Chapter 4

Although in the original game's storyline, Lady Yan had loudly berated Jian Yu'er, Yan Yiming was well aware that Jian Yu'er, as a pure and kind-hearted heroine, had invited Nan Gongxuan to Fuyu Mountain to admire the flowers purely by coincidence.
Jian Yu'er had no idea that Lady Yan had also invited the Crown Prince to enjoy the blossoms. Even so, her face still paled.
There was no other reason except that Yan Yiming was the daughter of the Duke of Ding, and Jian Yu'er was the cherished daughter of the current Chancellor, both were of noble and wealthy backgrounds, making them “good sisters” who often enjoyed tea and conversation together.
Because of this, Jian Yu'er was well aware of how deeply “Yan Yiming” felt for the Crown Prince.
She had not been acquainted with the Crown Prince before. It was only a few days ago, when the Crown Prince came to the Chancellor's residence to see her brother, that they accidentally crossed paths and met for the first time. Although the Crown Prince was of exalted status, his eloquence and extraordinary talent, coupled with the fact that her brother was the Crown Prince's closest companion, made it impossible for Jian Yu'er, a young lady secluded in the inner chambers, not to develop some fondness for him. Moreover, the Crown Prince treated her with exceptional patience and indulgence.
Recalling Nan Gongxuan's strikingly handsome appearance, Jian Yu'er blushed slightly and thought to herself, who wouldn't be drawn to such a favored son of heaven? Even Lady Yan, whose doorstep was trampled by countless suitors.
Jian Yu'er was lost in the sweet memories of her recent encounters with the Crown Prince when she suddenly turned her head and noticed Yan Yiming, whom she had deliberately avoided thinking about lately. Yan Yiming stood not far away, her beautiful eyes fixed on them, filled with shock and disbelief.
Jian Yu'er's face instantly turned pale. She suddenly remembered earlier in the year, when Yan Yiming had playfully told her that when spring arrived in March, she must invite the Crown Prince to join them in admiring the flowers at Fuyu Mountain.
“Sister Yan, I” Jian Yu'er's heart was in turmoil. She watched helplessly as Yan Yiming stepped closer, and in her panic, she hurriedly rose from the stone stool. “I... I was just”
Just what? The words stuck in her throat, and she didn't know how to explain.
Nan Gongxuan had not expected Yan Yiming to appear here either. When she first arrived, he felt a moment of discomfort, but then he saw Jian Yu'er abruptly stand up, her lovely face ashen with fear.
Feeling protective of Jian Yu'er, Nan Gongxuan turned to Yan Yiming and said coldly, “Why are you here?”
Jian Yuyan, who had failed to stop Yan Yiming, immediately frowned. The Yan family's young lady had a notoriously fierce temper, especially when it came to Nan Gongxuan, she would stop at nothing. He stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Jian Yu'er, and said, “Lady Yan, today the Crown Prince and I came here to admire the flowers and brought Yu'er along as well.”
He shielded Jian Yu'er as if she were the most precious thing, treating Yan Yiming like a fearsome threat.
Yan Yiming's steps faltered.
She glanced at Jian Yuyan, her gaze clear and penetrating, a trace of mockery curling at the corners of her lips. “What does Young Master Jian think I intend to do?”
Jian Yuyan was abruptly reminded of the excuse he had used to keep her outside earlier. Seeing that Yan Yiming made no move, he felt a wave of embarrassment.
But Yan Yiming had no desire to engage further with Jian Yuyan. Her exquisitely beautiful face now bore an expression too complex to decipher, perhaps she wanted to laugh at Nan Gongxuan's words, but ultimately, she felt too sorrowful to muster even a smile. Her clear eyes fixed on Nan Gongxuan as she slowly said,
“This is not a royal private garden, so why can't I be here?”
Nan Gongxuan was taken aback. Based on his understanding of Yan Yiming, if she encountered him alone with another woman, especially after he had rejected her, she would surely fly into a rage and immediately lash out at the woman by his side. That was why he had instinctively shouted at her to leave.
But today's Yan Yiming was not as he had imagined. She showed no anger, no harsh words; instead, she was as calm as a placid lake.
Unlike her usual domineering self, Nan Gongxuan felt a slight reduction in his aversion. “A’Ming, that's not what I meant.”
Yan Yiming glanced at the timid Jian Yu'er with a faint, ambiguous smile. “Then what does Your Highness mean? Did you think I came here intentionally because I knew you and Miss Jian were here?”
Nan Gongxuan pursed his lips. He had indeed thought so.
But upon second thought, how could Yan Yiming have known?
“I don't possess such foresight,” Yan Yiming said calmly, lowering her gaze. “I told Your Highness long ago that I would be going to Fuyu Mountain to admire the flowers today. Your Highness broke your promise, but that didn't stop me from coming here to enjoy the blossoms. Meanwhile, Your Highness told me you had important matters to discuss with Young Master Jian. Young Master Jian said you were tied up with official duties and had returned early to the Eastern Palace. So why are you here?”
Nan Gongxuan disliked being questioned the most, but Yan Yiming did not press him aggressively this time. Since he had broken his promise first, he was prepared to offer a rare explanation when Yan Yiming interjected, “I have overstepped. Please pretend you heard nothing, Your Highness.”
Nan Gongxuan was stunned, staring at Yan Yiming, momentarily unsure of what she was thinking.
On the other hand, upon learning that Yan Yiming had originally made plans with Nan Gongxuan, Jian Yu'er grew flustered and, not daring to look at Yan Yiming, hurriedly explained, “Sister Yan, I didn't know you and His Highness had already…”
Hearing Jian Yu'er's words, Nan Gongxuan seemed to snap back to reality.
Although everyone in the capital knew that the Yan family's young lady adored him, he had never truly considered marrying Yan Yiming as his crown princess. Jian Yu'er's words made it sound as if he and Yan Yiming were already involved.
He was the crown prince. He could marry whomever he pleased, what could Yan Yiming do about it?
Immediately displeased, he said to Jian Yu'er, “This is not your fault.”
“Indeed,” Yan Yiming nodded and turned to Jian Yu'er. “Although I invited His Highness, he did not accept my invitation. Whom His Highness likes or dislikes is entirely his own will. I have never been anyone to His Highness, so why should Miss Jian explain anything to me?”
Yan Yiming had always called her Yu'er before, but now she addressed her as Miss Jian.
Jian Yu'er swayed unsteadily, and Jian Yuyan reached out to steady her. He glanced down at Jian Yu'er, who was on the verge of tears, wanting to say something but ultimately remaining silent.
This situation was not one he could intervene in, nor did he wish to.
Nan Gongxuan, however, furrowed his brow.
Because Yan Yiming had never spoken like this before.
She had always been overbearing and inexplicably assertive about her claims over him, which annoyed him endlessly.
He had never truly wanted Yan Yiming to have any real connection with him, but when she said it so plainly, Nan Gongxuan did not feel the relief he had expected. Instead, his chest tightened with an indescribable ache and irritation.
Jian Yu'er, however, took it as Yan Yiming's angry words. Though frightened, she mustered the courage to explain, “Sister Yan, today's matter is our fault...”
“Of course it's your fault,” Yan Yiming said with a faint smile. “Could it possibly be mine?”
Jian Yu'er's heart trembled, and she immediately fell silent, her weeping growing even more pitiful, like pear blossoms bathed in rain.
Jian Yuyan wanted to speak up for his sister, but when he met Yan Yiming's cold gaze, his conscience held him back, and he remained silent.
For a moment, none of the three could speak. Yan Yiming turned her eyes to meet Nan Gongxuan's gaze. “Your Highness, if you didn't wish to accompany me, you could have simply refused. Why agree and let me wait for so many days with such anticipation, only to leave me empty-handed? And to fabricate those absurd excuses to deceive me...All these years, no matter how you've ignored me, I've never once resented you.”
“I did not mean to deceive you,” Nan Gongxuan said.
Yan Yiming's words struck his heart one by one, each syllable stirring an indescribable discomfort. Nan Gongxuan recalled how, over the years, no matter how he treated others, Yan Yiming had never shown him the slightest temper. Now, her pearly white teeth bit into her crimson lips until they turned pale, devoid of her usual arrogance, evoking an overwhelming sense of pity.
Nan Gongxuan's heart softened. Lowering his voice, he explained to Yan Yiming in a somber tone, “It's just that Yu'er happened to be visiting Fuyu Mountain today as well. I had to choose one over the other.”
Yan Yiming bit her tongue hard, the sudden pain nearly bringing tears to her eyes.
The tragic atmosphere she had painstakingly built up from the start almost crumbled because of Nan Gongxuan's explanation. It truly would have been better if he hadn't explained at all.
Back when she first saw the stats on this character card, she thought Nan Gongxuan's emotional intelligence score of 22 was a bit too low. Now, it seemed even 22 was too generous.
She stole a glance at Jian Yuyan, who was indeed taken aback by Nan Gongxuan's words. Who would have thought Nan Gongxuan would be so blunt, outright drawing Jian Yu'er into the line of fire? It was practically challenging Yan Yiming's limits.
Jian Yuyan glanced uneasily at Yan Yiming, who, still reeling from the pain of biting her tongue, could only let tears stream down her face. To Nan Gongxuan, Jian Yuyan, and Jian Yu'er, it seemed as though she was crying because of Nan Gongxuan's words.
Suppressing the pain, Yan Yiming used the teary-eyed effect to her advantage and let out a mocking laugh. “So Your Highness had a prior engagement with a beauty, which is why you abandoned me. Miss Jian, with her peerless beauty and gentle temperament, is indeed far better than I am. It's only natural that Your Highness favors her. Enough. Today, I have disturbed Your Highness, Miss Jian, and Young Master Jian. I shall take my leave. The scenery here is splendid, Your Highness and Miss Jian may enjoy it at your leisure.”
By the end, she was unwilling to say more. Turning around, she strode away. Lu Mei, who had been standing by Yan Yiming's side, shot Jian Yu'er an angry yet timid glare before stomping her foot and rushing after Yan Yiming.
In the blink of an eye, the figures of the master and servant vanished from sight. As Nan Gongxuan watched Yan Yiming's slender form recede into the distance, he suddenly felt an inexplicable restlessness in his heart.
Nan Gongxuan had never coaxed a woman before. He had never lowered his pride to chase after anyone, nor did he believe that Yan Yiming would truly leave for good. So, as her figure grew smaller and smaller, he merely furrowed his brow slightly before falling silent again. Yet, his heart felt as though it were being tugged at by something, and he no longer had any mood to appreciate the flowers.
After Yan Yiming left, Jian Yu'er seemed to collapse as if all her strength had drained away. Nan Gongxuan stood beside her and instinctively supported her. With tears streaming down her face, Jian Yu'er sobbed, “Sister Yan must hate me to death. I-I need to explain things to Sister Yan” She wanted to chase after her, but her legs were too weak to take even a single step.
She didn't dare ask Nan Gongxuan to go after Yan Yiming, so she could only tug desperately at Jian Yuyan's sleeve. “Sister Yan only has a maid with her, not even an elderly servant. Brother, please escort her back”
Jian Yuyan helped Jian Yu'er sit on a stone stool and patted her head gently. “I would have gone even if you hadn't said so.”
“I, Brother, please tell Sister Yan that it's not what she thinks. Tomorrow, I'll go to the Ding Manor to find her...”
Jian Yuyan agreed briefly, instructed others to take care of Nan Gongxuan and Jian Yu'er, and then strode away, disappearing behind a cluster of peach blossoms in a few steps. Jian Yu'er cried alone for a long time. The maids, intimidated by Nan Gongxuan's presence, dared not approach to comfort her. Eventually, with no one paying her any attention, her sobs gradually subsided.
She looked up and saw Nan Gongxuan's handsome face devoid of any expression. Softly, she called out, “Brother Crown Prince.”
Only then did Nan Gongxuan snap out of his thoughts and respond with a somewhat absent-minded “Hmm.”
Jian Yu'er tightened her grip on the handkerchief in her hand and whispered, “I've known Sister Yan for many years. She...truly likes you.”
Nan Gongxuan frowned slightly but said nothing.
Jian Yu'er paused before continuing, “Tomorrow, I'll go to the Ding Manor to explain things to Sister Yan.”
“No need. This matter has nothing to do with you,” Nan Gongxuan replied. Perhaps realizing his tone was too cold and had frightened Jian Yu'er, he softened his voice slightly. “I mean, there's no need to concern yourself with this anymore. It's getting dark. Si Xin, escort Miss Jian back to her residence.”
Jian Yu'er took the cloak handed to her by a maid and put it on. Looking around, the sky was still filled with the vibrant red of peach blossoms, and the daylight remained bright. Nan Gongxuan still sat there, sipping his tea.
How could it be dark?