Chapter 132: Chapter 118, We Are Close_1
Watching Yan Wenkai running ahead with two young girls, all smiles, Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye exchanged a quick glance, both simultaneously letting out a sigh of relief.
The Little Prince had taken the initiative to invite them to meet with the ladies, and they both had a vague idea of his purpose.
As they prepared to leave, the two racked their brains, thinking about how to sneak the girls out without drawing attention. Little did they expect, the blithe Yan Wenkai had solved their problem for them.
Seeing Yan Wenkai bustling about enthusiastically with the two girls and chatting about the scenery of the back mountain, along with Wentao carefully watching over on the side, Dong Yuanxuan remarked, “Those who think less sure live with more ease.”
These two brothers were indeed a pair, one cheerful and passionate, the other reserved and steady, perfectly complementing each other’s actions.
No wonder the Little Prince always had these two brothers with him. It was relaxing to be around someone whose thoughts were written so clearly on their face.
He too enjoyed their company.
Unlike him and Zhou Chengye, who had to constantly consider the impact of their actions on their family, sometimes feeling quite constrained.
Up ahead, Yan Wenkai was oblivious to Dong Yuanxuan and Zhou Chengye’s unspoken agreement, feeling rather pleased with himself at the moment.
Having successfully “rescued” his elder sister from their mother, he suddenly felt his stature had grown, and he was inwardly delighted.
Soon, the group arrived at the back mountain.
Daohua and Zhou Jingwan, seeing the guards around them, ceased their playfulness and walked very ladylike beside Yan Wenkai and the others.
Daohua discreetly surveyed the surrounding bodyguards, noting that many of them were armed with swords, and thought to herself indeed, the Imperial Family’s security was massive.
The back mountain had vast open grasslands, offering a view much more expansive than the front mountain.
“Hey, where is the Little Prince?”
Yan Wenkai, not seeing Xiao Yeyang, immediately started looking around and quickly pointed towards the Octagonal Pavilion built on the rock cliff, saying, “He’s in the pavilion. Wait here for a sec, I’ll go call him.” With that, he ran off swiftly.
Zhou Jingwan, who was about to meet Xiao Yeyang for the first time and had been nurtured with feudal etiquette from a young age, had an instinctive reverence for the royalty, and, pulling Daohua aside, she whispered, “The Little Prince… is he fierce? Does he hit or scold people?”
Daohua was momentarily stunned, then uncertainly said, “I don’t think it should come to that. He’s a boy, and we’re girls. A boy who hits girls would be lacking in character.”
Behind them, Dong Yuanxuan and the others couldn’t help but feel speechless upon overhearing the young girls’ conversation.
Even with a fierce temper, the Little Prince would certainly not trouble two young girls!
Dong Yuanxuan especially cast several glances at Daohua. If he remembered correctly, this girl had quite boldly challenged the Little Prince several times at the Yan Family’s place.
Did she seem the least bit afraid?
Inside the pavilion, Xiao Yeyang had already noticed Daohua and the others, but in order to maintain his distinguished image, he stubbornly waited for Yan Wenkai to come and call him, then sluggishly finished his tea before heading over with his entourage.
As the distance between them closed, Xiao Yeyang grew more curious.
What was up with Daohua today?
She hadn’t taken the initiative to greet him!
Instead, she was demurely looking at him with all the propriety of a lady.
Daohua’s lips had actually moved several times, but recalling what Yan Wenkai and the others had told her about their encounters at the Academy, she clearly realized she could no longer behave with Xiao Yeyang without proper restraint.
Thus, she stood next to Zhou Jingwan, patiently watching Xiao Yeyang approach.
Soon, Xiao Yeyang arrived before the two of them.
“We pay respects to the Little Prince!”
Following Zhou Jingwan, Daohua courteously saluted Xiao Yeyang.
To everyone else, this seemed normal, but to Xiao Yeyang, it was a complete surprise.
Daohua, that guy, had never been polite to him since the first time he saw him. He remembered that during their flight from danger, because the food was coarse he didn’t want to eat it. Once, he even lost his temper and threw the food away.
Good lord, she slapped his hand with a smack.
At that time, he was completely dazed by the hit.
Who had ever dared to do such a thing to him since he was a child?
He was initially very angry and had decided that once he regained his status, he would immediately pay her back. But then he saw her quietly picking up the food he’d thrown away, wiping it off, and putting it in her mouth to eat, and suddenly he wasn’t angry anymore.
Later, when he was unbearably hungry, although she was visibly impatient, she still shared with him a softer piece of the Yan Family matriarch’s rations.
In the time that followed, they never stopped bickering, but looking back on those days now, aside from being tough, they were actually quite interesting.
The reason he had such a deep impression of Daohua was probably that she treated him like any ordinary person from beginning to end, without fawning over him or oppressing him, even though he was in a very wretched state at the time.
Her attitude towards him was just because of who he was as a person, unrelated to his status.
For someone who had grown up in the Imperial City, this was truly a different experience.
And then there was the vitality she exuded, as well as her eyes that always seemed to be smiling, all of which remained fresh in his memory.
“Bang!”
Xiao Yeyang never hid his emotions. If he couldn’t figure something out, he simply wouldn’t bother. He walked up to Daohua, closed his fan with a snap, and lightly tapped her on the head, “Are you out of your mind?”
Daohua covered her head, glared at Xiao Yeyang, and almost couldn’t help retorting.
Don’t blame her; she really couldn’t revere Xiao Yeyang like others did. First, she came from the modern era, and although she had lived in ancient times for a few years and had some understanding of imperial power, it hadn’t ingrained in her to the point of fear.
Second, she never managed to shake off the impression of him from the times they were in distress. Back then, their sparring never ended in her defeat.
Third, the current Xiao Yeyang was at most a bratty little kid. How could the soul of an adult bow down before a child?
Seeing Daohua hesitate to speak, Xiao Yeyang said irritably, “Say what you want to say. When have you become so wishy-washy?”
At his words, Daohua immediately let go of her head, huffed and said angrily, “Your hand really needs a slap. Why did you hit me? I warn you, if you do that again, watch how I won’t be polite to you,” she said, raising her fist and shaking it in front of Xiao Yeyang.
Now Xiao Yeyang was comfortable.
This was the Daohua he knew!
Acting like a polite, proper lady just didn’t fit her true self.
“How’s the scenery here on the back mountain?”
On the side, De Fu, seeing his master had softened first, silently looked up to the heavens in exasperation.
Daohua, seeing Xiao Yeyang change the subject, didn’t continue. She looked around at the red maple leaves covering the mountains and felt a sense of refreshment, smiling happily, “Yes, it’s beautiful.”
Xiao Yeyang turned his head to see the shining light in her eyes and couldn’t help but smile as well.
For some reason, he always felt that Daohua’s smile had a warm, healing effect, like the sun’s rays in winter, warm on the skin.
“This is nothing. The scenery at Wuhua Mountain is even better. I’ll take you for a tour there next time.”
“Sure…” Daohua agreed without thinking, but then she hesitated.
Xiao Yeyang looked puzzled, “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to go?”
Daohua: “Of course I do, but I can’t always trouble you.”
Xiao Yeyang responded instinctively with one of Daohua’s sayings, “Who are we kidding? There’s no need for politeness!” He had always remembered these words she had often said to him during their escape.
On the side, De Fu shook his body, feeling his neck stiffen from looking up at the sky for too long.