Chapter 181

He still remembered not long ago, he and Ye Qingran had a big argument, in order to ease their relationship and also with the goal of getting to know Ye Qingran better, he assumed the identity of Wuhen, went to Jiu Fu Lin, and participated in the Royal Hunting Grand Event.

To be frank, that trip to Jiu Fu Lin, in the identity of Wuhen, he indeed gained a lot, learned much about her past, and deepened his affection for her.

However, amidst his excitement, he began to worry.

When he decided to assume the identity of Wuhen back then, he hadn't thought much about it, it was an impulsive act. Now that he has calmed down, he inevitably starts to ponder how to explain to Ye Qingran the identity of Wuhen.

She had told him her past without reservation, but he? He had disguised himself as another stranger, entered her world, and probed her secrets.

Given Ye Qingran's personality, if she found out she had been deceived, she would probably be very angry, right?

Fu Hanxiu pinched the invitation, his perfectly boned fingers loosening then tightening; for a moment he didn't know what to do.

"Your Majesty, what's wrong?"

Fu Hanxiu glanced at Fu San, tossed the invitation to him, and said, "You look at it yourself."

Fu San took it and looked, and immediately found himself in a dilemma.

"Your Majesty, I thought that after the Royal Hunting Grand Event ended, you… Wuhen and Ye Qingran would go their separate ways. After all, you only spent three days together—how could there be any emotional foundation afterward? Plus, it's been so long since you last saw each other, I assumed…"

"I also thought she had forgotten me… forgotten Wuhen." Fu Hanxiu said in a low voice, his eyes dark and inscrutable.

"Your Majesty, since Wuhen is merely a temporary false identity, I think you'd better not go. The more you meet, the easier problems arise. What if Miss Ye becomes good friends with Wuhen, or even falls for him—what then?"

Fu Hanxiu's eyes turned icy.

Indeed, what if Ye Qingran doesn't take a liking to the National Master but falls for the plain-looking Wuhen—what should he do? Tell her that Wuhen is actually his disguise?

He could even imagine Ye Qingran's reaction.

She probably wouldn't fly into a rage; she would stay calm, and it's precisely her calmness that frightens him the most…

He truly brought this upon himself!

Fu Hanxiu felt like he had two heads.

If he had known earlier, he wouldn't have created the Wuhen identity at all; even when he first met Ye Qingran, he should have revealed his identity as the Emperor Sovereign of Zhu Lu's Peak, saving himself all this trouble later.

"But I don't want to refuse her!" Fu Hanxiu remained silent for a long while, his words soft when spoken, yet as firm as a rock.

Even in the guise of Wuhen, he could not bring himself to refuse her, for he could not bear to see her disappointed.

Fu San naturally could not understand this feeling.

"Your Majesty, if you don't refuse Miss Ye, it will become very troublesome later—better a short pain than a long one…"

Is that so?

Fu Hanxiu, however, did not think so.

Even if later Ye Qingran becomes angry upon learning that Wuhen is the National Master, or even ignores him, he still cannot bring himself to—seeing her disappointed right now.

Perhaps, liking someone is just this crazy…

Because… I like you!

So, Ye Qingran, whenever you want to see me, I will always keep the appointment punctually.

"That's settled. Go reply to her; tomorrow at noon, I will attend as Wuhen, punctually."

Fu San's face was full of surprise.

It turns out, Your Majesty, you've already fallen in, without even realizing when!

Besides Wuhen, the recipient of Ye Qingran's invitation naturally also included Xia Zhimeng, a former teammate who fought side by side with her in Jiu Fu Lin. Of course, Gu Dongliu and Ling Shaoyang were also on her invitation list. Although the two were not teammates, they had once helped her, and out of sentiment and reason, she ought to treat them to a meal.

Qin Ge

Third-floor private room

Xia Zhimeng looked around the private room with an excited expression.

"Little Mengmeng, you surely aren't coming to Qin Ge for the first time, are you?" Gu Dongliu shook his folding fan, smiling in a suave and unrestrained manner.

Xia Zhimeng was no ordinary young lady from an aristocratic family; she was thick-skinned and big-hearted, and she didn't take Gu Dongliu's nickname to heart, merely nodding and replying, "Mm-hmm, I've never come here to eat before! I heard the food here is super delicious—is that true or not?"

"It's naturally true. Their dishes are very innovative and the flavors are exquisite. However, Qin Ge serves only a few guests each day, requiring reservations far in advance. I've been fortunate to come several times, and each time I get to try different dishes."

Xia Zhimeng licked her lips, almost drooling.

"Ling Shaoyang, how about you? Have you been here before?"

Ling Shaoyang sat to the side, his back straight, the whole person looking very energetic, quiet and reserved, not talkative, but when Xia Zhimeng asked him, he replied, "I've been here; their place is quite good."

Hearing Ling Shaoyang's evaluation of Qin Ge, Gu Dongliu couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. Although he knew Qin Ge's dishes were delicious, receiving Ling Shaoyang's approval was truly rare and precious.

Before, he and Ling Shaoyang were merely nodding acquaintances, but because of Ye Qingran, they gradually became familiar; he also increasingly felt that Ling Shaoyang was not the cold, aloof type—he would laugh too, he wasn't taciturn, it's just that how much he spoke depended on whom he was speaking to.

A glint flashed in Gu Dongliu's eyes, his spirit radiant. He suddenly realized that Ye Qingran's return was like a boulder dropped into a calm pond, causing ripples while quietly changing many people and affairs.

Ye Qingran also happened to enter the private room at that moment, bringing Han Xing with her; her gaze swept around, but she did not see that figure.

"Has Wuhen not arrived yet?"

Xia Zhimeng didn't know Ye Qingran had invited Wuhen; her eyes lit up immediately. "Sister Ran, did you invite Wuhen? Is he still in Xiliang? I thought it had been so long that he must have returned to Cangzhou by now!"

During this period, Xia Zhimeng had even considered contacting Wuhen to meet up and reminisce about their brief camaraderie, but lacking any way to reach him, she had to give up.

She even thought she would never see Wuhen again.

Ye Qingran nodded, "I invited him; he replied, saying he would come today."

Xia Zhimeng looked outside at the sky, "There's still a while until the appointed time; I estimate Wuhen will arrive just in time."

Ye Qingran nodded. She didn't think Wuhen would stand her up. She believed she understood him somewhat; if Wuhen weren't coming, he wouldn't have promised to keep the appointment.

Sure enough, before the appointed time, Wuhen's figure appeared at the door of the private room.

He was tall and slender, standing before the private room's door, his head nearly touching the already high doorframe, clad in a black robe with a cinched waist and long collar, which perfectly accentuated his figure.

His aura was mysterious yet tinged with coldness, making it easy to overlook his ordinary looks; or, even after noticing his appearance, one subconsciously felt that such a fine physique and demeanor shouldn't be paired with such an unremarkable face.

"Wuhen?!"

Xia Zhimeng rose excitedly to her feet; at the sight of Wuhen, she almost shed tears of bitterness. The couple she had rooted for were finally together again!

Although she had previously rooted for the National Master and Ye Qingran, thinking they were a match made in heaven—one extraordinarily handsome, the other breathtakingly beautiful—when Wuhen and Ye Qingran appeared together, she also felt they were extremely well-suited.

So, is it really that she has no morals, or is it that Wuhen and the National Master are indeed both very suitable for Ye Qingran?