pain
It would be a lie to say Jiang Yan wasn't moved; her heart felt like it was floating in the air, making her feel light and carefree.
Looking at Shangguan Zeyu's cheerful and excited expression, she hesitated whether she should tell him that she was not Liu Ruyi, after all, Shangguan Zeyu always said that he loved Liu Ruyi.
Jiang Yan hesitated.
They traveled slowly back to Beijing, stopping frequently to enjoy the scenery and experience the local customs. By the time they arrived in Beijing, it was already the end of June.
The gate of the Prince Duan's mansion was exactly the same as when Jiang Yan left, just as the two soldiers standing at the gate had not changed. The only difference was that the plaque was gone.
Shangguan Zeyu first dismounted, then smiled and helped Jiang Yan down from the carriage.
Huang Ying followed closely behind them, carrying her and Jiang Yan's luggage on her back.
Shangguan Zeyu smiled and said, "Everything is fine now that we're home! Nothing has changed here, not a single flower or blade of grass has changed, and your Pear Blossom Residence is still the same." After saying that, he excitedly added, "Ruyi, why don't you move into Cloud Pavilion and live with me today!"
Jiang Yan hesitated, wondering what to say in response, when a voice filled with excitement and longing came from not far in front of them.
Jiang Yan knew it was Xiao Yiqing as soon as she heard it, but she still looked up at her and then her eyes widened in surprise.
How come she looks so much older?
Why do you look so haggard and tired?
She remembered that when she left the Prince Duan's mansion, she was still like a young girl. How come she has become like a middle-aged woman after only a year?
The lines around her eyes deepened with every smile and word. Her eyes, once so lively they resembled those of a fawn, now looked like those of a dead fish, devoid of any luster or charm.
What happened to her in the past year or so? How did she become like this?
Jiang Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Xiao Yiqing quickly noticed Jiang Yan standing next to Shangguan Zeyu, and her face darkened without any attempt to hide it. When her gaze fell on Shangguan Zeyu's tightly gripping Jiang Yan's left hand, the gloom on her face was instantly replaced by jealousy and resentment.
"Is everything alright?" Shangguan Zeyu looked at Xiao Yiqing calmly and asked casually. Then, while Xiao Yiqing was stunned, he pulled Jiang Yan away from her.
"Your Highness, I miss you so much!" Xiao Yiqing suddenly said, not caring that it was broad daylight, and rushed over to hug Shangguan Zeyu tightly.
Shangguan Zeyu's brows furrowed instantly. He released his right hand from Jiang Yan and began to pry her off him, but Xiao Yiqing seemed glued to him, and he couldn't pull her off no matter how hard he tried.
Shangguan Zeyu was furious. He suppressed his anger and said coldly, "Get out of my way. I have other matters to attend to!"
But Xiao Yiqing smiled and said, "Your Highness, do you know how I've lived without you? I really, really miss you! Can you please let me hold you a little longer?"
Jiang Yan heard the grievance and sadness in her voice, and couldn't help but feel sad as well.
"Xiao Yiqing! That's enough!!" Shangguan Zeyu was not swayed by Xiao Yiqing's pleas for mercy. This time, he truly pushed her away without holding back.
Caught off guard by Shangguan Zeyu's sudden push, Xiao Yiqing staggered backward, only managing to catch Chunhua, who had appeared out of nowhere, before she fell to the ground.
"Your Highness, how could you treat me like this?" Xiao Yiqing's eyes instantly filled with tears, her heart aching beyond measure.
Shangguan Zeyu remained indifferent: "What I wanted to say has already been said before." Then he tightly grabbed Jiang Yan's left hand and pulled Jiang Yan away.
Jiang Yan's heart was also aching, because she was also a girl, and a girl immersed in love. She could empathize with Xiao Yiqing's sadness and pain.
Shangguan Zeyu took Jiang Yan directly to his Cloud Pavilion.
Zhang Qin appeared out of nowhere and was already waiting for them at the entrance when they arrived at Yunxiao Pavilion.
"Your Highness, I have come to pay my respects."
"No need."
"Your Highness, did your trip go smoothly?"
"Everything went smoothly," Shangguan Zeyu said, smiling contentedly at Jiang Yan beside her. Zhang Qin then noticed Jiang Yan, paused for a moment, and said, "This subordinate greets Consort Liu."
Jiang Yan found the title "Consort Liu" particularly jarring, but she still responded with a slight smile.
As Shangguan Zeyu pulled Jiang Yan into the house, he asked, "Has anything major happened in the capital?"
"Your Highness, everything is fine, and nothing of great importance has happened."
"That's good." Shangguan Zeyu said, then paused and asked, "Where's Uncle Cui? Has he returned?"
"Uncle Cui wrote a letter the day before yesterday, estimating that he won't be back for another three or four days."
Shangguan Zeyu pondered for a moment before asking, "Oh, did Uncle Cui find that person?"
Zhang Qin glanced at Jiang Yan discreetly and said, "Uncle Cui said that he couldn't explain in detail in the letter and that he would need to see the Prince to make it clear."
"Okay, then. You must be very tired these days, go and rest."
Zhang Qin seemed to have something to say, but after glancing at Jiang Yan beside him, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
After Zhang Qin left, Shangguan Zeyu changed his previous dignified and indifferent demeanor, becoming like a clingy cat. He hugged Jiang Yan, lazily resting his head on Jiang Yan's right shoulder, and murmured, "No one else is coming, don't be so nervous."
Jiang Yanxin thought to herself, "She's not nervous at all! She's clearly just not used to it!"
"Isn't Your Highness tired? Why don't you rest for a while?"
Shangguan Zeyu gazed intently at Jiang Yan with affectionate eyes, then suddenly smiled mischievously and said in a low voice, "You must be tired from your journey, Ruyi, why don't you take a bath?"
Jiang Yan quickly caught the meaning behind his mischievous smile and glared at him without hesitation: "You're overthinking it." Then she gently pushed him away, "Your Highness, you'd better hurry up and wash! Otherwise, you might be caught off guard when guests arrive!"
Shangguan Zeyu wasn't annoyed. He stuck to Jiang Yan's back like a plaster, grinning and saying, "Why do you still call me 'Your Highness'? It's too formal!"
"This is the Prince's residence. It would be terrible if they didn't call you 'Your Highness'!" Jiang Yan said irritably.
Shangguan Zeyu, fully aware of the situation, drawled out an "Oh," then smiled and pressed her face against Jiang Yan's right cheek, softly and gently saying, "But I don't like it, what should I do?"
Jiang Yan was utterly powerless against Shangguan Zeyu's pleasant voice. Every time she heard him speak to her like that, she felt as if she were bewitched, and she couldn't help but listen to him.
"Then what should we do?" Jiang Yan glanced at him.
Shangguan Zeyu smiled smugly, as if her scheme had succeeded, and said softly, "Call me 'husband'!"
"Husband?" Jiang Yan blushed instantly.
"Say it to me?" Shangguan Zeyu continued to tempt Jiang Yan with his voice.
Jiang Yan felt a burning desire, her mind blank. She wanted to say the word "husband," but the words caught in her throat, and she couldn't bring herself to say them.
Shangguan Zeyu gently rubbed Jiang Yan's cheek and neck with his face, and kept muttering in a nasal voice, "Tell me, tell me."
Jiang Yan's face instantly turned a deep shade of liver. Her heart was pounding with panic, and even with her mind perfectly clear, she couldn't utter that ambiguous word.
Shangguan Zeyu let out a few muffled laughs from deep in his throat, then muttered, "You've already called her Ruyi, and you're still so shy?"
Jiang Yan's face instantly turned even redder than a purplish-red. She could already feel a layer of hot sweat breaking out on her back, and beads of sweat appearing on her nose.
Shangguan Zeyu's muffled laughter grew louder, then gradually turned into a hearty laugh: "Ruyi, Ruyi, you're even funnier than I imagined! Okay, I won't tease you anymore. You rest first, I'll go tidy up." Then, he cupped Jiang Yan's face in his hands, kissed her forehead shyly as Jiang Yan's eyes flickered, and left.
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