“Should we go see His Majesty?”
Yun Shuyu shook her head. “This princess has changed her mind. I won’t disturb him today. Let him study properly with Sage Su.”
Du Heng thought of Yun Zhao and couldn’t help but smile. If anyone truly had a pure heart, Yun Zhao was far more sincere than he was.
“Today, His Majesty almost flew into a rage with me for Your Highness’s sake.”
Yun Shuyu was still leaning close to Du Heng’s face, yet Du Heng still hadn’t realized how close the two of them were.
She had no intention of reminding him. Instead, she leaned in a little more, and in her wandering state of mind, the words slipped out before she could think.
“My younger imperial brother was indeed much more reckless today.”
“Hm? Was Your Highness there?” Du Heng asked suspiciously.
“Ah… no, I mean, my younger imperial brother has always respected me greatly. If he reacted strongly when I was mentioned, that wouldn’t be too surprising…”
Du Heng remembered the sudden odd look that had appeared on Yun Zhao’s face in the middle of their conversation. Could she have secretly done something behind his back? Voice transmission?
Du Heng narrowed his eyes. The distance between the two of them, which had never truly been opened up to begin with, grew even closer, until their noses were almost touching.
“Were you eavesdropping from around the corner, Your Highness?”
Yun Shuyu, if she was the one acting first, was fine. But when it came to shame and annoyance, her reaction time was a little longer; only afterward would she feel embarrassed about it.
But if Du Heng took the initiative, then she would have a hard time controlling herself in that moment.
Yun Shuyu tilted her head slightly to avoid Du Heng’s warm masculine breath and resolutely gritted her teeth to deny it.
“What kind of person do you think this princess is?”
“How could I possibly do such a thing?”
Yes, she really hadn’t been eavesdropping. She had merely listened openly and aboveboard by using the royal family’s communication jade pendant on her younger imperial brother.
Speaking of that, Yun Shuyu was still thinking about how to settle accounts with Du Heng.
During Du Heng and Yun Zhao’s private conversation, she had found it rather amusing at first when she heard about the marriage decree. But later, when Du Heng actually began speaking with conviction about not wanting the marriage decree and even said some irritating things to her younger imperial brother, it made her grind her teeth in anger.
But she could more or less guess what Du Heng was thinking. He still hadn’t decided on her, so that sort of conduct was understandable.
Understanding was one thing. Revenge was another.
And her own younger imperial brother had actually sided with an outsider.
Yun Shuyu made up her mind. Neither of those two would be let off.
In truth, Yun Shuyu had not planned to stop him and mess with him at the Yingtian Prefecture Academy, but she changed her mind on the spot.
She put away her casual, relaxed expression and instead released an awe-inspiring bearing that commanded respect without anger, then smiled at Du Heng.
“Young Lord, are you doubting this princess?”
By then, Du Heng, who had once again put some distance between himself and Yun Shuyu, felt a trace of chill.
Hm… what’s going on? Isn’t it spring already? Why does it feel cold?
A late spring cold snap?
“I wouldn’t dare…”
“This princess thinks you’re quite daring!”
“It’s my fault.”
“Heh…”
In the end, under Yun Shuyu’s “explanation,” Du Heng very willingly believed that she had not been eavesdropping.
“Your Highness, if you’re still going to stay at the academy, then I should head back first?”
Yun Shuyu returned to her lazy, detached demeanor. Her small hand still held tightly onto his, and she said in a domineering tone,
“No, you must stay by my side today.”
Du Heng said helplessly, “Then where is Your Highness going now?”
“To the Stele of the Heart to carve characters.”
“Hm? Shouldn’t Your Highness have already carved yours?”
“This princess has already carved hers, but today this princess is going to change someone else’s inscription.”
Du Heng looked startled. “You can change someone else’s inscription too?”
Yun Shuyu pressed her lips together and smiled.
“Let’s try it. This princess is doing it for the first time too.”
The two went downstairs. Yun Shuyu first helped Du Heng put his hooded cloak back on and tie it securely.
Then she giggled and handed him the gauze hat.
“Now it’s junior brother’s turn to help senior sister…”
There she went again. This bad woman truly could not stay still for even a moment.
“Why doesn’t senior sister put it on herself?”
“I already helped junior brother put on his hooded cloak. Shouldn’t junior brother help senior sister too?”
Du Heng complained out loud, but his hands still briskly helped Yun Shuyu put on the gauze hat. Before doing so, he also carefully smoothed down her black hair, which the wind had tousled.
In truth, compared with Yun Shuyu calling him Young Lord or Lord Consort, or referring to herself as this princess, Du Heng secretly preferred the way the two of them addressed each other as senior sister and junior brother.
Maybe because, compared with the matter of becoming a Lord Consort before marriage, the established senior sister-junior brother relationship felt a little more intimate?
Earlier, when Yun Shuyu asked him to agree to support her for five years, she had used a similar tone.
But at the moment, Du Heng deliberately avoided thinking about that.
After being properly attended to, Yun Shuyu lifted the thin veil in front of her face and slyly blinked her clear eyes at Du Heng.
“Young Lord is truly reckless. You even dare to touch this princess’s hair. From childhood until now, aside from family and maidservants, you’re the only one who has ever touched this princess’s hair.”
“Tell me, how should this princess deal with you?”
Du Heng rolled his eyes at her in exasperation.
“Yes, yes, yes. I am reckless. I made advances on Her Highness the Eldest Princess. It’s all my fault. Hurry and punish me, will you?”
He was slacking off again.
“Hmph. You scoundrel, don’t you know this princess has a marriage pact? And yet you… you still…”
Du Heng froze. What kind of wild nonsense was she talking about?
“Punishing you is inevitable. Just wait!”
Yun Shuyu extended the same hand she had been holding with Du Heng before.
“Hold on tightly. If you let go, that’s an extra punishment!”
“…”
Seeing his reluctant expression, the corner of her lips curved with a smile.
“Do you understand?”
“I understand…”
Du Heng was somewhat used to Yun Shuyu’s spoiled and domineering personality by now, and he tightened his grip on the soft hand in his palm.
Then he struck back.
“To think this Young Lord has the great fortune of holding Your Highness’s small hand. I wonder how the future Lord Consort would feel if he knew?”
Yun Shuyu’s face flushed red at those words. She cursed inwardly: He really learns fast…
How could the Lord Consort not know how he would feel?
But on the surface, she still had to maintain her calm composure, and her small hand pinched Du Heng’s palm.
“Hmph. I hope Young Lord can keep this calm composure forever.”
“Of course…” Du Heng said with some difficulty.
This bad woman was so hard to deal with. His rare offense didn’t seem to have any effect at all.
Hm…?
Out of the corner of his eye, Du Heng caught sight of Yun Shuyu’s slightly reddened earlobes and the flushed skin along her neck.
Heh… so she was forcing it after all?
Du Heng felt somewhat pleased with himself.
The two of them returned to the central square of Yingtian Prefecture Academy, and Mingzhu and the child Zhao Ming had already been sent elsewhere by Du Heng through an earlier voice transmission.
By then, there were still many young masters in the academy square watching. The moment they saw Du Heng come out, their expressions changed. Then when they saw Yun Shuyu holding hands with Du Heng, their eyes nearly popped out.
A young lady with such a figure entered the academy, yet none of them in the front courtyard had noticed her at all, and she had ended up in Du Heng’s hands?
Could she be someone Du Heng knew?
Du Heng swept his gaze over the people around the square. That look of his was the same murderous gaze that had appeared only once before, when someone had brought up the Eldest Princess.
Everyone shuddered. The people who had originally wanted to come forward and ingratiate themselves with Du Heng, trying to cling to his support, were so frightened that they all backed away.
“I would ask all you young masters to behave yourselves and not let me and this young lady notice any unpleasant looks. Otherwise, if I accidentally injure some of you young masters, that would not be worth the loss.”
Yun Shuyu moved a little closer to him and whispered in Du Heng’s ear.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you threaten someone like this. That doesn’t fit your usual easygoing slacking-off attitude, you know!”
She understood what he was thinking.
Hmph… he talks tough, but in practice he’s already put himself in the role of the Lord Consort, hasn’t he?
Thinking of that, Yun Shuyu couldn’t hide the smile at the corner of her lips, then suddenly realized something. A strange expression appeared on her face, and she quickly put away her delight.
Didn’t I just think he was interesting and want to tease him?
Why do I feel so satisfied and happy in my heart…
Yun Shuyu raised her eyes to look at Du Heng. Du Heng happened to lower his gaze to look at her. Their eyes met, and for some reason, she guiltily looked away.
Du Heng only found it odd, but didn’t think much of it.
“Miss Yu, aren’t you supposed to change the characters? Hurry up and do it.”