Yan Yunning curved her lips. “When did you get back? Have you been to see your Crown Prince yet?”
Ye Chen’s brow was tightly knit. “Second Miss Yan, please don’t mention that either.”
He had returned the previous night. Ye Jian had told him that the Crown Prince had been missing him — and he had gone, overjoyed, to pay his respects. Only to find the Crown Prince in the middle of a towering rage. He had been so frightened he hadn’t dared to utter a single word.
From this day on, he would never believe another word Ye Jian said!!
“?” Yan Yunning frowned slightly. “What happened?”
“Some blind fool went and angered our Crown Prince. Last night, the Crown Prince’s temper was absolutely ferocious.” Ye Chen clenched his teeth. “I took the brunt of it for nothing — if I find out who did it, I’ll—”
“It seems… it seems I was the one who made Xuan Xixi angry.” Yan Yunning inserted herself meekly into the sentence.
“…” Ye Chen drew a deep breath. “Second Miss Yan, you’re the blind fool???”
Yan Yunning rubbed her nose. “Ye Chen, even if I hadn’t provoked Xuan Xixi, you’d still have gotten an earful from him.”
He had been talking about her right to her face — calling her the blind fool.
If he had said something that thoughtless in front of Xuan Xixi, getting scolded was exactly what he deserved.
“Our Crown Prince never scolds people.” Ye Chen said flatly. “You went and angered the Crown Prince, and I had to bear the fallout for nothing. And now you’re talking nonsense.”
Yan Yunning: “…”
“Just what did you do to anger our Crown Prince?” Ye Chen frowned.
The Crown Prince’s mood still hadn’t lifted this morning.
“I said I rather liked the idea of having Prince Xuan as a brother-in-law, and told him to go ahead and consider marrying my elder sister. That’s all I said.” Yan Yunning lowered her gaze.
“Consider what — the Crown Prince was already going to marry First Miss Yan.” Ye Chen blurted out.
“That’s not— I mean—” Ye Chen hurriedly slapped a hand over his own mouth.
He was done for. He had just gotten back — he wasn’t about to be sent away again.
Yan Yunning raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? And do you know why?”
Ye Chen pressed his hand over his mouth and shook his head.
The young woman curved her lips into a slow smile and gave a quiet threat. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll tell Xuan Xixi you said — and then do you think he would…”
“Second Miss Yan, my dear grandmother, I genuinely don’t know.” Ye Chen said, his face a picture of misery.
Yan Yunning’s brow knit. “You don’t know?”
“I don’t.” Ye Chen nodded frantically.
He really didn’t!!!
“Does Xuan Xixi know or not?” Yan Yunning fixed her gaze on him.
“How would I know whether the Crown Prince knows or not? Go ask the Crown Prince yourself.” Ye Chen rolled his eyes.
Yan Yunning pressed her lips together. “He said he doesn’t know.”
Ye Chen: “Then the Crown Prince doesn’t know. The Crown Prince never lies.”
Yan Yunning gave a quiet “tsk.” “You’re completely wrong about that.”
Last time she had asked Xuan Xixi — he had originally told her to stay away from him, saying he wasn’t Qi-gege and she shouldn’t come pestering him. And then he had turned around and denied ever saying it.
Said he had never said any such thing.
Ye Chen: “???”
“Second Miss Yan, since you’re the one who angered our Crown Prince, go and make it right.” Ye Chen took all the gift boxes from her arms in one swoop.
When the Crown Prince was in a foul temper, they were the ones who suffered for it.
He had no desire to keep absorbing blame for nothing.
Yan Yunning: “…”
“Go on.” Ye Chen urged.
Yan Yunning bit her lip. Xuan Xixi was so difficult to appease. If Fafa hadn’t said that according to the plot, once Xuan Xixi married her elder sister and she stayed another ten years, she could go home — she never would have provoked him to anger in the first place.
And then she found out Fafa was only guessing!!!
This was infuriating!!!
She was never going to trust a single thing it said ever again.
“Second Miss Yan, the Crown Prince should be finished with his noon meal by now and likely resting. Go quickly.” Ye Chen saw her standing there motionless and urged her again.
“But isn’t it rude to disturb him while he’s resting?” Yan Yunning’s eyes flickered.
She needed a moment to figure out what she was going to say before she went.
“Second Miss Yan, what’s rude about it? It’s not as though you haven’t shared a guest room before.” Ye Chen muttered under his breath. “Now you’re worried about disturbing the Crown Prince — before, you used to…”
“Enough. I’m going.” Yan Yunning gave an awkward, light cough.
Ye Chen broke into a grin. “Second Miss Yan, go quickly. And if you can’t manage to appease the Crown Prince — do let me know.”
So he could find somewhere to hide.
Yan Yunning gave a small nod.
Having spent the entire walk back fretting over how to open the conversation, Yan Yunning shuffled her way to Xuan Yanyu’s guest room door, exhaled slowly, and knocked.
“…”
Yan Yunning pressed her lips together and knocked again.
The door swung open. She found herself looking up into the man’s deep, dark gaze, and gave a small, squinting smile.
“Second Miss Yan. Is there something you need?” Xuan Yanyu’s long lashes dipped downward, avoiding her smiling eyes.
Yan Yunning pursed her lips. “I… I…”
She cycled through “I” several times without managing a second word.
“Second Miss Yan, if there’s nothing the matter, I’d like to rest.” The man said, his tone even.
“Then go ahead and rest.”
She would come back later.
Xuan Yanyu let out a quiet, scornful laugh, and with a sharp “bang,” closed the guest room door.
Yan Yunning: “…”
The afternoon sun was warm and full. Yan Yunning squinted into the light and wandered on, her mind elsewhere.
“Young Lord, what are you running from?” She looked up, and there was Lou Ao, moving like a man with something to hide.
Lou Ao stopped in his tracks. “Second Miss Yan.”
Yan Yunning walked closer. She spotted a large piece of braised beggar’s chicken in his hand and raised an eyebrow. “You’re throwing out food on the sly?”
Lou Ao’s eyes went wide. “What do you mean, on the sly? Shiyu bought this. She’s with child — how can she be eating street food? My heart leapt right into my throat.”
He was terrified that if she ate the wrong thing, her stomach would be upset. The concubines in his household had all suffered complications from eating things that didn’t agree with them, and several had miscarried as a result.
Yan Yunning smiled. “So you’re sneaking it out while Third Sister is resting at noon.”
Lou Ao cleared his throat. “Don’t you dare say anything in front of Shiyu.”
Yan Yunning studied Lou Ao — fine features, and clearly devoted to Shiyu. His only shortcoming was the concubines.
Lou Ao swallowed. “Second Miss Yan, there’s no need to look at me like that. I won’t be marrying you.”
He knew many young women wished to marry him — but right now, having Shiyu was enough.
Yan Yunning: “…”
Lou Ao sighed. “Second Miss Yan, Qilan has no shortage of fine gentlemen. Although compared to me…”
Yan Yunning laughed lightly. “Young Lord, rest assured — I have no intention of marrying you.”
Lou Ao gave her a sideways glance, turned and walked a few steps, then doubled back and cautioned, “You absolutely must not tell Shiyu I threw away her beggar’s chicken.”
“Understood.” Yan Yunning shook her head in fond exasperation.
Lou Ao, satisfied that she wasn’t lying, went on his way.
——
The Third Prince’s Residence.
Qi Qingchen lay sprawled in sullen misery on the daybed. Wushan stood nearby, trembling with nerves.
The Crown Prince had come back in a state this time around, unleashing a terrible fury that left him in poor spirits with everyone. Even the deeply pregnant Noble Consort Jin had been caught up in it.
“Wushan, go deal with Yan Yunning, Yan Shiyao, Xuan Yanyu, and everyone from Yuanjin Manor.” Qi Qingchen’s voice was thick with restrained agitation.
This was the only way he had been able to think of, after several days of deliberation, to finally put out the fire raging in him.
“Your Highness.” Wushan dropped to his knees with a thud and said with great care, “Please reconsider — First Miss Yan and Second Miss Yan are both legitimate daughters of the Chief Minister’s residence. If you were to act against them, the Chief Minister would not let it rest.”