Meng Ruyi hesitated and turned her head. There, a man in purple clothes was staring at them with a straight face. The man was extremely handsome and exuded an air of nobility. Although there were few patterns on his clothes, the fabric faintly revealed some intricate designs in the sunlight, indicating that it was made of extremely precious material. He was tall and, accompanied by two guards, walked hurriedly towards them. His imposing figure carried an air of sternness and authority.
"What's going on?" The man frowned as he looked at Song Huaizhi. His face darkened slightly, but he softened his voice and asked, "Did this person offend you, Brother Song?"
"Take him away," the man waved at his subordinates behind him. Then, he turned to Song Huaizhi with a smile and said, "Since he has offended my honored guest, there's no way I'll let him leave unscathed."
"Mmmph mmmph!" Doudouyan wailed pitifully at the Third Prince, but his words were muffled because his mouth was covered.
At the sight, a flicker of coldness flashed across the Third Prince's eyes. Meeting Doudouyan's gaze, a fierce glint of killing intent emerged.
No! If he killed this man now, people might blame Song Huaizhi for his death. From the live comments, Meng Ruyi knew that although this man was arrogant, his background was quite powerful, enough to attract the attention of those in the capital.
Meng Ruyi instantly regarded the Third Prince with caution. She didn't believe that a prince who had been deeply involved in the power struggles wouldn't understand the implications. He just wanted to kill this man and then shift the blame onto Song Huaizhi.
"Wait!"
Meng Ruyi stepped forward, her petite figure subtly shielding Song Huaizhi. She addressed the Third Prince, "I don't know where your honored guest comes from or what his relationship with this man is. But this man rode his horse recklessly in the street and attempted to do something improper to a young girl. He should be handed over to the yamen."
Meng Ruyi pretended not to know the man's identity and spoke to him with poise and dignity.
"Eh?" The Third Prince smiled gently, a hint of apology on his face. He said to Meng Ruyi in a soft voice, "It's my fault. I almost messed things up. Thank you for the reminder, miss."
Song Huaizhi hadn't expected Meng Ruyi to stand in front of him to protect him. A flash of surprise crossed his face, which soon melted into a warm current that spread through his body.
Apart from Song Huaizhi, no one noticed his momentary distraction. Meng Ruyi simply assumed that he was standing behind her, coldly observing everything, waiting for her to finish speaking and then skillfully fill in all the loopholes.
"It seems that things around the Third Prince are quite lively. There are so many people that you even failed to recognize this man," Song Huaizhi finally spoke. His voice was cold, with a hint of barely perceptible mockery. The Third Prince's face instantly changed, and he stared at Song Huaizhi with a piercing look.
"Sorry," under Song Huaizhi's cold gaze, the Third Prince suddenly had an illusion. It was as if the man in front of him was not the disciple who, as the rumor had it, was exceptionally taken in by Mr. Lin but had no family background.
Song Huaizhi had always been calm when talking to him, even exuding an air of authority that the Third Prince himself didn't quite understand. At first, the Third Prince thought it was just the bravado of an ignorant man, but now it seemed that he had misjudged.
"This man is my..." He said with difficulty, trying to cover up this embarrassing fact. However, there was still a hint of melancholy in his voice. "My distant cousin."
Meng Ruyi was stunned and fell into silence, just like the commenters in the live stream.
No way? How complicated are their relationships! Wasn't this man supposed to be in the service of the Crown Prince? How could he suddenly become the Third Prince's cousin? Could he be an imposter?
There was no special expression on Song Huaizhi's face. He was well aware of the affairs of the people in the capital. All kinds of strange and sordid secrets had been exposed to him during the countless cycles of time.
The Third Prince had a humble birth. In contrast to the Crown Prince, who was of legitimate birth and the eldest son, the Third Prince's mother was just a concubine who had gained favor due to her beauty and accidentally gave birth to him, thus finally rising to the rank of concubine.
But this had nothing to do with the Third Prince. Compared with others, he didn't have a stable and powerful maternal family. Therefore, while others were fighting each other to the death, he often managed to survive in the cracks. His mother was timid and greedy, just like the family behind her.
So these people relied on his status as a prince while also clinging to the Crown Prince, suppressing the Third Prince in every way and making him appear mediocre and timid.
Now that he had been sent here to clean up the mess left by the Gu family, he was indeed a pitiable figure.
Song Huaizhi sneered silently in his heart. He stepped forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Meng Ruyi, making his stance clear. Then he continued to the Third Prince, "Your Highness should discipline your people properly, shouldn't you?"
"My cousin and my friend were frightened. I'll take them back first. If Your Highness wishes to meet again, you can visit the Meng Mansion."
Meng Ruyi almost couldn't contain her shock. It was the first time she had discovered that Song Huaizhi could be so audacious, with an air of unbridled freedom in his eyes.
[Shocked! Isn't Song Huaizhi afraid of retaliation from the Third Prince? He's a prince after all!]
[Oh my god! The plot of this scenario is so confusing. I can't understand it.]
[Little Song is so handsome! He's so bold. I love it!]
She quickly followed behind Song Huaizhi. Before turning to leave, she winked at Zhang Yunyun, signaling her to follow quickly.
Zhang Yunyun could no longer hide her shock. Her mouth slightly agape, she woodenly grabbed the equally shocked and frightened little girl beside her and followed Meng Ruyi.
Back at the Meng Mansion, everyone except Song Huaizhi heaved a sigh of relief. Meng Ruyi almost choked. She quickly picked up the teacup on the table and took a big gulp, trying to calm her surprise.
"Just let him go like this?" Meng Ruyi gasped. Thinking of that man's arrogant face, she still felt somewhat unwilling.
Song Huaizhi almost burst out laughing. He watched as her eyes widened in indignation, looking like an angry little animal. Her baby-fat cheeks were slightly puffed up, looking extremely pinchable.
He tried hard to suppress the urge to poke her cheek. He gently shook his head at Meng Ruyi, indicating that there were still outsiders present.
Hiss! She almost forgot!
Only then did Meng Ruyi meet Zhang Yunyun's eyes. Zhang Yunyun was standing in the corner with the little girl, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible. For some reason, Meng Ruyi suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. Thinking of the childish complaints she had made in front of Song Huaizhi, her ears turned slightly red.
"I'll take this child home first and then come back to find you."
Zhang Yunyun wisely sensed Song Huaizhi's intention to get rid of her from his eyes. So she immediately grabbed the child and was about to leave. Before going out, she turned to the little girl whose complexion was gradually returning to normal and asked, "Where do you live? Is there anyone at home now?"