The study was silent.
Princess Ningde, thinking Zhen Lin hadn't heard her, repeated herself.
This time, after her words fell, Princess Ningde heard Zhen Lin's response.
"Did she say that herself?"
"Yes, herself."
Following this, the study fell silent again.
Princess Ningde's red lips pursed into a straight line. It seemed such a neutral remark was useless to her brother. Yun Shu was indeed a cold-hearted person, hurting her brother's feelings so deeply, not even saying a few more words!
Yun Shu would never see the Night King again in this life; the Night King had already vanished from this world. Why couldn't she look at her brother?
If Yun Shu could have continued to be Ning Ruan, it would have been a perfect happy ending!
Just as Princess Ningde's heart simmered with indignation, the study door, which had been tightly shut, opened from within.
Immediately after, Zhen Lin, with a stern yet incredibly haggard face, walked out.
Princess Ningde was initially stunned, then disbelief flickered across her face. "Brother!"
He had actually come out?
Zhen Lin nodded slightly, looking a bit weak. He spoke softly, "Did she say anything else besides that?"
Seeing the obvious expectation in her brother's eyes, Princess Ningde felt a pang of disappointment. "Brother, she is the Night King's Consort now, her status dictates her actions. She didn't allow me to convey more words to you. Moreover, brother, you need to move on. The moment you saw her transform from Ning Ruan to the Night King's Consort yesterday, you should have let go. You shouldn't remain so deeply entangled."
After hearing one sentence, he still wanted to know if there was anything else.
Zhen Lin's body trembled violently, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes dimmed. He laughed self-deprecatingly, "Yes, I truly shouldn't be so entangled. If she knew how cowardly I am, she would only dislike me more."
"Brother!" Princess Ningde could no longer bear it.
She stepped forward, raised her hand high, and slapped Zhen Lin hard across the face.
With a crisp sound!
Princess Ningde stared in astonishment at her tingling palm, then looked up at her brother's reddened cheek. "Brother, I..."
Zhen Lin, however, smiled. "Well slapped, that was a very good slap."
"Brother!" Princess Ningde's eyes were red, tears welling up.
"Ningde, that slap was good. For so many years, I've been sickly, and my temperament has become weak along with it. If these things could defeat me so easily, it's no wonder Yun Shu wouldn't think highly of me. That one sentence from her is enough." Zhen Lin straightened his back, as if he had truly understood.
Princess Ningde suddenly felt that Zhen Lin before her seemed to have undergone a significant transformation.
Her heart tightened.
Was this change good for her brother?
...
The General's Manor.
The three children played for a good part of the day.
After dinner, they read together for a while, learned a few more characters, and then Yun Shu took them to bed.
Once they were all asleep, Yun Shu emerged from the room.
The maids sent by Madam Li were busy in the courtyard. Seeing her come out of the room, they cautiously glanced at her.
Yun Shu paid no mind to the maids.
She merely gave Yu Le, who was by her side, a look.
Yu Le, receiving Yun Shu's gaze, turned to the maids. "It's late. The Consort and the young masters are about to rest. You should all go back and rest."
Seeing that it was indeed dark, the maids couldn't find any excuse to stay and withdrew.
Once the maids had left, Yu Le said with some exasperation, "They're still here so late, truly wanting to monitor our every move. General Li and the others don't consider that since the Consort dares to stay in his manor, it means she's not afraid of her actions being discovered."
A Cha walked over, looking at Yu Le's indignant expression, and couldn't help but chuckle. "General Li having people linger before the Consort's eyes is also a warning that whatever she does in the capital will be under his control."
Yun Shu smiled at A Cha. "Our little A Cha is getting smarter and smarter." A Cha's guess was correct; this was Li De's intention.
She believed Li De knew very well that if she wanted to do something, a few maids could discover it?
It was merely a warning and a threat.
With their entire family staying here, they were certainly comfortable and didn't need to worry about their safety. However, Li De must be vexed, perhaps cursing her behind her back.
Yu Le suddenly understood. "So that's how it is!"
Indeed, her little head wasn't as quick to react as A Cha's.
Yun Changfeng walked out from his room. Seeing that the courtyard was empty, he said to Yun Shu, "I've crossed paths with Li De on the battlefield two or three times before. He's vengeful, petty, and ambitious. You must be extremely careful. He's probably thinking about how to retaliate and will never be willingly used by us."
At this moment, Yun Changfeng stood with his hands behind his back. He was no longer the amiable elder from earlier in the day. His demeanor and gaze had changed, transforming him into a great general capable of strategizing on the battlefield.
It was as if he could perceive the enemy camp opposite him and anticipate their next move.
A Cha and Yu Le were both stunned.
Perhaps they had become accustomed to the amiable demeanor of the three children's maternal grandfather during this period, which was why they were so taken aback by the presence of General Yun.
In their eyes, the General Yun, after speaking, let out a yawn.
Instantly, the aura of decisive battlefield command seemed to dissipate like smoke in the wind.
"It's getting late. I'm going to sleep. I promised the three little ones I'd take them out to play tomorrow. With Li De's people escorting us, we can finally have fun in the capital of Xixia." Yun Changfeng said, sounding a bit sleepy.
When it came to taking the three children out to play, his eyes were filled with undisguised joy.
The older one gets, the more one enjoys being with children.
"Alright, Father. I understand. It is indeed getting late." Yun Shu raised her eyes to glance at the moon hanging in the sky.
Moving into Li De's manor today was the first step.
The next step was for her to openly take her three sons to the palace to meet the Emperor of Xixia, and to meet Zhan Tianye in full view of everyone.
The night was deep.
Qiu Lu and Jing Heng, each in their own hidden positions, kept watch.
They secured the entire courtyard.
The following day.
Before dawn, as Yun Shu had just gotten out of bed, she learned that Xie Jin had already set off for the palace.
And he was traveling in Li De's carriage.
He was reportedly going to the palace to first meet the Emperor of Xixia, and then to see Zhan Tianye.
"How did Young Master Xie manage it? How did he get General Li to agree to take him to the palace?" Qiu Lu was somewhat dumbfounded.
Clearly, he had offended Li De severely at the Pingyang Prince's manor before. In just a day or two, they had managed to let bygones be bygones?
"By the way, Young Master Xie said he brought the Prince's personal belongings, claiming it would definitely help the Prince recall some memories. I've thought about it extensively, but I can't figure out what he brought. Can the Consort guess what it might be?"