At the mere mention of Helian Duo, Cheng Xiran's heart skipped a beat.
She tried her best to keep her expression calm. "Wasn't the prince heading south to Yangzhou?"
"That's right," the shopkeeper replied. "But today someone said that the prince finished his business ahead of schedule and his first stop after returning was Huayan Pavilion."
Cheng Xiran was taken aback. A sense of unease welled up inside her. "What on earth is going on?"
The shopkeeper didn't notice the fleeting look of trepidation in her eyes. He just went on, "It's said that the prince has taken a fancy to a friend of Young Master Xue, and the most astonishing part is that this friend is a man."
The shopkeeper was eagerly awaiting Cheng Xiran's reaction. But her calmness left him puzzled. "Could it be that you already knew about this, miss?"
Cheng Xiran slammed the teacup down on the table. Some of the tea splashed out, but she didn't care. She retorted, "I don't care about the prince. I'm nobody to him. How would I know about his private affairs?"
"What's wrong with you, miss?" the shopkeeper asked, looking utterly confused.
Only then did Cheng Xiran realize that she had lost her composure. She forced a couple of dry laughs. "I'm fine. I'm just a bit preoccupied these days because of some family matters. Besides, who the prince falls for has nothing to do with us, right?"
Cheng Xiran's unusual behavior puzzled the shopkeeper. After all, she used to be most eager to gossip about anything related to Helian Duo, but today she was a different person.
But he didn't dare to ask further. Seeing that she seemed uninterested in the conversation, he stopped talking and started grinding ink and laying out paper for her as usual.
How could Cheng Xiran possibly concentrate on writing now?
In short, because of what happened last night, rumors were spreading like wildfire throughout the capital that Helian Duo had a penchant for men. She had felt so restless at the newspaper office that she decided to go back to the Cheng Mansion to calm down. But as soon as she stepped out of the office, she heard a group of women sitting under a tree gossiping about her.
There were women of all ages, even a baby in a swaddle who was just crying without a clue.
"Hey, I thought the prince and Miss Cheng were getting along well just a few days ago. Why is there talk now that he likes men?"
"You don't know. Last night, the prince was hugging and cuddling with that man. And Young Master Zhang himself admitted that he saw the prince at Huayan Pavilion last night. The prince even claimed in front of him that the man was his."
Young Master Zhang... the one who had molested her last night?
Cheng Xiran couldn't help but stop and listen. Instead of being intimidated by her presence, the women became even more animated and unrestrained in their conversation.
"I think the prince might really have a fondness for men. Otherwise, why has he never gotten married?"
"I'd better go home and tell my son to dress up nicely before going out..."
Cheng Xiran cast an appreciative look at the woman who said this and silently thought to herself that she had a good business sense.
"When there were rumors about the prince and Miss Cheng before, the prince never bothered to clarify. Now that the prince has a new love interest, poor Miss Cheng has been dumped by the prince."
Then the women started feeling sorry for Cheng Xiran.
Cheng Xiran struggled to contain her anger, her chest heaving slightly.
The shopkeeper sensed that things were getting out of hand. He quickly stepped forward to console her. "Don't be angry, miss. You can't believe a word these women say. Don't take it to heart. If you argue with them, it will only make you seem petty."
Yes, why should she be angry with herself?
Cheng Xiran took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She forced a smile at the shopkeeper and then strode away.
When she reached the gate of the Cheng Mansion, she saw an old woman with graying hair crying in front of the gate. There was no one around, but there were signs that people had been there. It was obvious that they had watched the show and left satisfied.
As Cheng Xiran got closer, a strong intuition told her that this was Gu Yuanqing's mother.
She was about to step forward to ask when the gate of the Cheng Mansion suddenly swung open. The butler came out carrying a full money bag. Seeing Cheng Xiran, he just nodded solemnly at her. Then he walked up to the old woman, handed her the money bag, helped her up, and advised, "Get up. The prime minister said he's too busy to see you. These coins should be enough for Young Master Gu's medical treatment. In a few days, he'll be taking up his post in Shoufang County. The prime minister will handle this matter properly and won't let Young Master Gu lose this small official position. Please rest assured and leave quickly. If you linger here any longer, don't blame me for being heartless."
After patiently saying all this, the butler turned to leave. Cheng Xiran quickly followed him.
After the gate of the mansion was closed, Cheng Xiran finally asked, "What on earth happened?"