Pei Xuan paused for a moment at the courtyard gate, hesitating whether to have someone announce his arrival.
It was already inappropriate for me to visit so late at night. If I sent someone to inform her, Jiang Wan, with her vigilance, would definitely realize something and become wary.
The best way is to go straight in.
However, given their different social statuses, he couldn't just barge into a woman's private quarters.
If it's just a misunderstanding, wouldn't it ruin her reputation for no reason?
If it's not a misunderstanding, Jiang Wan is Qingwu...
Pei Xuan frowned slightly, his eyes filled with complex emotions.
Then you absolutely cannot just barge in and offend her.
Just as they were hesitating, a figure suddenly walked out of the courtyard.
"Your Highness?"
Pei Xuan looked up and met a slightly immature, clear and handsome face.
He had met Song Yu before and recognized him at a glance, nodding slightly.
"Why is Your Highness here so late?" Song Yu asked.
Pei Xuan: "I need to speak with your mother about something."
Song Yu looked up at him, her posture respectful, but her voice was cold: "That's unfortunate, Mother is taking a bath and it's probably inconvenient for her to receive guests."
"If Your Highness has anything to say, please let me know, and I will pass it on to Mother."
Pei Xuan glanced at Song Yu and sensed a strange wariness and hostility from him.
He said, "I can wait."
Song Yu nodded in agreement and stopped trying to stop him. He instructed a maid to lead Pei Xuan to the main hall and then summoned a servant.
"Go to the study and tell Father that His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived and that he should come quickly."
Pei Xuan raised an eyebrow at him.
Song Yu respectfully replied, "Your Highness is an honored guest, and it is only right that Father should receive you. If you were to meet with Mother alone late at night, it would damage your reputations. Please have a seat in the main hall; Father will be there soon."
Pei Xuan's eyes darkened as he narrowed his gaze to meet his eyes.
His intuition was right; the kid was indeed on guard against him.
Moreover, judging from the other party's expression, besides being wary, there was also a hint of tension.
Although Song Yu was good at hiding his emotions, he was still young, and Pei Xuan noticed something was wrong.
"There's no need for such trouble."
Pei Xuan tossed something from his sleeve into his hand.
"I heard she was seriously injured. Please give this medicine to her."
Having said that, he turned and left.
Seeing that he was no longer insistent on seeing Jiang Wan, Song Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Only when Pei Xuan's figure disappeared through the moon gate did Song Yu turn around and give a wink to the corner of the courtyard.
A servant boy, acting suspiciously, ran out carrying a white cat.
The cat, having been covered for a while, was quite dissatisfied and struggled in the servant's arms. Upon seeing Song Yu, it meowed and pounced into his arms.
"Qingqing." Song Yu patted its head reassuringly.
The servant was completely bewildered: "Young master, is there something wrong with this cat?"
Upon hearing that His Highness the Crown Prince had arrived, Song Yu instructed him to take the cat away and hide it in the backyard.
Song Yu's eyes flickered.
Ever since he learned of Jiang Wan's identity, he has paid special attention to Xingzhi Academy.
Pei Xuan received the news as soon as he arrived at the door tonight.
Actually, he didn't know what was wrong with Qingqing.
Whenever outsiders came, Jiang Wan would have Biluo take Qingqing away, and once she even fostered her in Aunt Ru's courtyard.
Just in case, he deliberately climbed over the wall from the side to hide Qingqing before dealing with Pei Xuan.
Thankfully, it was a close call.
Not long after, Jiang Wan finished bathing and called Song Yu in to talk.
"The Crown Prince has arrived?"
Hearing Song Yu's words, she was surprised, and when she saw the cat in his arms, she was even more stunned.
"Yes, His Highness the Crown Prince asked me to give this to you."
Song Yu took out a small celadon porcelain bottle, handed it to Jiang Wan, placed Qingqing on the ground with one hand, and said with a smile.
“Mother, Qingqing is getting more and more naughty. When the Crown Prince came just now, it had run off to play somewhere. I only found it in the backyard after the prince left.”
Jiang Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief.
However, after opening the porcelain bottle, her eyes widened in surprise again.
What's inside... isn't any medicine at all, it's just ordinary water.
Her eyes were tense, and her heart skipped a beat.
Those who are not injured naturally do not need medicine.
Pei Xuan was telling her that he had seen through her scheme and knew that the person who was injured behind the screen today was not her.
"What else did the Crown Prince say?" Jiang Wan asked.
Song Yu shook his head, thought for a moment, and then said, "Your Highness, is there something urgent that you are visiting so late at night? If Mother has any worries, you may let me share your burdens."
Jiang Wan was a little flustered, but she smiled at him and said, "It's alright. The martial arts competition is just around the corner. You'll be competing in a couple of days, so just focus on preparing for the competition."
Song Yu nodded obediently.
"Speaking of which, the Crown Prince came to Xingzhi Courtyard without alerting my father, which means he entered discreetly through the side gate. If I hadn't happened to arrive, he would have gone straight in."
"This is an oversight by the servants in the manor. Mother, you can check who was on duty at the side gate tonight. They were so careless that they didn't even report the Crown Prince's arrival."
Jiang Wan had also thought of this, and upon hearing this, she said, "I understand."
She asked Biluo to investigate, but the result was beyond her expectations.
"Shen Ci".
She looked at the person kneeling before her with their head bowed and questioned them.
"Why didn't you inform Pei Xuan before he came to visit?"
Shen Ci didn't even look up and replied, "His Highness the Crown Prince said that you invited him here and told me not to make a fuss so that others in the mansion wouldn't find out."
Jiang Wan frowned.
She had previously taken Shen Ci to meet Pei Xuan privately, and Shen Ci knew that she had a secret deal with Pei Xuan.
Therefore, it's understandable that he would believe Pei Xuan's words.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com