He took two steps forward, grasping Cui Yunfeng's hand and pressing it against his lips. "The oath you swore was so venomous, how could I dare?"
Cui Yunfeng said nothing, merely lowering her head slightly.
Xiao Yi said, "Let me take you to the storehouse to see the betrothal gifts I have prepared for you."
He led her by the hand as they walked through the manor. The passing servants all bowed, greeting them as "Your Highness, Future Princess."
Prince An's Manor was brimming with joy. Cui Yunfeng lowered her eyes to look at their intertwined hands, her gaze growing increasingly hollow.
The storehouse was packed to the brim, and Xiao Yi opened the chests one by one for Cui Yunfeng to see.
The items were indeed precious, rarities that would be difficult to find even within the imperial palace.
He told her that these were exotic treasures he had spent around ten years collecting. He had waited for this day for a very, very long time.
"Yes, and to be with you, to break away from the Cui family, I too have exhausted all the courage I had for this lifetime."
"It's getting late. I should head back. If my father finds out I sneaked out, he will surely be furious."
"I will escort you." Xiao Yi held her hand, never once loosening his grip.
"There is no need." The moment Cui Yunfeng boarded the carriage, she slumped into the seat, her tears flowing uncontrollably.
She covered her mouth, seemingly afraid that the people outside would hear her.
After the carriage departed, Eunuch Liu spoke up cautiously, "Your Highness, the future princess clearly seemed emotionally unwell. Why didn't you escort her back?"
If it were in the past, the Prince would have absolutely insisted on escorting her.
Xiao Yi did not answer. He stood at the manor's entrance, gazing after the carriage until it completely disappeared from his sight, before instructing, "Prepare a horse. I am entering the palace."
He seemed to be in a great hurry. The horse wove through the streets without a moment's pause.
...
"What did you say? You want to bring the betrothal date forward and get married in half a month?" Consort Liang was entirely shocked by her son's words.
"What, are you going to die in half a month?"
A Prince's wedding was no trivial matter. Weren't there countless rules and etiquettes to observe?
"Ten days from now is the absolute fastest." Back then, she hadn't dared to push it too far back, deliberately picking the earliest possible date.
"Ten days won't do, three days at most."
"..."
Consort Liang replied, "If that doesn't work, you arrange it yourself. Just say your mother is dead and can't manage it."
"Mother." Xiao Yi's eyes turned slightly red, and there was a red cut on his tightly pursed lips.
Consort Liang sighed. "Oh, my son, what earth-shattering thing have you done this time?"
After speaking, she paused slightly. "Could it be that the girl found out about what you did back then?"
"Tell me, how can you be so foolish? That Yunfeng girl is so dense, yet you couldn't even keep it from her. What use are you to me? Getting a wife is harder for you than conquering the world."
"I am truly going to die of anger because of you."
How did she give birth to such a troublesome son? He called the Crown Prince a coward, yet that coward held his wife every single day. And him?
He was useless, making his old mother suffer from constant anxiety alongside him.
But seeing her son's expression, Consort Liang couldn't help but soften. "Fine, I understand, but three days is truly too tight. Let's make it five days. The day after tomorrow, we will claim it is my birthday and find an excuse to bring her into the palace, saving us from any further mishaps."
Lady Zhao chimed in, "Your Ladyship, your birthday just passed a few days ago."
Consort Liang glared at Lady Zhao. "Just say I want to celebrate twice this year and am celebrating next year's in advance."
"..."
"Thank you for your trouble, Mother." For the first time, Xiao Yi bowed with perfect, formal etiquette.
Consort Liang sighed once more. "Your mother has watched the two of you walk this path and understands your feelings. But have you truly thought this through? The Cui family is a thorn wedged between you and Yunfeng. You cannot hide it for a lifetime. If the day comes when you can no longer conceal it, given Yunfeng's stubborn nature, what will you do?"
Xiao Yi replied, "In life or death, I have no regrets."
Consort Liang rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "Get out, get out, get out. Just looking at you gives me a terrible headache."
...
When Cui Yunfeng returned to the Cui Manor, she first went to Songhe Courtyard. Nanny Li said the Old Madame was feeling unwell and had already gone to sleep.
She then turned and headed to Prime Minister Cui's courtyard.
"Second Miss, the Prime Minister entered the palace and has not yet returned to the manor."
Cui Yunfeng raised her eyes to look at the pitch-black study. The image that flashed through her mind was of him holding her when she was little, picking branches from a tree.
"Second Miss."
Cui Yunfeng snapped back to reality and looked at the steward.
The steward said, "Before leaving, the Prime Minister instructed this old servant to prepare the betrothal matters for ten days from now. This old servant has listed some items. Could the Second Miss take a look to see if anything is inappropriate?"
As Cui Yunfeng looked at the booklet, her tears fell instantly. She sniffled without making a sound.
Unlike her usual loud crying or hysteria, these tears were completely silent, yet they conveyed the utmost agony.
She glanced at the booklet without speaking, then turned and walked away.
"Could it be that the Second Miss is unsatisfied?" The steward frowned, holding the booklet and preparing to redo the arrangements.
Cui Yunfeng felt incredibly empty inside. It was an unprecedented, hollow deadness, with despair consuming her entirely.
Unknowingly, she arrived at Chu Courtyard, only to learn that Cui Yunchu was not there either.
No one was there.
"Where did Eldest Sister go?"
Nanny Zhang frowned. "This old servant does not know either, but my young lady went out holding a letter."
Cui Yunfeng nodded and walked out of the Cui Manor alone once more.
No one stopped her.
Her father must have lifted her grounding. Even without wearing a maid's outfit, she could come and go freely.
At the Department of Punishments, just standing at the entrance made Cui Yunchu feel her legs trembling and a deep chill setting in.
Xing'er asked, "Miss, are we going in or not?"
They had paced back and forth dozens of times. The guards at the door looked at them as if they were fools, shifting from initial guardedness and readiness to intercept, to now just tilting their heads and staring blankly.
It was like a dead fish floating belly-up in a calm lake, adding a touch of amusement to the soldiers' otherwise tedious duties.
They had become a spectacle.
"Are we going in?" Cui Yunchu asked Xing'er.
"...If not, let's head back first and come back when we've thought it through."
Cui Yunchu nodded; she had the exact same thought.
Just standing here made her feel freezing cold all over, shivering uncontrollably.
Cui Yunchu pulled her clothes tighter and turned, preparing to board the carriage.
The soldier guarding the door quickly nudged the person next to him. "Go report quickly, she's getting ready to leave."
That person sprinted inside.
Just as Cui Yunchu placed one foot on the carriage, a voice suddenly rang out behind her, "Eldest Miss Cui, why are you here?"
It was Yu Feng.
She had been ready to give up.
Actually, Yu Feng was one of the people watching the fools, just like the soldiers, except he had been standing behind the door the whole time without showing his face.
Had Cui Yunchu not been about to leave, he wouldn't have come out.
"I... was just wandering around." Cui Yunchu smiled, casually swinging her two sleeves.
"...Are you not busy? Is your master busy?"
That first part was entirely unnecessary, just like his master.
"Your subordinate is not busy."
And then?
There was no 'then.' Yu Feng just smiled cheerfully.
Cui Yunchu kept smiling. "You haven't answered my second question yet."
"What was it?"
"Is your master busy or not?"
Yu Feng scratched his head. "Hard to say."
Whether his master was busy depended on whether he wanted to see the visitor. If you said he was busy, well, he had been lingering at the gatehouse all morning, completely distracted.
Hearing his subordinates report that Cui Yunchu had arrived, he had even smiled in an extremely restrained manner.
But to say he was not busy would not be quite right either; ever since his subordinates went in to report, there had been no further word.
"Could I trouble you to pass a message for me? I have a certain matter and would like to see Lord Shen."
"Wait here," Yu Feng replied.
Inside the study where official matters were handled, Shen Xiabai sat with his legs crossed and resting on a low stool. A stack of files lay open across his desk.
His eyes rested on the documents, his gaze shifting back and forth.
He seemed to be reading, yet it also seemed like none of the words were actually registering.
Yu Feng pushed the door open and stepped inside. "Master, the eldest Miss Cui is outside requesting an audience."
Shen Xiabai barely lifted his eyelids. "She still hasn't left?"
"No," Yu Feng nodded.
He thought to himself, you never gave the order to drive her away, so shouldn't you know perfectly well whether she has left or not?
