Qiu Yue patiently helped Su Qing support Lang Huan, whose body felt weak after drinking too much. When they reached the carriage, a voice came from the Eldest Princess.
"Madam Su," she said, turning slightly. "It's better if Wu Ming accompanies you. It wouldn't be proper for just the two of you to be alone in the carriage."
Su Qing's face darkened immediately, but before she could say anything, Lang Huan bent over, feeling like she was going to throw up. Su Qing clenched her fists, held back her words, and nodded shortly. She allowed Wu Ming to join them.
Inside the carriage, the bumpy road slowly helped Lang Huan sober up. Her vision was still blurry, but she could feel Su Qing's hand gently holding her shoulder with quiet care.
When they arrived at the room, Su Qing helped her walk slowly to the bed. She moved to help Lang Huan change, but Lang Huan quickly refused.
"Qingqing," she said hoarsely, "Let me do it myself. You know I don't like being served." The whole situation made her feel strangely uncomfortable.
Su Qing didn't respond. Her eyes were filled with mixed emotions. Lang Huan looked away.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.
"Young Master," came A Cai's voice from outside. "The Duke of Huguo asks to see you in his study."
Lang Huan let out a quiet breath of relief, seizing the chance to escape the awkward moment.
"All right, I'll go right away."
When she arrived at her father's study, she took a deep breath before knocking and stepping inside. The Duke of Huguo sat on a long chair and gave her a brief glance.
"Sit down, my son."
Lang Huan straightened her posture, curious about what he wanted to discuss.
"I want to ask you something," he said calmly, though his voice carried a quiet weight. "What's your relationship with the Eldest Princess?"
Lang Huan froze. She hadn't expected her father to ask about this. She opened her mouth, then closed it again.
"I heard you once proposed to her. Is that true? Do you like her?"
Lang Huan looked down slowly. "Yes, Father. I like her."
The Duke of Huguo let out a long sigh and looked at her seriously.
"Huan'er… I think it would be better if you found someone else. At the banquet, many girls were clearly interested in you. They're your age—beautiful, graceful. Even His Majesty wants to introduce you to the Eighth Princess."
Lang Huan frowned slightly."But Father… I'm not interested in them."
The Duke narrowed his eyes. "The Eldest Princess isn't someone you can easily take as a wife. How would you deal with a dominant, headstrong woman like her?"
He paused, lowering his voice. "And honestly, I doubt she even likes pretty boys like you."
Suddenly, Lang Huan remembered that hot kiss under the moonlight. Her cheeks flushed red in an instant.
The Duke of Huguo mistook her expression for sadness and softened his tone.
"The Eldest Princess is the most capable of all the royal children. If she were born a man, she might've been heir to the throne."
He looked her straight in the eye. "And that's exactly why you should be careful. You need someone simple and kind. Someone who won't pull you into the storm."
He sighed again, then reached for a wooden box and handed it to her.
Inside were the indenture papers for two restaurants in Luo City.
"These businesses belong to our family," he explained. "But they haven't been doing well lately. I'm giving them to you. If you can turn them around, it'll be a good opportunity."
Lang Huan's eyes widened. Starting a business could be her way out—if she made enough money, she would go far away and finally build a life of her own.
---
The Eldest Princess sat in her study, flipping through old documents. All papers were scattered across the desk.
Before long, she called out, "A Li, bring me the documents from nine years ago."
"Nine years ago?" A Li looked unsure for a moment. But then, her expression changed. She remembered—that was the year the Princess had ordered the killing of the Duke of Huguo's wife and their son.
And the Eldest Princess had also given another chilling order:
"Get rid of everyone involved… and anyone who knew about it."
Then she added, "Burn the documents too."
Feng Yao clenched her fists tightly. She didn't care if the world hated her.
But she couldn't let Lang Huan find out the truth.
A Li quickly nodded and left to carry out the command. She understood—Her Highness wanted to remain perfect in the eyes of Young Master Ye.
Moments later, a maid entered and knelt down.
"Your Highness, Prince Yan has arrived. He's waiting in the main hall."
Feng Yao frowned. She wasn't in the mood to see that man.
"Let him wait another hour," she said flatly, then turned her attention back to the documents.
An hour later, she finally walked toward the reception hall.
Her brocade dress, water-blue in color, flowed gracefully with each step.
Prince Yan stood waiting, full of anticipation. His eyes lit up the moment he saw the Eldest Princess enter. He had always been obsessed with Feng Yao, but she never cared for him.
Today, he was determined to win her over.
He gave a deep bow. "Greetings to Your Highness, the Eldest Princess."
Feng Yao glanced at him briefly. "What wind brings the Prince of Yan here today?"
Prince of Yan stepped forward, wanting to get closer. But he stopped when a woman appeared beside him. It was Qiu Yue, the Princess's personal guard, calmly blocking his way.
"Please do not get too close," she said politely, but firmly.
Feng Yao slowly raised her hand. "Sit down."
Prince Yan forced a small smile, trying to hide his irritation.
"Your Highness, why do you always avoid me? Don't you know… I love you deeply."
Feng Yao smiled faintly.
"Prince of Yan, I don't have time to talk about love."
His expression darkened. "Is it because of Lang Huan? That feminine man? I truly don't understand…"
He stepped forward slightly, frustration growing in his voice.
"Your Highness, you once told me you admired brave, heroic men. What's so special about Ye Lang Huan—other than the fact that his father is the Duke of Huguo?"
The Eldest Princess paused for a moment and she realized—this was the reason.
"Lang Huan is young and full of life. He's a sweet talker, has a lovable face… and most importantly, he makes me happy."
"What?" The Prince of Yan was stunned to hear this.
"You've heard what you wanted to hear. Now, it's better for you to leave and stop wasting your time pursuing me." Without another word, she turned and walked away, leaving the Prince of Yan standing there, his expression a mix of disbelief and frustration.