Chapter 137: Fate

When Yue Huai saw her walk back, his expression relaxed, and he immediately stood up.

"Where did this come from?" Jingwu took two steps forward, carrying two bags of pastries in his hands, and asked, looking at the exquisite embroidered ball.

Yue Huai's expression wasn't good. He pointed to the restaurant not far away and said, "There."

"Um?"

Jingwu looked at him with suspicion, but before he could ask, he heard the onlookers around them starting to talk amongst themselves.

"This young master is truly blessed to have managed to snatch the embroidered ball from the only daughter of the Marquis of Zhenbei. This is an immense fortune!"

"That's right. Although the Marquis of Zhenbei died on the battlefield a few years ago, his only daughter was deeply loved by the Empress Dowager and was exceptionally granted the title of Princess. Now that she has reached the age of marriage, she specially asked the Empress Dowager to let her go to the most prosperous restaurant in the capital to throw an embroidered ball to choose a husband."

"Oh my, young master, why don't you hurry up and take this embroidered ball to the restaurant to find the princess? This is an incredible stroke of luck!"

Yue Huai's expression grew increasingly grim, as if he wished he could throw the embroidered ball back into the restaurant.

Jingwu looked at this scene and felt that something was wrong. He opened his mouth, about to say something, when he saw someone walking over.

A man who looked like a butler walked up to him, and after seeing his face clearly, he smiled and bowed.

"Young Master Yue, it turns out you were the one who caught the embroidered ball! What a coincidence! I am the steward of the Marquis of Zhenbei's mansion. Our young lady is waiting for you at the restaurant."

Yue Huai's face showed no joy whatsoever. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the girl beside him say something.

"Since you've caught the embroidered ball, it proves we're destined to meet. Why don't you go and see the owner?"

The boy looked at her in disbelief, and just as he was about to retort, he met her eyes and instantly understood what she meant.

"Alright, lead the way."

The butler glanced this way and then that way, not understanding what the two were talking about, but as long as the person arrived, his task was complete, so he immediately led the way with a smile.

Without saying a word, Yue Huai picked up the embroidered ball and headed towards the restaurant, looking like he was about to start a fight.

Jingwu touched his nose, chuckling to himself as he followed behind him.

The group entered a private room in the restaurant. As soon as they entered, they saw a woman sitting upright in a chair. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes, surrounded by jewels and jade, and had exquisite makeup, but her face exuded a faint deathly aura.

When she saw someone come in, she merely lifted her eyelids, showing no joy whatsoever.

“Miss, it was Young Master Yue Huai who caught the embroidered ball, and I brought him in.”

Upon hearing the name, a glint flashed in Lu Yanning's eyes, and her gaze fell upon the boy, her face regaining some vitality.

My father once said that the Yue family were masters of metaphysics, and that the family members were upright and only followed the right path. Perhaps he could help me.

Thinking this, her gaze grew even more intense, and she softly called out.

"Young Master Yue."

"I didn't mean to catch the embroidered ball; it just rolled into my hands by itself. Miss Lu, you can throw it again," Yue Huai immediately explained, but was interrupted by the woman in front of him.

“No, this is fate.” Lu Yanning waved her hand, dismissing the steward. A smile appeared on her lips as she looked at the person in front of her and said, “Even Heaven couldn’t bear to see my father die so tragically with nowhere to seek justice, so it chose you for my embroidered ball.”

"What do you mean?" Yue Huai frowned deeply, his eyes fixed on the person in front of him: "You mean, Marquis Zhenbei?"

“Yes, I went to war with my father a few years ago and watched him enter a formation. Everyone else came out safely, but he was trapped in that formation and lost his life.” Lu Yanning’s eyes were filled with deep hatred as he gritted his teeth and said, “I wanted to go back to the palace to seek justice, but no one believed me because they all saw with their own eyes that my father was killed by an arrow shot by an enemy general. But I saw with my own eyes that he died painfully in the formation.”

Hearing what she said, Jingwu frowned and pondered the matter.

“I know the person behind this is Prince Hui. After all, he invited my father to drink the night before, trying to win him over, but my father refused. The next day, he died on the battlefield, and he died inside the formation! What a coincidence!” Lu Yanning stared intently at the boy, speaking with a firm gaze.

"Young Master Yue, I know that the Yue family is a famous family of metaphysical scholars, and you and His Highness the Crown Prince are cousins. Can you help my father seek justice?"

Yue Huai looked at her face and nodded firmly: "If it is true, as you say, that Prince Hui plotted to kill Marquis Zhenbei, I will definitely seek justice for Marquis Zhenbei."

Upon hearing this, Lu Yanning finally relaxed. After returning to the capital as an orphan, she had tried countless times to explain to His Majesty the true cause of her father's death, only to find herself blocked each time.

Later, when he tried to visit his father's friend in the capital, he was still prevented from doing so.

Even the maids and eunuchs around her were replaced by people from Prince Hui's faction, restricting her movements.

They even set their sights on her marriage, wanting to send her away for a political marriage.

Fortunately, the Empress Dowager felt sorry for her and did not agree to the marriage. However, she was afraid that the marriage alliance would be repeated, so she begged the Empress Dowager to allow her to leave the palace and throw a bridal bouquet to get married.

As long as she wasn't forced to marry a foreign ruler and leave the capital, she would accept being abandoned as a beggar.

Lu Yanning looked at the embroidered ball in her hand, a slight smile playing on her lips. Thankfully, heaven had eyes, allowing Yue Huai to catch the ball, giving her a place to voice her grievances.

Yue Huai thought for a moment, then looked at the person in front of him and asked, "Where is your father's body buried?"

"He's buried in the ancestral cemetery in the capital. Do you want to go see him?"

Yue Huai nodded, then thought for a moment and said, "It's getting late today. We'll come to find you again tomorrow."

Lu Yanning opened his mouth, wanting to call out to the person, but found that he couldn't say what he wanted, so he shut his mouth.

Seeing this scene, Jingwu, who was standing to the side, asked, "Miss Lu, are you going back to the palace or the Marquis's residence tonight?"

"I……"

“Now that the young lady is being watched by Prince Hui, he will surely find out about your meeting with Yue Huai today. At that time, he might be afraid that you will say something and come to kill you to silence you. Why don’t you come back to the other courtyard with us?”

After pondering for a moment, Jingwu said.

"Is it okay?" Lu Yanning was more than happy to agree. This was exactly what she had been thinking about. She was afraid of being killed to silence her, but it was indeed a difficult thing to talk about, which was why she hadn't been able to say it.

“Sure.” Jingwu immediately agreed, then, remembering that the owner of the villa was a young man, he turned to look at him.

Yue Huai forced a smile, and even though he was unwilling, he nodded in agreement.

Lu Yanning beamed and immediately instructed the butler to pack his things before leaving with the two men.

As the group walked out of the restaurant, Yue Huai and Jing Wu's intuitions were equally accurate, and their gazes fell simultaneously on the servant hiding behind the door.

The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously cast a Shadow Transformation Talisman.