"A Shu looks like she's in a good mood. Did something happy happen?"
Qin Moyuan suppressed the panic in his heart and tried to ask naturally.
Li Yueshu didn't notice his strangeness at all and nodded with a smile, "Something good did happen. I plan to eat something good tonight to celebrate. Coincidentally, I'll be heading to Chongzhou tomorrow."
She then asked, "Is there anything you'd like to eat?"
This question made Qin Moyuan even more flustered.
Although he had always hoped A Shu would treat him this way, it was under the premise that she forgave him and accepted his feelings, not this sudden, uncharacteristic change in attitude.
He looked at Li Yueshu's smiling eyes and asked cautiously, "A Shu, have I done something wrong recently?"
His words actually puzzled Li Yueshu, "What?"
Qin Moyuan rubbed his nose, "You've suddenly become so nice to me, I... I'm a bit unaccustomed to it."
Li Yueshu's smile faltered, "...Do you mean I wasn't nice to you before?"
Qin Moyuan's heart skipped a beat. Before he could figure out how to answer, Li Yueshu suddenly snorted coldly, "Fine!"
With those two words, she turned and left, leaving Qin Moyuan stunned on the spot.
It's over. He still hadn't managed to appease her from before, and now he's angered A Shu again!
Qin Moyuan wanted to find an opportunity to apologize and appease her, but Li Yueshu completely ignored him. Her attitude towards him returned to how it was when she first discovered she had been deceived, as if all his efforts had been in vain.
What angered him further was that Wei Zimao seemed to have noticed something and was looking at him with a schadenfreude expression.
He really wanted to punch that sickly weakling!
Finally, the next day arrived, and they were scheduled to depart from Hongning City.
Wei Tonghao and his son personally saw them off at the city gate. Li Yueshu was bidding farewell to Wei Ling, while Qin Moyuan couldn't wait to gallop away.
After bidding farewell to Li Yueshu, Wei Ling turned to Shen Yimin with watery eyes, her voice full of reluctance, "Brother Yimin, you must remember to write to Ling'er. If you have a chance, you must come back to see Ling'er often."
"If you forget Ling'er, I... I'll personally come to Chongzhou to capture you!"
She deliberately put on a fierce expression to threaten him, but her chubby little face made her look incredibly cute.
Li Yueshu beside them held back for a long time before resisting the urge to pinch her.
After the two children finished their farewells, she then turned to Wei Tonghao and his son, "City Lord Wei, Young Master Wei, we shall take our leave."
Wei Zimao nodded with a faint smile.
As he raised his eyes, he met Qin Moyuan's displeased gaze.
Wei Zimao's mind stirred, and he suddenly said to Li Yueshu, who was about to turn, "Miss Li, I'd like to ask for one last favor."
Li Yueshu turned back, looking at him in confusion, "What is it?"
Wei Zimao approached with a smile, lowering his voice slightly...
Qin Moyuan, sitting in a carriage not far away, saw this scene. The scabbed wound almost broke open again.
The surrounding noise was too much for him to concentrate and hear what they were saying.
But A Shu actually held that sickly weakling's hand!
Qin Moyuan clenched his fist.
The wound broke open again.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Yueshu finally released Wei Zimao's hand. After exchanging a few words, she took the children into the carriage and set off towards Chongzhou.
At the city gate, the Wei father and son silently watched the carriage's retreating back, lingering before turning to leave.
After a long while, Wei Tonghao suddenly broke the silence, "After this parting, I'm afraid there won't be many opportunities to meet again."
He sighed, "Looking at Miss Li and that gentleman, they'll most likely settle down in Chongzhou."
Wei Zimao's eyes flickered. Without turning back, he said, "If we go to Chongzhou, there will naturally be plenty of opportunities to meet."
Wei Tonghao was stunned and turned to look at him in surprise, "You're going to Chongzhou?!"
Wei Ling also looked up, her eyes full of hope as she looked at her uncle.
If her uncle was going to Chongzhou, could she go with him?
Wei Zimao turned to look at the gazes of the two, one big and one small, and patted Wei Ling's head, "What Uncle means is, if there's an opportunity to go to Chongzhou, we'll be able to see them."
"Oh..." Wei Ling's head drooped in disappointment.
Seeing this, Wei Tonghao quickly had Wei Ling escorted back to the manor. He then pulled Wei Zimao aside and asked sternly, "Have you decided to go to Chongzhou?"
Wei Zimao didn't hide anything and nodded, "The Crown Prince has sent his trusted envoy with a letter. If we don't show our stance, the Wei family will not have peace."
Wei Tonghao's brow furrowed, "You agreed? You should know that once you go to Chongzhou, the Wei family will be completely embroiled in the struggle for the throne!"
Wei Zimao naturally knew and said with a helpless expression, "Even if we don't agree, the Wei family is already involved."
He looked at the carriage slowly disappearing at the end of the road, "Father, do you think the Second Prince won't know that the Crown Prince sent an envoy with a letter?"
He sighed, "Hongning City is so far from Chongzhou. If the Crown Prince lets slip even a little word, the Second Prince will believe we have already pledged allegiance to him."
In that case, the Second Prince would attack the Wei family, and the Crown Prince would stand by and watch, leaving the Wei family to become a sacrifice in the struggle for the throne.
Between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, the Wei family had to make a choice.
Wei Tonghao understood this and felt a deep sense of helplessness.
He just wanted to protect the peace of his city, for his son and granddaughter to be safe. He didn't want to be involved in the struggles of those in power. Why was it so difficult to seek simple peace and well-being!
Wei Tonghao sighed. When he looked up, he saw his son still staring in the direction the carriage had left. His heart skipped a beat, "You're going to Chongzhou, it's not for Miss Li, is it?"
Wei Zimao turned back, somewhat helplessly, "Father, do I seem like such an impulsive person?"
Wei Tonghao thought for a moment and shook his head.
Zimao had been intelligent and steady since he was young. By the age of ten, he could help him manage affairs in the city. If not for him, Hongning City would probably no longer be associated with the Wei family.
He never did anything impulsive.
"But matters of the heart are inherently impulsive," Wei Tonghao added. "If I hadn't been impulsive and fallen in love with your mother at first sight back then, and shamelessly proposed, you wouldn't be here now."
Wei Zimao: "..."
His gentle and amiable demeanor only broke when he was in front of his own father, and he directly rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, although I have feelings for Miss Li, I am more clear-headed."
If not, he wouldn't have given up pursuing Li Yueshu because of a few words from that Bai Gongzi.
His affection for Li Yueshu was indeed liking her as a romantic interest, but it was by no means a love that couldn't live without her.
Being able to be friends with her was enough.
It's just that everyone knew the Crown Prince and the Regent King were at odds. He wondered what their respective identities would be when they met in Chongzhou.
Wei Zimao sighed silently, and only turned back after the carriage's silhouette had completely disappeared.
Meanwhile, Li Yueshu was looking at the person in front of her with a wronged expression, her veins popping.