“Uncle is right. Today I was too impulsive, and my words were too reckless. Fortunately the Crown Grandson was magnanimous and didn’t hold it against me. Otherwise, I’m afraid I would have brought trouble upon Uncle’s entire family today.”
Ling Jingshu stepped forward two paces, shielding Ling Xiao behind her, and said apologetically: “I will surely keep Uncle’s teachings firmly in mind. From now on, I’ll show more restraint when facing matters, think things through carefully before acting, and never again indulge in reckless words just to satisfy myself.”
Her expression was utterly sincere, her attitude of admitting fault thoroughly earnest.
The blazing anger burning in Ling Daye’s chest eased considerably at once.
Ling Jingshu spoke again, her expression apologetic: “A’Xiao is young and hot-blooded—what he said earlier were just words spoken in anger. Uncle is broad-minded and generous; surely you won’t hold it against A’Xiao.”
As she spoke, she turned and tugged at Ling Xiao’s sleeve: “A’Xiao, hurry and apologize to Uncle. And don’t ever say such foolish things about leaving again. The two of us have never been to the capital before—we don’t know a soul here. Even if we wanted to leave, how could Uncle bear to let the two of us suffer out there on our own?”
Ling Xiao was very obedient and immediately lowered his head to admit fault: “Uncle, I was wrong. Please don’t be angry with me.”
Ling Daye: “…”
He could now finally appreciate just how complicated and conflicted the Crown Grandson must have felt earlier!
Losing one’s temper and arguing with a young girl was beneath one’s dignity!
But holding it in and saying nothing risked causing internal harm from suppressed anger…
Ling Jingshu looked at Ling Daye with her bright, clear eyes: “Uncle, from today on, A’Xiao and I will stay in the cabin and never set foot outside it again. We won’t cause any more trouble. So please, don’t be angry anymore, all right?”
Faced with such a beautiful, sincere face, how could Ling Daye possibly keep up his anger any longer?
“We’ll let it go this time.” Ling Daye waved his hand weakly. “Just be more careful with what you say and do from now on. You don’t need to stay in the cabin all the time—just don’t show your faces in front of the Crown Grandson.”
Ling Jingshu agreed in a gentle voice and led Ling Xiao away to take their leave.
After the two siblings left, Ling Daye rubbed his throbbing temples, then let out a long sigh.
He had originally thought that bringing them to the capital was a minor matter, yet who could have guessed that so much would happen before they’d even arrived… At this moment, Ling Daye suddenly had an ominous feeling.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that peaceful, untroubled days were about to become a thing of the past!
Seeing his father’s gloomy, troubled expression, Ling Ji smiled and tried to comfort him: “Father, you’re really overthinking this. If the Crown Grandson had truly grown angry, why would he hold it back? He would surely have erupted right there on the spot. Since he said nothing, it would seem he wasn’t actually angry.”
He paused, then added in a lower voice: “If I had said those same words, His Highness would surely have flown into a rage. But coming from A’Shu’s mouth, why would he have grown angry at all?”
After all, any man would naturally show a beautiful young girl a bit more tolerance.
No matter how deep and formidable the Crown Grandson might be, he was, after all, still a teenage boy.
Ling Daye thought it over and sighed again: “Well, what’s done is done. We can only hope for the best now. Don’t tell your mother and the others about today’s events—no need to make them worry as well.”
Ling Ji agreed at once.
As soon as they entered the cabin, Ling Xiao pressed her in a low voice: “A’Shu, you said those things on purpose today, didn’t you? Why would you do that?”
What had happened two days earlier had been retaliation born of being pushed past her limit. But today’s words had bordered on outright provocation.
Although Ling Xiao was somewhat naive, he wasn’t foolish. He had vaguely sensed that something was off. Ling Jingshu had clearly meant to provoke the Crown Grandson on purpose…
This time, Ling Jingshu didn’t try to hide it from Ling Xiao. She nodded plainly: “Yes, I did do it on purpose.”
Ling Xiao furrowed his brow: “But what good does that do?”
Aside from angering the Crown Grandson and making Ling Daye both anxious and furious, there didn’t seem to be any obvious benefit.
A faint flicker passed through Ling Jingshu’s eyes. She smiled with an unreadable meaning: “A’Xiao, I have my own reasons for doing this.”
Her behavior these past few days had surely left a very “deep” impression on the Crown Grandson, hadn’t it!
Ling Xiao listened in complete confusion, and after waiting a long while without Ling Jingshu offering any explanation, he couldn’t help protesting: “A’Shu, what exactly are you trying to do? You’re always hiding things and not telling me!”
He frowned, his face full of sulky displeasure.
“A’Xiao, don’t be upset.” Ling Jingshu smiled as she soothed the sulking Ling Xiao: “I admit, there are indeed some things I’m keeping from you. It’s just that the time isn’t right yet, so it’s not convenient to tell you now. Once the time is ripe in the future, I’ll be sure to explain everything to you in careful detail, all right?”
As it turned out, no man could ever resist when Ling Jingshu gently asked “all right?”
Ling Xiao was no exception.
All the gloom and displeasure in his heart dissolved completely under Ling Jingshu’s gentle words.
“You’ve promised me this yourself, you know.” A smile returned to Ling Xiao’s face: “You’re not allowed to go back on it.”
She had finally managed to coax him into a good mood again! Ling Jingshu quietly let out a breath of relief and nodded with a beaming smile.
As for when exactly the time would be ripe… well, that was still a very long way off!
Little brother, you really are far too innocent and easy to fool!
Poor Ling Xiao, deceived by his own sister without even realizing it. Happily, he fetched a book and waited for Ling Jingshu to read it to him.
True to her word, Ling Jingshu indeed never left the cabin again. With nothing else to occupy her, she read books aloud to Ling Xiao, or occasionally did needlework to pass the time, living rather leisurely and at ease.
Ling Daye, his heart in his throat, continued going to pay his respects to the Crown Grandson, secretly preparing himself for the possibility that His Highness might turn hostile and settle the score at any moment. Fearing that Ling Ji might be implicated as well, Ling Daye simply went alone each time.
However, the scene he had braced himself for never came to pass.
The Crown Grandson remained as aloof and cold as ever, saying little and showing no anger. He merely frowned slightly upon seeing that Ling Daye had come alone to pay his respects.
Trembling with apprehension, Ling Daye kept his head lowered and failed to notice the fleeting expression that crossed the Crown Grandson’s face. He silently congratulated himself again and again. Since the Crown Grandson had never once mentioned the events of that day, it seemed he was truly magnanimous and hadn’t taken it to heart.
The anxious knot in Ling Daye’s heart finally loosened.
Wang Tong’s own heart, however, leapt up into his throat.
Sure enough, the moment Ling Daye left, the Crown Grandson’s expression darkened.
Of course, the Crown Grandson had never been one to smile easily to begin with—only those closest to him could discern his true mood from the slightest changes in his expression.
At this moment, the Crown Grandson was clearly somewhere between “not very pleased” and “quite displeased.”
That sharp-tongued Ninth Miss Ling clearly hadn’t come today—so why was the Crown Grandson unhappy again?
“Wang Tong,” the Crown Grandson suddenly spoke up, “how much farther to Luoyang?”
Not daring to be slow about it, Wang Tong quickly answered, “About two more days, Your Highness.”
The Crown Grandson gave a small acknowledging sound.
Wang Tong waited for a long while, but the Crown Grandson asked nothing further, and he finally let out a small breath of relief. Thinking that they would reach the capital in just two more days, he felt his spirits lift once again.
Once they returned to the residence, eunuch attendants and palace maids would take care of the Crown Grandson’s daily needs, and he, as the captain of the guard, would finally no longer need to attend to such matters himself.