He pretended nothing had happened and looked at Tongsu with a smile.
"I was thinking about something and got a little distracted... Is this Miss Yang? She looks very young, truly a young genius!"
Ross found an excuse for himself, and everyone naturally followed suit, laughing at his words and covering up the awkward situation from before.
The director of the Royal Research Institute chuckled and said, "That's right! An'an is only eighteen this year, isn't she? Hey! When I was eighteen, I was completely addicted to mecha games, and I wouldn't study no matter how much my family urged me to. Now look at her achievements at such a young age, oh my, I'm so ashamed!"
The director of the research institute is a well-known old rascal.
He is over 160 years old this year and is still in good health. In his spare time, he loves to tease children and is very outgoing. After learning Tongsu's name, he called her "An'an" repeatedly.
When Tong Su discussed with him the materials for refining weapons that contain spiritual energy, the old professor's eyes lit up. He wished he could immediately pick her up and take her back to the research institute, write her into the institute's personnel file, and not give the military or research institutes any chance to snatch her away.
The old professor had long regarded Tong Su as someone from the research institute, and he rushed to help her in every way, marking her and making notes, wishing he had claws so he could pull the girl he fancied to his own territory.
When Ross asked him a question, he spoke up, half showing off and half hinting. But when he uttered his name and age, Ross's expression immediately went blank!
An'an?
Yang An'an?
Eighteen years old...
"I...I..." He opened his mouth, but his chest felt like it was stuffed with a big wad of stuffy cotton, making it feel suffocating and aching.
"Your Highness, what's wrong with you?"
“This name sounds familiar…” he chuckled softly, “It’s the same name as my eldest daughter… If she were still alive, she would be this age now.”
Why did this mention his deceased child?
Admittedly, it's a somber topic when it comes up normally, and everyone sympathizes with the Prince, but this isn't the right time to discuss it.
Miss Yang shares the same name and age as Prince He, but is a deceased person. Would Miss Yang feel that the Prince is deliberately embarrassing her and is unhappy?
The group coughed awkwardly, trying to figure out what to say to change the subject without offending the prince or making Miss Yang think too much. Before they could think of anything, Tongsu spoke first.
"I heard that the Prince only has one daughter, born to the Princess Consort, who is now seventeen years old. Does the Prince mean that you had an older daughter before?"
Ross didn't think much of it. When the girl asked, he didn't feel offended at all. Instead, he explained, "It's not with Nancy. That... that was my child from before."
Oh my, could it be the legendary ex-girlfriend of the Prince?!
Wow, I've never heard the prince mention this before! The feuds and grudges among noble families... hehehe, I'm rubbing my hands together to hear the gossip!
No, no, no, isn't it unethical to pry into other people's private affairs?
Oh dear, what's immoral about it? The prince said it himself. They didn't ask on purpose; they just overheard it by accident. It's fine!
Having prepared their own reasons, the group pretended to look at the exhibits around them, while secretly eavesdropping.
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