Zheng Ziang couldn’t help but notice the person who had captured the entire room’s attention. After some inquiries, he learned that this individual was, in fact, a hostage of their Burke Star, although it remained unclear why His Majesty seemed to favor him so dearly.
Even though he had never met this person before, there was an inexplicable sense of annoyance. Perhaps it was because Han Wenwen, who was by his side, occasionally diverted her attention towards this man. Most importantly, Jiang Ling’s presence prevented him from approaching His Majesty properly, and this banquet presented a perfect opportunity that he couldn’t afford to waste.
Some ministers were discussing matters with Chu Wenyu; naturally, the king was the center of attention at this banquet. Jiang Ling, considering the influence he didn’t want to get involved in, sat in a corner, occasionally sipping red wine. However, his gaze remained fixated on Chu Wenyu, as the fluctuations in his spiritual energy were causing him additional concern.
It wasn’t until someone gently tapped his shoulder from behind that Jiang Ling reacted. He turned to see Princess Anna. Due to the formal occasion, she hadn’t brought her playful pet Nao Nao along.
Dressed in a white chiffon gown, she appeared gentle and pure, radiating a smile that seemed to convey happiness, although with a touch of restraint. Seeing the familiar face of Jiang Ling, she relaxed a bit. Due to her fragile health, she rarely attended such gatherings.
Jiang Ling politely greeted her when he turned around.
Anna glanced at Jiang Ling’s face, blushing slightly. If she hadn’t already fallen for someone, she might have found herself unexpectedly drawn to him.
She looked around, hoping to spot that person. They had quarreled a few days ago, which had left her upset enough to move into the palace ahead of time. However, after these few days, she had calmed down and heard that he would be attending the banquet on behalf of the academy. So, she was prepared to have a clear conversation with him, as the one suffering the most was her.
However, when she saw a pair of attractive young people chatting and laughing at one corner of the banquet, she froze, her body stiffening. She stared for a while, making sure she wasn’t mistaken. It was only when she saw Zheng Ziang intimately embracing the girl beside him that she was certain her eyes hadn’t deceived her.
She had thought he was just in a foul mood and hadn’t expected him to be with someone else.
Zheng Ziang also noticed her and his face suddenly turned somewhat embarrassed. Subconsciously, he wanted to let go of the girl next to him but hesitated, pondering why she was here. Han Wenwen had also noticed Anna, who had been staring at Zheng Ziang all this time, and while she wasn’t sure of her identity, her gaze was full of hostility.
Jiang Ling noticed the uneasiness of the people around him and politely asked, “Is everything okay?”
The girl’s eyes slowly welled up with tears, revealing a deep resentment. She had never expected her first romantic experience to end in failure. She had always told her mother that she wanted to choose her own love, but this was the result she had received. It seemed that seeing her tonight wouldn’t be a pleasant surprise for Zheng Ziang either.
Seeing Jiang Ling by her side, Zheng Ziang began to feel puzzled about her identity. After thinking for a moment, he approached Anna with a solemn expression and asked, “Why are you here?”
In his memory, she was just a commoner. He had only played around with her before because he found her innocence amusing. However, he had quickly distanced himself when he met the young lady from the Han family. How could she be attending such an event?
Han Wenwen, not one to be outdone, followed closely behind. Today, she was dressed in a captivating red gown, exuding a seductive allure. She cast a few glances at her love rival and approached, only to discover that the seemingly plain attire was actually crafted by a designer beyond her reach, a designer exclusively serving the royal family.
“Ziang, who is she?” Han Wenwen asked warily. Zheng Ziang was the rising star of the academy, and she couldn’t afford to let go.
“Let’s not talk for now,” he replied, then asked again, “Why are you here?”
Princess Anna felt an intense, painful heartache and couldn’t utter a word.
“Princess Anna is His Majesty’s niece. Her reason for being here should be more than sufficient than yours,” Jiang Ling calmly interjected.
As soon as Zheng Ziang heard these words, his pupils contracted, and he reflexively pulled his hand away from Han Wenwen’s grasp. He had never imagined that the person before him was actually the princess.
“Xingxing, it’s not what you think,” Zheng Ziang quickly tried to salvage the situation, even using her nickname. Between the Han family and the royal family, anyone with a hint of common sense knew which side to choose.
However, Princess Anna seemed to have lost her composure. She could only trust Jiang Ling now and spoke softly, “Jiang Ling, I don’t want to stay here…”
Meanwhile, Zheng Ziang was still frantically explaining, veins bulging on his forehead, transforming his once handsome face into something rather unsettling.
Jiang Ling glanced over at Chu Wenyu, confirming that the steward was following him closely and he appeared normal. With a nod, he said, “I’ll take you back to rest.” Since she was the villain’s niece, he couldn’t just ignore the situation.
Jiang Ling politely shielded Princess Anna and hastened his steps to escort her back to her palace.
Zheng Ziang, on the other hand, couldn’t afford to be choosy and hurried to catch up. For him, this was the safest route to advancement. Han Wenwen stood still with a vacant look in her eyes, feeling like a complete joke. She was a decisive person and immediately left the banquet, deciding to report to her father and cut off ties with the Zheng family for good.
With numerous guests at the banquet and Zheng Ziang’s unfamiliarity with the palace layout, he lost track of them shortly and had to rely on instinct to navigate within the palace.
Princess Anna’s residence was not close by, and Jiang Ling took some time to escort her back. The girl’s emotions were in turmoil, her eyes swollen from crying, and she sat silently on the couch, tears still flowing silently.
Because he was concerned about Chu Wenyu, Jiang Ling wanted to leave, but it would be too heartless at this moment. After some thought, he resorted to offering a few cliche words of comfort.
“He’s not worthy of you; consider it a lesson learned.”
“There are plenty of outstanding Alphas in the world; you don’t have to tie yourself to one tree.”
These were lines he had seen his friends use while consoling the heroines in TV dramas. However, after saying them, he didn’t know what else to add and stood there for a while.
Princess Anna’s mind was in chaos, but she could only hear Jiang Ling’s soothing voice, like a healing spring, even if the words sounded outdated.
“Well, I’ll think it through on my own. Your Highness, please go back now.” Despite feeling deeply saddened, her upbringing prevented her from burdening someone who meant well.
Jiang Ling’s mind was preoccupied with other matters, so he didn’t continue comforting her and returned the way he came.
Upon reentering the banquet, he looked around for Chu Wenyu but couldn’t find him anywhere. However, he did spot the steward.
Jiang Ling quickly approached him and asked, “Where did His Majesty go?” He had an ominous feeling.
The steward hadn’t realized anything wrong and replied, “His Majesty went out alone a while ago, leaving me in charge of handling the banquet affairs.”
“Did anything seem off about His Majesty at that time?” Jiang Ling asked anxiously.
After a brief recollection, the steward said, “It didn’t seem like it, but His Majesty did look for the Prince.”
Could it be that he went out to look for him?
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ling furrowed his brow in frustration. He should have arranged for someone to accompany Princess Anna back earlier. Regret was useless now, so he followed the rough direction the steward indicated and left the banquet hall.
The palace was vast, with complex architecture, and Jiang Ling had no precise direction, so he had to rely on blind searching. When he reached the vicinity of the garden, he felt that something was amiss.
Following his intuition, he entered the garden and finally spotted a dark figure next to the fountain, with translucent white fingers hanging beside him.
The lights here seemed to be malfunctioning, and it was now dimly lit. Jiang Ling even began to suspect that it might have been caused by Chu Wenyu.
He could sense a spiritual energy fluctuation in the air, as if the aftermath of a great battle lingered, and its owner lay weakly in a wheelchair, his consciousness muddled. It was hard to believe this frail figure was the same as the infamous and ruthless monarch of legends.
Jiang Ling understood he had arrived a tad too late, but he still felt the desperate plea in Chu Wenyu’s weakened spiritual energy, pitiable like a sickly kitten.
The scene before him was far more terrifying than his confrontation with Zheng Ziang during the tournament, and if he had come during Chu Wenyu’s outburst, it would have been even more horrifying. Yet, he’d prefer to be by his side at that moment.
Seeing the person in the wheelchair, Jiang Ling’s heart trembled, making it hard to breathe. He gently extended his own spiritual energy to make contact with Chu Wenyu, but the other remained vigilant, resisting even in his weakened state.
Each step toward Chu Wenyu was a struggle for Jiang Ling. It seemed that the unconscious Chu Wenyu couldn’t distinguish friend from foe.
However, despite his weakened state, Chu Wenyu’s spiritual energy remained unyielding. Jiang Ling noticed that any attempt to touch him was swiftly devoured.
After Chu Wenyu consumed a large portion of Jiang Ling’s spiritual energy, he felt the resistance gradually quieting down, tentatively reaching out to accept him.
Now, Jiang Ling had reached Chu Wenyu’s side, and a silver mask had fallen onto his collar, likely during the struggle.
His skin was as pale as snow, and his lips were a rosy red, resembling a vampire from ancient legends. His face, which he had been reluctant to reveal, was now fully exposed. A large red birthmark adorned his left forehead, even extending over his eyebrow, with pale, fine hairs reminiscent of a baby’s, contrasting starkly with his white skin. At first glance, it appeared eerie and terrifying.
The delicate skin there stained the beauty of his face and added a touch of cruelty to his icy demeanor. Yet, in Jiang Ling’s eyes, even the wrath of a tyrant didn’t seem frightening; it was even somewhat endearing.
After all, a fierce little kitten meant no harm.
“Your Majesty, relax,” Jiang Ling said, placing his hands on Chu Wenyu’s shoulders and guiding the exhausted spiritual energy back to his mind, like soothing a ferocious beast.
Chu Wenyu’s spiritual energy was both potent and fierce, almost overpowering at times. However, perhaps due to their previous encounter, Jiang Ling managed to coax it back to calmness, though not without some effort.
The person in the wheelchair remained unconscious, unaware of the secret Jiang Ling had uncovered.
Jiang Ling gazed at his face, meticulously etching the birthmark into his memory; it was a part of Chu Wenyu, one he cherished. There was no need to hide it, for what Chu Wenyu didn’t know was that whenever their eyes met, Jiang Ling couldn’t help but feel his heart race.
His throat bobbed as he gently planted a kiss on the villain’s birthmark, tender and affectionate.
In the distance, the voices of a group of people could be heard, with the leader’s voice resembling that of the steward. Chu Wenyu’s eyelashes trembled, as if he was about to wake up. Jiang Ling understood that one day, he would have to explain the details of his spiritual energy to Chu Wenyu, but with the voices growing nearer, now was clearly not the time.
Jiang Ling decided to help Chu Wenyu put on the mask. The silky, cold sensation on his hands softened his heart, and then he swiftly concealed himself in the nearest thicket of grass.
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
