The peerless and dark princess

Chapter 165: Revealing thoughts

Chu Wange looked at Chu Haolin, her eyes full of helplessness, and softly persuaded him, "Lin'er, you're old enough to go to Shangshuyuan to study. You can't just stay at home all the time." She knew that the last incident had really scared the child, but at this age, what else could he do if he didn't go to school? Besides, the person Chu Haolin was accompanying now was the crown prince, a noble person, and he couldn't delay any longer.

"Sister, His Majesty has allowed me to stay at home with you for a while longer, so don't worry." Chu Haolin responded nonchalantly. In his heart, with the support of his sister, the emperor's biological father, there would be no trouble even if he didn't go to Shangshu Garden for the time being.

"We can't act like this. I'm staying safely in the palace, and you need to go back to the Shangshu Garden to study." Chu Wange frowned, a look of worry on her face. She knew she couldn't let her adoptive father, Chen Yu, lead people to believe that the people in the palace were taking advantage of the emperor's favor and acting recklessly. Furthermore, the Crown Prince was Chen Siran, and how he would treat her and her siblings in the future was still uncertain.

"Lin'er, listen to your sister. Sister Yunxin and I are at home, so nothing will happen." Zuo Ci also advised gently, but he was secretly happy in his heart, thinking that he would have the opportunity to be alone with Wange in the future.

Although Chu Haolin was reluctant to leave home, he also knew his sister's temper and understood that he had to read the book, so he could only nod and agree to return to Shangshu Garden the next day.

A few days later, with everyone's meticulous care, Chu Wange had recovered. However, Zuo Ci seemed to have become her shadow, constantly by her side, never leaving her side, which made her feel a little uneasy. Occasionally, Chu Wange recalled the day she woke up and saw Zuo Ci crying because of her. She had always been slow to react to matters of the heart, but facing such deep affection from Zuo Ci, how could she not understand that he truly loved her and was not completely without feelings.

The morning sun shone through the carved window lattice, illuminating Chu Wange's face and waking her from a good night's sleep. As she stood up, Zuo Ci walked in with a steaming bowl of medicine. He said softly, "Wange, drink this medicine. The doctor said you need to recuperate for two more days to consolidate your recovery."

Chu Wange took it. Amidst the aroma of medicine, she looked up at Zuo Ci and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work these past few days. I'm much better now. Don't be around me all the time." Zuo Ci sat down beside her bed, his eyes tender, "As long as you're healthy, everything I do is worth it."

At the same time, Chu Haolin returned to Shangshu Garden. When his classmates saw him coming back, they all came forward to tease him.

"Chu Haolin, I heard that you have been at home with your sister, the princess, these days. Is the princess okay?" A naughty young man asked with concern.

Chu Haolin rolled his eyes at him and said seriously, "My elder sister was unwell and had to rest for a few days. Of course I had to accompany her. Now that my brother-in-law is with her, my elder sister asked me to come back."

Just as everyone was laughing and joking, the teacher strode into the classroom and knocked the table with the ruler in his hand. Everyone hurried back to their seats and started a new day of classes.

After lunch, Chu Wange took a walk in the courtyard, wondering if she should find something to do. She couldn't just sit around all day. Who would have thought that her cousin Chu Moxuan would come to her in a hurry?

"Wange, this is terrible. Su Linqing told me that he likes me." Chu Moxuan looked frightened, her eyes wide open, and she hurried into the yard, muttering, "Does he think he can't win the argument with me and is deliberately making such a joke?"

"..." Chu Wange was also somewhat helpless, not knowing what to say for a moment. To put it bluntly, everyone knew that Su Linqing was in love with Chu Moxuan, but her cousin just couldn't understand Su Linqing's feelings. Now, he had told her in person, but she still thought it was a joke.

"Wange, why don't you speak?" Seeing Chu Wange silent, Chu Moxuan walked up to her and tugged at her sleeve, her eyes full of confusion.

"Oh! Do you really think that Doctor Su is joking with you?" Chu Wange sighed slightly and asked Chu Moxuan tentatively, his eyes locked on her, as if he wanted to see through her.

"What else? Every time we meet, he either insults me or talks about me. Today he suddenly says he likes me, is he kidding?" Chu Moxuan frowned, full of confusion, waving his hands in the air helplessly to emphasize his point.

Chu Wange pulled Chu Moxuan to sit on a stone bench in the courtyard and said earnestly, "Cousin Xuan, think about it, has Divine Doctor Su ever treated others like this? He may be harsh with words, but if he didn't care about you, why would he always provoke you?"

Chu Moxuan was slightly startled when she heard this, as if she was lost in thought. But after a moment, she raised her chin stubbornly and said, "I think he is just bored and picked on me to tease me."

Seeing her like this, Chu Wange knew that it would be difficult for her to fully understand in a short time, so he changed the topic and asked Chu Moxuan, "If Su Linqing treated other women like this, would you feel uncomfortable?"

Upon hearing this, Chu Moxuan's hand holding the teacup trembled violently, and she almost spilled the tea. A trace of panic flashed across her face, but then she pretended to be calm and said, "He can do whatever he wants to whoever he wants. It has nothing to do with me. I won't feel uncomfortable." However, her slightly clenched grip on the teacup and the unconsciously faster pace of her speech revealed the turmoil in her heart.

Chu Wange saw this and smiled inwardly, but remained expressionless: "Cousin, you're not being sincere. If you really didn't care, why are you so nervous? I think you've already had a place for him in your heart, but you just don't want to admit it." Chu Moxuan's cheeks flushed slightly when she was hit on the heart. She glared at Chu Wange in anger: "You're so clever, you know how to talk me into a corner."

"Now I understand, you and Su Linqing?" Chu Wange saw Chu Moxuan was thoughtful and asked softly.

"I'm afraid my father wouldn't be able to accept this. After all, he and Su Linqing are fellow apprentices..." Chu Moxuan was a little worried, her brows furrowed slightly, her fingers unconsciously twirling the corner of her clothes, a hint of worry in her eyes. "Although I do have different feelings for him, thinking about Dad gives me a headache. Dad always treats me like a child. If he knew that I had such feelings for his apprentice, I don't know how angry he would be."

Chu Wange patted her hand gently and comforted her, "Cousin, don't worry too much. There will always be a way out. Since Dr. Su is interested in you, he will definitely find a way to get your uncle and aunt to agree. You just wait and see. Maybe your uncle is not as old-fashioned as you think." Chu Moxuan nodded slightly, but the worry on her face did not completely fade away. "I hope so. I just don't want this to cause any unhappiness at home."