478 Pay for these tears
Xiaoming, after having a conversation with his sister, asked her to take a good rest. He hugged Jingfei and patted her head. They withdrew and Xiaoming asked Jingfei’s personal attendant to make sure that Jingfei had her dinner.
As he came out of the chamber, he saw Shi Rang.
“Your Royal Highness, the Third Prince is back in his chamber,” he informed the Crown Prince. Xiaoming hurriedly went to meet Tianjie.
Xiaoming walked in and saw Tianjie removing his overcoat, which the maidservant took from him and left.
“Forgive me, Brother Tianjie. I had no intention to hurt you,” Xiaoming apologized.
Tianjie turned to look. He was still upset with Xiaoming. He didn’t understand the love he carried for Song Jia. “The Crown Prince should not have come here,” Tianjie said. “About the apology, he should not ask for forgiveness as he is the Crown Prince,” he opined.
“I was angry, Brother Tianjie. My sister is supposed to marry Li Jianjun tomorrow. If Xu Zifan had not told me Jianjun’s true intentions, then Jingfei would have been married to him. I am sorry for her actions against Brother Tianjie. I am truly apologetic to find out that Sister Jingfei humiliated Brother Tianjie.”
Xiaoming tried his best to calm down Tianjie’s anger. In the heat of the moment, he ended up saying those things which he should not have.
“I respect Song Jia as much as I respect the other women. I will be happy only if Brother Tianjie marries her and brings her to the palace,” Xiaoming said with a tiny smile on his lips.
.....
Tianjie calmed down a bit. He realized that he also got selfish for Song Jia and thought to keep the fact hidden for her safety. However, he didn’t turn a blind eye to it.
“I had warned Jianjun not to ever do that, but I didn’t know he would not stop. I was at fault too. Forgive me too, Your Royal Highness,” Tianjie said and lowered his head.
“I already forgave Brother Tianjie. I hope he also forgives me,” Xiaoming said, “and my sister too.”
“I have also forgiven the Crown Prince and Sister Jingfei. I should have been careful of my words,” Tianjie said. Xiaoming was delighted to hear that and asked Tianjie to tell him if he needed any help.
Xiaoming returned to his manor. He asked Sun Fuguo if the Crown Princess was inside or in her chamber.
“She has been here, waiting for His Royal Highness,” Sun Fuguo replied.
“Send the dinner for us,” Xiaoming told Sun Fuguo and walked inside the chamber.
Upon seeing the Crown Prince, Jin Yu promptly rose to her feet and asked him if everything went well. Xiaoming told her everything and told her that Jingfei believed Xu Zifan’s words.
“I am happy that Princess Jingfei believed in Xu Zifan. However, I am worried for her. Will she be able to expose Li Jianjun without falling weak?
“Jingfei told me that she wanted to do it. I told her that she would get hurt and that we should tell this to our father. However, she thinks that Xu Zifan and Feng Lao’s life may come in danger,” Xiaoming affirmed.
“That’s right too. Li Jianjun is insane. Who knows what he will do tonight if he is suddenly exposed?” She frowned when Sun Fuguo interrupted their conversation.
“The dinner is here, Your Royal Highness.”
Both Xiaoming and Jin Yu stopped their conversation. They sat around the floor table for dinner. When the maidservant set the table, Sun Fuguo asked her to follow him.
The doors got closed and they began eating. Jin Yu told Xiaoming to eat properly.
“I wonder if Jingfei is taking her meals or not,” Xiaoming said.
“I do not think that she will have dinner. She needs alone time. She may get annoyed if we keep asking her,” Jin Yu suggested to Xiaoming. He agreed with her words.
“Father will scold me for not telling him such a big truth. I am in a dilemma,” Xiaoming expressed his worries. “I may also get punished tomorrow for not revealing it earlier and letting Jingfei wear the wedding dress,” he added.
“Then, does the Crown Prince want to tell His Majesty?” Jin Yu inquired as she put the chopsticks down.
“No. I want you not to speak up if I get punished, Jin Yu,” Xiaoming said with a menacing look.
“I cannot see you being punished for no reason,” Jin Yu asserted.
“The reason will be hiding the truth. Jingfei hardly asks me things. So, I did not refuse her and let her handle tomorrow’s matter in her own way. Do not be upset if I get punished,” Xiaoming urged. Jin Yu nodded her head.
~~~~~~~
Jingfei looked at herself in the mirror. Tears trailed down her cheeks. She built trust in Li Jianjun and even dreamt of a better life with him. Her eyes fell on the portrait that Jianjun had gifted her in the morning.
“Did he even make it or was it a lie too?” She murmured. Her nose had turned red when her personal attendant came inside and asked her to have dinner.
“I do not want to,” Jingfei furiously said.
“His Royal Highness will punish us if the First Princess does not take her meals,” she said concernedly.
“Brother will not find out. Leave me alone,” Jingfei said in a low voice. She didn’t feel this way even at the moment Huang Xi told her that he hated her. This betrayal was something that was unimaginable to her.
Li Jianjun acted so well to her. But behind her back, he wanted to see other women too. She did nothing wrong to him. However, he saw her as a golden egg-laying chicken who would benefit him throughout his life while he would have fun with the other women.
Bringing her hands to her eyes, she again wiped the tears. “He has to pay for these tears tomorrow,” she mumbled and sniffled at the same time.