Lu Fengjin expected Chu Yueli to make a scene; after all, this situation was an injustice.
To his surprise, she simply watched him in silence, neither crying nor causing a disturbance. This quietude made him feel inexplicably guilty.
"Ali, you have seen Yuan'er's temperament for yourself. She has no desire to share a husband with you, so I originally intended to call off our engagement."
Lu Fengjin knew these words were hurtful. If only Chu Yueli had been more obedient, he would not have been driven to this point. He blamed her for being too stubborn; he had never intended to hurt her.
"Ali, the fact that Yuan'er is now willing to let you enter the estate with her is already her greatest concession. If you do not agree to this, I fear our marriage will have to be cancelled altogether."
Chu Yueli continued to watch him. Her lukewarm, indifferent gaze made Lu Fengjin inexplicably annoyed.
"What exactly are you thinking? Ali, no matter what schemes you are plotting, I will never leave Yuan'er! Let us speak heart-to-heart and set aside all these roundabout maneuvers, shall we?"
He truly did not want to waste any more energy entangled with her, especially when Tuoba Feiyuan was still waiting for him at the estate. With her temperament, if he did not return quickly, there was no telling what kind of tantrum she might throw.
"Very well. Then I shall speak heart-to-heart with you, Prince," Chu Yueli finally spoke. "I remember that day, Tuoba Feiyuan said that if one cannot commit to a lifetime with only one person, one should not provoke her. If the Prince marries me, how will you manage to be with her for a lifetime as one?"
Lu Fengjin’s eyes darkened. "This... this is the second thing I need you to agree to."
She fell silent again, just watching him quietly.
Lu Fengjin said in a low voice, "I have promised Yuan'er that, in this life, I will not touch any woman other than her."
"Then why are you marrying me at all? To bring me into the estate only to have me live as a widow in name?" Chu Yueli found the idea laughable.
Lu Fengjin frowned. "But you will hold the position of Princess Jin. That is the highest honor!"
She said nothing. Lu Fengjin continued, "The Duke's Estate may appear prosperous on the surface, but you know better than anyone, Ali, that the Duke's Estate is hollow! Especially now that even General Chu has..."
He paused. In the end, this was caused by Tuoba Feiyuan. However, he did not blame her; for a girl who had just suffered the loss of her family, extreme actions were forgivable.
Lu Fengjin added, "With General Chu in such a state, the Duke's Estate has no future. Ali, only by marrying me can you enjoy glory and favor for a lifetime. I will be the protector of the Duke's Estate! For you and everyone in your family, I am your final source of support."
Therefore, she had no other way out but to marry him.
"Ali, I know you feel aggrieved, but as long as you conduct yourself properly, I can promise you that I will not let anyone take the position of Princess Jin away from you!"
Lu Fengjin stared at her exquisite face, his expression sincere. "Ali, for Yuan'er to concede this much for your sake is not easy. So, after you both enter the estate, even though you are the primary wife and she is the secondary, she will stand and sit on equal footing with you within the household. You are not allowed to use your status to suppress her, and I... I will not permit you to bully her. Do you understand?"
Chu Yueli nodded. "I understand what you mean, Prince."
She did not object!
A spark of relief appeared in Lu Fengjin’s eyes, and he finally let out a breath. "Since you agree..."
"I do not agree!"
Tuoba Feiyuan, face full of fury, stormed into the room led by Qin Wu, Lu Fengjin’s personal guard.
She strode up to Chu Yueli and, with a swift *shing* sound, drew a short blade, pointing the tip directly at Chu Yueli’s chest. "If you want to marry into Prince Jin's Estate, you must agree to a third condition!"