Chapter 33: Cherishing Yan Rong

Hearing the rustle of the felt curtain, the man inside the carriage slowly lifted his gaze. As his eyes fell upon her, they softened.

"Benefactor."

Sheng Mingyue, holding her umbrella with one hand, looked up at him and whispered, "Your Highness..."

For some reason, whenever she saw Rong Zhao, she felt an inexplicable sense of grievance.

Rong Zhao noticed her slightly reddened eyes. His brows furrowed, and he said in a low, resonant voice, "Benefactor, come into the carriage."

Sheng Mingyue climbed in obediently and sat to one side without a word. Her hands, constantly twisting her handkerchief, betrayed her agitation.

"Who has bullied you, Benefactor?"

Rong Zhao’s deep voice resonated from above. Sheng Mingyue slowly looked up, their eyes meeting. She did not answer, but instead asked, "It is raining today; why did Your Highness come here in person?"

Rong Zhao frowned, responding naturally, "When something happens to you, how could I sit idly by in the manor?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Mingyue bit her lip, a ripple of emotion stirring in her heart. But in an instant, she smoothed it away.

His Highness was a man of high status and great power; how could she ever harbor thoughts of him? She was not the protagonist, and the things she desired would never come to fruition. She dared not think of them, nor should she.

Rong Zhao’s brow furrowed deeper. He called out softly, "Benefactor?"

Sheng Mingyue snapped back to reality. She subtly moved a little further away from him and said softly, "Your Highness, the weather is cold and damp; please have some tea to soothe your throat."

With that, she lowered her head to pour the tea, unwilling to meet his clear, piercing gaze.

Seeing her change the subject so abruptly, Rong Zhao’s expression darkened. He watched her profile in silence. Sheng Mingyue placed the teacup before him with proper etiquette, then sat still, her hands folded. Rong Zhao remained silent, simply watching her quietly. Feeling uneasy under his gaze, Sheng Mingyue lowered her head, sitting there in restless confusion.

"Your Highness, we have arrived."

The carriage stopped in front of the Prince Jing’an Manor. Yunlai called out from outside, then lowered the carriage stool, waiting for his master to descend.

Hearing the voice, Sheng Mingyue felt a sense of relief and prepared to stand up. Suddenly, her wrist was gripped and pulled toward him. Losing her balance, she stumbled and fell onto the settee, knocking over the teacup on the small table. It tumbled onto the soft rug with a dull thud.

The scent of agarwood filled her senses. Sheng Mingyue looked up, stunned, not understanding what he intended to do.

Rong Zhao kept his eyes lowered, his large hand gripping her slender wrist firmly. Looking down at her flustered face, he leaned in close, his gaze filled with an intense, overbearing pressure—a stark contrast to the gentle, refined man she had known before.

"Your Highness..."

"You want to distance yourself from me, Benefactor."

Rong Zhao spoke with absolute certainty. His face remained calm, but his eyes, fixed intently upon her, held an inscrutable depth.

Sheng Mingyue’s face turned pale. Meeting his gaze, she stammered, "What do you mean, Your Highness? This servant does not understand..."

"Does Benefactor truly not understand?" Rong Zhao kept his eyes downcast, his voice even deeper than usual. "You gave me half your life; we should be the closest people in this world. Yet now, you are harboring thoughts of drawing a line between us."

Rong Zhao tightened his grip slightly, the corners of his eyes reddening. "You came into my life without warning, and now you wish to withdraw, leaving me behind all alone. This truly breaks my heart."

[Help! How did my gentle second male lead turn into a yandere?]

[What did the little cannon fodder do? The Prince seems like a completely different person.]

[It’s no wonder the Prince lost control; the way the little cannon fodder was acting clearly showed she didn't want to get close to him anymore. The Prince has been a recluse since childhood; after finally finding a little ray of sunshine to warm him, forcing him back into his cold, lonely life is enough to drive him mad!]

[I finally believe the Prince truly cares about her. In the original book, the second male lead waited years for the heroine, watching her grow close to the Crown Prince, and even in his unrequited love, he never acted this crazy!]

[So what if he cares? Didn't you see last time at the palace when the Empress Dowager wanted the little cannon fodder to be his concubine to bring him luck? No matter how much he loves her, she’d only ever be a concubine—never someone of status.]

The onlookers began to argue fiercely again. The black text scrolled by rapidly, irritating Sheng Mingyue.

"Shut up!"

Sheng Mingyue squeezed her eyes shut, her mind a mess, and shouted the words involuntarily.

Rong Zhao’s hand, still clutching her wrist, froze. He trembled and released her, his eyes instantly turning red.

The air grew still; even the onlookers from the other world dared not speak.

Sheng Mingyue snapped her eyes open. Seeing Rong Zhao’s helpless, wounded expression, her heart gave a heavy jolt. She quickly said, "Your Highness, I didn't mean to snap at you..."

Rong Zhao lowered his head in utter defeat. A single clear tear slid down his handsome face, landing on his robes—a sight that was remarkably pitiful. He looked more and more like a wronged young bride.

[Nice! A man’s tears are a woman’s stimulant!]

[The little cannon fodder knows what we love to watch.]

[Following the cannon fodder sister pays off; we eat so well every day!]

[He’s practically a male version of Lin Daiyu. That one tear made my heart ache. Little cannon fodder, go comfort him right now!!]

"Your Highness..." Sheng Mingyue sat on pins and needles. Having no time to pay attention to the onlookers, she hurried to soothe him. "This servant truly meant no disrespect..."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

Before she could finish, the man beside her turned his head away and began to cough violently.

"Your Highness!" Sheng Mingyue broke into a cold sweat, reaching out to pat his back to help him catch his breath. "I never intended to distance myself from you!"

Rong Zhao kept his back to her and asked in a low voice, "Truly?"

Sheng Mingyue had no other choice but to patiently coax him. "Naturally, it is true. Your Highness treats me so well; how could I be foolish enough to walk away?"

Rong Zhao turned back, his gaze locking onto her, drawing the distance between them close once more. "Does Benefactor mean that you will never leave me for the rest of your life?"

Sheng Mingyue was struck dumb, unsure how to answer. Seeing him begin to cough again, she quickly blurted out, "Yes, yes, yes, that is exactly what I mean!"

Rong Zhao’s brow finally smoothed out, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes. "Then tell me, who bullied you?"

"Whatever the Benefactor cannot handle, I will handle for you."

[Little cannon fodder, say it quickly! Do you know how to use others to your advantage?]

[Fight if you can; if you can't, call for backup. It saves time and effort—that's what a smart person does.]

[Learn to utilize those around you to benefit yourself.]

Sheng Mingyue glanced at the black text and parted her lips to utter two names: "Yun Shengsheng."

Rong Zhao’s gaze flickered, his eyes fixed on her as if trying to see through her soul. "Benefactor... do you hold affection for Rong Yan?"

The subject changed rapidly. Sheng Mingyue froze for a moment, then replied with firm conviction, "Even if every other man in this world were gone and only the Crown Prince remained, I would never, ever hold affection for him."

Rong Zhao suddenly burst into a smile, his eyes curving like crescents, his expression as light as a spring breeze. "That is good."

"Your Highness, why haven't we stepped down..."

The carriage curtain was lifted from the outside. Yunlai poked his head in, only to find the two of them sitting incredibly close together, and his words died in his throat.

The next instant, the curtain was quickly dropped, leaving the two inside to stare at each other.