Chapter 41: The Prince’s Only Hard Part Is His Mouth

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Rong Zhao withdrew his hand, a faint smile on his face. His voice was gentle. “Uncle, there is no need to be so formal. Mingyue saved my life. I should naturally treat her family with due courtesy.”

Sheng Qiming felt as though thorns were pricking his back. He straightened awkwardly, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward the doorway.

“This humble woman greets Your Highness.”

Sheng Mingyue helped Wang Jinlan into the courtyard. The moment they crossed the threshold, Wang Jinlan hurriedly bowed, afraid that any lapse in etiquette would displease Noble Lady Se.

Rong Zhao inclined his head and smiled. “There is no need for such formalities.”

It was Wang Jinlan’s first time meeting someone of such rank, and she was at a loss. She asked cautiously, “Has Your Highness eaten? Our food is simple, but if you do not mind, I can heat it up. None of it has been touched.”

Sheng Qiming was equally nervous and quickly added, “How could we let Your Highness eat this? I will go to the street and buy something better at once!”

Wang Jinlan nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, buy some more things. I can fry a few more dishes. It will be done in no time!”

“There is no need to trouble yourselves.” Rong Zhao stopped them both and glanced at Sheng Mingyue standing nearby. In a warm voice, he said, “Your family has finally reunited. I imagine there must be much for you to discuss. I should not intrude, so I will take my leave.”

“Your Highness…” Sheng Mingyue looked at him hesitantly.

Rong Zhao smiled at her, a tenderness in his eyes of which he himself was unaware. “Benefactor, return early.”

The tips of Sheng Mingyue’s ears grew warm. She lowered her face and no longer dared to look at him, answering softly, “Yes.”

After Rong Zhao left, tranquility returned to the little courtyard, leaving only the family of three.

Looking at Sheng Qiming, Wang Jinlan’s eyes reddened once more. She cursed under her breath, “You were a licentiate, and supposedly a clever man. How could you not even tell whether you had touched that woman or not?”

Sheng Qiming’s handsome face flushed scarlet with embarrassment. He glanced at his daughter from the corner of his eye and coughed several times before saying, “The child is right here. Why bring this up now…?”

Sheng Mingyue pursed her lips. “Mother is right.”

Sheng Qiming’s old face turned even redder, and he grew increasingly flustered. “There was a heavy rain that year, and I was feverish and delirious. When I woke up, she was lying beside me with her clothes in disarray. I had no memory of that night at all… Later, when Mingyue was born, she looked as though she had been carved from the same mold as me. She was certainly my daughter, so I… never dared to doubt it.”

“Who would have thought that you…” Sheng Qiming looked at the woman before him, hesitating. After a long while, he finally continued, “Who would have thought you would be bold enough to secretly give birth to the child? When I went to ask you about it, you refused to see me. You only wrote to say that the child in your womb had nothing to do with me, and that we were cutting all ties.”

Wang Jinlan closed her eyes. In an instant, she seemed to have aged ten years, hatred spreading through her chest. “Back in the village, Liu Cuixi was always at odds with me, but I never imagined her heart could be so vicious. Even if I have to spend every last coin, I will make sure those people spend the rest of their lives in prison!”

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Sheng Qiming let out a long sigh. “Are you still planning to return to the village?”

“Of course not! It took me so long to reunite with my daughter.” Wang Jinlan shook her head and clasped Sheng Mingyue’s hand tightly, her expression resolute. “Wherever my daughter is, I will be there.”

Sheng Qiming hesitated. “Your parents are still at home. You must tell them that Mingyue exists. It would also give me the chance to return and kneel before them to beg forgiveness.”

Wang Jinlan’s hand tightened around her daughter’s. After pondering for a long time, she said quietly, “I will write them a letter. My daughter has suffered so much, and the one in the palace still refuses to let her go. I must see my daughter with my own eyes every day before I can be at peace.”

Sheng Mingyue smiled with pursed lips, her heart softened by the words. “Mother, rest assured. With Your Highness protecting me, he cannot do anything to me.”

Wang Jinlan shook her head repeatedly, anxiety written across her face. “It will not be that simple. We must remain vigilant, just in case.”

Sheng Mingyue felt helpless, yet was deeply moved by the concern of her birth mother. She could only obediently agree. “Yes, Mother is right.”

Wang Jinlan suddenly remembered something and slapped her forehead. “Look at me and my poor memory! The child has not eaten yet, has she? I will heat up the food at once!”

“I will go outside and buy some things too. My daughter loves hibiscus cakes. Your father remembers that.” Sheng Qiming dusted the dirt from his clothes and headed out as he spoke.

Smoke once again rose from the little courtyard. Leaning against the doorframe, Sheng Mingyue quietly kept her mother company as she busied herself in the kitchen.

It was nothing more than simple companionship, yet it brought tears to Sheng Mingyue’s eyes once again.

An hour later, Sheng Mingyue finally left Tongzhen Lane, reluctant to go. As she neared the end of the lane, she immediately spotted the carriage waiting steadily by the roadside. A wooden plaque carved with the four words “Prince Jing’an’s Residence” swayed in the breeze before the carriage.

Sheng Mingyue stopped in her tracks, thinking her eyes had deceived her. But in the next instant, she clearly heard the muffled sound of a man’s cough.

[The little cannon fodder was gone for as long as His Highness waited outside. If that is not love, then what is?]

[Leave me alone. I am completely obsessed with this pairing.]

[Everyone, does anyone else understand this couple? I look at the little cannon fodder every day, and I have not stopped grinning once!]

[Even taking the most pessimistic view, cannot the second male lead and the cannon fodder get married?]

[Could someone kidnap my ex-boyfriend and hand him over as a hostage to the Crown Prince? Let the little cannon fodder go and allow her to live peacefully with His Highness, please?]

Sheng Mingyue clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, her heart pounding like a drum. She hurried forward and called softly, “Your Highness.”

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The person inside seemed to have heard the commotion. The curtain was lifted, revealing a pair of exceedingly beautiful eyes.

“Benefactor?”

Light sprang into Rong Zhao’s eyes, and he smiled so broadly that his eyes narrowed. “Why did you come out so quickly? Hurry and get in. It is cold outside.”

Sheng Mingyue obediently climbed into the carriage. The moment she sat down, a thick blanket was draped over her. It still held the warmth of its previous owner and was wonderfully cozy.

Meeting Rong Zhao’s gaze, Sheng Mingyue unconsciously swallowed. In a small voice, she asked, “Have you been waiting here all this time, Your Highness?”

Rong Zhao gently shook his head and answered warmly, “I only arrived a short while ago.”

[He is lying!]

[I cannot stop laughing. Why not just say he happened to be passing by?]

[The second male lead is stubborn from head to toe; only his mouth is hard.]

Sheng Mingyue lightly bit her lower lip. Her cheeks quickly grew warm, and her fingers unconsciously twisted the cuff of her sleeve.

Rong Zhao failed to notice anything unusual. He continued, “Your father was once a licentiate and taught for several years. There is a school called Chaoyang Academy east of the Western District that is currently in need of a teacher. If he is willing, I can recommend him.”

Sheng Mingyue looked up in sudden realization. Despite her shock, she remembered to ask softly, “Your Highness… are you serious?”

“Of course.” Rong Zhao could barely suppress his amusement, laughter filling his eyes. “Chaoyang Academy was built with funding from the Gu family, the wealthiest family in the capital. The teachers are treated extremely well. Not only is the pay generous, but residences are also provided for the teachers and their families.”

“Your father has divorced his wife. He could take your mother there to live. It is still in the Western District, and compared with this place, it is closer to the prince’s residence.”

Rong Zhao had considered every detail, resolving each of Sheng Mingyue’s troubles one by one.

After thinking for a long while, Sheng Mingyue still could not resist voicing the doubt in her heart. “Your Highness… why are you so kind to me?”