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The room was filled with some kind of incense, which was particularly fragrant, and Jiang Yan couldn't help but sneeze.
Shangguan Zeyu, with his waist-length hair loose, stood in front of his desk, drawing. He looked extremely serious and absorbed, seemingly unaware of Jiang Yan's approaching steps.
"Your Highness." Jiang Yan called out to Shangguan Zeyu when she was two steps away from him.
"Ruyi, you've arrived."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"What do you think of my painting, Ruyi?" Shangguan Zeyu didn't look at Jiang Yan, but continued painting with great concentration.
Liu Ruyi might be able to see the essence of the painting at a glance, but Jiang Yan couldn't. He just said based on his intuition, "The deer in the painting by Your Highness has very large antlers. It's obviously an old deer with rich experience in escaping. It's the leader of all deer."
Shangguan Zeyu smiled slightly, glanced at Jiang Yan, and continued drawing.
Shangguan Zeyu was drawing a hunter on horseback. The rest of the hunter was drawn, very lifelike, but the hunter's appearance was completely left undrawn.
Did the ancients always paint the body first and then the face when painting portraits?
"This hunter looks very strong; he should be able to shoot this running deer, right?"
Shangguan Zeyu paused for a moment, then said, "That's possible."
However, why is there a large blank space after the hunter, making the composition of the painting seem very messy?
Does this mean that Shangguan Zeyu will paint other things after this hunter?
Jiang Yan wasn't interested in painting, so she glanced at it casually, then looked at Shangguan Zeyu's peaceful left profile before hesitatingly saying what she wanted to say.
"Your Highness, I have pondered what you said to me yesterday, but there are some parts that I don't quite understand."
"If you don't understand, just ask. I will definitely give Ruyi a satisfactory answer." Shangguan Zeyu was in a good mood. He smiled and glanced at Jiang Yan before burying himself in his painting again.
Jiang Yan hesitated for a moment, then said, "Your Highness, from what you're saying, the Emperor intends to deal with you. Why don't you think of a way out? How can you still be in the mood to paint here?"
Upon hearing her words, Shangguan Zeyu paused, his pen still, and looked at her inquisitively: "Ruyi, why do I feel that you've become a different person?"
Jiang Yan was taken aback, his body tensed, and he forced a dry laugh, "Why does Your Highness say that?"
"Is it just my imagination? Ruyi was clearly shy whenever she saw me before, so why is she so avoiding me now that she's only been here a few days?"
Was she shy before? No, right? Besides, how could she dare to show any "avoidance" in front of him?
"Your Highness, I was just afraid of disturbing your painting, so I stood a little further away." After saying that, she quickly took a big step closer to Shangguan Zeyu, smiling ingratiatingly.
Shangguan Zeyu examined Jiang Yan carefully, scrutinizing her from top to bottom and then from bottom to top, as if she were looking at a fine treasure.
"Ruyi, why do I feel as if two contradictory souls reside within your body?"
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yan's expression panicked slightly, and she forced a smile, saying, "Your Highness, you are joking. I am not sick, how could I have two souls living in one body?" But because she felt guilty and was afraid that Shangguan Zeyu would really see through something, her eyes kept flickering, and she dared not linger on Shangguan Zeyu for even a moment.
Suddenly, Shangguan Zeyu's pupils contracted, and without Jiang Yan being able to see, he abruptly reached out his right hand and pulled Jiang Yan into his firm embrace.
Jiang Yan was so frightened that her mind went blank. She stared blankly at Shangguan Zeyu, but Shangguan Zeyu seemed to be looking at someone else through her.
"You and I were clearly of one mind just a few days ago, so why are you so distant now? Have you misunderstood me in some way?"
Images of his passionate moments with Xiao Yiqing involuntarily surfaced in Jiang Yan's mind.
"Your Highness, that's not true. I am your woman, and naturally I only think of you." Jiang Yan tried her best to make her smile beautiful, hoping to soothe Shangguan Zeyu's suspicious heart.
Shangguan Zeyu held Jiang Yan tightly, gazing at her silently until Jiang Yan had no choice but to close her eyes before he looked away.
"Rest assured, Ruyi, I will not let you die."
Shangguan Zeyu gently released his arms from Jiang Yan and said calmly, completely unlike the Shangguan Zeyu who was deeply emotional and passionate just a moment ago.
Jiang Yan was genuinely surprised by his unusual behavior and couldn't help but associate him with a chameleon.
"Your Highness, I am worried about you. I don't want you to be in danger."
Shangguan Zeyu's figure, which was walking towards the tea table, stopped unconsciously.
Jiang Yan continued, "Your Highness, look, so many people in the Duan Prince's Mansion respect and love you, and so many people in the world also respect and love you. You are still so young, you should be able to achieve great things."
Shangguan Zeyu couldn't help but force a bitter smile: "Yes, so many people can't live without me, but Ruyi is the only one who can."
That statement... seems to make some sense, but upon closer inspection, it doesn't seem... quite right.
Jiang Yan felt it wasn't a big deal, and there was no point in thinking about it too much, so she didn't dwell on it.
But in reality, Shangguan Zeyu was waiting for her explanation, waiting for her to tell him in person that she couldn't live without him either.
Shangguan Zeyu walked very slowly until he reached the tea table, sat down slowly, and poured him a cup of tea. When Jiang Yan had nothing to say, his perseverance and forbearance could no longer be held back.
He gulped down all the tea in one go, his eyes red-rimmed, staring intently at a certain spot in front of him, and then said indifferently, "I have other matters to attend to. Ruyi, you should go back first."
Jiang Yan could only see his tall, lean back; she couldn't see anything else. So, upon hearing what he said, she obediently bowed to him and walked out.
As Jiang Yan left in a daze, Shangguan Zeyu's heart ached so much he could hardly breathe. With his right hand, his fingertips pale, he clutched the fabric of his heart tightly.
Jiang Yan hadn't learned anything from her trip to Yunxiao Pavilion, so on her way back, she was thinking of asking Chen Run again tomorrow.
As for Shangguan Zeyu's inexplicable emotional changes, she thought about it casually and then let it go.
The next day, Jiang Yan went to find Chen Run at noon, but Chen Run was not at home, and even Qingfeng was not there.
"Master, what do we do now?"
Jiang Yan looked up thoughtfully at Chen Run's mansion. After a while, a confident smile slowly appeared on her lips.
"Money can make the devil turn the millstone, I have a way."
Jiang Yan took out two gold beads from his pocket and gave one to each of the two gatekeepers. Then, he said in a dramatic tone, "Gentlemen, we've met before. I'm a guest of your young master Chen. I came to see him today, but he's not here. Um, do you two know anything about this?"
The two gatekeepers looked troubled when they heard what she said.
Jiang Yan continued, "I am just a woman, so I certainly can't do anything to your young master Chen. You just need to tell me where he went, okay?" She smiled politely at the two young men.
"I only heard that you are going to the Liu residence, but I don't know the specifics."
Judging from their appearance, they didn't seem to be hiding anything. Jiang Yan thanked them and left with Huang Ying.
"Master, is the 'Liu' mansion they're talking about our Liu mansion?" Huang Ying asked.
Jiang Yan was also pondering this matter.
There are probably more than just the Liu family in the capital with the surname Liu, but at this moment, the only Liu family that Chen Run can visit is theirs.
Could it be that Chen Run went to Liu Xiangyi to discuss the matter of Prince Su?
Could it be that Shangguan Zeyu is about to be arrested soon?
With that thought in mind, Jiang Yan hired a carriage and hurriedly took Huang Ying to the Liu residence.
As expected, when Jiang Yan arrived at the Liu residence, she saw Qingfeng waiting outside.
As soon as Qingfeng saw her, he stepped forward and greeted her: "This subordinate greets Miss Liu."
"No need to be so polite. Why don't you come in?"
"Your subordinate is here to wait as ordered by your master."
Jiang Yan glanced at their carriage, said "Oh," and then walked towards the mansion.
Jiang Yan never expected that she would run into Liu Ruyan first, instead of anyone else, upon arriving at the Liu residence. Liu Ruyan glanced at her casually, her brows furrowing, and she rushed towards her with a face full of anger.
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