Actually, Cheng Xiran could sense that she was being held. Since she was lying safely in Helian Duo's arms, breathing in the faint and gentle sandalwood scent on him, she found it even more comfortable to sleep, so she didn't want to open her eyes and wake up.
When she woke up again, she suddenly realized that she was in Nanyuan.
She was in the prince's mansion.
Cheng Xiran raised her eyes and glanced at the twilight scene outside the window.莫名, a sense of melancholy welled up in her heart. Just as she was about to get out of bed, the maid waiting on one side came over to help her dress up. "Miss woke up just in time. You can go to the front hall for dinner."
"Have I slept for so long?" Cheng Xiran felt a bit embarrassed.
The little maid was dressing her up while smiling and saying, "At first, Miss slept so soundly in the prince's arms. I heard from others that at first Miss didn't even want to get off and insisted on staying in the prince's arms."
Why did she have no impression of this at all?
Cheng Xiran was stunned. "How is that possible?"
"If Miss doesn't believe it, you can just ask the prince later."
She still couldn't believe that she had done such an embarrassing thing.
After following the maid to the front hall, Cheng Xiran found that it had completely gotten dark. She couldn't help but secretly sigh about the vastness of the prince's mansion.
"Awake?"
Just as she was in a daze, Helian Duo's sudden words interrupted her train of thought.
She didn't even bother to pay respects. She just walked straight forward and sat down opposite Helian Duo. Then she naturally picked up the chopsticks and started eating.
While stuffing braised pork into her mouth, she nodded and murmured, "I had trouble sleeping last night thinking about some things, so I overslept today..."
She remembered what the maid had said earlier and wanted to ask Helian Duo. But seeing his cold expression and seemingly having no interest in her nonsense, she stopped in time and just thought that the food in the prince's mansion was really delicious.
It suited her taste.
"I heard that your younger sister made a big fool of herself this afternoon."
Helian Duo mentioned it casually.
Cheng Xiran's eyes lit up. She didn't even care about eating anymore. She looked at Helian Duo eagerly and laughed, "What kind of fool did she make? Hurry up and tell me so that I can have a good laugh."
Helian Duo twitched the corner of his mouth. After pondering for a moment, he slowly replied, "I heard that she danced in front of everyone. At first, it was going well, but then her clothes suddenly split, and she was left only in her undergarments. It made many young ladies laugh at her."
Cheng Xiran laughed so hard that she couldn't close her mouth and leaned back and forth. Helian Duo found it interesting and was also infected by her and laughed.
"Why are you so happy? After all, she is your younger sister."
"Hahaha..." Cheng Xiran laughed until tears came out before she stopped. After taking a breath, she continued, "No, no. I don't have such a sister who makes people laugh at her."
"What a pity that I wasn't there at that time. But then again, if I had been there, she would surely think that I had done something. She doesn't know that in the eyes of those young ladies, she is nothing. She just blindly wants to get into a circle that doesn't belong to her. This is the result she deserves."
Seeing Cheng Xiran's bright and shining eyes, Helian Duo propped his handsome face with one hand and stared at her fixedly. He seemed to be teasing as he said, "You see things quite clearly."
Cheng Xiran gave him a polite smile.
The atmosphere during the meal was quite lively. Fortunately, they still had topics to talk about.
Not long after, Zuo Yan walked in with a troubled look on his face and seemed rather reluctant. "Your Highness, Young Master Zhang is asking to see you."
Helian Duo gave him a look. Zuo Yan quickly lowered his head and explained, "Young Master Zhang insisted on seeing you. I couldn't stop him."
Cheng Xiran smiled faintly. "I probably know what he came to see you for. The other day I heard Young Master Xue complaining. It seems that Young Master Zhang is persistent, so no wonder he came to find you."
A hint of coldness flashed in Helian Duo's eyes. Then he got up and was about to go out. But halfway there, he glanced deeply at Cheng Xiran, suddenly changed his mind, turned back to his seat, and ordered Zuo Yan, "Since it's Young Master Zhang, then invite him in nicely."
Zuo Yan was just stunned for a moment and then quickly retreated.
Not long after, Cheng Xiran saw Young Master Zhang running here in a hurry, not caring about his own status at all.
After hurriedly paying his respects, he walked straight up to Helian Duo and asked, "Please tell me the real whereabouts of Young Master Cheng, Your Highness. I rushed to the address that Young Master Xue mentioned last night, but I found that he had lied to me. You were also there that night and were with Young Master Cheng. I think you must know something, right?"
Helian Duo looked at Cheng Xiran with interest.
Obviously, Young Master Zhang didn't pay attention to her. He only had Helian Duo in his eyes.
"Have you had dinner? If not, then sit down and have some."
Helian Duo first ordered the maid to add chopsticks and bowls, and then told Zuo Yan to fetch the good wine he had brewed and stored in the cellar.
But Young Master Zhang kept refusing, with a worried look on his face. "Please stop beating around the bush, Your Highness. I've been missing Young Master Cheng these two days. Just thinking about that brief encounter with him that night makes me dream about him. I've sworn that even if I have to chase him to the ends of the earth, I will find him. Even if it's just to take another look at him, I'm willing!"
His determination really amused Cheng Xiran.
Only then did Young Master Zhang notice Cheng Xiran out of the corner of his eye. He stared at her for two seconds and then turned back, waiting expectantly for Helian Duo's answer.
Helian Duo lowered his eyes slightly, and his tone became cold. "I only met Young Master Cheng briefly. Our relationship is not as you've spread rumors outside. So I really don't know where he is. You've asked the wrong person, Young Master Zhang."
But Young Master Zhang was very certain. "Impossible. I clearly noticed the way you looked at him that night. It was definitely not just the look of an ordinary friend. There must be something going on between you two!"