Princess, Don't Run Away! The Prince Says He Wants To Mend His Ways - Chapter 10

Xiao Yingxun withdrew his gaze from the door panel. Such behavior was not that of a gentleman. Though he did not consider himself a paragon of virtue, he certainly had his own bottom line. Forget it. Once the Emperor’s birthday banquet was over and they returned to the manor, he would find a way to prove that the young man was wearing a human-skin mask.

Just as he was thinking this, a voice drifted from the room. “Your Highness, please come in… hiss…”

Before the young man could finish his sentence, he let out a sharp cry of pain. Xiao Yingxun did not know what had happened, but it immediately brought to mind the possibility of assassins; after all, he had just been targeted a few days prior. Without hesitation, he shattered the door panel with a palm strike and rushed inside.

However, upon seeing the scene within, Xiao Yingxun’s face flushed a deep crimson. He immediately looked away and scolded, “What a disgrace!”

To think he would attempt to seduce and entice me through such despicable means! How utterly shameless!

In that moment, Gu Lingwan lay naked on the floor, completely unbothered by his lack of attire. Faced with the scolding, Gu Lingwan explained with annoyance, “Your Highness, what is so disgraceful about this? We are both men; what I have, you have as well. Besides, I am not out running naked on the street.”

He drew a sharp breath of pain. “Your Highness, my leg is cramping. I cannot move at all, and it hurts quite a bit. Could you please carry me to the bed so I can rest for a moment?”

The floor was cold, which would only aggravate Gu Lingwan’s cramps. Remembering that the young man suffered from severe chronic leg pain, Xiao Yingxun’s tightly knitted brows relaxed. He must have caught a chill after jumping into the water to save the Eleventh Prince, which triggered the cramps. This was not a deliberate ploy to lure me in; it was a misunderstanding.

“Put your clothes on first,” Xiao Yingxun said.

This man is seriously ill, Gu Lingwan thought. “Your Highness, my leg is cramping, I cannot move a muscle. Why do you not help me put them on?”

“I never serve others.”

Gu Lingwan felt helpless. “Then, Your Highness, carry me to the bed first, and I will change once the pain subsides.”

In his frustration, he scolded the Prince in his heart: Xiao the Second, why are you being so prudish? You may not be as evil as your brother, but you are no saint either. If you were a decent person, you would not be keeping company with a wicked soul like Liu Rujin. Birds of a feather flock together.

As Gu Lingwan was happily cursing the Prince, the man suddenly strode forward. His gait was steady and powerful, each step carrying an invisible pressure. This demeanor turned Gu Lingwan pale; he assumed the Prince was furious because of his backtalk and intended to beat him. He tried to dodge, but his cramping leg made movement impossible.

Suddenly, the Prince reached out with those calloused, large hands, firmly wrapping one around Gu Lingwan’s slender, resilient waist, while the other slid beneath the crook of his knees. Effortlessly, he scooped the entire person into his arms.

Gu Lingwan finally exhaled in relief. So he was just here to carry me. He looked like he was about to beat me to a pulp; he nearly scared me to death. I was so terrified!

As Xiao Yingxun held Gu Lingwan in his arms, his eyes flickered with a trace of surprise. He had never imagined that the seemingly frail young man would be so soft and supple, light as a feather, as if a gust of wind could blow him away. When his cool fingertips inadvertently brushed against the warm, smooth skin—as soft as water in an autumn lake—Xiao Yingxun realized that this physical contact did not disgust or annoy him as he had expected.

Suddenly remembering something, Xiao Yingxun lowered his eyes, his gaze tracing the young man’s long, fair legs, following their graceful curves until they reached the place he had been curious about. As if afraid the young man might catch his gaze, Xiao Yingxun quickly looked up, staring ahead like a proper gentleman, though the image remained burned into his mind.

He quickly purged the thoughts and placed the young man on the bed before turning to leave the room. By now, he was certain the young man was indeed the heir, but the heir had undergone a complete transformation, no longer resembling his former self.

Xiao Yingxun stood silently outside the door like a statue, staring into the distance, deep in thought. Yet beneath this calm exterior, his inner world was turbulent; indescribable, heart-pounding images washed over him like a tide. He calmed his mind and frowned slightly, thinking, Only twenty-two days left until the date I know from his inner voice when he will be intimate with Rujin!

Xiao Yingxun began to analyze carefully. If the heir’s concerns were true, his own lack of love for Rujin did not mean Rujin did not have feelings for him. He needed to examine Rujin closely. And if the heir’s foresight proved true again, the prophecy of his imperial brother poisoning him in three months would also come to pass. Xiao Yingxun still harbored doubts about this premonition.

With a creak, Gu Lingwan walked out after changing his clothes. Xiao Yingxun turned to look.

Gu Lingwan was dressed in an ice-blue brocade robe, the delicate fabric shimmering faintly. The tailored waist highlighted his flowing silhouette perfectly. The fresh, elegant hue contrasted with his youthful face, making him look no more than fourteen or fifteen. His eyes, bright as stars, sparkled with innocence; his skin was as flawless as mutton-fat jade. As the breeze caught his sleeves, he looked like a young, otherworldly immortal.

Xiao Yingxun’s gaze lingered for a moment before he withdrew it. “The robe fits well.”

Gu Lingwan tugged at the garment. “I am nineteen, yet I am wearing a robe you wore when you were fourteen or fifteen. I am not happy about this.”

He was not short, standing at a decent height, but the man before him was towering, like a mountain that could hold up the sky. Xiao Yingxun offered a rare word of comfort. “You are still in your growth phase; you will grow taller.”

Gu Lingwan’s mood improved, but he immediately asked, “When did you stop growing, Your Highness?”

“Nineteen.”

Gu Lingwan’s shoulders slumped. He stopped talking to the man who had just given him a sweet treat only to slap him a moment later, and he trudged toward the Honghua Hall.

When they arrived, Xiao Lanjie was already there. He spotted Gu Lingwan in the crowd at once. The banquet was in full swing, with beautiful music and singing filling the air. Princes and relatives were seated, chatting and laughing. As soon as Xiao Yingxun entered, he was pulled away by Xiao Rongbing to drink. Gu Lingwan, wanting no part of it, found a corner table.

As he prepared to feast on the mountain of delicacies, a person sat beside him. He was about to rise, but Xiao Lanjie said, “No need for formalities.” Since his leg still pained him, Gu Lingwan stayed seated.

“The Princess Consort is hungry?” Xiao Lanjie’s eyes dropped to the robe Gu Lingwan was wearing. Gu Lingwan replied modestly, “A little.”

A little? His eyes are practically falling into the dishes, and he is staring intently at the meat! He never used to eat meat. Xiao Lanjie picked up a pair of jade chopsticks and placed a chicken leg onto Gu Lingwan’s plate. “Perhaps you are hungry because you expended so much energy saving the Eleventh Prince.”

From a distance, Xiao Yingxun happened to see Xiao Lanjie serving Gu Lingwan.

Gu Lingwan, surprised that his heroic deed had reached the Emperor’s ears so quickly, played the sentimental card: “I have drowned before, Your Majesty, and I know that agony well. Because of that, I studied swimming diligently, and it just so happened that I was passing by when I saved the Eleventh Prince.”

I heard you ordered the Eleventh Prince to pick lotus seeds for you, which led to him falling in. How did your story turn into a grand act of virtue? You are quite mischievous! Xiao Lanjie served him another piece of meat. “It seems that drowning incident left quite an emotional scar.”

An emotional scar? The original owner’s chronic leg pain had been tormenting him for years. Gu Lingwan sighed. “The pain of drowning is something I will never forget for as long as I live.”

Xiao Yingxun, holding his wine cup, toasted the other princes, downed his drink, and cast a cold glance in their direction. Xiao Lanjie looked at Xiao Yingxun for a moment before turning back to Gu Lingwan. “Princess Consort, do you still remember how you fell into the water that day?”