This matter would not end here. He wouldn’t let it, and Fan Liangdi, who knew he wouldn’t, definitely wouldn’t either. The tiger had already bared its sharp claws and fangs—it would never return empty-handed. On this point, he and the Fan family were aligned. Though some matters couldn’t be resolved openly, there were plenty of methods in the shadows.
Ye Jingkuan found Zhou Weizhao’s smile somewhat inscrutable. He had never been quite able to fathom Zhou Weizhao’s thoughts. This young man was a full dozen years younger than him, about the same age as his younger brother. But his little brother was transparent as a blank sheet of paper—you could see through any thought in his mind at a glance. Zhou Weizhao’s thoughts, however, were like an unfathomably deep lake. When you looked through that jade-green, clear surface, you thought you could see clearly, but in reality, aside from that touch of green on the water’s surface, nothing deeper was visible at all.
This ability to keep one’s emotions and anger hidden—even the Crown Prince probably hadn’t practiced to this degree yet. At least the Crown Prince couldn’t hide his displeasure toward the Crown Princess and Zhou Weizhao no matter how he tried. Compared to his son, the Crown Prince was truly inferior.
Zhou Weizhao coughed a few times. These past days of rest hadn’t improved his complexion at all. He remained pale-faced, with bloodshot veins appearing in his usually clear black-and-white eyes, and unhealed wounds still on his handsome face. Yet the words that came from his mouth were not at all affected by these injuries. He laughed softly and said to his uncle by marriage, the Prince Consort: “Don’t worry, Uncle. This won’t just end like this.”
Ye Jingkuan was still somewhat concerned. After all, one must be cautious when there were complications—the Crown Prince was still ahead of them. He looked at Zhou Weizhao and sighed: “The Princess said that a beauty in the Eastern Palace is with child.”
The Crown Prince had always been quite restrained when it came to women. His health wasn’t good, and the imperial physicians and officiants all advised him to exercise restraint. For the sake of his precious life, he had always done so. That he and Zhou Weiqi were this age before gaining younger siblings wasn’t hard to understand. Therefore, Zhou Weizhao merely laughed once. This matter had no impact on him. Who knew how long it would take for a child to grow up? Besides, he wasn’t close to his father to begin with. To him, whether he had this younger sibling or not made no difference.
Ye Jingkuan also understood this principle. After telling Zhou Weizhao he was going to visit Commander Lai, he lifted his feet to leave. As he turned through the covered corridor, he happened to encounter Song Chuyi and couldn’t help but stop. After Song Chuyi finished her greeting to him, he nodded at her warmly with a slight smile: “Is Sixth Miss going to see His Highness?”
Song Sixth’s intelligence and quick wit were even more formidable than he’d imagined. He increasingly felt that Father’s judgment was excellent. But good judgment was one thing—whether the other party appreciated it was quite another. Thinking of this, the smile on his face faded slightly. Ye Jingchuan these past days had been like an eggplant hit by frost—all his spirit and energy gone, his usual liveliness completely vanished without a trace.
As a man, he felt that with their family’s status, they certainly wouldn’t disgrace this Sixth Miss Song. Yet Miss Song Sixth had simply and straightforwardly rejected the Zhennan Prince Manor’s sincere intentions.
Song Chuyi lowered her head to avoid the trace of anger in his gaze and said softly: “Yes, Grandmother instructed me to come deliver Qi-Nourishing Pills to His Highness.”
Ye Jingkuan couldn’t be bothered to be angry with her anymore. He raised his eyebrows and asked: “Qi-Nourishing Pills? Didn’t they say that old man always keeps them on his person and doesn’t give them to others? Was he found?”
If Master Taibai had been found, Zhou Weizhao’s illness could recover faster. Though he was now conscious, as the physicians said, the fear was that the residual poison might seep into his internal organs—that would be troublesome later.
“Not yet.” Song Chuyi shook her head. “This small bottle of Qi-Nourishing Pills was something my Second Uncle searched all over Jinzhong for and bought at an astronomical price from someone. I’ll first take it to show Officiant Hu and the others. If they can be used, we can use them first. That way, even if we can’t find Master Taibai for a while, His Highness can have some respite.”
Zhou Weizhao had been injured saving this very Sixth Miss Song before him. That Sixth Miss Song and the Cui residence had this thoughtfulness was good. Ye Jingkuan looked at her again, brushed past her, walked a short distance, then turned back to call to her.
The long corridor was hung full of beauty lanterns that all swayed when the wind blew. Standing in the sea of lanterns, Song Chuyi raised her head toward him with a slight smile, her voice as calm as ever: “Yes, what is it?”
Even Ye Jingkuan was momentarily dazzled by this smile. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. With such beauty and such background, if he were Ye Jingchuan, it would be hard not to be moved. Unfortunately, the falling flowers had feelings, but the flowing water was indifferent. He looked at Song Chuyi, raising his hand to cover his lips as he coughed once: “I know Sixth Miss is not like ordinary young ladies of noble families. Forgive my presumption for speaking out of turn, but may I ask—why doesn’t Sixth Miss think favorably of our second son?”
Song Chuyi lowered her head. This question was difficult to answer. Should she say she didn’t want to marry into a high-ranking noble family and wanted to marry into a simple household where she could easily control her husband and live her life? She had thought that way before, but later Zhou Weizhao had said—how would such a life be any different from her previous life? To live calculating her pillow companion’s preferences—what kind of good life was that?
Should she say she was actually afraid that Second Young Master Ye’s wholehearted sincerity would eventually be worn away bit by bit in the long river of time, afraid he wouldn’t receive equal return and would grow weary? Or should she say she actually no longer knew how to like someone at all?
She stood there quietly for a moment, then raised her eyes to look at Ye Jingkuan, her gaze filled with undisguised honesty: “I don’t like Second Young Master Ye and don’t wish to delay him. Though marriage is the union of two families, mutual affection is the foundation for living well together. I don’t like Second Young Master Ye, and in the future, Second Young Master Ye won’t be happy for having married me either.”
She said she didn’t like him. Ye Jingkuan’s eyes widened. He coughed awkwardly several times before recovering, then carefully and thoroughly examined Song Chuyi once more before smiling: “So that’s how it is.” He said, thinking for a moment, then somewhat puzzled: “Sixth Miss Song, aren’t you afraid I’ll think you frivolous for saying such things to me?”
How could a young lady of a prestigious family so easily and confidently talk about liking and not liking, about being pleased or not pleased? Shouldn’t she find some high-sounding reasons to make the situation look more proper?
“The Prince Consort is not that kind of person. Everyone in the Zhennan Prince Manor is not that kind of person.” Song Chuyi’s voice was like clear, bright water—without much fluctuation yet comfortable to hear. She shook her head, looking at Ye Jingkuan: “If I spoke lies and empty words, that would be hypocritical. It’s not that Second Young Master Ye or your family is lacking—it’s that I myself don’t like him.”