A door creaked open.
"This is where you'll be staying for now," Zhu Zhu Yun said, pointing inside the room, her tone gentle.
Zhu Zhu Ya, Zhu Zhu Yi, and Zhu Zhu Qing had returned to their own rooms. After more than half a month of arduous travel, they wanted a good sleep, so they left the task of showing the way to Zhu Zhu Yun.
It was a small courtyard. On the left side stood a willow tree, its countless green branches hanging down, full of vitality. Beneath the willow tree, a stone table was placed, surrounded by four stone stools.
On the right side of the courtyard was a pond about three meters in diameter. Lotus leaves floated on its surface, and beneath them, several goldfish of different shapes swam and played.
It was a courtyard of exquisite beauty.
Wang Zhong's gaze swept inside the room. The furnishings were complete. Although not extravagant or resplendent, they possessed a certain elegance and tranquility.
"Thank you."
Wang Zhong nodded, expressing his gratitude. The courtyard and the room's furnishings were exactly to his liking.
Serene, peaceful.
"You can stay here and settle in!"
"When you've delivered the apology gift to me, I'll consider whether to let you go to Geng Xin City."
Zhu Zhu Yun, her crescent-shaped eyes curved, looked at Wang Zhong with a playful smile.
"Hmm?"
"Are you planning to put me under house arrest?"
Wang Zhong asked with a wry smile at Zhu Zhu Yun's words.
"It depends on your performance!"
Zhu Zhu Yun lightly patted Wang Zhong's shoulder with her slender hand. The smile on her face was like that of a cunning kitten.
Wang Zhong felt helpless. It seemed he would have to go out and look for something suitable, something that a kitten would like.
If Zhu Zhu Yun knew Wang Zhong's thoughts, she would probably want to bite him to death immediately, thinking he truly treated her like a cat.
"Zhu Yun! Zhu Yun!"
Just then, a hurried male voice sounded. As Wang Zhong and Zhu Zhu Yun looked at each other in surprise, Davis, whom they had just met, walked past the entrance with two guards holding gift boxes behind him.
Seeing Zhu Zhu Yun in the courtyard, Davis's face lit up with joy as he walked in. However, upon seeing Wang Zhong there as well, his smile became extremely stiff.
It was as if he had swallowed a fly, utterly uncomfortable!
Seeing the expression on the other's face and the items held by the guards behind him, Wang Zhong wore a schadenfreude smile. The show was about to begin.
As a prince, Davis possessed a certain bearing and did not erupt again.
Furthermore, after a period of reflection, he knew he had been too sensitive and had lost his composure. But since the mistake had been made, he could only try his best to rectify it.
He hurried back to the palace, selected a couple of items from his private stash that he felt Zhu Zhu Yun might like, and then rushed back without delay.
It was only then, guided by the maids, that he arrived here.
Deliberately averting his gaze from Wang Zhong, Davis said with a hint of apology,
"Zhu Yun, what happened today was my fault."
"I spoke carelessly and lost my composure, but I truly care about you, which is why I acted that way!"
"These two gifts were chosen specifically according to your preferences, representing my apology. Please don't be angry anymore, okay?"
His words were sincere and heartfelt, and the two gift boxes looked very valuable. Although he didn't know what was inside, they were undoubtedly not cheap, showing great sincerity.
However, it was a pity. Perhaps Wang Zhong's earlier suggestion had been heard by Zhu Zhu Yun, or perhaps she was still truly angry with Davis.
Zhu Zhu Yun, at this moment, had a cold and elegant expression, not even glancing at Davis.
Seeing the coldness on his fiancée's face, Davis quickly took the gift boxes from the guards and opened them. Inside, on a piece of bright yellow brocade, lay a black pearl the size of an adult's fist.
"A black pearl."
"A specialty from the Hyland Sea area of the Hagenes Kingdom."
"Judging by its appearance and luster, it's a top-grade one."
"This Davis is quite attentive."
Wang Zhong lightly chuckled as he examined the pearl in the gift box, feeling a sense of approval for Davis's gift.
Such an item was undeniably precious. The fact that he could produce it showed how much he valued Zhu Zhu Yun.
However, Zhu Zhu Yun didn't even look at the pearl. She turned to Wang Zhong and said with a smile, "You'll stay here for now. Later, Zhu Ya, Zhu Yi, and I will take you out for a stroll."
This blatant disregard caused Davis's face to flush red with anger, yet he could not lash out.
His expression was beyond unpleasant.
"Zhu Yun, there's an outsider here."
"Why don't we find a place to talk privately, alright?"
Davis suppressed his anger and spoke as calmly as possible.
"Talk? Talk about what?"
"Talk about me being promiscuous, talk about me being shameless!"
"Davis! We established our engagement two years ago. In this past year, what have I, Zhu Zhu Yun, done to make you instantly label me so insultingly the moment you saw me!"
"You are a member of royalty, living a life of pleasure, with women on both sides. I can understand, and I can pretend not to see! But I never imagined that you would think of me as just like you!"
"What do you take my Zhu family's rules for, what do you take my parents' upbringing for!"
Zhu Zhu Yun scolded him furiously, almost roaring.
As a prince, Davis was romantic and passionate, and she had nothing to say about that. The Zhu and Dai families had been intermarrying for generations; it was their fate, and she had accepted it calmly.
But what she could not tolerate was that, based on the word of Wang Zhong, a stranger to Davis, her purity and loyalty were completely trampled upon.
This was the reason that truly angered Zhu Zhu Yun, even enraging her to the extreme!
Davis was a prince and possessed his own pride and dignity.
He had been so humble, yet what he received was criticism and a roar. How could he endure it?
"Zhu Zhu Yun! Don't push it too far!"
"Why don't you ask around? When has Davis ever humbled himself so much to a woman!" Davis gritted his teeth, almost grinding them to dust. These words were almost squeezed out from between his teeth.
"Oh! So you mean this is my Zhu Zhu Yun's great fortune." Zhu Zhu Yun said with a cold laugh, crossing her arms.
"You..." Davis was furious to the extreme.
"This is the Zhu family's residence. If His Highness the Prince has any anger, it's best not to vent it here."
Sensing that Davis's actions and spirit energy fluctuations were somewhat amiss, Wang Zhong casually remarked from the side.
It was this sentence that made Davis's expression change several times, and he finally let out a deep sigh.
"Zhu Yun, you're worked up right now, and I don't think you'll listen to me."
"I'll come back in a few days."
"I'll leave these gifts here as a token of my sincerity."
Davis instantly returned to his sunny and handsome prince demeanor, lightly signaling the guards to put down the gift boxes before striding away.
However, as he left, he cast an extremely fierce gaze, staring intently at Wang Zhong.