Chapter 179: Xiao Youlan Kisses Her Deeply

Nan Xueyin's heart suddenly began to race, and she could no longer spare a thought for Xiao Mingyu.

She looked downstairs and saw Xiao Youlan, who stood there leisurely, surrounded by others like the moon among stars.

He had also lost a little weight, but not much; he remained peerlessly handsome, his temperament having shifted from cold and aloof to warm and gentle. He was like a piece of jade that had been polished.

Nan Xueyin leaped and dashed toward the floor below.

As she brushed past Xiao Mingyu, Nan Xueyin did not hesitate or falter in the slightest; Xiao Mingyu only caught the faint fragrance on her, but he did not even touch a single strand of her hair.

Xiao Youlan also took two steps forward, and so Nan Xueyin threw herself into his arms.

After several months apart, this was the two of them embracing once again.

It was as if someone who had walked through the desert for many days had finally drunk a mouthful of clear, sweet water; the longing and love in Nan Xueyin's heart had long since piled up into a mountain, weighing down her spirits, but finally, in this embrace, everything melted away like ice and snow.

Her cheeks flushed slightly: "Xiao Youlan, I think of you every day..."

Xiao Youlan held her, stroking her soft hair, "I know."

After holding her for a while, Nan Xueyin finally remembered her uncle.

She tilted her face up, "Oh, that's right, my uncle came with me today."

"Uncle?" Xiao Youlan was slightly stunned.

Nan Xueyin nodded: "My biological uncle."

She left his embrace and looked up toward the floor above, "Uncle, didn't you want to request an audience with the Crown Prince?"

At this moment, Nan Jiyun's head was spinning.

He walked downstairs mechanically, his legs seemingly beyond his control.

Finally reaching the bottom, he looked at Nan Xueyin, then looked at Xiao Youlan.

He looked at Xiao Youlan, then looked at Nan Xueyin again.

Xiao Youlan wore a smile: "Greetings, Uncle."

Nan Jiyun replied subconsciously: "Ah, hello... hello..."

Then his reason punched him hard; he woke as if from a dream and scrambled to kneel: "This humble official deserves to die! This humble official, Qingzhou Chief Clerk Nan Jiyun, pays respects to the Crown Prince..."

Xiao Youlan did not stop him from kneeling.

Seeing that he had performed the ritual, he gestured, "Rise."

Nan Jiyun rose obediently and took out the name card from his bosom, "This is the name card of Qingzhou Sima Yu Qinghe; he also runs errands for the Crown Prince, and he said this humble official could..."

Halfway through his sentence, he looked at Nan Xueyin.

The Crown Prince appeared to be listening to him, but in reality, he was looking at Nan Xueyin from time to time.

Nan Jiyun suddenly felt very foolish; why was he still holding a name card when he was already Little Xue's uncle...

He blushed with shame and tucked the name card back into his bosom, "This humble official came on this trip because..."

"Don't be in a hurry, Uncle."

Xiao Youlan interrupted him at this point, "Whatever the matter is, let us go to the Eastern Palace to discuss it together."

Nan Jiyun let out an "ah," "Go... go to the Eastern Palace?"

Xiao Youlan smiled: "The carriage is already prepared. Uncle, let us go."

Nan Jiyun let out another "ah" and walked outside mechanically once more.

Nan Xueyin took a glance; her uncle was even walking with his hands and feet on the same side—was he really that nervous...

"Xiao Youlan, you cannot snatch her away from me..."

Behind them came Xiao Mingyu's voice, spoken through gritted teeth.

Xiao Youlan turned his head, and upon seeing Xiao Mingyu, he raised an eyebrow: "Fourth Brother, have you fallen to such a state? Is there no food to eat at the Duan Prince Mansion?"

Xiao Mingyu glanced at Nan Xueyin to the side, "I think of Yinyin every day, which is why I have grown thinner day by day."

Xiao Youlan, however, said: "If you truly love someone and miss someone, you would know that you should eat well and rest well, and not let her worry. Instead of deliberately not eating or drinking to make yourself look so wretched—what is this, are you trying to make her feel guilty and soft-hearted when you meet?"

Nan Xueyin added mercilessly from the side: "Not at all. Not even a little."

Xiao Mingyu's expression turned ugly.

Xiao Youlan continued: "Furthermore, Fourth Brother just said that I snatched her away; isn't that nonsense? Back then, wasn't it Fourth Brother who sent her to my side himself?"

Xiao Mingyu was blocked by him and could not say a single word.

Nan Xueyin knew that Xiao Youlan could leave Xiao Mingyu speechless with just a few words.

She did not want to stay with Xiao Mingyu any longer and turned to the side: "Shall we go?"

Xiao Youlan gave a gentle "mm," followed Nan Xueyin for two steps, then suddenly remembered something, paused slightly, and turned back, "Oh, right, Fourth Brother."

"Do you have anything else you want to mock me with?" Xiao Mingyu asked.

"That is not what I meant," Xiao Youlan actually smiled, "It is just that Master Yan and Miss Yan are right outside; they heard everything Fourth Brother just said. You should think carefully about how to handle this later."

Xiao Mingyu was stunned, his face turning unimaginably pale.

Xiao Youlan held Nan Xueyin's hand as they walked out of the inn, leaving with the Eastern Palace guards.

He tilted his head slightly and whispered: "Don't hit him in the future; he might secretly enjoy it."

Nan Xueyin could not help but laugh.

At the entrance, Nan Xueyin came face-to-face with Yan Zhirong and her father.

Master Yan's face was livid, clearly suppressing the anger in his heart.

Yan Zhirong, however, did not look that angry; she merely took an extra look at Nan Xueyin.

"Yan Zhirong had long heard about the matters between you and Xiao Mingyu. Over these past few months, she has repeatedly proposed ending this engagement, but Xiao Mingyu has never agreed. Master Yan is a man who cares very much about his reputation; he feels that since no major fault has occurred, and the engagement between the two is known to everyone, it is not easy to cancel it casually. Therefore, the matter has dragged on."

Sitting in the carriage back to the Eastern Palace, Xiao Youlan held Nan Xueyin's hand and told her in a soft, slow voice.

Nan Xueyin nodded.

"Originally, as soon as I received news from the city gate that a woman named Nan Xueyin had entered the city, I should have come looking for you, but I specifically went to the Yan Family first. Otherwise, you wouldn't have run into Xiao Mingyu. Are you a little unhappy?"

"Not really." Nan Xueyin currently did not have any special feelings for Xiao Mingyu.

"That is good," Xiao Youlan pondered, "Currently, there are still some in the imperial court who support Xiao Mingyu; on one hand, it is because they feel I am not married and have no heirs; on the other hand, it is also out of respect for the Yan Family. Now that the betrothal between the Yan Family and Xiao Mingyu can hardly be maintained, my threat is almost gone."

Nan Xueyin gazed at him for a moment, then suddenly said, "How strange."

Xiao Youlan did not understand: "What?"

Nan Xueyin tilted her head: "We haven't seen each other for so long, and now that we are finally alone together, you only talk to me about so many court matters, and don't think about anything else at all?"

Xiao Youlan was stunned for a moment, "I..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Nan Xueyin leaned over and kissed his lips.

Xiao Youlan closed his eyes involuntarily, then opened them, his gentle gaze falling upon Nan Xueyin's face.

Nan Xueyin looked at his lips and teased him mischievously: "Did you forget how to kiss..."

Before the words had faded, Xiao Youlan kissed her deeply.

He kissed fiercely, almost seizing all of Nan Xueyin's breath, and she tried to dodge backward.

But Xiao Youlan had anticipated this; his palm supported the back of her head, his lips and teeth extremely passionate, not giving her any chance to escape.