As autumn deepens, the wind feels slightly chilly.
There are several ginkgo trees in the backyard. The leaves are already turning yellow. Sitting on the stone bench between two trees, I looked up at the sky above. It was spotless and so clear that not even a single cloud could be seen. It was truly clean to the extreme.
Occasionally, a few wild geese fly south, not stopping but soaring through the air, creating a breathtaking scene.
Meng Wan watched quietly, feeling quite pleased. She couldn't help but recall a piece of music she had heard before: "The autumn wind rises, the white clouds fly, the grass and trees turn yellow and fall, the wild geese fly south..."
She sang softly and slowly, her gentle voice carrying the melody of Schumann, drifting and ethereal, flowing through the courtyard like a dream.
"I don't know what good fortune I had in my past life to hear such an ethereal and beautiful voice today, haha, hahaha..."
Meng Wan sang casually, but unbeknownst to her, someone had walked up behind her and stood not far away, staring at her and smiling.
Meng Wan was visibly taken aback. Looking at that beautiful face, she noticed a certain familiarity about it. She frowned slightly, then stood up and said, "Greetings to the Eighth Prince!"
Huangfu Yi curled his lips, waved his hand at her, and said in his usual nonchalant tone, "Seventh Sister-in-law, you're too kind. If we're talking about greetings, I should be the one greeting you."
After saying that, he bent down and brought his face close to Meng Wan's.
The scent of an unfamiliar man made Meng Wan instinctively take a step back. Recalling what she had seen in the Imperial Garden that night, if she remembered correctly, the Eighth Prince was not yet married. So, she knew without even guessing who that woman was.
Although he had helped her, Meng Wan still couldn't help but feel displeased and even somewhat resistant to his frivolousness.
However, Huangfu Yi seemed oblivious to her displeasure, still smiling and looking up at Meng Wan, saying, "Why are you avoiding me, Seventh Sister-in-law? Are you shy?"
Shy? That's a lie!
Meng Wan glared at him, ignored him, forced a smile, curtsied to him, then turned and walked away.
Unexpectedly, Huangfu Yi reached out and grabbed Meng Wan's arm. Looking at her blushing face, he smiled and said, "Why isn't Seventh Sister-in-law saying anything?"
Meng Wan gritted her teeth, almost bursting out on the spot. Did this person see her that night? If he did, how could he have the nerve to appear in front of her? If he didn't, then why did he disregard all etiquette and touch her inappropriately?
She frowned, thinking of something to say, when she heard Huangfu Mi's voice coming from outside the garden: "Eighth Brother, is that you in there?"
Like a lifeline, upon hearing Huangfu Mi's voice, Meng Wan shoved Huangfu Yilai aside and ran out as fast as she could. Huangfu Mi was just walking over; seeing her there, he was clearly taken aback for a moment, then said, "It's good you're here, otherwise I would have had to send someone to call you. Come here, let me introduce you, this is Lao Ba—"
Turning to Huangfu Yi, who was standing there, he said, "This is your sister-in-law."
Huangfu Yi strode over, casually cupped his hands in greeting to Meng Wan, and respectfully addressed her as Seventh Sister-in-law. Meng Wan merely nodded indifferently, then looked at Huangfu Mi and said, "Since the Eighth Prince is here, you two can chat for now. I'll go back to my room first."
Her hand was pulled by Huangfu Mi, who naturally wrapped his arms around her waist and chuckled, "No need to rush, Eighth Brother brought some rare and interesting things. Come with me to the study to take a look."
Meng Wan paused, but Huangfu Mi had already pulled him towards the study without saying a word. Behind them, Huangfu Yi's lips were adorned with an enthusiastic smile the whole time.
Inside the study.
As soon as Meng Wan entered, she was drawn to the trinkets on the table.
It was a tall, large iron shell with strange symbols drawn inside, and an eagle-beak pick pointing in all directions, making a dripping sound.
It was something she had never seen before. Meng Wan's eyes widened with curiosity as she walked over, pointed at it, and asked Huangfu Mi, "Is this the strange thing you were talking about?"
Huangfu Mi nodded: "It was brought back by Lao Ba. It's called a Western clock. It's a device that tells time like a water clock, but it's more accurate. Come and take a look..."
He carefully explained the rules of the directions to her. Meng Wan was intelligent and soon learned about 70-80% of them. Pointing to the direction indicated by the eagle beak on the Western clock, she pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "It's 3:45 AM now, right here?"
Her bright smile was like the spring flowers outside the window, instantly bringing a touch of springtime. Huangfu Mi immediately planted a kiss on the corner of her lips and said affectionately, "That's right, my Wan'er is so smart."
They seemed to have completely forgotten that there were other people present.
Feeling neglected, Huangfu Yi pouted in annoyance and said aggrievedly, "Seventh Brother, you can't do this. You promised to exchange your sword for the Western clock with me. You can't just be busy coaxing your Wan'er and forget about me."
The playful tone carried a strong sense of dissatisfaction, and Meng Wan's cheeks immediately flushed red.
If he truly forgot about that person's existence, then just now... that kiss, he saw it all clearly?
She quickly shrank back, keeping some distance from Huangfu Mi, which prompted Huangfu Mi to glare at the culprit: "When have I ever gone back on my word... Never mind, you wait here, I'll go get it for you, so you won't say I went back on my word."
As he spoke, he rose from Meng Wan's side and walked straight to the side hall.
After Huangfu Mi left, Meng Wan finally felt more at ease. She didn't look at Huangfu Yi and instead fiddled with the things on the table, completely unaware that Huangfu Yi had somehow walked up behind her. Seeing Meng Wan having so much fun, he suddenly felt like teasing her.
She reached behind the clock and gently flicked it, producing a soft chime. The sound was faint, but it startled Meng Wan. She jumped up, bumping her leg on the corner of the table. The pain made her wince. "Ouch—what are you doing?"
His panicked and frightened appearance made Huangfu Yi burst into laughter on the spot, clapping his hands and almost laughing until tears streamed down his face.
She reached out and fiddled with it again, barely managing to suppress a laugh, before explaining to Meng Wan, whose brows were slightly furrowed, "It's just announcing the time, why are you so scared, haha--"
He kept laughing, and Meng Wan felt a little embarrassed. Watching him laugh so hard that his red dress danced along with him, she raised her eyebrows in displeasure.
What's wrong with this man? How can he tease someone and then show no remorse? It's unbelievable...
Seeing that she didn't speak but just stared at him, Huangfu Yi managed to keep his smile. Looking at her flushed cheeks, he found it extremely amusing that she didn't seem to like it at all.
He leaned closer and whispered in Meng Wan's ear, "This time, consider it a gift in return for peeking at you. Keep it safe."
Meng Wan's face turned even redder, and her almond-shaped eyes widened in shock. He... he really did recognize her that night, which was why he was bullying her like this.
But...
"Who peeked? It was clearly your own fault for not being mindful of the occasion. What does it have to do with me?" She raised her eyebrows in dissatisfaction, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the eccentric Eighth Prince.
V71 First Love
"Who peeked? It was clearly your own fault for not being mindful of the occasion. What does it have to do with me?" She raised her eyebrows in dissatisfaction, becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the eccentric Eighth Prince.
How could a man be so petty, deliberately teasing her to get revenge? What kind of person would do that?