Chapter 14 A tingling sensation ran through my fingertips, and my lips felt numb too. ...
Huo Zheng then realized that the prince in front of him was real.
He suppressed his fear and went over to report the important matter:
"My lord, people from the capital have arrived. The Gu family father and son are already on their way back to the capital. When should we set off for the capital?"
Li Chengyi glanced at Lin Yanshu, who was standing to the side in a daze:
"We'll set off after a few days of rest."
Huo Zheng scratched his head in confusion. His Highness was usually decisive and efficient in his work. Besides, what was there to rest about here?
Li Chengyi got annoyed by Huo Zheng's gaze, and his face turned cold.
Upon seeing this, Huo Zheng quickly slipped away.
He was terrified. His Highness had changed so much in recent times... He could hardly recognize him.
Could it be because of this woman, Lin Yanshu?
Huo Zheng quickly thought it over and finally dismissed the fantasy.
Who is His Highness?! A chosen one of heaven, how could he possibly fall at the feet of a mute girl?
Your Highness must be concerned about the case!
Thinking of this, Huo Zheng couldn't help but admire his prince. He had devoted himself to the case and even resorted to using his good looks to get involved.
He should learn more from his own prince!
………
Li Chengyi thought of Lin Yanshu, a mute girl, who was going to the capital alone, unfamiliar with the place and having difficulty communicating with people.
He sent someone to buy cardboard overnight, lit a lamp, and started making nameplates for Lin Yanshu in his study.
When it was time to set off, Lin Yanshu braided her hair into a side braid, wore a light green gauze dress, and stood at the entrance of the mansion.
Li Chengyi was tucking the nameplate he had made into his pocket beside the carriage. Lin Yanshu's eyes lit up when she saw him, and she walked towards him.
Li Chengyi boarded the carriage first. He turned around and extended his hand to Lin Yanshu, who took it and was led into the carriage by Li Chengyi.
The carriage slowly began to move, and Lin Yanshu, feeling a bit tired from the swaying, let out a big yawn.
Li Chengyi looked at her, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He then leaned closer and deliberately raised an eyebrow in a teasing gesture towards Lin Yanshu:
"I've prepared a grand gift for you for your trip to the capital. Can you guess what it is?"
Lin Yanshu propped her head up, tilted her head, and looked at Li Chengyi with one eye open.
The carriage swayed gently, a breeze blowing through the window, causing Lin Yanshu's hair ribbon to flutter, and the man could see the girl's languid beauty carried by the wind.
Li Chengyi's breath hitched for a moment, and he lowered his eyes evasively.
Lin Yanshu gestured with his hand:
"jewelry?"
Li Chengyi shook his head.
"skirt?"
He shook his head again.
Lin Yanshu pursed her lips unhappily:
"I'm not guessing anymore!"
Li Chengyi took out a set of calligraphy cards from his pocket and handed them to Lin Yanshu.
Lin Yanshu curiously took out the nameplate inside.
The calligraphy on it is beautiful, combining square and round shapes.
Lin Yanshu carefully unfolded several character cards, all of which contained commonly used characters:
I have, yes, no, right, yes.
She looked at Li Chengyi with surprise and delight in her eyes.
His eyes were wide open, like grapes, staring blankly at the set of cards.
Li Chengyi thought she looked so silly, like the clumsy cat his younger sister kept, and couldn't help but laugh.
He took the plaque:
"You can use this to communicate with people outside from now on, so you won't have to write things down on the spot anymore."
He pulled out a few sheets and showed them to Lin Yanshu:
Do you like it?
Lin Yan looked at the three nameplates, her eyes reddening like a rabbit's.
She took several playing cards from Li Chengyi's hand and held them up in front of her face:
"I love so much."
Looking at the four nameplates, Li Chengyi felt inexplicably overjoyed and lowered his head to purse his lips.
Lin Yanshu peeked out to look at Li Chengyi, and that's when she saw his hand.
There were a few fine marks on my fingertips, which had scabbed over, but I could still see a faint trace of blood.
Lin Yanshu reached out and grasped his fingertips, lowered her head and gently blew on them, frowned, and asked him:
Does it hurt?
Li Chengyi felt a tingling sensation in his fingertips. The hand that wasn't being held by Lin Yanshu curled its fingertips under his sleeve.
Just as Li Chengyi was about to say it was alright, the carriage suddenly jolted.
Li Chengyi lost his balance and leaned forward. He quickly reached out to brace himself against the carriage, but still ended up pressing down on Lin Yanshu.
His lips touched Lin Yanshu's forehead.
The four words "I really like it" flashed into Li Chengyi's eyes.
Time seemed to stand still at this moment. Lin Yan raised her eyes and looked at him innocently.
Lee Seung-ik practically fled to the side.
Lin Yanshu raised her hand and touched her forehead, which had just been kissed by Li Chengyi, without any expression on her face.
She felt...something soft and wet.
Lin Yanshu wasn't the only one reminiscing about it.
Li Chengyi's face was tense; he felt his whole body boiling with excitement.
My fingertips feel numb, and my lips feel numb too.
He had never felt this way before; he was probably poisoned.
Lin Yanshu put away the nameplates, propped her head up, and stared blankly to the side. As she drifted off to sleep, she fell asleep.
She only woke up when the car stopped, while Li Chengyi was still lost in his own thoughts.
Lin Yanshu got out of the carriage and stretched for a while, while Huo Zheng glanced into the carriage.
They noticed that their prince was acting strangely.
Li Chengyi looked up and saw Huo Zheng, and as if possessed, he asked him:
"Huo Zheng, it seems I've been poisoned."
Huo Zheng's eyes widened as he hurriedly crawled into the carriage to check on Li Chengyi's condition.
Li Chengyi pushed his hand away and frowned:
"I am not injured!"
"Just being near Lin Yanshu makes me feel inexplicably uncomfortable in my chest."
"I felt like my heart was about to jump out of my chest, but... it wasn't that painful."
Huo Zheng scratched his head in confusion and jokingly teased:
"Your Highness, you're making it sound like the protagonist in a storybook is falling in love."
Li Chengyi's face turned cold, and he sternly denied it:
"I'm just too tired lately."
"Huo Zheng, I think you haven't had enough tasks lately."
Huo Zheng stopped smiling, kept silent, and scurried away dejectedly.
He was just joking, why is Your Highness so angry?
Huo Zheng covered his face and pondered:
Your Highness... Could it be that he's right?
Huo Zheng was in a state of great anxiety. He felt he must be crazy to even have such a thought.
…………
The news of Li Chengyi's return to the capital quickly spread throughout the city.
The Crown Prince has been missing for several months and has now returned to the capital, causing great tension among various factions.
Besides the progress of the case, the Crown Prince also brought a woman back to the capital, a piece of news that spread like wildfire among the noble ladies.
Everyone wanted to see just how beautiful the woman Li Chengyi had brought back was.
But they can't see it anymore.
As the carriage approached the city gate, Li Chengyi placed a veil over Lin Yanshu's head.
"There are too many people and too many eyes in the capital, so it's safer here."
The veil attached to the hat obscured her vision, leaving her in a hazy state.
Lin Yanshu frowned slightly, reached out and lifted the veil in front of her, and pouted unhappily:
"I can't see the road."
Li Chengyi looked at the half of Lin Yanshu's face that was showing and his eyes curved into a smile with pleasure:
"I'll hold your hand."
After the carriage stopped on the street, Li Chengyi got off and stood up. He then turned around and reached his hand into the carriage.
Lin Yanshu placed her hand on Li Chengyi's palm.
With her view obstructed, she nervously scratched at Li Chengyi's palm.
Li Chengyi felt Lin Yanshu's soft fingertips touching his palm, and then scratched his palm a few times in dissatisfaction, like a sulking cat.
Li Chengyi laughed out loud.
Lin Yanshu grabbed Li Chengyi's hand and got off the carriage.
Huo Zheng looked at everything before him and closed his eyes in disbelief.
He... shouldn't be silenced by his own prince, right?
While he was deep in thought, Li Chengyi had already led Lin Yanshu several meters away.
Li Chengyi turned to look at Huo Zheng and asked in a cold voice:
"Huo Zheng, what are you daydreaming about?"
Lin Yanshu followed Li Chengyi for a while, and Li Chengyi took her to a mansion, then waved for Huo Zheng to come forward:
"I need to go see my boss to report on my work. This mansion is for you to stay in."
"I'm leaving Huo Zheng with you. If you need anything, just contact him."
Huo Zheng listened to his prince's words and looked at Li Chengyi with anger at his lack of ambition.
Your Highness, Your Highness, do you still remember that I am your right-hand man?!
Huo Zheng was shocked, Huo Zheng was helpless, Huo Zheng compromised.
Lin Yanshu looked at Li Chengyi through her veil, nodded, and walked into the mansion.
Huo Zheng leaned closer to Li Chengyi, clinging to the last vestige of resentment, and whispered:
"Your Highness, how long are you going to keep up this act with this woman?"
Li Chengyi turned his head to look at Huo Zheng. What was he saying?
It's completely confusing.
What are we acting in?
Huo Zheng grew anxious and said hastily:
"Didn't you entrust the false snake to this woman because she knew the inside story of the grain case?"
Li Chengyi laughed at Huo Zheng's nonsensical ramblings, then covered his forehead and explained:
When did I ever say that?
"Lin Yanshu is just an ordinary country girl. I am doing this only to repay her for saving my life."
Huo Zheng felt like the sky had fallen.
Without a case to explain it, all of His Highness's unusual behavior could only have one reason:
His Highness has fallen for a woman.
But Huo Zheng dared not say it. He swallowed hard and decided to bury this secret in his heart.
Lin Yanshu walked alone in the courtyard.
The courtyard is large and tall, and the artificial hill in the backyard is so exquisite that it can be mistaken for the real thing.
It's located near a bustling city center, yet offers a quiet oasis – a great location.
Lin Yanshu gritted her teeth. Although she didn't care about money and wealth, she was now genuinely starting to resent the rich!
That kid Li Chengyi is actually so rich!!!
In the capital, there is such a nice house; she was so jealous that she wanted to swindle Li Chengyi out of his money.
The problem is not scarcity, but inequality.
After confirming that Lin Yanshu was properly settled, Li Chengyi went to the palace to report back.
Lee Seung-ik briefly explained the ins and outs of the case to his father, the Emperor, in the Imperial Study.
Of course, he omitted Lin Yanshu's existence.
After reporting his duties, Li Chengyi went to the Empress's palace to pay his respects to his mother.
Several months had passed since they parted, and the Empress's love for her son had only deepened. She asked Li Chengyi several questions with concern.
Lee Seung-ik responded to each of his past statements.
The Empress finally asked Lin Yanshu:
"I heard you brought a woman back from outside. If Zhao'er likes her, she can be taken as a concubine."
Li Chengyi's eyes darkened, and he refused:
"Your Majesty is overthinking it. This person has done me a favor while I was away, and I simply brought her back on a whim."
"I have no romantic feelings for her whatsoever."
The Empress was merely testing the waters.
Moreover, a powerless and mute girl is not worthy of being the crown prince's concubine.
A note from the author:
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The stubborn prince is still alive today.
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