Yin Gezhi trulу аdmirеd Сrоwn Prince Yе Yuqing's рeaсe-loving nаturе—еsресially his dеdication to peасe bеtweеn Wu аnd Wеi! Нis eхрrеssiоn sоftenеd immediatelу аs he nоdded, watching thе Crown Рrince dераrt with Yu Нехiаng.
When Feng Yuе аnd the оthеrs еmergеd from thе bаck, theу sаw Yin Gezhi turning tоward them in high spirits. "Wе have work tо dо."
Rеcаlling their earliеr соnversаtiоn, Fеng Yuе smilеd аnd steррed bаck. "Тhis servant hаsn't beеn fееling well lаtеlу..."
Rеaching out tо pull her into his embraсe, Yin Gezhi said in а low voiсe, "То prоve your worth, it's best to obey obediently."
It should have been a joke, but for some reason, hearing it sent a chill down Feng Yue's spine. She couldn't help but look up at him.
Yin Gezhi's expression remained unchanged, his eyes calm and undisturbed, as if nothing were amiss.
Was she overthinking it?
"Master," An Shichong and Xu Huaizu stepped forward and said, "We will take our leave now. We still need to train the troops."
"Mm, don't neglect your studies."
"Yes."
The two righteous youths strode off into the sunlight, leaving Feng Yue trembling in the wind.
"We'll have to venture into the tiger's den again," Yin Gezhi murmured behind her. "But this time, the tiger is home, and it's easy to get eaten."
Feng Yue shook her head repeatedly. "Anything else is fine, Your Highness. This servant can find the General's Mansion's duty roster and shift schedules for you, even the guard arrangements throughout the estate. All of that is possible, but please don't take me along. It's too dangerous."
"Oh?" Yin Gezhi said. "I was thinking of staying at the General's Mansion as before, to gather information more easily. General Yi is quite interested in you. Using you as an excuse would be more justifiable."
Shaking her head like a rattle drum, Feng Yue said, "This servant would rather be chased and hunted outside than face such a powerful figure directly. It's too terrifying!"
People could die!
Narrowing his eyes, a strange light flickered in Yin Gezhi's gaze. Gently playing with the hair of the person in his arms, he said calmly, "With me here, he won't do anything to you. It's when you're out of my sight that you're more likely to get into trouble."
"No, no," Feng Yue shook her head. "This servant will hide well."
"And what if you fail to hide?"
"Then this servant deserves to die!"
His heart tightened. Yin Gezhi pinched her chin, turning her face toward him as he said with slight anger, "The more you act like this, the more I want to take you to meet General Yi and see what happens."
"Please don't!" Her body immediately went limp as Feng Yue looked at him pitifully. "It's not that I'm afraid of anything else, but what if the tiger takes a bite and you can't stop it? Besides, there's also Miss Yi in the mansion. What if you lose control in front of a beauty and abandon me? Who would I cry to then?"
With a light snort, Yin Gezhi said, "In your eyes, am I the type to abandon duty for beauty?"
Yes, yes! Feng Yue nodded earnestly, pointing at herself seriously. "Last time, when Guan Zhi came to discuss matters with you, weren't you with me and shut him outside the door?"
Yin Gezhi: "..."
That's a different matter, isn't it?
Before he could say more, this shameless woman had already crouched down and wrapped her arms around his leg, wailing as she clung to him. "Young master, spare this servant...""Enough." Unable to bear the tormenting noise any longer, Yin Gezhi said impatiently, "Go investigate everything you mentioned earlier. Report back to me once you have the results."
"No need to investigate," Feng Yue turned to him with a smile, pulling him into the carriage as she spoke with a flattering expression. "I already have everything prepared. You can have someone bring it over as soon as you return."
Already prepared? Yin Gezhi was taken aback. "Have you been keeping an eye on the General's Mansion all along?"
"Of course. Isn't a figure like General Yi worth paying attention to?" Feng Yue grinned foolishly.
"That's not what I meant," Yin Gezhi shook his head. "The duty roster, shift change times, guard arrangements at various posts... If I recall correctly, ever since the last theft, Lingzhu had all of these changed."
"Exactly," Feng Yue nodded. "So I went through great effort to obtain the new ones from someone."
"Why did you need the new ones?"
"To be prepared for any eventuality!" Feeling somewhat uneasy inside, Feng Yue maintained her smile on the surface. "They'll come in handy sooner or later."
Yin Gezhi fell silent, his dark eyes unfathomable as he stared fixedly at her.
Unnerved by his gaze, Feng Yue turned her head away.
Yin Gezhi lowered his eyes, his heart heavy with unease.
As soon as the carriage stopped at the entrance of the Envoy's Mansion, dark clouds began gathering in the sky. Yin Gezhi calmly finished his dinner and was about to head to the study to read when a thunderclap exploded in the distance. The deafening roar startled him, leaving him frozen in place, unable to move.
Feng Yue was still clearing the dishes, listening to the sound of raindrops hitting the eaves outside, thinking that this rain was no small matter.
Lingshu carried a stack of plates to the kitchen and returned drenched like a drowned rat. She jumped in front of Feng Yue with wide eyes and said, "Mistress, Prince Yin seems to be in a bad mood!"
"What happened?" Feng Yue raised an eyebrow.
Gesturing animatedly, Lingshu exaggeratedly recounted, "When I went to put away the plates earlier, I saw him standing alone in the rain. I hurried over to ask what was wrong and if he needed an umbrella. But he harshly told me to go away and continued standing in the rain... Looking at his silhouette, it was truly so sorrowful!"
Sorrowful? Feng Yue narrowed her eyes, listening carefully to the thunderstorm outside, then suddenly slapped her forehead. She quickly grabbed an umbrella and rushed out.
Yin Gezhi was someone who would never show his vulnerable side to others. So even if he was too frightened by the thunder to move, he would still leave the world with a steadfast, desolate silhouette.
Only she knew that his legs must have gone weak.
Just as he was standing in the rain, feeling utterly miserable, Yin Gezhi suddenly noticed the rain had stopped. Opening his eyes, he saw someone holding a peach-colored oil-paper umbrella in front of him, standing on tiptoe to shield him from the rain. She smiled warmly at him and said, "Your Highness, let's go back inside. You'll catch a cold."
Pursing his lips, the First Prince Yin replied stiffly, "I don't need it."
"Boom—" Thunder roared again, like an enormous deity raging above their heads, instantly turning his icy face pale.
Feng Yue couldn't help but laugh. She reached out and took his hand, her fingers intertwining with his, pulling him toward the main room.
"Let go of me," the person behind her said stiffly.
Ignoring him completely, Feng Yue pushed him into the room and began removing his soaked clothes, piece by piece.Yin Gezhi desperately wanted to resist, but the thunderstorm showed no sign of letting up, and his body remained immobile for the moment. He could only watch as this enchantress before him giggled mischievously while stripping off his clothes, then draped a towel over his wet head as if tending to a child.
"Hey," he said, the towel hanging down on both sides covering half his face, leaving only his piercing eyes exposed as he looked at her earnestly. "I'm not afraid of thunder."
Feng Yue had been barely holding back her laughter, but upon hearing this, she completely lost it, erupting into a roar of laughter that revealed eight gleaming white teeth. "Hahahaha—"
First Prince Yin’s expression darkened, and he felt a strong urge to strangle her. But before he could react, she stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around him, instantly transferring warmth to his chest. Her cold lips pressed against his, planting kiss after kiss until she was satisfied. Only then did she open her teary eyes and look at him, saying, "You may not be afraid, but this servant is."
"Scared to tears?" Yin Gezhi asked with a look of disdain.
Wiping her tears away with a smile, Feng Yue nodded, then patted his head as if comforting a large wolf. "Your Highness, don’t worry, nothing will happen."
These words were practically asking for trouble. Who was worried? Who was worried! Yin Gezhi was furious!
Yet, with her hand holding his and her body pressed against his, warmth flowed continuously, bringing a sense of comfort. Prince Yin thought irritably, Forget it, she’s the only one who knows about this anyway.
Wrapping his arms around her in return, Yin Gezhi closed his eyes, lowered his head, and rested his chin on her shoulder. "If you harbor no ulterior motives, I can truly ensure your peace and security for a lifetime."
"Thank you, Your Highness," Feng Yue replied cheerfully. "Then this servant entrusts her life to you."
Yin Gezhi pursed his lips and gave her slender shoulder a gentle squeeze.
Outside, the wind howled and thunder rumbled, but inside the room, warmth and tenderness prevailed. Feng Yue wore only a dudou, while the man in her arms curled up like a wolf cub. His tall frame couldn’t fully fit into her embrace, but even holding just half of him made Feng Yue feel secure.
She didn’t know where this sense of security came from, but she felt that Yin Gezhi during a thunderstorm truly put her at ease.
However, despite sleeping soundly, Yin Gezhi still had a nightmare. He dreamed of Guan Canghai standing before him, holding his own head, his face cold as he said, "Your Highness acted rashly. The Emperor is heartless. The unjust souls of the Guan family will come to claim your life!"
Frowning, Yin Gezhi asked in confusion, "Didn’t you betray the country?"
"What evidence is there? What evidence!" Guan Canghai’s head laughed in his hands. "You wronged me. With over a hundred lives of the Guan family lost, how will you atone for this?"
His heart tightened, and Yin Gezhi abruptly opened his eyes.
Outside, dawn had broken, and the rain had stopped. The fresh, fragrant scent after the rain drifted in, invigorating the senses.
Feng Yue sat by the bed, looking at him with a smile. "Your Highness should get up now. Didn’t you say you were going to the General’s Mansion today? This servant has already prepared everything."
As she spoke, she handed over a pearwood box.
Collecting himself, Yin Gezhi rubbed his temples and opened the box, examining its contents before giving a soft "Hmm."
"Are you unwell, Your Highness?" Feng Yue asked. "Did you have a nightmare?"
Recalling the dream, Yin Gezhi’s expression darkened. "Yes.""Daytime thoughts become nighttime dreams, Your Highness is simply overthinking." Taking his clothes to help him dress, Feng Yue said with a light smile, "Just relax a little."
Pressing his lips together, Yin Gezhi got out of bed and stood before the mirror, looking at himself, his fists clenching and unclenching. After a long silence, he suddenly asked, "If you made a decision that caused many people to die, and later realized that decision might have been too hasty, what would you do?"
If anyone else were here, they certainly wouldn’t understand what he was asking. Unfortunately, Feng Yue knew exactly what dream he had.
Smiling as she tied his sash into a tight knot, she whispered, "Knowing your mistake yet refusing to change—that will lead you to hell."
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