After standing there for a moment and seeing the physician head toward Mei Wanying’s courtyard, Pei Yan did not bother changing his clothes and left the Mei residence directly.
The man carried an air of nobility. Even though he was soaked from head to toe, he did not appear the slightest bit disheveled.
Instead, his presence felt even colder and sharper, making people afraid to meet his gaze.
Expressionless, Pei Yan walked straight to the carriage.
Without sparing the Mei residence another glance, he ordered,
“Return to the manor.”
Wei Jue and the others had been waiting outside the residence the entire time and had no idea what had happened.
But anyone familiar with Pei Yan could tell that he was in a terrible mood.
Terrible to the extreme.
Wei Jue thought it must have something to do with Miss Mei.
Only she could provoke such intense emotional fluctuations from His Highness.
Who knew what she had done this time?
Could it be another attempt to force a marriage?
Had His Highness refused and then been pushed into the water by Miss Mei?
His curiosity was burning, but he dared not ask.
At times like this, the smartest thing to do was make oneself as invisible as possible.
Otherwise, things would end badly.
His Highness hit hard…
Pei Yan entered the manor with a dark expression.
A heavy pressure seemed to surround him.
Wherever he passed, servants did not even dare breathe loudly, afraid of becoming the target of his anger.
When he kicked over the flowerpot outside the main hall, everyone immediately understood that the situation was serious.
The steward quietly asked Wei Jue,
“His Highness is usually calm and composed. He never shows his emotions. What happened today?”
Wei Jue shook his head.
He had no idea.
Miss Mei had annoyed His Highness many times before.
Sometimes he became irritated, but never like this.
Today he looked downright furious.
Anyone who provoked His Highness now would definitely suffer.
“Summon the imperial physician!”
A low voice came from inside.
Both Wei Jue and the steward changed expressions immediately.
Was His Highness injured?
Then they heard him grind out through clenched teeth,
“Send him to the Mei residence. Treat Mei Wanying properly. And while you’re at it, treat her brain too!”
The road was so wide.
How could she possibly have fallen into the water?
She had obviously jumped in herself.
Did she think she was immortal?
The more Pei Yan thought about it, the angrier he became.
He almost wanted to return to the Mei residence and scold Mei Wanying fiercely.
But the image that surfaced in his mind was her lifeless face.
Her despairing eyes…
In the end, he could only swallow his anger.
The frustration nearly suffocated him.
In his previous life, he must have done countless evil deeds and owed Mei Wanying a great debt.
Otherwise, why would she torment him again and again in this life?
Without allowing anyone to attend him, Pei Yan grabbed a clean set of clothes and headed for the bathhouse.
After removing his wet garments, his strong physique was revealed.
He was a battlefield general.
Ever since being taken in by General Mei, he had spent most of his life in military camps.
Years of training had forged a powerful body.
Clear lines of muscle stretched across broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
His skin was a healthy bronze color.
Water rolled down his body in streams, passing over his firm abdomen before disappearing below.
The faint scratch marks on his chest had already faded.
Pei Yan lowered his eyes and stared at the spot for a long time.
Droplets fell from his sharp brows.
He wiped his face and forcefully pushed every stray thought from his mind.
When he emerged once more, he had returned to his usual composed self.
Wei Jue reported,
“The imperial physician has already gone to the Mei residence and examined Miss Mei. He will come later to report her condition.”
Pei Yan said nothing and headed straight to the study.
Wei Jue scratched the back of his head.
His Highness had heard him, right?
Pei Yan had returned from the military camp, entered the palace, and then gone to the Mei residence.
By now it was late.
Darkness had already fallen.
The study was brightly lit.
Pei Yan picked up a military text but did not turn a single page.
The room was silent.
So silent that he could hear the flickering of candle flames and the occasional crackle of burning wax.
After an unknown amount of time, he tossed the book aside.
Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes.
For once, he allowed himself to break his routine.
No official business.
No military strategy.
Perhaps because his body and mind were exhausted, he gradually drifted into sleep.
The surroundings looked familiar.
Bookshelves lined with countless volumes.
Paintings hanging upon the walls.
A large desk positioned where the light was best.
Brushes, ink, paper, and books neatly arranged atop it.
It was a study.
Whether it was the study in the Prince Manor or the one in the Mei residence, the furnishings were nearly identical.
Then the scene changed.
A woman was bent over the desk.
His hand gripped her willow-slender waist.
He was trapped in unbearable softness.
Unable to escape.
Her long black hair cascaded over her shoulders.
Her neck was elegant like a swan’s.
Her shoulders were delicate.
Beautiful shoulder blades seemed ready to spread wings and fly.
Her skin was flawless and pale as snow.
Smooth as perfect jade.
Even the darkness could not conceal her graceful figure.
Though her limbs were slender and her waist narrow enough to grasp with one hand, the places that should be soft were undeniably so.
The more Pei Yan looked, the more familiar she seemed.
Even her quiet sobs felt achingly familiar.
Pei Yan wanted to see her face.
He leaned closer and reached out, turning her cheek toward him.
In the darkness, she gasped.
Her hands grasped helplessly for support.
“A-Yan… I can’t see…”
A beautiful profile came into view.
Those lovely eyes shimmered with moisture.
Every glance and expression carried irresistible charm.
Pei Yan’s pupils contracted violently.
It was Mei Wanying.
“Your Highness, the imperial physician has arrived.”
A servant’s voice sounded from outside the study.
“He says he wishes to report Miss Mei’s condition. Shall I let him in?”
The cold-faced man suddenly opened his eyes.
The intimate scene vanished instantly.
The quiet sobbing disappeared as well.
Pei Yan drew a sharp breath and pressed a hand against his chest.
His heart was beating wildly.
His gaze swept around the study.
Only after confirming Mei Wanying was nowhere to be seen did he relax slightly.
Having such a dream left him feeling both guilty and annoyed.
His brows knitted tightly.
How could he dream of such absurd things?
And why did that woman have Mei Wanying’s face?
Taking a deep breath, Pei Yan told himself that dreams were always the opposite of reality.
He had only done such things with Mei Wanying in a dream.
Not in reality.
Everything was fake.
Pei Yan straightened up, preparing to summon the physician.
Then he suddenly noticed something wrong with his body.
It felt as though he had been struck by lightning.
Looking downward, Pei Yan’s face filled with shock.
His handsome face flushed red.
It had only been a dream.
Yet his body had reacted.
And quite shamelessly at that…
He needed to change clothes again.
“Damn it!”
It was unclear whether he was cursing himself or someone else.
His palm slammed heavily onto the desk.
The scene from the dream flashed vividly through his mind again.
It felt so real.
As though he had truly shared such intimacy with Mei Wanying.
Pei Yan’s face darkened.
It had to be because he had pulled Mei Wanying out of the water.
He had touched her.
Seen things he should not have seen.
That must be why he had such an outrageous dream.
Fake.
All of it was fake.
As he headed toward the bathhouse, he coldly instructed Wei Jue,
“From now on, you will handle Mei Wanying’s matters. Unless it concerns life or death, do not report anything to me.”
Wei Jue nodded.
Yet he felt even more confused.
Hadn’t His Highness just taken a bath?
Why was he bathing again?