Chapter 108: Reasons for Falling in Love with the Prince

“What do you mean by original or later? I am who I am; it’s just that I bumped my head and lost my memory. I’ve told you this long ago, so I don’t remember many things.” Su Jingluo had no idea why the emperor was digging into her past now. In another world, this atmosphere and setting would look like the filming site of a big investigative TV program uncovering the truth.

“My junior sister has never been to the battlefield; she can’t sing your passionate and stirring songs. She indeed has remarkable medical skills, but she wouldn’t resort to cutting someone’s scalp. Nor would she forget how she fell in love with Xiao Jingxuan.” The emperor couldn’t see through Su Jingluo, but like a stubborn mule unafraid of boiling water, she showed no sign of yielding to his gaze, even though her heart pounded fiercely. On the surface, she remained completely unaffected by the emperor’s tactics.

“I don’t remember how close we were before, Your Majesty, but isn’t it normal that you don’t understand me now? Five years is neither too long nor too short.” Su Jingluo didn’t want to waste words with the emperor, as if to say, “Whether I am the original or not, what do you want from me?” She glanced around, avoiding his eyes, signaling that she didn’t wish to continue this conversation.

“This is the reason you fell in love with Xiao Jingxuan.” Suddenly, the emperor produced a box from his robe and pushed it toward Su Jingluo.

Originally distracted, Su Jingluo immediately focused on the dark brown wooden box at his words. Gossip—who wouldn’t be curious about gossip concerning themselves?

She gently opened the box, revealing a jade-green insect resembling a shell lying at its center, looking as if it were on the verge of death.

“Love Gu?” Su Jingluo’s original self’s strong memory instantly kicked in.

“Exactly!” The emperor sighed deeply.

“This is why you fell for him.” He seemed unwilling to accept this fact, furrowing his brow and closing his deep-set eyes.

Xiao Jingxuan was truly despicable—using a venomous insect to make Su Jingluo fall in love with him, then neglecting the original self. It was like coveting what’s in the pot while ruining what’s in the bowl—a real scoundrel.

“This Gu?” Su Jingluo didn’t even know how to inquire about the truth anymore. A dull pain began to spread in her chest.

“Yes, I placed it.” The emperor closed his eyes, as if unwilling to recall, his expression full of anguish as he spoke.

Damn it, why don’t you just die? Su Jingluo nearly slammed the table. The emperor was truly shameless and heartless. To accuse her of being affectionate yet secretly planting a love Gu on the girl to turn her into a spy—this was a legacy of pure villainy from root to tip.

“Is Your Majesty telling me this to make me praise your cunning?” Su Jingluo was furious, about to explode on the spot.

“You cannot understand because you are not my junior sister. But back then, she and I were both willing; there was not a shred of coercion.” The emperor opened his eyes and gazed at Su Jingluo with a profound look.

Su Jingluo swallowed the curse that was on the tip of her tongue. The depths of the original self’s deception were beyond anything she dared imagine.

“Oh, who hasn’t had a foolish, head-in-the-clouds youth? Although I don’t remember why I was so reckless back then, and I certainly wouldn’t approve of it now, that doesn’t mean I’m not myself, right?” Almost breaking character, she realized all this was just to expose her fake identity. What was said to be a pleasant day of drinking and admiring flowers was actually an interrogation in nicer surroundings.

“That can be proven.” At this moment, the emperor took out another wooden box and placed it before Su Jingluo.