sbdcsierra Chapter 124 Meeting Fan Junyu
Chapter 124 Meeting Fan Junyu
Seeing the princess's shy and adorable appearance, Cui'er secretly chuckled to herself, but outwardly she quickly replied, "Alright, alright, it was my fault for being so talkative. Whatever our princess says goes." At this moment, Li Mama, who had been silently observing from the side, also chimed in with a beaming smile, "Yes, yes, Your Highness is absolutely right. This old servant will hurry to prepare a carriage for the princess and select some capable people to attend to her, ensuring that the princess's journey is without incident." As soon as she finished speaking, Li Mama turned around and hurried off to do her work.
However, He Mingning was extremely anxious at this moment. She rushed forward in three steps, grabbed Li Mama's sleeve, and said with a look of anxiety and sincerity in her eyes, "Mama, there's really no need to go to so much trouble! I only need to take Lan'er with me, I don't need too many people to accompany me."
Upon hearing this, Granny Li stopped and turned to look at He Mingning. She shook her head with a serious expression and retorted righteously, "Your Highness, how can this be? You are of noble birth and have an extremely high status. When you are out and about, you must not take your safety lightly! Therefore, it is most important to bring more people to protect you."
He Mingning frowned slightly, and after a moment's thought, she parted her lips and said, "How about this? Just take a few skilled bodyguards with you! I really don't want to be followed by countless eyes like shadows on my rare outing, making me feel so uncomfortable." Upon hearing this, Granny Li's face immediately lit up with a joyful smile, and she nodded repeatedly, saying, "Yes, Your Highness is absolutely right. This old servant will go and arrange it right away." Before she finished speaking, she turned and left with light steps and high spirits to take care of the matter.
Before long, when Granny Li returned, He Mingning was already dressed and made up. She wore a light blue pomegranate-colored dress with exquisite embroidery on the hem; her long, glossy black hair cascaded down her shoulders like a waterfall, simply held up with a jade hairpin; her fair face was lightly powdered, making her even more charming and beautiful. Granny Li gazed intently at the graceful princess before her, her joy overflowing, and exclaimed, "Our princess is simply a fairy descended from heaven! Look at her, it's truly breathtaking! And the carriage is all ready." He Mingning smiled slightly, nodded her head to acknowledge, and then turned to Lan'er beside her, instructing, "Yes, Lan'er, let's not delay, let's set off." With that, she lifted her skirt and walked gracefully toward the carriage. Lan'er followed closely behind, carefully helping He Mingning board the carriage.
With a sharp crack of the driver's whip, the carriage sped forward like an arrow. The wheels rolled, kicking up clouds of dust. In no time, the carriage came to a smooth stop in front of the Dali Temple. Lan'er jumped down first, then reached out and carefully helped He Mingning down. The two, mistress and servant, had barely settled when they saw Zhang Yi slowly walking out from the inner gate. He Mingning and Lan'er exchanged a glance and quickly went to greet him. Upon reaching him, He Mingning bowed slightly and asked softly, "Please inform him if Lord Fan is inside?"
Zhang Yi's gaze sharpened as he stared intently at He Mingning and Lan'er before him, his face filled with suspicion, his brows furrowed, and his tone wary as he asked, "Who exactly are you to the Master? Why have you suddenly come to see him?" Lan'er, standing to the side, was about to speak, to assert her status as a princess, but He Mingning, quick as a flash, spoke first. A faint smile played on her lips, and her voice was soft and melodious, like a nightingale's song: "I... I'm his cousin."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi's doubts vanished instantly, replaced by a look of sudden understanding. He nodded slightly, his attitude becoming respectful, and said, "Oh, so you're the sir's cousin! My apologies for not recognizing you!" Seeing this, He Mingning felt somewhat relieved and then asked, "In that case, I'd like to ask if my cousin is here? I've come to discuss important matters with him." Zhang Yi quickly nodded again and replied, "Yes, he is. The sir is inside right now. Please follow me, and I'll take you to see him."
He Mingning was overjoyed upon hearing this, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She repeatedly thanked Zhang Yi, saying, "That's wonderful! Then I'll trouble you to lead the way." Zhang Yi smiled and waved his hand generously, saying, "It's nothing, no need to mention it. Just keep going straight from here until you see an intersection a short distance ahead. Turn right and follow that road to the end. The innermost room is where the master is." He Mingning listened carefully, afraid of missing any details. After Zhang Yi finished speaking, she quickly thanked him again, "Okay, I understand, thank you so much!" With that, she grabbed Lan'er and hurried off in the direction Zhang Yi had indicated.
He Mingning, dressed in a magnificent long gown, walked gracefully alongside Lan'er. The two of them were like two dazzling stars shining in the night sky, radiating captivating charm. Following the directions, they walked slowly but firmly towards their destination.
Before long, the door leading to Fan Junyu's office came into view. Lan'er stopped and turned to face He Mingning, speaking in a voice so soft it seemed to blend into a gentle breeze, "Princess, please go in quickly! I will wait here. If you need any help, just call out, and I will come to serve you immediately." He Mingning nodded slightly, her lips parting slightly as she softly replied, "Okay." As soon as she finished speaking, she raised her jade-like hand and gently knocked on the closed door.
A crisp knock echoed in the quiet corridor, followed by a brief reply from inside. Having received permission, He Mingning moved with the graceful elegance of a butterfly in flight, carefully pushing open the door and then slowly stepping into the room.
At this moment, Fan Junyu was engrossed in his work, completely absorbed in his official duties. He assumed the person who entered was his familiar subordinate, Zhang Yi, and without even looking up, he asked somewhat impatiently, "What do you have to report this time?"
These sudden words startled the unsuspecting He Mingning. Her originally delicate face turned pale instantly, and she stood there blankly like a frightened fawn, not knowing how to answer for a moment.
Fan Junyu, having received no response for a long time, frowned slightly and urged impatiently, "Why aren't you saying anything? What is it? Speak up quickly. If it's nothing important, then hurry up and leave. Have all the cases been resolved?" However, He Mingning remained silent, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her skirt with nervousness.
Fan Junyu abruptly raised his head, about to unleash a torrent of abuse, when he was startled to see He Mingning standing gracefully before him. He was utterly astonished and cried out, "Princess, how could it be you?" Before he finished speaking, he hastily placed the pen he was gripping lightly on the table, his movements swift and decisive. Then, as if propelled by a gust of wind, he abruptly rose from his seat. With lightning speed, he strode forward. In the blink of an eye, he had reached He Mingning's position. At this moment, he was only two steps away from the beautiful princess before finally halting his hurried pace.
He Mingning's bright, captivating eyes were fixed on Fan Junyu, who was slowly walking towards her. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest like a startled deer. Her voice trembled slightly as she stammered, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know you were so busy right now. It's all my fault for disturbing you while you were handling your official business. Please rest assured, this will never happen again." As soon as she finished speaking, like a child who had accidentally done something wrong, a shy blush rose on her face, and she slowly lowered her head.
Fan Junyu, equally focused on the pitiful He Mingning before him, his face filled with remorse, said sincerely, "I'm so sorry, I really didn't expect it to be you here. I mistook you for Zhang Yi. I hope my impulsive actions didn't frighten you." Hearing this, He Mingning timidly raised her head slightly and replied in a soft, almost inaudible voice, "No, not at all." Seeing this, Fan Junyu quickly extended his hand in an inviting gesture, leading He Mingning to a table not far away and carefully helping her to sit down. Then, he continued gently, "Please sit here for a while, I'll send someone to fetch some delicious food to treat you." With that, he turned and walked towards the door, preparing to instruct his men to bring the food as soon as possible.
Having said that, his expression turned stern, and he walked steadily toward the door. Each step carried an invisible pressure, drawing everyone's attention to him. When he finally stood at the doorway, his tall and imposing figure resembled a mountain, inspiring awe in all who beheld him.
He slowly raised his head, his icy gaze sweeping over everyone present. His already expressionless face was now as if covered in frost, making it impossible to look directly at him. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke, his voice deep and powerful, seemingly capable of piercing the soul: "Who brought her in?"
As soon as those words were spoken, everyone's fingers instantly pointed in the same direction—Zhang Yi. Zhang Yi's face was already deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead. Facing Fan Junyu's sharp and chilling gaze, he felt his legs go weak, almost unable to stand.
Fan Junyu's face was ashen as he stared intently at Zhang Yi, the chill in his eyes growing stronger. He asked, word by word, "Did you bring her in?" The accusation and reproach in his tone were unmistakable.
Zhang Yi trembled with fear, nodding frantically and stammering, "It's...it's me, Boss...Boss, I...I didn't know it would turn out like this..." At that moment, he was filled with remorse and inwardly groaned. He was doomed; judging from his boss's expression, he had definitely made a huge mistake.
However, just as Zhang Yi was filled with dread, Fan Junyu immediately added, "I'll settle accounts with you later. Hurry up and bring in some food and drink. You really have no sense of propriety." After saying that, he didn't look at Zhang Yi again and strode back into the house.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a little. He nodded hurriedly and replied, "Yes, yes, yes! I'll go prepare right away!" As he spoke, he wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Watching Fan Junyu's departing figure disappear behind the door, Zhang Yi finally let out a long sigh of relief. Just a moment ago, he truly felt as if he had just walked through the gates of hell, and now he felt as if he had been given a second chance at life.
As soon as Fan Junyu left, the other onlookers surged forward like a burst dam, surrounding Zhang Yi. They bombarded him with questions, leaving him momentarily overwhelmed.
Lu Xia rushed forward and grabbed Zhang Yi's broad shoulders, staring at him with wide, questioning eyes. "Hey, bro," she asked impatiently, "what's going on? The way Boss looked just now...tsk tsk tsk, it was like he was going to devour you whole!" Zhang Yi, looking completely innocent, blinked his clear eyes and replied somewhat blankly, "Was it that exaggerated? It can't be, can it? She's just his cousin."
Hearing this, Lu Xia's curiosity grew even stronger. He stared intently at Zhang Yi and continued to press, "What cousin? Tell us clearly!" Zhang Yi felt uneasy under Lu Xia's gaze, but still forced himself to continue, "Well, the boss's cousin suddenly came looking for him. Then, I saw that she seemed to not know where to go, so I kindly gave her directions. Then she and her maid walked off in that direction on their own."
However, before Zhang Yi could finish speaking, the impatient Lu Xia couldn't contain herself and interrupted, shouting, "Oh my god! You didn't just send that girl straight into the boss's room, did you?" Hearing this, Zhang Yi jumped up and down in panic, waving his hands and protesting, "How could I! I really didn't send her in! I just simply pointed her in the right direction; she went in with her maid herself afterward. It has nothing to do with me!" At this moment, the others gathered around, chattering amongst themselves. Someone said, "Yes, yes, it really isn't a big deal! Could it be that the boss is angry because you didn't personally escort her in?" Everyone nodded in agreement.