Chapter 141: Boating
How did things turn out like this.
Why on earth do you want to marry her?
Thinking about it carefully, Lu Qian's attitude seemed to have been very subtle since her engagement. I originally thought that he had done that thing at the New Year's Eve palace banquet for revenge, but now it seems that it was clearly to gain power for himself.
She was so slow to realize it so late.
While he was daydreaming, the horse had stopped by the river. Xiao Mingyi jumped off the horse swiftly and reached out to carry Song Lingyi down.
The moonlight is hazy and the water is sparkling.
"Why did you bring me here?" Song Lingyi looked around vigilantly. Apart from the strong man brought by Xiao Mingyi, there was no one in sight.
The deep gaze above his head fell on the girl's beautiful eyebrows and eyes. His thin lips moved slightly, and he murmured with an ambiguous meaning: "You little heartless girl."
"I just saved you, and now you're on guard against thieves?"
"You are a thief." Song Lingyi retorted in a low voice.
Xiao Mingyi smiled faintly, didn't argue with her, and raised his chin slightly: "Let's get on board."
Song Lingyi turned her head in the direction he was looking, and found that there was a pleasure boat over 30 feet long slowly moored by the lake, with lights flickering inside the boat.
The boarding planks were in place, and several lights were lit on the deck.
Song Lingyi stood there, frowning slightly.
A man and a woman alone in a room, this person wouldn't want to...
"Don't think too much. It's just a temporary arrangement. You can't just stay by the river and blow in the cold wind." Xiao Mingyi's voice was gentle. He then stepped onto the wooden board with his hands behind his back and walked into the cabin alone.
Song Lingyi looked back at the strong men scattered along the river, and had no choice but to follow them onto the pleasure boat.
The large painted boat was elegantly furnished and filled with fragrant aromas. Several long, carved windows were tightly closed. Apart from the gurgling of a kettle on a small red clay stove, the interior was serene and silent. Xiao Mingyi sat beside the Arhat couch, fiddling with the chessboard and chess box before him.
Song Lingyi walked over, glanced at the food box placed beside the table, and sat down with some trepidation.
Xiao Mingyi glanced at her, then opened the food box at hand, revealing a bowl of plump white Fuyuanzi.
"How about trying the cooking?"
Looking at the porcelain bowl placed in front of her, Song Lingyi pursed her lips. She really wanted to say that she didn't like eating Fu Yuanzi, but this was brought out from the palace after all, and it was a token of her good intentions. Moreover, she was afraid that if she didn't eat it, this person would not let her leave.
After hesitating for a few moments, she picked up the porcelain spoon, scooped a piece and put it into her mouth.
"How does it taste?" Xiao Mingyi rubbed the silver wine glass with his fingertips, staring at it quietly, with a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
“It’s delicious.”
Song Lingyi ate three in one go, with more than half left. She couldn't eat any more, so she said politely, "The Duke's Mansion is hosting a dinner tonight, and I left after dinner."
"If you can't eat it, leave it alone."
Their gazes met for a moment in mid-air. Xiao Mingyi took a sip of wine, pointed at the chessboard, and asked, "Do you know how to play chess?"
Not surprisingly, the girl shook her head.
"I'll teach you."
“…” I don’t really want to learn.
Under the bright moonlight, the two sat opposite each other by the long window and played chess quietly.
Song Lingyi was absent-minded about the chess theories, and was completely confused. She could only follow Xiao Mingyi's instructions to place the pieces. Since arriving in Kyoto, the two of them had rarely gotten along so harmoniously.
Until a whistle was heard by the river, Xiao Mingyi's eyes moved slightly, and he put the chess piece in his hand into the chess box.
"Let's go. I'll take you back to the Duke's Mansion."
It was past midnight at that time, and a luxurious carriage was parked by the river. The guards put down the stools and made a gesture to invite Song Lingyi to get in the carriage.
The carriage is spacious, and there is an incense burner on the side platform, emitting a faint fragrance.
The river breeze lifted the curtains, and Song Lingyi subconsciously raised her eyes, meeting the pair of narrow and long phoenix eyes that turned around to look at her.
They looked at each other for a moment, and then the curtains fell.
A quarter of an hour later, the carriage stopped at the gate of the Duke of Jin's mansion.
The door that was tightly closed when they left was now wide open, and the servants were fighting openly. The Duke and his wife stood on the stone steps, staring blankly at the luxurious carriage and the Crown Prince who was escorting them on a tall horse.
It was not until the familiar figure in red clothes stepped out of the car that the Duke and his wife came to their senses and hurried forward to pay their respects.
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is safe and sound."
A quarter of an hour ago, Wang thought that her niece had gone out to change clothes and had not returned, so she went straight back to Zhilan Garden. However, after the dinner, she heard Qingyue say that the young master had left the house with his cousin. She was so frightened that she sobered up and hurriedly notified the servants in the house to go out to look for her. Unexpectedly, just as she was about to go out, she saw His Royal Highness the Crown Prince coming back with his men.
"No need to be so formal." Xiao Mingyi said in a gentle tone.
Lu Tanwei glanced at his niece, full of doubts, but the prince was still there, so he didn't dare to ask.
"There are fireworks at Nanqiao tonight. I was passing by Nanqiao and happened to meet Miss Song. I specially sent her back home." Xiao Mingyi took the initiative to explain, but this explanation was somewhat ambiguous.
The Duke and his wife looked at each other and expressed their thanks tacitly.
"It's a cold night. Would Your Highness like to come into the mansion for a cup of hot tea?"
Xiao Mingyi shifted his gaze slightly. The girl standing behind the Duke was shaking her head slightly at him, her thin lips curled slightly. "No need for tea. I heard that the Duke is good at chess. If I have time another day, I will come to your house to play chess and drink tea with you."
After Xiao Mingyi mounted his horse, he gave a command, and the horses sped away from the gate of the Duke of Jin's mansion like arrows from a bow. As the shadows disappeared around the corner, the Duke and his wife came to their senses, slowly tilting their heads and staring at their niece with a strange look.
…
In the Weirui Hall, huge candles are held high and the lights are bright.
The Duke and his wife sat at the head of the table. Ah Zhu came in from the long corridor with his head bowed and brows lowered. He said cautiously, "Master and Madam, the young master hasn't returned home yet. He must have gone to Jinzun Tower."
Wang glanced at her niece sitting in the chair beside her, and then thought of what A Qian had said to her before, and she couldn't help feeling upset.
To be fair, there is certainly no problem with the marriage between close relatives, but the niece's heart is not on A Qian, and it is difficult to explain to the old lady.
He kidnapped someone out of the house tonight and never came back. I really don’t know what this damn kid is up to.
Snap——
Lu Tanwei slammed the table angrily.
"He's been away from home for days, and he's still running around so late. Not only did he run away, but he also left his sister on the street. I think he no longer cares about this home! Lock up Mingzhuyuan for me. Even if he comes back, he's not allowed to enter!"
Azhu was so frightened that he was trembling and dared not say anything. He quietly looked at the lady's face and asked her what she thought.
Wang made a silent gesture, indicating Azhu to leave, and at the same time dismissed all the maids.
The hall suddenly became quiet.
Song Lingyi held a cup of hot tea in her hand, her eyes half closed, and she was thinking about how to explain what happened tonight.
"Lingyi, didn't you say before that you had no intersection with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? But why do I feel that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's attitude towards you seems unusual?" Lu Tanwei said.
"Actually, I hid it from my uncle and aunt..." Song Lingyi's eyelashes fluttered. She looked at the Duke and his wife sitting above her and whispered, "Before I came to the capital, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince saved me from bandits. However, we didn't tell each other our true identities, and we lost contact after arriving in the capital. It was only at the birthday banquet of the old lady of the Pei family that I learned that he was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
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