Chapter 44 044 Pitch-black interior...
The heavy snow that had been falling for days finally stopped, and the thick clouds hung very low, making the sky still very dark.
The simple horse-drawn carriages that sped along the official road left behind long, winding tracks of wheels.
The carriage curtain was lifted, and a chill rushed in, dispelling the warmth inside the carriage.
Looking into the distance, all that could be seen was a vast expanse of white. The branches on both sides of the road were piled with thick snow, and occasionally a gust of wind would blow away the clumps of snow that had accumulated on the branches.
"Miss, although the snow has stopped, it is still very cold. Please lower the carriage curtain so you don't catch a chill."
A chilling wind swept in, its biting cold seeming to seep into one's very bones. The slender, pale fingers that had lifted the carriage curtain trembled involuntarily, but quickly released their grip, letting the curtain fall back down to keep the cold wind and chill out of the carriage.
The journey was a bit long, so before Lin Wan mentioned that she was going on a long trip, Su Furong specially prepared a slightly larger carriage and also specially ordered two guards who knew some martial arts to accompany her to drive the carriage, in order to avoid any accidents on the way.
With tears in her eyes, Su Furong repeatedly pleaded with her to stay: "Why do we have to go back now? Can't we wait a little longer and leave when the weather gets warmer?"
"No," Lin Wan felt guilty. She didn't tell the truth about why she left in such a hurry. She had received Gu Qinghe's letter several days after it was sent. If she didn't leave soon, things might change.
Faced with her aunt and uncle's doubts, Lin Wan always made the excuse that she had something to do at home and had to go back to Jiangnan. She said that once this matter was settled, she would return to the capital to find them.
Fortunately, a pre-heated grill had been set up in the carriage. As soon as the curtain was lowered, the chill in the carriage was immediately dispelled, and a deep warmth filled the air.
In the outskirts of the capital, the weather was bitterly cold, and carriages were rarely seen on the official road, but today it was unusually lively.
At the end of the snow-covered official road, a massive army of soldiers suddenly appeared. As Lin Wan's carriage turned in another direction, the seemingly endless army of soldiers surrounded and guarded two magnificent carriages, moving towards the capital despite the chill in the air.
After passing the Shili Pavilion on the outskirts of the capital, the carriage in front suddenly stopped. The carriage door opened from the inside out, and a woman wearing a brocade and fur-trimmed cloak, completely covered from head to toe, hurried to another carriage.
"Brother Prince, may I sit in your carriage to warm up? The charcoal stove in my carriage has long been extinguished, and it's so cold!"
A moment later, the carriage door opened, and Princess Zhaoyi finally entered the carriage.
The accompanying soldiers rested for a moment, then continued their journey toward the capital.
"Brother Crown Prince..."
Upon hearing this, Xie Huaiyuan raised his eyes, glanced at her calmly, and then lowered his head to continue dealing with the lengthy official business on the low table.
Princess Zhaoyi, who was standing to the side, tried to speak several times, but in the end, she remained silent, her ambiguous gaze revealing herself clearly.
Xie Huaiyuan couldn't ignore that direct gaze. His pen paused, and the open document on the table was immediately stained with ink.
He glanced down at the document, which listed numerous crimes of corruption involving salt merchants colluding with officials. He studied it intently, his expression unreadable, but noticing that no important information was obscured, he closed the document and placed it on the other side of the low table.
"Princess, please speak your mind."
Princess Zhaoyi said softly, "Thank you so much, Your Highness. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid it would have been very difficult to recover the lost and embezzled treasury silver. Father will surely praise and commend you greatly."
After a moment of silence in the carriage, Xie Huaiyuan suddenly raised his eyes and said calmly, "Once this matter is resolved, I will have fulfilled the second promise I made back then. Moreover, this case has always been of concern to the court. Now that you have cleverly resolved the case without losing a single soldier, His Majesty will see the princess's intelligence and will certainly not easily bestow a marriage upon the princess, let alone a political marriage. Princess, you are free."
Princess Zhaoyi didn't react at first, and it took her a while to realize that Xie Huaiyuan's words were still hinting at what she cared about most.
"Brother Crown Prince, you know me... all these years..."
"Be careful what you say, Your Highness." Xie Huaiyuan raised his eyes slightly to look at her, but his gaze was as cold and piercing as ice in a blizzard. "Except for that matter, I will keep my promise from back then, except for this one."
The icy chill instantly enveloped the air inside the carriage, making Princess Zhaoyi tremble with fear.
She hesitated for a long time before slowly and softly replying, "...Alright, I understand."
Long ago, she thought that by risking her life to save him, she would earn even a little bit of gratitude, but she overlooked the fact that her beloved Crown Prince, who was so popular in the capital, was still as cold and ruthless as ever.
Besides facing her, Lin Wan!
A hint of hatred flashed in Princess Zhaoyi's lowered eyes.
-
Not long after Princess Zhaoyi and Xie Huaiyuan returned to the capital, rumors spread throughout the city that the two had a close relationship. These rumors even reached the ears of the two involved.
The snow covering the palace path had been swept clean by the palace servants. At this moment, two palace servants were kneeling on the ground, trembling, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
Originally, Xie Huaiyuan was about to go with Princess Zhaoyi to the Emperor to report on the investigation after the court session. However, he did not expect to hear the two palace maids secretly gossiping about his good relationship with Princess Zhaoyi and even mentioning how deep their feelings were.
Xie Huaiyuan silently watched the palace servants kneeling on the cold palace path begging for mercy. The coldness in his eyes was no less than that of the snow piled up in the corner. After a long while, he left a sentence, "This is a matter of the palace, and it is inconvenient for me to interfere. It is better to leave it to Her Highness the Princess to handle."
Princess Zhaoyi watched Xie Huaiyuan walk further and further away, then turned back to glare at the palace servants kneeling on the ground. She was so angry that she almost wanted to tear their mouths apart. They didn't know how to choose the right time to speak.
She then hurriedly caught up with Xie Huaiyuan, who had already walked far away, and rushed to see the Emperor.
When the Emperor heard their reply and learned that the recovered gold and silver had filled the national treasury, a smile appeared on his face. He then ordered someone to tell the Empress that a plum blossom appreciation banquet should be held so that everyone could enjoy themselves.
"Huaiyuan, you can't miss this year's plum blossom viewing banquet!"
"Your subject understands."
Xie Huaiyuan left calmly, walking along the palace road, when he heard his attendant, Lüzhu, whisper: "Your Highness... I just learned that Miss Lin from the Su family is no longer in the capital."
He paused slightly, frowned, glanced at the palace servants not far away, but said nothing more and walked straight out of the palace gate.
-
This plum blossom viewing banquet was incredibly grand, with many noble ladies and talented young men from prominent families in the capital invited. In addition, the Empress herself specially chose to hold the banquet in the plum grove outside the Imperial City on the outskirts of the capital to ensure that the event would be held smoothly.
The scenery here is beautiful. The boundless white snow falls gently into this plum grove, making the plum blossoms on the branches even more beautiful and charming.
There were quite a few people attending the banquet, and the roads leading to the Imperial City Plum Grove were crowded with carriages, some luxurious and some understated.
The Su family's carriage followed closely behind, moving slowly until it stopped at the entrance to the plum grove.
When Su Furong and her group entered the plum grove, the banquet inside had already been prepared.
Whether pink, bright red, or pure white, the beautiful plum blossoms adorn the branches. Countless plum trees surround the pavilions and waterside terraces, where guests can freely admire the plum blossoms or enjoy tea in the pavilions to ward off the cold.
"Hey!"
Suddenly, someone gently patted Su Furong on the back.
Su Furong turned around and saw a little girl who looked completely unfamiliar, but the little girl's clothes and appearance were quite extraordinary.
The young girl looked quite young, but was very poised and elegant. "Are you from Miss Lin's family?"
"Which Miss Lin?"
"You know Miss Lin, the one who makes really beautiful rouge? Do you know Miss Lin?"
It turns out it refers to Lin Wan.
Lin Wan does indeed help out at her family's rouge shop. Although there is a manager in the shop, most of the rouge and face powder sold in the shop are made by Lin Wan, and some even have her personally added a lot of secret recipes. There are many repeat customers.
Su Furong smiled and said, "We know each other. Is there something you need?"
The little girl's eyes revealed undisguised surprise, and she grinned, "Then you must be Miss Su from Miss Lin's family. That's wonderful! I actually met someone from the shop."
Su Furong withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and asked, "Is there something you need?"
“I went to the shop a few days ago to buy rouge, but it was out of stock. The shopkeeper said that he would remake the rouge after Miss Lin returned, as only she knows the secret recipe. I was wondering when Miss Lin would be back.”
Su Furong opened her mouth but before she could say anything, she was interrupted by a sudden sneer from the side.
Princess Li: "I'm afraid Miss Lin won't be coming back. Didn't she go back to Jiangnan?"
The people who were with Princess Li also came over.
"Oh, speaking of which, it really is true. It's been a long time since I've seen her. Isn't Miss Lin the one who's best at following the young master, like a seductive little vixen? And the plum blossom banquet is about to begin today, and the young master will be coming to attend the banquet soon. Does she really want to miss it?"
"She can be seen at any banquet where the Crown Prince is present." Her words were full of bitterness.
"I just heard from the people next door that someone ran into Miss Lin in Jiangnan. Guess what she was doing? She was walking intimately with a man. She already had a date with a beauty, would she really travel a thousand miles to attend a plum blossom viewing banquet?"
"You've found another one so quickly, it's unbelievable. No wonder you're a little vixen."
Su Furong stared wide-eyed in disbelief, feeling her ears ringing from the noise. She spoke with a stern face, "Shut up! I really didn't expect that you ladies from prestigious families would so casually slander other people's reputations."
"Whether it's slander or not, you'll have to ask Miss Lin. However, I bet she won't be attending the banquet today."
Upon hearing this, Su Furong looked at Li Qunzhu and the others who had suddenly appeared in front of her, her eyes flashing with anger. "If you spout any more nonsense, I'll tear your mouths apart!"
At this moment, more and more people gathered around. The women from various prominent families in the capital, hearing the commotion, all looked up.
As more and more people were paying attention to this place, Su Furong stepped forward and approached Li Qunzhu, lowering her voice and said hatefully, "If I hear another smear against Lin Wan, you'll be in for a beating."
She glanced at the group of people in front of her, all of whom had put a lot of effort into their attire. "If you ask me, isn't it just that you people are jealous of Lin Wan? No matter how much effort you put into your makeup, has the young master ever paid any attention to you even for a moment?"
"you!"
There are many people in the capital who openly or secretly have feelings for Prince Xie Huaiyuan, and many have openly expressed their affections. However, they are either directly rejected to his face or simply cannot get close to him, let alone have any follow-up.
As more and more people arrived at the banquet, it became clear that the two women were about to start arguing again, even attracting the attention of everyone at the banquet. Almost everyone was focused on them. Some of the noble ladies overheard snippets of their conversation and whispered among themselves, while others seemed more curious and wanted to find out what they were talking about.
The girl who had just been talking warmly to Su Furong and caring about Lin Wan was now scrutinizing them with a critical eye.
At this moment, a commotion broke out ahead. A group of people walked out from the entrance of the hanging flower gate on the east side of the plum grove. Surrounded by palace servants, the Empress walked slowly under the gaze of everyone. With her golden hairpin and phoenix hair bun, she was beautiful and elegant, showing the royal demeanor.
A eunuch cried out in a shrill voice, "The Empress has arrived!"
Everyone at the banquet bowed respectfully, and for a moment the scene fell silent, the atmosphere becoming tense.
When the Empress arrived, Princess Li and the others became a little more subdued, and the scene became much quieter.
Su Furong was some distance from the Empress, and from a distance she could see the Empress glancing at the spot beside her, as if searching for someone.
"I find the weather pleasant today, and the plum blossoms are in full bloom under the snow. It is the perfect time to appreciate plum blossoms. Please don't be shy, everyone. Let's enjoy the flowers and have fun together."
Just as Su Furong was about to bend down and ask the little girl which household she belonged to and why she wasn't with her family, she suddenly saw the little girl happily run to where everyone's eyes were on—to the side of the Empress.
"Aunt, what is a fox spirit?"
Upon hearing this, the scene fell into complete silence.
The Empress was stunned, never expecting her little niece to say such a thing in public. Her face froze for a moment, and she looked up at the place where her little niece had been, her scrutinizing gaze sweeping over them.
Su Furong's original position was completely unremarkable, but under this topic, everyone present suddenly looked at her, as well as Princess Li and the others who were planning to quietly escape.
"Ning'er, why did you suddenly bring this up?"
“Aunt, I didn’t say that. Those people said it. They even said that Miss Lin is a vixen.”
"Miss Lin?" The Empress glanced at them again, her cold eyes sweeping over them. She understood what was going on, and her tone inevitably turned colder. "You are all noble ladies from prominent families. How can you be so rude?"
The young girl, Ning'er, was originally the niece of the Empress's maternal family. Although she was still young, her words clearly indicated that she was not a simple person.
Princess Li was so frightened that her face turned pale. She hurriedly knelt down on the ground and said, "Your Majesty... Your Majesty, I did not mean to do this. I beg Your Majesty to forgive me."
The people who had been following Princess Li were all pale-faced and knelt on the ground.
Suddenly, another eunuch shrieked, "Princess Zhaoyi has arrived—"
"Mother, what's going on?" As soon as Princess Zhaoyi arrived, she saw several people kneeling in front of the Empress, all of whom were her close friends in private.
“Princess Li, you have all spoken recklessly and uttered nonsense. You are hereby punished to be confined to your home and to copy the book ‘Rules for Women’ to calm your mind and cultivate your spirit.”
Before leaving the banquet, Princess Li glanced back at Princess Zhaoyi, then left with a resentful and helpless expression.
Those present, being quite perceptive, all kept quiet and didn't continue the conversation.
Empress: "Why are you so late? I heard from the ladies-in-waiting in your palace that you would be leaving a little later today. What's wrong? Did something keep you waiting?"
Even though there was a hint of reproach in his words, they were full of concern.
"I only realized when I was about to leave that the dress I was wearing was stained with thick dirt, so I had to go back and change, which made me a little late."
Ning'er let go of the Empress's hand and ran forward happily. With an innocent smile, as if she were being scrutinized by an adult, she said, "Princess, you are so beautiful today, as beautiful as a fox spirit."
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyi's smile instantly froze. "What?"
Just as Ning'er was about to repeat the word, the nanny who was serving Ning'er hurriedly interrupted, explaining, "It's praising Your Highness's stunning beauty, which is beyond compare."
If we were to rank beauty, Princess Zhaoyi's beauty would be second to none in the capital, largely due to her innate noble bearing.
As if the accident just now was merely a minor episode at the Merlin banquet, much of it was quickly replaced by new discussions.
Led by the Empress, everyone else at the banquet followed suit, admiring the blooming plum blossoms in the plum grove.
Almost at the very end of the line, Su Furong angrily kicked the thin layer of snow beneath her feet, instantly sending up a flurry of fine snow that settled on her shoes.
At this moment, a restless commotion arose not far away. Everyone looked up and saw the Crown Prince leading the way, followed closely by a group of young talents from the capital. Some were as graceful as a breeze and as bright as the moon, some were as handsome as a fairy, and some were as aloof as a stranger. They walked in twos and threes, making the plum grove instantly shine.
The Empress glanced at Xie Huaiyuan, who was standing not far behind the Crown Prince, and smiled, "The Crown Prince actually managed to find time to come today, and even invited so many companions along. Could it be that His Majesty requested this?"
The Crown Prince said, "Mother is right. As expected of Mother, she guessed it right away."
It turned out that when Xie Huaiyuan was not present at the plum grove banquet in the court, the Crown Prince ordered him to bring all the unmarried young talents in the court to the imperial plum grove.
Thus, the Imperial City Plum Grove instantly became their meeting place.
The Crown Prince chimed in, "Father also ordered me to keep Huaiyuan company and, incidentally, keep an eye on him to see if he's taken a fancy to any girl in his household."
The Empress said, "Speaking of which, Huaiyuan is practically a childhood friend of yours. He has an excellent temperament. I remember that Huaiyuan also seems to have grown up with the Princess. You all should be considered to have similar personalities."
Then he sighed and said, "However, it seems that you guys used to play together the most when you were little, but now that you've grown up, I rarely see you playing together like you used to."
Princess Zhaoyi ignored what the Empress said and instead stared unabashedly at Xie Huaiyuan, her eyes almost overflowing with affection, all of which was noticed by the Empress.
The topic shifted, and the Empress mentioned that Princess Zhaoyi and he had worked together to solve the case, praising them highly. She also looked at Xie Huaiyuan with approval, before passing on the message to the others who had come to admire the plum blossoms to go and enjoy themselves on their own.
"Huaiyuan, I take a great liking to you, especially since you and the princess worked together to solve the salt merchant embezzlement case for His Majesty and recovered a large amount of embezzled funds to replenish the national treasury. You are a match made in heaven and extremely well-matched. Why not arrange a marriage between relatives? What do you think, Huaiyuan?"
Upon hearing this, everyone around him praised him and her, saying they were truly a match made in heaven.
Princess Zhaoyi, standing to the side, blushed and said, "Mother..."
But the joy lasted only a few breaths before Xie Huaiyuan, who had been silent all along, smiled faintly and said, "Your Majesty is too kind. Her Highness the Princess is so intelligent and virtuous that I am truly unworthy of her."
After he finished speaking, Princess Zhaoyi subconsciously looked up at him, feeling very uncomfortable, but unable to express it openly.
The Empress's face stiffened. After her surprise, she looked up and met Xie Huaiyuan's gaze. Seeing his calm expression, she understood. Although she felt a little regretful, as she had originally hoped to have such a suitable consort, it seemed she would have to give up the idea. She smiled gently and said, "It seems I misunderstood."
Princess Zhaoyi did not continue admiring the plum blossoms with the Empress. Instead, she turned to Xie Huaiyuan and, suppressing her sadness, said, "Brother Crown Prince, please don't be angry. I didn't know that Mother would say such things."
"It's alright, it's good to be frank. I, Xie, am not worthy of the princess's favor."
"Why?" Princess Zhaoyi's face grew increasingly pale upon hearing this, even her exquisite makeup couldn't conceal it, and her fingertips dug into her palms beneath her sleeves. "Could it really be because of her, Lin Wan?"
"So what if it is, and so what if it isn't?"
As the guests chatted and laughed while admiring the plum blossoms in the distance, Princess Zhaoyi heard them and felt as if they were daggers stabbing at her heart. "Young Master," she said, "don't be fooled by her. She only falls in love with one man after another. She has never been sincere towards you. What Princess Li and the others said just now, do you really not know? She's trying to please you, but after you left the capital, she turned around and got entangled with other people. In fact, recently many people have mentioned seeing her with a man on a cruise ship in Jiangnan, looking quite intimate..."
Princess Zhaoyi's words came to an abrupt halt.
Xie Huaiyuan's eyes narrowed slightly for a moment without leaving a trace, maintaining the faint smile on his lips, but the tone of his voice was as sharp as a blade, sending chills down one's spine: "Rumors are not to be believed."
He came here merely to comply with the Emperor's words, and after finishing his speech, he did not linger for even a moment longer.
Fine snowflakes suddenly began to fall from the gray sky, and a carriage bearing the name "Prince of Xiangyang" drove out of the Imperial City Plum Grove.
As the snowflakes fell heavier and heavier, the carriage drove through the streets and finally stopped in front of the Xiangyang Prince's Mansion.
The gatekeeper saw Xie Huaiyuan alight from the carriage, hurried forward, bowed, and said softly, "Your Highness, the Princess Consort has been waiting for you in the study for a long time."
Xie Huaiyuan paused slightly as he stepped across the threshold, but continued walking forward.
In the study.
The princess threw the secret letters collected by her guards in front of him, and the papers flew everywhere, landing haphazardly all over the table.
"This is the woman you said you wanted to marry into the manor. Open your eyes and take a good look. What makes her so worthy of your affection? You actually dared to dream of making such a fickle woman the future mistress of the manor. It's a joke!"
The princess clenched her fists tightly, her chest heaving violently, and glared at him with exasperation, "How could I have given birth to such a stubborn person like you!"
Xie Huaiyuan stopped two steps away from her and picked up the secret letters that had been scattered around.
He glanced coldly at the secret letters in his hand, a half-smile on his face: "Since she has provoked me, she will not, and will never, have the opportunity to choose anyone else but me."
Since you've provoked me and tempted me to experience the thrill of love, don't even think about abandoning me to find someone else!
His gaze fell upon the words written between the lines of the crumpled letter: Lin Wan and Gu Qinghe walked hand in hand... Today, the two rode together in a carriage to the Li residence... appearing intimate...
The veins on the back of his hand, hidden under his sleeve, were bulging. Although he didn't show it on his face, he was trying his best to endure it.
He was not unaware of her whereabouts at the moment. After returning to the capital, he immediately sent people to investigate her whereabouts. In the short few days of waiting for news, countless thoughts popped into his mind, and he even came up with countless excuses for her. But not one of the excuses he came up with for her was to leave him.
He had already promised to marry her after he had settled things, and before leaving the capital, he told her to wait for him in the city. How could she dare...?
Even so, he still hoped that she would come back on her own initiative and tell him that she still loved him and would not leave him!
Looking at Xie Huaiyuan, whose expression was unusually calm, the princess was extremely anxious. She knew his temperament best. Even if he appeared to be behaving normally and politely, he was actually driven mad inside. "Huaiyuan, there are so many women in the world. It doesn't have to be her. No one in this world is indispensable."
"Mother, I will handle it."
At this moment, the princess suddenly remembered that he was very similar to the late old prince. He was not easily moved, but once he was moved, he would be devoted to her.
-
The moon hung high in the sky, casting dappled silver light into the quiet, chilly spring night.
Suddenly, a graceful figure gently pushed open the half-closed door, her skirt swaying. Only a candle remained in the room, its faint light flickering as the figure passed by.
Xie Huaiyuan lay quietly on the sandalwood bed with his eyes closed.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes wide.
Someone is coming.
Immediately afterwards, the curtains were lifted, revealing a slender, white fingertip. The woman's pure white silk dress was on display, and her eyes, brimming with autumn water, were gazing at him.
Xie Huaiyuan instinctively tried to get up, but was instead held down.
"you……"
Her soft fingertips covered his slightly parted lips. She had only been standing by the sandalwood bed, but she rushed over in a hurry, and in that instant, Wenxiang Cheqianyu fell into Xie Huaiyuan's arms.
Her voice trembled as she said, "Brother Liangyu, I... I really had no choice."
Xie Huaiyuan felt uneasy, but he couldn't tell whether it was a dream or reality, so he could only silently go along with her.
"Brother Liangyu, I will never leave you."
Then came a series of soft, broken sobs, melodious and gentle.
Xie Huaiyuan asked in a low, husky voice, "Really?"
"Um……"
The woman's lips parted slightly, and Xie Huaiyuan swallowed her short sobs, making them disappear completely.
...
In the quiet night, a rapid knocking sound suddenly rang out.
This startled Xie Huaiyuan awake.
Opening his blurry eyes, he found his arms empty; the beautiful woman was nowhere to be seen.
Xie Huaiyuan suddenly sat up and quickly looked down at Nian Yue Er.
The folds of the brocade robe rose and fell dramatically, revealing a sudden patch of dampness.
Once he looked closely, his face darkened instantly, and a chill ran through his brows.
"What is it?"
The black-clad guards were ordered to inform Lin Wan of her whereabouts in Licheng, Jiangnan, as soon as possible. They had already received a secret letter earlier that day, but unexpectedly, another urgent secret letter arrived just before nightfall. Fearing that things might change suddenly, they dared not delay for a moment and rushed over to deliver the letter. However, they never expected to find Xie Huaiyuan asleep on his desk.
The guard quickly handed the secret letter, rolled into a small piece of paper, to the desk.
Xie Huaiyuan calmed himself down a bit, then unfolded the secret letter. The small characters on the string clearly read, "Miss Lin has set off for the capital."
His heart tightened, and his fingertips, which were holding the secret letter, trembled slightly, but his expression remained calm. He then brought the letter close to the candle flame on the desk, and the flame licked it, burning it out in an instant.
"Okay, keep following along."
-
As winter turned to spring, and the weather was still chilly despite the change in temperature, several carriages and horses hurried towards the capital.
At this moment, on the towering city wall of the capital, besides the guards, two other people stood facing the cold wind.
Xie Huaiyuan: "Princess Zhaoyi, what is the matter you are referring to?"
Princess Zhaoyi, standing beside her, leaned against the city wall and gazed into the distance along the official road outside the city. Suddenly, she saw several moving black dots appear at the end of the road in the distance.
In the past, no matter what she said or how she tried to persuade Xie Huaiyuan, it was all in vain. But now, she was confident that after Xie Huaiyuan witnessed it with his own eyes, he would understand her good intentions.
When she saw that the end of the official road was indeed as she had thought, she suppressed her joy and sighed deeply, "Brother Prince, you didn't disbelieve what I said before. Since rumors are unreliable, then today on the city wall, I invite you to see for yourself what kind of person Lin Wan is who seduces others so easily, rather than just what I said."
At this moment, several carriages and horses were approaching the city wall where Xie Huaiyuan and his group were located in the distance on the official road. Suddenly, when they passed the Shili Pavilion on the outskirts of the capital, they saw the leading carriage stop in the distance.
The carriage curtain, which was covered in dust, was suddenly lifted.
Lin Wan asked, "Young Master Gu, I'm a little tired from sitting in the carriage for too long. I'd like to get off and walk around."
Upon hearing this, Gu Qinghe, who was sitting on the lead horse, raised his hand to signal everyone to get down and stretch a bit. He then dismounted, walked over to the carriage, and leaned out to help Lin Wan down from the carriage.
When she left the capital, it was still snowing heavily, but now the branches are already sprouting. Lin Wan looked at the majestic city wall in the distance. She paused for a moment, as if she saw something, and then stopped walking slightly.
Gu Qinghe: "Although it's already spring, it's still quite cold in the capital."
After saying that, he turned around and went back to the carriage, took out a cloak, and helped her put it on while saying, "It's chilly in early spring, so you should be careful."
Suddenly a cold wind arose, blowing the hems of their clothes, causing them to entwine and huddle together.
Even from the distant Shili Pavilion, one could still see figures moving about on the city wall, and all those movements were seen by those standing on the wall.
Xie Huaiyuan's breathing became slightly sluggish, and his fingers clenched tightly at the edge of his sleeve, turning slightly white.
In fact, he had already received the news this morning that Lin Wan would be returning to the capital today, and of course, Gu Qinghe was also mentioned.
But when he saw it with his own eyes, even though it was only for a short while, it made him feel extremely jealous.
"Young Master, you see, I'm not slandering her, you should believe me. She is indeed fickle and fickle, how could she be as devoted to you as I am to you..."
Princess Zhaoyi couldn't help but feel schadenfreude. She knew Xie Huaiyuan's temperament and that he hated betrayal the most. She wanted to say a few more words, but Xie Huaiyuan interrupted her.
"Even if it wasn't her, it wouldn't be you."
Upon hearing this, Princess Zhaoyi was greatly shocked. She felt that Xie Huaiyuan in front of her seemed quite unfamiliar. She was so devoted to him, yet she was being ignored like this. She was instantly filled with grief.
Lin Wan and her group entered the city under the watchful eyes of the people on the city wall.
After being jostled around in the carriage for more than half a month, when she returned to the Su residence, she felt a great sense of warmth. Lin Wan was amazed that she had unknowingly come to regard this place as her second home.
Lin Wan felt extremely tired and went to bed early after getting ready.
As night fell, Lin Wan tossed and turned for a long time, unable to fall asleep, perhaps because she hadn't slept in this room for so long. She felt as if someone was watching her from somewhere in the room, their sticky gaze fixed on her.
Feeling incredibly stifled, she got up and was about to call for Shiliu when her eyes suddenly caught sight of something in the darkness by the wall in a corner of the room.
Lin Wan's heart skipped a beat. She picked up the candle from the table beside the bed and walked quietly toward that spot.
She was a little scared and slowly moved her feet. A tall and dark figure stood motionless by the wall, which startled her so much that she stopped breathing and almost dropped the candle. Fortunately, the dark figure quickly stepped forward, covered her with his thick hand, and gripped Lin Wan's hand tightly as well.
Then the dim candlelight illuminated the person holding his hand—it was Xie Huaiyuan!
Her struggling movements gradually stopped, and the fear in her heart slowly subsided.
Xie Huaiyuan took the candle with his other hand, turned around and placed it on the table behind him, then turned to face her and said softly, "Did I scare you?"
He still had that handsome and charming face, and he was still the Prince Xie Huaiyuan that everyone praised. But for some reason, Lin Wan felt that something was wrong with him tonight.
A faint sense of fear rose in my heart.
"Young Master, why did you come here so suddenly?"
Xie Huaiyuan rarely appeared so suddenly, especially late at night, which was quite different from his usual courteous manner.
"It's been so long, I've missed you." He paused, his eyes fixed on Lin Wan's. "Have you missed me?"
"I..." Lin Wan's words were broken by the impact, and she fell into his arms. In the cold night, Lin Wan did not put on an extra layer of clothing when she got up. Her body, which was originally slightly cold, now felt unusually warm, and the familiar sandalwood fragrance filled her nose.
She didn't even have time to say her words.
Xie Huaiyuan pulled her into his arms and gently patted her back, as if she had never left the capital.
"It's late, Your Highness. Is there something else you need at this hour?"
“I heard some things and saw some things, but I can’t figure them out no matter how hard I try,” he paused his gentle stroking motion, and sighed helplessly, “I was thinking of coming to find you and asking you about them.”
Lin Wan seemed to know something vaguely, and felt somewhat hesitant. But then she thought about it again and realized that she had some urgent needs, so she asked, "I wonder if there is a problem, Your Highness?"
“I don’t want to believe what those people are saying, but I saw it with my own eyes and I really can’t understand it, so I came to you for an answer. But now I feel that if I love you, I shouldn’t doubt you,” Xie Huaiyuan said to himself, seemingly not wanting her to say anything. “In that case, I should believe you.”
"Oh, so now you believe me?"
Xie Huaiyuan's breathing quickened. He could hear in his ears the conversation between Lord Su and Madam Meng when he quietly passed by the front courtyard of the Su residence. They had mentioned Lin Wan's marriage, and Gu Qinghe was mentioned in their conversation...
Lin Wan was suddenly encircled and turned around by him. He took her hands and said, "I believe you. You said you looked forward to being with me."
As she spoke, Lin Wan could clearly feel Xie Huaiyuan's breathing become heavier, and the fingers holding his hand were slowly tightening. Lin Wan felt a little breathless.
What if I said I wanted to marry you?
These words were something Lin Wan hadn't expected. "But you clearly said before..."
His eyes were cold and sinister. "Don't you want to?"
"Then why didn't you answer when I asked before, and only now are you saying it?"
Xie Huaiyuan's fingertips caressed her delicate fingertips, warming his cold hands. He had felt the warmth of her fingertips and palms long ago, but now he caressed them repeatedly, as if trying to erase every trace of the person he had been with today.
"Forget it. You are a prince, and there is a gap in our social standing. When you meet someone more suitable in the future, you will discard me like an object."
"Won't."
From the very beginning, Lin Wan rescued him from the Quchi River and gradually entered her life, only to lure him into the quagmire of love. Now, she wants to remain aloof, having already stirred his heart, yet she wants to leave. How can things in this world be like this!
no!
Since she promised to love only him, no matter how the world changes, she cannot abandon him so heartlessly.
He had already decided to never be separated from Lin Wan.
Lin Wan: "It's late. Whatever we have to say, let's talk about it during the day tomorrow, shall we?"
Xie Huaiyuan replied quickly: "Okay. See you tomorrow."
After speaking, Xie Huaiyuan quickly turned and left, disappearing into the dark night.
Lin Wan went back to sleep, tossing and turning for a long time before finally falling into a deep sleep...
In a daze, it seemed like I had slept for a very long time. My head was foggy and I couldn't wake up or open my heavy eyes.
She felt as if someone was gently comforting her, whispering sweet nothings, but her mind was too hazy to hear anything clearly.
It felt like I slept for a very, very long time. The night was so long, and it seemed like dawn hadn't broken yet.
Something's not right!
Lin Wan suddenly opened her eyes, only to find it was still dark.
Inside the pitch-black room.
The person beside him, Xie Huaiyuan, said, "You're awake?"
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