"Ah!" Xiao Yun'er exclaimed in surprise, "Are we going together? But I'm not ready yet."
"What else do we need to prepare?" Meng Wan shrugged, looking at Xiao Yun'er's nervous face, and said, "It's just going out to play together, it's not a big deal. You can also take this opportunity to see if he is really the person you want to spend your life with."
To spend a lifetime together--
Xiao Yun'er paused for a moment. She really hadn't thought about this question. She just thought that the Fifth Prince was a very nice and smart person!
After hesitating for a while, he finally nodded: "Then go ahead, and tell your brother-in-law!"
Meng Wan nodded. That evening, she spoke to Huangfu Mi, saying that she had been feeling really bored lately and wanted to go out for a walk to clear her head. Huangfu Mi didn't ask any questions and readily agreed.
After a few days, Huangfu Yu and Huangfu Mi discussed the time, and the group went to Nanyuan in a grand procession.
Nanyuan was a place exclusively for royal hunting and archery. In the vast field, there was only rolling yellow earth and dust and mist. Only at the corner of the hunting grounds were a few evergreen trees planted, which are now at their peak, with lush branches and leaves.
When the group arrived, there was a red figure in the huge area, which was not very clear. It could only be vaguely identified as a man, who was riding a horse and whipping it, attracting the attention of Huangtu Town.
Meng Wan alighted from the carriage, and Huangfu Mi naturally took her hand. Her gaze then turned to the hunting grounds, and she asked, "Who is training the horses?"
As the words were spoken, a "whoosh" was heard, and the horse came to a stop in front of the group in a few steps.
"Eighth Prince?" Meng Wan exclaimed in surprise.
Nobody told her that Huangfu Yi would be coming too!
Looking at Huangfu Yi on horseback, he was different from his usual carefree self. He wore a black-trimmed cross-collar long robe with wide sleeves and a scarlet cloak with a dark floral collar, which made him look spirited and dashing.
His hair was slightly disheveled, but it did not detract from his handsome appearance at all. When he saw Huangfu Mi and Meng Wan standing hand in hand, a dark emotion flashed in his eyes, but he concealed it well. Then he jumped off his horse in a flash and said with a smile, "Seventh Brother, you are really slow. Have you become arrogant since you became the Crown Prince?"
Huangfu Mi was clearly taken aback, wondering where this sudden provocation came from. A hint of displeasure flashed in her eyes, but she quickly concealed it. Looking at Huangfu Yi, she said, "I'm sorry, something just kept me waiting."
"Heh--" Huangfu Yi smiled noncommittally, glanced at Meng Wan, and said, "It doesn't matter if I wait a little longer, as long as Seventh Brother remembers not to make those who are good to you wait too long."
As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Meng Wan, clearly showing his indignation on her behalf. However, this action surprised everyone present.
She was aware of Huangfu Yi's kindness to her, and it was precisely because she knew that she was somewhat taken aback when she saw him earlier. However, at this moment, he bluntly pointed out that Huangfu Mi had previously neglected her, which caught her completely off guard.
Startled, she instinctively looked up at Huangfu Yi. Their eyes met, and she clearly saw the deep emotions in his eyes.
Meng Wan froze.
"Eighth Brother, your words have a hidden meaning. It seems you are quite dissatisfied with me. If that's really the case, you might as well just say so."
"Fine!" Huangfu Yi wasn't afraid of him at all. He raised his chin and said, "Seventh Sister-in-law is deeply in love with you, but you married someone else to be the Crown Princess, causing her to suffer. Now that the Crown Princess has been banished to the Cold Palace, you don't even give her a title. Do you think you did the right thing?"
Huangfu Mi's eyes suddenly darkened. She glanced at Huangfu Yi, then turned to Meng Wan, unaware that their relationship had become so close that the Eighth Prince was willing to stand up for her.
When did they become so close?
With this question in mind, Huangfu Mi stepped forward, blocking Meng Wan behind him, and looked at Huangfu Yu, saying, "Right or wrong, this is a matter between my husband and me. Eighth brother, you are meddling too much."
As if issuing a warning, Huangfu Yi's face immediately turned ugly. He looked at Huangfu Mi as if he was about to explode, but when he saw Meng Wan looking at him with a complicated expression, he hesitated for a moment and then suppressed his anger.
He knew that Meng Wan didn't want to get entangled in this matter any further.
So he gritted his teeth and said, "Fine, I guess I was just meddling."
As he said this, he clenched his teeth tightly, his tone carrying a hint of defiance.
Seeing this, Meng Wan couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
She was really scared, and the two brothers started arguing about it.
At this moment, Huangfu Yu and Xiao Yun'er had already come over. Seeing that Huangfu Yi was also there, they immediately stepped forward and said, "Eighth Brother, you've come too."
Huangfu Yi nodded slightly, his face expressionless, but inwardly he was secretly urging himself on. After holding back for a long time, he couldn't help but fling the reins out and then jump onto the horse.
"This is boring. You guys keep playing, I'm leaving."
After saying this, he raised his hand, gripped the horse's flanks, and rode away at full speed.
--
The atmosphere was noticeably strange.
After Huangfu Yi left, Huangfu Mi's eyes remained deep and unreadable, and he simply stared at Meng Wan without saying a word.
Meng Wan never expected that what was originally intended to create an opportunity for Xiao Yun'er and the Fifth Prince would end up causing Huangfu Mi and Huangfu Yi to turn against each other. Now, she was pondering and didn't know what to say.
Huangfu Yu and Xiao Yun'er automatically avoided the situation. It was Huangfu Mi who signaled them to leave. They knew that the couple must have something to say, so they did not insist and simply went to the other side of the horse farm.
Only when Huangfu Mi and Meng Wan remained did he say, "Speak, what's going on between you and Lao Ba?"
"What? What happened?" Meng Wan was clearly taken aback.
"He defended you so fiercely, don't tell me you two weren't having an affair."
The use of the word "private affair" was quite strange. Meng Wan had originally wanted to explain, but now she didn't know what to say. She could only open her mouth and say, "How...how could we have a private affair?"
"And that's how he treated you?"
Meng Wan frowned almost imperceptibly: "What do you mean by that? Are you doubting me?"
He didn't want to doubt it, but he had clearly seen what had just happened. If Lao Ba had no feelings for her, why would he protect her like this?
Recalling the time in Western Shu when he had protected and cherished Meng Wan in the same way, even accompanying her to the ends of the earth in her search, Huangfu Mi's heart sank even further.
"It's not that I doubt you, I just want you to give me a reasonable explanation."