609 For ten seconds
Mingquan came out of the merchantâs shop followed by Xiwan and Chang Shi.
âThe Fourth Prince is looking after such affairs himself. He could have appointed others officials for such activities,â Xiwan said.
âI thought it would be better if I come myself. What were you two doing in the matchmaking agency?â Mingquan asked.
âWe went to go to find suitable matches for ourselves,â Xiwan said with a wide smile.
âThatâs great. I wish for you two to get suitable matches,â Mingquan asserted. He looked for the carriage when Chang Shi told him that it was standing at the next route.
âYour Highness, I heard that the Queen Dowager is not in the palace anymore,â Xiwan said.
âYes. The King found it suitable to send her away,â Mingquan said.
âPrince Lóng Wei was right about the Queen Dowager,â Xiwan muttered.
âWhat do you mean?â Mingquan asked him to explain.
.....
âPrince Lóng Wei had a suspicion that the Queen Dowager might try to create trouble in the palace,â Xiwan said.
âHmm. Brother Lóng Wei wasnât wrong,â Mingquan stated when he saw Lin Jiao being dragged away by a man.
He frowned and stopped walking. Both Chang Shi and Xiwan also halted. They looked in the direction where Mingquan had his eyes fixed.
Mingquan heard how Lin Jiao was refusing to go with the man. âHow dare he forced her?â He muttered and dashed in that direction. Chang Shi and Xiwan followed the Prince.
âLeave the hand of Miss Lin Jiao,â Mingquan voiced. He quickly walked to Lin Jiao and removed Bai Jueâs grip from her wrist. Making her stand behind him, he gazed into Bai Jueâs eyes.
When Mingquan told Bai Jue that Lin Jiao was his betrothed, he didnât believe him.
âShe is! She is betrothed to me,â Mingquan pronounced and glared at him.
Bai Jue was shocked to hear about it. When did it happen? He felt betrayed because he even gave a love letter to Lin Jiao four days ago. She didnât bother to tell him about it.
The people looked in their direction, wondering what could be happening.
âWhy donât you tell me your name?â Mingquan asked Bai Jue.
âI am Bai Jue, Your Highness.â He lowered his head and requested him not to misunderstand him. âLin Jiao knows me. I thought to take her home since sheâs not recovered from the injury,â He asserted.
âI do not know him,â Lin Jiao said in anger.
Bai Jue looked at her with a shocked expression.
âYour Highness, should I take him to the office of justice?â Xiwan asked Mingquan.
âLin Jiao, do not lie. Your brother and I work together. We know each other for years,â Bai Jue stated.
âEven if you knew Miss Lin for years, you werenât supposed to take her home this way. She kept saying to you to leave her hand. See me in the office tomorrow,â Mingquan said and turned to look at Lin Jiao.
Chang Shi asked the people to do their work while Xiwan asked Bai Jue to leave. Bai Jue looked at Lin Jiao and left from there.
âShall we go home?â Mingquan asked Lin Jiao.
âI donât want to go home,â Lin Jiao said. Ye Xin quickly stepped up and asked her not to be stubborn.
âYour Highness, Lin Jiao might have hurt her knee again. She earlier screamed in pain,â Ye Xin stated.
Lin Jiao hit her arm with her elbow and beamed at her. âNo such thing happened,â Lin Jiao said, âThank you for helping me out.â
She turned to go ahead when Mingquan hooked his arm under her legs and the other arm around her back. He carried her up in his arms, shocking everyone in the market.
Ye Xin widely smiled and wanted to jump in happiness for her friend.
âYou are going with me,â Mingquan said.
Lin Jiao could not able to utter a single word. She recalled what Ye Xin had told herâ to look into Mingquanâs eyes for ten seconds.
âOne, two, three, four...â before she could complete the count, Mingquan averted his gaze from her and looked straight at the front.
Lin Jiao blinked and kept staring at him.
âXiwan, Chang Shi, letâs see each other later,â Mingquan said and left from there.
Ye Xin took a few steps ahead and said, âPrince Mingquan is so charming. Isnât he?â She tilted her head to look at Xiwan.
âHe is,â Xiwan agreed with her and asked her about her house. âChang Shi and I will drop the young miss at her home,â he opined.
âThatâs not needed. I will go,â Ye Xin stated.
âUmm... What if Bai Jue follows the young miss? We cannot let her go,â Xiwan asserted.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âAhh. I do not want to disturb the young masters,â Ye Xin asserted.
âWe have no work to do,â Xiwan said. âWe work for people,â he added.
Ye Xin nodded at him and thanked both of them.
On the other side, Mingquan made Lin Jiao get into the carriage.
When the door closed and Mingquan sat in front of Lin Jiao, she asked him why he didnât punish Bai Jue.
âHe troubled me a lot,â She complained.
âWho told you to come out of your house? Every time we met, you are in some trouble,â Mingquan started scolding her.
Lin Jiao furrowed her brows and asked him not to scold her.
âI wanted to feel the fresh air. I didnât know Bai Jue will force me to go with him,â Lin Jiao said with annoyance.
âSo, you know him?!â Mingquan arched his eyebrow. âDoes he like Miss Lin?â He asked a question that was unexpected to her.
âHow did the Fourth Prince find out?â She asked with a shocked look.
âIt was written on his face,â Mingquan said. âHe must be hurt to know that the woman he liked would marry me. Stay away from him,â he advised her.
âWhy is the Fourth Prince so confident about our marriage? Iâve not even agreed to this,â Lin Jiao said. She was curious to know the answer.
âBecause you kissed me that day,â Mingquan said with a bright smile.