Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

She clenched the handkerchief a little tighter, standing where she was, quietly watching that carriage.

Madam Chu and the others seemed to sense something. They frowned and glanced at the carriage, then gestured for everyone to follow her into the residence. She glanced at Luo Yi’er’s somewhat dazed expression and sighed softly in her heart before stepping through the main gate.

The person driving the carriage lightly stepped down and cupped his hands toward her, silently offering a respectful greeting. Only then did he step back and lift the curtain—revealing the person inside in full.

Luo Yi’er bit her lip lightly, unable to quite articulate the feelings in her heart at that moment. She couldn’t deny that throughout the day, she had harbored some hope that he would return in time. But now that she was truly seeing him again, her feelings were complicated. There was perhaps a bit of joy—but also a faint bitterness that left her momentarily absentminded.

He stepped down from the carriage, clearly travel-worn. His usually neat hair was somewhat disheveled, as if tousled by the wind. His eyes were cool and detached, and his face bore a trace of fatigue. With long strides, he reached her side in just two steps.

The servants nearby, including Linglong, had already bowed and withdrawn. At this moment, it seemed only the two of them remained outside the Marquis’s residence.

Luo Yi’er’s eyelashes trembled slightly. She felt the distance between them was a bit too close and instinctively stepped back, only for her wrist to be caught by him. She was suddenly at a loss. “Your Highness…”

“Mm.” The man, though clearly tired, still lowered his head and responded to her softly.

Only then did Luo Yi’er get a proper look at him. There were faint shadows beneath his eyes, as if he hadn’t rested well for several days. Yet when his gaze fell on her, there was a faint trace of warmth in his expression. The grip on her wrist didn’t lessen; instead, it seemed to burn slightly.

Luo Yi’er pressed her lips together and turned her head away. Her voice carried a trace of suppressed emotion. “Why is Your Highness showing up only now?”

She glanced up at the sky, estimating the time in her heart—just past the hour of Hai(9-11pm)… the day was nearly over.

“I should be in Wuzhou at this time. It’s inconvenient for me to appear in the capital, and I was delayed on my way into the city.”

His voice was calm as he explained, and in the end, he lowered his eyes to look at her and asked softly, “Did I come too late?”

Luo Yi’er paused. From Wuzhou to the capital, even riding hard would take three full days. She looked up at him and noticed the slight disarray of his hair. As her gaze drifted lower, she unexpectedly saw faint traces of mud on the hem of his robes. Her eyes flickered, tinged with surprise.

…He must have ridden swiftly from Wuzhou and only switched to a carriage upon entering the capital.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said he was delayed when entering the capital.

She suddenly raised her hand, her fingertips brushing against his jaw. The man didn’t move at all, allowing her slightly impolite gesture. Her fingertips tingled slightly. She lowered her eyes and said softly, “…Not too late.”

The man before her seemed to relax a little, and in his usually calm voice, there was now a faint warmth.
“Happy birthday.”

Luo Yi’er turned her head slightly, her lashes quivering as she gave a silent, soft laugh.
“Thank you, Your Highness.”

He drew a brocade box from his robes. When opened, inside lay a jade hairpin, gleaming faintly under the moonlight, exquisite and elegant. Holding her wrist, he placed the box in her hand, and at the same time, said in a low voice, “Take it.”

Luo Yi’er froze for a moment. She lifted her hands to hold the brocade box and saw him take out the jade hairpin. He tucked a stray strand of hair from her cheek behind her ear, then, with an incredibly gentle motion, slid the hairpin into her hair bun—his fingertips seeming to lightly caress her hair as they passed.

When he remained motionless for some time, Luo Yi’er gently lifted her head, eyes open as she asked him, “Does it look good?”

He nodded calmly.
“It looks good.”

A faint blush spread across the corners of her eyes. She turned her head away, seemingly tinged with bitterness, tightly clutching the handkerchief in her hand. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say. Her wrist was still held by the man, and he showed no sign of letting go—as though he’d forgotten. She didn’t speak to remind him either.

In this quiet moment of gentle warmth, Wei Feng, waiting by the carriage, lifted his head to glance at the sky, occasionally looking toward the two of them, trying to suppress the growing anxiety in his heart.

This return to the capital had been a sudden order from the Prince. There were still many unresolved matters back in Wuzhou. What’s more, once the hour of zi passed, it would be difficult to leave the city through the gates.

Seeing that the hour of zi was drawing near, Wei Feng had no choice. Even though he wished the Prince could linger a little longer, he had to raise his hand and lightly knock on the carriage, reminding the Prince that time was running short.

Even though Wei Feng’s movement was soft, in the stillness of the night, the sudden sound was quite noticeable.

Luo Yi’er turned her head to look at him, and seemingly guessing what it was about, gently pursed her pink lips and opened her eyes slightly. Her brows drew together as she asked softly,
“Your Highness… are you still going to leave the capital now?”

Fang Jinling fell silent. He gently brushed his fingertip across her forehead and answered softly, “Mm.”

Hearing his reply, Luo Yi’er lowered her eyes, the corners of her lips tugging into a faint smile.
“Then why did Your Highness even come to the capital?”

Fang Jinling frowned slightly, took one of her hands in his, and lowered his gaze as he spoke in a calm voice.
“I wished to see someone, so I returned.”

Luo Yi’er was momentarily speechless, not expecting such directness from him. For a moment, she didn’t know how to respond. The vague trace of dissatisfaction she had just felt vanished completely. A soft blush crept up her cheeks as she mumbled, “Don’t you need to rest?”

Sensing a hint of concern in her voice, a faint trace of a smile appeared in Fang Jinling’s eyes.
“Once I return to Wuzhou, I can rest.”

Luo Yi’er frowned. That meant he still had to travel several more days?

Fang Jinling raised his hand and smoothed the crease between her brows. His voice remained calm and indifferent.
“No need to worry.”

In the darkness, she couldn’t see his expression. In the midst of her daze, he gently pulled her into his arms. Luo Yi’er froze, her fingertips falling awkwardly against the front of his robe. Then she heard a soft sigh by her ear—tinged with a strange contentment—followed by a low, quiet voice,

“…I’m sorry.”

His large hand wrapped around her waist, tightening slightly. Luo Yi’er felt a little uncomfortable. Her initial instinct to push him away halted midway. She gently pressed her pink lips together, lowered her gaze, and leaned softly and quietly into his embrace.

Fang Jinling didn’t take things any further. He looked down at her, seeing how obediently she lowered her eyes, and a faint warmth spread through his heart.
He said, “Next year, for your coming-of-age ceremony, I will certainly be there.”

His form of address had changed, as if he were making a solemn promise. Luo Yi’er’s face flushed, and she gave him a small push. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Wei Feng’s anxious expression.

Turning her head slightly to hide her reaction, she said in a low voice, “All right, Your Highness… You should return quickly.”

Fang Jinling naturally understood the situation. He held her hand a bit more tightly and said in a low voice.
“In less than a month, I’ll return to the capital.”

Before Luo Yi’er could reply, he continued,
“When that time comes, I’ll come see you again.”

He gently stroked her forehead with his fingertip. Whatever he was thinking, Luo Yi’er suddenly felt a little nervous, her fingers curling into the fabric of his robe. Fang Jinling’s gaze darkened slightly. He withdrew his hand and said lightly, “Rest early.”

Luo Yi’er’s lips parted, as though she wanted to say something. Fang Jinling waited a moment, but she only lowered her eyes and murmured, “Your Highness, take care on the road.”

Fang Jinling lowered his gaze, hiding the flash of disappointment that passed through his eyes. Just then, another sound came from behind. He frowned slightly, his gaze lingering for a moment on the jade pendant at her waist, before finally pulling his eyes away. Without another word, he turned and strode back to the carriage.

Wei Feng let out a breath of relief. From not far off, he cupped his hands toward Luo Yi’er, then quickly took the reins and drove the carriage away.

Luo Yi’er stood where she was, watching as the carriage grew farther and farther away. She seemed to catch a glimpse of the curtain on one side being lifted. Her lips pressed together gently, and her fingertips clutched the handkerchief tightly. Linglong came over and asked softly,
“Miss, shall we return to the residence?”

The carriage was already out of sight. Luo Yi’er lifted her gaze, her expression calm and faint.
“Let’s go back.”

Only when the main gate was closed did Luo Yi’er feel the pressure in her chest, accumulated ever since she saw Fang Jinling—begin to ease. She let out a small breath of relief.

She didn’t want to think too deeply about what those emotions were. Recalling that Madam Chu was likely still waiting for her, she supported herself with Linglong’s arm and quickly made her way toward Fang Yun Hall.

As she walked, she even found herself idly wondering, had the longevity noodles from the kitchen turned soggy by now?

—

On the other side, Wei Feng drove the carriage swiftly. Before the guards at the city gate changed shifts, he had already exited the capital. In a wooded area ten li outside the city, several riders were waiting on horseback. Under the slanted moonlight filtering through the leaves, one could vaguely make out two horses left unmounted among the group.

As the sound of hooves and wheels approached, the waiting group visibly relaxed. They all dismounted, leading their horses and bowing their heads in silence to await the arrival.

Once they had exited the city, Wei Feng was no longer in such a rush. He stopped the carriage at the edge of the woods and lifted the curtain. Seeing the weariness on Fang Jinling’s face, he frowned and said with concern, “Your Highness, there’s a post station up ahead. Let us rest for the night.”

Fang Jinling cast him a cold glance.
“No need.”

“But Your Highness—”

“No need to say more.” Fang Jinling raised a hand, cutting him off.

His sudden return to the capital had left the situation in Wuzhou still unsettled. That territory was under Prince Yu’s control, and more importantly, there was also Marquis Jianyi—someone Fang Jinling dared not underestimate. Naturally, it was best to return to Wuzhou as soon as possible.

Wei Feng understood the stakes and didn’t try to persuade him further. He suppressed his worry and stepped back.

After getting down from the carriage, the waiting men all bowed in silent salute. One of them brought a horse to his side. Fang Jinling took the reins and mounted swiftly and cleanly. Turning back to glance toward the direction of the capital, his eyes grew slightly obscure.

Three years ago, when he had left the capital, he hadn’t dared to look at her reaction when she received the imperial decree. He had left in haste, without the complex emotions he now felt. He looked away.

From the corner of his eye, he noticed the faint scar on the back of his hand, and his gaze paused. Almost instinctively, he reached for the embroidered pouch tied at his waist.

After a moment of silence, he turned his horse around. His expression grew even colder, detached and indifferent, as he said in a low, commanding voice,

“Return to Wuzhou!”