“Ah, we thought it was something serious, but it turns out to be just a small matter.”
“Young Master Ji, if you want this private room, just take it. We’ve already finished eating anyway. Giving it to you is no trouble at all.”
“Exactly. Since you’ve asked, we’re more than happy to offer it. It’s an honor to be of help to you, Young Master Ji. How could we possibly expect you to pay for our meal? That would be too much.”
As soon as the scholars realized Ji Yuanyi simply wanted the private room, they agreed with smiles. They had nearly finished dining, and now the literary celebrity himself had made a personal request—they naturally welcomed the chance to leave a good impression on Ji Yuanyi. For examinees preparing for the imperial exams, this was a rare opportunity.
“In that case, thank you all very much.” Ji Yuanyi smiled and cupped his hands in gratitude.
“You’re too polite, Young Master Ji.” The group hastily returned the gesture. Just then, one of the students caught sight of two waiters coming upstairs and immediately called out, “Hey, waiter, come clean up the private room for Young Master Ji. Hurry up!”
The two who had just come upstairs were none other than Qin Yan and the same waiter who had earlier received Xiao Wanyu’s party. Seeing that no conflict had arisen, the waiter felt a great weight lift off his chest and quickly replied with a yes.
But the moment Qin Yan saw the group, his pupils shrank. He had just spotted a familiar figure among them—Princess Changning, Xiao Wanyu.
When he saw Xiao Wanyu, his gaze instinctively landed on the man beside her. With just one glance, Qin Yan instantly recognized him. It was Ji Yuanyi—Xiao Wanyu’s so-called white moonlight.
Qin Yan could recognize Ji Yuanyi at a glance because their facial features were remarkably similar—five or six parts alike. Moreover, Qin Yan had seen portraits of Ji Yuanyi in Xiao Wanyu’s study on several occasions. So although they had never met, he immediately knew who the man was.
At the moment Qin Yan spotted Xiao Wanyu, she happened to be looking at him too. The instant her eyes met his, her pupils dilated in shock. Clearly, she recognized him as well and was surprised to see him here. You are reading on novelping dot com, the official source.
“Qin Yan, why are you here?” Xiao Wanyu walked toward him without hesitation. When she got close enough to confirm it was indeed him, her brows immediately furrowed. She stared directly at him and asked, “Qin Yan?”
Hearing Xiao Wanyu call out Qin Yan’s name, Ji Yuanyi’s heart gave a violent thump. He knew that name very well—Qin Yan was Xiao Wanyu’s former Prince Consort. And for the three years he had been away from the Capital, it had been this man who accompanied her.
Ji Yuanyi knew Qin Yan had been chosen as his replacement. Though they were husband and wife in name, there was no real relationship between them. Still, even knowing this, Ji Yuanyi couldn’t suppress the surge of hostility and anger that rose in his heart when he saw Qin Yan.
“Princess, do you know him?” Ji Yuanyi stepped forward, standing beside Xiao Wanyu, and swept a scornful glance over Qin Yan before turning to Xiao Wanyu and asking in a deliberately polite tone.
“He’s hostile toward me?” Qin Yan frowned slightly. Even though it was just a fleeting glance, he had noticed Ji Yuanyi’s animosity. He couldn’t help raising a brow in confusion—why was this man showing hostility toward him? Was he jealous? Was that even necessary?
“Princess?”
“Young Master Ji, you called her Princess—could it be that she is… Princess Changning?”
“What? Princess Changning? His Majesty’s most favored daughter?”
“We pay our respects, Your Highness.”
The moment Ji Yuanyi called her ‘Princess,’ the students quickly realized the woman beside him was none other than Princess Changning. Everyone in the Capital knew the gossip about Ji Yuanyi and Princess Changning. And recently, news of her divorce from Prince Consort Qin Yan had spread through every street and alley.
The reason for the divorce was something everyone tacitly understood—Princess Changning had only agreed to the separation because Ji Yuanyi had returned to the Capital. So, seeing the two dining together now felt completely natural to everyone. Find the original chapter at g.com.
Xiao Wanyu ignored the greetings from the crowd and instead turned to Ji Yuanyi after hearing his question.
“Brother Yuanyi, this is Qin Yan—you already know that.” Xiao Wanyu didn’t hide anything and directly told Ji Yuanyi who Qin Yan was. Ji Yuanyi, of course, already knew.
“So, you’re Young Master Qin. I’ve long heard of your name.” Ji Yuanyi put on a courteous demeanor and continued, “These years, I must thank you for taking care of the Princess. I’ve been meaning to find a chance to express my gratitude properly. I didn’t expect to meet you here today. But tell me—what are you doing here dressed like this?”
Ji Yuanyi appeared every bit the refined gentleman as he addressed Qin Yan politely. But the moment he saw the waiter’s uniform on Qin Yan, his eyes gleamed with amusement, and he feigned curiosity.
“Indeed, Qin Yan, why are you here? And why are you dressed like this?” Xiao Wanyu echoed his tone with a hint of disdain and asked.
“He’s Qin Yan? Then he must be the Princess Changning’s former Prince Consort?”
“That’s right. Her previous Prince Consort was indeed named Qin Yan. Looks like it’s him. But why is he dressed like this? Could he be working here as a waiter?”
“No way. A former Prince Consort reduced to a waiter? That’s just too unbelievable.”
“What’s so strange about that? I heard Qin Yan was just a stand-in from the beginning. Now that Young Master Ji is back in the Capital, what use is a substitute? He was always just a sparrow that got lucky. Now that his fortune has run out, it’s only natural for him to return to his original form. Becoming a waiter isn’t surprising at all.”
“By that logic, he really is worlds apart from Young Master Ji. One is a mere waiter, the other is a promising Imperial Scholar in the Hanlin Academy, with a father who’s the current Minister of Revenue. No wonder Princess Changning chose divorce. If it were me, I’d have divorced him too.”