Xiao Zhen left the Ling Family residence and sat in the carriage, still fuming with anger.
He just couldn't understand. For so many years, Ling Hua had never met Yan Qing, and now after only two encounters, how had she suddenly developed the desire to marry him?
He had known her for ten years, from a little girl to the graceful young lady she was now. How could she become interested in a man in just these short two or three days, without him noticing?
And that man was Yan Qing at that!
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and he ordered the coachman, "Go to Marquis Duanjing's residence!"
The coachman was startled, doubting he had heard correctly, and tentatively asked again, "Your Highness, you said to go to Marquis Duanjing's residence?"
The Second Prince had always had little contact with Marquis Duanjing's residence; why did he want to go there so late at night?
"Yes, Marquis Duanjing's residence!"
The coachman acknowledged the order, promptly changed course, and headed towards Marquis Duanjing's residence, full of puzzlement.
The distance between the Ling Family and Marquis Duanjing's residence spanned the northern and eastern parts of the city, taking well over half an hour before they finally arrived.
Xiao Zhen alighted from the carriage and commanded, "Go knock on the door!"
The coachman immediately stepped forward and knocked on the grand entrance of Marquis Duanjing's residence.
The door of Marquis Duanjing's residence being knocked in the middle of the night demanded an annoyed response from the gatekeeper, "Who is it?"
The coachman glanced back at Xiao Zhen.
Xiao Zhen's face was stern, and he said nothing.
The gatekeeper opened the wicket, peeked outside, and saw a young nobleman and a coachman at the gate. He took a good look but didn't recognize them.
Thus, he asked again, "Who are you?"
The coachman looked towards Xiao Zhen again, and seeing he still remained silent, he tentatively spoke up, "The Second Prince?"
"The Second Prince?" the gatekeeper's eyes immediately widened.
Ever since the old Marquis and the Marquis had passed on, with the exception of the young Master visiting the Empress Dowager on her birthday annually, and the occasional gifts from the Empress Dowager, one could say that Marquis Duanjing's residence had ceased all contact with the rest of the Imperial Family, including 'His Majesty'. Even for the Emperor's birthday, he would just send a token gift, never attending himself.
And now, the Second Prince came looking in the dead of night...
"I want to see Yan Qing!" Xiao Zhen finally spoke up.
"Um, alright, alright, this servant has seen Your Highness before, I will announce you to the young Master right away." The gatekeeper swiftly shut the door with a bang and ran off.
Xiao Zhen, staring at the closed door, looked even more displeased.
The coachman cautiously stood to the side, thinking that only Marquis Duanjing's servants would have the audacity not to immediately invite the Second Prince inside and even slam the gate so loudly, showing such a lack of manners.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Marquis Duanjing's butler hurried over, opened the front door, and greeted Xiao Zhen, "Your Highness, please come inside."
"Where is Yan Qing?" Xiao Zhen stepped over the threshold.
"The young Master has just returned from drinking outside a moment ago; a servant has been sent to fetch him."
Xiao Zhen nodded.
The butler led the way, inviting Xiao Zhen into the guest hall.
The butler ordered tea to be brewed, but Xiao Zhen didn't drink, sitting in the hall waiting.
Yan Qing didn't keep him waiting too long before he appeared, yawning continuously. Xiao Zhen could smell a strong scent of alcohol even before Yan Qing got closer.
Yan Qing wasn't just yawning continuously; his whole demeanor was dazed, probably having been woken up from sleep, his clothes wrinkled and buttons misaligned. After entering, he struggled to open his eyes wide, carefully took a moment to recognize who was present, then sat down while rubbing his eyes and asked in confusion, "Xiao Zhen? You're looking for me?"
Xiao Zhen watched Yan Qing without saying a word.
Yan Qing rubbed his eyes for a while, and not hearing a reply, he weariedly lay his head on the table, "If you're not going to speak, I'll go back to sleep, alright?"
Xiao Zhen still said nothing.
Yan Qing's head tilted, and he truly fell asleep instantly.
Xiao Zhen looked at him, thinking that other than his face, there was nothing good about him. He could not understand how Ling Hua could think of leaving Qin Huan and marrying him instead.
His frustrations grew as he glared at the sleeping man. Was he smacking his lips because he hadn't drunk enough?
The butler seemed to be startled by Xiao Zhen's grim appearance and anxiously wondered, noticing that the young Master was asleep, knowing nothing of what was happening, he stepped forward and cautiously asked, "Your Highness, did our young Master do anything to offend you?"
Xiao Zhen took a deep breath and said rigidly, "No!"
Such a man, with Ling Hua's fastidious temper, would never be able to endure him—it was sheer insanity! He had definitely been driven to foolishness by anger!
His grandfather and father were both angered to death by him, and with Ling Hua's temperament, even if she did have some ideas, would they not come to naught when put into practice?
He stood up, "I bid you farewell."
The butler: "..."
He couldn't understand. What did the Second Prince mean by all this? He came to Marquis Duanjing's residence late at night, and from the moment he entered until now, he had only said three sentences: "Where is Yan Qing?", "No!", "I bid you farewell." This... was just too puzzling.
The butler escorted Xiao Zhen to the door, watching him hurry away as if something was chasing him. In the blink of an eye, he reached the gate, boarded his carriage, and departed. The butler reflected carefully on the years past, never having heard any rumors of the Second Prince's eccentricity.
He remained at a loss, ultimately attributing it to the likelihood that the young Master had somehow offended the Second Prince.
Ah, the young Master was truly worrisome.
The butler returned to the guest hall to find Yan Qing still sound asleep on the table. He waved his hand, instructing people to carry him back to his room.
Yan Qing was indeed drunk. He had already been nearly completely inebriated at Zuixian Pavilion with Cheng Chu and others, and on his way back to the residence, he encountered Ling Hua who, through Liuli, gave him a jar of Begonia Brew. He ambled home, sipping left and right, one gulp after another, finishing the jar by the time he reached home, which successfully intensified his drunkenness.
That he could barely get out of bed to meet Xiao Zhen was already a testament to his good tolerance for liquor.
Clearly, Xiao Zhen was unaware, assuming that Ling Hua must be insane from wanting to break off her engagement with Qin Huan and that she had simply become fixated on Yan Qing, who by chance, had stepped in front of her.
He reasoned that, given Ling Hua's stubbornness in most matters, if he forcibly opposed her, it would likely backfire. Perhaps it would be better to let her try, guessing that then she would never want to see Yan Qing again.