He smiled,
"Afraid of what?"
While speaking, he wrapped someone up tightly and lifted them in his arms.
"Hold on to me."
Su Yan obediently wrapped her arms around his neck.
She was bundled up tight, with her whole head covered under the cloak.
By the time her vision cleared again, they were already in the bedchamber.
She was swiftly undressed and then wrapped up in a sheet, followed by another layer from a clean brocade quilt.
After everything was sorted out, she was tossed onto the bed.
The doors and windows were all closed tightly.
The bed curtains were drawn.
She blinked her eyes, leaving only her head out while laying on the bed.
The sound of the rain grew fainter, and the irritation in her heart also lessened significantly.
Xuanyuan Yonghao wrapped the person along with the quilt all into his embrace.
He didn’t say anything else.
Just quietly holding her like that.
Su Yan initially wondered what he intended to do but saw that he remained silent for a long time.
Already feeling very tired and weak, she fell asleep not long after.
Behaving herself, she lay in his embrace, her head against his chest.
Her lips slightly parted, she fell into a deep sleep.
Xuanyuan Yonghao’s gaze never strayed from the person in his arms.
Once he confirmed she was sound asleep,
He slowly loosened his hold, got up, and left.
He walked to the door of the room, his voice indifferent,
"Nantang."
"Your Highness."
A respectful voice emerged.
"Go check, find out what happened to Su Yan before she entered the palace."
"Understood."
With a response, Nantang quickly departed.
Outside, the relentless downpour continued.
It was already getting dark.
Xuanyuan Yonghao stood at the doorway, his face indecipherable due to the dusky sky.
··········
In another extravagant palace residence,
Xuanyuan Yonglin held a letter in his hand, beside him stood a man dressed oddly, thin and pallid in complexion.
Kneeling across from Xuanyuan Yonglin was a guard.
After a long while, the guard spoke up,
"Your Highness, not long after you left, maid Su Yan was personally carried by Third Prince from the side hall into the bedchamber."
A shrewdness flashed across Xuanyuan Yonglin’s square face,
"Oh? I hadn’t expected Su Yan to have such capacities."
A few days ago, a spy reported that there was something ambiguous between Su Yan and this Third Brother of his.
He was half-convinced then.
Now it seems, this Su Yan really has some skills, having hooked the Third Prince’s heart.
He had underestimated her all along.
His fingers tapping the armrest, his expression unreadable.
After a long while, the oddly-dressed man who had been silent suddenly spoke,
"Your Highness seems somewhat concerned."
Xuanyuan Yonglin snapped back to his senses, laughed heartily, but the tone of his voice was somewhat grave,
"Half a year ago, this maid named Su Yan came to see me, accurately predicting several major events. She made me look good in front of Father Emperor.
But then... she told me, the biggest obstacle on my path to becoming Emperor was not my Second Younger Imperial Brother, but the inconspicuous Third Prince.
She also said that ultimately Third Prince would become the Emperor of Xuanyuan Country."
At this thought, Xuanyuan Yonglin’s countenance turned less pleasant.
The oddly-dressed man listened and narrowed his eyes, his voice hoarse,
"Does Your Highness believe that?"
"Hmph, of course, I don’t believe it! However, she did accurately predict a few major events before, I had to be cautious; I had detailed searches made on the Third Prince, but nothing was found."
The oddly-dressed man said,
"This is a good thing for Your Highness."
Xuanyuan Yonglin, however, didn’t see it that way,
"A good thing? I don’t think so."