Following Wherever You Go 3

"Of course."

"Because I couldn't bear to part with my beloved wife."

"..." Yu Qingyan quickened her pace, widening the distance between them once again.

After wandering around the Prince's Estate for the better part of the day, it was now nearing noon. She had no idea where she had ended up, and having skipped breakfast, she was genuinely feeling a bit hungry.

Yu Qingyan looked up at the plaque above the door: Frost-Condensing Pavilion. They had finally circled back!

Just as the thought crossed her mind, the person behind her grabbed her and pulled her along.

"Let go." Yu Qingyan batted his hand away in disgust. "You're acting so nervous—could it be that you've taken a fancy to him yourself?"

Chu Yuchuan froze for a split second. "What nonsense are you talking about!"

She really had no idea what kind of bizarre things were bouncing around inside this woman's head!

"The noon hour has already passed. If the Prince has nothing else to do, please take your leave."

Yu Qingyan returned to the Jade Bamboo Courtyard, and her tail immediately followed her back.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Your Highness the Princess."

As soon as they entered the Jade Bamboo Courtyard, Meixiang and Luju hurried forward to greet them.

"Rise." Chu Yuchuan waved a hand.

"Lunch is already prepared. Please move to the dining hall, Your Highness and Princess."

Yu Qingyan had been hungry for a long time and had no intention of lingering here to listen to their empty pleasantries. If Chu Yuchuan hadn't been standing here, they wouldn't have been nearly so constrained.

"You're not eating?" Yu Qingyan looked up at Chu Yuchuan, who had just put down his chopsticks.

Chu Yuchuan smiled. "If my beloved wife were to personally wait upon me at the meal, I would certainly have a magnificent appetite."

"..." Of course, that was completely out of the question.

Throughout the afternoon, he continued to stick by her side like a shadow.

That evening, he sat in the exact same spot as the night before, reading a book. Yu Qingyan lay down on her bed fully clothed. Things could not go on like this! What if she simply took Cui'er and left once and for all? Now that she had recovered her full strength, taking Cui'er away would be as easy as turning over her hand. As for Xique, she didn't for a second believe that the girl's loyalty truly lay with her—did she really expect to win someone over completely just by giving them a single scare? Things were never that simple.

Yu Qingyan woke up early the next morning. Chu Yuchuan had been remarkably quiet throughout the night without making a single disturbance, yet she still hadn't slept well.

Before dawn had fully broken, Yu Qingyan got out of bed and looked at the figure on the couch. After a moment of hesitation, she gave him a slight push and asked reluctantly, "Are you alright?"

Chu Yuchuan didn't answer. A fine layer of sweat had beaded on the skin right beside his mask.

"Chu Yuchuan?" There was still no movement. Yu Qingyan frowned, got up, and walked out of the room. "Zuo Xuan!"

True to form, Zuo Xuan appeared before her in an instant.

"Princess."

"Take your prince back."

Zuo Xuan's face crumpled into a bitter expression. His master's life was truly wretched to have been saddled with such a princess.

"This subordinate wouldn't dare."

"Then go fetch Gu Jinshi."

"Understood! This subordinate will go at once!"

Yu Qingyan returned to the room and looked at the man on the couch with a headache. "Wake up. If you're going to die, do you have to do it in my room?"

"Does my beloved wife yearn so much to see me dead?"

Yu Qingyan quickly looked back down. "You're awake?"

"Hmph."

"I sent Zuo Xuan to fetch Gu Jinshi."

"Young Master Gu is blessed with an ethereal bearing. No doubt a single day apart feels like three autumns to my beloved wife."

Hearing the slight weakness in his tone, Yu Qingyan didn't argue with him. "If you have the energy to bicker, save it until you're feeling better."

"This prince spoke nothing but the truth."

"Yes, you spoke the truth. Jinshi indeed possesses an ethereal bearing. What, are you jealous?"

"You—"

"Oh, I forgot. You're the one who took a fancy to him, which is why you hid him away in the Frost-Condensing Pavilion in the first place?"

"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."

A rapid series of coughs echoed from the couch. Yu Qingyan curled her lips in a slight pout just as Gu Jinshi arrived outside the door. Yu Qingyan stood up and pulled the door open.

"Qing... Your Highness the Princess—"

"There's no need for such formality. Go take a look at him."

Gu Jinshi nodded and walked over to take Chu Yuchuan's pulse. "His Highness is suffering from a chronic ailment, aggravated by irregular eating habits."