If it were anyone else visiting, Su Yushan could have turned them away, but the visitor was Lejur. He was just trying to visit her, so Su Yushan couldn't refuse him entry and had no choice but to let him in.
She was thinking that if Lejur showed more care for Rong Yu, Rong Yu might change her opinion of him.
Little did they know that Lejur's visit to Huanbi Island was all part of Rong Yu's little trick.
Meanwhile, Lejur followed Yongzhang and brought many tonics to Huanbi Island. He first went to pay his respects to the Imperial Noble Consort, and then went with Yongzhang to visit the princess.
At that time, Rong Yu was lying on the couch waiting, worried that Lezhu'er wouldn't come! Fortunately, Yongzhang was reliable and managed to invite her over.
Upon hearing the palace servant's report, Rong Yu immediately sat up, tidied her appearance, and then went to the outer room.
Lejur ordered the young eunuch to place the tonics on the table and inquired about her injuries.
Rong Yu was not one to be pretentious; she simply said it was a minor injury and nothing serious. Then she gave Yongzhang a look, signaling him to go out first.
Yongzhang reluctantly turned and walked away, but he didn't go far. Instead, he crouched under the window by the wall, ready to eavesdrop and see what his sister and Lejur would say.
At first, the two exchanged pleasantries, which Yongzhang found uninteresting. Just then, Zheng Yanzhi passed by, saw Yongzhang there, and went over to greet him.
"The grapes in the north are ripe. I'm going to pick them. Do you want to come?"
Upon spotting her, Yongzhang immediately stood up. A head taller than her, Yongzhang proudly raised his head and said, "Call me brother, and I'll go with you."
With a slight pout of her red lips, Zheng Yanzhi reminded him with dissatisfaction, "I already said I'm a few months older than you, you should call me 'older sister'."
"But I'm taller than you! Who wouldn't say you're my sister?" Yongzhang tried to coax her into calling him brother again, but Yanzhi resolutely refused, turning her head away arrogantly, "Go if you want, I can't be bothered with you!"
Yan Zhi turned and left, and Yong Zhang, feeling bored, followed her.
Hearing his footsteps, Yan Zhi scoffed, "Weren't you saying you weren't coming?"
After clearing his throat, Yongzhang said righteously, "The grape trellis is very high. If you accidentally fall, Mother will blame me for not protecting you."
Yan Zhi bluntly pointed out, "With so many palace servants around, I don't need your protection."
Yongzhang glanced at them and said disdainfully, "They're so clumsy, how could they possibly protect you?"
The young eunuch immediately chimed in, "Yes, we servants are dull and slow, unlike the Third Prince who is quick and agile."
After exchanging a few sarcastic remarks, Yan Zhi stopped teasing him, and the two went to pick grapes together.
Meanwhile, Rong Yu sent people to guard outside, not allowing any unauthorized personnel to come over. Knowing that her younger brother had already left, she felt relieved and began to discuss important matters.
Gazing at Lejur, Rong Yu tentatively asked, "Do you... have someone you love?"
Although Lejur had studied here for several years, Chinese culture is profound and extensive, and there were still some words he had never heard before. He was focused on his studies and hadn't thought about anything else, so he was somewhat unfamiliar with the word Rong Yu mentioned.
What is... a sweetheart?
"The girl you like? When you were in Mongolia, did you have a childhood sweetheart or a girl you liked?"
Lejur then understood what she meant, and shook his head seriously, "No."
"Not at all?" Rong Yu was quite surprised. "I've met those Mongolian girls, and they're all quite pretty. Isn't there a single one you like?"
"Whether they are beautiful or not, what does it matter to me? I will not marry them." From a young age, his father had told him that he would marry into the royal family and that his wife would only be from the Aisin Gioro clan. Therefore, Lejur never gave other Mongolian girls a second glance.
Disappointed, Rong Yu asked again, "Then do you like me?"
The princess's sudden, direct question startled Lejur, who remained silent for a long while before finally asking, "Does the princess want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"Of course you want to hear the truth, you must tell the truth." To put his mind at ease, Rong Yu emphasized, "I won't be angry, don't worry!"
Lying was something Lejur was truly bad at; in his opinion, telling the truth was the easiest thing to do. Since the princess also asked him to tell the truth, he would honestly express his true feelings.
"I have had very little time with the princess, so it would be illogical for me to say that I like you. As far as I am concerned, I do not like the princess."
This was the answer Rong Yu had been waiting for! Excited, she smiled broadly, "It just so happens that I don't like you either, so let's not get engaged, shall we? Go and tell my father that the marriage is off, so that he won't have to make any more arrangements."
Upon learning the princess's true purpose, Lejur frowned. "No, I must still be engaged to the princess."
Rong Yu's smile froze. "Why? You don't like me. We have no feelings for each other. A forced engagement won't lead to a good life."
She cared about feelings, but Lejur didn't care about such things. All he cared about was the situation in Mongolia. "I don't like the princess, but I don't hate her either, so the marriage still needs to be arranged."
Rong Yu really couldn't understand, "We have no feelings for each other, so shouldn't we let each other go? Why make things difficult for both of us?"
Lejur's gaze darkened, but she remained rational. "Because of our identities, this marriage is inevitable; we have no choice."
Having exhausted all other options, Rong Yu resorted to her last desperate measure: a tactic to provoke him and make him despise her.
"But I have someone I like, I don't like you, do you still want to get engaged to me?"
She had thought that saying this would hurt Lejur's pride and make him back down, but to her surprise, Lejur remained calm, seemingly without the slightest surprise.
"So what if he likes you? He's not going to get engaged to you."
How could he be so calm? Did he know her feelings all along? Rong Yu was puzzled, but she didn't press him for details. She only complained angrily, "If it weren't for the arranged marriage, we would definitely be together!"
It was clear that the princess was averse to the arranged marriage. Lejur's dark eyes flickered slightly, and she decided to try a different strategy.
“Princess, we are not yet engaged, so there is still hope. If that person dares to propose to the Emperor, then I will tell the Emperor that I will not be engaged to you.”
When Lejur suddenly agreed, Rong Yu was overjoyed but also felt something was off. She looked at him in surprise and asked, "Is this really true?"
With a slight nod of his chin, Lejur solemnly said, "A word spoken is a word kept."
Since this opportunity was rare, Rong Yu naturally wanted to give it a try. To prevent him from changing his mind, she immediately agreed, "Okay! You said it!"
Lejur dared to say such a thing because he knew very well that Mingyi wouldn't dare!
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