Yuan Yuze helped Mu Xingrou up. His look in his eyes towards her softened a bit. "The prince likes sensible people the most. Take good care of yourself. I'm waiting for you..."
After saying this, his eyes unabashedly drifted to the expanse of snow - white skin on Mu Xingrou's chest. At first, Mu Xingrou was a bit surprised, but following his gaze, she understood the meaning behind his words.
It was truly like finding something after searching high and low in vain, and then it comes effortlessly! She couldn't wait to go to bed with Yuan Yuze right away, but unfortunately, she was covered in wounds and it really wasn't suitable.
If possible, marrying the prince as a concubine would be such a glorious thing. With her original background, it would never have been her turn, but now the opportunity was in her hands. She would surely grasp it firmly. Even being a maidservant with the right to sleep with the master would do. As long as she gave birth to a son or a daughter one day, why should she worry about not having a chance to rise in status?
Days seemed to return to calm. Every day, besides going to the Imperial Hospital in the palace, Mu Fengqie would go to the shop to take care of business. Although it was a bit tiring, her life was very fulfilling.
Shen Yiru was no longer as cold as before. Every day, she was like a sticky plaster, clinging to Mu Fengqie's side. So Mu Fengqie wasn't so lonely anymore.
"You said why haven't we seen Lou Xingzhou these days? I follow you out every day but still can't see him. Do you think we're just not fated?"
Shen Yiru pouted and walked on the street like a zombie. The dejected look on her made Mu Fengqie laugh non - stop.
"Do you think a grown man like him just goes shopping like you every day? He has his own proper business to attend to. Who can really tell about fate? Maybe we'll run into him in a while!"
Mu Fengqie had heard the name Lou Xingzhou so many times that her ears were almost calloused. Shen Yiru would mention him almost every day, and Mu Fengqie was too lazy to humor her anymore.
"Wantong? Is your face completely healed?" Shen Yiru was sharp - eyed and spotted Li Wantong.
Today, Li Wantong not only didn't wear a veil but was also dressed up beautifully. The acne marks on her face had completely disappeared. She was truly a delicate and charming beauty. If it weren't for the pimples on her face before, I'm afraid the people coming to propose marriage would have broken down the threshold.
Li Wantong was also very happy to see the two of them. "My face is completely healed. I have to thank Fengqie for this. I sneaked out. Otherwise, I would have come to find you earlier..."
Saying this, the smile on her face faded, and she let out a heavy sigh, looking rather helpless.
"What's wrong? Isn't your face already cured? Why are you still not allowed to go out?" Mu Fengqie asked curiously.
Li Wantong was full of sighs, and her whole being seemed to dim. "Recently, there have been many people coming to propose marriage, but I don't want to marry any of them. You know there's someone I've always liked in my heart, so I really don't want to marry."
She had liked the Fifth Prince since she was a child. She originally planned to confess her feelings to the Fifth Prince after reaching the age of fifteen, but unexpectedly, God played a cruel joke on her and she got a rash all over her face. So she gradually lost contact with the Fifth Prince.
Fortunately, the Fifth Prince was still unmarried. She finally had another chance, but her parents had arranged a marriage for her. She didn't want to be with someone she didn't like.
Mu Fengqie admired her dedication and her ability to love the Fifth Prince whole - heartedly. When the Fifth Prince and Jing Xunche returned triumphantly from the battlefield, she planned to act as a matchmaker for the Fifth Prince and Li Wantong.
"Wantong, you and the Fifth Prince haven't been in touch for many years. Maybe the Fifth Prince has already forgotten about you. Are you really going to remain chaste for the Fifth Prince all your life?"
Shen Yiru frowned. After all, the two of them hadn't been in touch for many years, and they were no longer the two children they used to be. Maybe the Fifth Prince had already forgotten about her. She was just afraid that Li Wantong would miss her own happiness.
The person Shen Yiru liked in her heart was Lou Xingzhou, but she also knew that the gap in their social status made it impossible for them to be together, let alone Li Wantong and the Fifth Prince.
Li Wantong also sighed. "What's the meaning of life if I can't marry the person I like? It's just a lifetime anyway. I just want to marry the person I love. Even if I can't marry the one I like, I'm willing to remain unmarried for life!"
Li Wantong's words seemed to touch Shen Yiru. The figure of Lou Xingzhou suddenly appeared in her mind. She felt both shy and regretful.
Yes, what's the meaning of life if she can't marry the person she loves? If she were to marry someone she didn't like and live like a walking corpse for a lifetime, it would be better to be alone!
"You're right. As long as it's your decision, we'll support you. But the Fifth Prince is on the battlefield now. If he can come back safely, you must tell him your feelings. Don't miss this chance again."
Mu Fengqie really admired Li Wantong's free and easy attitude. Although she looked like a delicate woman, her heart was very strong. It was precisely this kind of woman who deserved people's respect.
Mentioning the Fifth Prince, a glint flashed in Li Wantong's eyes. "I heard that this war is almost over. The Fifth Prince captured the seventh princess of the enemy army. Now the two armies are negotiating for peace. Maybe he'll come back in a while."
Hearing this, Mu Fengqie's eyes also lit up. Since she sent that letter, she hadn't received any reply. If it weren't for what she heard from Li Wantong today, she might still not know what was going on in the military camp.
Li Wantong was urged back to the mansion by the servants after only saying a few words. Shen Yiru and Mu Fengqie were about to return to the Minister's Mansion when they encountered an unexpected guest.
"The Crown Prince?" Shen Yiru frowned and whispered, "Should we hide?"
During this period of time, through their interaction, Shen Yiru had roughly understood the relationships among them. Although nominally Mu Fengqie and the Crown Prince were in a cooperative relationship, privately Mu Fengqie didn't think highly of the Crown Prince and even seemed to dislike him.
"No need. We'll just face it head - on. What are we afraid of?" Mu Fengqie raised her eyebrows, with an arrogant smile on her face.
As Yuan Yuchuan approached, he saw that arrogant smile. His eyes looking at Mu Fengqie were very gentle. "I didn't expect to run into Fengqie here. We're really fated."
"Your Highness the Crown Prince is joking. It's my fortune to be fated with Your Highness." Mu Fengqie replied indifferently.
Since the two of them had finalized their cooperative relationship, Mu Fengqie's attitude towards him had improved a lot. She no longer spoke to him in a confrontational way as before, which was something he was quite satisfied with.
Yuan Yuchuan smiled, pretending to be a gentle and refined gentleman. "You've worked hard during this period."