Chapter 86 Guilty Feelings "Um..." Before she could finish speaking, ...

"Hmm..."

Before she could finish speaking, her mouth and nose were covered again.

"Your Highness, please forgive us. Our lady is talking nonsense. We will take her back to rest now."

Jiang Zhuoying nodded blankly: "Okay, go ahead, quickly take her back."

Only after she was helped away did she belatedly realize what Consort Ling had been saying...

Now that the emperor has passed away, will she be able to return to the Li Kingdom?

They also said they wanted her to come to Luoyang earlier, which means she could have come later?

She was stunned for a short while when someone came from outside to report that His Highness the Crown Prince had come to pick her up.

Jiang Zhuoying didn't delay any longer and immediately followed them out of the Sui'an Palace.

Against the backdrop of the red walls at dusk, a tall, imposing man in a black python robe stood with his hands behind his back, his back to her.

"Your Highness."

She curtsied, performing all the proper courtesies.

Qi Fan turned around, but suddenly frowned, his voice slightly deep: "Why do you reek of alcohol?"

Jiang Zhuoying was taken aback. She had gotten used to it after staying there for so long, but she had completely forgotten about this.

"...Just now I dined with Consort Ling, and perhaps I picked up some of her scent."

Her voice was very soft, and she felt a little guilty because she was standing at the entrance of the Sui'an Hall.

In the past, she was someone who would faint after just one sip of alcohol. The fact that she faked her death hadn't appeased them yet, so they couldn't afford to cause any more trouble.

Ling Guiren came from the Li Kingdom and was skilled at drinking, which Qi Fan naturally knew.

The man nodded slightly, his voice calm: "Yes, follow me."

With that, the matter was easily resolved, and Jiang Zhuoying breathed a slight sigh of relief, sticking out her toes.

"Your Highness, please wait!"

The outstretched toes paused in mid-air.

She took a deep breath, composed herself, and turned back around.

The person coming towards them was one of Consort Ling's maids, whom Jiang Zhuoying had just seen and remembered.

The maidservant, carrying a large wine jar in her arms, stopped panting in front of her.

"Your Highness, the Crown Princess said that she did not expect you to be such a good drinker, and asked me to prepare some of the special drinks of our Li Kingdom for you."

"If it is not enough, please feel free to send someone to let me know."

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

She immediately turned her head to look at the man's expression.

The other person remained expressionless, showing no emotion, but his gaze towards her was a few degrees colder than before.

Jiang Zhuoying swallowed hard: "Hehe, you're too kind, Your Excellency. I'm actually not very good at drinking, so I won't take this jar of wine from you."

The maid suddenly looked up, her eyes shining: "Your Highness the Crown Princess is the most skilled drinker I have ever seen. There is really no need for such humility!"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

...

As darkness fell, Jiang Zhuoying was exhausted, but staring at the wine jar placed in the center of the carriage, she felt no drowsiness whatsoever.

The girl glanced at him; the man's eyes were closed, it was unclear whether he was feigning sleep or actually asleep.

Regardless of which one it is, it all means they don't want to talk to her.

Why……

She sighed heavily in her heart. What should she do?

Finally, after a long and agonizing wait, the carriage stopped, and Chu Yixin's high-pitched voice came from outside, saying that they had arrived at the Crown Prince's residence.

Jiang Zhuoying immediately glanced in the man's direction and saw that he had already opened his eyes.

She immediately looked away, and as she pretended to stand up, she stumbled again, managing to brace herself against the carriage.

"Ouch, I feel so dizzy."

After saying that, she closed her eyes and waited for the man in the carriage to speak.

But she only heard footsteps that swept past her in a few steps. The car door opened, and when she opened her eyes again, she could only see the man's departing back.

A chill ran through her chest. She knew she had lied to him too much. It was perfectly normal for a person to be angry or heartbroken.

If the two of them were switched, she would probably be too angry to talk to the other person anymore.

Just as they were feeling down, Xiangyue and Xiangxing leaned in from the car door again.

"Your Highness? His Highness sent us to help you down."

"He sent you?" Jiang Zhuoying's cold heart immediately warmed up again.

Having received a definite answer, Jiang Zhuoying immediately hurried out of the carriage. Looking up, she saw the man still standing by the footstool, his back to her.

She lost her footing: "Ah—"

"Your Majesty?"

"Your Majesty!"

With Xiangyue and Xiangxing's exclamations, Jiang Zhuoying had already landed steadily in someone's arms.

She instinctively hugged his neck, cutting him off before he could finish speaking: "Just now, my legs went weak and I lost my balance. It's all thanks to Your Highness that I was caught in time. Your Highness is truly agile."

She tightened her grip: "My legs are very weak, Your Highness, please carry me back?"

She held on tightly with both arms, afraid of being thrown to the ground on the spot.

It's not that I'm afraid of the pain, it's that I'm afraid of losing face.

Seeing the man's dark and gloomy face, Jiang Zhuoying carefully looked away, not daring to meet his gaze again.

But the force in his arm did not diminish at all.

Seeing the flickering, guilty look in the eyes of the person in his arms, Qi Fan understood everything.

But precisely because he understood this, he couldn't control his anger.

She was angry that she always lied to her.

I'm furious that she's so reckless with herself. If I hadn't caught her, would she have wanted to fall off the carriage?

Jiang Zhuoying was carried back to Kunning Palace as she wished, with her two maids, Xiangyue and Xiangxing, and Chu Yixin following far behind, perhaps afraid of disturbing the two of them by getting too close.

But the man didn't utter a single word the whole way. Jiang Zhuoying comforted herself, after all, she was going to her Kunning Palace, so there was plenty of room for him to make his move.

He was placed on a soft couch by the window, and as soon as his back touched the saddlebag, the arms on his shoulders and back relaxed.

Sensing that the man intended to leave, Jiang Zhuoying immediately tugged at his sleeve.

Qi Fan paused slightly, lowered his gaze to her face, and pressed his thin lips into a straight line.

"Your Highness...please don't go."

The girl, barely the size of a palm, looked up at him, her peach-blossom eyes glistening with tears.

Looking like that, who could bring themselves to refuse immediately?

Jiang Zhuoying immediately noticed his hesitation and pressed her advantage by patting her side again: "Would you like to sit down first? Let me tell you slowly."

She watched as the man finally slowly lifted his robe and sat down beside her.

Jiang Zhuoying breathed a sigh of relief, carefully leaned closer, gently rested her head on his shoulder, and spoke in the softest tone.

"Your Highness..."

Her soft, white hand slowly wrapped around the back of his hand...

Qi Fan's skin was several shades darker than Jiang Zhuoying's, with long, slender fingers and slightly protruding veins on the back of his hands that snaked inwards to the depths of his sleeves.

Her fair, soft fingertips dug into someone's fingers: "Your Highness, please look down at A-Zhuo?"

Jiang Zhuoying met those cold, dark eyes as she wished. He had thin lips with sharp angles, which were now tightly pursed.

Suppressing her wildly beating heart, she mustered her courage and tried to tilt her head back to lean closer.

This was a solution that Jiang Zhuoying came up with in a hurry.

Knowing how passionate the man had been the night before, she decided to first use her beauty to make him feel better, then cry and apologize. That should work.

Soon after, her breathing became erratic. After being fiercely kissed and her waist pinched, she was about to lean into the man's arms.

But suddenly a force of resistance came from both shoulders.

She was a little dazed, and soon she was pushed back by the shoulder, leaning against the soft cushion of the couch.

"You made me stay just for this?"

"……ah?"

She was still a little dizzy and slightly out of breath. She tilted her head back and saw that the man's face was even colder than before.

Jiang Zhuoying's heart sank; this was not what she had expected.

The man's face was as cold as ice: "Does the Crown Princess think that she can manipulate me like this?"

Jiang Zhuoying froze, her lips slowly pursed, and her hands and feet instantly turned icy cold.

The man had already stood up and was about to leave.

She watched his retreating figure in black, her fingertips twitching slightly. She had no reason to keep him there for the time being.

Nowadays... nothing works anymore.

As soon as the man's figure disappeared from her sight, Xiangyue and Xiangxing came running in.

Xiangyue looked anxious: "Miss! Are you alright? You mustn't do something so dangerous again!"

Her tone was somewhat serious, clearly indicating that she had personally witnessed the accident that Jiang Zhuoying had deliberately created in the carriage.

"Yes, I know. I'm sorry to have worried you."

Jiang Zhuoying tugged at the corners of her lips, and a warmth returned to her heart.

Fortunately, she still had Xiangyue and Xiangxing.

"What are you saying, young lady! You will never, ever have to apologize to us!"

Xiangyue pouted, somewhat dissatisfied, which made Jiang Zhuoying burst out laughing.

Seeing that her expression had eased slightly, Xiangxing asked softly, "Miss, His Highness didn't look well when he went out just now. Did something happen?"

Now that she has married into the Crown Prince's residence, the most important thing for our young lady is to establish herself firmly here.

Xiangxing understood this perfectly well.

"...When has his complexion ever improved? Ignore him."

Jiang Zhuoying snorted coldly. She knew she had made a mistake and was planning to lower herself to coax him, but he wouldn't even give her a chance to explain.

Xiangxing wanted to say something more, but suddenly a noisy commotion came from the courtyard outside the door.

Jiang Zhuoying gave Xiangyue a look, and the latter immediately turned around and went out, returning shortly after.

"His Highness the Crown Prince sent someone with a jar of wine, asking where you would like to put it, young lady?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

She pinched the bridge of her nose: "Just put it where it's supposed to be on a regular basis."

"Yes, I will go and tell them right away."

Xiangyue curtsied and ran out again. Xiangxing looked at her face and asked with some concern, "Miss?"

Jiang Zhuoying sighed softly and looked up at her: "It's alright, don't overthink it, we'll see tonight."

Xiangxing nodded: "Okay."

...

It was already late, and soon the table was filled with dinner.

Jiang Zhuoying had little appetite, partly because she had already eaten too much while accompanying Consort Ling in the palace, and partly because she still had something on her mind.

She glanced at the doorway every now and then, but no one came to deliver a message.

She knew in her heart that the man definitely wouldn't be coming over for dinner.

"Young lady, stop looking and take care of yourself first."

Xiangyue was angry again. How could her daughter, who was so good, be treated so coldly?

Jiang Zhuoying glanced at her, then simply put down her chopsticks, picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and said, "Call someone to collect it."

"Why?"

Xiangyue was shocked and followed Jiang Zhuoying to the bedroom, wanting to try to persuade her again...

*

The Crown Prince's study.

Chu Yixin waited at the door, glancing inside every now and then, and occasionally looking outside.

As the orange lantern drew closer, he squinted and descended a few stone steps, waiting for the person to approach.

He couldn't wait any longer.

"What's the situation at Kunning Palace?"