Volume 1: Gathering Wind and Flowers Chapter 53: A Black Heart

  Yu Hua stroked her forehead, glanced at An Xin and said calmly, "If the Princess of Chang'an has finished dealing with family matters, we can set off tomorrow."

  "Stinky Yulan, isn't this move a bit too much for someone of your age? Repeating it over and over again, aren't you getting tired of it?" An Xin lightly scolded, her small face suddenly turning black with anger.

  "It works, that's all." Yu Hua's eyes flashed with a hint of a smile, and she said with a deeper meaning, "I still have several tricks up my sleeve, do you want to try them?"

  The words sounded as rich as they were, but the calm face was pitch black from start to finish. In her heart, she couldn't help but want to punch Yu Hua's disastrous and treacherous face, leaving two black eyes to vent her anger.

  "I'll go to the Hanging Temple too, Xin'er will definitely get bored, I'll keep you company." Ling Yichen felt that he couldn't let Anxin and Yu Hua be alone together, otherwise they would be poisoned in no time.

  "Alright." An Xin's eyes lit up with relief.

  "The Emperor has arranged a position for you in the Western Garrison, and wants you to take office immediately. Are you sure you can handle it?" Yu Hua said slowly, glancing at Ling Yi Hen.

  Upon hearing this, Ling also furrowed her brow and stared at Yu Hua.

  "This prince has no official duties assigned by the emperor, can't we just go together?" Le Zheng Xi looked at Yu Hua and spoke calmly.

  "The Hanging Temple is named for the mountain peak that appears to be suspended in mid-air. The temple's layout is complex and intricate, with dense fog shrouding the summit, making it impossible to find the entrance without a guide." Yu Hua said a few words, paused, and reached out to grab the teacup on the small table beside An Xin, under the puzzled gazes of the three people. She slowly lifted the cup to her lips and took a sip before continuing, "It's already quite exhausting for me to bring the Princess of Chang'an alone; I really don't want to add the burden of taking care of you, Le Shi Zi. If you can make your way up the mountain by yourself, we can still have a conversation when we arrive at the Hanging Temple."

  Upon hearing this, Yue Zheng's usually calm and peaceful face showed a rare expression of surprise and thin anger. Those who had the ability to ascend Spirit Mountain could be counted on one hand, let alone venturing into Hanging Temple alone.

  "That's my teacup." An Xin didn't care who was with her, she now focused all her attention on the teacup in Yu Hua's hand, which she had just used to drink tea.

  "Thirsty, picked up the wrong one." Yuhua seemed to be stunned for a moment, put the tea cup back on the small table, and said with treasured words.

  Only a fool would believe his words, the teacup is on her side, even someone with an IQ of zero can tell it's hers.

  "Yu Shizi, I must say that you are truly impressive, nothing is left unaccounted for. " Yue Zheng's eyes gleamed with a subtle intensity, his words laced with an ambiguous tone.

  "It's easy to say." Yu Hua didn't look at Le Zheng Xi, her voice was light and calm.

  "Isn't Yu Shizi a cleanliness freak? Everyone knows that Yu Shizi always keeps a distance of three feet when interacting with others, so why is he sitting so close to Xiner today? And he even used the same teacup she drank from without rinsing it?" Le Zhengxi's expression changed as he looked at the two of them, who were only a foot apart, and for the first time, he found Yu Hua's presence to be particularly annoying.

  Anxious to hear, then frowned, her teacup was not dirty, was she feeling sick? Otherwise, why would Yuhua want to vomit?

  "Rumors are the most unreliable things." Yuhua glanced at Anxin with a meaningful expression.

  As soon as the words fell, "Miss, the meal is ready, do you want to use it now?" Si Jin came in to report and saw Yu Hua, stunned for a moment, seemingly not expecting him to come here. After a brief moment, he immediately paid his respects, "I've seen Young Master Yu."

  Yu Hua slightly lowered her head and didn't say a word.

  "I'm going to eat now, you all should go back where you came from. I don't feel comfortable eating with so many people watching me." An Xin patted his somewhat emaciated belly and gave the order to dismiss the guests.

  "I'm going to eat at your place." Ling Yihen insisted.

  "I am too." Le Zheng Xi nodded.

  Yu Hua looked at An Xin, still speechless.

  "Are you kidding me? I've heard of poor kids freeloading, but your family is one rich person after another, are you short on food or something?" An Xin rolled her eyes in anger.

  "Why don't I treat you, and ask Little Heart to take you to the Drifting Abode for dinner?" Ling Yihen blinked at Anxin with sparkling eyes.

  "I don't want to go out with you, you're a show-off, attracting attention everywhere, can't even get a moment of peace." An Xin shook her head in refusal, she had always been low-key, and in this capital city full of pitfalls, one had to be even more cautious.

  "Aren't you eager to see a beauty? You'll be leaving the day after tomorrow, so I'll invite Ling Xieran and her sister to join us for a trip to Piaoyu Residence. How about that?" Although Ling Yihen didn't fully understand An Xin's words, he roughly grasped their meaning and immediately catered to her preferences with his suggestion.

  "Alright, I'll have the best of both worlds and enjoy the blessings of others." With a pleased and excited rub of his hands, he was completely ready to take advantage of a good family's wife.

  Yu Hua glanced at An Xin, and the meaning was self-evident.

  "Jade Orchid, forget it, there's no place for you." Ling Yi Hen said immediately after receiving Yu Hua's gaze.

  She rolled her eyes calmly and didn't say anything.

  "It's also true that the Princess of Chang'an said she wouldn't be back for a year or so after going to Xuan Kong Temple, so you should all take this opportunity to gather together." Yuhua raised an eyebrow in agreement and was about to get up and leave.

  One and a half years? This is the threat of Chi Guo Guo, An Xin opens his eyes wide, "Come back, don't go." Seeing Yu Hua Guo really stopped in her tracks, An Xin quickly turns to Ling Yi Hen and says, "If Yu Shi Zi doesn't go, I won't go either, let's call him along, the more people the merrier, right?"

  Yu Hua's face turned a shade of unease for an instant before flashing back to normal.

  Ling Yi Hen thought that if he wanted to see An Xin earlier, it would be better to give in a bit. With this thought, he reluctantly nodded his head, which was equivalent to agreeing.

  An Xin gritted her teeth fiercely and asked, "Are you satisfied, Yu Shizi?"

  "Pack the clothes you'll need for tomorrow's trip, I don't think you'll have time to do it then." Yuhua casually dropped a sentence and walked out with a comfortable and steady pace.

  "You all go too, see you tomorrow." Anxious and sighing, he started to shoo them away.

  "Tomorrow I've booked a sedan chair to come to the General's residence to pick you up." Ling Yihen stood up and said, calling out to Le Zhengxi who was playing with his teacup, "Le, hurry up and go."

  Seeing the two of them lift the bead curtain and leave, An Xin suddenly thought of something and muttered, "Yu Hua is also fine, but that person's face is thick, how can these two not follow the rules, barging into a young lady's boudoir in broad daylight."

  The two people who had just walked into the courtyard were startled by the sound of anxious muttering, their faces suddenly looking flustered, quickening their pace. Ling Yihen hastily and recklessly trampled over two yulan plants in the garden, rapidly fleeing the scene.

  Relieved and happy, I invited Si Jin to have lunch together. With a great mood after finishing the meal, I thought of finding something fun to kill time.

  "Jinyue, doesn't Father have parents? Why haven't I seen Grandfather and Grandmother since I came back?" Anxin wandered around the General's mansion, feeling that something was missing compared to her impression of a grand estate. After thinking for a long time, she suddenly realized that there were no grandparents.

  "Miss, it seems you've been away from Beijing for too long. You even forgot that General is an orphan." Si Jin sighed.

  "How could Father, who had no power or influence, have married Mother? I've seen cases of marrying down, but never a case where a princess condescended to marry a commoner." An Xin was puzzled. If only she had memories from before the age of five, she wouldn't be so ignorant about people and things in the capital city.

  "The general was already a second-grade cavalry general when he married the princess, so his wife didn't exactly marry down," said Si Jin.

  "How did your mother fall in love with father?" An Xin was very interested in Ling Su's emotional history.

  "The slave is brought into the mansion by the king, how would I know what happened before the lady got married?" Si Jin shook her head.

  Feeling bored, he wandered alone towards Suqing Pavilion.

  "Miss, General and Madam are resting inside." Just as he walked to the door, a maid with a slightly red face came up to report.

  Her calm gaze fell on the maid's face, which was flushed with shame. Wasn't it obvious what was going to happen? Was this the beginning of a romantic tryst like the legendary Weishan Cloud and Rain?

  "I'll just take a walk around the yard, don't bother telling Mother so as not to disturb her." An Xin smiled warmly.

  The little girl responded with a "yes" and didn't suspect anything, turning around to leave and busy herself with her own affairs. Who would have thought that at such a young age, she already had so many adult thoughts?