Cheng Qian Gong secretly frowned, his face betraying nothing as he smiled genially. "I don't have an appetite yet. This is not a place for Miss Yun to be. I'll have someone escort you out."
The obvious dismissal made Yun Ran's fair face pale. She tightened her grip on the handkerchief, feeling a pang of embarrassment. "Lord Cheng, I, I..."
Setting down his brush, its sleeve still carrying the scent of ink, Cheng Qian Gong's voice remained gentle. "Is there anything else?"
"...No." Yun Ran was stung by his distant and cold demeanor. She pursed her lips. "Lord Cheng, take good care of yourself. Xuzhou needs you."
Cheng Qian Gong nodded lightly. In return for Yun Ran's concern, he offered a polite smile, his eyes crinkling and his lips curving in a gentle smile. "I will."
Yun Ran, who had been feeling quite distressed, found her heart racing uncontrollably at the sight of his gentle smile. She lowered her head, her mind a jumble.
Not daring to linger, Yun Ran excused herself with a flushed face. In her haste, she accidentally bumped into someone at the doorway.
She didn't know how long she had been standing there.
When she looked up, she was struck by the intensely captivating, smoky beauty of the face before her.
Tall and slender, like jade adorning a tree.
A mole beneath her eyelid made her unforgettable.
The curve of her neck was perfect, like a gliding swan. Through her cold, pale skin, one could faintly see the rise and fall of veins.
Her gaze was cold, yet it seemed to hold the brilliance of countless stars.
Yun Ran was stunned until a sharp voice rang out, "How dare you! Show respect to the Fourth Prince at once!"
Startled by the voice, Yun Ran hurried back to her senses, quickly kneeling down. Her voice trembled slightly, "Greetings, Your Highness Fourth Prince."
Having grown up in Xuzhou, Yun Ran had never encountered royalty. Though nervous and timid, she couldn't help but steal a glance upwards.
To her surprise, the other person was already looking at her. Their gazes met, and Yun Ran's heart skipped a beat.
Those dark, clear eyes held no trace of emotion.
Yun Ran felt the temperature of her entire body drop. The other person's presence and gaze made her feel suffocated.
Cold sweat trickled down her cheeks, and her knees ached from kneeling for so long. She had never endured such hardship, and her eyes welled up with tears.
Shen Yue, however, showed no hint of tenderness. He merely looked down at the woman kneeling on the ground, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at a dead person.
"What is the meaning of this, Your Highness Fourth Prince?" Cheng Qian Gong, having heard the commotion outside, walked over and saw Yun Ran kneeling on the ground, her small body trembling slightly. He instinctively frowned and said to Shen Yue, "Did Miss Yun offend Your Highness? If so, I beg for your forgiveness here. Miss Yun certainly meant no harm. I implore Your Highness to be merciful."
The man's voice was very soft, carrying a chilling aura. His long eyelashes drooped slightly, and his handsome face held neither subservience nor arrogance.
Every word revolved around Miss Yun, and every sentence protected her.
Yun Ran gazed at Cheng Qian Gong with gratitude, while Cheng Qian Gong offered her a comforting, gentle smile, alleviating her fear.
Shen Yue's face darkened, his eyes filled with indifference. "And what if I don't?"
Cheng Qian Gong simply lowered his gaze and smiled, his posture upright, like a bamboo miraculously growing in the ice and snow. "Then punish me along with her."
The air suddenly grew still, chillingly so.
The fingers hanging by his side trembled slightly. Fu An noticed, his heart pounding. He subtly tugged at Shen Yue's sleeve.
His eyelashes, like butterfly wings, drooped slightly, obscuring half his pupils. His skin was a distinct cold white, and his brow was overcast.
Just as Cheng Qian Gong expected Shen Yue to seize the opportunity to punish him, Shen Yue spoke calmly. She addressed Yun Ran.
"You may withdraw."
Yun Ran scrambled to her feet, her head bowed, her heart pounding fiercely. She dared not look at the person before her again and soon departed.
This concession from Shen Yue surprised Cheng Qian Gong somewhat.
Shen Yue walked inside, his gaze unobtrusively scanning the surroundings. He noticed the food box on the desk, emitting a faint fragrance.
His lips trembled slightly, and then his full, vibrant lips curved into a sarcastic arc. "Lord Cheng, you certainly know how to enjoy yourself. With a beauty by your side, it seems I have given you too much time."
Cheng Qian Gong frowned deeply and spoke slowly.
"Miss Yun and I are innocent. This is merely Miss Yun's token of goodwill. I ask Your Highness Fourth Prince not to tarnish Miss Yun's reputation."
He shed his gentle and courteous demeanor, revealing his inherently cold and forceful nature. Facing Shen Yue, he felt more aversion than reverence, and his words were unceremonious.
Cheng Qian Gong was not simple-minded; on the contrary, he was resourceful and exceptionally intelligent, with a silver tongue. Yet, when confronted by Shen Yue, he no longer bothered with even superficial pleasantries.
He believed that such courtesies were ineffective against a cruel and heartless person.
"You are still protecting that woman? Cheng Qian Gong, do you still have me, your Prince, in your eyes!"
Cheng Qian Gong remained calm. "What is between Miss Yun and me has nothing to do with Your Highness Fourth Prince."
This statement seemed to touch a nerve with Shen Yue. His expression instantly turned sharp. He abruptly picked up the nearby teacup and hurled it. The teacup struck Cheng Qian Gong's forehead, and the tea splashed onto his face and his clothes.
The sound of shattering porcelain crackled, and the room fell into silence.
Drenched head to toe with cold tea, Cheng Qian Gong's face showed no sign of disarray. He looked indifferently at Shen Yue, who was trembling slightly from suppressed rage.
"Has Your Highness Fourth Prince calmed down?"
Shen Yue's pupils trembled. His long eyelashes brushed down, and the red mole beneath his eyelid seemed to deepen in color, like vermilion.
His dark, moist eyes were misted, making it unclear whether it was steam or a detached indifference.
The man remained composed and distinguished, a cut on his forehead bleeding down to his eyelashes. He paid it no mind, maintaining his usual calm and collected demeanor, his expression impassive.
"If Your Highness Fourth Prince is done with his tantrum, please depart."
The two confronted each other for a long time. Blood from Cheng Qian Gong's forehead had already trickled onto his eyelashes. Shen Yue watched, his fingertips trembling slightly, his heart constricting for a moment.
He pursed his lips, his voice dry. "Your injury..."
Cheng Qian Gong lifted his eyelashes slightly. His pupils were a pure, almost unnerving black. "Your Highness Fourth Prince, please leave."
His cold and indifferent attitude burned Shen Yue's eyes. He stepped forward, wanting to examine the wound on Cheng Qian Gong's forehead.
But as soon as he took a step, Cheng Qian Gong recoiled a significant distance, as if he were contagious and Shen Yue wished to avoid any contact.
He remained expressionless. His pure eyes were now like frozen ice, piercingly cold, with a hint of imperceptible disappointment lurking within their depths.
Shen Yue's heart felt hollowed out, a vast emptiness. His voice, uncontrollably trembling, asked, "Did I hurt you?"