The three of them collectively sighed.
The carriage moved forward, and soon Su Ke arrived at the Lui Family’s house.
Just as Su Ke had anticipated, only the servants were guarding the door at the Lui Family’s house.
The Lui caretaker respectfully invited them inside, offered refreshnts and cakes, and continually nodded and bowed, apologizing profusely.
"Master Su, my master is in the Capital City, and the young master just left for Yongzhou City the day before yesterday and has not yet returned. If Master Su has any orders, please feel free to instruct . I will surely convey them to my master and the young master."
Su Ke only briefly pondered for a mont, then shook his head.
"Convey a ssage to your young master for . Tell him his wife got injured while trying to rescue the First Princess and that he should take great care of her. Don’t think that the Su Family has no brothers in her maiden family. That’s all!"
The Lui caretaker was clearly very surprised, and forcibly suppressed the astonishnt in his heart: "The young lady... where is she now?"
"You can ask your young master that."
Su Ke turned around and waved to Duan Yan, "Let’s go!"
He still had to rescue Shuang’er! He had no ti to waste here.
The Lui caretaker quickly escorted them far out the main gate, then repeatedly assured that he would inform the young master as soon as possible. Once Su Ke’s carriage had left, he did not dare delay and passed the ssage to his young master.
Su Ke did not rest for a mont but continued on to Prince Wei’s villa.
Prince Wei seed to have known he would co and was sitting in the parlor waiting for him.
After exchanging greetings and taking their seats, before Su Ke could explain his intentions, Prince Wei already smiled.
"Lord Su, you are here today for sister Shuang’er, aren’t you? Unfortunately, early this morning, my consort and sister Shuang’er went out. Accompanying them was also Master Zhang from Lord Zhang’s family..."
Su Ke was taken aback, as if suddenly dumbfounded.
He suddenly rembered that Shuang’er had run away from her wedding. They had previously been locked up together, and he had repeatedly questioned her about this, but Shuang’er stayed tight-lipped and refused to say more.
Only now, hearing that Master Zhang had followed them here, did he rember this matter.
He was about to stand up and speak.
But Prince Wei raised his hand to stop him, continuing on his own: "I guess they will take so ti to return. Co, let’s sit and play a couple of gas of chess, shall we?" Saying this, he ordered soone to bring a chess board.
As anxious as Su Ke was, with Prince Wei speaking like this, what could he do?
He had to patiently sit down and join Prince Wei in a ga of chess.
Su Ke’s chess skills were average at best, not in the sa league as Prince Wei, who had been nourished in luxury and had practiced chess ticulously for years.
In the first ga, after just a dozen moves back and forth, Su Ke carelessly lost. In the second ga, Su Ke lasted ten rounds, finally focusing his mind on the chess board. In the third ga, just after placing seven pieces, he found himself with no way out.
Su Ke held a chess piece, his face expressing bewildernt.
"Actually, your chess skills aren’t bad. At least not so bad as they seem now."
Prince Wei casually tossed a chess piece on the board, patted his hands: "The person who has left you so distracted must be sister Shuang’er!"
Was he finally coming to the main point?
With a chess piece in hand, Su Ke remained silent.
"Sister Shuang’er said, she ca for you!"
Prince Wei spoke unilaterally, "You must also be aware that Shuang’er’s presence here, in Luoyan Village, signifies sothing."
On the eve of her wedding, Qin Shuan’er had escaped, and so result had to be presented in this matter. Otherwise, was Shuang’er to continue living in such ambiguity?
Su Ke nodded gravely.
He stood up and addressed Prince Wei with a bowed fist, "Your Highness, since you already know the reason for Master Zhang’s visit, why did you..."
"Master Zhang ca to find his fiancée. What excuse would I have to stop them?"
Prince Wei slowly picked up the pieces on the chessboard, one by one, and placed them in the basket, "Moreover, Master Zhang ca calling, first sending a card in accordance with propriety. I have no reason to turn him away at the door. Just like Lord Su, you are also sitting opposite now, aren’t you?"
Su Ke was left speechless. After a mont of silence, he gritted his teeth and made a request, "Your Highness, I’m not very knowledgeable, but I’ve heard that the peonies in your garden are in full bloom. May I view them?"
Prince Wei suddenly burst into generous laughter, his gaze aningfully lingered on Su Ke as he sighed and stood up, "My wife is currently hosting guests in the parlor. Since Lord Su is interested in the peonies in the garden, please follow !"
His laughter made Su Ke feel extrely uncomfortable, yet he still mustered the courage to follow.
In the garden.
Qin Shuan’er’s heart had never settled.
Initially, she worried about Su Ke’s safety and sighed in relief only after receiving news of his rescue. Before she could calm down, the gatekeeper reported that Master Zhang from Zhang Family had unexpectedly presented a greeting card to et Prince Wei.
Shuang’er imdiately panicked!
Her heart was in turmoil, completely without order. She wanted to leave Prince Wei’s guesthouse, but the Princess Consort Wei’s n had co to invite her.
As a resident in the guesthouse, to speak well, she was a guest; to speak poorly, she was nothing but a bargaining chip between Prince Wei and others! Now, Princess Consort Wei had shown her favor by sending soone to invite her, and it would be terribly ungracious of her not to appreciate it.
When she went to et Princess Consort Wei, she saw Zhang Zhongding sitting below the head, and her heart instantly beca chaotic!
Zhang Zhongding was clearly worried about her and ran up eagerly as soon as he saw her, sizing her up with joy.
"Sister Shuang’er, are you alright? Have you... faced any grievances?"
Facing Zhang Zhongding’s face again, Qin Shuan’er couldn’t describe her feelings!
Especially the intensity in his eyes, which scorched like fire, burning her skin and making her shrink back, avoiding his gaze.
She walked past him straight to greet the Empress.
"Shuang’er, co here, co over! Sit next to ."
Princess Consort Wei was young, seemingly only a couple of years older than her, pulling her hand warmly and patting it affectionately, as eager as real sisters.
"Look at this face of sister Shuang’er, this rosy and tender cheek—it even dazzles , little wonder it has led Master Zhang to pursue you over such distances. Co, let’s sit and talk!"
Princess Consort Wei invited them to take a seat.
Qin Shuan’er looked troubled, as uneasy as if sitting on pins.
Zhang Zhongding’s eyes shone brightly, as he barely managed to sit at the edge of his chair, his body striving to be closer to Qin Shuan’er, just to be a bit nearer to her!
Princess Consort Wei, coming from a prominent family, was adept at social interactions. Even though Qin Shuan’er hadn’t said a word other than greeting since she ca in, Princess Consort Wei could still maintain the conversation alone without missing a beat.
Luckily, Zhang Zhongding, sitting below, was a straightforward person, and the two of them kept the conversation lively without awkward pauses.
In such an awkward situation, Zhang Zhongding finally couldn’t hold back and initiated a conversation with Qin Shuan’er.
"Sister Shuang’er, don’t you think so?"
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