Chapter 3

Cheng Nanyu turned around and saw the Empress Dowager smiling affectionately at her, as if reassuring her. After a brief pause, she turned and stepped out of the hall.

“Mother, is there something you wish to discuss with your child?”

Princess Qingyang watched everyone leave the grand hall and then noticed the Empress Dowager waving her over. She hesitated for a moment, but walked over and sat beside the Empress Dowager.

“I understand that you’ve had concerns about Ah Shu for many years, so if you want to make it up to him and treat him well now that he’s back, I can empathize with that. But Qingyang, even though Yu’er isn’t your biological daughter, has grown up by your side and is like your own. You mustn’t neglect Yu’er just because Ah Shu has returned. That child is sensitive…”

The Empress Dowager held her daughter’s hand, and her words carried a reminder. She had observed Princess Qingyang’s actions today and could discern her intentions. Although Yu’er wasn’t her biological child, she had grown up by her side, and the Empress Dowager understood her daughter’s temperament very well. She knew that her daughter was concerned about her own biological child but also wanted to protect Cheng Nanyu from any injustices. Therefore, she wanted to offer a gentle reminder to her daughter, but as she spoke, she looked at Princess Qingyang and felt that her words might not have been fully absorbed.

Princess Qingyang felt a sense of sorrow in her heart after listening to the Empress Dowager’s words. Regardless of her feelings towards Yu’er, it was the Empress Dowager’s attitude that made her uncomfortable. After all, Ah Shu was the Empress Dowager’s biological grandson…

But despite her thoughts, she also considered her own mother’s feelings and chose not to voice her concerns.

“Mother, I understand your concerns. Although Yu’er isn’t my biological child, she has grown up by my side. I won’t neglect her just because Ah Shu has returned. You can rest assured.”

The Empress Dowager listened to her daughter’s heartfelt assurance. Though she remained concerned, she knew that there were certain things she couldn’t press too hard on. She nodded to signify that she understood.

No matter what, Yu’er still had her grandmother now, and even if she herself were gone a century from now, there would at least be an emperor to look after this young girl. She wouldn’t let her suffer.

Although it was already dusk, the palace remained brightly lit.

Cheng Nanyu followed Cheng Lingdong absentmindedly as they headed toward the main hall. The banquet was about to start, but the Empress Dowager had just detained her mother, and Cheng Nanyu couldn’t guess what the two were talking about. However, she could see that her mother seemed to care more about her brother…

But it was understandable. After all, Ah Shu was her mother’s biological son, so he was naturally different from her.

“Aiya, Yu’er, what are you daydreaming about?”

Cheng Lingdong wasn’t oblivious to the scene just now. At that time, everyone’s attention was on Cheng Nanyu, but Princess Qingyang had been staring at the entrance of Xingqing Palace, clearly worried about Song Yushu. Cheng Nanyu’s displeasure was understandable. There was nothing she could say about the situation, but she needed to find a way to cheer up Cheng Nanyu.

“I heard Father and Minister Lin discussing the great victory in the borderlands, and General Fang will be returning to the capital soon!”

With the news of General Fang returning triumphant, Cheng Nanyu’s mood brightened a little. Upon hearing that her father was coming back, she pushed aside the recent events. When her father returned, who would be afraid of the mere Song Yushu? Her father was a prestigious Grand General!

With this thought in mind, she felt happy and pulled Cheng Lingdong towards the main hall. Her steps were so brisk that Cheng Lingdong couldn’t help but wonder if this was the same Cheng Nanyu who had been so gentle and soft-spoken in Xingqing Palace just a while ago.

Cheng Nanyu naturally didn’t know what Cheng Lingdong was thinking. She was simply happy, and with a light-hearted stride, she followed her into the main hall. As soon as she sat down, she was grabbed by An Yue, the sixth Miss of the Cheng’an Marquis’s family.

“Commandary Princess, why are you so cheerful today?”

Cheng Nanyu had come over happily, and her light, quick steps seemed as if she could bounce at any moment. An Yue, who was like a busybody, instantly noticed that Cheng Nanyu had some good news.

When Cheng Nanyu heard someone speaking to her next to her, she turned to look and saw An Yue. The smile on her face faded slightly. Everyone knew that the sixth Miss of the Cheng’an Marquis’s family was adept at being all things to all people. Despite her already high birth, her elder sister had married the legitimate second son of the Duke of Chen’s family, raising her status even further. However, she couldn’t seem to shake this habit.

At least in Cheng Nanyu’s eyes, always trying to please people was a flaw. But as a young lady from a prominent family, she couldn’t be too disrespectful. Besides, she was in a very good mood right now, so she spoke with a friendly tone.

“Well, of course, there’s something to be happy about…” As she began to speak, she suddenly remembered that her father’s return to the capital had been disclosed to her by Cheng Lingdong in advance. She couldn’t reveal this information yet, so she quickly stopped herself. But since she had already begun speaking, what other reason could she give for her happiness? “My elder brother’s visit today naturally makes me happy!”

That excuse worked well; after all, her elder brother was someone she should be delighted to see!

“Oh, I see. Congratulations to the princess!” An Yue looked carefully at Song Yushu, who was sitting in front, and then shyly lowered her head. “The princess has such a wonderful brother; it’s truly enviable.”

She spoke these words softly, leaving Cheng Nanyu unable to help but glance at her.

It was interesting to note that the Cheng’an Marquis’s family had seven daughters but not a single son, despite having had many concubines over the years, none of whom had managed to give birth to a son. This was a topic that was often discussed over tea in the capital.

On the surface, An Yue seemed to be envious of Cheng Nanyu having such a brother. However, in Cheng Nanyu’s view, An Yue’s feelings were more than just simple envy. Observing her bashful expression and blushing cheeks, it seemed like she might have fallen in love with her brother at first sight.

An Yue, oh An Yue, why fall for someone like her brother? It was just inviting trouble.

But since Cheng Nanyu never liked An Yue, she had no intention of offering her any friendly advice.

The banquet proceeded as usual, with nothing special happening except for the fact that Cheng Nanyu couldn’t slip over to Cheng Lingdong like she had during the New Year’s banquet. The same old performances and traditions that they had seen many times before didn’t pique her interest.

“Princess, are you finding this boring?” An Yue, seeing Cheng Nanyu looking disinterested, had surprisingly abandoned her usual haughty demeanor and instead approached Cheng Nanyu. She asked if she was bored, which left Cheng Nanyu quite surprised.

In the capital, there were plenty of people who looked down on Cheng Nanyu, and An Yue was one of them. Did she really think Cheng Nanyu was unaware of it? She had the audacity to come and stand in front of her.

“How about… I accompany the princess to the Royal Garden?” She volunteered to accompany Cheng Nanyu for a walk, but Cheng Nanyu didn’t appreciate the offer. She simply waved her hand and stood up to leave. Why would she want to go for a walk with someone who didn’t like her? She went to relax, not to make herself uncomfortable.

She slipped away from the banquet on her own, without letting Han Xiao and Fu Rong follow her, and headed to the Royal Garden.

Although the sun had already set, the Royal Garden was brightly lit with lanterns, making it seem like daytime. The flowers in the garden were all visible, and Cheng Nanyu took several laps around the garden, not really having anything to do. She wandered around, occasionally fiddling with her fingers.

She was thinking about when her father would return and had walked many laps around a cobblestone path. She had counted the number of cobblestones on the ground and felt like she could count them all.

“Oh!”

The path had been smooth and uneventful until now, but at a turn in the path, there was suddenly another person. This startled her, and before she could react, she bumped into the person.

In her panic, Cheng Nanyu tried to stop and see who the person in front of her was, but before she could react, the person grabbed her around the waist, and she fell into their arms.

“Did my little sister bump into her elder brother and want to leave?” The voice was both familiar and unfamiliar. Cheng Nanyu closed her eyes and thought carefully. This voice… was probably… Song Yushu?

“E-elder brother…”

She was genuinely afraid of Song Yushu, but she didn’t want to show her fear so clearly. Unfortunately, her mind understood, but her mouth didn’t cooperate, and she ended up stammering, unable to control herself.

“Why does my little sister sound like a rooster when she speaks? Oh… wait, my little sister is a girl, so she should be more like a mother hen.”

Song Yushu was still holding onto Cheng Nanyu’s waist and speaking in a teasing tone. The comment startled her, making her jump, and she forgot to look at the person’s face.

You’re the rooster! You and your whole family!!!… No, wait, Song Yushu is the big rooster here!

“Elder brother… can we discuss… anything first…” She was afraid of Song Yushu from the bottom of her heart but didn’t want to make it so obvious. She could only try to push away from the person who was holding her, but it was difficult because Song Yushu, despite being slim, was surprisingly strong.

“Let go first, okay?”

She said that, but Song Yushu wasn’t about to listen and let go. Instead, he held her tighter. The two of them seemed even closer now, as if they were pressing against each other.

“Didn’t my little sister say that she’s happy today because her elder brother came to Jing kingdom? Wouldn’t she be even happier if her elder brother gave her a hug?”

He sounded confident, and Cheng Nanyu was just wondering when she had said something like that. Before she could realize it, Song Yushu spoke up.

“The person beside you,you tell her.”

Song Yushu seemed to hear her thoughts as he answered for her, almost as if he had learned some kind of magical art in these years that allowed him to guess what she was thinking.

“I’m actually pretty good at lip-reading.”

He said this while letting go of Cheng Nanyu and standing there, smiling down at her. Cheng Nanyu couldn’t see his face, but she could clearly feel his gaze, making the hair on her body stand on end.

This person was more than just good at lip-reading, wasn’t he?

Cheng Nanyu slowly raised her head. She hadn’t really taken a close look at Song Yushu’s appearance when she saw him earlier in Xingqing Palace. Now, taking advantage of the darkness, she carefully raised her head, which allowed her to see Song Yushu’s face somewhat clearly.

Dressed in white with a simple jade hairpin, he looked nothing like the man described in the legends.

People always said that Song Yushu, the legitimate eldest grandson of the Song kingdom, was a bloodthirsty killer who was ruthless and lacked empathy. However, those who hadn’t met him didn’t know that this seemingly fierce man was, in reality, a handsome man in white clothing, so good-looking that it made people feel no need to be on guard against him at all.

“What’s this? Does my little sister also find her elder brother very good-looking?”