Shuang'er was timid and was frightened by Meng Wan's shout, but Meng Junheng had instructed her not to tell Meng Wan, so she could only bite her lip tightly.
Seeing this, Meng Wan felt even more uneasy. She shook off Shuang'er's hand and said, "If you won't tell me, I'll go see for myself!"
Shuang'er panicked. If the young lady went by herself and the king found out, she would be in big trouble. So she knelt down and grabbed Meng Wan's hand, saying, "Miss, you can't go! The king ordered that you can't see the distinguished guest today, so you have to stay in the room!"
Distinguished guest?
This was the first time Meng Wan had heard of it, and she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow: "Who is it?"
Shuang'er shrank her neck: "This..."
"I'm asking you who you are!"
"It's...it's the Eighth Prince of Lanling...This servant doesn't know why the King didn't want you to know, but he personally gave the order, so..."
"Clang—" Meng Wan's hand trembled, and the thing in her hand fell to the ground with a clattering sound, which was somewhat jarring in the empty hall.
Shuang'er rushed over to check, but Meng Wan pushed her away. She stood there, stunned for a long time, then suddenly turned around and rushed into the room.
On that day, Huangfu Yi had designed an escape route for her and arranged everything for her in Jiangnan, but she did not do as he said because she did not want to have any further connection with Lanling. But now, he had actually come to the palace in Xishu. Although they might not run into each other, she would lose control whenever anything about Lanling was mentioned.
So she has to leave, she absolutely has to leave!
-
Two days later.
The wind howled, and a desolate atmosphere filled the air. Inside the carriage, Meng Wan sat there, her gaze unfocused.
That day, she fled in a hurry, without even saying goodbye to her elder brother. She only wanted to escape. The continuous running around for the past two days had left her very tired. That night, when the carriage stopped in a small town, she found an inn there to rest.
She was pregnant, and her body was already heavy. Now she was even more exhausted, so the first thing she did when she arrived at the inn was to take a bath and rest.
However, she was always particular about her bed, and lying in an unfamiliar place, she didn't sleep well. In her hazy state, she felt that there was a sound echoing in her ears. She turned her ear to listen and seemed to hear a flute playing in the distance, sounding somewhat desolate in the howling wind.
Green willows and fragrant grasses line the long pavilion road; in youth, it's easy to leave behind loved ones. A broken dream echoes at dawn's bell atop the tower; beneath the flowers, sorrowful parting falls like March rain.
Heartlessness is not as painful as being deeply in love; even a single inch of longing can turn into a thousand threads of sorrow. The ends of the earth may be reached, but the longing for you is endless.
For some reason, the sound of the flute gradually dispelled Meng Wan's drowsiness. She opened her eyes and listened carefully, feeling a sense of unreality.
Looking out, she saw that it was already completely dark. As if possessed, she lifted the quilt, got up, and got out of bed.
Peeking through the crack in the door, she saw that it had started snowing sometime earlier, and the sound of the flute mixed with it had a poignant beauty. Meng Wan listened quietly, and the long, lingering melody seemed to have a magical power. Without thinking, she pushed open the door.
Following the sound of the flute, she stepped through puddles of varying depths, unaware that her shoes were getting wet. When the song ended, Meng Wan did not stop.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the open space in the front yard. At one end of the tents, a man dressed in white stood with his hands behind his back, holding a long flute. A clear sound came from the other side.
The person and the scene left Meng Wan completely paralyzed, standing blankly at the other end of the corridor, her mind reeling.
Unexpectedly, in her attempt to escape Huangfu Yi, she encountered another person here, someone she thought she would never see again in this lifetime—Huangfu Mi.
Suddenly, Meng Wan stared blankly for a long time, but Huangfu Mi seemed to sense it and turned around. Meng Wan subconsciously dodged, and the next moment, she turned and ran.
She had only one thought in her mind—she absolutely could not let Huangfu Mi discover her.
*
They practically fled back.
She leaned against the door, repeatedly touching her chest with her hand.
Why is he here? Is he also here to see Meng Junheng? But if so, why is he not in the magnificent imperial palace but in this remote little village?
A series of questions flooded her mind, but she had no time to verify them. She felt somewhat dazed. Her clothes were wet from the rain and stuck to her body uncomfortably. She grabbed a towel and wiped herself haphazardly, then found some clothes to change into. Seeing that it was still early, she could only quietly go to bed. However, she tossed and turned all night without being able to sleep.
V111
A series of questions flooded her mind, but she had no time to verify them. She felt somewhat dazed. Her clothes were wet from the rain and stuck to her body uncomfortably. She grabbed a towel and wiped herself haphazardly, then found some clothes to change into. Seeing that it was still early, she could only quietly go to bed. However, she tossed and turned all night without being able to sleep.
The next day, before dawn, she hurriedly packed her things, specially changing into men's clothing. She was leaving, and she had to leave as soon as possible; this was the most important thing!
But as soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, they saw a group of people riding horses in a grand procession. The one at the head of the group, sitting on horseback with an extraordinary bearing, could only be Huangfu Mi.
She froze, then turned around abruptly, deliberately holding the umbrella low as if afraid he would see her.
The horse passed by her, splashing water droplets. A few drops landed at her feet, forming an unsightly color. She looked down and frowned unconsciously.
"Miss, Miss--" Just then, the innkeeper rushed out, carrying a bundle in his arms, and stuffed it into Meng Wan's arms: "You left something behind!"
Meng Wan was taken aback. She looked down and saw that it was the clothes she had made for her child stitch by stitch. She immediately thanked the craftswoman. However, even though the word was soft, it still made the person on horseback freeze.
How can there be such similar voices in this world?
He turned his head to look, and in the drizzling rain, an umbrella blocked his view. Under the umbrella, he could only see the lower half of the body. It was clearly a man's clothes, but they seemed a bit long, with the hem tied in a knot, loosely covering the body.
He was stunned for a moment, and for some reason, looking at that figure, he felt as if he couldn't move.
Was the sound coming from over there?
He jumped off his horse and stared intently at the other side, as if afraid it would disappear in the blink of an eye.
Meng Wan's heart leaped into her throat. She had been careless and had spoken. When she caught a glimpse of approaching footsteps out of the corner of her eye, she froze.
Huangfu Mi, did Huangfu Mi recognize her by her voice?
She pressed the umbrella down as if she wanted to cover herself completely, and as she took the bundle from the shopkeeper, she suddenly turned around and walked away without looking back.