Inside the carriage, Liuyan whispered, "The eldest young master is so intimidating."
Nanny Pang shot her a glare. "Nonsense. That's what they call majesty."
Though in her heart, she too was rather daunted by the eldest young master, she couldn't say so aloud.
The young lady had always been timid by nature, and tomorrow she was to marry the eldest young master. If she faced her own husband in fear and trembling, how could that ever do?
"Young lady, the eldest young master is a hero. Without a bit of authority about him, how could he have earned merit on the battlefield? Don't be afraid."
Yuan Wanru leaned lazily against the carriage wall and said with complete sincerity, "He is rather intimidating, but it's not like I'm going to fight him. As long as we reason things out, there's no need to fear him."
Nanny Pang wasn't sure whether she should feel relieved.
Fight?
Where would the young lady ever get such an idea? The eldest young master could pin her down with a single raised hand.
In the summer heat, the early evening was when the most people came out and about.
On the street, carriages rumbled past and voices clamored—a lively scene indeed.
Yuan Wanru couldn't resist the temptation and quietly lifted the curtain to peek outside. Nanny Pang frowned and moved to stop her, but Yuan Wanru coaxed, "Nanny, I rarely get to come out. Please don't stop me."
She took Nanny Pang's hand and gently shook it, her voice so sweet and soft that Nanny Pang's heart nearly melted into honey. How could she bear to refuse?
"Just a little while, then."
"Nanny, you're the best."
What Yuan Wanru didn't know was that every word she spoke had fallen into Lu Jiangnian's ears.
Soft and delicate, sweet and crisp.
As the evening breeze blew past, each word she uttered carried the lingering warmth of summer, drifting gently into his ears—just as close as when she had stood beside him in the courtyard today, speaking to him.
This woman—couldn't she speak properly? That voice, that tone… what did she think she looked like?
Lu Jiangnian unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins.
Yuan Wanru, unaware of the thoughts running through his head, had already been drawn in by the bustle of the street.
Crowds streamed by, colorful banners fluttered in the breeze, savory aromas wafted from restaurants and teahouses, and street vendors hawked their wares on every side. It was a thriving, prosperous city.
The worldly bustle—so distinctly different from the modern world—struck her as both novel and slightly alienating, and an indescribable melancholy crept into her heart.
"Lu Jiangnian, stop right there."
Suddenly, an arrogant female voice rang out.
The carriage came to a halt.
From outside came a woman's voice: "Lu Jiangnian, are you really getting married tomorrow?"
Her tone was laden with lingering tenderness, and the heartbreak within it was so palpable that Yuan Wanru could feel it clearly even through the carriage curtain.
"Yes."
Curt and to the point—that was Lu Jiangnian's usual style.
"I forbid it."
"How can you marry someone else? Everyone knows I've been waiting—"
The woman was clearly agitated, but Lu Jiangnian remained cold and unyielding: "Princess, watch your words. Do not ruin this humble one's reputation."
"Step aside, please."
That single address—"Princess"—revealed the newcomer's identity.
"Unless you promise me right now to call off tomorrow's wedding, I will not move."
The one outside must be Princess Le'an, Murong Ling, the only legitimate daughter of Prince Qin.
Prince Qin was the Emperor's full-blooded younger brother. He never meddled in court affairs, never grasped for power, and devoted himself solely to refined pursuits—especially calligraphy.
Precisely because he was so sensible, the Emperor had showered him with favor for all these years, and that favor extended to his legitimate daughter, Murong Ling, as well.
That Murong Ling was smitten with Lu Jiangnian was hardly a secret.
Four years ago, Murong Ling had already declared that she would marry no one but Lu Jiangnian.
Had he been from an ordinary family, the Emperor would likely have issued an imperial edict long ago, granting Murong Ling her wish.
But Lu Song was the Emperor's most trusted general, and Lu Jiangnian had been the Crown Prince's study companion, on excellent terms with the Crown Prince. Moreover, he himself was exceptionally outstanding.
The Emperor cherished talent and could not bear to coerce Lu Jiangnian.
Faced with Murong Ling's devoted infatuation and desperate pleas, the Emperor made his stance clear: a marriage alliance should unite two families in harmony, and only mutual affection could create a beautiful union.
In other words—I'm not getting involved. Sort it out yourselves.
For Lu Jiangnian's sake, Murong Ling had let the years slip by, and she was now fully eighteen.
But wait—did the book have a scene of Princess Le'an blocking the road like this?
She wasn't entirely sure.
Before the female lead appeared, the story of Yuan Wanru and Lu Jiangnian had been written rather roughly.
Outside, Princess Le'an was still speaking. Seized by curiosity, Yuan Wanru quietly lifted the carriage curtain to peek out.
No wonder Lu Jiangnian had stopped.
A luxurious carriage was parked sideways in the middle of the road, blocking their path.
A woman stood there in a resplendent crimson gown, the golden threads at its hem shimmering brilliantly in the setting sun. Her hair was adorned with jeweled gold hairpins and swaying ornaments. Her bearing was dignified, her beauty noble and striking.
At this moment, her almond-shaped eyes glistened with crystalline tears, carrying a sorrow and despair too poignant to ignore.
Yuan Wanru thought her movements had been slow and subtle enough that no one would notice.
But Lu Jiangnian seemed to have eyes in the back of his head—he actually turned around and looked straight at her. First, he swept her with an unreadable glance, then the corner of his lips curled into a cold smirk.
Yuan Wanru's body stiffened. A sense of dread washed over her, and she hastily lowered the curtain and sat up straight.
After a brief silence, the curtain was pushed aside, and Lu Jiangnian's pleasant voice came through. "Come down."
Yuan Wanru looked left and right, deliberately avoiding his gaze, playing deaf and mute.
She had thought he would back off when faced with difficulty, but unfortunately, she still didn't know Lu Jiangnian well enough.
"Ah, what are you doing!"
He stretched out his long arm and simply lifted her up by the waist.
His arm muscles were firm and his strength immense—holding her with one hand, he made it look as effortless as carrying a chick.
By the time she realized what was happening, she was already off the ground.
Yuan Wanru felt a flicker of fear and instinctively reached out, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck.
Lu Jiangnian hadn't expected her to react this way.
With her clinging to him like this, her entire body pressed against his.
The softness of her chest pressed against his solid chest, and Lu Jiangnian could clearly feel her heart beating against his own—thump, thump, thump—striking his heart and stirring a restless turmoil within him.
"Let go."
"I won't."
Yuan Wanru stared at him with a sulky expression, her face full of defiance.
Why should she obey—he picks her up when he wants, and tells her to let go when he pleases?
She widened her eyes and furrowed her brows, clearly displeased, straightforward and guileless like a child.
Beneath her delicate brows, her eyes were dark and luminous, as if countless stars were hidden within them.
Lu Jiangnian gazed at her calmly, yet beneath that calm lay surging undercurrents, carrying an inexplicable danger.
Through the thin fabric of her clothing, he clearly realized that the little girl who had lived in his home like an invisible presence had now grown up.
Yuan Wanru felt that Lu Jiangnian's gaze was somewhat fierce, and her hands unconsciously loosened as she tried to get down from his arms.
But unexpectedly, a gust of wind swept from behind, and then Lu Jiangnian's expression sharpened as he tightened his hold on her and stepped back several paces.
"Lu Jiangnian, let her go!"
"I won't allow you to hold her!"
Yuan Wanru's feet touched the ground again, and she turned to look—only then realizing that this willful princess had just swung a whip, trying to strike her!