books44 Chapter 157 Escape
Chapter 157 Escape
He Mingning lowered her head gently, her lips parted slightly, and she softly replied, "I...I understand." Her voice was so soft that it seemed only she could hear it.
Standing to the side, Fan Junyu raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, "You weren't this reserved when we met last time. You even called me by my name affectionately back then! Why are you so distant this time?"
Hearing this, He Mingning's heart skipped a beat, and her thoughts were instantly pulled back to their last meeting. Back then, she had called out his name with a shy blush, her heart overflowing with boundless joy and sweetness. It felt as if their hearts had embraced tightly in that moment, making her feel that the distance between them had suddenly shrunk considerably.
However, everything changed after that strange dream. The scene in the dream was like a heavy, dark cloud, pressing down on her heart, refusing to leave. In the dream, she saw him intimately embracing another woman, while he remained cold and indifferent towards her. This terrifying dream made her begin to doubt his feelings for her. She couldn't help but worry: was his usual attentiveness and tenderness merely due to their arranged marriage, and not a genuine expression of love from the depths of his heart?
The more He Mingning thought about it, the more uneasy she became. She was afraid that she would fall deeper and deeper into this relationship and eventually be unable to extricate herself; she was even more afraid that one day he would abandon her without hesitation because he had met another woman who could move his heart. But how could she easily reveal these chaotic and complicated thoughts to him? After all, she didn't know how to start the conversation, nor was she sure that he could truly understand her current fear and helplessness.
So, He Mingning could only silently bite her lip, burying all her worries and fears deep in her heart, choosing to deal with the man in front of her who she both loved and feared in silence.
Fan Junyu's deep eyes stared intently at He Mingning, as if trying to see through her beautiful appearance to the depths of her heart. He Mingning lowered her head, pursed her lips, and remained silent. Seeing this, Fan Junyu couldn't help but feel a little uneasy, but he didn't dwell on the reason, simply assuming that perhaps his earlier use of her name had made the shy girl feel embarrassed.
Thinking of this, Fan Junyu smiled slightly, thinking that since that was the case, he might as well let her be happy. Anyway, they would have a long time to get to know each other in the future, so there was no need to rush. So, he cleared his throat lightly, and suddenly changed the subject, saying slowly, "Yesterday, His Majesty suddenly summoned me."
He Mingning's tense nerves relaxed slightly because Fan Junyu stopped worrying about the form of address. But at that moment, Fan Junyu's words were like a bolt from the blue, gripping her heart tightly once more. Her heart, which had just settled back into her stomach, instantly jumped into her throat again, and she was so nervous that she didn't dare to breathe.
He Mingning raised her head, her large, watery eyes fixed on Fan Junyu. She looked exactly like a frightened fawn, trembling as she awaited the hunter's next move. Fan Junyu, seemingly oblivious to He Mingning's unease, continued speaking calmly, "His Majesty spoke with me for a long time in the Imperial Study, specifically inquiring about our engagement..."
Before she could finish speaking, a sharp "clatter" rang out, and the chopsticks He Mingning was holding fell to the table without warning. She sat there motionless, as if frozen in place. Her mind was blank, with only one thought swirling within her: "It's over, it's over, has this day finally come? Why do the things I least want to talk about, the things I fear most to hear, always seem to be brought up and heard unintentionally?" He Mingning felt as if she were in a deep, tranquil underwater world, all sounds seemingly swallowed up by the endless sea, unable to reach her ears.
Fan Junyu called out several times, but He Mingning remained unresponsive, seemingly lost in her own thoughts. It wasn't until quite a while later that she snapped out of her reverie, a shy blush creeping onto her face. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, "I'm so sorry, I was just lost in thought. I didn't hear a thing you said. Could you please repeat it to me?"
Fan Junyu gazed quietly at He Mingning before him, his eyes gentle as water, and said softly, "It's alright. As I just told you, the Emperor and my father have already discussed our marriage, and it seems they're planning to set a wedding date. I wonder what you really think about this?"
Upon hearing these words, He Mingning's heart skipped a beat, and she was instantly thrown into a state of utter confusion. The thing she had feared most had finally happened; the scene that had haunted her dreams was about to become reality. Faced with this sudden turn of events, her first instinct was to escape, so she hurriedly replied, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, I really don't want to talk about this right now." With that, she quickly lowered her head, unable to meet Fan Junyu's gaze.
Fan Junyu's clear, watery eyes were fixed on He Mingning, whose face was as pale as a sheet of paper. A deep worry welled up in his heart. He frowned slightly and asked softly, "Why do you look so pale? Is something wrong with you?"
Hearing this, He Mingning's heart skipped a beat, but she still tried to remain calm and shook her head vigorously, replying, "I'm really fine. It's probably just because I didn't sleep well last night. I'll recover after a little rest." However, her trembling voice and evasive eyes betrayed her inner unease.
Fan Junyu was clearly not fooled by He Mingning's explanation. He still looked worried and continued to ask, "Are you really sure you're alright? Don't push yourself. If you feel unwell, you must tell me."
He Mingning bit her lip and nodded slightly in affirmation. But in reality, she felt utterly confused and her mind was blank. She only wanted to flee this place like a startled bird, to get far away from Fan Junyu. She simply didn't know how to face the person before her; the emotions buried deep within her heart filled her with immense fear and helplessness.
Just as He Mingning was feeling lost and confused, an unexpected situation occurred—He Yanxi and Qin Yaoyao also came to dine there. Even more coincidentally, Qin Yaoyao happened to pass by their private room.
As Qin Yaoyao gracefully approached the door of the private room, she suddenly heard a hushed conversation coming from inside. Her heart skipped a beat, and her curiosity was instantly piqued. She involuntarily stopped and pressed her ear against the crack in the door, wanting to hear what the people inside were saying.
However, just as she was intently eavesdropping, the door to the private room was suddenly opened without warning. Fan Junyu stood in the doorway, his face filled with astonishment, his gaze fixed on Qin Yaoyao. He clearly hadn't expected to see Qin Yaoyao here, his mouth agape in surprise.
"Aunt, what are you doing here?" Fan Junyu asked in surprise as she came to her senses.
Qin Yaoyao, feeling guilty, was caught off guard by being suddenly discovered, and an embarrassed look immediately appeared on her face. She quickly chuckled awkwardly, trying to cover her embarrassment, and stammered, "N-nothing... I just happened to be passing by!"
After saying that, Qin Yaoyao, as if to prove that what she said was true, quickly glanced into the room. This glance immediately brightened her face, and she exclaimed excitedly, "So it's you and Sister Ning having dinner here! I thought you were with Ah Jun!"
Seeing this, Fan Junyu didn't press the matter further and smiled as he invited Qin Yaoyao into the house. Qin Yaoyao entered the room with a smile and naturally sat down next to He Mingning. As soon as she sat down, she chattered incessantly like a cheerful little bird.
"Sister Ning, when did you arrive?" Qin Yaoyao looked at He Mingning with a smile, her eyes full of joy and affection.
He Mingning breathed a sigh of relief at Qin Yaoyao's appearance. Just moments before, facing Fan Junyu alone, she had felt somewhat uneasy, unsure how to handle the situation. Now that Qin Yaoyao was here, she felt as if she had found a savior, and her heart was much at ease.
So, He Mingning replied gently, "I just arrived myself, and I didn't expect to run into you so soon." As she spoke, she secretly glanced at Qin Yaoyao, only to see the other woman smiling and acting as if nothing was amiss. He Mingning secretly rejoiced that Yaoyao had arrived in time; otherwise, she might have been in a truly awkward and helpless situation. Then, she tightly grasped Qin Yaoyao's delicate hand with her jade-like white fingers, as if afraid that if she let go, the other woman would disappear. At that moment, a radiant smile, as beautiful as a blooming flower in spring, instantly blossomed on her exquisite face, dazzling everyone's eyes. Then, she parted her lips slightly and asked Qin Yaoyao softly, "Sister Yaoyao, I didn't expect to meet you here! Are you also dining here? Did you come alone?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Yaoyao's lips curled slightly upwards, revealing a captivating expression that was both ambiguous and mysterious. Her appearance was like a peach blossom in full bloom, delicate and alluring, evoking a sense of tenderness and affection. She let out a soft, melodious laugh, then replied in a sweet, gentle voice, "Sister, you don't know, I didn't come alone. Today I came with Brother Xi. Originally, I was just bored and thought I'd go for a stroll. Who would have thought that I'd stumbled upon this place? Just as I was passing by, I suddenly heard noises coming from this house, and out of curiosity, I couldn't resist coming to see what was going on."
Just then, as He Mingning was about to speak, a clear, melodious knocking, like a nightingale's song, suddenly rang out. The knocking was rhythmic and captivating, stirring the heart and soul. Fan Junyu, who had just leisurely taken his seat, couldn't help but show a hint of helplessness upon seeing this, but he quickly stood up and strode to the door to answer it. As the door was slowly pushed open, the scene outside gradually came into view. It turned out that He Yanxi and his group had come out specifically to find Qin Yaoyao. After discovering that Qin Yaoyao had arrived here, they had followed her all the way. Fan Junyu inadvertently looked up, his gaze falling on the figures standing outside the door. His expression immediately turned serious, and he quickly stepped forward, bowing deeply respectfully to the group, while lowering his voice and softly saying, "This humble official greets Your Highness, and Your Highness the Fifth Prince!"
Upon seeing this, He Mingfeng, who was standing in front, smiled slightly, revealing a warm smile like a spring breeze. He spoke slowly, his voice low and gentle: "We're all family, why be so polite and formal?" Before he finished speaking, he had already reached out his right hand and gently placed it on Fan Junyu's arm, straightening him up with a slight pull.
After straightening up, Fan Junyu quickly turned to face the other person beside him, his face once again showing respect as he addressed him, "Uncle." This person was none other than Qin Yunji, the fifth young master of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion. At this moment, Qin Yunji casually bent one arm, his arm gently around Fan Junyu's shoulder, a slightly mocking smile playing on his lips. He looked at Fan Junyu with a half-smile and teased, "Ah Yu, you're quite a rare guest! Usually, you always prefer to dine at the Dali Temple, so why are you here today?"
Hearing this, Fan Junyu chuckled and replied, "Today happens to be a day off, so I don't need to go to the Dali Temple." Qin Yunji raised an eyebrow and continued to ask, "Even on a day off, as far as I know you, don't you usually choose to stay quietly at home all day? It's quite rare for you to take the initiative to go out today!"
Upon hearing this, the Fifth Prince's handsome face curved slightly, his lips curving upwards, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. He then spoke in a clear voice, "Oh? Could it be that there's some beauty hiding here? Are you perhaps keeping a mistress in a gilded cage? Such an interesting matter, I must go in and take a good look! After all, my lovely sister is betrothed to you, and if you dare to show her the slightest disrespect or humiliation, I will absolutely not forgive you! However, given Lord Fan's character and integrity, I suppose you wouldn't do such a despicable thing, would you? So, I suppose you wouldn't mind if I went in and took a look!"