Zhen Yan clapped her hands and laughed. "You've taken Sister Jiang's hairpin. You mustn't let her down!"
He Nanfeng was still distracted while holding the hairpin. Shaking his head, he said, "But... How can I possibly protect her?"
Hearing this, Sheng Songyan impatiently patted his friend on the shoulder. "You've got to protect your own woman. If you can't do it even though you care so much about her, do you expect some other man to?"
He Nanfeng gritted his teeth. Other men? Just thinking about it made his heart ache. In the past, he had no choice since she was engaged to his second brother. But now that the engagement was off, he would never allow her to have anything to do with other men.
Lu Wanning pointed at the hairpin. "Sister Jiang entrusted this hairpin to me. If you don't want it, give it back to me now. I'll return it to her."
He Nanfeng paused for a moment, then put the hairpin into his bosom.
Only then did Sheng Songyan burst out laughing. "A real man should be brave enough to take responsibility. Don't worry. I'll definitely help you."
Lu Wanning let out a sigh of relief. She was really afraid that her cousin would be so stubborn that he wouldn't accept the hairpin, which would waste more of their breath.
He Nanfeng stood up, bowed to the three of them, and said, "It's just... Although Grandfather said back then that I could decide my own marriage, the head of the He family is my uncle. I'm afraid he won't agree if I propose to marry Miss Jiang, who was originally my brother's fiancée."
Lu Wanning waved her hand indifferently. "Don't worry about this. I'll talk to Mother when I get home. She can persuade Uncle."
He Nanfeng let out a big sigh of relief. "Thank you, Cousin. Thank you all. I'll treat you to this meal today as a token of my gratitude."
Lu Wanning laughed. "Don't get too excited too soon. We can handle these things, but your future father-in-law has made it clear that no daughter of the Jiang family will marry into the He family. How can we solve this? You'll have to figure it out yourself."
He Nanfeng's eyes sparkled. Nodding, he said, "I'll find a way."
Lu Wanning rubbed her hands excitedly. If this matter was settled, the stone in her heart would finally fall to the ground. Then she asked, "By the way, Cousin, I've been meaning to ask. Why haven't I seen His Highness, the Prince of Yu, for so long?"
He Nanfeng looked up at her. "Why are you looking for His Highness?"
Lu Wanning scratched her head. "Well, I asked him to write something for me before, but I haven't thanked him yet. I was thinking..."
"You don't have to. His Highness doesn't care about such things."
Lu Wanning glared at He Nanfeng angrily for a while, then said, "Madam Lu sent me a jade pendant through him before the New Year, and I haven't returned the favor yet. I was planning to..."
He Nanfeng shook his head again. "You don't have to either. His Highness is not a fussy person."
Lu Wanning was so angry that her two attempts were both rebuffed. She suddenly stood up and pointed at He Nanfeng. "What's wrong with you? I just want to find him. Can't you understand?"
He Nanfeng was startled. After a long moment of stunned silence, he whispered, "Cousin, tell me the truth. Do you have feelings for him?"
Lu Wanning sneered. "Am I crazy? Like a man who never smiles? Do you know what people call him? The iron-faced and selfless King of Hell. Haha, who would like a King of Hell?"
He Nanfeng rubbed his chin, pondered for a moment, and nodded. "If you don't like him, why do you always look for him?"
"Clinging to a thick thigh. Do you understand?"
Lu Wanning was so angry that she didn't want to talk to him. She simply stood up to order food. Not wanting to call a waiter in, she walked to the door herself and yanked it open.
Standing at the door was none other than her "thick thigh", Sheng Jinyu.
Sheng Jinyu frowned at Lu Wanning. After a long while, he looked up at Sheng Songyan. "Songyan, come here."
Sheng Songyan scratched his nose, looked at Sheng Jinyu, then at Lu Wanning, and forced out a couple of dry laughs. "Jinyu, what's up? I... I have a date with a beauty this afternoon."
Sheng Jinyu exuded an aura of coldness. "Come here."
Sheng Songyan quickly stood up and whispered to He Nanfeng, "I'm so miserable. I'm the heir of the Prince of Qishan, yet... sigh, I'm in such a bad situation."
Only then did Lu Wanning realize what was going on. Blinking her eyes, she waved at Sheng Jinyu. "Hi, thick thigh... Oh no, Your Highness, the Prince of Yu. The weather is really nice today."
Sheng Jinyu glanced at her, said nothing, and turned to leave.
But Lu Wanning reached out and grabbed his sleeve. "Um, Your Highness, do you have time? We're just about to have lunch. Why don't you join us?"
Sheng Songyan watched nervously from the side. Although he usually joked with Jinyu, he also knew when to stop depending on the situation and Jinyu's mood. Did this girl not know how to read people's expressions at all? Jinyu was already in a bad mood, and it was probably made worse by this girl's words.
Lu Wanning enthusiastically invited Sheng Jinyu and specifically introduced, "The signature dishes in this restaurant are very delicious. I come here often, so I know what's good. I'm sure you'll be satisfied!"
"Zhaoyang, we'd better..." Sheng Songyan reached out to pull Lu Wanning.
"Sure."
Sheng Jinyu suddenly spoke up, which made Sheng Songyan freeze. He quickly withdrew his hand and scurried back to sit next to He Nanfeng.
Lu Wanning let Sheng Jinyu in, then called a waiter in. She quickly ordered the dishes. Smiling at Sheng Jinyu, she said, "Your Highness, have you been very busy lately? I haven't seen you for a long time."
Sheng Jinyu sneered. "What does 'thick thigh' mean?"
Lu Wanning swallowed hard and quickly replied, "It means being your follower. Yes, that's it. Being your follower."
Sheng Jinyu stared at her intently, signaling her to continue.
Lu Wanning forced a smile and continued, "Well, I... um, I'm bored all day long. I don't like being arty. I feel like I'm wasting my time. But sometimes I hear my father and brother talking about natural disasters and man-made calamities in some places, and how the common people can't afford to eat or dress warmly. I always feel ashamed when I think about it. I also know that Your Highness is highly regarded by the Emperor and is responsible for all kinds of affairs. So I thought, why not be your follower and do some odd jobs? It can be considered as... doing my bit."
Sheng Jinyu's expression softened a little. Lu Wanning finally let out a sigh of relief. But then Sheng Jinyu immediately asked, "I'm the King of Hell?"
Lu Wanning was dumbfounded. This man heard everything. Was he going to be so persistent?
Just then, the waiters came in with the dishes. He Nanfeng quickly interrupted their conversation and greeted them, "Let's have lunch, Your Highness. My cousin is always outspoken. She's just a child. Don't take it to heart. Come on, let's eat."
Lu Wanning thought this man was so petty. For a moment, she was also a bit angry. But her anger only lasted for three seconds. She thought it was more important to cling to this "thick thigh". So she quickly put on a smiling face and personally picked up a piece of sparerib for Sheng Jinyu.
"Your Highness, the roasted spareribs in the Linglong Pavilion are the best. They're very delicious. Would you like to try some?"
Sheng Jinyu chuckled. "It's my shop. How could I not know?"