Chapter 195 (1/2)

Chapter 195: Chilling Coldness

Nan Xun sighed. He never expected himself to become such a different person. If his soldiers could see him now, they would think that he had lost his senses. It was said that even the most stoic man would soften when faced with the person he loved. Perhaps those ancient texts had been telling the truth.

Nan Xun chuckled, lowering his head to watch Jun Huang browsing through the different trinkets. His eyes were as soft as a gentle stream.

Once the clerk had packed up their purchase, Nan Xun reached out to take the bag from him. Jun Huang caught his hands and said, ”I'll take it. You still have to push me around.”

”Alright,” said Nan Xun. ”Anything else you want to buy?”

Jun Huang shook her head and closed her eyes. Without another word, Nan Xun took Jun Huang out of the store. They weren't planning to return just yet.

Jun Huang was surprised to see the scholar Zhang Yuan. Nan Xun shared her feelings. It was only two days away from Zhang Yuan's wedding with Wan'er. He shouldn't be wandering on the street.

Nan Xun looked down at Jun Huang. As he expected, her smile had dropped from her face. She stared at Zhang Yuan with cold eyes and scoffed.

She told Nan Xun to take her to Zhang Yuan. Nan Xun couldn't say no to her. He silently said a word of prayer for Zhang Yuan and pushed Jun Huang ahead.

Zhang Yuan was overwhelmed by stress. He had to personally attend to every little detail about the wedding, but he wasn't allowed to even see Wan'er. He brooded as he thought back to how coldly Wan'er had treated him before. It didn't help that his family and friends had come to the imperial city with their families once they knew he was marrying the princess. The manor had practically become a zoo lately. Troubles followed him around and gave him a huge headache.

Today, he finally had the opportunity to leave the manor. He walked around the street, hoping the wedding would come sooner. He spotted Jun Huang and Nan Xun from a distance. She looked graceful even when she was confined to a wheelchair, while Nan Xun looked as cold as ever.

”It's been a while since I last saw the gentleman,” Zhang Yuan knelt down and said, oblivious to the disapproving look on Jun Huang's face. ”I didn't know you're hurt. What happened?”

”It's nothing serious. I'll be fine after a few days.” Jun Huang looked at the pedestrians coming and going around them. ”Let us go to a tea house to have a talk.”

Zhang Yuan didn't think too much of it. He nodded and reached out for the wheelchair, but Nan Xun's cold stare made him pause. He swallowed down the gulp in his throat and trailed after them without a word.

They entered the first tea house they came upon and went into a booth on the second floor. Jun Huang stayed silent, rubbing at her teacup with a thumb. Only then did Zhang Yuan realize that Jun Huang was angry with him. He sat with his back tense. He didn't dare to ask her what he had done wrong.

Jun Huang didn't normally have such an intimidating air around her, but now there was no expression on her face, and she had not said a word since entering the booth. Instead, she silently stared at the tea in her cup. Tension built up in the room the longer she stayed silent.

Nan Xun could understand how Zhang Yuan felt. He was simply feeling lost because the wedding was coming. As a peasant, it was natural for him to feel untethered to reality for entering the throne room and marrying the princess.

Jun Huang, on the other hand, could not sympathize. She considered Zhang Yuan to be irresponsible for diddling about instead of making arrangements for the wedding while Wan'er was waiting in the palace for her bridegroom. She questioned herself for her decision to entrust Wan'er to Zhang Yuan.

Jun Huang looked up at Zhang Yuan and finally broke the silence. ”I saw the scholar official wandering about on the street. Have you finished the preparation for the wedding? Have you figured out how you are going to lead Princess Wan'er out of the palace that day?”

”I…”

”Don't you know your responsibilities?” Jun Huang demanded in a harsh tone. ”This gentleman feels sorry for Princess Wan'er. The wedding is coming in two days, and yet you are wasting your time outside. Do you not care about Princess Wan'er? This gentleman starts to wonder if you're the right one for the princess.”

Jun Huang had not pulled her punches. Her words rendered Zhang Yuan speechless.

Zhang Yuan struggled to defend himself. Nan Xun stepped in and patted Jun Huang's arm. ”The scholar must know what he should do. I believe that he cares about Wan'er – ”

”And this is how he shows it?” Jun Huang scoffed, throwing Nan Xun a cold glance. Nan Xun shut his mouth and gave Zhang Yuan a pointed look. He was on his own now.