The Female Regent’s Daily Guide to Spoiling Her Wife - Chapter 43

Song Jin swayed slightly, her face streaked with tears, looking utterly pitiful.

Yunxia quietly pulled aside a corner of the carriage curtain, taking in the entire scene, though from a distance, she couldn’t make out what the two were saying. From the back, they appeared to be standing very close.

Yunxia’s hand clenched the curtain tightly, her knuckles turning white, her heart aching intensely. Her sister had repeatedly claimed to have her best interests at heart, unwilling to bring her along, yet here she was at the city gate, lingering in a tender farewell with the daughter of Grand Tutor Song. The young lady from the Song family even seemed to have red-rimmed eyes, what exactly had her sister said to her?

With a dim gaze, Yunxia let the curtain fall, feeling a pang of regret. If only she hadn’t followed. Seeing her sister so intimate with someone else, she wished she could rush forward and assert her claim. The pain in her heart was unbearable!

Wen Yuan’s eyes casually swept over the carriage, catching a fleeting glimpse of a garment hem. A flicker of surprise crossed his gaze, followed by a realization. A faint smile immediately curved his lips. Lu Xiaozhao, if I can’t handle you, let’s see if Miss Xu San can.

Leaning lazily on his horse’s back, propping his chin with one hand, Wen Yuan’s beautiful phoenix eyes held a teasing glint as he called out loudly, “I say, Lu Xiaozhao, stop with the sweet nothings already. It’s time to set off. If you really like her, I’ll go speak to Father Emperor and have her married to you when we return!”

Lu Zhao shot him an annoyed glare before turning back to Song Jin. “Miss Song, I hope you understand what I just told you. There are plenty of better men in Yin Capital than Lu Zhao. I wish you find a worthy partner. Farewell.”

With that, Lu Zhao mounted his horse and declared clearly, “Let’s move out!”

Song Jin bit her lip, tears streaming down her face like pear blossoms in the rain as she watched Lu Zhao’s retreating figure. It was never anyone else she wanted only Lu Zhao. She refused to accept this! She would surely make him see her worth!

Huddled inside the carriage, Yunxia lowered her eyes, hugging her knees and curling into a small ball, her spirits deeply sunken. Though she couldn’t hear their conversation, deep down, she trusted Lu Zhao. Yet, the sorrow persisted one was the granddaughter of a grand tutor, the other the daughter of a princess, standing together like a perfect pair. What was Xu Yunxia in comparison? A sense of inferiority clung to her heart, impossible to shake off.

The group traveled for a full day, and before Yunxia could wallow in her melancholy for long, she miserably realized she hadn’t brought any food. Still resentful over the morning’s events, she stubbornly refused to go out and seek Lu Zhao, staying curled up quietly in the carriage without venturing out.

Wen Yuan glanced several times at the supply carriage along the way, thinking curiously, This Miss Xu San is quite resilient, still not coming out now. As dusk approached, he wondered if she would emerge once they reached their lodging.

Arriving at a nearby town, Lu Zhao and Wen Yuan each took a superior room, while the others shared rooms in pairs or trios. They had brought only a dozen or so people on this trip, all close guards.

Leaning against the inn’s counter, Wen Yuan flashed a charming smile at the proprietress behind it. “Madam, bring us a few jugs of your finest wine.”

The proprietress, seeing the young master dressed in luxurious silks, with lips red and teeth white, his phoenix eyes sparkling, felt her heart flutter uncontrollably. She immediately rested her hand on Wen Yuan’s shoulder, teasing, “Young master, don’t worry! This humble one will personally attend to you.”

Before Wen Yuan could continue speaking, Song Ziyan appeared beside him with a frosty expression, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and saying in a low voice, “Go back and sit down! I’ll handle this!”

The smile had yet to fade from Wen Yuan’s lips when he was pressed down beside Lu Zhao. Lu Zhao’s gaze swept ambiguously between the two of them before he leaned back and remarked coolly, “Prince Rui, you certainly have quite the charm. Even the people from General Song’s residence have come to protect you!”

Wen Yuan rested his chin on his hand, gazing pensively at Song Ziyan’s retreating figure. He was now certain that this person was indeed Ziyan. When Lu Zhao was poisoned, the two of them had gone searching for lingzhi mushrooms together. At that time, Wen Yuan had nearly fallen off a cliff and was saved by Song Ziyan. They had spent a night outdoors, and Wen Yuan had secretly glanced at his chest, noticing a red mole. However, Song Ziyan had changed a lot from before he had become taciturn and lost his scholarly fragility. He no longer threw himself into Wen Yuan’s arms to cry but instead constantly thought of ways to protect him, which left Wen Yuan feeling somewhat disappointed.

After ordering the food, Song Ziyan naturally took a seat beside Wen Yuan, his lips pressed tightly together, not uttering a word.

Wen Yuan remained silent as well, creating an awkward atmosphere between them.

Lu Zhao also spoke little, and the three of them ate their meal in silence.

In the carriage, Yunxia could no longer bear the cold and hunger. She lifted the curtain, intending to step out and take a look.

Unexpectedly, as soon as she lifted the curtain, she was caught by the back of her neck by Xiao Ba, the youngest member of the group, and pulled down.

Xiao Ba was Wen Yuan’s personal guard. Though young, he was exceptionally straightforward and bold.

Xiao Ba wrapped his arm around Yunxia’s neck, leaning his whole body against her, wondering why this young lad’s body was so soft and fragrant.

Without overthinking it, Xiao Ba asked affectionately, “Where are you from? I’ve never seen you before.”

Yunxia pushed him away forcefully, lowering her head and stammering, “I… I’m new at the Regent’s residence. My name is Lu Xia. Of course, you haven’t seen me before.”

Xiao Ba guided Yunxia toward the inn, saying cheerfully, “Brother Lu Xia, it’s so late. The masters have probably finished eating. Let’s go get something to eat too. There’s an empty bed in my room tonight you can sleep with me.”

Yunxia was so frightened that she repeatedly raised her hands in protest. “N-no, that’s not necessary…”

As they walked, Xiao Ba patted Yunxia on the shoulder. “Don’t worry! I’ll look after you on this journey. With such a slight build, you need to eat more!”

Before the two could go upstairs at the inn, they ran into Lu Zhao, Wen Yuan, and Song Ziyan, who had just finished their meal and were heading back to their rooms.

Wen Yuan, sharp-eyed, immediately noticed that the person Xiao Ba had his arm around was none other than the Third Miss of the Xu family. He asked teasingly, “Well, well, Xiao Ba, where did you find such a handsome young lad?”

Xiao Ba scratched his head and slung an arm around Yunxia’s shoulder, replying casually, “He says he’s from the Regent’s residence, named Lu Xia.”

Wen Yuan deliberately raised his voice. “Oh? The surname Lu?”

Xiao Ba chuckled. “Isn’t it normal for someone from the Regent’s residence to have the surname Lu? Prince Rui, I’ll take him to get something to eat first. Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of him. He’ll be sleeping with me tonight!”

Lu Zhao didn’t even glance at Wen Yuan, continuing upstairs with his head lowered.

Growing anxious, Wen Yuan deliberately raised his voice again. “Lu Xiao Zhao, does your residence have a personal guard who shares your surname? This lad looks rather unfamiliar, doesn’t he?”

Lu Zhao halted his steps, frowning as he turned around. What was going on with Wen Yuan today? Why was he so annoyingly talkative?

Impatiently, Lu Zhao spun around and his gaze immediately fell upon the person with lowered head. Dressed in servant’s attire, the figure had jet-black hair tied high, a face as fair as polished jade, lips red and teeth white. The masculine clothing accentuated their slender waist and narrow shoulders, the graceful silhouette perfectly outlined by the waistband, creating an utterly endearing appearance. Yet this person was currently held in the arms of the Eighth Prince of Rui Manor!

Lu Zhao’s expression instantly darkened, his brows furrowing deeply. His dark eyes smoldered with anger, lips pressed tightly together as he slowly descended the stairs step by step.

Yunxia could feel Lu Zhao’s unwavering gaze fixed upon her, causing her to lower her head even further. An inexplicable sense of guilt washed over her, making her afraid to meet his eyes.

Even the carefree Eighth Prince sensed something amiss. The Regent’s piercing glare felt like daggers, as if he wanted to kill someone and that someone seemed to be him…

The Eighth Prince slowly withdrew his hand, rubbing his palms together nervously as he stammered, “Your Highness. I would never treat Lu Xia poorly, you have my word.”