After a long pause, she spoke hesitantly again, "Anyway... this is the only way to escape the Crown Prince's clutches! If he gets angry one day and writes my name on the imperial edict, then there will be no way to save me! If all else fails, we can get engaged first! We can delay it for as long as possible, okay, Senior Brother?"
Wen Yuanbai pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are not allowed to run away for now. Let me think about it. Even if I agree, it will take time to write a letter to Father and return. You cannot leave without saying goodbye."
"Great!" You Ran happily raised her glass in celebration. "However... Senior Brother, you absolutely, positively must not tell Chu Heng about this! If he finds out, he won't be able to wait even a day longer. If he angers me and fills in my name directly, there will be no turning back!"
Wen Yuanbai nodded helplessly and said, "Okay."
"Senior brother, since you are in good health, why don't you go back to the General's Mansion? That way it will be much easier for me to find you."
She thought she would have to use a lot of persuasion, but to her surprise, he readily agreed.
So the two of them went out of the shop and got into the carriage.
You Ran, with her sharp eyes, noticed, "Hey, isn't this the General's carriage?" Last time, she rode in this carriage with Chu Heng to the City God Temple.
Wen Yuanbai hurriedly replied, "His Highness the Crown Prince learned that I had arrived in Shacheng and specially sent a carriage for me to drive."
Oh, that makes sense.
Upon arriving at the General's Mansion, Yun Yue and Yun Zhao were delighted to learn that the Crown Prince of Xuan had arrived and hosted a banquet in his honor.
However, the Crown Prince claimed to be ill and did not attend the banquet. You Ran was naturally happy that he did not attend, and just chattered on and on with her senior brother.
However, Yun Tianbai's expression was extremely unpleasant. Seeing that You Ran had finished eating her favorite chicken leg, he asked the servant to bring her the one from his table.
You Ran refused without even looking at him, but turned around and picked up a chicken leg from Wen Yuanbai's low table and put it in her own bowl.
Yun Tianbai's face turned even uglier.
Yun Yue had long since discovered his eldest son's feelings for You Ran. He sternly reprimanded Yun Tianbai, making an excuse that he had drunk too much and telling him to go back to his room and rest early.
Unexpectedly, fueled by alcohol, Yun Tianbai rushed to You Ran's table, grabbed her wrist, and cried out, "You Ran! Why are you treating me like this?!"
You Ran cried out in pain, "Big Brother!"
Yun Yue was furious. He strode over and slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you! She's your sister!"
Yun Tianbai was spun around by the blow, and he released You Ran, muttering to himself, "No, you're not my sister...you are..."
Just as You Ran was about to make a move, a chicken leg sizzled and blocked his mouth.
He glanced at his senior brother's wrist as he withdrew it, and chuckled, "Father, my eldest brother must have had too much to drink. Let my second and third brothers help him back to his room to rest."
Yun Yue gave Yun Tianbai and Yun Tiankuang a wink, and the two brothers then helped Yun Tianbai away.
Wen Yuanbai gave You Ran a deep look, and then he understood that there was another reason why You Ran was so eager to get engaged.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill and were about to leave, Yun Yue instructed, "You Ran, His Highness the Crown Prince is unwell. Since you have been treating him, go and see him."
"Yes," You Ran replied obediently, completely unaware that Wen Yuanbai beside her had suddenly stiffened.
So when You Ran and Wen Yuanbai parted ways by a hanging flower gate, You Ran was walking slowly.
Wen Yuanbai immediately took off running, heading straight for Chu Heng's courtyard.
You Ran entered Chu Heng's unlit room and, sure enough, saw Chu Heng lying on the bed by the moonlight. She went over, grabbed his wrist, and began to take his pulse.
She frowned. "Strange, why is your heart beating so fast?"
Chu Heng's face was half-hidden in the shadows as he said in a hoarse voice, "It's been a few days since I've seen You Ran. I can't help but be a little excited to see her today."
You Ran's hand trembled, and she immediately threw his wrist away. "Father told me to come and see how you were feeling unwell. In my opinion, you're just faking it!"
Chu Heng: ...
While it was indeed an act, the truth isn't what you think...
You Ran was so angry that she turned around and left.
Chu Heng finally let out a long breath and reached out to touch the inside of his cheek, where the pain from hastily tearing off the human skin mask still lingered.
For the next period of time, You Ran went to her senior brother's place.
The two had grown up together since childhood and had endless things to talk about, so much so that she was completely unaware that Crown Prince Chu Heng had not appeared in front of her for a long time.
May arrived in the blink of an eye.
You Ran started to get a little anxious.
With the post-war reconstruction of Shacheng basically completed, Father will be returning to the main camp in a few days.
And her mother kept sending her letters urging her to return to the capital.
Because her birthday is coming soon.
In July, it will be her fifteenth birthday, which means she will be of marriageable age.
She hadn't forgotten that the imperial edict from last time also contained a sentence: "The wedding ceremony will be held on a chosen day after she comes of age."
This means that Chu Heng will probably write her name on the book no later than before she comes of age.
Although she had visited her senior brother every day for the past month, he had never mentioned marriage. Half a month ago, in her anxiety, she asked him about it, and he said that he had already written back to seek his father's consent.
She was naturally happy, as it meant that her senior brother had agreed.
If she could get the Xuan King's approval before returning to the capital, she could ask her father to arrange the marriage first, and then formally exchange betrothal documents and complete the engagement once they arrived in the capital.
But we haven't received any news.
Moreover, so much time has passed, she doesn't know if Chu Heng has written her name down.
She decided to go and sound out Chu Heng.
When they arrived outside Chu Heng's courtyard, they saw his father and second uncle coming out one after the other, clearly having finished discussing important matters.
She asked Jia Nan, who was guarding the door, "Guard Jia, does His Highness have any free time right now?"
With a cold look in her eyes beneath the mask, Jia Nan said, "Please wait a moment, Your Highness."
She nodded, not knowing from which day Jia Nan's attitude towards her became very cold.
However, adhering to her philosophy of neither asking for favors nor expecting others to ask for her favors, she didn't care too much.
After Jia Nan went in to announce her arrival, he came out and invited her in.
She went in, adopting the demeanor of an attending physician, "It's been a while since I've checked His Highness's pulse. I had some free time today, so I came to take a look."
Chu Heng smiled and readily extended his hand.
As she sat down leisurely, her eyes darted around frantically, as if she hadn't seen the imperial edict.
Where did you hide it?
After taking his pulse, she calmly asked, "Has Your Highness felt any discomfort recently?"
Chu Heng shook his head, a smile in his eyes, "No, this is all thanks to You Ran."
You Ran's heart skipped a beat. She was most annoyed by the sickly prince's ambiguous smile when he looked at her, and even more annoyed by his constant seizing opportunities to say sweet words.
She stood up with a blank expression and said, "Since you are alright, I will take my leave."
Chu Heng tapped the table lightly with his fingertips. "I heard from the Duke that he is preparing to return to the capital next month?"
He nodded leisurely. "It's time to go back."
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