northernbook Chapter 125 Alone with Fan Junyu
Chapter 125 Alone with Fan Junyu
Lu Xia frowned, rested his chin on his hand, and pondered for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, as if he had thought of something important. He slowly said thoughtfully, "Oh dear, something's not right here! Think about it, all of the eldest son's relatives are men. How could he possibly have a cousin?"
His words were like a dazzling bolt of lightning, instantly shattering the silence of the night sky. Those present were initially stunned, then suddenly realized the meaning as if waking from a dream.
At this moment, one of the constables in the crowd suddenly slapped his thigh and exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that this woman is also an admirer of the boss, just like before?" Before he finished speaking, another constable next to him hurriedly echoed, "Very likely! Otherwise, why would the boss have looked so grim just now? Zhang Yi, judging from this, you're probably in for a rough time later!"
Upon hearing their words, Zhang Yi turned deathly pale, his face filled with astonishment. His mouth gaped open, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time. Finally, he managed to squeeze out a few words: "No...no way! This woman doesn't seem as crazy as those other women!"
Lu Xia lowered her head and thought for a moment, then nodded slightly, indicating her agreement with Zhang Yi's opinion: "Yes, that's true. But what's certain is that this woman and the boss must have some kind of relationship, otherwise why would the boss allow her to enter the house, and even have someone bring her food in?"
The others, after listening to Lu Xia's analysis, found it quite reasonable and nodded in agreement. Just then, Zhang Yi suddenly snapped out of his daze, inwardly groaning. He hurriedly said, "No, no, no matter what, I have to hurry and prepare some food and drink. If I'm slow, and the boss gets angry, I'll be in big trouble! Everyone, I'll go first." With that, he ran off like a startled rabbit.
Fan Junyu slowly walked into the house. He had barely sat down, his bottom not yet fully settled, when a figure flashed in like a gust of wind. Looking closely, he saw it was Zhang Yi. He steadily carried a plate of food and a pot of steaming tea, and in the blink of an eye, he was at the table.
Seeing this, Fan Junyu and He Mingning simultaneously reached for their delicate teacups, gently blew away the floating tea leaves, and then carefully brought their lips to the rim, taking a small sip. The tea slid down their throats, bringing a warm and smooth sensation, causing both of them to relax and smile.
After setting down his teacup, Fan Junyu broke the silence first. With a smile on his face, he looked directly at He Mingning and asked, "Princess, what brings you to Dali Temple today?" His voice was gentle and steady, as if he had everything under control.
Hearing this, He Mingning, who was sitting to the side, first lowered her head slightly, seemingly hesitant, but quickly raised her head again, holding the teacup tightly in both hands, her beautiful big eyes staring unblinkingly at Fan Junyu, and said softly, "Um... are you alright?" Her tone was filled with concern and worry.
Upon hearing this, Fan Junyu looked slightly puzzled and simply replied with a "Hmm?" He clearly did not immediately understand the meaning behind He Mingning's words.
Seeing this, He Mingning quickly explained, "I heard that this morning in court, Vice Minister Yang deliberately caused you trouble. So I wanted to ask if you were injured because of this? I'm really sorry! If it weren't for me, he wouldn't have targeted you like this." As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, and she lowered her head again, looking very guilty.
Fan Junyu listened quietly to He Mingning's words, his gaze remaining fixed on her. Seeing the woman's remorseful expression, a faint smile appeared on his lips as he softly comforted her, "Princess, please don't say that. His trouble with me is purely due to his own flawed character; it has nothing to do with you." However, He Mingning disagreed. She shook her head and insisted, "But if it weren't for helping me, how could you have gotten involved with these people? Ultimately, it's all because of me." As she spoke, her eyes gradually reddened. Fan Junyu continued, "You are my fiancée; how could I let them bully you! Besides, I'm perfectly fine."
He Mingning frowned deeply, her beautiful face filled with worry. She anxiously asked, "Are you really alright? You know, Yang Cheng is no ordinary person. He's He Mingwen's maternal uncle! You hit his son this time, how could He Mingwen let it go? Didn't he help Yang Cheng bully you? And what about Father Emperor? Did he listen to He Mingwen's slander and punish you? Tell me quickly..." However, before He Mingning could finish speaking, Fan Junyu abruptly interrupted her.
Fan Junyu smiled, his deep, pool-like eyes fixed on He Mingning. A faint smile played on his lips as he softly asked, "Your Highness, are you so concerned about me?" Hearing this, He Mingning's pretty face instantly flushed crimson, like a ripe apple, making her incredibly adorable. Her hands unconsciously twisted together, showing her unease, and she stammered, "I...I didn't..."
Seeing this, Fan Junyu couldn't help but smile gently, and then said slowly, "Princess, please don't worry. In this matter, the Emperor not only did not punish me, but also severely punished Yang Cheng."
He Mingning's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief. She exclaimed, "How is this possible! He Mingwen didn't speak up for Yang Cheng?" Fan Junyu, standing to the side, smiled mysteriously and said slowly, "That's because he didn't even have a chance to speak."
Upon hearing this, He Mingning frowned deeply, her eyes filled with even greater confusion. She quickly pressed for an answer, "No chance to speak? Why is that?" Fan Junyu, observing He Mingning's reaction, felt a sudden urge to test her. After a moment's thought, she cautiously inquired, "Since Your Highness is aware of the difficulties I faced at the morning court session, are you perhaps completely unaware of what happened afterward?"
He Mingning gently shook her head, her long, flowing hair swaying softly. She explained earnestly, "Actually, it was my maid who overheard other palace servants gossiping and learned that you were being harassed by Yang Cheng. I was frantic with worry and wanted to go find you immediately, but by the time I arrived, the morning court session had already ended, and the crowd had dispersed." With that, He Mingning bit her lip, a hint of regret and helplessness in her eyes.
Fan Junyu asked again with a suspicious look on his face, "Then how exactly did you find out that I am currently in the Dali Temple, Your Highness?" He Mingning replied unhurriedly, "Afterwards, I happened to meet Liu Quan and learned this news from him."
Upon hearing this, Fan Junyu's doubts only deepened, not disappeared. He pondered to himself: "During the morning court session, Eunuch Liu was by my side the entire time. He must be fully aware of everything that happened in court. He must even know the punishment decision against Yang Cheng clearly. Since the princess has already met with Eunuch Liu, logically, she should be fully aware of the whole story! But now, the princess only knows that I was harassed here, and knows nothing about Yang Cheng's subsequent punishment. This is truly perplexing!" Thinking this, Fan Junyu could no longer suppress his confusion and bluntly voiced his question: "Your Highness, didn't Eunuch Liu mention Yang Cheng's punishment to you at the time?"
He Mingning was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Fan Junyu before her, and she parted her lips slightly to ask, "So, Eunuch Liu actually knows about this matter?" Fan Junyu, looking at the bewildered He Mingning, couldn't help but find the princess utterly innocent, charming, and incredibly adorable. For a moment, he was lost in thought, silently gazing at the princess as if forgetting everything around him, remaining silent for a long while.
He Mingning finally snapped out of her daze, filled with remorse: "That's right! Eunuch Liu was present the whole time during the morning court session, so he must know what happened! I could have just asked him and found out the truth. How could I have been so stupid! He Mingning, He Mingning, how could you be so incredibly foolish!" Thinking this, He Mingning began to worry, fearing that her foolish behavior would be ridiculed. So, she cautiously glanced at Fan Junyu beside her, trying to see if he had noticed her earlier lapse in composure.
Meanwhile, Fan Junyu quietly gazed at the girl before him, whose expressions were constantly shifting and rich with emotion. From her demeanor and movements, Fan Junyu could easily tell that she had come to her senses, and couldn't help but find her quite adorable and amusing. At the same time, Fan Junyu secretly pondered to himself, "It seems the princess was so worried about my safety that after finding out my whereabouts, she rushed here without even having time to inquire about anything else."
Just then, Fan Junyu's gaze, which had never left He Mingning, met hers as she furtively stole glances at him. In an instant, both of them froze, as if struck by lightning. He Mingning's pretty face flushed crimson, like a ripe apple, and her heart pounded uncontrollably. She inwardly cried out, "Oh dear, this is terrible! I've been caught red-handed peeping at someone! How embarrassing!"
Like a graceful butterfly in flight, Fan Junyu elegantly presented a delicate pastry to He Mingning. Her lips parted slightly, her voice as soft as a spring breeze: "What happened yesterday has become the talk of the town. How could His Majesty not know the details? This morning at court, Yang Cheng actually confronted me in front of all the officials. Seeing this, His Majesty naturally wanted to know what had happened. So, I recounted everything that happened yesterday. The Third Prince tried several times to interject and defend them, but His Majesty didn't give him a chance. In the end, His Majesty was furious and severely punished Yang Cheng on the spot."
Hearing this, He Mingning still seemed somewhat skeptical and couldn't help but press further, "Is that really true? Could there be some other hidden story?" Seeing her expression, Fan Junyu chuckled and replied, "Princess, you are the Emperor's most beloved jewel! Now that someone dares to bully you, how could the Emperor not protect his beloved daughter but instead side with that outsider? So, today the Emperor not only didn't blame me at all, but also ordered Yang Cheng and his son to stay home obediently for a whole year without leaving the house. Even Yang Cheng's position as Vice Minister of War was directly stripped, and he was also fined a large sum of money! As for the Third Prince, even if he wanted to help, he was powerless to do anything about it!"
Fan Junyu suddenly changed the subject, then slowly said, "If you calculate the time carefully, the apology gifts from Yangcheng should arrive soon. As soon as they arrive, I'll send them to you immediately." Hearing this, He Mingning waved her hands frantically, saying hurriedly, "Really, there's no need for that trouble. You should keep the apology gifts for yourself! You don't need to give them to me." Seeing this, Fan Junyu smiled slightly and naturally changed the subject, asking softly, "Your Highness, besides this, is there anywhere else you'd like to visit?" He Mingning nodded slightly in response, "My third sister is currently at the Duke of Zhenguo's residence, and I really miss her, so I plan to go and visit her. However, I don't know if it's convenient for Miss Qin to allow me to pay her a visit." Fan Junyu quickly reassured her, "Princess, don't worry, this won't be a problem. I'll just send someone to inform my aunt immediately; she should be happy for you to come."
After speaking, Fan Junyu poured He Mingning another cup of fragrant tea, acting like an elegant waiter. He glanced at his desk, and He Mingning's gaze followed, landing on the mountain of official documents. Only then did He Mingning realize, as if waking from a dream, that his abrupt visit, like an unexpected breeze, had disrupted his work. So, with an apologetic expression, he said, "I'm sorry, I won't disturb your work any longer. I'll take my leave."