Princess, Don't Run Away! The Prince Says He Wants To Mend His Ways - Chapter 8

Gu Lingwan pointed at Xiao Yingxun’s right wrist. “Just now, you pulled me out of the Honghua Hall with quite a bit of strength. It looks like your wound has mostly recovered; you should be able to hold a brush to write that divorce letter now.”

Xiao Yingxun replied, “A person who practices martial arts would not easily reveal their weaknesses or where they are injured.” He paused before adding, “The wound is still painful, making writing impossible. You will need to wait patiently a while longer.”

Although the young man had offered an explanation for his poisoned memory loss and sudden personality change, it had not fully dispelled the doubts in Xiao Yingxun’s heart. He needed to verify the truth once more.

Hearing this, Gu Lingwan did not press the issue. “I will follow your arrangements, Your Highness.”

I was too impatient just now. As I said before, I have to wait until Xiao the Second and Liu Rujin get together before I ask for the divorce; I need to squeeze out as much in the settlement as possible.

Xiao Yingxun looked down and frowned while smoothing his sleeves. If he is an impostor and so obsessed with money, he is likely here to extort me. Not a single cent of my money will go to him.

“By the way, Your Highness, I have one thing I do not understand.”

“Speak.”

“Why do you refer to yourself as this Prince while the others do not?”

“I am a Prince of the First Rank and the twin brother of the Emperor.”

Gu Lingwan nodded. “I see. So that is why.”

Heh! You are just showing off your status. Enjoy it while you can, because in less than three months, your twin brother will finish you off. The poison he uses is the Seven-Step Heartbreak Powder, which makes your intestines rot and burst—truly vicious!

I guessed wrong, Xiao Yingxun thought. I thought it was the painless Crane-Top Red.

“Happy Birthday, Your Highness.”

Xiao Yingxun’s gaze fell upon the young man’s palm, which held a grasshopper woven from green vegetation. The grasshopper was lopsided and crooked; it was clearly the work of a beginner.

“This grasshopper is truly hideous,” Xiao Yingxun said, his face full of disdain, showing no intention of taking it.

Gu Lingwan’s eyes brightened as he looked at the grasshopper. “If it is ugly, then this one must only rank third.”

Xiao Yingxun asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Gu Lingwan’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Because before I made this one, I wove two others!” He then added, “I went to the street market yesterday to choose a birthday gift for you, but I could not find anything I liked.”

Hehe, mostly because those things cost money.

I wonder who the real miser is here, Xiao Yingxun mused.

Gu Lingwan continued, “I met a noble person who gave me good advice. He told me the value of a gift is not in its price, but in the effort put into it. So, he personally taught me how to weave a grasshopper.” He paused. “He said he used to give these to people, and they were always overjoyed to receive them.”

Of course, the grasshopper he gave people had eyes made of two small gold beads.

Xiao Yingxun’s gaze fell on the eyes of the grasshopper in Gu Lingwan’s hand—they were made of two small black beans.

“Your Highness, you do not seem very satisfied with this gift. I will carefully search for something that suits your tastes later.” As Gu Lingwan reached to put the grasshopper away, the man’s long, slightly calloused hand reached out and gently plucked the insect from his palm.

“Since you are offering this birthday gift to me, I will accept it.”

Xiao Yingxun brought the grasshopper closer and caught a faint herbal scent; it was woven from wormwood.

“Your Highness, this grasshopper can repel mosquitoes,” Gu Lingwan noted.

Xiao Yingxun tucked the wormwood grasshopper into his sleeve, looking disgusted. “Who would carry such a crude grass thing around with them?”

It was indeed crudely made and ugly. Gu Lingwan decided not to pursue the topic. He looked toward the Honghua Hall opposite them. “Is the Emperor not just going to change his clothes? Why has he not appeared after all this time?”

“He will arrive once all the guests have gathered,” Xiao Yingxun said.

Gu Lingwan nodded. Just like you, both love to play the part of the important person. You truly are twins.

“Wait? Your Highness, where are you going?”

Xiao Yingxun had already risen and walked out of the pavilion. Without looking back, he said in a deep voice, “There is a mosquito in this pavilion, buzzing noisily in my ear.”

Gu Lingwan blinked his thick, dark eyelashes. “Why did I not notice any mosquitoes?” He immediately added, “The wormwood grasshopper I gave you is meant to repel insects!” A moment later, he muttered to himself, “Do not tell me that mosquito he was talking about is me!”

Gu Lingwan frowned and shot a fierce glare at the man’s retreating back. “Even if you were not tired of my company, I would be tired of yours. You are like an iceberg. The moment I get that divorce letter, I am out of here. Hmph, you called me a mosquito? Then you are a fly, a cockroach, and a louse all rolled into one!”

Gu Lingwan sat in the pavilion for a while until a yawn escaped him. He had woken up early to enter the palace, so he rested his head on the stone table and soon drifted into a hazy sleep.

His blood-red robe fluttered in the light breeze, resembling a blooming lotus flower in the underworld—eye-catching and mysterious. Someone walked slowly into the pavilion and stopped beside him.

Gu Lingwan’s sleep was not deep. Sensing someone, his eyelashes trembled, and he opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon the man standing beside him, and he was momentarily stunned. “Are you looking for me?”

Opening his eyes to find a stranger silently standing there had startled him, prompting the instinctive question.

“I was just taking a stroll, and seeing the Princess Consort in the pavilion, I came over.” He paused. “The sky is overcast today and it is quite cold. Sleeping in the pavilion like this is an easy way to catch a chill.”

“Thank you for your concern.” Gu Lingwan realized he had forgotten to ask which Prince this was.

However, the man introduced himself. “I am the Eleventh Prince, Xiao Yanming.” He paused. “My late mother was close friends with your mother.”

The book had mentioned that Xiao Yanming’s mother was the Empress, but she had passed away during childbirth. Had she survived, she would have cared for the original owner and spared him the bullying and the timid, submissive personality he had developed in the palace.

Gu Lingwan politely stood up. “Please, Eleventh Prince, have a seat.”

After Xiao Yanming sat down, Gu Lingwan followed suit.

“The last time we met, it was during your wedding to Sixth Brother. A year has passed in the blink of an eye.”

After Xiao Lanjie ascended the throne, the other princes had been reassigned to different cities or border outposts. Xiao Yanming had been sent to guard the southern frontiers.

Gu Lingwan replied, “Indeed, time flies.” It had been several days since he transmigrated here.

Xiao Yanming gazed at Gu Lingwan’s bright, spiritual phoenix eyes. “Has your affection for the Prince grown over the past year?”

As he spoke, he cast a casual, subtle glance toward the lotus pond ahead. It was secluded here. If he killed him and threw him into the pond to make it look like an accidental drowning, no one would ever know.

Everyone in the palace knew that the heir could not swim; no one would suspect him.