Chapter 70 070 ... A bright red mark on the neck
In an instant, the hall fell silent. The servants kneeling to answer the question lowered their heads, not daring to look at their superiors even once more.
"Is it to move directly into the Crown Prince's bedroom in the backyard?" the princess asked in a low voice.
"...I heard that the young lady has never left her room since she came to the courtyard."
Upon hearing this, the princess was furious.
Xie Huaiyuan has always been very reasonable and has never made a mistake in such matters. However, since meeting Lin Wan, he has been repeatedly disobeyed by her.
A few days ago, she heard that Lin Wan from the courtyard had left, and she was overjoyed, thinking that this girl was quite sensible and knew when to advance and retreat. But she never expected that after only a few days, not only would she return, but she would also brazenly move into Xie Huaiyuan's bedroom. It's simply absurd!
"You bastard!"
The princess, furious, slammed her teacup down on the table. Her breath came out heavily as she looked at the person kneeling before her. This was the person she had personally sent to serve years ago, to prevent Xie Huaiyuan from hiding anything from her.
I never expected it to be so true!
The head maid, Ru Hui, felt something was amiss. Noticing that the princess sitting in the superior position was so angry that she almost threw her teacup, she quickly stepped forward and gently patted the princess's back to soothe her, saying, "Your Highness, don't be angry. It's not worth hurting your health over such a person."
As Hui was always good at reading people's expressions, she noticed that the princess's face showed a hint of displeasure. She secretly glanced at the kneeling servant, who was bowing his head and not saying a word, as if he was terrified of being scolded.
He quickly retrieved a freshly poured cup of tea from the table, presented it with both hands and respectfully addressed the princess, saying with a smile, "Your Highness, the prince is bound to make mistakes due to his busy official duties, and he will need your reminders. Therefore, you must take good care of yourself."
The princess looked up at Ru Hui, her expression softening slightly. She then took the teacup, sipped a few times, and after a moment's thought, continued, "Has the young master been in that courtyard during the day?"
"No, the young master has been very busy these past few days and hasn't been back for several days."
Princess: "In that case, we should go and see the people in that courtyard. You should hurry back to the courtyard to serve them and not let those idle gossips ruin the young master's reputation."
The servant quickly agreed, bowed deeply in gratitude, and hurried away.
The princess sighed, "Ruhui, before you leave, go and do something for me."
But then she thought it best not to make a fuss about it, so she beckoned Ru Hui to lean closer and whispered a few words to her.
Upon hearing this, Ru Hui looked slightly surprised, but still nodded in agreement, "I understand, I'll go and do it right away."
As noon approached and the sun shone brightly, the princess led Ru Hui and the others to the villa in Pear Blossom Lane. The gatekeeper opened the door, and they walked straight into the backyard.
To the princess's surprise, Xie Huaiyuan had ordered many guards to stand watch in various parts of the backyard, making it as secure as a fortified stronghold, where not even a fly could get out.
"What, even I can't order Miss Lin to come out and meet me?"
Liu Ye bowed, trembling as she replied, "...But the young master instructed us before leaving that we should not..."
Lin Wan had been well-behaved for a few days, as Xie Huaiyuan was busy with official duties and had no time to bother her. She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but unexpectedly, the princess suddenly came today and specifically asked to see her.
She leaned against the door, peering through the open doorway. After a moment's thought, not wanting to put Liu Ye in a difficult position, she gritted her teeth and went out. She came to Liu Ye's kneeling side and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness. Liu Ye was merely following the Crown Prince's instructions. I hope you will not make things difficult for her."
The newcomer was a delicate and charming woman, dressed in the most fashionable spring-style blue and pink dress in the capital, which perfectly showcased her graceful figure. Her eyes, in particular, were captivating and mesmerizing, like autumn waters.
The princess looked her up and down, then silently pursed her lips, thinking to herself that she was indeed a vixen; she had grown into such a stunning beauty in just a few days.
Although Xie Huaiyuan was unable to find the time to return in the past two or three days, allowing Lin Wan to catch her breath, she still felt extremely weak and sore. As a result, she bowed to the princess and did not hear the princess call her to get up for a long time. Her legs were weak, and her tired and weak body gradually trembled uncontrollably, and her face turned a few shades paler.
Even though she gritted her teeth and endured bowing to the princess, the fine sweat on her forehead and the expression on her face were all observed by the princess.
Seeing this, the princess gave a light snort and said calmly, "Sit down."
Liu Ye, who was standing nearby, quickly helped Lin Wan up. She was surprised to see that Lin Wan was trembling because she couldn't stand steadily, so she hurriedly helped her sit down on an armchair.
As Lin Wan sat down, the fabric around her neck loosened, making the bright red marks on her fair neck particularly noticeable. The princess, who was staring directly at her, noticed them, and her scrutinizing gaze became even sharper, as if she wanted to pierce through Lin Wan's entire body.
How could Lin Wan not notice such a conspicuous scrutinizing gaze? She glanced down and immediately saw the loosened collar, cursing inwardly! She had seen the marks Xie Huaiyuan had left on her in the mirror that morning when he had tormented her a few days ago; the princess must have seen them.
The princess gave a soft snort and turned her gaze back to Lin Wan's face. Seeing Lin Wan's quiet and downcast expression, her disgust and dislike lessened slightly.
The scene was completely silent, and Lin Wan remained quiet and did not speak. Her submissive demeanor was considered respectful in the eyes of the princess.
Princess: "It's been many days since I last saw Miss Lin, and she's become even more delightful to behold."
Lin Wanjing stood quietly to the side, which slightly eased the princess's furrowed brows.
At this moment, Ru Hui placed a food basket on the table. Lin Wan glanced at it and vaguely sensed that there was something in the basket that didn't seem to be good.
Ru Hui opened the food basket, took out a bowl filled with dark, medicinal broth, and carefully placed it on the table. A strong medicinal smell wafted out, and Lin Wan, who was not far away, also smelled it.
Ru Hui: "Miss Lin, this is a medicinal soup specially prepared for you."
Lin Wan looked at the bowl of medicine in front of her with suspicion, a vague expectation in her mind: "This is medicine? For me? Why?"
Ru Hui glanced at the princess sitting in the high seat and whispered, "This is for your own good, young lady. I had a doctor specially prepare this contraceptive medicine..."
Lin Wan glanced at the herbal soup in front of her, picked up the bowl without hesitation, and drank it all in one gulp. The strong, bitter taste of the medicine forced her to suppress it, and it took her a long time to get used to the taste.
The smell of medicine made Lin Wan realize that something was very wrong.
She had taken contraceptive medicine before. After each time, Xie Huaiyuan would have someone prepare medicine for her. But why did it taste different?
Lin Wan put down the medicine bowl and asked to confirm, "Contraceptive medicine?"
The princess looked at her with a subtle smile and said, "Miss Lin, the young master sometimes handles things in a rather simple and crude way. I hope you can understand that this medicine will not harm your body. However, in the current situation, it is the best for both you and the young master."
Lin Wan was still wondering about the medicine. She stared at the empty medicine bowl, and her doubts grew stronger.
If it's not the princess, then Xie Huaiyuan has deceived himself!
So much so that she didn't pay attention to what the princess said afterward, listening silently while her mind was preoccupied with the matter of the medicine.
After the princess and the others finally left, Lin Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Feeling physically and mentally exhausted, she slowly walked back to her bedroom with Liu Ye's help.
Lin Wan: "I'm a little hungry. Could you go to the kitchen and see what we have to eat?"
She needed some quiet time to think things through. Liu Ye glanced at her slightly pale face, but had no doubts. She smiled and said that it was almost time for dinner, and the kitchen must have already prepared everything. Going over to check would be a good opportunity to have dinner early.
After Liu Ye left, the dormitory door remained open, and several guards were still standing guard along the corridor outside. She knew that Xie Huaiyuan had ordered them to watch over her.
Suddenly, Lin Wan clutched her stomach in discomfort and walked out of the dormitory.
"Miss Lin, you cannot leave the room."
Lin Wan: "...My stomach is really upset, could you go and call Liu Ye back for me?"
The guard at the gate hesitated for a moment, but finally responded and quickly went to the kitchen to look for the person.
Lin Wan glanced at the other guard remaining by the door: "Could you help me walk back?"
After hesitating several times, the man obeyed and bowed gently, helping Lin Wan into the dormitory. The door closed...
Night falls.
Several tall, magnificent horses galloped through the bustling streets, only stopping at the gate of the villa in Pear Blossom Lane.
Xie Huaiyuan dismounted, tossed the rope in his hand to his attendant, and strode into the courtyard.
As he walked along the veranda, a guard approached from the front. In the dim candlelight of the veranda, the guard stood quietly to one side, waiting patiently.
Xie Huaiyuan was thinking about the message he had received earlier, which said that her mother had come over, but left in a slightly hurried manner.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze swept by, causing the branches of the trees along the corridor to rustle.
A familiar, sweet fragrance wafted from behind him, and Xie Huaiyuan stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the retreating figure of the guard in the dim light.
"Wanwan".
Lin Wan, disguised as a guard, was shocked, never expecting to encounter Xie Huaiyuan's return at the last minute.
She didn't even dare to look back, and ran desperately toward the gate.
However, she couldn't escape even a step.
Xie Huaiyuan quickly caught up, grabbed Lin Wan, and questioned, "Your outfit is quite a surprise. Where are you going?"
Lin Wan pursed her lips, not wanting to say another word.
But the next moment, Xie Huaiyuan forcibly picked her up and carried her back to the dormitory. In the struggle, Lin Wan was thrown and fell into the room.
Xie Huaiyuan: "You'd better give me a reasonable explanation."
He took a step closer, his gaze fixed on Lin Wan without a trace of warmth. He pinched Lin Wan's chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look up at him.
"Wanwan, it seems I've been too good to you. You always seize every opportunity to run away. I should tie you up with a rope!"
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