As her thoughts churned, Liu Yun stopped watching the polo match and began pacing back and forth by herself.
"Hey, Shanshan, where are you going?"
Chen Wei noticed Liu Yun's distracted state and pulled her attention away from Ling Erlang, calling out softly to Liu Yun, who had already walked several steps away.
Liu Yun made up an excuse: "My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. I'm going to the restroom."
"I'll be fine with Jin He. Just wait for me here."
I'll take a little stroll, sort out the inspiration swirling in my head, and come right back—that was Liu Yun's plan.
But just as she got started, she heard the thunderous sound of galloping hooves at her ears.
Liu Yun's heart jumped as she turned her head, and what met her eyes was a flash of brilliant red.
It was Young Marquis Ye, riding over at full speed to intercept the colorful ball that had been sent flying out of the field at lightning speed.
The ball flew at a tricky angle—had it been any ordinary player, they 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-flight, and precisely struck the colorful ball back into play.
The moon-staff sliced through the air with a tearing whoosh, and Liu Yun's heart seemed to skip a beat along with it.
In her daze, something came falling toward her.
Liu Yun instinctively reached out and caught it.
It was a small embroidered pouch, still carrying the faint warmth of its owner.
It had been shaken loose by the intensity of the movement—no one had expected it.
Liu Yun held the pouch in her hands, frozen in place.
Young Marquis Ye also looked momentarily startled. He reached out a hand, but seemed to remember he still had to continue playing, so he hurriedly shot Liu Yun a glance before riding off.
The moment passed in the blink of an eye. Few people noticed, and the field plunged back into fierce competition for the ball.
Even fewer paid any attention to Liu Yun, standing there in a daze.
After all, she had never been a particularly conspicuous young lady.
Only the Crown Prince cast a cool, sweeping glance her way, one hand steadily soothing his restless black steed beneath him.
When he raised his eyes again, his phoenix eyes burned with fierce fighting spirit.
In an instant, the entire audience watched as the situation turned completely around.
The Crown Prince's steady, even playing style shifted abruptly—becoming sharp and aggressive, his attacks fierce and cutting. Even Young Marquis Ye, who usually dominated the field, found it hard to withstand, and the red team began to lose their footing.
Not only that—Ye Qingliu felt the Crown Prince was acting strangely, as if he were targeting him specifically.
For this long, he hadn't scored a single goal. It was too strange.
Young Marquis Ye's usual lighthearted smile faded considerably, his expression turning three parts more serious as he began to fight with everything he had.
But in the end, he still lost to the Crown Prince, who had been hiding his true skill all along.
The gong sounded—victory and defeat decided—and cheers and applause erupted all around.
At this moment, praising the heir apparent could no longer be called flattery. Whether common folk, court officials, or young men of the same generation, everyone was in high spirits.
The glossy black stallion snorted heavily, its four hooves prancing happily across the grass, as if it 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 polo match. Instead, he subtly turned his horse's head and gazed toward a certain slender figure.
She was still there—but beside her was a jarring flash of bright red.
Outside the enclosure, Liu Yun nervously clutched the embroidered pouch, waiting for Young Marquis Ye to arrive.
Holding someone else's belongings—especially Young Marquis Ye's—Liu Yun naturally didn't dare move an inch. She simply waited with her heart in her throat.
Whether he won or lost, Liu Yun didn't care. She only wanted to return the hot potato in her hands.
While the current era wasn't overly harsh about a woman's reputation, it was still improper to have inexplicably received a personal item from an unrelated man. If someone with ill intentions used it against her, it would be disastrous.
She noticed that although Young Marquis Ye had lost, there was no sign of dejection or discouragement on his face. He remained spirited and radiant, blazing like a brilliant sun.
He dismounted, casually wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve, and walked toward her with a bright smile.
Liu Yun's heart leapt to her throat. She barely glanced at the young man before hurriedly thrusting the pouch that didn't belong to her back at him, stammering: "Y-Young Marquis Ye, y-your things."
Liu Yun rarely had dealings with unrelated men, let alone a young lord like Young Marquis Ye.
After just one sentence, her face was already beginning to burn with embarrassment. Even such a short phrase came out stumbling and awkward—truly mortifying.
But the other party didn't seem to notice. He remained in a cheerful, smiling posture, his tone light and natural.
"I made too big a movement just now. Thank you, miss, for keeping it safe."
The young man's fingers were long and slender, and he took the pouch from Liu Yun's palm with perfect propriety.
"No need, no need. It was nothing—hardly worth mentioning."
Liu Yun replied in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. As she shook her head, the emerald ribbon at the back of her hair fluttered lightly, making her fair skin seem even more like snow, her lips redder and teeth whiter.
Ye Qingliu was stunned for a moment, then suddenly broke into a smile and asked: "Which family does miss belong to? I don't believe I've ever seen you before."
"My surname is Liu. My father is a Director of the Bureau of Works."
Liu Yun was taken aback for a moment, answering honestly on reflex, but her mind was elsewhere.
Of course he wouldn't remember her. She was merely the daughter of a minor fifth-rank official, plain in looks and talent—naturally unremarkable in a place as splendid as Yanjing.
Perhaps only Fourth Miss of the Duke of Wei's House would be the one he remembered.
Everyone in Yanjing knew that Young Marquis Ye admired Wei Shu, the Fourth Miss of the Duke of Wei's House. He often chased after Fourth Miss Wei's carriage, sparing no effort to curry favor. It was just that Fourth Miss Wei felt he had nothing but a good family background and a handsome face—in truth, nothing more than a frivolous rake—and so looked down on him.
Every official's daughter in Yanjing, so long as she had even a shred of ambition, harbored hopes for the position of Crown Princess.
Even the Crown Prince's sharp and merciless words had never dispelled such notions.
Just as her mother had told her, the Crown Prince might be picky, but he would eventually have to take a wife and establish a Crown Princess. When that time came, he would naturally have to choose the best.
So in the eyes of the young ladies of Yanjing, as long as one stood out enough, there was still a chance to become Crown Princess.
Such as Eldest Miss of the Qin Zhongshu Family, Ninth Miss Fan of the Censor-in-Chief's family, and several young ladies from the households of the Left and Right Vice Directors of the Department of State Affairs—all were formidable contenders for the position of Crown Princess.
Wei Shu was naturally one of them, and a dazzling one at that.
Fourth Miss Wei, born into a ducal household, was exceedingly beautiful and skilled in song and dance. Countless young men in Yanjing had bent the knee to her, coming to her door to seek her hand in marriage.
Now that she had reached the age of eighteen and still had not chosen a husband, one could tell she was waiting for someone.
"So it's Miss Liu. Greetings."
Upon hearing Liu Yun announce her name, Young Marquis Ye immediately cupped his hands in greeting, his bearing dashing and spirited, enough to make one's heart flutter.
Liu Yun was nothing more than an ordinary young woman. Speaking with such a handsome and elegant young lord naturally stirred her heart, so she hastily returned a bow of respect.
"Young Marquis, greetings."
"Since the item has been returned, this young woman will not linger. Farewell."
Embarrassed by such a situation, Liu Yun dared not meet Young Marquis Ye's brilliant eyes brimming with warm laughter. Catching a glimpse of Fourth Miss Wei in a red dress approaching from not far away, Liu Yun hurried to leave.
Although Fourth Miss Wei had not accepted Young Marquis Ye's affections, it was never good to run into the two of them together. If she also encountered County Princess Rong'an, she would likely be in trouble again.
Better to leave this place of trouble early.
With that, Liu Yun lifted her skirt and departed. Her slender, fair neck gleamed white in the sunlight, and Ye Qingliu was momentarily stunned again.
He rarely encountered a young lady who caught his eye. He had wanted to say a few more words, but he hadn't expected this Miss Liu to be so shy and reserved.
"…She ran off rather quickly."
He had just muttered this when a swath of finery appeared at the corner of his vision, and a coquettish voice arrived faster than its owner.
"Oh, isn't this Young Marquis Ye? You said you were good at polo and invited me to watch, but who knew you'd lose so badly—how embarrassing~"
The young woman approaching was dressed in gorgeous, noble attire. Beneath her apricot-yellow jacket was a fiery red pomegranate skirt, a sapphire-blue shawl draped over her arm, and gems sewn onto her garments glittering in the sunlight.
A world apart from the plain dress of that Miss Liu from just now.
Looking at Wei Shu's delicate and beautiful face, Ye Qingliu said with a grin, "What's wrong with losing to the Crown Prince? What's there to be embarrassed about? This young master doesn't find it embarrassing. Rather, Fourth Miss Wei—why aren't you clinging to the Crown Prince's side, and instead come bustling over here?"
Ye Qingliu was the sort who did everything on a whim. Whatever he fancied, he had to try—people included.
He found Fourth Miss Wei's face pretty, so he wanted to try marrying her. Even though he couldn't bring himself to flatter her arrogant, haughty temperament, as long as he hadn't grown tired of her, he could still keep her company with jokes and banter.
But after more than a year of amusement, Ye Qingliu felt that face no longer thrilled or delighted him as it once had. Besides, no one liked being constantly looked down upon and scorned, so his interest had begun to wane.
Now, looking at her again, she wasn't even as pleasing to the eye as that Miss Liu from just now.
Listlessly sweeping his gaze past Wei Shu, Ye Qingliu said lazily.
Faced with Ye Qingliu's dismissiveness, Wei Shu inexplicably began to grow irritated. First she shot him a disdainful glare, then said, "I was naturally going to the Crown Prince's side. I just happened to see you talking to someone along the way."
"Just now—just now, whose young lady was that? What did you say to her?"
Liu Yun's figure had already vanished from sight, so Wei Shu could only ask aloud, her expression slightly unnatural.
Though he was a young man she looked down upon, seeing him suddenly strike up a conversation with another young lady made Wei Shu feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Faced with Wei Shu's vaguely interrogating tone, Ye Qingliu furrowed his brow.
Whom he spoke to and what he said was a private matter to begin with. Add to that his growing boredom, and he naturally had no desire to indulge her.
"What does that have to do with Fourth Miss Wei? This is this young master's business. Fourth Miss Wei would do well not to pry."
Ye Qingliu smiled enigmatically, his tone still as cheerful as ever, but the indulgence and forbearance he once showed her were gone, which displeased Wei Shu greatly.
"What kind of attitude is that!"
Wasn't he supposed to admire her and want to marry her?
Utterly disgraceful!
Seeing Wei Shu's face twisted in anger, Ye Qingliu completely lost his patience. With a light chuckle, he made a bow and said, "My apologies."
With that, he sauntered away, paying no further mind to Wei Shu.
Having long since left the scene of trouble, Liu Yun walked to the other side of the polo field.
The reason was that she had spotted Zhenzhen from afar, somehow having struck up a conversation with Ling Erlang. They seemed to be chatting merrily, so she decided not to interrupt.
The polo match resumed, and the thunderous sound of hooves once again filled the field, but Liu Yun paid it no mind.
Leading only Jin He, Liu Yun strolled along the edge of the polo field, continuing to sketch out the story for her next chapbook.
She wanted to create a male lead similar to Young Marquis Ye.
A young general in resplendent robes, riding a spirited steed.
As for the female lead…
She would first take her time to think it over, to craft her in depth.
Just as her mind was racing with ideas, she heard a rustling sound of grass at her feet, as if something had come rolling over at great speed.
The sound came from the ground.
The moment Liu Yun lowered her head, she saw a colored ball roll right under her skirt and disappear without a trace.
Liu Yun even felt the ball brush against the tip of her shoe.
What was going on—how had the polo ball ended up beneath her skirt?
Dazed, she lifted her head, and what met her eyes was the Crown Prince, clad in black and gold, galloping toward her on horseback.
So similar to that day with Tanchun.
The memory of the past jolted 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 without warning.
Awkward and pitiful.
The sound of hooves drew near. Liu Yun wanted to scramble up at once, but unfortunately, she had twisted her ankle in the fall, and the slightest movement sent a jolt of pain through her.