Chapter 19: You Are Very Interested In Me?

Sunlight shone like gold, shadows dappled, leaping across the man’s long fingers and melting into his ink-dark, boundless, deep eyes.

Beautiful people were always favored by the world.

Tang Wanning’s foot hadn’t regained its strength. She couldn’t walk, nor could she stay angry at the man in the wheelchair. She forced herself to explain to him patiently, “Your jade pendant is very pretty, but I was not demanding it, I was expressing genuine admiration. Often, admiring someone is simply a wholesome trait. You don’t need to take it so seriously.”

Zhao Cong’s dark eyes flickered slightly. “Admiration? You’re very interested in me?”

Tang Wanning shook her head decisively. “No.” Please don’t get the wrong idea!

“It’s fine if you’re not interested.” Zhao Cong’s voice dissolved into the wind, faint and cold.

That atmosphere… Tang Wanning considered it and felt uneasy. Since any attempt at conversation would only deepen the awkwardness, she wisely fell silent, took deep breaths, and tried repeatedly to plant her injured foot on the ground. Hurry and heal, hurry and heal! Just get better already!

Just as her ankle eased and hurt less and she was about to thank him and leave, there was suddenly a sound on the path outside.

Someone was coming, and it was the same man in black as before. He seemed to have searched elsewhere and, having failed to find what he wanted, had come back to look again. This man was different from the burly servant in russet clothes earlier. Tang Wanning was sure she was right, the man was after her!

The man drew nearer, footsteps growing lighter… Sensing danger, Tang Wanning stopped hesitating, pushed the wheelchair behind a tree to hide the man on it, then raised a finger to her lips. “Shh, don’t make a sound! I’ll draw him away!”

Zhao Cong’s expression was odd. “You… want to protect me?”

“What else?” Of course she would handle her own trouble. Tang Wanning quickly scanned the surroundings, figuring out which way to slip away unnoticed. “Someone who can’t even walk properly shouldn’t fuss, hide quietly, be sensible. As soon as that man follows me, leave this place immediately, understand?”

Having said that, without waiting for a response, Tang Wanning picked a direction and slipped away on tiptoe. Five breaths later she made a noise in the southeast corner and bolted outward. Hearing it, the man in black abandoned the bushes before him and turned to chase toward the southeast!

The surroundings calmed quickly. Light and shadow were silent. Even the breeze brushing the treetops seemed to stop.

Eunuch Tian silently stepped up to the side of the wheelchair. “Your Highness?”

Zhao Cong frowned, his expression still strange. “She said she wanted to protect me.”

“Yes, she said it very firmly. This servant heard her clearly from afar.”

“Why?”

“Well… this old servant couldn’t say for sure.”

“Speak. You shall be excused.”

Eunuch Tian chose his words carefully, “Your Highness has, over many years, fought in perilous battles, slain enemies, defended cities. You have always been protecting others…”

Zhao Cong said, “A man makes his mark in the world by being fearless and bold, respecting elders and caring for the weak, protecting home and country. Isn’t that his proper duty?”

“So as long as Your Highness is present, people feel at ease. Even if they are lonely or weak they will not be afraid. But Miss Tang is different. She is a woman…”

“It seems she finds me too weak,” Zhao Cong thought of what Tang Wanning had said before leaving and his face darkened. “Would I need her to protect me? Ridiculous.”

Eunuch Tian nearly bit his tongue. My lord, that’s your focus? The point is that she’s a woman!

“Ahem, Your Highness may not know: because women are physically weaker, they often must use indirect methods even to protect themselves, let alone others. They cannot protect many people, but the ones they bravely stand up for are their own children, husbands, and close family.”

To prevent his lord from misconstruing things, Eunuch Tian spoke very quickly, not giving a moment for interruption, “Miss Tang wanting to protect Your Highness must mean she has, subconsciously, placed you in her heart without realizing it. She isn’t thinking of much beyond hoping for your safety, hoping you don’t feel alone. On your path ahead, she will always be a light that illuminates for you!”

Zhao Cong looked at the plain handkerchief on the wheelchair’s armrest and said lightly, “But she forgot me.”

Eunuch Tian explained, “When it comes to matters from her childhood… it’s normal not to remember. Miss Tang suffered a serious illness back then and was in a daze for a long time. She didn’t want to touch the past or see people from before, and only recently has she come to her senses. Women are sensitive, but Your Highness is a man, don’t fixate on this.”

Putting the faintly scented handkerchief away, Zhao Cong changed direction. “Let’s go.”

Eunuch Tian asked, “Where to?”

Zhao Cong glanced at him, wondering where his usual quickness had gone. “Follow her.”

Eunuch Tian immediately understood. “Miss Tang is being followed by a bad guy, so there’s certainly danger and we must go protect her! Come, Your Highness, we must hurry!”

He never dropped the ball in his duties. Miss Tang had long been someone he believed required special attention. If an incident occurred, the covert guards would have followed already. Even if the intruder was someone of little consequence, they would not stand by if danger arose. His Highness didn’t operate like that, but there was a difference between the covert guards quietly assisting and His Highness personally taking charge!

Zhao Cong said solemnly, “I never owe favors to others.”

Eunuch Tian didn’t know what to say.

Zhao Cong went on, “Although she had absolutely no need to go out of her way.”

…

On the other side, Tang Wanning had already run into a dead end.

The man in black leisurely pursued her. “You’ve been running so long, Miss Tang. Aren’t you tired? Better stand still quietly and let’s have a proper talk.”

Tang Wanning watched the man draw closer and felt a little panicked. When she had decided to save the man earlier, she had had no hesitation. She had scanned the environment and knew where to run safely. But the appearance of this man in black was entirely unexpected. At first she remembered the way out and where to go, but after running for a while she couldn’t figure this out quickly enough. Now, she didn’t know where this place was, whether anyone was nearby, or if it truly was a dead end!

She was very nervous, but she also knew that observing more and delaying was the right move. Maybe she could find a flaw and get a chance to escape? Maybe someone would hear the commotion and come to check?

“You! Who exactly are you? Why are you following me!”

The more the prey trembled with fear, the more assured the hunter became. Seeing Tang Wanning’s reddened eyes, the man in black grew even more pleased and took another step closer. “Miss Tang, don’t you know me?”

“Don’t move!”

Tang Wanning pulled the golden hairpin from her head and pressed it to her throat. “I’m telling you to stop coming forward!”

Biting her lip, she put on a stubborn look. The message was clear: I can’t run, but that doesn’t mean you can bully me!

The man in black stopped and clicked his tongue. “You’re pretty fierce. Don’t grip that so tightly. If you really hurt yourself, my heart would really ache.”

Tang Wanning hissed, “Who are you! Why are you chasing after me!”

“Isn’t it obvious? Seeing you lose your husband makes you so pitiful that I came to offer myself.”

Tang Wanning continued glaring at him.

“Your younger sister married the Second Prince, but you had an earlier relationship with that same man. No family would feel secure under those circumstances. Isn’t your family arranging a husband for you? I think I’m quite suitable,” the man in black shrugged his sleeve. He was no longer so flippant, but given his temperament he wasn’t exactly solemn either. More than anything he sounded resigned and mocking.

“You’ve lost your chastity, so no other man would want to take you in. Only someone like me can give you a chance. My household has recently fallen on hard times, it would be good if you could help. Afterward the position of mistress and the respect that comes with it would be yours, and we could muddle through life together… I think it’s a fair arrangement. What do you think?”

Tang Wanning realized who he was. “You’re from the Li family!”

Judging by his manner and bearing, he was not an ordinary person. Among the great figures recently fallen in the capital… Aside from Li Hongsu, who else was there?

“Yes, you can call me Young Master Li,” Young Master Li said, hatred flashing in his eyes. “Li Gui almost escaped, but was found in your manor, and it was you who personally made room and gave the clue… you did the deposed Crown Prince a huge favor! Now my uncle is dead, our house ransacked, our kin being punished. I can stand here today, but tomorrow I might lose my life. So, since Miss Tang harmed my family to this extent, shouldn’t she pay some price?”

Tang Wanning found that laughable. “Li Hongsu embezzled and perverted justice, trampling on lives. Did I teach him or indulge him? If he did wrong, shouldn’t he pay the price?”

Young Master Li’s gaze turned dark. “That’s right, he died, and you say he deserved it and is not to be pitied at all. Then marry me and become one of the unpitiable Li family!”

It sounded like a man settling scores and venting anger. Unable to go after powerful figures, he preyed on a woman. But Tang Wanning knew there was more to it. For the Li family now, revenge wasn’t the main point. The crucial issue was how to survive the crisis. The evidence against Li Hongsu was solid and couldn’t be changed. The man himself had already paid the price, but the implicated clan members still had some leeway if someone was willing to lend a hand, pull a few strings…

But once the tree falls its branches scatter. In thankless, exhausting matters like this, everyone was fleeing. Who would be willing to help?

But she was different: from the Li family’s perspective, she was an accomplice in “Li Hongsu’s death.” She was also the orphaned daughter of a meritorious man and had a standing before the Emperor. If she could indeed marry into the Li household, this could make a difference as to whether the Emperor were to be severe or lenient toward the surviving family. Those above wouldn’t want a big scandal and might grant some face. If she bore children in the future, there would be hope of the family’s fortunes reviving.

For the Li family to seek her out, it really was quite fitting!

“But we’re in the Wangs’ residence!” Tang Wanning warned him. “If this blows up, no one will benefit!”

Young Master Li was not afraid and he even smiled. “Precisely because we’re in the Wangs’ residence that I can go all out and do this.”

Tang Wanning felt a chill in her heart.

Young Master Li said with heavy meaning, “Why else do you think the Wang family has become so wealthy and noble?”

Tang Wanning’s thoughts raced. Could it be… that the Li and Wang families had some unmentionable connection? One of Li Hongsu’s gravest charges was corruption and bribery. He not only took bribes for himself but also passed them on to others. Could the Wang family…

“What do you want?” Even if the Li family held some scandalous leverage over the Wang family, the Wangs couldn’t help them much. They were in broad daylight and she was already holding a hairpin to her throat. Could he really force her under such circumstances?

“What can I do?”

Young Master Li’s finger leisurely moved toward his chest. “Aren’t you very clever? Guess.”