CH 52

Ming Zhu pretended not to notice his cold scrutiny as her beautiful eyes couldn’t help but look out the window. Everywhere on the street she saw lanterns of all colors hanging and linked together, it looked really beautiful.

Thinking she was looking at Song Huaicheng, Zhao Zhi’s wrist tightened up a bit, which made his hold on her waist a bit painful.

Ming Zhu came back to her senses, as a warm and soft voice said in her ears, “Don’t randomly look around.”

She didn’t.

Instead, it was the man sitting across from her who was staring at her with a gaze harboring ill intentions.

In her presence, the three men started talking about political matters while Ming Zhu felt as if she was sitting on pins and needles. She gently tugged on his fingertips.

Zhao Zhi turned his head and spoke to her in a whisper, “What’s wrong?”

Ming Zhu whispered, “I want to get some fresh air.”

“Go ahead.”

Ming Zhu hurriedly escaped from Zhao Zhi’s arms and opened the window by half. The night wind blew in her hair and lifted the veil along with her hair, revealing the delicate profile of her small face.

Looked at the profile of her face, Sheng Wenlin’s gaze twitched and he was suddenly in a daze.

He quickly snapped back to his senses and, picking up the cup of wine with his hand, took two light sips.

Zhao Zhi didn’t stay for long, he really didn’t like Ming Zhu to be exposed to the gaze of others, and didn’t like her focusing on others even more, so he took his leave very quickly and went out again with the person.

On the way back, Zhao Zhi bought a cute rabbit lantern for Ming Zhu, which cost a few silver coins.

Ming Zhu held the lantern, without saying whether or not she liked it.

That night, behind the bed curtains, there were some fierce winds and rains. Ming Zhu’s face was flushed, her small white face was like the spring tide carrying rain, as the voice leaking out of her throat became weaker and weaker.

(TL’s note : fierce winds and rains means, well, papapa >.>)

Zhao Zhi, still concerned about the injury on her knees, didn’t push her too hard.

Before falling asleep, Ming Zhu lifted her heavy eyelids and asked in a whisper, “Your Highness, at what time will you return from Changtai mountain tomorrow?”

Zhao Zhi kissed her face and, as he looked at her wet eyes, he felt a little guilty in his heart. Pursing the corners of his mouth, he said, “Maybe I won’t be able to come back in time.”

Ming Zhu held back her delight, “Oh, okay.”

Tomorrow, as soon as he leaves, she would also flee to Jiangnan to go and live her own good and comfortable life.

Zhao Zhi interpreted her question as her trying to make him stay. He silently thought, tomorrow he would definitely come back as soon as possible to celebrate the festival with her.

(19.1)

The next day before dawn, Zhao Zhi got up from bed and dressed carefully. Looking particularly elegant and neat, his appearance was extremely outstanding.

The little maidservants in the courtyard of the fifth miss Ming couldn’t help but blush and take two more glances at him, the crown prince was really too good-looking.

Zhao Zhi left along with his personal guards, carrying swords on their belts, and only left behind a few guards who were to keep watch outside the Ming residence.

It wasn’t to monitor her, but it was just out of concern in case anything happened, so that there would be someone able to protect her from any harm.

Ming Zhu woke up with a headache, she had slept a little longer than usual. Sitting up, she felt her waist was sore as if it was broken, her legs kept wobbling after she got out of bed, and it took a while before she could stand up firmly.

Biying walked in with newly made clothes. Ming Zhu took a look at the clothes, “It’s better to wear something simple today.”

Biying was a bit puzzled, “But doesn’t miss intend to go out for the festival this evening?”

The Lantern festival always was the occasion for many unmarried men and women to secretly meet. Girls as beautiful as flowers would all be prettily dressed up on this day and if they saw a man they liked on the street, they would even be bold enough to go up and talk to them.

Although the crown prince had gone to Changtai mountain for offer sacrifices today, but he should most likely be able to come back from there before dark to enjoy the festival with the miss.

Biying said, “The material of this dress is lightweight and breathable, it flows along with the wind, if you wear it you will definitely look very good in it, like a little fairy.”

Ming Zhu smiled, “Then I’ll change into it this evening.”

Biying nodded her head in response.

Ming Zhu pretended to ask casually, “Biying, at what time did the crown prince leave?”

“He left when it was still dark outside.”

“Hmm.” Ming Zhu relaxed, picked up a cup of water and gently took a sip. After a moment of silence, she asked again, “Isn’t it almost the crown prince’s birthday in a couple of days?”

Biying’s face glowed with joy, she didn’t expect miss Ming Zhu to be so thoughtful and keep His Highness’s birthday in mind. She smiled and said, “Yes, it’s less than a month away.”

Of course Ming Zhu remembered Zhao Zhi’s birthday. In her previous life, she always used to prepare a birthday gift for him every year with her own hands. But Zhao Zhi every year would always celebrate his birthday in the palace before coming over later, that was why many of her gifts ended up being smashed by her own hands.

She lowered her face, pretending to be shy, “I ordered a custom-made glass colored hairpin in the jewelry store a few days ago, can you go fetch it for me this afternoon?”

Biying nodded, “Mmh, alright.”

Ming Zhu was deliberately distracting Biying by sending her away on a mission, so that later when she returns and finds out she is missing, it would already be too late to find her even if she dispatches people to look for her.

As for Biying, she never could have imagined that Ming Zhu still had the mind to escape. In her opinion, the way His Highness was treating miss Ming Zhu was already very good.