In the dancing firelight, Liang Yuzhou's facial features were not as cold and hard as usual, but softened a bit.
"Come here."
He stretched out a hand towards Song Wanchu.
There was no mistaking the doting in his tone, as well as a hint of pride that only Song Wanchu could detect.
She hesitated, unsure if she should go to him.
Yu Huiyan had been humiliated by Princess Lingyang, suffered a mental breakdown, and attempted suicide by slitting her wrists. Her injuries must have been serious. Given Liang Yuzhou's concern for Yu Huiyan, he should have stayed with her all night.
How could he have managed to meet up with Shi Jinglu in the blink of an eye?
The image of his determined back as he walked away and his gentle smile at this moment kept overlapping in Song Wanchu's mind, confusing her thoughts.
What exactly was Liang Yuzhou thinking?
His actions were so contradictory that it was impossible to fathom...
Liang Yuzhou's hand hung in the air for a moment. Song Wanchu stood still, and the atmosphere grew awkward.
Shi Jinglu coughed tactically a few times.
Wen's mind was also in a whirl. Her hands fluttered about, unsure if she should nudge Wanchu towards Liang Yuzhou.
Liang Yuzhou didn't seem embarrassed at all. He took a few steps forward and took Song Wanchu's hand.
On this sweltering summer night, her palm was cold with sweat, and her body trembled slightly.
She was terrified.
No matter how strong she appeared on the surface, she was still a girl under twenty.
Liang Yuzhou put his arm around Song Wanchu's shoulder and pulled her closer to him.
The familiar warmth seeped through the fabric and into her skin and bones.
This blatant display of intimacy made Shi Jinglu uncomfortable. He coughed again. "I'll take the prisoner back to be detained first."
"Sir Shi has worked hard today. Once my uncle's false accusation is cleared, I'll pay you a visit to express my gratitude."
Shi Jinglu heard such polite remarks several times a day and was too lazy to respond.
But it was quite a surprise to hear Liang Yuzhou say such things. It seemed that he, too, could be swayed by a beauty and was willing to go to great lengths for her.
Shi Jinglu nodded faintly.
After walking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and fixed his piercing gaze on Liang Yuzhou. "Young Master Liang, do you want this case to end here, or do you want to dig deeper and expose the person behind the false accusation?"
"What, are you scared, Sir Shi? Afraid to dig deeper?"
Liang Yuzhou raised his eyebrows and stared meaningfully at Shi Jinglu.
Shi Jinglu retorted bluntly, "Over the years, haven't I investigated enough royal relatives? Which one of them didn't try to intimidate me with their power, threatening to dig up my ancestors' graves and kill my entire family?"
"This one is different from the others," Liang Yuzhou said.
Song Wanchu's heart skipped a beat.
Did they both suspect that the mastermind behind this was the Grand Princess?
She remembered the Grand Princess's threat to her at the Lingxiao Pavilion yesterday.
Was framing her uncle a warning from the Grand Princess?
The Emperor detested those in power who used their royal connections to amass wealth and power.
But the Grand Princess was an exception.
The Emperor had a special affection for his older sister, who shared the same parents.
Even though he knew that she amassed wealth, abducted young men as her lovers, and even cultivated her own party in the court, the Emperor turned a blind eye.
Although Shi Jinglu was known as the "Living Yama" and held a high-ranking official position in the court, he was no match for the powerful Grand Princess.
"Will we cause trouble for Sir Shi?"
Song Wanchu frowned, her face full of worry.
Liang Yuzhou tightened his grip on her shoulder, his tone tinged with annoyance. "Why don't you ask me if I'll get into trouble if we dig deeper and offend someone we shouldn't?"
Song Wanchu bit her lip and said nothing.
She was just being polite, expressing her admiration and concern for Shi Jinglu.
Why did he sound so jealous?
Song Wanchu knew very well that the Grand Princess was a powerful figure who couldn't be easily shaken by one or two honest officials.
This woman was known for her domineering and vengeful nature.
But she also realized that if she didn't uproot this powerful tree, she and her loved ones would be constantly in trouble.
Was Liang Yuzhou determined to help her deal with the Grand Princess?
"Sometimes, Young Master Liang, it's better to join forces than to fight alone," Shi Jinglu whispered. "There's someone else in the court who wants the Grand Princess to fall more than you do."
Song Wanchu understood his hint.
It was the Crown Prince.
But Liang Yuzhou and the Crown Prince always clashed whenever they met. It would be extremely difficult for him to join forces with the Crown Prince, given his proud nature.
Shi Jinglu escorted the prisoner back to the Supreme Court. Wen didn't understand the hidden meanings in their conversation. She just hoped that they could pick up her brother-in-law from prison happily the next day.
Song Wanchu insisted on seeing Wen to her doorstep.
Since Liang Yuzhou was now considered the "nephew-in-law," he naturally accompanied them.
When Wen got out of the carriage, she gave Song Wanchu a few instructions. Liang Yuzhou naturally put his arm around her shoulder. "Auntie, please rest assured. I'll take good care of Wanchu."
His address of "Auntie" made Wen stare at him in shock. It took her a long time to come to her senses.
"What's going on today? It's as if Wanchu has been possessed, and Liang Yuzhou has had a change of heart!"
This man, who had once refused to accompany Wanchu on her return visit, was now being so respectful to her and calling her "Auntie"!
"Could it be that he finally knows that it was Wanchu who offered him her heart's blood?"
Wen murmured to herself as she watched the carriage drive away.
...
In the carriage, Song Wanchu lowered her head and said nothing.
"Have you been crying?"
Liang Yuzhou put his arm around her waist and gently lifted her up, so that she was sitting on his lap.
Her delicate skin pressed against his firm muscles.
The scorching heat made Song Wanchu think of his astonishing explosive power.
"Liang Yuzhou, don't..."
She was shy and tried to push his shoulders away with both hands.
Liang Yuzhou smiled faintly. Her strength was like a kitten trying to resist being picked up. It didn't pose any threat to him.
"It's my fault," he said in a hoarse voice. His sincere tone made Song Wanchu freeze.
Was he... explaining himself to her?
"Princess Lingyang was there. I had to be there for that show. You'll understand later," he whispered in her ear. "Wanchu, all you have to do is trust me, okay?"
Song Wanchu bit her lip. If trusting him meant going through the pain of being abandoned every time, then she'd rather not trust him.
If she couldn't be the most important person in his heart, what was the point of this endless entanglement?
She was exhausted.
Suddenly, the carriage came to a halt. The coachman reported in a low voice, "Master Liang, Madam, the Crown Prince's sedan chair is ahead."
When the Crown Prince traveled, the common people had to make way, and those with official positions or titles had to get off their carriages and wait by the roadside until the Crown Prince's entourage had passed before they could continue on their way.
Liang Yuzhou's face darkened. He picked up Song Wanchu and got out of the carriage.
Up ahead, the bright yellow curtain of the sedan chair was lifted slightly. The Crown Prince's gaze passed over Liang Yuzhou and landed on Song Wanchu.
Liang Yuzhou tilted his body slightly, blocking the Crown Prince's view.
The Crown Prince didn't get out of the sedan chair, nor did he lift the curtain completely to face them.
It seemed that he was just passing by.
Suddenly, Liang Yuzhou lowered his head and kissed Song Wanchu deeply on the lips.
The long, slender hand on the curtain tightened suddenly.