Chapter 64 Want to leave? As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the air around her grow cold...

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the air around her cool down considerably, and the man's expression, which had just softened, suddenly turned cold again.

"You want to leave?" The deep voice sent chills down one's spine.

Jiang Zhuoying lowered her eyes: "I hope Your Highness will grant my request."

She wanted to leave, firstly because it was time for her to go back and find out the cause of her mother's death, and secondly because after this ordeal, her relationship with Qi Fan could never be the same again.

If it's not a clean break, then it's a step further.

But the other party's intentions made her both afraid and guilty.

It's better to withdraw from her now before he falls deeply in love with her.

"If you want to leave, then so be it."

The man's face darkened, his voice as cold as ice. After uttering these words to her, he turned and left.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Jiang Zhuoying bowed in greeting, and suddenly felt a tightness in her chest, a slight, tingling pain.

After everyone left, she got up, glanced at the bowl of white porridge on the table, and turned to head towards the door.

She had to go back to her room to see what luggage she needed to pack, and she also had to say goodbye to Ah Liu.

However, when she arrived in the hall, she found that the two doors were still closed.

A certain guess suddenly arose in my mind.

She walked quickly to the door, tried knocking, and then peeked through the crack.

My heart suddenly started pounding.

Didn't you say you were going to grant her wish? Why is it still locked?

"Bang bang bang~"

She knocked on the door again: "Eunuch Chu? Eunuch Chu, are you still outside?"

After asking several times, a steady voice finally rang out.

“Miss Jiang, Eunuch Chu has already been taken away by His Highness.”

"Take them away?!" the girl exclaimed in surprise.

She peeked through the crack in the door and saw that the person outside was Pei Yun.

Why did we summon Guard Pei again...?

Jiang Zhuoying softened her voice and said kindly, "Guard Pei, His Highness just promised me that he wouldn't lock the door, so... isn't there some misunderstanding?"

“Miss Jiang is too kind. Whether the door is locked or not, and who is guarding it, are all His Highness’s orders.”

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

"Does Guard Pei know why His Highness locked this door?"

"Miss Jiang, please be careful with your words. How could we possibly know His Highness's thoughts?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

Her voice was weak and feeble: "Will something happen to Eunuch Chu after he was taken away?"

Pei Yun finally glanced at the door, her tone no longer as stiff as before.

"Instead of worrying about Eunuch Chu, Miss Jiang should worry about her own situation."

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

Pei, the guard, has always been upright. Could it be that he is planning to deal with her?

She was mentally prepared for this.

Admitting to deception face-to-face carries significant risks.

If they were to expel her from the manor in a fit of anger, that would be best. But if they insisted on punishing her for a serious offense of disrespect, she would not be able to escape.

Now that things have come to this, last night he said he would marry her and would never let anyone bully her again.

She was to be severely punished today, and this contrast made her somewhat depressed.

Jiang Zhuoying took a deep breath, calmed herself down, and said in a serious tone, "Guard Pei, do you know how His Highness plans to deal with me?"

No one answered outside the door. The girl let out a choked sob: "I just want to know, will I ever see the sun rise again tomorrow?"

Pei Yun listened to the low sobbing inside the door, his expression growing increasingly strange. This Miss Jiang was indeed remarkable.

No wonder His Highness gave such special instructions before leaving.

The master's original words were, "Don't respond to her, especially when she's crying."

If he hadn't received this instruction, he would probably be troubled by the girl's tears right now.

After a long, tense silence, Pei Yun finally said in a deep voice, "Miss Jiang, you are overthinking this."

The sobbing stopped immediately, followed by a soft, weak voice: "Does Guard Pei mean that besides this confinement, His Highness won't punish me?"

Pei Yun glanced sideways at the crack in the door, his face expressionless.

If being confined to the main room where His Highness usually rests is considered a punishment, then what about what they have suffered in the past?

Pei Yun didn't reply to her again, and Jiang Zhuoying wasn't angry. How could everyone be as considerate of her as Eunuch Chu?

However, based on his response just now, at least her life is safe.

Jiang Zhuoying guessed that the confinement would only last a day or two at most, and Qi Fan would come to see her sooner or later.

She had already thought it through; last time, it was because she was determined to leave that she caused this house arrest.

This time, instead of saying she was leaving, she said she wanted to stay. Ultimately, she needs to regain her freedom before she can make any further plans.

As for Pei Yun outside, she could glean some information from him.

But this time she was wrong.

Qi Fan hadn't come to see her for five consecutive days. As for Pei Yun, who was guarding the door, he only spoke a few words to her at the beginning, and then remained silent no matter what she asked.

Unfortunately, the meals delivered at mealtimes were always her favorite dishes, making it impossible for her to bring herself to go on a hunger strike.

But life couldn't go on like this forever, just as she finally decided to go on a hunger strike—

The person has arrived.

"Leave the manor?"

Jiang Zhuoying stood up in surprise: "Are they going to expel me from the manor?"

Chu Yixin glared at her and said, "What are you saying? Your mistress is taking you out to cheer you up."

"To relieve boredom?"

The girl looked suspicious. Given her current confinement, how could she possibly go out to relieve her boredom?

"Hey, listen to my advice, you have to seize this opportunity! How long do you want to be grounded, Jiang girl?"

Chu Yixin stopped there, and the girl nodded repeatedly, quietly agreeing.

"Eunuch Chu is right. Thank you for your guidance."

The young woman thanked him, and then kindly asked, "What about what happened the other day... Eunuch Chu, are you alright?"

She was alluding to the incident a few days ago when Chu Yixin was giving her advice at the door, which Qi Fan overheard.

Upon hearing this, Chu Yixin's expression became somewhat strange. She coughed a few times, pursed her lips, and then glanced at her while flicking her whisk.

“What could possibly happen? We’re old folks who’ve been by Grandpa’s side for a long time.”

Jiang Zhuoying had no choice but to swallow her heartfelt words of comfort. She had noticed something was wrong with the way Eunuch Chu was walking earlier.

After Chu Yixin gave her a few more instructions out of concern and then left, A-Liu led two maids in to help her wash and change.

Normally, her hairstyle is as simple as possible, but today, the skillful maid has styled her hair into a "heart-to-heart" bun, which is both lively and gentle.

Once her hair was styled beautifully, she could then focus on choosing matching hairpins and jewelry, and change into a flowing white and lilac-colored dress...

Even the usually composed Ah Liu's eyes flashed with amazement. No wonder His Highness was so interested; her beauty surpassed even that of a peony.

A young woman's temperament can be gentle, aloof, playful, dignified... she can be anything.

But with such a beautiful face and pure, clear eyes, without a trace of deliberate allure, she was truly captivating. Not to mention men, even a woman like her couldn't help but want to take a few more glances...

Jiang Zhuoying chose the dress and accessories herself, and was naturally satisfied with her outfit.

However, she had another, more important matter on her mind.

If we could take advantage of this opportunity to leave the mansion and escape, it wouldn't be a bad idea.

...

The carriage began to move forward. Jiang Zhuoying sat upright, her slender waist straight, glancing occasionally at the man who was resting with his eyes closed.

Just a few days ago he was saying he wanted to marry her, and today she was dressed so beautifully, but when she got into the carriage, he didn't even give her a second glance.

Judging from this, it seems this guy has changed his mind and has no feelings for her anymore?

But if he truly had no feelings for her, why did he insist on taking her out of the manor?

Furthermore, if she pleads for me later, should I say that I want to stay or leave?

The young girl was naive about love and didn't understand the intricacies of the word "love." Although she was clever, she didn't know what Qi Fan wanted.

Fortunately, Jiang Zhuoying knew the way. At this moment, the only person in the carriage who could talk to her ignored her, so she could only look out the window listlessly.

Soon, she realized that this was the way to Yuanbao Tower.

It's been a while since I've seen that young master Gu. The secret that woman revealed last time was too shocking. Now I'm taking her to see Gu Yunci again.

The girl's pupils slowly widened; she had figured it out!

This doesn't mean they're letting her go.

It was clearly meant to expose her to more secrets and make her a complete member of the Second Prince's household!

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhuoying felt more confident. She glanced at the person who still had his eyes closed and gave a slight smile.

A sweet, soft voice suddenly rang out in the quiet carriage: "Second Prince, brother?"

"Second Prince, can you hear me?"

The man slightly lifted his eyelids, his gaze towards her cold and indifferent.

But Jiang Zhuoying was already immune to this. She blinked and tried her best to appear innocent and harmless.

"Now that Your Highness has taken me out of the manor today, does that mean my confinement is over?"

She found it unbelievable, too. A prince, using his main house to confine a maidservant, while he himself went off to rest somewhere...

The man narrowed his eyes, his gaze becoming even more profound.

Jiang Zhuoying licked her lips. Whenever this happened, she felt a little uneasy. She always had a cold face, and you had to guess what she was thinking.

"Please talk to me," the girl said softly, lowering her head once again.

The man paused for a moment, then finally parted his thin lips: "I thought that confining you to your quarters wasn't a bad thing."

Jiang Zhuoying: "???"

"Why would you think that?" the girl asked, puzzled.

Qi Fan stared at her intently for a few more moments, then looked directly at her and said, "You've been in your room for five days, and your cheeks are much rounder than they were five days ago."

Jiang Zhuoying stood there, stunned...

Does that mean she not only didn't lose weight in the past five days, but actually gained weight?

Is this really true?!

How come she didn't notice when she was getting ready at noon?!

The girl unconsciously covered her cheek with her palm, her brows furrowed, seemingly lost in thought...

“That was me,” she suddenly straightened up.

A sharp gaze turned towards her.

The girl suddenly went limp again: "I was wrong."

He didn't reply, but slightly raised his eyelids, and Jiang Zhuoying could still see a certain irony in his expression.

“I’ve been reflecting on my mistakes in my room every day, and I can’t eat. How could I have gained weight? Your Highness must not have seen me for five days and has misremembered what I look like.”

The man didn't reply. Jiang Zhuoying glanced at his expression and continued shamelessly.

“I have been racking my brains in my room for five days, repenting for my past mistakes. And through these five days of reflection, I have come up with the only way to make amends.”

"I hope Your Highness will grant my request."

The man lowered his eyebrows further, and the aura he exuded became increasingly cold and terrifying.

Jiang Zhuoying quickly added, "In the past, I only thought of leaving, which was indeed inappropriate."

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Author's Note: Pei Yun: You call that punishment?