Cao Dejiang: "..." He let go of Fu Laiqing’s nape, puzzled. "Did you act inappropriately toward her?"
"I didn’t."
"Then what did you do?"
"I didn’t do anything! She just said it herself."
Fu Laiqing hung his head, looking pitiful. If he had done something wrong, he could accept it, but he hadn’t even had the chance to express his feelings before being cleanly rejected.
"She even sent something to our residence yesterday. I thought she liked me…"
Cao Dejiang frowned at his muttering. "The County Princess sent something to your residence?"
"Yes, high-quality ginseng. Her people personally delivered it to Grandmother. I saw it myself."
"Only to your grandmother? No one else?"
Fu Laiqing gaped. "Why would she send it to anyone else?"
"..."
Cao Dejiang was at a loss for words. He wanted to scold this clueless boy but held back, worried he might upset Fu Laiqing enough to make him jump off the carriage. Suppressing his frustration, he hissed through gritted teeth, "Did it occur to you that your grandmother’s recent visit to her might have prompted this gesture?"
Seeing Fu Laiqing’s red-eyed, clueless expression, he continued impatiently, "Your grandmother, knowing your feelings, likely visited her at Jiyun Alley to propose a connection. During their conversation, she must have hinted at the possibility of marriage. If the County Princess had any intention of agreeing, she wouldn’t have contacted your family before obtaining the Lu family’s official divorce papers. Even if she did, she wouldn’t send gifts only to your grandmother."
Though Fu Laiqing’s grandmother wielded significant authority in the family, his parents were his nominal guardians. If Tang Ning truly had intentions, she wouldn’t neglect them. Moreover, Tang Ning didn’t strike him as someone who would act so fervently without proper boundaries.
That girl had clearly intended to gently decline the match while preserving goodwill between the two families. Sending the ginseng to Fu’s grandmother was her way of diplomatically rejecting the notion.
But this foolish boy had let it all go to his head.
Cao Dejiang regretted bringing Fu Laiqing to Tang Ning’s residence today, especially after realizing the gift had already been sent. Shaking his head at Fu Laiqing’s pale, stricken expression, he thought of Tang Ning’s astute and measured demeanor earlier. "That girl is thoughtful and considerate. Her words today were meant to clearly signal her disinterest. She wants to cut this short now to spare you future heartache."
Youthful infatuation, while passionate, was best curtailed early if unrequited. It saved both parties unnecessary pain.
Fu Laiqing remained silent, head bowed.
Cao Dejiang glanced at the forlorn boy. His brief burst of affection had barely lasted two days before being shattered by reality. Feeling a rare pang of sympathy, he softened his tone.
"All right, don’t dwell on it. There are plenty of young ladies in the capital. Find someone else to admire. Truth be told, that County Princess isn’t a good match for you."
"She’s brilliant and quick to learn, with an eagerness to improve. But your thinking is too slow for her."
Fu Laiqing: "..."
His eyes reddened further as he muttered, "Uncle, you could just stay quiet."
His heart was already aching; now his liver hurt too.
=====================
"What did you say to Fu Laiqing earlier to leave him looking so distraught?" Xiao Yan had noticed Fu Laiqing’s tearful departure.
"Nothing much, just wished him a quick match with a beautiful wife."
Under the swaying lantern light, Tang Ning casually replied before pulling Xiao Yan’s hand closer to examine it through his sleeve. Seeing that the previously reddened area had faded and the slender, well-defined fingers were as beautiful as ever, she sighed in relief. "Thankfully, it didn’t blister. Brother, be more careful next time."
Xiao Yan glanced at the high bun atop her head as she leaned down. No wonder that Fu boy had looked so crestfallen—her charm was undeniable. Feeling inexplicably cheerful, he grasped Tang Ning’s wrist lightly and said, with a suppressed chuckle, "You didn’t sleep all night. Aren’t you tired?"
Tang Ning murmured, "I was earlier, but not now."
Cao Dejiang, an experienced elder, was sharp and exacting despite his outward warmth. During their earlier "chat," Tang Ning had been on high alert, carefully analyzing his probing remarks and doing her best to absorb the lessons hidden in his words.
Now, any lingering sleepiness was gone, and she felt entirely alert.
"Shall we visit the imperial prison?" Xiao Yan asked.
Tang Ning’s expression froze. "To see the Prince of Cheng?"
Xiao Yan nodded. "He was captured last night, but with all the palace matters, I haven’t had a chance to check on him. Since you sent him a ‘gift,’ would you like to visit?"
"Yes!"
Tang Ning straightened up but then suddenly realized he was still holding her wrist. She glanced at his hand in confusion, but before she could say anything, Xiao Yan released her hand naturally and tucked his hand into his sleeve, saying casually, "I’ll have the carriage prepared. Change into something warmer, and bring a cloak—it gets cold in the prison at night."
Tang Ning watched as Xiao Yan turned to instruct Canglang to prepare the carriage. His tall figure cast a long shadow on the ground near the gate. Absentmindedly, she touched her wrist, where a faint warmth lingered.
She glanced at Xiao Yan’s hand hanging by his side and compared sizes in her mind.
Brother’s hands are so big.
==============
The imperial prison was unusually quiet at night. Guards remained outside, leaving the inner halls to the heavy silence of the inmates. The occasional groans of prisoners who had suffered punishment during the day reverberated through the corridors like a persistent nightmare, unsettling the Prince of Cheng and his son, both experiencing the prison for the first time.
Xie Yin’s face was pale, all traces of his former arrogance as a noble son erased. His once-luxurious robe was crumpled and clung awkwardly to him as he shrank into a corner, trembling with fear at the pitch-black corridor beyond the cell.
"Father… Father…"
His pitiful cries, filled with fear, were intermittent, his trembling worsening as he clung to the cell bars and glanced at the Prince of Cheng. "Father…"
The Prince of Cheng sat on a pile of straw, looking up coldly. "What is it?"
Xie Yin’s voice quivered. "Will… will they torture us too?" His lips were ghostly pale. "I heard that once Xiao Yan interrogates someone, no one leaves without confessing. His punishments are cruel. If they torture us…"
The Prince of Cheng’s face darkened. His clenched fists betrayed his unease. In the past, Xiao Yan wouldn’t have dared lay a finger on him. But now, with the evidence of the Thunder Crossbows and other contraband discovered in the prince’s residence, the Emperor’s wrath was assured. Xiao Yan could use whatever methods he wanted, and no one would intervene.
"Father, I’m scared…"
"Scared of what!"
The Prince of Cheng scowled at his son’s trembling figure, instinctively wanting to berate him. But before the words left his lips, he seemed to remember something and swallowed them back. "Though I’ve made mistakes, your mother is still out there. You’re her blood. She won’t just stand by and let you die."
As things stood, the imperial clan would likely abandon him. His only hope was his "son" and Rong Yue’s compassion. She might hate him, but she wouldn’t let Xie Yin die. If she could soften Xiao Yan’s stance, Xie Yin might escape, and the Prince of Cheng could use that to save himself.
Forcing a gentle tone, he approached Xie Yin and murmured, "Your mother will protect you."
========
T/N: Things between Tangning and Xiao Yan are slowly progressing
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“Brother’s hands are so big.” 😂 my mind… probably needs cleaning 😂😂😂
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