Chapter 039: Longing

Wu Tan felt a sudden tingling at her scalp, half-kneeling on the carriage shaft, and, unwilling to give up, turned her head slowly—

Sure enough, she saw that man approaching gracefully through the bustling crowd!

Hadn’t he already left?!

Her eyes instantly filled with wariness once more.

Xiao Yue cast her a brief, indifferent glance, then shifted his gaze to Wu Qinglin.

“And you are—?” Wu Qinglin sized him up cautiously, his expression clearly guarded.

“I am Xiao Yue. As for Young Master Wu, we might be considered colleagues of a sort. Since we’ve met here today, I thought I would come and say hello,” Xiao Yue replied.

“So it is Your Highness, Prince Sheng!” Wu Qinglin was greatly surprised, but he cupped his hands with courteous respect. “I have long heard of you. It is said you have returned to the capital. Prince Sheng, your military achievements are renowned. I, Wu Qinglin, have long admired your name.”

Xiao Yue smiled, accepting the compliment without protest, and didn’t bother to flatter Wu Qinglin’s father in return. Instead, his gaze shifted to Wu Tan. “Why, upon seeing me, do you not offer a greeting?”

What was with this tone that sounded as if the two of them were close acquaintances?

Wu Tan wanted nothing more than to curse, but on her face she forced a blatantly fake smile. “Greetings, Your Highness!”

Wu Qinglin’s gaze flickered between the two, his suspicions deepening.

Xiao Yue seemed to understand his unease and took the initiative to explain, “Your sister and I seem fated to meet; in the few days since my return to the capital, we have already run into each other several times.”

Though his words were not exaggerated, Wu Tan understood his implication well—

He definitely harbored ill intentions.

But, faced directly with Xiao Yue, she dared not contradict him. Instead, she clung to Wu Qinglin’s arm, hiding behind him.

Xiao Yue saw her behavior and felt a wave of irritation, but could say nothing, his expression growing somewhat unpredictable.

Wu Qinglin sensed the oddity in the air and, without drawing attention, shifted his stance to shield Wu Tan behind him. He then bowed and said, “My younger sister has always been mischievous. If she has in any way offended Your Highness, I apologize on her behalf. I hope Your Highness will be magnanimous and not take offense.”

“You’re too modest, Young Master Wu. I find this young lady knows when to advance and when to retreat; she is unlikely to cause any real trouble.” His words seemed to carry a double meaning. Wu Qinglin sensed something amiss, but before he could dwell on it, Xiao Yue changed the subject: “To have met so often is surely fate. In ten days, on the twenty-sixth of the third month, my household will celebrate the opening of my new residence, and I intend to host a banquet to mark the occasion. Since fate has brought us together, I wish to invite you both personally.”

Given his status and the polite way he extended the invitation, refusing it would be inviting trouble.

Wu Qinglin did not hesitate and nodded at once. “Your Highness’s invitation is an honor. I shall not decline and will come to offer my congratulations with a generous gift.”

“Good!” Xiao Yue nodded slightly.

Beside them, Wu Tan clung to Wu Qinglin’s arm, staring at her fingers in despair, when suddenly Xiao Yue called on her by name: “Will the Second Young Lady also prepare a congratulatory gift for me?”

Wu Tan jerked her head up, her brow tightly knit—

She had never intended to go at all!

Wu Qinglin, too, was on high alert.

This Prince Sheng—was he insisting that Wu Tan attend as well?

Wu Qinglin drew a breath and was about to decline when Xiao Yue abruptly shifted the conversation again, turning to him and asking casually, “Is the Second Young Lady’s birthday at the end of June?”

Wu Qinglin’s heart skipped a beat, and the words died in his throat.

Behind him, Wu Tan gripped his sleeve tightly, her face turning pale.

“Soon, I shall have someone deliver an official invitation to your residence,” Xiao Yue said, clearly satisfied with the effect of his words. He cast one last glance at the siblings and did not linger further. “I have other matters to attend to and will take my leave now.”

“Take care, Your Highness,” Wu Qinglin replied, bowing deeply.

Xiao Yue turned and walked away.

After only a few steps, the young woman who had been waiting nearby hurried over to greet him. “Your Highness!” As she spoke, her gaze kept drifting toward the Wu family, full of suspicion.

“Mm.” Xiao Yue glanced at her briefly and continued walking.

The woman tactfully fell in behind him, but couldn’t help glancing back repeatedly.

“Who were those people on the carriage? Does His Highness know them well?” she asked Lei Ming, still puzzled.

Lei Ming answered truthfully, “The heir and second young lady of Marquis Dingyuan’s household.”

“Oh,” she replied absentmindedly.

Lei Ming found it odd. “Why are you here?”

“His Highness has been out of the residence for most of the day and hasn’t yet returned. I was worried about his injury and came to check on him. Is he all right?”

“He’s fine.”

…

Their group gradually disappeared into the distance.

Meanwhile, Wu Qinglin’s brow remained furrowed for a long time before he finally withdrew his gaze. He exchanged a look with Wu Tan; both siblings wore solemn expressions.

He vaulted onto the carriage with a push on the shaft.

On their way home, Wu Qingrui had tired himself out and was now sprawled in a corner, fast asleep with drool on his face. Wu Tan, uncharacteristically, had become quiet and withdrawn.

Wu Qinglin, too, felt uneasy—

Though Xiao Yue’s words had not been explicit, the hints were clear enough; he had the distinct impression that Xiao Yue knew something.

“He said you’ve met several times?” Wu Qinglin asked Wu Tan.

Could His Highness be deliberately seeking chances to approach his sister with ulterior motives?

That man, after years on the battlefield, possessed both cunning and experience. If he wished to scheme, how could an inexperienced girl like Wu Tan possibly cope?

Given his unique status, the man was simply too dangerous. The thought that he might be plotting to get close to Wu Tan made Wu Qinglin’s skin crawl.

“We haven’t met several times! We just happened to cross paths in the palace the other day, and then today bumped into each other at that fortune-teller’s stall,” Wu Tan replied in a low voice. “What’s he after, anyway? He knows perfectly well that His Majesty dislikes any closeness between our families… Brother, about that matter of my birthdate—could it be him…”

Wu Qinglin drew in a sharp breath.

Indeed, if Xiao Yue harbored some other intention, he would be the last person wanting to see the Wu family and the royal house joined by marriage.

Thinking the matter through again, however, he shook his head. “No… Judging by Huo Yunhua’s reaction at the time, she really seemed to be responsible for it. If someone was pulling strings behind the scenes, she wouldn’t have panicked like that. As for Prince Sheng… I’ve never dealt with him, but his reputation in the army suggests he’s a man of some integrity. He’s probably not the sort to stoop to such tricks. Perhaps he simply happened to find out.”

Wu Tan still felt uneasy about Xiao Yue, her small face scrunched up in worry. “Then what’s he doing now? Why would he openly associate with us, knowing the emperor is wary of our two families?”

This was precisely what Wu Qinglin found most puzzling.

The siblings locked eyes for a long while, but in the end, neither could come up with a solution.

Back at the marquis’s manor, Wu Tan went straight to Jingchun Studio, while Wu Qinglin took Wu Qingrui to the old madam before returning to his own quarters. He decided not to mention their chance encounter with Xiao Yue, lest it trouble the old lady.

In Jingchun Studio, the two maids noticed that ever since their mistress had returned from the temple fair, she had lost all appetite for food and tea, her face perpetually clouded with worry. Sometimes she gazed at the sky, sometimes stamped her feet, and every so often would let out a sudden wail or a long sigh.

The maids puzzled over her behavior for days, until, passing by Yunlan Pavilion, they caught a glimpse through the door of Wu Qingqiong diligently studying her etiquette, radiant with the glow of young love. Suddenly, Xingzi slapped her own forehead, as if awakening to the truth—

Damn! Could it be their young mistress had met someone at the temple fair and come down with a case of lovesickness?

——Author’s Note——

Wu Tan: Hey… I’m only being forced by a tyrant to hand in an assignment that I can’t complete. You’re all overthinking it, okay? →_→

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