Although the Crown Prince was extremely eager to meet Mr. Mingxi and had never given up his search, on such a significant night, he didn't want to talk about anyone other than the two of them.
He placed the poetry collection aside disinterestedly.
"Mianmian, I appreciate your kindness, but right now, I just want to hold you," he said.
Cheng Simian wasn't the least bit coy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sat on his lap.
The delicate fragrance of the woman blurred his vision. He barely managed to maintain his composure, and his breathing grew even more erratic.
"Then hold me and take a look at this poetry collection, okay?"
The woman's voice was soft, with a hint of allure.
The Crown Prince's blood was boiling.
He swore that if Mianmian wanted the moon now, he'd build a ladder on the spot, climb to the ninth heaven, and pluck it down for her.
What was so difficult about glancing at a poetry collection?
The Crown Prince obediently opened the collection.
The pages lay open on Cheng Simian's lap. As the elegant handwriting came into view, the Crown Prince's pupils suddenly dilated.
"Mianmian, you said this poetry collection is in Mr. Mingxi's own handwriting?"
Cheng Simian smiled brightly. "It's the real deal."
The Crown Prince's heart jolted as if struck by a powerful earthquake.
He was all too familiar with Mianmian's handwriting.
And Mr. Mingxi's writing was exactly the same as Mianmian's.
He stared at Cheng Simian in disbelief, too shocked to speak.
"Mianmian, you..."
Mianmian was Mr. Mingxi!
The very Mr. Mingxi he'd been searching for so desperately, the one he'd hoped to consult on matters of the heart!
However, before he could even feel happy, another thought suddenly occurred to him.
On their wedding night, Mianmian had insisted on revealing her other identity before they became intimate.
She was Mr. Mingxi, the one who loved the mountains and rivers, who had a world in her pen, and who was so wise and perceptive.
Didn't this mean she'd already made her decision?
She'd still chosen to go to the south of the Yangtze River and embrace freedom.
The promise of a lifetime of love and exclusive favor in the harem meant nothing to her; she didn't care.
The passion that had been raging within him just moments ago suddenly cooled and froze.
It felt as if an iron hand was tightly squeezing his throat. His chest was filled with a bitter, sour feeling. When he opened his mouth, his throat ached, and the pain spread to his heart.
Scenes flashed before his eyes: Mianmian's tenderness, her words of comfort, and the sincere and affectionate look in her eyes when she looked at him...
All of it turned into a mirage.
It had all been just his one - sided delusion.
Mianmian had only been willing to accompany him for a while.
The love he thought he'd seen in her eyes, the signs that she was softening towards him, were all just illusions.
In the end, he'd still have to watch her turn and leave.
Cheng Simian sensed that the Crown Prince's mood was off.
Why wasn't he at all surprised?
She'd been expecting the kind of joy and fulfillment that came with the feeling of "searching for him in the crowd, and suddenly looking back, only to find him in the dimly - lit corner."
But the Crown Prince's eyes were growing colder by the second.
"Lu Sihong, what's wrong with you?"
The Crown Prince forced a smile with difficulty. "Mianmian, I understand."
"Understand what?"
She watched as he slowly got up and began putting on his clothes one by one.
Cheng Simian frowned at him.
"It's getting late. You should rest early."
He walked out of the bedchamber, leaving her alone with the lonely moonlight filling the room.
The night in September was deep, and the dew was heavy.
The bone - chilling autumn wind seeped into his very bones.
He didn't know where to go; all he knew was that he was going to lose Mianmian no matter what.
Her heart was no longer with him. Even if he tried to keep her by force, he'd only be left with a beautiful but empty shell.
His back was forlorn.
Xiao Anzi panted as he chased after him.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, what's going on?"
Was it that the Crown Prince, being young and inexperienced in such matters, had been too rough and hurt the Crown Princess?
Or was it that his first time had been too short, hurting his pride as a man?
The Crown Prince didn't even look back. "Go back. I just want to be alone."
Xiao Anzi didn't dare to follow anymore.
The Crown Prince's state was very strange; he seemed like a soulless being.
He returned to the outside of the bedchamber, utterly confused.
Shuyi and Qiluo didn't dare to sleep deeply that night. They'd been paying close attention to the commotion in the bedchamber.
They were just as nervous as their young lady.
When they saw the Crown Prince leave the bedchamber, they knew something was wrong and quickly got up to check on their young lady.
Cheng Simian sat there blankly on the couch, wearing only a thin nightgown. She was both confused and aggrieved.
"Miss, what's wrong with you?"
Shuyi quickly wrapped a cashmere blanket around Cheng Simian.
Qiluo noticed the "Poetry Collection of Mingxi" in the corner.
"Miss, did the Crown Prince misunderstand something?"
Cheng Simian bit her lip, and tears glistened in her eyes.
"I just wanted to be honest with him, but when he found out I was Mr. Mingxi, he just said 'I understand' and then walked away."
She couldn't figure out where the Crown Prince's sudden mood swing had come from.
Qiluo picked up the poetry collection on the ground. Her brows furrowed and then relaxed.
"Don't worry, Miss. I know what the Crown Prince misunderstood. I'll go and call the Crown Prince back!"
She ran out like the wind.
The Crown Prince unknowingly found himself at the Star - Gathering Pavilion.
A lamp was still lit under the eaves of the pavilion, its light echoing the full moon in the sky.
"Your Highness, why are you here on your wedding night?"
A soft, gentle voice sounded.
A beautiful figure holding a lantern slowly approached him.
The candlelight illuminated her face. It was Jiang Qianyu.
Jiang Qianyu had once been a spy the Crown Prince had placed beside Lu Ningzhen.
She was smart, cautious, and meticulous, and she knew how to hide her talents. She'd served beside Lu Ningzhen for six years without being discovered.
When Lu Ningzhen was exposed, she was the number one contributor.
A long time ago, the Crown Prince had promised that once the matter was settled, there would be a place for her in the Eastern Palace.
At that time, the Crown Prince's plan was simple. First, he'd make Qian'er a concubine. After he ascended the throne, he'd promote her father so that she could become the chief of the four concubines.
Jiang Qianyu could more or less figure out the Crown Prince's thoughts.
She came from a humble background. Her father was just a seventh - rank official. She admired the Crown Prince and was willing to serve him whole - heartedly.
She didn't have great ambitions and didn't covet the position of the Crown Princess.
After Lu Ningzhen's downfall, she'd entered the Eastern Palace. Although the Crown Prince hadn't officially named her status, everyone knew that the Crown Prince favored her.
She lived alone in the magnificent and spacious Star - Gathering Pavilion, served by six maids. Everyone treated her politely and called her "Miss Jiang."
She just had to wait until the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess completed their wedding. Six months later, she'd be officially conferred a title.
She didn't ask for much favor. As long as the Crown Prince remembered her contributions and came to see her from time to time.
If he could also give her a son or a daughter so that she could have a place in the harem, she'd be content.
She didn't know why the Crown Prince had come out on his wedding night, looking so dejected.
The Crown Prince's gaze passed over her face.
Jiang Qianyu lowered her head, her heart pounding.
"Your Highness, it's late and windy. You should go back. Don't let the Crown Princess wait in vain."
The wind in the second half of the night was cold. It cooled the Crown Prince's blood and woke up his mind.
Looking at Qian'er, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
"Qian'er, there's something I want to talk to you about."
Jiang Qianyu was stunned for a moment. Joy welled up in her heart, and she buried her head even lower.
"Does Your Highness want to come inside?"
The Crown Prince stepped into the gate of the Star - Gathering Pavilion.
He sat in the main hall. Jiang Qianyu was both delighted and a bit flustered.
The Crown Prince stopped her from pouring tea. "Don't be busy. Sit down."
Jiang Qianyu's eyelashes fluttered. After a moment of hesitation, she sat on the seat closest to the Crown Prince.
She looked at the Crown Prince obediently.
"Qian'er, how old are you this year?"
"Replying to Your Highness, I'm twenty - two this year."
Twenty - two, almost the same age as Mianmian.
This woman had dedicated six years of her youth to him.
During her prime years, she'd been an unknown maid in the mansion of the eldest princess.
The Crown Prince felt extremely guilty.
He was also aware of Qian'er's feelings for him.
But he couldn't love any woman other than Mianmian.
Even though Mianmian had decided to leave.
Then let him become a complete loner.
"Qian'er, I said I'd arrange a place for you. Daiying, the chief maid beside the Empress Dowager, will turn twenty - five at the end of the year. The Empress Dowager has already chosen a match for her. After she gets married, there'll be a vacancy for a female official beside the Empress Dowager. Would you like to go?"
The chief maid beside the Empress Dowager was a second - rank official, only second to the maids in front of the emperor.
Having served as a second - rank female official and having served the queen, she'd become a highly - sought - after noblewoman by the powerful and wealthy families after leaving the palace.
Her status would rise, and the entire Jiang family would enjoy wealth and honor.
Tears welled up in Jiang Qianyu's eyes. "Your Highness, did I do something wrong? Why are you sending me away?"
Was it that the Crown Princess was domineering and jealous and couldn't tolerate other women around the Crown Prince?
She didn't ask the last question out loud.