Princess, Don't Run Away! The Prince Says He Wants To Mend His Ways - Chapter 1

“Your Highness, the Prince is writing the divorce letter! Please, wake up!”

A panicked voice echoed in his ears. Gu Lingwan snapped awake, his eyes flying open to see a young man in ancient attire standing by the bed, looking utterly distraught.

Gu Lingwan looked around in confusion at the antique-style room. Where is this? He remembered stepping out of the classroom just moments ago, losing his footing on the stairs, and falling.

The young man wiped cold sweat from his forehead. “The Prince is writing a divorce letter. It must have something to do with that Mr. Liu. What are we to do?”

Gu Lingwan’s delicate, handsome face suddenly filled with shock. He quickly called out to the boy, “Dongming?”

Dongming replied, “Yes, Your Highness? What are your orders?”

“It’s nothing.” Gu Lingwan let out a long, heavy breath.

Princess Consort, the Prince wants to divorce him, Mr. Liu, Dongming. There was no doubt about it; he had transmigrated into a book!

It was a novel his roommate had been reading called The Fall of the Northern Qi Kingdom. He remembered it because the “cannon fodder” Princess Consort shared his exact name, surname, and age—he had just turned nineteen. Out of curiosity, he had picked it up to read.

This was not a romance novel; the situation stemmed from a ridiculous error made by the older generation. The story recounted that when the Prince of Zhenbei died for his country, he left behind a pregnant wife. The Empress and the wife were bosom friends. Seeing the wife’s penchant for spicy food and observing the shape of her belly, the Empress was certain she was carrying a girl.

To demonstrate his commitment to his loyal subjects, the late Emperor arranged a betrothal during the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet. He promised the child in the womb of the wife of the Prince of Zhenbei to one of his twin sons. A few months later, when the child was born, they discovered it was a boy. However, the Emperor’s word was law, and they had to stick to the arrangement.

Since then, the young heir of the Prince of Zhenbei had followed the two princes around, eventually falling in love with the younger one, Xiao Yingxun. Xiao Yingxun, however, did not like him at all and was quite disgusted by him. But the imperial decree could not be defied, so he had no choice but to marry him. In the year since their marriage, Xiao Yingxun had never stepped foot in his bedroom, treating him as if he did not exist. They were husbands in name only, with no physical union.

Thinking of this, Gu Lingwan sat up on the bed.

“This Prince had planned to find an excuse to divorce the original owner after one year of marriage, someone he did not even want to look at. After all, the imperial decree mandated the marriage but did not forbid him from divorcing,” he thought, looking at the faded red “Double Happiness” character on the wall.

“Mr. Liu caters to the Prince’s every whim, which is why he has earned the Prince’s favor,” Dongming said, sighing regretfully. “If only you had learned from him, Your Highness.”

“Learn from him? Should I go dance with a sword under the scorching summer sun like him? My heart and body are too delicate for such heatstroke-inducing activities!” Gu Lingwan pulled his thoughts together, accepting the reality that he had transmigrated into a married man. He was not the original owner; he loved himself too much for that. Having read the plot, he knew exactly what kind of person Mr. Liu was.

At this moment, a faint smile played on Gu Lingwan’s lips, and his voice was gentle and soft. “Don’t worry, Dongming. If you stay with me, I promise you will live a life of comfort. You will not suffer!”

Dongming’s eyes turned red with emotion, but he quickly turned back to his concern. “Your Highness, the Prince has summoned you. You must not keep him waiting.”

“Alright.”

Gu Lingwan smoothed his long hair, adjusted his attire, and left the bedroom with Dongming.

Soon, they reached the door of the study. Dongming knocked gently and pushed the heavy wooden door open. The door emitted a low, creaking sound that felt oppressively solemn. He stepped aside and gestured for Gu Lingwan to enter. Gu Lingwan lifted his hem and walked in with a light step.

In the simple and elegant study, a faint scent of sandalwood filled the air. Xiao Yingxun sat upright behind a pear-wood desk. He was dressed in a plain, dark-patterned robe that fell neatly to the floor. His facial features were deep and handsome, carrying an inherent air of nobility. His ink-black hair was meticulously tied up in a matching high crown, making him look even more distinguished and exuding an irresistible charm. However, his expression was as cold as ice, detached and aloof, projecting an aura that warned people not to get too close.

At that moment, he was holding a brush, the tip lightly touching the paper as he left rows of neat, orderly characters. His movements were elegant and steady, his focus so intense that he acted as if he had not noticed Gu Lingwan enter. Gu Lingwan knew, however, that the man simply did not want to acknowledge him.

Gu Lingwan did not want the man to notice that he was no longer the original owner. Even though the man treated him like air, he bowed according to proper etiquette and stood there quietly. The man continued to write the divorce letter, word by word, with no hesitation or wavering. To him, this was not just a piece of paper; it was a liberation. This marriage was merely an unfortunate burden of his royal blood. Now, he could finally put an end to this marriage he so despised.

After standing for a while, Gu Lingwan’s legs began to ache. Xiao the Second, are you even capable? It is taking you forever to write a divorce letter.

Plop.

With a sudden noise, Xiao Yingxun’s hand shook, and his brush dropped onto the desk, leaving a blotch of black ink on the half-finished letter, resembling a blooming black flower. It was strikingly visible. His expression turned dark and solemn as he stared at Gu Lingwan. Just now, the heir actually said something so insulting to this Prince! Where did he get the audacity today?

Gu Lingwan was looking down, rubbing his legs, and had not noticed Xiao Yingxun’s gaze. I do not really have many things in this manor anyway. Once I get the divorce letter from Xiao the Second, I will pack a few simple things and leave with Dongming.

Xiao Yingxun frowned, his usually cold, indifferent eyes filled with confusion. His gaze remained fixed on Gu Lingwan. What on earth is happening? I clearly heard the heir speak just now, but his lips never moved.

Suddenly, his expression froze in shock. I can hear the heir’s inner thoughts! How could such a bizarre thing exist in this world?

Xiao Yingxun’s calm heart was like a pond where Gu Lingwan had just tossed a stone, creating ripple after ripple. Before he could process that, Gu Lingwan’s thoughts struck him again. In three months, Xiao the Second will be poisoned to death. I should divorce him now to avoid the label of a “widower” later. That sounds awful.

The original owner had been pushed into a freezing pool during a cold winter as a child, leaving his legs with a chronic illness; he felt a dull ache whenever he stood or walked for too long. Gu Lingwan was currently focused on massaging his legs. After a moment, he looked up and met Xiao Yingxun’s dark, deep eyes. They were so profound and gloomy, like the coldest pool in the night sky, making them impossible to read.

Gu Lingwan found this gaze somewhat unsettling. He shifted his eyes away and asked politely, “Your Highness, is the divorce letter ready?”

Xiao the Second, if you keep dilly-dallying, do not blame me for taking the initiative and writing a letter to divorce you myself.