Thank you to Crystal for the ko-fi~
Hua Chengyun is currently in a state of “I won’t listen, I won’t listen to your explanation, and I won’t listen at all.” His inner turmoil is raging, but on the surface, he has to pretend to be a gentle, generous, and understanding young master.
Damn it.
Zong Yuan, whether truly unaware or pretending, seems oblivious to Hua Chengyun’s plan to turn the situation to his advantage, just like his soaked clothes. The only thing that brings him joy is Zong Yuan’s avoiding gaze. Zong Yuan slightly embarrassedly says, “Never had.”
Damn!
Is this man shy?
When such a charming, handsome, and tall man becomes shy, his charisma instantly doubles!
Hua Chengyun, feeling the momentum in his favor, also somewhat shyly says, “Me neither.”
One is pretending to be shy, and the other is playing with mischievous intentions.
—
They maintain a steady pace, passing through a bustling town the next afternoon named Baihua Town. As they enter the city gates, they are greeted by the fresh and sweet fragrance of flowers. The roads are lined with various blooming flowers, and people in the town, due to the contemporary open-minded culture, come out in groups to appreciate the flowers. Locals, both men and women, have a colorful flower adorning their heads.
A group of monks stands out among the colorful flowers, and a mischievous child hands a flower to Zong Yuan, smiling innocently, “Big brother, can you wear this flower on your head?”
Little rascal.
With a head full of green stubble, Zong Yuan takes the flower. He knocks on the small window of the carriage, and in the next moment, a head pops out. Following Hua Chengyun’s strands of hair, Zong Yuan gracefully places the vibrant little flower, earnestly admiring it, “Not bad.”
Hua Chengyun’s ear tips turned slightly red. He smiled, tossing a small piece of silver to the chatty little rascal standing next to Zong Yuan. “Take it, kid. It’s a reward from me.”
The little rascal, holding the silver, widened his eyes and, in the next moment, fearing it would be snatched away, quickly ran back home.
The town was relatively large, and naturally, there were many inns. The pleasant atmosphere of the small city led everyone to a unanimous decision to stay there for the night and resume their journey the next morning.
The monks had no money, and although Hua Chengyun was wealthy, Ming Jue’s group would not accept his gifts without reason.
They found an inn that was a bit off the main street. The inn wasn’t large, but it had a fair number of people, and they happened to be out of available rooms.
With six people at their party, they naturally took two rooms, with each pair sharing one. Initially, Ming Jue and Ming Xin thought that Hua Chengyun wouldn’t want to stay with them and would likely pay for a more upscale room. However, to their surprise, as soon as they heard it was two people per room, their eyes lit up, and they stuck close to Zong Yuan, being unusually affectionate.
In the inn, there were only two waiters. The meals, while not exquisite, included soup and meat, far better than camping in the wild. Zong Yuan, due to his hairstyle, didn’t feel comfortable ordering too much meat in front of the monks, so he spoke under the appreciative gazes of the others, “Let’s go with some vegetarian dishes.”
Hua Chengyun, with his characteristic warmth, hurriedly added, “Also, send some meat dishes to my room. I can’t go fully vegetarian with these monks.”
The waiter took note of the order, “Alright, please wait, sir!”
Zong Yuan gave him a thumbs-up under the table.
Good wife, that’s the way to go!
In the dining hall, six tables were fully occupied, creating a noisy atmosphere with a continuous chorus of “Waiter, waiter, waiter…” The group of monks felt a bit overwhelmed.
Ming Xin whispered, “The guest next to us, why does he have to call the waiter even for a glass of water?”
The water pitcher and blanket were right in front of him; this person seemed exceptionally lazy. Spending a day at their Dabao Monastery would probably leave him too exhausted to even eat!
“It’s mealtime now. Once this rush is over, it’ll be fine,” Zong Yuan said, “There are a thousand people in the world, and each has their own personality.”
“Oh,” Ming Xin sighed, her expression full of pure confusion, “I’ve always heard ‘all sentient beings are equal, and all things have spirits,’ so why is there still a distinction between high and low, noble and common among people?”
The waiter brought a large bucket of rice, “Here’s your meal, sir. Please enjoy!”
As the group was still pondering how to phrase their thoughts, Hua Chengyun suggested, “I’ll serve the rice first. However, Ming Xin, if you have this question, why not consult Master Ming Jue alone? Master Ming Jue is also a high monk of Dabao Monastery, and his age surpasses ours. He will surely provide you with a satisfactory answer.”
The bald head is not very talkative, isn’t it? Let’s see how you handle it this time! Hua Chengyun adjusted the flower on his hair and smiled at Ming Jue, “I believe you’d be willing, right?”
Ming Jue glanced somewhat reluctantly at Zong Yuan, “The humble monk is willing, but…”
“Ha-ha-ha, do you know what I overheard at Baihua Tower just now?” a vigorous voice suddenly rang out as a plain-dressed, slightly overweight middle-aged man laughed his way into the hotel. “The innkeepers at Baijia must be getting all cautious, but Old Jia doesn’t need to worry!”
The two waiters greeted in unison, “Welcome back, innkeeper.”
As the innkeeper walked to the counter, his voice was exceptionally loud, “They say a distinguished guest will arrive in Baihua City these two days, and we should be attentive in welcoming them. If we encounter such a guest, report to Baihua Tower immediately. I say, Baihua Tower, Yuan’an Tower, and Yue’an Tower should be on high alert themselves. Which distinguished person would want to rest in our small inn?”
Someone with interest asked, “Did they mention who the distinguished guest is?”
The innkeeper puffed up his chest, seemingly incredulous himself, “They said it’s the current Third Prince, ha-ha-ha! Even if such a divine figure were to come to Baihua City, they would never stay at my humble inn.”
“Third Prince! A prince!”
“Even if I haven’t been to the capital, I’ve heard rumors about the Third Prince. He’s a charismatic and talented person!”
“So, our Baihua City is truly fortunate to welcome a distinguished guest? No wonder the Baihua Festival was rescheduled half a month early!”
Hua Chengyun felt a bead of sweat on his forehead.
He couldn’t confess the truth to Zong Yuan last night, so now, with the guards actually lingering in Baihua City, this small town might recognize them in just a few hours.
Making a quick decision, he pulled at Zong Yuan’s sleeve, “A’Yuan, I’m feeling a bit unwell. Can you accompany me to have a meal in the room?”
Zong Yuan instructed the waiters to bring their food upstairs and caressed Hua Chengyun’s arm, “Why is Chenghua suddenly uncomfortable?”
Stammering like a novice liar, Hua Chengyun said, “Maybe it’s a stomachache from something I ate.”
His pitiful expression was on full display, and even though Zong Yuan knew he was pretending, there was nothing he could do. The waiter followed them into the room, and on the table inside were three steaming dishes of meat and vegetables. The waiter attentively said, “Master, if you can’t eat meat, shall I have the kitchen prepare some vegetarian dishes for you?”
Zong Yuan declined, “I just need rice.”
After the waiter left, the room was left with just the two of them. Zong Yuan opened the room’s window to look outside. A group of guards dressed in protective clothing was going from house to house inquiring. Although they looked tired, their demeanor wasn’t listless. Both their attentive service and detailed questioning methods were unlike the ordinary guards of a household.
Moreover, not far from them was a group of local officials, with the one at the front wearing a panicked expression probably being the highest-ranking local official.
Zong Yuan closed the window, shutting out the noisy sounds outside. Hua Chengyun still remembered the incident with his hungry stomach, so he served Zong Yuan a large bowl of rice, nearly emptying half of the small wooden bucket. He sat at the table and called to Zong Yuan, “A’Yuan, come and eat.”
Zong Yuan sat down, and even the chopsticks were placed on the side convenient for him to use. Zong Yuan took the hot tea poured by Hua Chengyun and said, “Chenghua, you seem a bit uneasy.”
Hua Chengyun lowered his eyelashes, resembling a fluttering butterfly. “A’Yuan, you said before that you don’t like being deceived.”
“That’s right,” Zong Yuan said candidly. “But if there are difficulties that are hard to express, I can understand.”
Hua Chengyun suddenly looked up at him, his eyes flashing, but then, the hopeful expression on his face gradually faded away.
What difficulties to express? Hua Chengyun’s difficulties, probably trying to pretend to be an ordinary person to entice Zong Yuan?
Too shameful…
He was the dignified Third Prince…
The one showered with affection…
Hua Chengyun’s voice was like a mosquito, “I wanted to entice you…”
Zong Yuan, with excellent hearing, furrowed his brows. “What?”
Hua Chengyun raised his voice a bit, “I fell in love with you at first sight, but I was afraid that because of identity issues, you would keep me at a distance.”
Zong Yuan’s lips curled up, but Hua Chengyun was immersed in nervous and hesitant emotions, completely unaware of this subtle change. Zong Yuan asked knowingly, “What identity are you talking about?”
Hua Chengyun gritted his teeth, “I am the current Third Prince’s attendant!”
Zong Yuan: “…”
0046: “…”
Suddenly, 0046 understood that playing with fire also required one to be close to the flame.
Zong Yuan’s smile stiffened for a moment, then returned to normal. He tapped the tabletop with his fingers, each tap echoing in Hua Chengyun’s heart. “The Third Prince’s attendant?”
The three words “attendant” were pronounced very slowly, carrying profound meaning.
Since Hua Chengyun had spoken out, there was no room for him to backpedal now. He decided to confirm his words without hesitation, “The Third Prince is moody and cold, while I am gentle and amiable. The Third Prince is naturally delicate, but I endure hardship. The Third Prince is unpredictable, while I am rational and clever. The Third Prince easily tires of things, while I am… and I am devoted to you!”
Before he could continue, Zong Yuan interrupted him. His expression complex, Zong Yuan advised, “Give yourself a way out.”
He told him to give himself a way out!
Why did he say that?! Hua Chengyun was shocked, and his voice unconsciously increased, “I don’t need to leave myself a way out! I am not the Third Prince. If I can’t speak my mind with you, then who else can I talk to?”
Zong Yuan sighed softly.
His excellent hearing had already caught some sounds.
Someone forcefully kicked open the door, scolding angrily, “Who dares to speak ill of my Third Prince?”
The next moment, the tone of the voice turned fearful and surprised, “Th-third, Third Highness?!”
Hua Chengyun: “…”
Live scene of getting called out online.
Author’s note:
Hua Chengyun (with a black face): Since that’s the case, then I’ll just cry, cry, cry.
Haha, three worlds are in for a treat!
