Chapter 069
Chapter 69: Vote for Me, Please
“Forget it.” Madam Yun shook her head with a sigh. “Chen’er is already a grown man. He knows what he’s doing. He went through so much trouble just to bring that girl here. If you send her back now, he’ll surely take offense.”
Hearing this, Yun Zheng immediately frowned in displeasure. “He dares to have opinions?”
“He snuck her into the house without telling us a word. Even now, he hasn’t come forward to confess. I say he doesn’t respect us at all.”
Madam Yun fell silent for a moment, then said, “This involves the girl’s reputation. Chen’er would rather keep it tightly under wraps. How do you expect him to confess so easily? This has nothing to do with whether or not he respects us.”
“By the way, now that the girl has vanished so suddenly, what’s going on at the Su family? Does husband know?”
Yun Zheng snorted. “Su Jian and his wife haven’t stepped foot into the side courtyard in months. They probably won’t notice their concubine-born daughter is missing for a while.”
Madam Yun’s lips parted in shock. “That’s absurd! Aren’t there servants in the side courtyard?”
“There are two gatekeepers, but the girl disappeared under strange circumstances. They’re likely afraid of being punished, so they’re hiding the matter. They haven’t reported anything to Su Jian and his wife yet.”
Madam Yun was speechless.
Their own concubine-born daughter had gone missing and they still didn’t know? She honestly didn’t know what to say about the Su family anymore.
…
That evening, Yun Wan Ning woke up from hunger. Still hazy with sleep, she began calling out in her heart.
[Ugh, I’m so hungry~]
[Where’s Mother? Where’s Nanny? Is anyone here?]
In the next instant, she was scooped into warm arms.
Startled, Yun Wan Ning opened her eyes and saw Madam Yun’s gentle face hovering above her. Her mind finally cleared.
[Oh, so I’m still with Mother.]
[Mother, I’m hungry. I want milk.]
“Little Fourth is awake? Your diaper’s wet. Let Mother change it first.”
With a tender smile, Madam Yun untied the swaddling cloth and began to change her diaper. Only then did Yun Wan Ning notice the damp, uncomfortable feeling beneath her.
She had long since adapted to such embarrassments. Unlike before, she didn’t feel the slightest bit ashamed.
Her eyes, bright as dewdrops, stared unblinkingly at Madam Yun’s face as she cared for her. In her tiny heart, her gratitude for Madam Yun grew ever deeper.
After changing her, Madam Yun nursed her patiently. By the time she was full, night had completely fallen.
Yun Zheng came over and lifted her into his arms, lovingly caressing her tiny hands.
“Little Fourth, Father’s hands are rough. Do they hurt your little ones?”
[Not really. Father’s trained for years—of course he has calluses.]
[The most severe ones are on the base of his thumb, his palms, and fingertips. Judging by the distribution, he must have trained more with the spear than with blades.]
A flicker of surprise crossed Yun Zheng’s eyes. Little Fourth actually knew that?
She understood inner power, was familiar with medical arts, and possessed spiritual power. And now, it seemed she even knew something about the eighteen martial weapons. What a little treasure she was, always full of surprises.
Who knew what other hidden talents still lay within her?
From his observations over the past few days, Yun Zheng had realized that each of her important heart-voices required specific conditions to trigger. Once triggered, they would often lead to the unveiling of new storylines.
Clearly, he needed to spend more time talking with her, and take her outside more often.
New places, new sights, new people and objects—any one of them might spark a memory hidden deep within her mind.
[Oh right, I almost forgot! Father, Second Brother said Su Jian was the one who tried to assassinate the princess. When the attempt failed, he framed you instead. So what’s going on with that now?]
[With you here, Seventh Uncle definitely won’t act unless absolutely necessary. So can you actually resolve this, or not?]
[If you can’t, then hurry and ask Seventh Uncle for help. He’ll know what to do. Don’t drag things out until the charge sticks.]
[Sure, the emperor depends on you right now and won’t act rashly, but that doesn’t mean he won’t start suspecting you or keep mental notes.]
[And most importantly—why should you take the fall for Su Jian’s mess?]
[…]
Listening to his little milk bun’s monologue, Yun Zheng’s brow twitched slightly, amused.
That boy Yun Wan Ye never said Su Jian was the one behind the assassination. Wasn’t it she who came up with that theory? And now she had conveniently blamed it on Wan Ye?
Also, she actually didn’t trust him? She thought he was less capable than Old Seventh?
But Old Seventh was someone he had trained personally. While Old Seventh was indeed outstanding, surely he wasn’t inferior either?
Why was this little girl so biased against him?
Of course he had a plan to handle the matter. Everything was already in place—he was just waiting to close the net.
But for now, he wouldn’t tell her.
Once everything was resolved, he would definitely bring it up again. Otherwise, she’d keep worrying unnecessarily—and worse, continue believing he was no match for Old Seventh.
When it was time for bed, Yun Wan Ning was sent back to the nanny’s care.
Back at Peace Keeping Courtyard, the night had once again devolved into its usual wild and passionate chaos.
Qing Garden.
Carrying the skin-regenerating ointment he had obtained from Yun Zhan, Yun Wan Chen walked toward Moon Seizing Pavilion.
The entire day, the pavilion had been under Cang Yan’s strict guard. Aside from Yun Wan Yao, no one had been allowed entry—not even Yun Wan Ye.
“Heir Apparent, Second Young Master came by earlier,” Cang Yan reported as soon as Yun Wan Chen returned. “But I sent him away.”
Yun Wan Chen narrowed his eyes slightly, letting out a helpless sigh.
“Ye’er, ha… there’s no way you managed to send him off so easily. I bet he’s already snuck into my courtyard.”
In the entire Duke Ning estate, there was no place Ye’er couldn’t go if he wanted to.
Cang Yan was speechless.
Was that for real?
Second Young Master always seemed so agreeable.
He had said the Heir Apparent wasn’t feeling well and was already resting, and suggested coming back another day. Then he had smiled politely and left.
So how could he have already slipped in?
Was he really that slippery?
Just then, a familiar, lazy voice drifted through the air.
“Sigh, Big Brother really understands me best.”
Cang Yan’s thoughts screeched to a halt. He turned toward the voice and saw, under the soft moonlight, a stunningly beautiful youth lounging against a tree trunk. His head tilted slightly, expression carefree and relaxed.
The silver moonlight spilled gently across him, tracing his outline with a soft glow.
His features were far too exquisite—far more like a celestial than a mortal man.
Cang Yan fell completely silent.
Turning to Yun Wan Chen, he could only sigh in exasperation.
This Second Young Master—he was clearly here just to slap him in the face.
If he wanted to sneak in, why not just do it earlier?
Why wait until after he had finished his full report to the Heir Apparent before casually revealing himself?
“There’s only one person in the entire estate who dares scale walls wherever he pleases,” Yun Wan Chen said, a trace of fondness in his tone. “Cang Yan, just keep the others out. Don’t worry about him.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cang Yan quickly responded.
Yun Wan Chen let out a quiet hum and lifted his feet, stepping into the courtyard. He stopped in front of the young man, his cold and refined features tinged with helplessness as he looked at him. “Ye’er, I had my reasons for forbidding you to enter. Why must you force your way in like this?”
“Big brother, those words truly wound my heart. Wasn’t it Cang Yan who said you were unwell? I was worried about you, so I came to check on you, to show my concern—and what do I get in return?” He let out a short laugh, his expression filled with playful mockery. “Big brother, you tricked me.”
The moment he saw that face, Yun Wan Chen knew: Ye’er had surely discovered Su Qian Yue’s presence. He no longer bothered with veiled words.
“Ye’er, this matter is no small thing. Mind your tongue.”
Hearing that, Yun Wan Ye instantly looked displeased. He curled his lips and muttered, “Am I the kind of person who runs his mouth? Big brother, rest assured. I know what’s appropriate. I came in tonight, yes, partly out of worry—but I admit, mostly out of curiosity.”
“Who told you to act so secretive? Calling Yao’er over in the middle of the night and ordering all the servants to stay away from your courtyard—wasn’t that just asking for someone to notice something unusual?”
“You know better than anyone that I was born curious. I’d never miss a situation like this.”
Yun Wan Chen: “…”
“Fine. As long as you don’t spread word of it, that’s enough. Aside from satisfying your curiosity, was there anything else you wanted?”
“If not, go back now.”
“Wait a moment, don’t be so eager to kick me out.” Yun Wan Ye stepped forward and bumped Yun Wan Chen with his elbow, his tone wickedly amused. “Big brother, are you really sure about this?”
“Sure about what?” Yun Wan Chen’s voice was calm as he looked at him.
“Tch, don’t play dumb.” Yun Wan Ye rolled his eyes lazily. “You of all people know exactly what I mean. But fine, I’ll say it—are you truly ready to make her our eldest sister-in-law?”
Yun Wan Chen narrowed his eyes and shot him a sideways glance. “You’d best handle your own troubles first. I heard the princess and that young marquis are nearly betrothed.”
Yun Wan Ye: “…”
He gritted his teeth, fuming. “Big brother! Are you even my real brother? Do you have to twist the knife and rub salt into the wound?”
“I’m only trying to remind you out of kindness,” Yun Wan Chen replied with a quiet chuckle.
Yun Wan Ye snorted coldly, his eyes narrowing with a dark glint. “There’s still a few months left. What’s the rush? If that Lu fellow wants to marry the princess, let’s see if his life can take the heat.”
Yun Wan Chen: “…”
He fell silent for a moment, then lowered his voice in warning. “Ye’er, don’t do anything reckless. Don’t stir up trouble.”
“Hahaha, I’m joking! Big brother, don’t take it so seriously.” Yun Wan Ye burst into laughter. He clapped Yun Wan Chen’s shoulder, saying, “It’s getting late, I’ll leave you to it then.”
“Wait.”
Yun Wan Chen called after him. Yun Wan Ye raised an eyebrow, smiling slyly as he turned. “Big brother, is there something else you want to say?”
“There’ve been too many incidents lately. Once all this is over, I’ll find a way to help you. Ye’er, don’t be impulsive. Don’t forget what happened at Drunken Fragrance Pavilion.”
“If you want time to do the things you care about, you need to stay safe. If you get caught up in something and punished for it, you won’t have the chance to do anything.”
This was an age when young men were quick to act on impulse, easy to fall astray. Yun Wan Chen placed a steady hand on his shoulder, his words weighty with brotherly care.
Hearing this, a faint warmth stirred in Yun Wan Ye’s heart. “Don’t worry, big brother. I won’t stir up trouble. I really learned my lesson after the Drunken Fragrance Pavilion incident.”
“Good. Then I believe in you.”
Inside the side room, the air carried the soft fragrance of agarwood, curling like mist into the night.
On the bed, Su Qian Yue slowly opened her eyes. The unfamiliar surroundings startled her. Her eyes widened, filled with unease.
[Where… is this place?]
Before she lost consciousness, she had clearly still been in her own room. How did she wake up somewhere entirely foreign?
[What is going on?]
Outside, footsteps suddenly echoed. After sending Yun Wan Ye off, Yun Wan Chen had returned with medicine in hand and opened the door.
Hearing the sound, panic surged in Su Qian Yue’s heart. She quickly shut her eyes and feigned sleep.
She didn’t know what had happened, didn’t know where she was, or what was waiting for her. So for now, pretending to be asleep seemed the wisest course—at least until she could figure things out.
The footsteps drew closer. Su Qian Yue tensed, gripping the corners of her pillow tightly. Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and her breath grew uneven.
Yun Wan Chen came to the bedside and stopped. His gaze swept over the girl quietly, then he reached out to touch her forehead.
Her skin was cool—her fever had finally subsided.
His eyes lingered on her face. For a moment, he debated whether or not to expose her pretense.
Feeling the weight of that gaze, Su Qian Yue felt like thorns were pricking her spine. Anxiety gnawed at her heart, making it hard to stay still.
She couldn’t hold the act any longer. Her eyes slowly opened, and in the next instant, her pupils shrank in shock.
“Th-the heir apparent…?!”
She stared at him, utterly dumbfounded.
Her gaze drifted stiffly from his face to his legs.
[Wait… Am I dreaming?]
[Why am I seeing the heir apparent?]
[And he… he’s standing? Didn’t he—weren’t his legs…?]
No, it had to be a dream. She definitely wasn’t awake yet.
Su Qian Yue shut her eyes again.
Then, a delayed sting of pain spread across her back.
“Ah—”
She gasped and snapped her eyes open, staring at the graceful and noble man before her in disbelief.
[The pain… it’s real.]
[This isn’t a dream!!!]
“Ugh…”
Trying to sit up, she tugged at her wound. A sharp pain shot through her, and she inhaled a cold breath, tears nearly spilling from her eyes.
“Don’t move. Your wound hasn’t healed yet.”
A deep, cool voice sounded in her ear. His hand pressed gently against her shoulder, guiding her back down onto the bed.
Su Qian Yue turned her head to look at him, her eyes confused. “Heir apparent, where… where am I? Why am I here?”
“This is Duke Ning’s residence,” Yun Wan Chen replied mildly, choosing to answer only her first question.
Su Qian Yue: “…”
[So how exactly did I end up here?]
She realized he wasn’t willing to speak of it. Very tactfully, she didn’t push further.
“Oh.” She responded softly, her gaze landing once more on his legs.
[The heir apparent’s legs… are really healed?]
She didn’t know when they’d recovered. There hadn’t been a whisper of news. She had been asking around for days, but heard nothing.
With that thought, a wave of defeat and helplessness quietly swept through her chest.