"Your Highness!" Zhou Kang said excitedly.
"Where, where is she?" Nangong Yi looked around frantically, but there was no sign of Xiao Man.
Zhou Kang grinned, "Still saying you didn't come for Her Highness, but as soon as Her Highness is mentioned, your spirit soars."
Nangong Yi glared angrily at Zhou Kang. If it weren't for the fact that Zhou Kang had grown up with him, he would have really wanted to beat him up!
Seeing two figures approaching, Zhou Kang quickly said, "Your Highness, Her Highness, it's Her Highness."
"The same trick, do you think this prince is so foolish as to fall for it twice?" Nangong Yi said irritably, "Believe it or not, I'll punish you to go back and clean the latrines for a month."
"Greetings, Her Highness."
"Hey, you're getting bolder." Nangong Yi rolled up his sleeves. Zhou Kang was becoming more and more presumptuous, making fun of him without any sense of propriety.
"Nangong Yi, you're out shopping too." A familiar voice came from behind. Nangong Yi, who had half-rolled up his sleeves, immediately let them fall. He turned around and saw Xiao Man and Wen Mohan standing behind him. His gaze involuntarily fell on their clasped hands.
His heart felt a mix of emotions. Back then, he thought that even if he didn't have a chance, Xiao Man would eventually end up with his fourth brother. But she didn't. Xiao Man eventually chose Wen Mohan.
He never understood why Xiao Man chose Wen Mohan. If he were a woman, he would have chosen his fourth brother. Even though Wen Mohan was excellent, compared to his fourth brother, Wen Mohan was not as outstanding. His fourth brother's appearance, his abilities, his power, were all rarely matched.
Moreover, Xiao Man and his fourth brother were mutually attracted. They were clearly in love, so why did things turn out this way?
"You're out shopping too." Nangong Yi said blankly after a long pause.
Xiao Man nodded, "After dealing with official documents all day, I felt a bit tired, so I asked Mohan to accompany me out for a stroll. You've been in Lanyue for some time, and as a host, I haven't properly entertained you. Why don't we have a meal together today? I'll treat, how about it?"
"Alright." Nangong Yi nodded numbly. Watching Xiao Man lead Wen Mohan through the crowd, he immediately followed. For some reason, walking behind the two of them, Nangong Yi had an illusion that they were not engaged but a couple who had been married for many years. Between them, there was no need for too many words; it was as if a single glance could convey their thoughts.
Perhaps this was the reason why Xiao Man chose Wen Mohan. Wen Mohan was not as ambitious as his fourth brother. He could give up everything for Xiao Man. As for his fourth brother, he had too many responsibilities; he couldn't arbitrarily abandon everything to follow Xiao Man.
"Truly a perfect match," Zhou Kang murmured in admiration. "I used to think that Miss Xiao and His Highness the Prince of Qin were a match made in heaven, like celestial beings when they stood together. But now, seeing Miss Xiao and Young Master Wen together, there's a lot more earthly charm."
"What do you mean by 'earthly charm'?" Nangong Yi asked, confused.
"Realness," Zhou Kang said, looking at the two people walking ahead, laughing and talking. Xiao Man would often say something to Wen Mohan, and Wen Mohan would listen attentively, holding Xiao Man's hand without letting go. When he saw a stone ahead, he would pull Xiao Man to avoid the obstacle. Even if Xiao Man wasn't looking, she didn't have to worry about falling.
"What is real?" Nangong Yi was confused. In his opinion, none of this was real. Xiao Man was clearly the daughter of General Yusheng's mansion, but in the blink of an eye, she became the Empress of Lanyue. He had always thought that their days of wild fun would continue forever, but in a blink of an eye, the illusion was shattered, and they could never go back to how they were before. Sudanan Novel Network
"Real is that you are the Prince of Qi of Yusheng, and she is the Empress of Lanyue. The man by her side is Young Master Wen Mohan of the Wen family. Neither you nor His Highness the Prince of Qin can replace his position." Zhou Kang nodded towards Wen Mohan. In his opinion, Xiao Man's choice of Wen Mohan had been foreshadowed from the beginning.
Xiao Man always had more patience for Wen Mohan than for others. She was usually ruthless, but she was always soft-hearted towards Wen Mohan. His Highness had known her for many years but had never received such preferential treatment from her, yet Wen Mohan had.
"Your Highness, do you think Her Highness liked Young Master Wen from the very beginning?"
Nangong Yi was stunned by this question, as he had no idea.
The Tower of Catching Stars was a famous restaurant in Bianjing. Usually crowded, it appeared rather deserted today.
"Welcome, honored guest."
"Do you have a private room?"
"Since you are here, of course, we do." The innkeeper quickly stepped forward and led them to a private room. The Tower of Catching Stars always reserved some rooms for dignitaries, even if business was good, to be prepared for any eventuality.
Xiao Man and her entourage entered the private room, ordered a table full of delicacies, and asked the innkeeper to bring two jars of good wine. Xiao Man, who had a poor tolerance for alcohol, did not drink at all. Wen Mohan, however, drank with Nangong Yi.
Nangong Yi did not refuse, drinking cup after cup. When they were half-drunk, he patted Wen Mohan on the shoulder and said, "Wen Mohan, tell me, what kind of luck did you have to win her favor?"
Wen Mohan looked at Xiao Man, his smile unreserved, "Perhaps I did too many good deeds in my past life, so heaven has blessed me with great fortune in this life."
"Isn't that great fortune!" Nangong Yi slurred, his tongue thick, "So many people wanted to marry her, but in the end, you got her!"
Wen Mohan knew that Nangong Yi was drunk and that Nangong Yi had always liked Xiao Man. However, Xiao Man only saw him as a friend, or rather, he had never considered Nangong Yi a rival in love. The only one who could truly be considered a rival was Nangong Yu.
"I always thought Xiao Man liked fourth brother," Nangong Yi mumbled. "This is the first time I've seen my fourth brother care about a woman. I thought they would end up together... *hic*..."
"You're drunk," Xiao Man said. "Zhou Kang, take your master back to the temporary palace."
Zhou Kang quickly went to help Nangong Yi, but Nangong Yi refused to leave, clinging to the leg of the table, insisting, "I'm not leaving, I'm not leaving, I haven't had enough to drink, I still want to wait for Xiao Man's wedding banquet."
Zhou Kang looked at Xiao Man apologetically, "His Highness is not usually like this, he's just had too much to drink."
"I know. Take him back," Xiao Man said, standing up and giving instructions. "When you get back, brew some sobering soup and feed it to him."
"Yes." Zhou Kang felt quite emotional. The two of them had been so close before, but now they had become distant.
At this moment, a waiter brought in wine. Zhou Kang was helping Nangong Yi out when the waiter stepped aside to bring the wine in.
Wen Mohan saw this and instructed, "No need to bring the wine in. We don't need it anymore."