Quick Transmigration: What to Do When the Male Supporting Character You Saved Becomes Obsessed with

Chapter 155 The Ruthless and Disabled Crown Prince (59)

Marquis He'an had never had any contact with the Crown Prince before. After all, to stay away from the vortex of court politics, one should naturally stay away from the Crown Prince.

Especially since the Lu family's daughter was engaged to the Crown Prince at the time, it was even more important not to casually associate her with him.

Seeing that Marquis He'an was hanging his head and remaining silent, Ji Shumin could actually see that he looked somewhat similar to Lu Liruan when she first entered the palace.

The newly arrived Crown Princess was full of schemes, but she pretended to be obedient. Whenever things didn't go her way, she would remain silent, thinking she was hiding it well.

Actually, he's quite rebellious inside...

Unlike her, the Marquis of He'an was completely at a loss for words. What did he mean by "becoming Ruan Ruan's home"? The Marquis of He'an's residence had always been Ruan Ruan's home...

"Your Highness, my daughter... my daughter is very sensitive, so it's understandable that she feels homesick. Please don't take offense, Your Highness." In the end, Marquis He'an could only manage to squeeze out these words dryly.

"When did I ever blame her?" Ji Shumin sneered.

"Your Highness is magnanimous." Marquis He'an had no idea what the Crown Prince meant.

Marquis He'an had heard many rumors about the Crown Prince and thought that the current Crown Prince should be overwhelmed by power struggles and infighting. But now it seems... how come he is single-mindedly devoted to his daughter?

What exactly did Ruan Ruan do?

The Marquis of He'an was puzzled.

His Highness the Crown Prince seemed determined not to release the man until he heard a clear explanation from him. He remained calm and composed, neither in a hurry nor angry.

It seemed as if she was waiting for Marquis He'an to tell her what was so special about his residence that had attracted Lu Liruan so much.

“My daughter has always been lively. She has people in the manor to play with, and she can also go out to play. So… perhaps she doesn’t miss the Marquis of He’an’s manor as much as she misses the more carefree days?”

Marquis He'an braced himself and said, his intuition telling him he couldn't tell the truth: "My wife and I have raised Ruan Ruan for so many years. Ruan Ruan has always been my beloved daughter. How long have you been living with Ruan Ruan, Your Highness?"

Is there anything comparable to the Marquis of Tonghe'an's mansion?

But he could only think these words to himself and couldn't say them out loud. He wanted to lead the Marquis of He'an away from the vortex of politics, not to drag the Marquis of He'an down with him to their deaths!

She thought her evasive answer wouldn't satisfy the Crown Prince, but to her surprise, the Crown Prince actually seemed to be deep in thought: "Does she really like being outside the palace that much?"

“My daughter has been spoiled by me and her mother. If she has behaved improperly, please forgive her, Your Highness.”

"Hmm." Haven't I forgiven her enough? She's practically riding on my head. Thinking of this, Ji Shumin suddenly felt better.

She acted presumptuously and arrogantly in front of me, arguing and bickering with me. This was probably the same way she acted with her parents, brothers, and sisters in the Marquis of He'an's mansion.

To her, was he also a relative or distant figure? Ji Shumin subtly curled the corner of his mouth, let He'an Marquis go, and permitted him to return.

Even after returning to his residence and retiring that night, Marquis He'an still couldn't figure out what His Highness the Crown Prince wanted to know...

She didn't dare ask the lady, who was already worried about Ruan Ruan and didn't want to add to her worries, so she kept it to herself.

Just as he saw his daughter arrive excitedly, skipping and jumping around carefree, saying she was going to go boating on the lake with General Zhuang's daughter, the old man, Marquis He'an, opened his mouth, wanting to ask his daughter about it.

Before she could even speak, her daughter, dressed in her unmarried clothes from when she was still in the manor, ran off happily, just as carefree as when she was still unmarried...

Marquis He'an ultimately didn't ask the question.

Oh well, as long as she's happy, that's all that matters. Children are just a burden, what more can we ask for?

The daughter was completely unaware of what her father was thinking, and quickened her pace, afraid of missing the appointed time.

When they returned to the entrance, Zhuang Yuxun stood in the light and shadow, exuding a natural sense of ease and freedom. He waved to Lu Liruan when she came out.

"Let's go! I can't even remember the last time I saw a cruise ship on a summer night in the capital!" Lu Liruan said excitedly.

In years of favorable weather and peaceful lives for the people, the capital city, under the emperor's nose, was not lifeless; various folk activities took place throughout the year.

In spring, people gather green vegetables; in summer, they go boating; in autumn, they climb mountains to gaze at the moon; and in winter, there are even more activities, both before and after the New Year, making it lively and bustling everywhere.

Lu Liruan didn't know if she had seen it before, but she hadn't seen it since she came here.

"I've never seen one either. The border grasslands are mostly open fields, and there have never been any tourist boats there." Zhuang Yuxun said, standing shoulder to shoulder with her.

Her tone was brimming with enthusiasm, as if she were interested in everything she had never seen or tried before. When Lu Liruan was with her, she felt a vibrant energy. In any case, she liked her very much the moment she met her.

Lu Liruan has always longed for a life force that grows freely without any constraints.

The summer night sky is filled with stars, making the night sky seem high, yet not so high, clear and romantic, even the deep blackness feels refreshing.

The unique scent of the night air is refreshing and invigorating, making those who walk through it unconsciously intoxicated.

Lu Liruan felt that she hadn't seen such a vast sky or traveled such a long distance in a long time. It was completely different from the palace.

Just then, she suddenly heard Zhuang Yuxun's smiling voice from the side: "Isn't it better inside the palace than outside?"

Lu Liruan was stunned, almost thinking that she could hear her own thoughts.

"what?"

"You weren't as happy inside the palace as you were outside, were you?" Zhuang Yuxun asked casually.

Lu Liruan couldn't see her expression, and was about to subconsciously say: Of course, it's not an exaggeration to say that you can only see a small patch of sky from inside the palace.

But as the words were about to come out, Lu Liruan looked at the swaying light of the lantern in her hand and suddenly thought of the flickering light and shadow of the dragon and phoenix candles that Ji Shumin had been watching intently on their wedding day.

"That's not how you compare them, is it?" Lu Liruan laughed, unaware of the undeniable warmth in her voice.

"Hmm?" Zhuang Yuxun was slightly taken aback when she heard her answer. Under the cover of night, Lu Liruan could not see the unsurprised look in her eyes.

"Back at the Marquis of He'an's residence, I am the daughter of the family..." Lu Liruan pouted, "You don't know why I said that..."

Zhuang Yuxun nodded: "You are naturally the daughter of the Marquis of He'an's family, just like me, who will always be my parents' daughter, and I am proud of it."

She understood what Lu Liruan meant. In many families, it seemed that once a daughter got married, she was no longer a daughter. She had only gotten married, not changed her background, so how could she become someone else's family?

“But in the palace, I am the Crown Princess, and I bear the responsibilities of a Crown Princess. Naturally, it is different from outside the palace. But since we are both me, how can we compare?”

Zhuang Yuxun nodded, agreeing with Lu Liruan's statement. She looked appreciative, but her words still pressed on: "If you were free from responsibility, would you still stay in the palace?"

Lu Liruan felt relaxed, and her mind was also at ease. If she thought about it carefully, she would realize that Zhuang Yuxun's question did not seem to be one she had asked herself.

"Hmm..." Lu Liruan held the lantern further away, looked at her long shadow on the ground, and pursed her lips.

“I will stay by the Crown Prince’s side. It has nothing to do with the palace or the outside world. I will stay by his side…” Lu Liruan’s eyes curved into a smile.

When she was willing to face her own heart, she realized that being by Ji Shumin's side was no longer a task assigned to her; she had already gotten used to keeping him in her heart.

I've grown accustomed to spending every day and night with him, experiencing his joys and sorrows beyond his princely status, and empathizing with the real, flesh-and-blood person behind his cold, impersonal words.

It seems he has grown into his body and mind, and even the thought of separation leaves him feeling empty.

Zhuang Yuxun didn't seem surprised by her answer. Instead, she laughed with her: "That's great. We all have people we want to be with, to support each other, so we won't be alone on the road ahead."

She nodded: "I can walk forward alone, but I hope someone can accompany me."

"I wonder if I'm the only one who thinks this way..." Lu Liruan looked up, as if talking to herself.

Lu Liruan was not unaware that Ji Shumin did not value his own life. He seemed to care a lot about his health, always taking medicine, but that was not what he truly thought.

He was filled with an aggressive sense of self-destruction, resolute and ruthless, willing to risk everything, using himself as bait, crazy, sharp, and pessimistic.

He wanted everything that should belong to him, but he only wanted to possess it and never thought about keeping it for long.

Like the ephemeral beauty of a night-blooming cereus, Lu Liruan felt that when she first learned about him through the plot, he had a sense that he knew all things were empty after death, and didn't care about the waves that would follow.

Would he want to stay by her side forever? The most promise Lu Liruan had ever heard was his clenched teeth and rambling about life and death when he was in a daze, a statement he never mentioned again after he regained consciousness.

No one can stop someone who is truly facing death. A sense of sorrow suddenly welled up in Lu Liruan's heart. Was her care for him and her attempts to persuade him to stay really useful?

If I fail in the end, can I only watch helplessly as he walks towards his predetermined death, one that will be vividly recorded in history?

Lu Liruan was unwilling to accept this.

"Instead of overthinking, why not just ask directly?" Zhuang Yuxun said earnestly, "If two people don't share the same thoughts, how can they walk together?"

"Have you asked them?" Lu Liruan asked curiously, wondering what the relationship between Zhuang Yuxun and He Pingyan was like now, barring any other unexpected events.

"Not yet," Zhuang Yuxun said frankly.

"Why?"

“Because there are more important things to do now, and… I’m not worried.” Zhuang Yuxun smiled: “He must think the same way I do.”

The cruise ship on the eastern moat of the capital city became brighter the closer you got, with a row of weeping willows swaying gently and all kinds of boats moored along the riverbank.

There were exquisite painted boats carrying young masters and ladies, wooden boats that could be ridden for just a few copper coins, and even boats carrying entertainers who sang while playing the pipa. People on the shore carried lanterns, illuminating the winding road.

Not wanting to be recognized by any young ladies out for a stroll, Lu Liruan and Zhuang Yu boarded a wooden boat costing a few copper coins.

The boatman rowed his oars, and unlike the boatmen in Jiangnan, the boatmen here rowed very fast, the sound of the rushing water was soothing and pleasant.

After they had had enough fun, Zhuang Yuxun escorted Lu Liruan back home.

She glanced at Lu Liruan several times along the way.

"Yu Xun, what do you want to tell me today? You didn't say anything when we came, why are you holding back now? Is there anything I can't hear?" Even if Lu Liruan was slow to understand, she could tell.

Zhuang Yuxun is not good at lying or covering up, at least not technically.

Zhuang Yuxun was asked to do this, which she was originally unwilling to do, but she couldn't refuse.

She didn't mean to hide it, especially after hearing what Lu Liruan said on the way here, she felt increasingly uneasy, and always felt that... Lu Liruan was definitely not willing to be kept in the dark.

But she really couldn't say it.

"Li Ruan, I'll go to the Marquis of He'an's residence early tomorrow. After I'm done with this, I'll send you back to the palace safely." She said this.

Lu Liruan tilted her head and suddenly asked, "Did the Crown Prince instruct you to do this?"

Having been seen through, Zhuang Yuxun directly admitted, "Yes, there will be many people tomorrow, and Your Highness is worried."

She went along with it and said, half true and half false.

“What could possibly happen at the Marquis of He’an’s residence?” Lu Liruan raised an eyebrow. “But it would be good if you came to keep me company sooner. I’d love to be with you.”

Zhuang Yuxun felt increasingly guilty, having missed Lu Liruan's earnest and inquisitive expression after she finished speaking. By the time she looked up, Lu Liruan had already continued walking forward with a normal expression.

Who knows what might happen tomorrow, and I'm left out, with no one to tell me anything.

Lu Liruan came to a conclusion in her mind and felt inexplicably angry. Although she didn't know what it was about, Ji Shumin had already sent Zhuang Yuxun to protect her, so it was obviously something dangerous.

It's really unreasonable to keep such a secret from me and not tell myself.

Zhuang Yuxun is a very open and honest person who values ​​his friends, and Lu Liruan can sense that he is very reluctant to deceive her.

What I just said was the truth, and also a way to test him further. Sure enough, Zhuang Yuxun seemed even more uncomfortable.

Lu Liruan wanted to probe further, but she felt that although Zhuang Yuxun felt guilty, he would abide by the agreement and would not easily give in.

I'll have to take a closer look tomorrow and see what they're hiding from me!

Lu Liruan didn't say much along the way, yawning twice and appearing very sleepy.

Zhuang Yuxun saw her to the door: "Get some rest."

"Well, you should get some rest too, so you can protect me tomorrow—" Lu Liruan deliberately dragged out her words, and then she noticed that Zhuang Yuxun's steps as he left were no longer so casual and carefree.

Hey……

When he returned to his own courtyard, the house was quiet. Lu Wanyun and Lu Wanqing were gone. They had probably just woken up from their rest and, not seeing him, had gone back to their respective courtyards.

Only Xiao Fu was left, strolling around on the ground with its feet tucked away, surrounded by a mess of sunflower seed shells, clearly from its diet.

"Really, be careful it might not be able to fly anymore!" Lu Liruan squatted down and reached out to pat its head.

Xiao Fu tilted his head and rubbed against Lu Liruan's hand, acting as if he hadn't seen her for a long time and was very clingy. Even after Lu Liruan changed into her nightgown and sat on the bed, he still refused to leave affectionately and stood on Lu Liruan's lap.

Lu Liruan pondered what had just happened, feeling increasingly uneasy. She tapped Xiao Fu's pointed beak and said, "Come on, let me teach you another word today."

"Follow my example, you liar. Liar—!"

Little Fu made clicking noises, but didn't quite manage to imitate it.