Jiang Ling hesitated, stopping at the front of Chu Wenyu’s palace, and sat down on a nearby bench, his mind still in a daze.
He was both confused by Princess Anna’s confession and by Chu Wenyu’s deception.
After politely yet firmly rejecting Princess Anna’s feelings, Jiang Ling stuffed his phone into his pocket, unable to bear revisiting the chat records.
No wonder that day he felt something odd about Chu Wenyu’s aura. It turned out Princess Anna wasn’t leaving the palace due to an urgent matter at home; she was ‘invited’ to leave.
The gloomy yet sly expression, the extremely skilled spontaneous lies – that day’s impression of Chu Wenyu deepened in Jiang Ling’s mind.
Jiang Ling couldn’t quite put into words what he was feeling. Chu Wenyu’s reaction after learning about Anna’s apparent affection was understandable, but there was no need to deceive him. If Chu Wenyu was willing to trust him, he could have just said it directly, considering they barely had any contact. There shouldn’t be any problems.
More importantly, he sensed that Chu Wenyu was gradually isolating him from everyone else, making others seemingly disappear from his view without notice. And this didn’t seem accidental.
He felt like prey caught in a spider’s web, slowly entangled and suffocating. Now, he felt like he couldn’t breathe.
Jiang Ling looked at the elegant and cold building not far away, inexplicably blending with the image of its owner, as if it were watching him.
He stood up, sighed, his eyes showing a mix of yearning and weariness.
He hoped he was wrong, that all of this was just his speculation.
After composing himself, Jiang Ling slowly walked towards the palace.
Surely, his speculations were wrong. Chu Wenyu, who was now intimately close to him, didn’t match the tyrant described in books. At least, he knew how to respect him. Otherwise, when he made Chu Wenyu unhappy, he would have been forcibly confined, not freely entering and leaving the palace as he did today, celebrating with his guard. And there was no resistance whatsoever.
Inside the palace, he saw Chu Wenyu sitting by the window, occasionally looking outside, as if he had been sitting here for a long time.
Hearing the movement, he immediately turned around, the gaze looking as if he had been waiting for Jiang Ling for a long time.
Jiang Ling paid more attention to Chu Wenyu’s expressions than on any other ordinary day, as if seeking confirmation for something, afraid of seeing an expression he didn’t anticipate.
But everything was natural, and Chu Wenyu even smiled at him.
Jiang Ling breathed a sigh of relief; he wasn’t as nervous now.
He sat down beside Chu Wenyu, with a good view of the greenery outside the window, the air fresh and clean.
“Has Your Majesty been sitting here for a long time?” Jiang Ling asked, rising to massage his slightly stiff shoulders.
Chu Wenyu nodded, “You took a while to return, and everything seemed uninteresting without you.” With that, he immersed himself in Jiang Ling’s massage, closing his eyes.
Hearing this, Jiang Ling’s heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, Chu Wenyu’s tone and demeanor were natural and normal. There was no sign of anything abnormal; it seemed like a casual remark.
Still, Jiang Ling proceeded cautiously, “Your Majesty, in the future, you might try more interesting activities. For example, I recently saw ancient Go in a drama, and it seemed quite fascinating.”
In reality, as a monarch, Chu Wenyu shouldn’t have much free time. However, for some reason, Jiang Ling strangely discovered that most of the time Chu Wenyu spent with him seemed aimless, as if he had nothing to do.
Then let’s encourage him to develop some hobbies. Jiang Ling didn’t want to see Chu Wenyu sitting in a corner all lonely again. He hoped this guy could gradually shake off the negative impact of his childhood and become a fulfilled adult.
“I find it boring,” Chu Wenyu, as if sensing Jiang Ling giving him some personal space, suddenly looked up and said.
“If you don’t like ancient Go, you can try something else,” Jiang Ling frowned, contemplating.
He realized that, despite being here for quite a while, Chu Wenyu didn’t seem to have any other hobbies. When not dealing with state affairs, he could just sit there for an entire afternoon.
“Never mind, let’s not talk about this. Did you meet that little guard of yours?” Chu Wenyu pursed his lips and asked.
“Yeah,” Jiang Ling nodded as he looked at Chu Wenyu.
Then he saw a faint smile appear on Chu Wenyu’s face. “That’s good.”
Seemed like he was genuinely happy.
Jiang Ling smiled too, thinking it was just his imagination. If Princess Anna said something in front of Chu Wenyu, making him unhappy, it was normal, even if it wasn’t his intention.
“That little guard, I remember he’s only about fifteen or sixteen, right? You must really care about him for being so concerned,” Chu Wenyu surprisingly asked a couple of questions with genuine interest.
Worried that Chu Wenyu might misunderstand, Jiang Ling patiently explained Anji and the original owner’s situation, emphasizing that there couldn’t be any other relationship between them. Anji was just a kid who often tagged along with his pretty sister.
“I know, no need to explain so much,” Chu Wenyu chuckled.
But what he said next seemed to have been brewing in his mind for a while. He spoke decisively yet calmly, “A half-grown kid being away from Charles for so long might be missing home, right? Since it’s his birthday, I can help arrange for a military unit to quietly send him back to Charles safely, let him have his own life. What do you think?” Chu Wenyu looked at the Alpha, his tone casual.
If it wasn’t for knowing the significance of that little guard in Jiang Ling’s heart, he wouldn’t bother dealing with it discreetly.
Jiang Ling momentarily froze. He looked at the person in front of him, who seemed completely calm, even serene. But he felt like his throat was being squeezed, unable to utter a word, a chilling sensation creeping over him.
The earlier suspicion suddenly turned into reality. His beloved was slowly devouring the space he could breathe, and in a way he never expected.
No anger, no outburst of emotions, making him think calm Chu Wenyu was different from the villain in the book.
Now, it seems, the means to achieve one’s goals might be the same.
“Thanks for your concern, Your Majesty. Anji might indeed be a bit homesick,” Jiang Ling forced a smile. He couldn’t ignore the feeling now.
But what Chu Wenyu said was indeed correct. If possible, Anji returning to Charles had no downsides, even if it wasn’t because Chu Wenyu genuinely cared about him.
“Since you agree, I’ll give the order,” Chu Wenyu curled his lips, still oblivious to Alpha’s unease.
Jiang Ling nodded and turned towards the sofa, sinking into the soft cushions. His mind was in turmoil, feeling a sense of vexation and confusion.
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)
