Chapter 225 (2/2)

Qi Chen's problem aligned with hers. She silently considered him and hid a smile behind the teacup.

Qi Chen was drunk when she took her leave. She told the servants to take good care of him and had her people spread news about their earlier conversation. She then returned to Nan Xun's manor.

The third prince flew into rage when he heard about Qi Yun's response. He wondered what Qi Yun meant. Ji Bo knew what Jun Huang was trying to do. But before he could stoke the prince's anger himself, another strategist spoke up.

”Does Your Highness not see what the fourth prince meant?” an honored guest with a moustache said. ”He's going to support the crown prince.”

The third prince turned to him with a frown. ”What does the gentleman mean?”

The honored guest said after a pause, ”The fourth prince said to the crown prince that he listened to only the emperor. There are no signs showing that the current emperor is going to take away the crown prince's t.i.tle. Isn't it clear who the future emperor will be? Does Mister Ji Bo agree?”

Ji Bo paused. He knew he was far from the most popular person in the manor, and yet this man had involved him in order to convince the prince. He scoffed.

”This gentleman agrees with what he said,” Ji Bo said matter-of-factly. ”The fourth prince has been staying at the emperor's side, though. I heard that the emperor has been close to him. He's not easy to take down.”

The third prince understood their points. It was a shame that Qi Yun had not moved into his own manor. Instead, he'd been staying in the palace with the emperor most of the time. Even though the third prince was angry, there wasn't much he could do.

Jun Huang was stopped by Nan Xun as soon as she reached the manor. She looked at him curiously. He dragged her inside without a word.

She a.s.sumed that he wanted to know what had happened today, so she stayed silent and followed him to the garden.

They came to a stop in the pavilion. She rubbed at her wrist where Nan Xun's grip had left a mark. ”Why are you in such a rush?”

Nan Xun stared deeply at her. To h.e.l.l with consequences. His head had been filled with thoughts about Jun Huang the past couple of days. He needed an answer from her now.

He took a deep breath, his gaze landing heavily on Jun Huang. The tenderness in his eyes made her nervous, but she was unwilling to just run away. She let her emotions ripple through her heart and met his gaze.

”We've known each other for a while,” he said slowly, lovingly. ”You must know about my feelings. You're too observant to not to. Even so, I don't want the unspoken words to remain unspoken, and our relations.h.i.+p to remain vague. Do you know what I mean?”

Jun Huang stilled, her eyes fixed on Nan Xun. Then she lowered her eyes without a word. Just when Nan Xun was going to be driven mad by the tense silence, she opened her mouth and said, ”This gentleman knows about Your Highness's feelings, and I'm deeply moved. Your consideration exceeds my expectation. I feel guilty for being the subject of the affection of a fierce fighter like Your Highness. I know why you'd want a clear answer. Please forgive this gentleman for not being able to return your feelings. I hope Your Highness will find the right person soon.”

Nan Xun stared dumbly at her. He didn't expect her to reject him so decisively. A heavy weight settled on his chest. He took a step forward and grabbed her shoulders. ”What are you worried about? Do you know that I've been falling for you slowly ever since I discovered your ident.i.ty – no, since I met you? Do you really think it's going to be easy to give my heart to someone else? It's just as you said, Jun Huang, I don't have a big heart. You've taken up all my capacity to love someone. How can I possibly find another person to love?”

Surprise flashed through her eyes. She stared at him, unable to utter a word. Nan Xun fell silent after realizing what he had admitted to in the heat of the moment.

Silence stretched. She took a deep breath and pulled away from him.

She waved a hand to stop him from talking. ”Please don't say another word, Nan Xun. Give me some time to myself.”

He knew she meant it, so he didn't insist on keeping her. He nodded. ”Please give it some consideration. I can take whatever answer you give me, but remember to put yourself first. I'll leave you alone. Don't stay here for too long. It's a little chilly.”

He walked away from the pavilion, giving her some s.p.a.ce.

Jun Huang knew he had kept his feelings bottled up. It couldn't be easy for him to walk away. However, she needed some time to sort through her messy thoughts.

Even though summer had come, the shade provided by the pavilion kept the air cool, and the wind swept freely through her. After staying seated for two hours, she started to feel cold and a little dizzy.