Chapter 13 013 Plunging and Pouncing
Xie Huaiyuan was extremely handsome, yet this good-looking young man had absolutely no charm.
Even with a beautiful woman in the carriage, he remained extremely polite, and after speaking, he simply continued to peruse the documents on his desk.
It seems that he was only trying to express his gratitude to her, and that was all he did—he simply gave her a ride in his carriage. Nothing more.
However, this was not what she had hoped for.
Lin Wan's long, slender, fair fingers gently caressed the teacup in her hand as she sat quietly watching him, her gaze open and straightforward.
The only sound in the quiet carriage was the rustling of pages turning. Even without looking up, he could clearly feel that familiar gaze, ambiguous and lingering. His fingertips, which were turning the pages, paused slightly. "Will you return to Jiangnan after coming to the capital this time?"
"Probably. My father has allowed me to stay in the capital until next year." If she hadn't been able to find you, she might have simply gone back. But fate has brought her back to you, so how could she bear to leave?
The pattering rain masked her thunderous heartbeat.
But after listening, he didn't continue the conversation. A gentleman cultivates himself and doesn't pry too much.
A faint, cool scent of pine wood wafted through the carriage, much like the incense he wore. In a daze, she felt as if she had returned to that summer last year.
He had just recovered from his injury and still needed to change his eye dressing every day, while she could openly get closer to him, unlike now.
It really was a huge block of ice!
The noise from the street outside the carriage gradually faded away. Through the curtain that was occasionally lifted by the swaying, the carriage could be seen turning into the alley, and it looked like they were about to arrive at the Su residence.
"What you just said, Your Highness, is it true that you would help me if I asked for something and you were able to do it?" Lin Wan looked at him. His expression was cold and indifferent, and he did not show his emotions.
Xie Huaiyuan looked up at her: "Hmm, what do you need my help with?"
The promise of the heir of the Prince of Xiangyang was worth a thousand pieces of gold, but...
She didn't want anything else, just his word.
Lin Wan suddenly sat up slightly, leaned against the desk and moved closer. Strands of hair fell from her shoulder, softly landing on the back of his hand that was resting on the desk. Her eyes, filled with autumn water, looked at him: "Your Highness only needs to help me resolve my doubts."
"Please feel free to speak."
Do you have someone you like right now?
Last summer night, she had asked him that question, hoping to confess her feelings to him. Now, she only needs his answer, and she will take care of the rest.
She was right in front of him, with a pair of bright, fox-like eyes, red lips and white teeth. Even Xie Huaiyuan, who had seen many beautiful women, had to admit that she had a captivating and charming appearance.
He paused for a moment, looked at her with a puzzled expression, and said with slight surprise, "No."
Lin Wan could see clearly that his eyes were clear, his demeanor upright and honest, and there was no ambiguity in them.
The carriage stopped, finally returning to the Su residence. Lin Wan thanked Xie Huaiyuan and then got off the carriage.
Su Furong, who had just returned to her residence, stared in astonishment as she saw Xie Huaiyuan emerge from his carriage. She knew that no woman had ever ridden in Xie Huaiyuan's carriage before, not even the noble ladies of the capital, not even Princess Zhaoyi, who had long admired him. Su Furong stared at her in bewilderment.
Even after Xie Huaiyuan's carriage had left, Lin Wan still gazed at his departing figure.
Su Furong stepped forward and tentatively asked, "You... like the Crown Prince?"
If her drunken act of pulling on the prince last time was an accident, isn't her current behavior of openly displaying ambiguity an exception?
Lin Wan turned around, lowered her head and concealed the affection in her eyes, and remained silent.
"Do you know who he is? He is the heir of the Prince of Xiangyang, the most promising young nobleman in the court. Countless families in the capital are watching and hoping for him, and countless noble ladies want to marry him. Could it be that you were already smitten when you were drunk last time?"
“Even if Grandmother says she will help you find a suitable husband in the capital, it will not be him. Not to mention that our family has a different stance from his... The young master is righteous and polite, but he is also ruthless and heartless. Many women who have expressed their feelings for him have been rejected. Give up and don’t like him. Besides, there are so many good young men in the capital.”
Lin Wan listened to her in silence before calmly saying, "You misunderstood. We just happened to meet on the way."
"Really?" Su Furong stared at her suspiciously, as if trying to see if she was lying. She smiled coldly and said, "You'd better not have any feelings for the young master, lest you end up hurt and crying your eyes out, and even dragging our family down with you."
Lin Wan watched Su Furong's angry figure walk away and muttered to herself: If only I hadn't met him again, last year's feelings would have faded away, but she just had to run into him again.
She refused to give up, determined to provoke him. Even if he was the most upright and honest man, if he wavered even slightly because of her beauty, she could make his desire multiply.
The news that Lin Wan had returned to the Su residence in Xie Huaiyuan's carriage spread throughout the Su family in less than half a day. When Uncle Su returned home from court and received the news, he specifically instructed Meng to find her and tell her, openly and secretly, that she should give up the idea as soon as possible and not set her sights on him.
She didn't reveal her thoughts, her expression calm: "Auntie is overthinking it, it's just that the young master is passing by."
In the days that followed, Lin Wan did not go out again, spending almost every day with the old lady. She applied beauty cream while the old lady took care of her health until the month-long period mentioned by Hua Yisheng was finally over before she went out.
-
At the foot of Lishan Academy.
Lin Wan helped the old lady up and asked in confusion, "Grandmother, why are you in such a good mood to go hiking today?"
The academy is built on the mountaintop, with beautiful scenery, but the path up the mountain has many steps and takes some time.
The old lady paused to catch her breath and slowly said, "The poetry gathering at the academy is over. I was thinking of coming here to retrieve your maternal grandfather's collection of poems. Didn't you say you wanted to try pear blossom wine? I remember the academy still has some pear blossom wine left by your maternal grandfather. I'll let you try it."
Lin Wan was deeply moved, and to her even greater surprise, she ran into Xie Huaiyuan, whom she hadn't seen for more than half a month, at the academy.
Under the clear sun, Lishan Academy was exceptionally beautiful. After Lin Wan helped the old lady step into the academy gate, she immediately saw him walking towards her with his handsome appearance and a servant carrying a guqin behind him.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Xie Huaiyuan's lips curved slightly, his voice gentle and refined, like the moon reflected in water: "It's been a while since I've seen Master's wife. She looks much better. Is she feeling better?"
The old lady said, "This is all thanks to Doctor Hua. He treated me for more than half a month, and now I feel much better than before. Doctor Hua is a good doctor, but it is rare for him to take the initiative to come to my door to treat patients. You must have asked him to do so. I remember that Doctor Hua is a follower of you, the young master."
He said, "I am very happy to be able to relieve your pain, Master's wife."
"Since we're so happy to meet, let's try the pear blossom wine that your teacher hid back then."
He nodded: "I haven't tasted it in a long time."
Upon learning the news, the headmaster of Lishan Academy quickly dispatched someone to retrieve the pear blossom wine that Lord Su had hidden and respectfully presented it to him.
In the Pine Moon Garden.
Lin Wan looked at the pear blossom wine in the wine cup, its fragrance filling the air, and couldn't help but exclaim, "It smells so good!"
Xie Huaiyuan explained in detail: "Miss Lin, is this your first time trying it? The pear blossom wine that Teacher makes is absolutely amazing, and the taste is quite good."
Hearing this, Lin Wan took the opportunity to secretly glance at him while raising her cup to taste. Today, he was not wearing the scarlet official robe, but only a dark blue thin robe. His eyebrows and eyes were sparse, and the hem of his robe was like flowing clouds. He looked like an elegant and noble young master from a noble family. He was really handsome!
The old lady took a small sip and sighed, "Luckily, he knew how to keep it hidden. He kept it at the academy in secret. If he had kept it at home, Xuanhuai would probably have drunk it all long ago."
Xie Huaiyuan smiled but remained silent.
"Oh, you even brought a zither." The old lady noticed the servant, Green Bamboo, standing by the Pine Moon Pavilion, holding a zither in his arms. "Is this Sunset Glow?"
"Yes, I happened to be invited to teach the guqin today, so I brought the Sunset Glow zither that my teacher gave me years ago."
Green Bamboo took out the guqin and gently placed it on the stone table.
"Speaking of which, you were once punished by being forced to practice the zither when you were young. I never imagined that his favorite sunset would be reserved for you." The old lady laughed. "Wan'er, your mother was also a master of the zither. Before she got married, she often played the zither at home. I wonder if you can play the zither?"
Lin Wan, caught off guard by the sudden mention, was momentarily distracted. She hadn't been paying much attention to their conversation, but instead secretly focused her gaze on Xie Huaiyuan. She slowly said, "I've never heard Mother play the zither. There are many things to do at home, and Mother doesn't have much free time."
A trace of sadness flashed in the old lady's eyes. Her fingertips touched the strings lightly, and a clear, melodious note flowed into her heart like moonlight: "My old eyes are failing, and I can no longer see that I can play."
In the midst of springtime, the old lady, having drunk some pear blossom wine, declined, saying she was tired and wanted to rest in the elegant residence in the academy before returning home. She asked Lin Wan to see Xie Huaiyuan off.
A gentle breeze blew as Lin Wan walked beside him, her skirt swaying slightly. She couldn't play the piano, and she didn't remember her mother ever playing it. But looking at the man in front of her, she suddenly wanted to learn.
Her mother's musical skills were taught by her maternal grandfather, and so were his. The warm breeze made her feel tipsy from the pear blossom wine, and her heart pounded. After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Young Master, may I ask you to teach me to play the zither?"
Xie Huaiyuan stopped on the steps of the covered walkway, his gaze sweeping over her, and said bluntly, "If Miss Lin wants to learn the zither, there are many skilled zither players in the capital. Why not find a good teacher to learn from?"
He refused.
But it's not surprising.
Lin Wan blinked, concealing a hint of disappointment, then smiled and said, "That's true."
She glanced up and caught sight of the steps beneath his feet, then lifted her skirt and followed.
As the weather warms up, she chose a light blue, elegant ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) today. Layers of sheer fabric sway around her, creating a dreamlike, ethereal look.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Wan, caught off guard, stepped on the hem of her long ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) and fell forward.
In an instant, Lin Wan moved closer to him, and before he could react, she reached out and grabbed him, her slender white fingers tugging at his sleeve to prevent her from falling.
A gentle breeze carrying a sweet fragrance wafted towards her, and Xie Huaiyuan quickly steadied her as she stumbled and nearly fell.
Lin Wan blinked lightly, meeting his deep eyes with a surprised expression that seemed to have been planned all along. Her voice was soft and sweet: "Thank you..."
In that instant, not only his sleeve, but also his arm clearly felt a softness unlike that of a man, and he was stunned for a moment.
However, Lin Wan, who was leaning closer, saw it clearly. His originally lowered eyelashes suddenly lifted, and a ripple appeared in his deep and calm eyes.
However, this moment of embarrassment quickly disappeared, and he politely helped her to her feet, pulled his hand away from hers, and created some distance between them, his expression calm and composed.
Lin Wan stared straight at him, her expression a mixture of reproach and delight: "Thank you, Your Highness."
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