Chapter 257 - Acting Out (2/2)

With no Lei Xing here, there was nothing to distract him.

Thankfully, Princess Nalan talked a lot about herself, she honestly did most of the talking in the group. Therefore even though he never paid attention to her, he had no choice but to listen.

He knew she liked swords, arrows, any form of fighting, horses, riding, fishing. In conclusion, she was an easy person to please, a simple person...unlike Lei Xing. He had spent more time with Lei Xing and even talked more with her than he did with Princess Nalan, yet he did not even know one thing that Lei Xing liked.

Prince Yi frowned in annoyance as his thoughts veered to Lei Xing again. It was something that had been happening a lot recently and he could not help making the comparison.

It was infuriating.

Molin eventually returned with the servants and they went about cleaning Prince Yi's wound. The group then continued to sit in silence until the physician arrived.

Once the wound was dressed and the physician had gone, Prince Rui finally broke the silence, ”Prince Yi, why are you here?” They had not seen him since Lei Xing's younger sister's coming of age ceremony, and even before then, they had not seen him since that time with the Empress dowager.

”Ahh, it has been a while so I came here to see how you all were faring. Especially given the current state of chaos in the city...” Prince Yi said with a polite smile.

Prince Rui skeptically looked at him, not at all convinced by that explanation. He nodded and put on a polite smile of his own and responded, ”We are doing well enough...Nothing for you to concern yourself with. You should be more worried about yourself...”

Prince Rui's obviously dismissive tone did not escape Prince Yi. So he decided to just leave before he became more irritated. After all, nothing more could be done with the iceblock present.

”You are right...” Prince Yi said with a smile, mimicking him Prince Rui's flat tone, ”I shall take my leave then...” He said, standing up.

Princess Nalan also promptly stood up as she said, ”I'll esco -”

”Molin, you escort him back.” Prince Rui promptly cut in.

Molin nodded, cleared his throat, and then said, ”Your highness, please go ahead...”

Prince Yi held back his irritation and simply smiled and made his way out. This Prince Rui was truly a problem. But today was not a waste, he had spent some useful ”bonding” time with Princess Nalan and he was sure she now at least considered him a friend.

She was really too simple...unlike a certain someone. Prince Yi frowned again in annoyance, angry with his mind for always wandering over to the irritating subject that Lei Xing had become.

{...This is infuriating...Why does she keep coming up?...}

Once Prince Yi was out of view, Princess Nalan promptly turned to her brother and said, ”It was an accident...”

Prince Rui frowned, ”Nalan, don't you understand that we're in enemy territory? Why were you sparring with him? How could you be so careless? This is why I didn't want to bring you along. You don't think before you act!”

Princess Nalan knit her brows and defended, ”It was ju-”

”No, just! Just restrain yourself!” Prince Rui irritatedly said. One sibling was already giving him a headache from across the border while this one here could not be left be left alone for a few minutes without causing trouble.

”Fine!” Princess Nalan barked and then stormed off in annoyance. It was only a simple accident and he was treating her like she committed a grand offense. Even the person with the wound did not complain. This was one thing she hated about Prince Rui, he worried too much about everything, like a second father and it was highly irritating.

Prince Rui sighed as he watched her storm off. He realized he may have been too harsh just now, but if one was not harsh with Princess Nalan then she would not see the wrongs in her actions. Everyone spoiled her too much and it left her completely unrestrained to a point of daring stupidity sometimes.

Prince Rui sighed again and then went over to his room to write his father. The negotiations were over and as for Princess Nalan's marriage to the Emperor....that was clearly not happening. At the very least not the way their father wanted, which was for her to be Empress.

The Long Emperor has already chosen his Empress. Moreover, it was no secret that the Emperor only had a fondness for Lei Xing, they had even witnessed his doting ways first hand. And even if she entered his harem, he honestly did not see his sister winning over the Emperor's heart.

Although Prince Rui liked Lei Xing, he was not comfortable with his sister entering a dead-end marriage, only to be forgotten in the shadow of another. He would explain to their father and make him forget that ambition.

It was best for them to return home before something more troublesome happened.