li Chen."

Li Chen's heart seemed to be squeezed by something when he heard how Li Rui addressed him. His eyes started to fill with tears but he hurriedly lowered his head and blinked them vigorously.

When he saw the maid stepping inside the Courtyard, he cleared his throat lightly so that he would not choke because of the emotions brewing inside his heart and said

"I wanted to tell something."

Li Rui looked at Li Chen calmly and spoke

"Go ahead."

Li Chen saw that she never asked the maid to go outside so he understood that he would have to say everything in the maid's presence. He didn't feel any hesitation.

When he had accepted such a big sin in front of his father, then why would some stranger make him feel afraid to do so.

So he continued

"I told Second Uncle and Father everything."

Li Rui's eyes flickered and she looked at Li Chen trying to comprehend if he was really saying what she was thinking.

A moment later, she breathed deeply and then said to Liu Lan.

"Leave"

Liu Lan bowed her head and left from there. After she left, Li Rui closed the door firmly and then walked to stand in front of Li Chen.

Looking away from his red eyes, she asked coldly.

"Say everything clearly."

"I told Second Uncle and Father that it was me who had stolen the book and given it to the first prince and General Yun."

No expression could be seen on Li Rui's face after Li Chen completed his words. However, inside her heart, she was very anxious.

Only then did she notice the wounds and bruises on his face. The anxiousness inside her heart only grew more.

She was afraid that after Li Chen had revealed everything things that she had expected will happen.

"What happened after that? Why are you here after telling them everything?"

Her voice was only colder than before as she thought that there must have happened something and that's only the reason that Li Chen was here.

He was only here to ask for her help just like he did when he came to know that he had created a mess after giving that book to the first prince and General Yun.

Standing behind Li Rui, Xi Ying had no different thoughts than his wife.

His face also looked serious.

It was only Li Chen who was baffled after hearing Li Rui's question. More or less he understood what she was thinking.

She thinks that he will remember her only when he faces any problem.

Li Chen's jaw was clenched as he made many efforts not to let out his tears, He was a man now..and a stronger one.

He should not cry in front of his sister when he was the one at fault.

"Everything is alright, Jiejie."

He whispered in a choked voice.

Realizing the change in his voice, he cleared his throat and spoke again.

"Everything is alright. Second Uncle punished me to go to the border as an ordinary soldier."

Li Rui's heart fell back to its place and she sighed in relief.

A moment later when she registered Li Chen's last words in her mind, she whispered softly.

"As an ordinary soldier.."

Li Chen nodded his head with a tight smile on his lips.

"Yes, I am happy that Second Uncle punished me. In fact, I think he went too easy on me."

Li Rui didn't say anything this time.

Li Chen also didn't feel discouraged and continued

"I am leaving tomorrow morning. I wanted to see Jiejie once before leaving."

"Jiejie.."

Li Chen paused suddenly and then swallowed audibly before asking

"I hurt Jiejie a lot that winter right?"

A tear still slid down from Li Chen's cheek when he asked this question to Li Rui.

Only Li Rui inside the room except Li Chen knew which winter he was talking about.. Her eyes flickered as a memory from an unforgettable past flashed inside her mind.historical