Li Yue picked for more than half the day, finally picking a few hairpins that he himself felt were not bad, then lifted his head, and saw Consort Hui staring blankly at him not far away.
Li Yue asked: “Mother Consort, why are you watching me do things?”
Consort Hui sighed and said: “This palace is looking at exactly how you grew up?”
“How I grew up, Mother Consort, do you not know?”
Li Yue cupped his hands, said thanks, and then said, “This son and subject still has matters to attend to, will first take leave.”
Consort Hui had originally still wanted to inquire a bit more from Li Yue about who that young lady was, but Li Yue’s movements were too quick. Before she could open her mouth, he had already disappeared without a trace.
Not long after Li Yue left, outside the palace attendants loudly shouted “His Majesty has arrived”, Consort Hui was somewhat surprised, after all, the Emperor had not come to her place for a very long time.
When she was young, she once had a period of favor relying on her beauty. Now that she was old, her looks had long ceased to be what they once were, and every year new people would enter the palace, so naturally the Emperor also threw her to the back of his mind.
Consort Hui performed the formal greeting, then rose and smiled, asking: “Why does Your Majesty have the free time to come to this concubine’s place today?”
The Emperor did not answer her question, but glanced around the surroundings, asking her: “Where is Third?”
Consort Hui answered: “He just left a moment ago, does Your Majesty have matters to find him for?”
The Emperor furrowed his brows, looking very unhappy, and said: “I feel that he has also reached the age he should marry, want to arrange a marriage for him.”
Consort Hui said: “Why not ask his opinion first, Your Majesty?”
“Ask him?”
The Emperor shook his head. “Better not, with that mouth of his, he can talk too much. As soon as I hear him speak, I get a headache.”
Consort Hui smiled, walked over to stand behind the Emperor, placed both hands on either side of the Emperor’s temples, and softly said: “Then allow this concubine to help Your Majesty press a bit?”
After all, it was her own son; Consort Hui had to think more for his future happiness. She truly did not wish for Li Yue to end up marrying a girl he did not like, and in the end become a resentful couple.
Consort Hui softly asked: “May I ask, which family’s girl does Your Majesty intend to choose for him?”
The Emperor was just about to open his mouth but then thought of how the bond between Consort Hui and Li Yue was very good; if he told Consort Hui, she would immediately turn around and tell Li Yue.
Third always did not get along with Meng Yanxing. If he knew he was to marry Meng Yanxing’s daughter, he would definitely stir up trouble. If he didn’t ruin the marriage, that would be strange.
Therefore the Emperor only said to Consort Hui: “I haven’t thought about it yet.”
The Emperor always acted on impulse — right now he hadn’t thought about it, but maybe the moment he left this palace hall, he would have thought it through.
Consort Hui secretly sighed and said to the Emperor: “This concubine thinks he might already have a girl he likes. If Your Majesty really wishes to grant him marriage, better to ask him first.”
The Emperor grasped Consort Hui’s hands, a face full of disbelief, saying: “He can even have a girl he likes?”
“This really is unimaginable!”
Consort Hui, for a moment, did not know what to say.
In some respects, maybe because he had quarreled too many times with Li Yue, the Emperor actually knew him quite well.
One didn’t know whether this was fortunate or unfortunate.
—
The next day, Li Yue brought the hairpins he had “looted” from Consort Hui and took them to Meng Fu.
This was not the first time Meng Fu had received a gift from him; previously, every time he returned to the imperial capital, he would always bring her some rare and curious little trinkets.
She accepted the hairpins and asked Li Yue: “Third Brother, how long can you stay in the imperial capital this time?”
Li Yue hesitated slightly and said to her: “One month, I guess.”
One month.
Compared to the previous times, this time he would stay in the imperial capital a little longer, but Meng Fu still felt it was not enough.
Meng Yu’s marriage had already been settled; barring accidents, before long Meng Yanxing would also arrange her marriage.
She did not want to marry someone she did not like.
The red twilight glow spread across half the sky, the river surface and the sky becoming the same color, shimmering with sparkling waves.
Meng Fu pressed her lips together, lifted her head and asked Li Yue: “Third Brother, do you have a girl you like?”
When Li Yue heard this question, his heart suddenly missed a beat.
After that, he looked somewhat strangely at Meng Fu — the little girl’s cheeks were reflecting the sky full of sunset glow, glowing slightly red.
Li Yue, in that instant, suddenly felt like his own heartbeat and pulse were both somewhat abnormal.
Meng Fu had managed with much difficulty to ask this one sentence, now being stared at straight-on by Li Yue like this, immediately felt somewhat embarrassed, she slightly lowered her head and asked him:
“Third Brother, why are you looking at me like that?”
Li Yue said: “Yesterday someone asked me the same question.”
The smile on Meng Fu’s face did not change, she lowered her voice and asked: “Who was it?”
“It was my mother.” Li Yue answered.
The heart that had been slightly suspended inside Meng Fu immediately fell back into place.
She smiled and asked: “Then how did Third Brother answer?”
“Didn’t answer.” Li Yue said.
Meng Fu, for a moment, also did not know whether she should feel happy or feel disappointed.
He actually did not like her?
When she could not see, was he like this to every girl?
Meng Fu felt that he was not that kind of person.
She lowered her eyes to look at the various colored stones at her feet and asked: “Third Brother doesn’t have any girls he’s close to?”
“Girls he’s close to?”
Li Yue seriously thought about it, tilted his head and said: “You.”
Meng Fu’s heart seemed to be softly brushed by a spring breeze, that bit of sourness and grievance that had just surfaced was all soothed away.
Her eyes brightened and sparkled as she asked: “Is it only me?”
Li Yue nodded, directly saying: “Only you.”
Meng Fu fixedly looked at Li Yue; it was as if the entire sky full of evening glow had melted into her pair of eyes.
She asked: “Then does Third Brother not like me?”
Li Yue had not expected Meng Fu would ask him this kind of question; his face immediately flushed red, both his hands not knowing where to place them, his mouth opened and closed, yet he could not speak a complete sentence.
When Meng Fu asked this sentence, she had been very nervous, but seeing Li Yue like this, instead she relaxed, and even found it somewhat funny.
She stepped forward one step, Li Yue then stepped back one step.
Meng Fu reached out her hand, but the moment she touched his fingertips, this youth who was almost a head taller than Meng Fu suddenly sprang far away like a frightened rabbit.
Meng Fu stopped where she was, deliberately pretending a very hurt expression, and said to Li Yue: “Seems like Third Brother really doesn’t like me.”
“Not so.”
Li Yue opened his mouth to say reflexively, and after speaking, he himself froze.
The heart inside his chest had never jumped this fast before; the tremendous sound of his heartbeat drowned out all the surrounding sounds.
He could not describe his mood at this moment — even back when he won his first battle in Northern Frontier, he had not been like this.
Li Yue deeply took a breath, said to Meng Fu: “Let me calm down a bit, very soon, very soon.”
Meng Fu, on the other hand, was not anxious, and also felt that watching him like this was quite interesting.
The evening breeze slowly blew over, stirring up ripples upon ripples on the river surface.
Li Yue’s heartbeat gradually returned to normal, only his thoughts were still somewhat chaotic.
Does he like A’Fu?
He definitely could not say he didn’t like her — then that meant he liked her?
But why would A’Fu ask him like this? Could it be that she liked him?
The moment he thought of this, Li Yue could not help but first chuckle “hehe” aloud.
He immediately realized that he laughed too foolishly, hurriedly pressed down the corners of his mouth, used his fist to cover his lips and coughed once, hoping Meng Fu had not noticed his foolish look just now.
Li Yue lifted his head wanting to secretly glance at what Meng Fu was doing now, but the moment he lifted his eyes, he met her gaze.
Li Yue’s body slightly stiffened.
Meng Fu’s brows and eyes curved into a smile, she said: “I like Third Brother. If Third Brother doesn’t like me, it’s fine too. In the future, after I marry another man, I’ll forget about Third Brother.”
What is “liking”?
Li Yue actually still did not quite understand yet; only when he thought of Meng Fu possibly marrying another man in the future, his heart would feel as if being twisted by a knife.
It seemed he simply could not bear the thought of another man, aside from himself, spending a lifetime together with her; could not bear the thought of himself ultimately becoming just a passerby in her life.
“I should…” Li Yue slightly furrowed his brows, feeling that it should not be said like that.
He corrected himself and said: “No, not ‘should’ — I also like you.”
The moment he finished speaking, he again foolishly laughed to himself, and even raised his hand to poke Meng Fu’s cheek, saying: “Say forget and just forget, little heartless one.”
Meng Fu pressed her lips together without speaking, only tightly staring at Li Yue in front of her.
She felt her entire body was filled with a cloying, sweet fragrance, her whole person seeming as if about to float away.
Li Yue stretched out his hand in front of her, his palm was empty.
Meng Fu made a puzzled “En?” sound.
“Hold hands ah,” Li Yue said.
Just now when Meng Fu wanted to touch his hand, he had dodged away; now he wanted to pull her hand back.
Meng Fu lifted her hand, carefully falling into his palm.
Li Yue’s palm was warm and broad. From the moment he grasped her hand, it was as if everything, everything settled down.
Meng Fu knew that she should not be so impulsive.
Before asking whether he liked her, actually she ought to ask: what is his full name, where does his family live, and what does he do?
But if it was him, these things somehow did not seem so important anymore.
Today’s sunset was very beautiful, the wind very gentle; at this time, Meng Fu no longer wanted to ask these questions, only wanted to walk quietly along this road with him.
As twilight gathered, Li Yue sent Meng Fu to the street outside the Meng Residence and parted from her.
Meng Yanxing had waited at home for Meng Fu for a long time.
The moment he saw her return, he immediately asked: “Today you went out alone again?”
Without waiting for Meng Fu to open her mouth, Meng Yanxing scolded: “How many times have I told you, as a proper young lady from a noble house, when going out you must bring a maid with you!”
Meng Fu nodded and said: “Daughter has remembered.”
Meng Yanxing saw that her attitude in admitting fault was good, yet he did not feel even a shred of comfort, because the previous few experiences had already shown him: some words, he could only say his part; after Meng Fu admitted fault, next time she would still do as she liked — saying anything to her was all a waste of words.
Meng Yanxing suddenly felt extremely powerless.
He drank a mouthful of tea and said to Meng Fu: “In this period, don’t go out again. Stay properly at home and prepare to marry.”
Meng Fu suddenly lifted her head, directly looking at Meng Yanxing, and asked: “Marry?”
“I am going to marry who?”
“The Third Prince, Li Yue,” Meng Yanxing said.
“This matter, the Emperor has not yet issued an imperial edict; you just need to know, do not tell others.”
Meng Yanxing saw that Meng Fu furrowed her brows tightly and sighed, continuing to say: “This is not my decision; it is the Emperor’s decision.”
Meng Fu said: “Then A’Yu…”
Meng Yanxing knew what she wanted to ask and nodded: “A’Yu will still marry the Crown Prince.”
Meng Fu said in a low voice: “When the moon is full, it must wane; when water is full, it must overflow. The Meng family already has one daughter becoming Crown Princess — why must another daughter marry into the imperial family again?”
“I, your father, also understand this principle,”
Meng Yanxing let out a long sigh.
He truly did not want Li Yue to become his son-in-law either, but this matter was not up to him.
He said: “Imperial will is hard to disobey ah.”
“You need not say anymore. Go back and prepare for marriage. In these few days, do not go out again.”
Meng Yanxing struck the final note.
He even assigned a few servants to guard outside, still feeling uneasy.
And added that if Meng Fu again secretly left the residence, then let Qingping take punishment on her behalf — in this way, Meng Fu truly had no way.
But not being able to leave the residence did not mean she must marry that Third Prince.
—
That very night, Li Yue was summoned into the palace by the Emperor.
The Emperor hinted at him about the matter of marriage.
As a result, Li Yue immediately stated that he wanted to decide his own marriage and that he did not permit anyone to interfere.
He makes the decision?
He makes the decision to be solitary and widowed his whole life?
Only seeing his attitude like this, the Emperor even more dared not tell him about the marriage that was about to be settled; only waved his hand to hurry him off.
—
Meng Fu was trapped inside the residence, unable to go out.
Li Yue, not seeing her by the Xun River for several days, then knew she must have run into some trouble.
The night was thick, one lamp like a bean.
Meng Fu sat by the table reading a book; Qingping was leaning against the cabinet, dozing off.
All of a sudden, Meng Fu felt something in her heart, put down the book, and hurriedly ran out of the house.
In the courtyard, the tree shadows crisscrossed over the stone tiles, the bright moonlight pouring down.
Yet in the courtyard there was no one.
Meng Fu was somewhat disappointed, lightly sighed, and turned around, ready to return.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a young man sitting atop the high wall on the west side.
The corners of Meng Fu’s mouth instantly lifted up.
She walked over with light steps, raised her head and asked the young man: “How come you came over?”
Li Yue jumped down from the wall.
He sighed in a deliberately exaggerated way and said: “Some little girl isn’t being very honest in how she treats people. Just after saying she liked me, she disappeared without a trace — I had no choice but to come to her door to ask for an explanation.”
Meng Fu felt a little embarrassed.
She said in a low voice: “Father forbids me to leave the residence. No servant saw you, right?”
“Of course not,”
Li Yue lifted his hand and brushed aside the few strands of hair falling over her forehead, asking her: “That old man Meng Yanxing, what’s he done again?”
“He wants me to get married,” Meng Fu said.
Li Yue let out a “huh” sound and said: “Which mangy dog wants to eat swan meat?” (T/N: You)
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Meng Fu raised her hand and pressed it against Li Yue’s lips, “the other party probably doesn’t really want to marry me either.”
Meng Fu had heard that the Third Prince and her father had quite a few quarrels; if she were the Third Prince, she definitely would not be willing to marry the daughter of her enemy either.
Li Yue’s gaze lowered, looking at the jade-white fingertips resting on his lips, seeming to carry a faint scent that was hard to detect.
His heart once again began to stir restlessly.
He recalled that night when his father had urged him to marry and, testing the waters, asked her:
“Then does A’Fu want to marry me?”
Moonlight was like water, few stars scattered across the sky.
Meng Fu raised her head to look at him, both hands clenched into fists.
Facing Li Yue’s gaze full of anticipation, she nodded her head and softly said: “I want to.”
She had thought of marrying him long, long ago.
Hearing these words, Li Yue smiled so much that both his eyes curved into crescents.
It was as if his heart swelled, instantly filling up his entire chest cavity.
For the first time, he truly experienced what the four characters “heart blooming with joy” actually meant.
He said to Meng Fu: “Alright, then I will take care of this matter.”
But in Meng Fu’s impression, her Third Brother was just a person from the jianghu; how could he handle these things?
She shook her head and said: “Better let me think of a way.”
Li Yue only asked her: “Can you handle it yourself?”
“Should be able to,” Meng Fu said.
“Alright then. If there’s anything you need help with, A’Fu just tell me,”
Li Yue smiled and rubbed her head with his hand, then casually asked her: “By the way, who were they going to marry you to?”
Meng Fu was somewhat hesitant.
She worried that if the matter she tried to handle did not succeed, Li Yue might act impulsively afterward.
But meeting his pair of bright eyes, in the end she still answered honestly: “To the Third Prince of today’s Emperor.”
Li Yue let out an “ah” sound, nodded and said: “The Third Prince, ah, he—”
Wait a minute — he is the Third Prince!
Li Yue immediately froze in place.