Chapter 81 (1/2)

Chapter 81: Jealousy

Nan Xun shook his head. ”You go ahead. We may have more visitors later. Someone has to keep watch. It'll be bad if we all leave and no one is here to greet our new guests.”

Jun Huang nodded. Nan Xun had seen the house before, and it wasn't as if he would never be able to visit her again. Besides, no manor was that special at the end of the day. There wasn't much to look at. She let Nan Xun stay where he was and led Qi Yun towards the back of the manor.

Walking along the winding hallway, Qi Yun's attention was drawn by the palace lamps hanging from the ceiling. His eyes were filled with surprise and delight like he was seeing something he had never seen before. Jun Huang couldn't help but tease him, ”I didn't expect the fourth prince to be so curious about the items in this gentleman's place. Has the emperor been treating you that badly?”

Qi Yun was caught off guard by her joke, his ears reddening in response. He coughed and suppressed his urge to look around like an overly curious kid. He thought back to the day he met Jun Huang for the first time.

Jun Huang wasn't stubborn or sn.o.bbish like the other princesses. She was more educated and disciplined. She often had a gentle smile on her face, showing her dimples. Her eyes were bright like the moonlight and they drew you in. She had not been so coldly proper like she was now.

It was as if there was an insurmountable wall separating the two of them, widening the distance between them, making him feel like a stranger at times.

Jun Huang lowered her eyes to look at the carefree koi fish in the lake, her expression aloof. Her broad sleeves fluttered in the winds. Her dark hair wasn't held up by a cap today, but instead covered her shoulders and fell to her chest. She brushed her hair back. Every move she made showed a commanding presence and an indescribable elegance.

Qi Yun watched her dumbly. The first time they met, she was a girl with her hair in a bun, wearing ta.s.sels on her hair and a silk dress. How could a different set of clothes transformed her so completely? She still had a smile on her face, but there was something mysterious about the smile, something she kept as a secret.

He kept his eyes on her long enough for Jun Huang to notice. She turned to him and raised an eyebrow. ”What? Is there something on my face?”

”Huh? No.” Qi Yun was yanked back to reality from his memories. He didn't dare to look at Jun Huang anymore for fear of letting slip what he had been thinking about. Jun Huang however was observant. She was good at reading people. Qi Yun's sudden avoidance did not slip past her.

Her innocence had been killed that night when her home country fell victim to rampant slaughter. Jun Huang had only been hiding the fact she had changed. She was afraid that she might become someone heartless if she didn't try to hold on to her past self. She was afraid she would turn into a different person.

As Nan Xun had said, someone other than Qi Yun and himself did come to visit. It was the Senior Grandmaster. He could be considered someone Jun Huang had handpicked herself. He used to be part of Qi Chen's circle. He had abandoned the dark side and thrown himself under Qi Yun's banner.

Jun Huang was surprised when the servant told her of his visit. She had only invited Nan Xun and Qi Yun. She didn't tell anyone else. The uninvited guest made alarm bells go off in her head.

When Jun Huang and Qi Yun returned to the front room, the Senior Grandmaster was talking to Nan Xun. Nan Xun was the first to spot her when she approached. He stopped talking and turned to Jun Huang fully. The Senior Grandmaster followed suit and bowed when he saw that Qi Yun was with her. He said to Jun Huang, ”This gentleman happened to hear about the gentleman's housewarming celebration. I came to offer my wishes. This is a little something I've prepared for you. It's nothing to write home about. I hope the gentleman won't consider it beneath you.”

”You are too humble, sir,” Jun Huang said with a fake smile, spouting pleasantries bureaucrats tended to exchange with one another. ”It's a great honor for this gentleman that you came. This humble abode has brightened up because of your presence.”

A maid took the gift from the Senior Grandmaster and opened the box. It was a luminous pearl from the South Sea. Jun Huang widened her eyes. It was something rarely seen in Northern Qi. It was difficult to find in general. The Senior Grandmaster was an official with integrity. Jun Huang wondered how he got hold of it, and why he would give it to her.

As if reading Jun Huang's mind, the Senior Grandmaster cupped his hands and explained, ”This is a gift from the emperor. This gentleman has no use for one at home. If I keep it to myself, it will only gather dust in a hidden corner. Gentleman Feng is a man with good taste. I decided to bring it to you. If not for the gentleman's guidance, pointing me to the right direction, I would still be helping a villainous man abusing the people. I will never forget about my debt to the gentleman. I hope you will accept my humble gift.”

Jun Huang was rendered speechless. She turned to Qi Yun. What does the Senior Grandmaster mean by this? He shouldn't be praising someone else in the presence of his master!

Jun Huang's mouth twitched. ”You are too generous. The fourth prince has a great destiny ahead of him. He is bound to be a leader well loved by the people. As long as the Senior Grandmaster stays loyal to him, you will go down in history as a respected official with a kind heart.”

They exchanged some small talk before the maid told them that the food was ready. It was past noon. Jun Huang was going to invite the Senior Grandmaster to stay for the meal, but he had important matters to attend to and had to leave early.

She let out a relieved sigh once she saw him off. She couldn't deal with such pa.s.sionate compliments. When she was about to go inside, someone from Prince Chen Manor arrived at the gate.

Nan Xun and Qi Yun were both here. She couldn't let Qi Chen's people see them. Therefore, she had a servant tell the messenger that she couldn't see anyone for the time being and send him away.

The servant came back with a delicate box. ”This is from the prince, gentleman Feng. It's to celebrate your move.”

Jun Huang took the box and opened it. Inside was a jade color tea set. She was a tea fanatic. Qi Chen was obviously catering to her interests.