Chapter 329: Should Just Be Made Sea King

Eh, Du Ruo nearly choked.

She hurriedly put down the meat bun in her hand, forced down the food stuck in her throat, then turned and bowed.

"Your Highness, long live!"

Although she still wasn't used to the ancient habit of kowtowing at the drop of a hat, still, when in Rome, do as the Romans do; if she had to choose between her head and her knees, she'd pick her head.

Just as her knees were about to touch the ground, a pair of large hands descended from the sky, gripping Du Ruo's shoulders and stopping her movement.

Immediately after, a friendly male voice came from above her head: "You don't need to kneel."

Du Ruo stepped back a few steps without changing her expression, breaking free of the man's grasp.

But inside she kept muttering to herself.

What's going on?

Does this native-born Prince Yu not understand what gender separation means? Acting all handsy, if anyone saw this, even jumping into a lake wouldn't wash away the suspicion.

"The Prince summoned me to ask about that medicine?" For safety's sake, better to settle it quickly and leave.

Zong Zheng Yun remained silent, merely staring blankly at the wary woman before him.

So this is what she looks like in this life.

Although she's a bit darker, slightly less beautiful than in her previous life, she's still quite pretty.

Really nice.

Too bad he ended up a step too late again……

Not hearing Zong Zheng Yun's answer, Du Ruo furrowed her brows and looked up at him doubtfully.

This wasn't the first time Du Ruo had seen Zong Zheng Yun's true appearance; a few days earlier on Wulin Street, when Zong Zheng Yun emerged from his carriage to meet Shen Jing Bin and his mother, Du Ruo had hidden in the shadows and stolen a few glances.

Her first impression then was—well, he's the dream of hundreds of millions of girls; both his looks and his figure are outstanding.

He also indeed bore the noble, aloof air of royalty looking down on all.

Overall, he lives up to his status.

But right now, seeing Zong Zheng Yun gazing at her with deep, affectionate eyes, Du Ruo decided to retract her previous assessment.

Jiang Zhan was right; this old brother indeed has a problem—he flirts with anyone he meets, not a good sort.

His imperial father really shouldn't have enfeoffed him as Prince Yu.

He should have just been made Sea King instead……

"Cough, cough," Du Ruo coughed twice, raising her volume to repeat the question: "May I ask, Prince, do you not know how to use the medicine?"

"The medicine isn't important," Zong Zheng Yun replied, regaining his composure with a smile, "Please sit first; I have something to say to you."

The medicine isn't important?

Then what is important?

Du Ruo sat down beside the table, full of suspicion, waiting to hear what comes next.

Zong Zheng Yun sat opposite her, took out an exquisite wooden box from his sleeve, carefully opened it, and placed it before her.

"Do you recognize this?"

Du Ruo lowered her head to look.

Inside the box lay an object: a round head, a slender body, the head wrapped in red paper, the body made of wooden sticks, making it top-heavy and rather odd.

This peculiar shape—could it be……

Du Ruo suddenly shivered.

"What is this? I grew up in the countryside, my knowledge is limited, I don't recognize it." She looked clueless.

"You don't recognize it?" Zong Zheng Yun laughed.

" Pretending, keep pretending."

From the moment he finished reviewing those documents, he had been absolutely certain: the Jiang family's eldest daughter-in-law, Du Clan, is the person he's been looking for!

The name is the same.

Her manner of acting is the same.

Half a year ago her temperament suddenly changed drastically, and for no reason she self-taught herself medicine; even the chili peppers were grown by the Jiang family.

Too many coincidences—it's no coincidence.

There's only one explanation—this Du Ruo is that Du Ruo!

Since she is Du Ruo, how could she not recognize this thing? She's merely afraid of exposing her time-traveler origins and inviting disaster.

Forget it, no more beating around the bush; it's time to reveal her identity.

"If you don't recognize it, surely you recognize me?" Zong Zheng Yun gazed into Du Ruo's eyes, his depths swelling with many emotions—longing, affection, restraint, plus the joy and excitement of reuniting after a long separation—"Tang Tang, I've been looking for you for so long."

Tang Tang?

Du Ruo sprang to her feet, staring at him in disbelief.

Only one person in the world would call her that, but how could that be possible??

"You are... Xiao Chuan?"

"Yes, I'm Xiao Chuan." Zong Zheng Yun's eyes reddened in an instant, though the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, "The poor wretch you pulled back from the brink of the abyss—Xu Mingchuan."

Xu Mingchuan……

It really is him!

Du Ruo stared blankly at the man, unable to connect this unfamiliar yet handsome face with the memory of that sallow, skinny little chick.

Speaking of which, she hasn't seen Xu Mingchuan for a full ten years.

When they first met, Du Ruo was sixteen, about to enter high school.

Because she was an orphan and also excelled academically, often ranking first in her grade, she was well known in that small town, and many parents liked to invite her over during vacations to tutor their children.

To Du Ruo, this was naturally a good thing.

This way she could earn enough for tuition and living expenses.

One day near the year-end, it was snowing and very cold; Du Ruo, according to the appointment, went to finish tutoring a child in math, then, holding her umbrella, left the employer's house and prepared to return to the school dormitory.

As a result, just as she walked into the alley near the school, she saw a bloody scene.

A group of teenage boys were fighting in a brawl!

No, strictly speaking, it was three or four beating one; the one being beaten was thin and small, but his eyes were extremely fierce, like a young beast trapped in a cage, making a final resistance.

Unfortunately, two fists can't fight eight hands; the child was quickly knocked down, and a large amount of blood gushed from his nose.

The scene was quite frightening.

Du Ruo has always kept to herself and doesn't like to meddle in others' affairs.

But at that time she didn't know what was wrong with her; perhaps she couldn't stand to watch, or maybe she had a momentary lapse of judgment, and she actually rushed out despite the danger, relying on her being taller than those boys, she swung the broken umbrella in her hand and drove them away in disgrace.

Then she took the child, whose nose was bleeding profusely, to the nearest clinic and spent the fifty yuan she had painstakingly saved.

Fifty yuan—that was her food budget for two weeks!

Fortunately, the child had no serious injury, only superficial wounds; applying some medicine would suffice.

The nosebleed looked terrifying, but it was merely a ruptured capillary.

Leaving the clinic, Du Ruo felt heartbroken and kept twitching.

After thinking it over, feeling unwilling to accept the loss, she grabbed the child and had him show the way to his family to demand repayment; although doing good deeds expects no return, she couldn't suffer a loss, could she?

Who knew that the broken child was like a mute; no matter how she coaxed or threatened him, he wouldn't utter a sound.

This left Du Ruo feeling depressed and annoyed.

There was nothing she could do; she could only consider herself unlucky and stomped off angrily.

She had thought the matter was over and quickly forgot about it, but a few days later one afternoon, the child intercepted her on the road she often passed and handed her two dirty, crumpled banknotes.

"I'll first return two yuan to you, and the remaining forty-eight I will pay back slowly." The child's expression was solemn and earnest.

Du Ruo agreed.

Thus, the child came every few days to repay the money, sometimes one yuan, sometimes two, and occasionally three or five.

The two gradually became acquainted, and Du Ruo also asked for his name.

Xu Mingchuan, a very pleasant name.

Besides that, Du Ruo also knew he was two years younger than her, attended the same school, and was in the first year of junior high.

Du Ruo was very surprised; she had always thought Xu Mingchuan was at most in fifth grade, because he looked extremely short, like a malnourished bean sprout.

But regarding his family situation, Xu Mingchuan didn't mention a word.

After one semester, the fifty yuan was finally repaid, and Du Ruo, as wished, was admitted to the best high school in the county.

The two no longer had any reason to meet.

But contrary to Du Ruo's expectations, Xu Mingchuan actually walked ten kilometers to the county every weekend to find her, each time sitting on the blue stone bench at the school gate, eagerly awaiting her appearance.

That appearance was exactly like a dog afraid of being abandoned by humans.

Xu Mingchuan said he had many problems he couldn't solve, asked Du Ruo if she could tutor him, and added that he wouldn't let her efforts go to waste; when he grew up and earned money, he would give her half.

Du Ruo was amused by him.

"All right, then you must remember what you said today."

Du Ruo said jokingly.