The air seed to freeze in an instant, the only movent that of Zheng Nianru’s clear eyes as she looked at Zheng Congyuan. Her gaze was devoid of any desire. Just as Zheng Congyuan’s world thundered, at the very mont he tried to withdraw his hand as if it had been shocked, she imdiately grasped the hand trying to flee.
"Congyuan brother—" Her voice was crisp, full of the joy of discovering a new world, like a sprite tasting honey from the mortal realm for the first ti. Her eyes sparkled brilliantly, as if asking how could she have only found out about such wonderful things now.
Zheng Congyuan wished he could split his own heart open, or just crash into a wall to end it all. But his mind was not heeding his commands. The sensation from that touch and the shivers it sent throughout his body magnified endlessly in his mind.
In the next mont, a tidal wave of guilt and sha overwheld him; Zheng Congyuan felt breathless. His rigid hand jerked away from Zheng Nianru’s grasp and, whoosh, he stood up, knocking over the colored glaze lamp and the peacock feather fan.
Zheng Congyuan turned to leave, but before he could, his waist was tightly embraced, with Zheng Nianru’s arms wrapping around him.
"Don’t leave—" Zheng Nianru’s voice carried a desolate tone. The sprite from a mont ago had tumbled into the mortal world and fallen into a quagmire,
"Yes, Nianru, stop thinking about it. It’s my fault, just let go, I will... later," Zheng Congyuan couldn’t stand another second. He feared he would go mad; his trembling arms felt foreign, he had to...
He didn’t know what he needed to do; his whole body felt trapped in a dark, sunless box, unable to escape no matter how loud he scread or how hard he fought.
"I don’t want you to leave—" Zheng Nianru suddenly stood up, climbing onto the couch, and using its height, she encircled Zheng Congyuan’s neck.
"Why do you want to leave?" Zheng Nianru persisted, "You clearly felt sothing—"
Zheng Nianru stubbornly refused to let go, clinging to the man regardless of his struggles.
"Nianru, let go—" Zheng Congyuan’s voice was hoarse. He couldn’t stay there any longer; he felt like a traitor on the verge of rebellion.
"I won’t let go, Zheng Congyuan. You clearly touched , you definitely felt sothing." Zheng Nianru’s hand reached inside his clothing, tugging at his waistband, unable to pull it free while her hand was caught by Zheng Congyuan.
"Nianru, calm down, please calm down—" Zheng Congyuan growled, the redness swelling in his eyes startling Zheng Nianru. In that instant, he pushed her aside, desperate to turn around and leave.
Sounds of furniture being knocked over ca from behind him, and Zheng Congyuan didn’t dare look back.
As Zheng Congyuan reached the doorway, a loud crash echoed behind him as a cup smashed onto the floor, emitting a piercing sound.
"Zheng Congyuan, if you dare, do not co back," ca Zheng Nianru’s voice from behind. It was as if an invisible darkness enveloped Zheng Congyuan, as if even a mont’s hesitation would drag him into an endless abyss.
Qi Ling, seeing Zheng Congyuan erging, was greatly alard by the commotion behind him. Before he had ti to think, Zheng Congyuan had already sped past him, disappearing into the darkness.
Qi Ling and Qi Zhu looked at each other in haste, glanced at Nanny Yun, and quickly followed.
Fu Dong and Nian Xia were also very anxious at this point. Hadn’t everything been fine just a mont ago? Why had it suddenly erupted again?
Nanny Yun felt a headache brewing. Let them fight. The more ferocious the fight, the better it would be to break off all ties once and for all.
"Prince—" Xue Liu hurried after Prince Duan as he entered. Xue Liu glanced at the sky, thinking how rare it was for Prince Duan to visit this late at night.
"What are you dawdling for, hurry up and get inside." Upon hearing Xue Liu’s voice, Nanny Yun imdiately perked up. As Nian Xia entered, she quickly swept the broken cup under a chair. There wasn’t ti to pick it up before Fu Dong had already replaced it with a new tea set, and Nanny Yun had lit two more lamps.
Prince Duan stopped at the doorway, feeling that sothing was amiss. Although Nian Ru didn’t grow up by his side, his desire to spend more ti with his daughter was understandable. However, now that Nian Ru was getting older, he felt that his frequent visits were becoming inappropriate.
Especially lately, when there was so much going on. And then there was Empress Dowager Yan Ping, always dragging him to listen to Master Yu Sheng’s sermons, which Prince Duan had no interest in hearing at all.
"Father," Zheng Nianru stood up and personally went to the doorway to greet him. Nanny Yun tried very seriously to spot so unusual expression on the face of her commandery princess, but she couldn’t make out any.
As Nanny Yun breathed a sigh of relief, she also grumbled to herself, wondering what all the fuss was about.
"Nian Ru, why have you been cooped up at ho these past few days, not going out for a walk?" Prince Duan asked and imdiately regretted it. How could Nian Ru have any friends? She had been trapped in the palace all these years, and how would she know what fun was to be had outside?
The hand of Fu Dong, who was bringing tea, paused montarily. Did the prince know they had gone out? The events of this afternoon had caused quite a stir, so was that why the prince had co so late?
Nian Xia imdiately looked at Nanny Yun nervously. What to do? The prince must be reprimanding them.
"I have been out," Zheng Nianru said very seriously, "Father does not know, the grilled mutton was indeed delicious, especially the sheep we sent to Riverfood Restaurant."
Nanny Yun placed two plates of pastries with a smile. The commandery princess was sincere indeed, ntioning the incident at Riverfood Restaurant.
Nanny Yun had already made signs, asking Xing Yu to go out. Sohow, they needed to figure out how to get Qi Jin and Qi Yu to call the prince out.
Xing Yu had not left yet.
At the ntion of Riverfood Restaurant, Prince Duan smiled. That was rely going out for a al; it wasn’t what he had ant.
"I’m not talking about Riverfood Restaurant. I was just thinking, if there’s sowhere you want to go, Father can accompany you, like to Gulin Temple in the suburbs, where there is..."
"Sure!" Zheng Nianru exclaid; she knew how much Prince Duan loved Gulin Temple, "It would also be good opportunity to offer incense for my mother."
"Yes, yes, exactly," Prince Duan nodded along. Xing Yu looked at Nanny Yun, wondering if they were still going?
Nanny Yun slowly shook her head, it seed they didn’t need to go anymore.
"Prince, commandery princess, may I accompany you both?" Nanny Yun asked.
"There’s no reason you can’t," Prince Duan turned and glanced at Nanny Yun. Over the years, if it weren’t for her staying by Nian Ru’s side, who else would have been Lady Ru’s dying entrusted?
"Nanny Yun, there are no outsiders here, no need to keep calling yourself a servant. I have had this thought for so ti now. All these years, it has been you who have accompanied Nian Ru, and I have been thinking of having Nian Ru acknowledge you as her godmother."
Nanny Yun was stunned, suddenly at a loss for words.
"That would be wonderful," Nanny Yun had heard the prince say similar words in his previous life. She was a sister to Lady Ru; if it wasn’t for her, she wouldn’t be in this deep palace.
"How could this be?" Nanny Yun’s face turned red, and her eyes reddened even more; she tried to hide her tears by fussing with her hair.
Zheng Nianru had already stood up.
"Godmother."
Nanny Yun, in a daze, opened her mouth but couldn’t make a sound; she had long since co to think of Nian Ru as her own daughter.
"Godmother, won’t you agree?" Fu Dong imdiately went to nudge Nanny Yun’s arm.
"Ah, ah, commandery princess," Nanny Yun replied with a bow, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. Until now, she had felt that everything she did for Lady Ru was worthwhile, but now, she felt she would willingly do anything for Nian Ru.
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