Your Ninth Royal Highness, Please Change Your Clothes

Jile City was shrouded in auspiciousness and peace. The sun was shining high, but the streets were in rare silence.

All the people within the city walls sang and danced during the night. So not many people had woken up from their dreams in such an early morning.

Ah Fu and Shu Hua gladly and diligently went to buy breakfast for Wen Chan. And just after they went out, they ran into Qiao Yanci who was returning from shopping.

“Where are you guys going? Is Young Master Wen awake?” She stopped the two.

“Yes. We are going to buy food for him.” Ah Fu was lively and quick-witted. He had already made friends with this group of people.

“Then you guys must hurry. So that Young Master Wen can finish his breakfast and we can leave early.” Qiao Yanci exhorted, staggered them, and walked into the inn.

Inside the lobby, there were almost only Liang Yanbei and a group of people. Right now, except for Liang Yanbei and Zhong Wenjin who were still eating, everyone else was sitting dryly. Especially Wen Chan, who had obviously just woken up not long ago. His eyes were staring blankly, lost in thought.

“Young Master Wen, good day.” Qiao Yanci said to Wen Chan as she walked in.

Originally, Wen Chan concealed his identity outside, and the people around him would treat him as an ordinary person.

But Liang Yanbei had given an excessive amount of rules about Wen Chan for several days in a row: Sharing of carriage is prohibited. Sharing of meals is prohibited. Interrupting his sleep is not allowed. Even in this early morning when everyone had already woken up, no one was allowed to quarrel with anyone until his Ninth Royal Highness finished his rest and they sat waiting for him to wake up.

When he was out of the palace, Liang Yanbei still made his identity as His Highness the Ninth Prince very clear. So when Qiao Yanci saw him, she could note that he was the noble prince of the palace and not the so-called rich Young Master.

Wen Chan didn’t expect Qiao Yanci to take the initiative to greet him. He was stunned for a while, then slowly nodded and responded, “Good day, Young Lady Qiao.”

Qiao Yanci put some of the things that she bought on the table, sat down opposite to Wen Chan, and asked, “I heard that someone hurt your nose with a cup last night. I wonder if it’s better now?”

She was the only one who was still sleeping after such a big commotion last night, and she only heard a little from Ah Fu early this morning.

“It’s fine. Young Lady Qiao doesn’t need to worry about it.” Wen Chan said politely.

“It was indeed a sudden and unexpected disaster ah.” Qiao Yanci sighed in a low voice, “Young Master Wen, it’s better to join in less fun in the future.”

Others may not know, but she really knew that Wen Chan suffered losses twice because of butting in.

Last time he was falsely accused of stealing Young Lady Wang’s Jinpa1. This time he was smashed on the nose by people. It’s hard to say what will happen next time.……

After Wen Chan heard this, he also remembered the previous incident by the East Lake Bridge. He cleared his throat, somewhat embarrassed. But he still wanted to struggle, “The East Lake Bridge incident…… Really wasn’t my fault.”

“I believe that with Young Master Wen’s character, you can’t do such a thing.” Qiao Yanci actually showed great understanding, “It was those girls who falsely accused you for no reason.”

This sentence really made Wen Chan happy. Although he had forgotten it for a long time, he was upset for being framed. Now that he heard Qiao Yanci’s words as a spectator, Wen Chan’s mood suddenly became bright.

The corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.

On this side, Liang Yanbei finished drinking his porridge. And when he raised his eyes, he saw Wen Chan and Qiao Yanci chatting.

He unhurriedly wiped his mouth and unexpectedly said, “Young Lady Qiao, can you come here for a moment? I have something to ask you.”

Qiao Yanci heard Liang Yanbei call her and she immediately ended the conversation with Wen Chan. With a pretty face and a sweet smile, she ran off to sit next to Liang Yanbei after saying bye to Wen Chan.

This time, Wen Chan’s mood that had just been sunny and cloudless soon dropped again. He glanced at Liang Yanbei and closed his mouth silently.

Zhong Wenjin who was there by the side came over with his rice bowl, “Hey, Young Master Wen, did you see……”

“No.” Wen Chan replied decisively, “I don’t know anything.”

“You listen to me finish asking ah.” Zhong Wenjin deflated his mouth.

“No need. I know what you want to ask.” Wen Chan refused very coldly and said to him, “Don’t sit here. Ah Fu and Shu Hua will be back later2.”

“Humph.” He was so angry that he returned to his original position with the bowl again.

“Young Lady Qiao, what is the purpose of your trip to Wuyue Island?” Liang Yanbei opened the door and saw the mountain3 without any superfluous words at all.

Qiao Yanci did not expect him to ask this question suddenly. Ever since they met in Bafang City the night before, she also thought about how to answer if Liang Yanbei asked her why she came to Wuyue Island. But Liang Yanbei never asked and he brought her along with him to the inner island as well.

However, when he asked it at this time, it was obvious that he wanted to part ways with her. Qiao Yanci was a little anxious for a while, and told the truth, “I saw that you all came to the Wuyue island, so I followed along.”

“Why are you following us?” Liang Yanbei’s eyes were full of doubts.

Although Qiao Yanci and Zhong Wenjin came to Wuyue Island together, their situations were different. Zhong Wenjin was forced to flee for his life, while Qiao Yanci escaped secretly.

When she traveled to Jinling with her father two years ago, she got lost on the streets due to her father’s carelessness. In the cold weather of the twelfth lunar month, Qiao Yanci was scared and hungry. She cried alone for a long time until she met Liang Yanbei, who was out having fun with Dan Ke.

The first time she saw Liang Yanbei in the capital, she recognized him. After carefully inquiring about his name and where he lived, Qiao Yanci planned to create a few more opportunities to meet him. But before she had time to do that, Liang Yanbei and Xie Zhaoxue led the son of heaven out of the capital.

Qiao Yanci had never been a coy Young Lady who kept herself in the boudoir. She had even studied martial arts. After learning that Liang Yanbei left the capital, without thinking much, she took her secret stash of silver, transferred her personal maid, and found a carriage to follow behind them.

Then when she was leaving the capital, she happened to run into Zhong Wenjin who was in a hurry to escape.

Thinking of this, Qiao Yanci subconsciously glanced at Zhong Wenjin.

This glance was seen by Liang Yanbei, and he also looked there. But he thought that she was looking at Xie Zhaoxue, who was sitting next to Zhong Wenjin, and his mind suddenly became clear.

“People of Jianghu converge at Wuyue Island and it is a much more dangerous place than the capital. I would like to advise Young Lady Qiao that the deep love between man and woman is not as important as life.” Liang Yanbei persuaded her earnestly.

“You know?” Qiao Yanci asked in a daze.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.” Considering that she was a girl, Liang Yanbei was very considerate and took the initiative to keep the secret.

“If you go back now, I will send someone to protect you guys throughout the journey.”

“We?”

“You, Young Master Wen, and Young Master Zhong.” That was the objective of Liang Yanbei, to send back all the people who had sneaked out.

“No! I’m not going back!” Qiao Yanci’s face changed dramatically. Her face which was originally smiling happily seemed to be covered with layers of mist. Her beautiful eyes gradually turned red, and she stared straight at Liang Yanbei, “You know it all and still want to drive me back?”

Liang Yanbei was a little confused for a while, “I asked you to return to the capital for your safety.”

“Young Master Liang need not tell me this anymore. I’ve made up my mind and I won’t go back.” Qiao Yanci only felt an unbearable heartache. She immediately stood up, put down this sentence stiffly, and turned to walk out of the inn in quick steps.

Liang Yanbei was left with a confused look on his face.

Zhong Wenjin had also heard one or two. At this time, he raised his head from the rice bowl, and said to Liang Yanbei, “You are hopeless. You actually said something like that to a girl. Ai4……”

Wen Chan, who was sitting a bit far away, didn’t hear a word. He only saw the two of them chatting for a while, and then Qiao Yanci left with red eyes. Feeling a little curious, he asked Zhong Wenjin, “What did he say to Young Lady Qiao?”

Zhong Wenjin didn’t hear much. The sentence that he had said just now was just to tease Liang Yanbei on purpose. On seeing Wen Chan’s serious face now, he really couldn’t answer for a while, so he had to pretend to be bitter and hateful5, “……Don’t ask.”

The more he didn’t let him ask, the more he wanted to ask. Wen Chan became more curious, and kept glancing at Liang Yanbei.

Liang Yanbei caught his gaze as soon as he turned his head and he helplessly said, “I just advised Young Lady Qiao to go back to the capital. She had been staying in the Wuyue Island. What would happen if she come across a danger?”

“Oh……” Wen Chan, who got the answer, suddenly felt uninterested. He averted his gaze towards the outside without a trace, and said thoughtfully, “Young Lady Qiao definitely doesn’t want to leave.”

“Why do you say that?” Xie Zhaoxue interjected and asked.

“The person she misses is here, and it is not easy to chase all the way here. So how can she go back easily?” Wen Chan raised a faint smile.

After hearing this, Liang Yanbei glanced at Xie Zhaoxue, while Xie Zhaoxue glanced at Zhong Wenjin beside him. And the two of them frowned slightly in unison.

“Forget it, since she doesn’t want to go back, let her stay here for a while.” Dan Ke’s thinking was relatively simple, and he never gets entangled with these things, “Anyway, if there is a city lord to receive the guests, nothing will happen.”

It is rare for Situ Zhoulan to speak, “Young Lady Qiao can just stay with me to keep me company. I am the only woman in the group, so I can’t help but feel lonely.”

Liang Yanbei himself felt that Qiao Yanci would not listen to his persuasion, so he had to compromise, “Forget it. Let her follow.”

His main goal was not to worry about Qiao Yanci’s personal safety but to worry about that of Wen Chan. First of all, he was the honorable Ninth Royal Highness. And if the prince himself escapes out of the palace, he will involve a lot of people. Secondly, Wuyue Island was really not safe for the prince.

Qiao Yanci’s temper went as quick as it came. Not before long, she came back along Ah Fu and Shu Hua who had gone to buy breakfast, although her eyes were red and she obviously had shed a few tears.

A few people saw it. But they pretended that didn’t see it and didn’t dare to say anything to comfort her.

Ah Fu bought Wen Chan a very rich meal. There was a portion of meat buns, steamed dumplings, bean curd, congee, and noodles. In the end, he was still dissatisfied and said to Wen Chan, “Young Master, although it’s not as rich as at home, it still tastes okay. You should eat something to fill a gap in your stomach first.”

Wen Chan was not at all picky. His stomach began to rumble as soon as he smelled the fragrance. He first drank two sips of porridge to moisten his throat. But then when he was about to eat meat buns, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Liang Yanbei who was staring at him motionless.

Those eyes were black and bright, with dense and long eyelashes. When it stared at a person seriously, they couldn’t help but feel their heartbeat be in a disorder.

Sometimes Wen Chan thought that if these eyes stared at him beggingly, he would be willing to do whatever he asked him to do.

So Wen Chan generously handed out the meat buns and asked, “Do you want to eat it? Ah Fu bought a lot, and I can’t finish it by myself.”

“It’s okay if you can’t finish eating it. Let me help you.” Zhong Wenjin attacked halfway, reaching out to grab the meat buns on Wen Chan’s chopsticks.

But Xie Zhaoxue quickly grabbed his wrist with quick eyes and hands, “How can you eat it with your hands?”

Since he said that he wanted to give it to Liang Yanbei and he couldn’t help but give it to Zhong Wenjin as well. So Wen Chan directly handed out the bag of meat buns, “You guys can eat it. I still have more.”

Upon seeing this, Liang Yanbei smiled softly, “Young Master Wen is really understanding me more and more. You can know what I want with just one look.”

This was actually a bit ambiguous. But Dan Ke and Situ Zhoulan, who had grown up with him since they were young, were accustomed to it. Even Xie Zhaoxue did not show any strange expressions. Only Zhong Wenjin showed a little surprise and glanced at Liang Yanbei secretly.

Naturally, Wen Chan was also very familiar with Liang Yanbei being like this, and he ate the steamed dumplings calmly.

Ah Fu didn’t have any opinion on giving the meat buns to Liang Yanbei, but he didn’t agree with giving it to Zhong Wenjin. He wanted to talk to Wen Chan, but there were so many people around, and it was inconvenient to speak, so he had to note it down for the time being.

Wen Chan ate without rushing or slowly. And the meat porridge and steamed dumplings were finished in a while. The moment he put down his chopsticks, Dan Ke stood up from the stool and clapped his hands lightly, “Hurry up and clean up. We are leaving.”

Wen Chan didn’t know what they were going to do next, so he asked casually, “Where are we going?”

Dan Ke seemed to have been waiting for him to ask, and revealed a green wooden card in his hand, saying, “Going to see the City Lord.”

1

Brocade handkerchief

2

What did he do ah?!

3

fig. to get right to the point (idiom)

4

interjection used to express surprise or disapprobation

5

to grieve and lament (over sth)