Chapter Eighty-Four: What a Coincidence—That Is Exactly What I Like

Sinozan saw at a glance that it was only a group of guards; Prince Xuan Yuan Juesi had not come.

“Princess, please come back with us,” they said to Sinozan.

Her mother and Ruan Qingnong were both startled. Princess? No wonder that, when they looked at this young gentleman, he was plainly like a girl.

“I am not going back.”

She had been made to lose face. On what grounds?

“Princess, the Prince said this: if you do not come back with us now, then this matter will not be over. But if you return with us at once, the Prince will treat it as if nothing ever happened. I wonder which choice the Princess will make?”

The guards spoke each word with perfect exactness, not missing a single point.

“All right, all right, I’ll go. Satisfied?” She flung a silver note onto the table. “Ye Xuan, have some more fun here. I’ll pay.”

“No need to be so polite. I still have money.” Ye Xuan looked at Sinozan. As a man, he had been given no face at all.

“Tch. I know you have money. I’ll treat you to this meal, and you can treat me next time, can’t you?”

Sinozan said it lightly. Ye Xuan did not resist and only nodded.

“All right. If you can think that way, that is for the best.”

That meant there would be a next time. Watching Sinozan leave, he saw her walk ahead of the guards without so much as a pleasant expression.

It seemed the pleasure house had returned to its former bustle. Yet the guards had sealed their lips about the matter; no one was to speak of the princess, or the prince would level the place.

The madam was a clever woman. Xuan Yuan Juesi had come here not long ago, and now that the place was safe, business had improved. She would certainly not dare offend the prince.

After seeing Ye Xuan and Ruan Qingnong settled, the madam closed the door and went off to attend to the other guests.

“Keep playing.”

When Ruan Qingnong stopped playing the qin, Ye Xuan spoke in a cold voice, entirely unlike the man he had been just moments before.

It seemed to be because of the princess. Ye Xuan’s coldness could make anyone tremble, yet he was radiant only toward the princess. This was the first time Ruan Qingnong had ever felt defeated. Still, she was a very intelligent woman, and so she spent the entire night gently plucking the strings.

Somehow, she had become a little afraid all at once. Ye Xuan made her feel especially afraid.

She had no choice but to continue playing, while Ye Xuan kept drinking. At last he collapsed on the table. Ruan Qingnong helped him onto the couch, then kept vigil in the room.

Meanwhile, when Sinozan returned, she still did not see Xuan Yuan Juesi.

Xuan Yuan Juesi seemed unwilling to see her.

If he did not want to see her, then so be it. She began unpacking the things she had bought, filling the room until there was scarcely a place to set one’s feet.

If Xuan Yuan Juesi came in, he would not even know how to get inside. She had also bought several sets of clothes. She had not had many garments to begin with, so there was no need to worry about clothing for now. From the start, Xuan Yuan Juesi had never minded such things.

So she changed in and out of outfits by herself in the room, fussing over it for quite some time. In truth, she was already exhausted that day, and having drunk a little wine, she simply fell onto the bed and slept.

Xuan Yuan Juesi came to look in on her once in the middle of the night. Seeing how soundly she slept, he did not disturb her. The room, however, had been turned into utter chaos by her; there was not even a place to put one’s feet. In the end, he returned to his own study to sleep.

Sinozan did not know that Xuan Yuan Juesi had come. The next day she rose very late.

Xuan Yuan Juesi did not come to bother her either. She got up listlessly, feeling that she had been completely ignored by him.

Naturally, her mood was far from pleasant. It made everything seem as though it were her fault, and her temper sank accordingly.

Still, let him throw his tantrum if he pleased. Sinozan had her own life, and there was no need for her to circle endlessly around him, dizzy and exhausted as a dog.

Yet the other side refused to appreciate it, and instead thought it was her fault. If love itself was a mistake, then she had made them all.

But in her world, as long as things did not go to extremes, love would never be wrong.

Perhaps heaven was testing her. If she could endure this, then perhaps it was her second life.

She could not afford to waste this second chance. Touching that stone, she thought perhaps she would have to let go of everything in the modern world, including that man.

What a stubborn and temperamental person he was. For two full days, she had not once crossed paths with Xuan Yuan Juesi. He was probably avoiding her on purpose. On this point, she was certain now. With such a small place, where could he possibly go? They would always run into one another unless he simply had no wish to meet her at all.

At the thought of it, she could not help looking at herself. Was she a demon or what, that he should avoid her so? Was this not merely a quarrel? There was no need to hide for so long, as if he meant to drag this out for a lifetime.

She had no mind to continue like this, so today she would go and find him. She would make everything clear, because he had not completely abandoned her. Yesterday he had even sent someone to drag her back from the pleasure house.

In other words, she was still under his watch. He could still see her. If that was so, then the only thing left was that she could not see Xuan Yuan Juesi. At the thought of it, she truly felt an inexplicable irritation.

But after searching many places, she still could not find him.

“Yuan Qianlu, come here.”

Seeing Yuan Qianlu leading a small troop toward the gate, Sinozan hurriedly called him back.

“Princess, is there something you need?” Yuan Qianlu thought something was wrong. From the tone of the princess’s voice, he knew this would surely make him suffer terribly. He should have gone out earlier.

But looking at the sky, it was already early enough.

“Where is Xuan Yuan Juesi?”

“Hmm?”

Yuan Qianlu seemed somewhat troubled.

“Where is your prince?”

Sinozan raised her voice. She looked at Yuan Qianlu, but he remained silent.

“Are you deaf? Where is Xuan Yuan Juesi? Don’t force me to lay hands on you.”

Yuan Qianlu wiped the sweat from his brow and motioned for the others to leave first.

“Princess, I am not very clear on that. I truly do not know the prince’s whereabouts.”

But Sinozan did not believe him. Yuan Qianlu was someone by Xuan Yuan Juesi’s side—the person most likely to know his whereabouts. How could he not know?

She stepped in front of him and said, “Yuan Qianlu, do you think I have no authority at all, so even when I ask for the truth, you won’t tell me?”

“Princess, I truly do not know. Please do not make things difficult for me.”

“How convenient. I happen to enjoy making things difficult for you. Are you going to take me to him or not, Yuan Qianlu?”

Sinozan clenched her hand and pretended she was about to strike him. Yuan Qianlu was not afraid of being hit.

“Princess, then please do it!”

The meaning was that even if she hit him, he still would not take her. This angered Sinozan so much that she did not know what else to say.

“Yuan Qianlu, are you protecting Xuan Yuan Juesi so fiercely because you mean to make me your enemy? Do not think I would not dare to strike.”

“Princess, it is not like that. I truly do not know where the prince is.”

Yuan Qianlu told the truth. He really did not know.