Meng Ruyi listened, deeply shocked by Song Huaizhi's schemes.
Brother Song is so amazing. He can see people so clearly. Although his actions are sometimes a bit extreme, he always walks on the safest path.
Song Huaizhi walked side by side with her. Sensing the admiring look she cast at him, a faint smile unconsciously appeared in his eyes. He barely managed to hold back the upward curve of his lips.
...
The Third Prince trotted all the way, opened the door, motioned for the guards to be quiet, and then listened through the slightly broken wooden door to the rambling voices inside.
"People! Alas, how can this be blamed on me? I've raised him for so many years. Even if I have no merit, I've endured a lot of hardships."
"... But now I actually have to live in such a place!"
"I did this for his own good. He's the Crown Prince!"
The Third Prince listened silently. Then he looked back and signaled the guards to open the door. They pinned the wet nurse, who was writing a letter, face - down on the table.
The panicked woman tried to stuff the letter into her mouth, but before she even touched the paper, she was controlled by the guards and pressed firmly aside.
"Your Highness, please take a look."
The guard held the letter with both hands and presented it to him.
The Third Prince scanned the letter at a glance. She didn't know much. Even her ability to read and write was thanks to the Third Prince. So the words on the letter were crooked, which made his eyes ache.
When the wet nurse saw them rush in and directly take away that piece of paper, her eyes instantly bulged like a cow's, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
She had her mouth covered and could only make vague grunts.
"Wang," the Third Prince withdrew his gaze from the letter and looked at her coldly. "I've treated you well."
"Let go of her and let her speak."
The moment her mouth was released, the wet nurse, Wang, let out a scream. "Your Highness! I was just following the order of the Lady to report your daily life! We just care about your health!"
"Care about me?"
There were still many details in the letter beyond daily life. But since Wang didn't know much, she mentioned them reluctantly and then skipped over them.
She didn't want to omit them. She just didn't know.
Realizing this, the Third Prince closed his eyes slightly. When he opened them again, there was little emotion in his eyes. He looked at Wang as if she were a stranger.
"Why did you betray me?"
The Third Prince was puzzled. Looking at her, although he knew the answer in his heart, he still couldn't help asking, "I've treated you well on weekdays. I've treated your son as my own brother. Why?"
"I didn't! I didn't, Your Highness! It must be someone who's sowing discord! I..."
Wang struggled but couldn't move. She could only keep shouting loudly.
"Shut up," the Third Prince said coldly. "If you don't say anything more, I'll just send someone to deal with you."
"Wang, the evidence is conclusive now. Don't try to argue."
The Third Prince held the letter he had just seized and another one that Song Huaizhi had sent someone to catch up with him and give him when he left.
That letter was much more straightforward. It revealed some of his secrets without any disguise.
"Your Highness the Third Prince!" Wang refused to accept it and tried to continue arguing. "I'm your wet nurse. How could I..."
"Yes, you're my wet nurse. How could you do such a thing!"
Seeing that the evidence was conclusive but Wang still wanted to argue, the Third Prince lost his patience and turned to leave.
The wet nurse, Wang, finally felt his determination and immediately cried out loudly. "Your Highness the Third Prince! Your Highness the Third Prince! My useless husband went gambling and dug a big hole in our family. If I didn't help them, they would cut off his hand!"
"Then why didn't you ask me for help?"
"I..." Actually, Wang had hidden a lot, such as the promise from a noble person. If she succeeded, her son would be given an official position and would live a life of wealth and ease from then on.
"Your Highness the Third Prince, for the sake of our past relationship, please forgive me this time!" Wang struggled even more fiercely. Her hair was disheveled and plastered on her face, looking like a fierce ghost. Her face was covered with tears and snot.
"Take her away," the Third Prince lowered his eyes, then looked at her deeply and turned around, leaving a sentence, "Don't let her make a sound."
Wang thought he had softened his heart. Her legs suddenly went weak, and she almost collapsed on the ground.
She didn't know that all that awaited her would be a perfectly arranged death from illness.
...
By the time Meng Ruyi and Song Huaizhi reached the restaurant, they were both slightly sweaty. There were fine beads of sweat on the tips of their noses, looking a bit disheveled.
"It's so hot," she couldn't help sighing and said to Song Huaizhi, "Is it also this hot in the capital? Or even hotter?"
Song Huaizhi hadn't thought about that place for a long time. Hearing this, he was slightly stunned. After thinking for a while, he continued, "I remember it should be hotter than this."
Meng Ruyi suddenly felt even hotter all over. Thinking that she might have to go to the capital next year, she was instantly speechless.
"Don't worry," Song Huaizhi saw her listless, like a little seedling wilted by the sun. He found it funny and said gently, "There's always a way to avoid the heat."
Meng Ruyi nodded perfunctorily to show that she knew.
After saying that, she picked up the cup beside her and took a sip. It was a cold plum drink, slightly sour with a sweet aftertaste, very suitable for summer.
Wait...
Suddenly, Meng Ruyi felt a flash of inspiration in her mind. Thinking of something, she couldn't help frowning and pondering.
Since when did she never have to pour water by herself when Brother Song was around?
It seemed that as long as she reached for the familiar place, there would always be a cup filled with water there.
[The Third Prince is really ruthless. He just killed his wet nurse like that.]
[No, what are you thinking, guy above? If he wasn't ruthless, what could he do? Wait for the Crown Prince's people to figure out his bottom line and then wait for death?]
[I'm so over this. I just want to see the young lovers being sweet.]
[Me too. I just want to see the young lovers being sweet.]
Meng Ruyi: "..."
All her thoughts were disrupted by the bullet - screen comments. She sighed deeply in her heart and suppressed that hint of shyness.
Before she could even catch her breath, Meng Ruyi saw the bullet - screen explode again for no apparent reason.
[I just took a look at Yunyun. She's quarreling.]
[So sad. I saw it too. It made my heart ache. Sure enough, fathers are unreliable.]
What? Zhang Yunyun was quarreling. Who was she quarreling with?
Meng Ruyi had an intuition that she might be quarreling with County Magistrate Zhang. So she was a little anxious. But then she thought that Zhang Yunyun wouldn't be harmed by her own father, so she calmed down.
She had to trust her. After all, Zhang Yunyun could handle her own affairs well. There was no need for her to worry blindly.
Song Huaizhi saw that Meng Ruyi's face looked calm, but expressions flashed across it from time to time, as if she was trying hard to hide something.
Why?
Song Huaizhi looked at her. His hand unconsciously curled up and gently tapped on the wooden table, making a very regular soft sound.
Meng Ruyi was startled by the sound beside her. She withdrew her thoughts from the previous things and subconsciously looked at Song Huaizhi.