Huangfu Mi unconsciously withdrew his arms, feeling warm all over from her embrace. After all, they were both too stubborn. Many times, all it took was for one of them to give in first, and the misunderstanding would disappear.
He held her in his arms, his large hand stroking her hair; this time, the touch felt real. "So? Do you like my gift?"
His voice was low and slowly drifted through the empty room as night fell.
Meng Wan nodded, her emotions difficult to express.
Huangfu Mi seemed to sense her emotions. She didn't speak, and neither did he. He simply pulled a strand of hair from her hair, then picked up his own braid with trembling hands and tied the two strands together in the flickering light.
The hall was extremely quiet, and the warmth of his presence filled the air. Meng Wan stared blankly at his actions. The two strands of hair tied together were placed in her palm. He reached out and held her delicate hand tightly. The jade ring on his hand was icy cold, and the coolness traveled from her fingertips all the way to the depths of her heart.
"I cut my hair, and you cut yours too. Let's find a secluded spot and tie it into a love knot." He whispered in her ear, his breath brushing against her neck like a child's fingers gently tickling her: "This is what you taught me to do when we got married. Now I'm doing it for you, hoping that we can walk hand in hand and never be apart."
Such a vow made her raise her face, but she didn't know what to say. She opened her mouth, but the words she wanted to say were stuck in her heart. Her mind raced, and she couldn't find the right words to express them. However, a feeling of sudden enlightenment quietly arose in her heart.
"Huangfu Mi, thank you!" This was a heartfelt statement. No matter what the future held, at this moment, she believed that Huangfu Mi only had eyes for her.
Huangfu Mi reached out and took her hand, then gently kissed it. "Wan'er, I know all your grievances, but please believe me, you must believe me. Changping can only occupy the position of Crown Princess. Everything else, whether it's my body or my heart, belongs only to you."
The room was warm and cozy, and she felt a damp sweat on her back and her palms were sweating. Huangfu Mi held her tightly, as if she were a priceless treasure, and Meng Wan's heart trembled slightly.
Perhaps, deep down, she still wanted to believe in him and their relationship. She had been so awkward for so long because she blamed him for ignoring her feelings.
Now that he has expressed his feelings, she should be able to rest easy, right?
Such a heartwarming scene was rare. The last rays of the setting sun shone down, bathing the entire room in a golden glow, filling it with warmth. But just then, a sharp cry for help broke the brief tranquility.
"Your Highness, Your Highness—" Someone actually pushed open the door without knocking and rushed in like a gust of wind, running to Huangfu Mi's side and kneeling down, saying, "Your Highness, please come quickly, something bad has happened to the Crown Princess."
Upon closer inspection, it was Nan Shuang, who was standing next to Chang Ping, looking completely panicked.
Huangfu Mi released Meng Wan's hand, glanced at Nan Shuang, frowned slightly, and said in a deep voice, "What happened? Why are you in such a panic?" He was clearly very dissatisfied with the person who had suddenly barged in.
Nan Shuang kowtowed again before saying, "It's the Crown Princess. I don't know what happened, but she suddenly said she wasn't feeling well. The imperial physician examined her, but he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Your Highness, please go and take a look!"
Feeling unwell? That's quite novel.
Everything was fine at other times, but this time it just had to be uncomfortable. Meng Wan raised her eyebrows, and a cold smile actually appeared on her lips.
She disliked fighting with others, but that didn't mean she was ignorant of it. Back in the day, she had ruled the harem for several years, and she had seen through the clumsy tricks of these women. Now, Changping was using illness as an excuse right away, which was really not very sophisticated.
She gave a cold laugh, her voice carrying a chilling aura that was immediately noticed by Huangfu Mi. He glanced at her, then turned to Nan Shuang and said coldly, "If the imperial physician is incompetent, then find another one. What use is my presence?"
Nan Shuang quickly lowered her head: "But the Crown Princess is very upset and insists on seeing His Highness. This servant has no choice."
Feeling utterly helpless, Huangfu Mi pondered for a long while before turning to Meng Wan: "Wan'er, I..."
Meng Wan understood perfectly; she understood everything.
Putting aside the fact that Changping married Huangfu Mi, just considering their past sibling relationship, Huangfu Mi couldn't possibly abandon Changping.
She nodded slightly, watching Huangfu Mi leave, and frowned.
No, this can't go on. She and Huangfu Mi finally reconciled, and now Changping is causing trouble. If this continues, what will become of them?
Mu Ci and Bao Tong entered and saw Meng Wan still standing there. They hurried forward and asked with concern, "Miss, are you alright?"
Bao Tong also said, "It's all my fault for not stopping Nan Shuang. Otherwise, Your Highness wouldn't have left."
Despite his indignant expression, Meng Wan smiled slightly: "If he doesn't go, they will definitely have other tricks up their sleeves, so it doesn't make a difference whether he goes or not."
"Well..." Bao Tong and Mu Ci exchanged a glance, somewhat bewildered by Meng Wan's smile.
Meng Wan didn't say much, but simply raised an eyebrow at Mu Ci: "Help me change my clothes, I need to go and pay my respects to the Crown Princess!"
Mu Ci was taken aback, clearly unsure of what Meng Wan was planning to do, but since her young mistress always had her own ideas, she didn't say much, just nodded and took out some clothes from the inner room to help her change.
--
Love Language Pavilion.
Changping was clearly not expected that Meng Wan would come along. He was slightly taken aback and then began to groan.
"It hurts, it hurts so much, Brother Mi, I'm in pain..." she groaned, still reaching out her hand towards Huangfu Mi.
Meng Wan stepped forward first, gently taking Changping's hand in her own, her face filled with worry: "Crown Princess, what's wrong? Have you taken your medicine? What did the imperial physician say? Is something bothering you?"
A barrage of questions left Changping somewhat bewildered. Meng Wan held her hand tightly, and she tried to break free, but Meng Wan held it firmly. She dared not exert too much force, otherwise she would give herself away. She could only let Meng Wan pull her hand while pretending to be in pain.
"I...I don't know either..." Her voice was barely audible, but the strength in her hand when she was caught off guard was real. Meng Wan felt it; she couldn't hide it from her.
Meng Wan paused for a moment, glanced at Changping again, then smiled slightly and turned to Huangfu Mi, saying, "It seems the Crown Princess misses His Highness very much. As long as His Highness comes, everything will be fine."
She spoke in a very calm tone, but Huangfu Mi glanced at her a few more times, afraid that she was just saying it out of anger. Meng Wan just smiled slightly and said, "Then Your Highness will stay here. I will go and have someone prepare some food."
Her dignified demeanor startled Huangfu Mi, who feared this was the prelude to a storm. But Meng Wan gave him a calm smile and said, "Don't worry, I'm fine."
Since you've chosen to believe, then believe to the end, and have the spirit of never giving up until you hit a wall.
Since Changping was faking illness anyway, and nothing could possibly happen between her and Huangfu Mi, Meng Wan was quite relieved. She ordered someone to prepare food and send it over before returning to Jiangyun Pavilion.
However, Changping would not let this go so easily, and naturally she would stir things up. After Meng Wan left, she grabbed Huangfu Mi's clothes and said pitifully, "Brother Mi, is Sister angry? Will she blame me for being sick at this time?"
As she spoke, her voice grew even lower: "Today is my sister's big day, and not only did I not offer my congratulations, but I also prevented you from celebrating with her. I really..."
"No, she won't." Huangfu Mi stopped her from saying the rest, his smile gentle: "She won't blame you. It's not your fault that she's sick. Wan'er will understand."
His confident tone left Changping at a loss for words, and for a moment, she felt somewhat flustered.