Lost in her swirling thoughts, Liu Yun no longer watched the Cuju match, pacing back and forth alone.
“Hey, Shanshan, where are you going?”
Chen Wei noticed Liu Yun’s distracted state and shifted her attention away from Ling Erlang, calling softly to Liu Yun, who had already walked several steps away.
Liu Yun made an excuse: “My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. I’m going to the restroom.”
“I’ll go with Jin He. You wait here for me.”
She thought she would just stroll around for a bit, organize the inspiration swirling in her mind, and then return.
But just as she began, she heard the thunderous sound of galloping hooves beside her.
Startled, Liu Yun turned her head and caught sight of a flash of brilliant red.
It was Young Marquis Ye riding over to intercept the colorful ball that had shot rapidly out of bounds.
The ball flew at a tricky angle; if it were an ordinary player, they likely wouldn’t have been able to intercept it at all.
But Young Marquis Ye was different. He leaped into the air from his horse, spun a full circle mid-air, and precisely struck the ball back.
The Moon-stick sliced through the air with a tearing sound, causing Liu Yun’s heart to skip a beat.
In her daze, something fell toward Liu Yun.
She instinctively reached out and caught it.
It was a small brocade pouch, still carrying the faint warmth of its owner.
It had been flung off due to the excessive movement, something no one had anticipated.
Holding the pouch, Liu Yun immediately froze.
Young Marquis Ye also seemed momentarily stunned. He reached out a hand but then seemed to remember he still had to play Cuju. In a hurry, he gave Liu Yun a meaningful glance before riding off.
This scene passed in an instant, unnoticed by most, as the field once again plunged into the fierce competition of the polo match.
No one paid any attention to Liu Yun standing there frozen.
After all, she was never a particularly conspicuous young lady.
Only the Crown Prince, his gaze cool, swept over the scene, gently soothing the restless black horse beneath him.
When he looked up again, his phoenix eyes were filled with fiery combativeness.
In an instant, the spectators saw the situation on the field change dramatically.
The Crown Prince’s steady and composed playing style shifted, becoming sharp and aggressive, his attacks fierce and relentless. Even Young Marquis Ye, who usually dominated the field, found it difficult to withstand, and the red team began to lose their footing.
Not only that, but Ye Qingliu felt the Crown Prince was acting strangely, as if targeting him personally.
For quite some time, he hadn’t scored a single goal, which was very unusual.
Young Marquis Ye’s originally lighthearted smile faded considerably, his expression growing three parts more serious as he began to fight with all his might.
Yet, in the end, he still lost to the Crown Prince, who had hidden depths.
The gong sounded, the outcome was decided, and cheers and applause erupted all around.
At this moment, flattering the Heir Apparent was no longer considered sycophancy. Whether commoners, court officials, or peers of the same age, everyone was caught up in the fervor.
The sleek, jet-black horse snorted heavily, its hooves happily trampling the grass, as if it too understood it had brought victory to its master and was filled with pride.
But Xiao Heng did not immerse himself in the joy of winning a mere Cuju match. Instead, he subtly turned his horse’s head, gazing toward a certain slender figure.
She was still there, but now beside her stood a glaringly bright figure.
Outside the arena, Liu Yun nervously held the brocade pouch, waiting for Young Marquis Ye.
Holding someone else’s possession, especially that of Young Marquis Ye, Liu Yun dared not move an inch, her heart pounding anxiously as she waited.
She paid no mind to who had won or lost, focused solely on returning the hot potato in her hands.
Nowadays, society is not overly strict about women’s reputations, but it is still inappropriate to inexplicably receive a personal item from an unrelated man. If someone with ill intentions were to make an issue of it, it could be troublesome.
Looking over, Young Marquis Ye had lost, yet his face showed no sign of defeat or discouragement. He remained radiant and spirited, shining brilliantly like a blazing sun.
He dismounted from his horse, casually wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and walked toward her with a bright smile.
Liu Yun’s heart leaped into her throat. After only a hasty glance at the young man before her, she hurriedly handed over the pouch that did not belong to her, stammering, “Y-Young Marquis Ye, th-this is your item.”
Liu Yun rarely interacted with unrelated men, let alone a gentleman like Young Marquis Ye.
After just one sentence, her face began to burn faintly, and even that short phrase came out haltingly—truly embarrassing.
But the other party seemed not to notice, still wearing a cheerful and natural smile, his tone light and easy.
“My movements were a bit too vigorous earlier. Thank you, miss, for keeping this safe.”
The young man’s fingers were long and slender, and he retrieved the pouch from Liu Yun’s palm with perfect propriety.
“No need, no need. It was just a small favor, not worth mentioning,” Liu Yun replied, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum. As she shook her head, the emerald hair ribbon behind her fluttered gently, accentuating her snow-white skin and rosy lips.
Ye Qingliu stared blankly for a moment before suddenly breaking into a smile and asking, “Which family are you from, miss? I don’t believe I’ve ever seen you before.”
“My surname is Liu. My father is a Langzhong in the Ministry of Works.”
Liu Yun was momentarily stunned, answering honestly with her words while her mind wandered elsewhere.
Of course, he wouldn’t remember her. She was merely the daughter of a minor fifth-rank official, average in both talent and appearance, easily overlooked in the splendid capital of Yanjing.
Perhaps only the fourth young lady of the Wei Duke’s household would leave an impression on him.
Who in Yanjing didn’t know that Young Marquis Ye admired Wei Shu, the fourth young lady of the Wei Duke’s household? He often followed her carriage, showering her with attention. However, Wei Shu considered him nothing more than a dandy with a good family background and handsome looks, looking down on him.
Among the daughters of officials in Yanjing, anyone with even the slightest ambition held hopes for the position of Crown Consort.
Even though the Crown Prince had spoken harshly and coldly, it had not dampened such aspirations.
As her mother had told her, the Crown Prince might be picky, but he would eventually have to marry and appoint a Crown Consort. When the time came, he would naturally choose the best.
Thus, in the eyes of Yanjing’s young ladies, as long as one stood out enough, there was still a chance to become the Crown Consort.
For instance, the eldest daughter of the Qin Zhongshu’s household, the ninth young lady of the Fan family from the Censorate, and several daughters from the households of the Left and Right Deputy Ministers of the Ministry of Personnel were all strong contenders for the position of Crown Consort.
Wei Shu was naturally among them, and a particularly dazzling one at that.
The fourth young lady of the Wei household, born into a ducal family, possessed exceptional beauty and excelled in singing and dancing. Countless young men in Yanjing had fallen for her, seeking her hand in marriage.
Now that she had reached the age of eighteen without choosing a husband, it was clear whom she was waiting for.
“So it’s Miss Liu. Pleased to meet you.”
Upon hearing Liu Yun introduce herself, Young Marquis Ye immediately clasped his hands in greeting, his demeanor spirited and dashing, enough to make one’s heart flutter.
Liu Yun was just an ordinary young woman, and speaking with such a handsome and charming young gentleman naturally stirred her emotions. She immediately responded with a shy and flustered Wanfu Greeting.
“May the young marquis be blessed.”
“Now that I’ve returned the item, I shall take my leave. Farewell.”
Liu Yun felt awkward facing such a scene and dared not meet Young Marquis Ye’s bright, warmly smiling eyes. From the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Fourth Miss Wei in a red dress approaching from a distance, prompting Liu Yun to hurry away.
Although Fourth Miss Wei had not accepted Young Marquis Ye’s affections, encountering the two of them together was still uncomfortable. If County Princess Rong’an were to appear as well, it would likely spell trouble again.
Better to leave this troublesome place as soon as possible.
With that, Liu Yun lifted her skirt and departed, her slender, fair neck glowing white and smooth under the sunlight. Ye Qingliu was momentarily stunned once more.
He rarely encountered a young lady who caught his eye, and he had wanted to say a few more words, but this Miss Liu turned out to be shy and reserved.
“…She really ran off quickly.”
He had just muttered this when a flash of brocade caught the corner of his eye, and a delicate, coquettish voice arrived even faster than its owner.
“Well, if it isn’t Young Marquis Ye? You boasted about your polo skills and invited me to watch, only to lose so miserably. How embarrassing~”
The young lady approaching was dressed in lavish, noble attire: an apricot-yellow blouse over a fiery red pomegranate skirt, with a sapphire-blue Peibo draped over her arm. The gemstones embedded in her dress and skirt sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.
Her flamboyant appearance was a world apart from Miss Liu’s simple, understated style.
Gazing at Wei Shu’s exquisite and beautiful face, Ye Qingliu grinned and said, “What’s wrong with losing to His Highness the Crown Prince? There’s no shame in that. I don’t feel embarrassed at all. Instead, shouldn’t Fourth Miss Wei be clinging to His Highness the Crown Prince? What brings you here in such a hurry?”
Ye Qingliu was a man who did as he pleased, eager to try everything—including people.
He found Fourth Miss Wei’s face pleasing, so he wanted to see if he could marry her. Although he couldn’t bring himself to flatter her arrogant and haughty nature, as long as he hadn’t grown tired of her, he could still engage in playful banter.
But after over a year of amusement, Ye Qingliu felt her face no longer captivated or delighted him as much. Moreover, no one enjoyed being constantly looked down upon or scorned, so his interest began to wane.
Now, looking at her again, she wasn’t as pleasing to the eye as that Miss Liu from earlier.
With waning interest, Ye Qingliu swept his gaze over Wei Shu and said lazily.
Faced with Ye Qingliu’s dismissiveness, Wei Shu inexplicably grew angry. First, she shot him a disdainful glare, then said, “Of course I’m going to His Highness’s side. I just happened to see you talking to someone on the way.”
“Who… who was that young lady just now? What did you say to her?”
Liu Yun’s figure was already out of sight, so Wei Shu could only ask directly, her expression slightly uneasy.
Although he was a man she looked down upon, seeing him suddenly chatting with another young lady made Wei Shu feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Faced with Wei Shu’s implicit questioning, Ye Qingliu frowned.
Who he spoke to and what he said were private matters. Moreover, since he was already growing weary of her, he naturally had no intention of indulging her.
“What does this have to do with Fourth Miss Wei? This is my business. It would be best if Fourth Miss Wei inquired less.”
Ye Qingliu wore a half-smile, his tone still light and cheerful as usual, but the indulgence and tolerance he once showed her were gone. This displeased Wei Shu greatly.
“What kind of attitude is this!”
Didn’t he admire her and want to marry her?
This was simply outrageous!
Seeing Wei Shu’s furious expression, Ye Qingliu completely lost his patience. With a light laugh, he bowed slightly and said, “My apologies.”
With that, he sauntered away, paying no further attention to Wei Shu.
Meanwhile, Liu Yun, who had long since left the troublesome spot, had made her way to the other side of the polo field.
The reason was that she had spotted Zhenzhen from afar, somehow striking up a conversation with Ling Erlang, and they seemed to be chatting happily, so she decided not to disturb them for now.
The Cuju match resumed, and the thunderous sound of galloping hooves once again filled the field, but Liu Yun paid it no mind.
With only Jin He by her side, Liu Yun strolled along the edge of the polo field, continuing to brainstorm the story for her next volume of Huaben.
She wanted to create a male protagonist similar to Young Marquis Ye.
A young general in vibrant attire, galloping on horseback.
As for the female lead…
She needed to think carefully and develop the character in depth.
Just as her mind was racing with ideas, she heard the rustling of grass nearby, as if something was rolling toward her at high speed.
The sound came from the ground.
As Liu Yun lowered her head, she saw a colorful ball roll right under her skirt and disappear from sight.
She even felt the ball brush against the tip of her shoe.
What was going on? How did the Cuju ball end up under her skirt?
Bewildered, she looked up and saw the Crown Prince, dressed in black and gold, galloping toward her on horseback.
It was so similar to that day during the Spring Outing.
The memory stirred something in Liu Yun, and she immediately wanted to leave, but in her haste, she tripped over the polo ball at her feet and fell to the ground, caught off guard.
Disheveled and pitiful.
As the sound of hooves drew near, Liu Yun tried to get up quickly, but unfortunately, she had twisted her ankle in the fall, and any movement sent a sharp pain through it.
Author’s Note:
Update
Next chapter on Monday