Xi Ying sighed. "To be frank, Mr. Lu, the Crown Prince is outrageous. The Crown Princess Consort has tried to advise him against his ways countless tis, but to no avail. Instead, she only earned his reprimands. The Crown Princess Consort is ntally and physically exhausted and has lost all hope in him. And now, he wants to use her na to invite Miss Zhi. Naturally, the Crown Princess Consort was unwilling to help a villain do evil, but the Crown Prince threatened her with the lives of everyone in the Guo Family. She cannot defy him, so she had sneak out of the palace to inform you, Mr. Lu. She begs that you devise a foolproof plan to protect Miss Zhi.
I have said all I can. I will take my leave now."
"Chen Jiu, see Miss Xi Ying out," Lu Zhan ordered.
Chen Jiu’s thoughts were still stuck on the three words: "protect Miss Zhi."
’Xi Ying was being diplomatic, but what she really ant was that the Crown Prince coveted the Miss and would take her by force while the Princely Heir was away at the hunting ground.’
He was seething with anger when he suddenly heard the Princely Heir’s order and didn’t quite register it. "What?" he asked blankly.
Xi Ying glanced at him, thinking, ’Why is this guard so dense? His reactions are so slow.’
Lu Zhan gave Chen Jiu a cool glance and repeated his order. "See Miss Xi Ying back."
Chen Jiu finally snapped out of it. "Yes, sir," he said quickly. Then, he turned to Xi Ying. "Miss Xi Ying, please follow ."
Xi Ying nodded and followed him out.
Lu Zhan sat in his chair for a mont longer, a decision forming in his mind.
He left Qingyun Residence and headed straight for Lan Courtyard.
The night was already late. When he knocked on the gate to Lan Courtyard, the old gatekeeper who opened it was surprised to see him. "Princely Heir?"
"Has Mother retired for the night?" Lu Zhan asked.
The old woman’s eyes flickered, and she stamred, "Sh-She has."
She had thought saying this would make the Princely Heir leave. To her surprise, he commanded, "I have urgent business with her. Go and announce at once."
The old woman gulped. She wanted to say sothing else, but the Princely Heir’s grim expression was truly frightening, so she could only hurry to the main house.
Lu Zhan followed right behind her.
Yin Liu was on night duty. Hearing that the Princely Heir had urgent business with her Ladyship, she had no choice but to brace herself and knock on the door to her Ladyship’s chambers.
"What is it?" It was the Duke’s angry roar that answered from within.
"I-It’s the Princely Heir. The Princely Heir has urgent business with her Ladyship," Yin Liu stamred, shrinking back. She was inwardly dying of frustration. ’What kind of ss is this? Her Ladyship finally allows the Duke to stay the night, and now, in the middle of the night, the Princely Heir shows up.’
THUD!
A heavy object crashed to the floor inside the room, sounding as if soone had been kicked out of bed.
Yin Liu: "..."
She stole a glance at the Princely Heir standing in the courtyard. ’I wonder if he heard that?’
Lu Zhan had, of course, heard it.
He hadn’t expected his father to be staying with his mother tonight.
But the matter was urgent, and he couldn’t be bothered with such details now.
A mont later, Lu Zhenbei erged with his clothes in disarray. His handso face was a mask of suppressed pain. One hand surreptitiously rubbed his backside while the other pointed at Lu Zhan. "You’d better have a good reason for this," he said through gritted teeth. "Otherwise, when you get back from the hunting ground, I’ll be sure to treat you to a good whipping."
Lu Zhan raised an eyebrow, feigning concern. "Did you hurt yourself in that fall, Father?"
Lu Zhenbei: "..."
The corner of his eye twitched. His son’s single sentence had utterly extinguished all his fury.
"What nonsense are you talking about? When did I fall?" Lu Zhenbei said, struggling to maintain his dignity.
"Then I must have misheard," Lu Zhan said unhurriedly.
Lu Zhenbei: "..."
"Are you still here?" At that mont, Lady Wei ca out.
Hearing this, Lu Zhenbei imdiately glared at his son. "Aren’t you going to get lost?"
Lu Zhan stood his ground. "Clearly, Mother was speaking to you."
Lu Zhenbei looked pleadingly at Lady Wei.
Lady Wei frowned, her face a picture of impatience. "If you’re not going to leave, do you want to have soone carry you out?"
Lu Zhenbei left, his face full of resentnt.
Lady Wei cleared her throat and turned to her son. "You ca looking for so late at night. Is sothing important the matter?"
Lu Zhan walked up the steps and said in a low voice, "The Crown Prince plans to make a move against my cousin while I’m away. Although I’ve already made arrangents, just in case, I need you, Mother, to spread a rumor tomorrow morning that she has gone to the temple to fulfill a vow."
Lady Wei was alard. "But if the Crown Prince has his sights set on Wan’er," she said anxiously, "even if she goes to a temple, I’m afraid she won’t be able to hide. He’ll definitely find her."
"That’s why I have no intention of letting my cousin go to a temple. This is just a story to explain her absence from the Capital City," Lu Zhan said.
"What?" Lady Wei was surprised. "Then you intend to..."
"I intend to take my cousin with to the hunting ground," Lu Zhan said calmly.
"But in what capacity can Wan’er go with you? You two aren’t married yet." Lady Wei frowned in disapproval. "Although families of officials also attend the hunting ground, it isn’t appropriate for Wan’er to go with you since you aren’t married yet—not unless the Emperor specifically summons her to attend."
"As an attendant," Lu Zhan stated plainly.
Lady Wei was taken aback. "You want Wan’er to disguise herself as your attendant and stay by your side?"
"Mm," Lu Zhan nodded.
Hearing this, Lady Wei grew suspicious. ’I have a feeling my son’s motives aren’t entirely pure.’
The suspicion intensified, especially when she recalled seeing her son secretly washing a bedsheet in the washroom that evening.
With this in mind, she couldn’t help but ask, "Ah Zhan, this business with the Crown Prince... it isn’t just an excuse you’ve fabricated, is it?"
Lu Zhan frowned. "Mother, why would you say that? Why would I need to fabricate such an excuse?"
Lady Wei didn’t answer his question. Instead, she said earnestly, "Ah Zhan, your wedding is only half a month away. The ti will pass quickly. For now, you just have to... endure it a little longer."
Hearing this, Lu Zhan finally understood what his mother was implying. The corner of his eye twitched. "Mother, don’t let your imagination run wild. Nothing like that is happening. I’m bringing my cousin along purely to protect her."
At his words, Lady Wei still looked unconvinced. "Then you must promise you won’t do anything... improper. Although Wan’er is betrothed to you and your wedding is soon, she is a good girl. I will not allow you to do her wrong."
Lu Zhan: "..."
"Did you hear ?" Lady Wei’s expression was stern.
"I... understand," Lu Zhan replied, lowering his gaze.
"If I find out that you dare to do anything improper before the wedding, I will have you dealt with according to family law!" Lady Wei added sternly, still feeling uneasy.
"Yes," Lu Zhan answered. A thin sheen of sweat appeared on his smooth forehead, whether from guilt or nervousness, it was hard to say.
...
Zhi Wan was sleeping when, in the middle of the night, she was suddenly shaken awake.
She opened her groggy eyes and looked blankly toward the side of her bed, only to see her cousin sitting there.
Thinking she was dreaming, she instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around the man’s waist.
"Cousin, you’re here..." She closed her eyes and nuzzled her head against his chest.
Seeing this, Lu Zhan didn’t have the heart to fully wake her, but ti was short. He could only pat his cousin’s back and say, "Cousin, don’t go back to sleep. I’m taking you to the hunting ground."
The two words "hunting ground" instantly dispelled all of Zhi Wan’s sleepiness.
She opened her eyes again and looked at Lu Zhan in astonishnt. "We... we aren’t in a dream?"
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