Chapter 7
Shangguan Ye mentioned that he hadn’t returned to Lu City in ten years, but there was some truth to it. While he indeed hadn’t returned to the court openly for a decade, secretly, he had been visiting quite frequently. Therefore, despite his apparent ten-year absence from the court, he was quite familiar with the route to the palace. However, he intentionally took many detours, not only to avoid raising suspicion from Murong Qiufeng but also to spend more time with him. It wasn’t until Murong Qiufeng seemed genuinely worried that Shangguan Ye finally led him to the palace.
In fact, the distance between the tavern and the palace was barely half an incense stick’s time, yet the two of them took almost half an hour due to the detours.
Although Murong Qiufeng now knew they were siblings, Shangguan Ye’s constant concern still irked him. Shangguan Ye, being naturally possessive and authoritative, was somewhat displeased.
At the entrance of the palace, before they even ascended the steps, the steward in charge of the palace hurriedly approached them, bowing respectfully. “Your Highness, I greet you and welcome you back to the palace.”
“That’s enough, Yang Bo. There are no outsiders here; there’s no need for such formality. This is the Sixth Young Master of the Prime Minister’s residence, Murong Qiufeng.” Shangguan Ye introduced casually, as if it were a matter of course.
At first, Murong Qiufeng was a bit puzzled by Shangguan Ye’s statement about there being no outsiders. However, upon hearing the introduction, he thought perhaps Shangguan Ye considered him a future brother-in-law, so he didn’t dwell on it. Yet, he felt even more guilty toward Shangguan Ye; it seemed that Shangguan Ye genuinely cared for his sister. But his sister… What should he do about her?
However, Murong Qiufeng didn’t realize that the astute steward, who had served Shangguan Ye for many years and knew his personality inside out, detected something more profound in Shangguan Ye’s words. His eyes flickered with curiosity, and he subtly scrutinized Murong Qiufeng a few times before speaking respectfully, “So, you are Young Master Murong. Please forgive my oversight.”
“Hehe, Steward Yang, no need to be so formal.” Murong Qiufeng responded politely with a smile.
This steward was Shangguan Ye’s confidant, the one who knew Shangguan Ye’s secret as a homosexual, as many of the men around him were arranged by this steward.
The steward immediately speculated on Shangguan Ye’s intentions. However, what puzzled him was Shangguan Ye’s attitude and how long this intention would last. He wasn’t sure how serious Shangguan Ye was, so he refrained from making any arrangements until he understood the situation better.
Once inside the palace, Murong Qiufeng observed the surroundings briefly. The layout was similar to that of the Prime Minister’s residence, but compared to the warmth of the Prime Minister’s residence, the palace seemed colder, more lonely, and imposing, perhaps due to Shangguan Ye’s long-term military service and his reputation as the War God.
“How do you find my palace, can it meet your standards?” Shangguan Ye began the conversation lightly.
Though Murong Qiufeng had heard this familiar address several times, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable. However, he couldn’t refuse. Being quite conservative himself, he didn’t know how to respond to Shangguan Ye’s question. Besides, his mind was preoccupied with his sister; he couldn’t appreciate the palace’s surroundings. “It’s… satisfactory,” he finally replied, unsure of how to evaluate it. On one hand, he was preoccupied with his sister, and on the other, the atmosphere of the palace made him uneasy. Perhaps it was because he had grown accustomed to the lively environment of the mountains, but the solemn atmosphere of the palace was unsettling for him.
Shangguan Ye, with his keen eyes honed over the years, naturally didn’t miss Murong Qiufeng’s visible discomfort. He couldn’t help but deepen his smile at the sight. He felt it was about time to conclude their meeting for today; pushing too hard might scare Murong Qiufeng away. Today’s encounter had made him rethink his previous plans. Instead of trying to keep Murong Qiufeng by his side through force, he now wanted to try cultivating a relationship slowly, without revealing his darker side too soon.
With that in mind, he turned back and asked the steward behind him, “Has Young Master Yu returned?” Upon hearing his question, Murong Qiufeng also glanced at the steward, feeling more spirited. They both looked expectantly at the steward.
The steward respectfully replied, “Young Master Yu hasn’t returned, but he sent a message earlier, saying that he’s dining at the Prime Minister’s residence and will return later.”
“The Prime Minister’s residence?” Murong Qiufeng couldn’t help but be surprised. He hadn’t expected Yu Hui to be at the Prime Minister’s residence. It meant that he had directly escorted his sister back home. It seemed his trip had been in vain.
