Princess, Don't Run Away! The Prince Says He Wants To Mend His Ways - Chapter 9

After all, he had fallen into a pool before; he just was not as lucky this time.

Xiao Yanming withdrew his gaze and looked at Gu Lingwan with an innocent expression. If you had not ruined my plans the other day, Xiao Yingxun would be a corpse right now. So, you must pay for your interference with your life.

Across from him, Gu Lingwan was busy contemplating Xiao Yanming’s question. He did not want to lie and claim he and the Prince were on good terms, especially since he would have to answer again when they eventually divorced. How should he respond then?

“What my relationship with the Prince is like, you will know in due time,” Gu Lingwan said.

His answer stunned Xiao Yanming. “I do not quite understand what the Princess Consort means.”

Gu Lingwan flashed a mysterious smile. “If you do not understand, just wait and see!”

Xiao Yanming stared at Gu Lingwan’s smile, scrutinizing him for a moment. “The Princess Consort has changed significantly over this past year.”

Gu Lingwan arched a handsome brow. “So, have I become better or worse?”

Xiao Yanming instinctively answered, “Better.”

The smile on Gu Lingwan’s face deepened. “It seems I should read more. It is truly good for self-cultivation.”

Xiao Yanming asked, “What books is the Princess Consort reading? I wish to read them as well so that I may become a better person.”

Gu Lingwan smiled brightly. “Listen closely to the titles, and make sure you remember them.” He paused. “The Golden Lotus, The Little Village Widower, The Twenty-Six Darling Husbands of Squire Zhang.”

The more Xiao Yanming listened, the more wrong it felt, until he realized he was being teased. Gu Lingwan burst into laughter. Xiao Yanming’s ears turned red as he grumbled, “Princess Consort, have you forgotten your own status?”

“Not at all,” Gu Lingwan replied. “I am Gu Lingwan, the heir of the Prince of Zhenbei. Your mother and my mother were the best of friends, so we are good brothers.”

It was a pity both mothers had passed away so young; otherwise, the heir and the Eleventh Prince might have truly become close brothers.

I treat him like a Princess Consort, and he treats me like a brother, Xiao Yanming thought, and a brother I am about to kill.

“Oh? There are lotus seed pods in the lotus pond over there.” Gu Lingwan stood up and pointed toward the pond. “Let us go pick some to eat.”

“Sure, I like lotus seeds too,” Xiao Yanming said. Perfect, I can push him into the pond to drown.

Gu Lingwan walked toward the pond, with Xiao Yanming following behind. Along the way, Xiao Yanming scanned his surroundings to ensure they were alone. The moment Gu Lingwan reached the edge of the pond, he would push him in.

They soon arrived at the bank. The palace’s lotus pond was man-made, meaning the water at the edge was four or five meters deep. If someone who could not swim fell in, they had no chance of survival.

Xiao Yanming stayed right behind Gu Lingwan, ready to shove him. As they reached within half a meter of the bank, which was the perfect moment to strike, Gu Lingwan suddenly turned around and looked down at Xiao Yanming’s raised hand. “You cannot reach the seed pods from this distance; you need to move a little further forward.”

Xiao Yanming realized there was indeed a ripe seed pod just a bit further ahead. At the same time, Gu Lingwan stepped aside, standing behind him and giving him plenty of room to reach it.

Fine, Xiao Yanming thought, in memory of the friendship between our mothers, I will let him eat a mouthful of lotus seeds before he dies.

Xiao Yanming stood at the bank and reached out for the pod, only to realize his eyes had deceived him. The pod was much further away than it had appeared. He had to shift his feet forward and stretch out as far as he could. Still, he could not reach it.

Gu Lingwan, standing behind him, spoke up. “If you cannot reach it, Eleventh Prince, let it be. The banquet is about to start; let us return.”

Gu Lingwan turned to leave, but Xiao Yanming insisted, “I can reach it. Do not underestimate me, Princess Consort. Just give me a moment.” Once he is busy eating his lotus seeds on the bank, I will push him in.

Gu Lingwan did not want to be rude, so he stayed. Xiao Yanming focused entirely on the pod, shuffling his feet closer and closer to the edge. Gu Lingwan glanced toward the Honghua Hall; if the banquet started, he would inevitably be forced to mingle with Xiao the Second. The Eleventh Prince is young and competitive; he is so obsessed with one seed pod.

Just as Gu Lingwan was thinking this, he heard a splash.

He looked over to see a large spray of water. Xiao Yanming had slipped and fallen in. Gu Lingwan clutched his forehead and watched Xiao Yanming thrashing about. He suddenly realized a problem: “Eleventh Prince, you cannot swim?”

Xiao Yanming struggled, gasping for air. “Call, call for help, I cannot swim, glug, glug.”

Gu Lingwan sighed in frustration. He kicked off his boots and jumped into the pond. Seeing this, Xiao Yanming was so shocked he stopped thrashing. Why on earth did the Princess Consort jump in?

You idiot! Xiao Yanming thought, swallowing more water and sinking toward the bottom. Just as he thought he and this fool were about to drown together, he felt his body being hauled toward the surface.

Gu Lingwan grabbed Xiao Yanming by the hair and pulled him up until his nose and mouth were above the water, allowing him to breathe.

“The Princess Consort can swim?” Xiao Yanming asked, astonished.

The original owner could not swim, but Gu Lingwan could, and he handled the body with ease. He had no time to explain himself; he was already struggling to support the heavy boy. Because of Xiao Yanming’s frantic thrashing, they had drifted to the center of the pond, far from the bank.

Gu Lingwan summoned every ounce of his strength to tow Xiao Yanming toward the shore. Xiao Yanming stopped struggling and fell into deep thought, looking at Gu Lingwan, who was giving his all to save him. He is actually saving my life? That makes him my benefactor!

Gu Lingwan’s cheeks were flushed, and beads of sweat stood on his forehead. Damn, saving someone is exhausting. He was already spent and regretted not calling for someone else to help. He had made a mistake. This pond was even more secluded than the one where the original owner had drowned. If he had gone to fetch help, the Eleventh Prince might have died.

Gu Lingwan was a man of indifference when he did not see the suffering, but once he witnessed a death inches away, he simply could not stand by and watch.

Just as Gu Lingwan felt his strength completely draining away, a thick, powerful hand suddenly appeared before him. With a surge of strength, the newcomer effortlessly hauled Gu Lingwan onto the bank. The hand then reached down and yanked the struggling Xiao Yanming onto the land as well.

Gu Lingwan, completely exhausted, collapsed on the grass, gasping for air. Xiao Yingxun stood beside him, frowning as he looked down. “You can swim!”

Before Gu Lingwan could answer, Xiao Yanming chimed in, “The Princess Consort’s swimming is excellent.”

Gu Lingwan lay on the ground, looking up at the man above him. “After I nearly drowned that winter, I made up my mind to learn how to swim so I could control my own fate.”

Xiao Yingxun was silent for a moment. “The banquet has begun. Go change your clothes.”

Gu Lingwan fluttered his wet, curled eyelashes. “Your Highness, where am I supposed to change?”

“My residence in the palace. You can wear some of my old clothes from when I was younger.”

Gu Lingwan replied honestly, “I do not know where your residence is.”

Since Xiao Yingxun had told the other princes that Gu Lingwan had injured his head and forgotten parts of his memory, neither he nor Xiao Yanming suspected anything.

“I will take you.” Xiao Yingxun extended a hand.

Xiao Yanming leaned in close and whispered to Gu Lingwan, “Once you change your clothes and come back, I will tell you the truth about the day you fell into the pool.”

Gu Lingwan looked at him with eager curiosity and nodded. “All right.”

He took Xiao Yingxun’s hand, stood up, grabbed his boots from the ground, and followed the Prince. As they walked, Xiao Yingxun asked, “Why did the heir go to the lotus pond with the Eleventh Prince?”

“I wanted to pick lotus seeds to eat.”

Xiao Yingxun turned his head to stare at the wet, bedraggled young man beside him. “How childish. You act just like a child.”

Gu Lingwan retorted, “Between the Eleventh Prince and me, one is nineteen, one is eighteen, we are certainly not as mature and steady as a twenty-six-year-old Prince.” Hmph, old man. You are so steady you have practically taken root.

Xiao Yingxun closed his eyes in frustration at the inner voice, sped up his pace, and stopped talking. This man is a walking menopause case. Gu Lingwan had to jog to keep up.

When they reached Xiao Yingxun’s quarters, the Prince pulled out a brocade robe he had worn at fourteen and left Gu Lingwan to change outside.

As Xiao Yingxun stared at the carved door, he suddenly recalled what Xiao Lanjie had said: The heir is a Green Dragon, completely bare in certain places.

I can use this to verify whether he is the true heir or an impostor.