Yuwen Ya failed to understand what Chu Yu was so anxious about, but he did start to feel somewhat suspicious!
Just as Yun Jinnian and Han Tianci stepped through the main entrance, they saw Chu Yu coming forth in a splendid sapphire blue brocade robe, exuding an air of suave nonchalance, and the corners of his eyes and eyebrows wore a smile.
The rising sun was at his back, and Yun Jinnian thought she saw the dawn spread across the sky as if he marched upon clouds, his commanding presence unparalleled, like a breath of fresh air after a rainstorm, causing one to sink deeply.
She bowed slightly, "Greetings, Your Highness!"
Chu Yu gestured dismissively, "No need for such formalities, no need at all!" he said, yet his eyes remained brightly fixed on Yun Jinnian.
He hadn’t even noticed Han Tianci standing beside her.
Han Tianci touched his own face, wondering if he was not handsome enough to be noticed?
Yun Jinnian gave Chu Yu a light smile, her eyes soft and honeyed, which delighted Chu Yu as if he had consumed pounds of the sweetest honey wine, leaving him so intoxicated that he could scarcely tell north from south.
She had, after all, noticed him at first glance!
Yun Jinnian had no idea of Chu Yu’s thoughts and turned to bow to Yuwen Ya, "Greetings to Young Master Yuwen!"
Yuwen Ya returned a warm smile, "Now that you are the Fourth Young Master Yun, you should offer a fist-and-palm salute instead!" As he spoke, he gave a serious fist-and-palm salute to Yun Jinnian, "Brother Yun, you honor me with your courtesy!"
Yun Jinnian was startled for a moment but quickly returned the salute, "Brother Yuwen, you honor me with your courtesy as well!"
Seeing that the two seemed to be getting along well, Chu Yu pulled Yuwen Ya aside, "What nonsense are you talking about!" and turned gently to Yun Jinnian, "Cousin is already inside, could you perhaps examine his pulse first to see how he is doing?"
Then, they saw Prince Yanjun, dressed in white, walking slowly towards them.
If Chu Yu was as warm as fire, then Prince Yanjun was cool and refreshing like water, akin to the dew from atop an eternal snowy mountain, ethereal as though he wasn’t truly a man of this world.
With each step he took, he seemed almost like a mirage.
Could he really be a mere mortal and not a celestial being inadvertently fallen from the Ninefold Palace into the mortal world?
Han Tianci tugged at Yun Jinnian’s sleeve, "Brother, he is truly beautiful!"
Yun Jinnian nodded in agreement.
There was no denying his beauty.
Prince Yanjun could not speak, and his vision was blurred, but his ears were still functioning. Listening to Han Tianci’s words, he did not feel embarrassed.
Instead, he found it quite novel.
It had been so many years since anyone dared to compliment his beauty.
"This one..." Yuwen Ya looked at Han Tianci, feeling an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
Chu Yu, however, was smiling as he stepped forward and patted Han Tianci’s shoulder, "I did not expect you to accompany your sister here!"
"I am a man, of course I must accompany and protect my sister!" Han Tianci said, his body slightly shifting to avoid Chu Yu’s hand on his shoulder.
"That is as a man should be!" Chu Yu agreed, then explained to Yuwen Ya, "This is Jinnian’s younger brother, the young master of the Han Family, named Tianci!"
Yuwen Ya, however, stared at Han Tianci, puzzled, "Why do I feel like I have seen the young master Han before?"
Where had he seen him?
Yuwen Ya couldn’t recall, but his instincts told him that he had certainly seen Han Tianci before.
"Hehe," laughed Han Tianci.
Chu Yu shook his head, paying no heed to Yuwen Ya.
"Shall we go inside?" Chu Yu asked.
"Let’s stay in the courtyard. It’s brighter here, and everything can be seen more clearly!" Yun Jinnian spoke up.
Chu Yu nodded, and immediately someone brought out a table and chairs.
Yun Jinnian said to Prince Yanjun, "Please, Your Highness."
Prince Yanjun gently lifted his sleeve, placing his hand upon the table.
His fingers were slender and flawless, clearly a sign of a life lived in the utmost luxury. Yun Jinnian could not recall ever seeing such beautiful hands.
Like her own hands, which she knew would be used to feel pulses and perform acupuncture, she took great care of them, but they paled in comparison to those of Prince Yanjun.
Yun Jinnian only glanced twice before shifting her gaze, believing that no one had noticed her momentary fascination.
But Chu Yu, who had been watching her all along, rubbed his own hands and then made a decision in his heart...