Huo Wujiu leaned forward for a closer look, and the corner of his lips broke into a smile.
“What are you afraid of? It’s all in the past,” he said.
But Jiang Suizhou whispered, “So, do you plan to go back to guard Yangguan later?”
Huo Wujiu raised an eyebrow. “Why would I go back there?” he asked rhetorically. “It’s deserted and remote. The Tatars don’t even bother raiding it. What’s the point of guarding it all year round if we can’t even fight a single battle?”
Jiang Suizhou was puzzled: “Really?”
He regarded Huo Wujiu, and Huo Wujiu also looked back at him with some doubts.
“Yeah,” he asserted. “What are you thinking?”
Jiang Suizhou wavered, some doubts surfacing in his heart.
Huo Wujiu wouldn’t lie to him, but… in history, why did he return and continue to guard Yangguan for a lifetime?
This was something that only Jiang Suizhou knew. He buried this doubt in the bottom of his heart, just waiting to figure out the reason from Huo Wujiu.
After that day, he went to and from the yamen of the Ministry of Rites as usual.
Work at the Ministry of Rites wasn’t at all complicated. As long as there were no major festivals and ceremonies, the days were quite leisurely. Today, he strolled around the yamen and found nothing to do. As a qualified slacker, he informed the new minister of the Ministry of Rites and returned home.
To his surprise, he saw an unexpected visitor at the entrance of the manor.
It was a woman, but wearing a jinzhuang (armor for women commonly seen in costume dramas) of arrow sleeves, looking quite valiant. The servant behind her was holding something in his arms, like a gift, while she stood at the door, seemingly confronting the servant who was guarding the entrance.
… Isn’t she Lou Wanjun?
Jiang Suizhou was nonplussed, and at the same time, some inexplicable nervousness rose in his heart. When the carriage stopped at the entrance, he got up and got off, just in time to hear Lou Wanjun’s voice.
“Oh, are you not going to let me in? Okay, I’ll leave then,” she said.
The servant guarding the entrance quickly explained, “That’s not it, Miss! It’s because the royal residence has its own rules. This servant needs to report it first. Just a moment, please…”
The servant must have figured out that she was of high status and didn’t dare to treat her lightly. Lou Wanjun, however, didn’t pick up the olive branch and said, “This is no big deal to me anyway. Since it is so troublesome, forget it. I have arrived with kind intentions, yet you won’t let me enter the door.”
As she was about to leave, the servant lost his reason all of sudden and stepped forward to block her.
“Miss! No, Miss…”
He had never encountered such a person! She obviously rushed to the royal residence to send gifts. He didn’t make things difficult for her, but just because she couldn’t enter the threshold, she acted as if they forced her.
Just then, the servant heard a voice.
“Miss Lou?”
It’s the Prince!
The servant finally sighed in relief. When dealing with such troublesome fellows, even the terrifying Prince became kind-hearted. He expressed his gratitude, bowed to Jiang Suizhou, and followed behind him like a dog.
“This lady is here to give a gift, but she can’t enter the door,” the servant reported.
Jiang Suizhou looked at Lou Wanjun. For some reason, he felt as if this girl’s eyes lit up, staring straight at him.
“It’s you!” Lou Wanjun smiled brightly, and then saluted him with a cupped fist. “This lady, Lou Wanjun, greets Your Highness!”
Rather like a person from the Jianghu.
Putting her relationship with Huo Wujiu aside, Jiang Suizhou knew that this girl was entirely likable, frank and outspoken. This was supposedly comforting. After all, Huo Wujiu shouldn’t be entrusted to the wrong person. As for him, he wouldn’t have to worry about Huo Wujiu.
It was just that he could hardly feel a smudge of happiness.
He nodded lightly and said, “What are you doing here today, Miss Lou?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” She pointed to the servant holding something behind her and said, “I’m just here to see Huo Wujiu. My father is worried about him.”
She also knew that her father was lying when he told her that he was worried. He got drunk till he almost tottered that day, and he drank with Huo Wujiu. Since Huo Wujiu knocked her father down, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.
Her father just had ulterior motives.
So, she wasn’t interested in handling this job well either. She just had to go through the motions and say she couldn’t get into Jingwang Manor when she went back. Her father couldn’t beat her to death with this excuse.
But…
She feasted her eyes on His Highness Jingwang who was standing in front of her.
The man was still in his court uniform, so he must have returned from the yamen. She had never seen such a pretty man in the military camp. Moreover, he bore such a cool temperament and always gave off a gentle feeling. He was particularly striking.
Cut sleeve or not, it didn’t hinder her from appreciating him.
His Highness Jingwang smiled gently and replied, “I see. That being the case, it’s fine for Miss Lou to just enter the manor.”
Lou Wanjun was still reluctant to enter.
She asked again, “I heard my father say that you and Huo Wujiu live together, is that right? Wouldn’t it be inconvenient?”
There was no doubt that Jingwang was stunned.
Good lord, the beauty is shy. Lou Wanjun was somewhat excited.
This beautiful cut sleeve was more interesting than those big and tall men in the barracks. He could also feel shy.
She looked at Jiang Suizhou with burning eyes.
Unbeknownst to her, Jiang Suizhou was already feeling nervous deep inside.
Did Lou Wanjun misunderstand something? After all, he was renowned as a cut sleeve. Coupled with Huo Wujiu’s identity, it was impossible for ordinary people not to misunderstand. It didn’t matter if other people misunderstood, but if Lou Wanjun misunderstood…
Jiang Suizhou knew all too well what a domino effect was. Even if he fancied Huo Wujiu, he didn’t want to let the misunderstanding separate them at such a time, and in turn let Huo Wujiu lose a good match.
But he could not openly explain to her in such a public place.
He took a breath, restrained his discomfort and said with a faint smile, “It’s not inconvenient. This way please, Miss.”
Lou Wanjun blinked at him.
The beauty had repeatedly invited, so how could she refuse for no reason?
“Then, thank you, Your Highness.” She smiled at Jiang Suizhou and raised her hand to invite him to enter the door with her.
Even Jiang Suizhou had to admit that her smile was eye-catching.
He reluctantly smiled back and walked inside with Lou Wanjun.
Unbeknownst to him, that smile that fell into Lou Wanjun’s eyes turned into something else.
The beauty usually exuded indifference. Although beautiful, he could only be seen from afar. However, when he revealed such a hint of a smile without warning, the flowers suddenly seemed to bloom on the snowy mountain. The original delicate beauty had become lively and seductive.
Lou Wanjun inwardly sighed and shook her head.
Who could withstand this? If he, Huo Wujiu, stayed by this man’s side for so long and remained unmoved, then it was him who must be blind.
