hough Prince Ding had become an invalid living in seclusion at his own residence. If he truly possessed great talent and strategic vision, that would be another matter. However, his strength was far f...9. Cloud Song (Part 8)

Miss Yun Ge, feeling dizzy and disoriented, was completely unaware that her momentary distraction had led to her agreeing to something she would later regret. Even if she came to understand the situation afterward, it's unlikely she'd have the courage to reject someone again.

Mr. Qingchen didn't care whether a young girl occasionally made mistakes with her head. Seeing Yun Ge nod obediently in agreement, he felt incredibly satisfied. He gently rubbed her jet-black hair and his usually calm and elegant face was filled with affection.

Mr. Qingchen's excellence and detachment led him to see things too clearly, including human emotions which seemed thinner compared to ordinary people. Even after witnessing Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li's mutual love or Han Mingyue's passionate infatuation for Su Zuiedie, as well as the happiness of Feng San, Qin Feng, and others, Mr. Qingchen still found it hard to understand these feelings. He was even more unconcerned about those who suffered from emotional entanglements.

If not for Yun Ge, even Mr. Qingchen wouldn't believe that one day he would act like the foolish Mo Xiuyao had once done. And yet, he went so far as to deceive Yun Ge into agreeing to be his fiancée. The joy and satisfaction he felt when she nodded in agreement were indescribable.

Just as someone had once cursed him: "What is love It's one being subdued by another. May you fall into it and never get out."

The pampered Yun Ge rubbed against Mr. Qingchen's palm contentedly, her eyes crinkling in a smile. After seeing Xu Qingchen again, Yun Ge noticed that although he was initially angry about her running away from home, he had been very kind to her since then. Other than occasionally calling her stupid, he hadn't punished or scolded her at all. (So, how low are Miss Yun Ge's expectations)

Before Xu Qingchen could say anything else, a guard came in with news: "Sir, the head of the Lu family from Guangling City has sent an invitation to welcome you." The guard seemed aware that he might have interrupted something important for his master and quickly shifted the blame.

Xu Qingchen frowned. Having dealt with many influential families in Guangling, it was only proper to attend this banquet. If it were just Xu Qingchen himself, he could refuse if he wanted to, but as a minister of the Dingwang Mansion, he couldn't let half of Guangling's wealthy merchants flee south.

After some thought, Xu Qingchen nodded: "Understood, we'll go later."

The use of 'we' implied someone else would be going with him. Yun Ge looked at Xu Qingchen coolly and asked, "Xu Qingchen, should I...go too" Smiling, he replied, "Aren't you my fiancée Why wouldn’t you go"

Yun Ge pouted but didn't mention that she had been tricked into agreeing without fully understanding.

Xu Qingchen smiled and pinched Yun Ge's face: "Be good, Cloud Song. Tomorrow we'll leave Li City, and wherever you want to go, we’ll go there." Hearing this, Yun Ge’s face lit up as she nodded firmly: "You promise" Mr. Qingchen laughed: "When have I ever broken my word"

In the evening, Guangling City's Lu family was brightly illuminated with a lively atmosphere. Most influential figures of Guangling were gathered there. Although many prominent families had been disciplined in recent days, few were as extreme as the Huang family with their son causing trouble and even killing someone due to his lustful nature. Many who should have been punished or scolded had already faced consequences. The most important thing was that Mr. Qingchen could not be offended under any circumstances. Not only was he known as a divine gentleman, but he also held the position of Right Minister in the Dingwang Mansion, second only to the King and Queen. If the current Duke became emperor, Mr. Qingchen would become a founding minister. Furthermore, being the sister's husband and the young prince’s uncle meant that they couldn't afford to offend him.

The Lu family was one of Guangling's renowned clans with a heritage spanning over a hundred years. They maintained strict discipline in their household, so this time apart from two branches misusing their name to oppress the people, there were no major issues. Therefore, it was reasonable for them to invite Mr. Qingchen.

Xu Qingchen brought Yun Ge to the Lyu family, where Mr. Lyu had already been waiting at the door with his entire household and heads of other families from Guangling.

"Welcoming esteemed Mister Qingchen."

Faced with such a grand spectacle, Xu Qingchen sighed helplessly and said indifferently, "Mr. Lyu, you've gone to too much trouble. We can skip the formalities."

After thanking him, Mr. Lyu stood up and saw an exceptionally beautiful maiden in cream-colored attire looking at them curiously from beside Xu Qingchen; he was taken aback.

Xu Qingchen looked down as he held Yun Ge's hand and said calmly, "This is my fiancée, Miss Shen."

"Ah Greetings...Greetings Miss Shen." Mr. Lyu hurriedly said, but in his heart, he pondered over the fact that no prestigious family in Li City was known to be named Shen; this girl looked innocent and curious, she didn't seem like a lady from an aristocratic family.

Yun Ge was someone who trained in martial arts, so naturally her senses were sharper than ordinary people's. As soon as Xu Qingchen spoke, she could clearly feel that the gaze of everyone present changed dramatically, even carrying a hint of hostility. Following her feelings, Yun Ge looked over and saw a beautiful woman dressed in moon-white staring at her from不遠處。雖然有些不悅，雲歌還是記得徐大夫人教過的待人接物禮儀，微微朝那女子點了點頭，卻不料那女子毫不留情地掃了她一眼便低下了頭去。雲歌在心裡輕哼一聲，也不理睬她了。

Mrs. Lyu reacted quickly, only hesitating for a moment before politely inviting the two inside.

The Lyu residence was already prepared with a banquet and entertainment waiting for Xu Qingchen's arrival. However, Yun Ge’s appearance came as an unexpected surprise to everyone present, even more so when it turned out that she was Mister Qingchen's fiancée. Mr. Lyu hesitated before smiling and saying, "Esteemed Mister Qingchen, this Miss Shen... Would you mind if my wife and daughter entertain her"

Xu Qingchen looked down at Yun Ge who still had her head lowered in thought and smiled, "No need, just let Yun Ge sit beside me." Mr. Huang could only agree and prepare accordingly.

Dragging Yun Ge to the seat of honor at the banquet immediately drew everyone's attention. It was the first time Yun Ge had been looked at by so many people, and she felt rather uncomfortable about it. Xu Qingchen didn't pay her any mind; he simply reached out to pick up some dishes she liked before turning to chat with the guests.

Seated beside Xu Qingchen, looking at the fine food laid out in front of her, Yun Ge found herself feeling bored and lost in thought. She couldn’t understand what they were saying and had no appetite for food under so many unkind gazes; she could only sit there silently.

"Why isn't Miss Shen speaking Are you bored"

When Yun Ge felt particularly aimless, a gentle female voice rang in her ear. She looked up to see that the woman dressed in moon-white had walked over from the entrance earlier; she was approaching now. Though soft-spoken, Xu Qingchen, who sat beside Yun Ge, heard her clearly and turned to look at the woman. Mr. Lyu, seated on Xu Qingchen's right side, followed his gaze with a kind smile: "This is my daughter Danru."

The young lady bowed gracefully towards Xu Qingchen and said smilingly, "Danru greets Mister."

Xu Qingchen's eyes flickered slightly as he smiled faintly, saying, "Miss Lyu, you need not be so formal. What’s wrong with Yun Ge Is she bored" His gaze returned to Yun Ge the moment he glanced at Lyu Danruo, asking with concern. However, he was also somewhat helpless. It was obvious that Yun Ge did not enjoy these social gatherings, but he could not feel assured leaving her behind.

Yun Ge looked over at Xu Qingchen and suddenly felt a bit better. She shook her head slightly.

Seeing that Xu Qingchen merely glanced at her, Miss Lyu’s eyes dimmed briefly before she quickly smiled again, saying to Yun Ge, "Sister Shen must be bored. Why don’t I take you for a walk in the garden Although our Lyu Manor's flower gardens may not compare with Li City, they still have their unique charm."

Yun Ge turned her head to look at Xu Qingchen, who said with a smile, "If you want to go, then go. If not, we’ll be heading back soon anyway."

Although Yun Ge did not like such banquets, she knew that Xu Qingchen would attend them for his own reasons and so shook her head, saying, "I will play in the garden."

Xu Qingchen smiled and nodded. He called over two guards to follow Yun Ge before allowing her to go, which naturally caused Yun Ge’s displeasure as she puckered her lips. After all, she was not worse off than those guards when it came to martial arts. Xu Qingchen merely smiled faintly but remained resolute.

"Mr. Qingchen truly cares for Miss Shen," Mr. Lyu said with an embarrassed smile, though he secretly criticized in his heart: He wondered what was going on between the Ding Prince’s residence and the Xu Family. The Ding Princes throughout history had seldom taken concubines, and the Xu Family hardly ever did either. Now even some of the younger men under the Ding Prince were learning from him. What would those families with many illegitimate daughters do

Xu Qingchen said with a faint smile, "Yun Ge is to be my future wife and naturally needs extra care."

"You are right, sir… I will toast you."

In the Lyu Family’s back garden, Lyu Danruo led Yun Ge around casually. All along, she had only heard Lyu Danruo talking non-stop while Yun Ge responded rarely. This caused her originally smiling face to become somewhat gloomy as this girl was like a mute gourd, not saying anything even when asked half a dozen times. She wondered how Qingchen could have taken an interest in someone like her!

Lyu Danruo did not think much of Yun Ge, who similarly disliked the woman. Ever since they left the banquet, she had been chattering non-stop, always asking about what Xu Qingchen liked or disliked, and so on. How could Yun Ge know such things Why didn’t she ask directly from Xu Qingchen instead Furthermore, wasn't it obvious that she secretly gave her a cold look while at the door

The displeased Yun Ge rarely threw a tantrum in front of others but now did so as she sat down by one of the flower stands and refused to move any further, with her back towards Lyu Danruo. Lyu Danruo frowned upon seeing Yun Ge’s back before carefully sitting beside her on a handkerchief laid out on the flower stand, frowning as she said, "Sister Yun Ge, what family are you from We have never heard of any prominent Li City families with your surname. Since we already know each other, there is no need to be so petty."

Yun Ge silently glanced at her and replied, "Our family isn’t a famous one; besides, I’m older than you so I am not your sister." Yun Ge could tell that Lyu Danruo was only fifteen, while she herself was seventeen. However, Yun Ge forgot that Lyu Danruo was no doctor and thus did not have such good eyesight. Furthermore, because of her delicate appearance, she looked even younger than the gentle and coquettish Lyu Danruo.

Lyu Danruo’s smile froze as she frowned at Yun Ge. She originally came from a common family; no wonder she was so impolite.

Turning her eyes, Lyu Danruo put on another smile and asked, "Then how did you come to know Mr. Qingchen

Yun Ge was a bit displeased, "I happened to see Xu Qingchen when I was picking herbs in the mountains and got acquainted with him."

Lyu Danru's smile became even more exaggerated. So she was just an herb-picking girl. Her expression turned disdainful as she looked at Yun Ge with more contempt. Yun Ge wrinkled her little nose; if Lyu Danru didn't like her, then she wouldn't like her either. She stood up and walked to the other side.

The infuriated Lyu Danru who was left behind almost twisted her face in anger. After all, she was one of the most pampered young ladies from Guangling City. If it weren't for Qingchen公子, how would she have gone out of her way to show politeness to a little girl nobody knew Seeing Yun Ge's rude behavior now made her furious. She scolded angrily: "Hey! Do you even know what manners are You're truly from a lowly family background and don't understand any etiquette at all!"

Not far away, two shadow guards were attentively observing the situation. Upon seeing this scene, they exchanged looks and shook their heads in unison. Was Miss Yun Ge doing it intentionally or out of spite If Miss Yun Ge told Lyu Danru that her foster father was Shen Yang, then even if Lyu Danru had a hundred guts, she wouldn't dare to provoke her.

"You're the one who has no manners!" Yun Ge was furious and glared at Lyu Danru with her bright eyes. She pouted angrily: "A lady of high birth would never be as nosy about Xu Qingchen's matters as you are! If you want to know, why don't you ask him yourself He's my fiancé; I won't allow you to inquire about him! You're the one with no etiquette. Do you think I haven’t seen ladies of high birth before" After saying this, Yun Ge snorted disdainfully. Zeng Er Sister and Li Er Sister were all noble ladies from prominent families, they wouldn't be as unpleasant as Miss Lyu!

"Heh." The guard nearby couldn't help but burst out laughing. Seeing that both girls had glanced at him, he quickly waved his hand: "Forgive me for my rudeness, Miss Shen. Don’t mind them." If Qingchen公子 heard that they weren't allowed to ask about anything, he would be very pleased.

Yun Ge blinked her eyes and turned back around, looking at Miss Lyu again, saying, "In any case, you have to ask Xu Qingchen, not me."

Miss Lyu was speechless. She was used to the fake politeness among ordinary people but had seldom encountered someone so straightforward before; she didn't know how to deal with her for a moment.

After some time, Miss Lyu regained her composure and sniffed coldly: "In any case, you don’t deserve Qingchen公子. If you have the wit, then get out of his life now, otherwise you’ll only be embarrassed in the future."

Yun Ge bit down on her lip corner, pouted angrily at Lyu Danru for a long time before snorting softly and revealing a smug smile on her beautiful face. "I don’t want to! Xu Qingchen is mine; you can't have him..."

"Qingchen公子 won’t marry you, this wild girl," said Lyu Danru coldly.

“Then let’s see if I can marry Xu Qingchen or not” Yun Ge bared her teeth. “I’m prettier than you, better at martial arts than you, and better in medicine! Hmph…”

Lyu Danru said with disdain: "What use is it to be better Without a good family background, even if you were the goddess descending from heaven, you wouldn’t be worthy of Qingchen公子 either. Stay away from Qingchen公子; otherwise…"

"Otherwise what" The voice of Qingchen公子 was light and clear as it came from behind them, like summer's gentle breeze that brought a refreshing feeling to everyone's hearts but froze Lyu Danru’s expression instantly. Seeing Qingchen公子 approaching on the moonlight, Lyu Danru’s eyes flashed with embarrassment before quickly hiding it again; she said somewhat bashfully: "Qingchen公子, I…."

Xu Qingchen walked past Lyu Danru and directly approached Yun Ge, lifting her small face to ask in a low voice with a smile, "What happened Did someone bully you" Yun Ge rolled her eyes at him but said nothing. She would never be bullied by anyone.

Lü Danyue, who had been ignored by Xu Qingchen, froze in place with a face that alternated between pale and flushed. She clearly hadn’t expected the seemingly refined Mr. Qingchen to be so unaccommodating. After confirming that Yun Ge was fine, Xu Qingchen turned around and looked at Lü Danyue coolly: "Miss Lü, who is fit for the Xu family is determined by me alone, and has nothing to do with you. The Xu family doesn’t need Miss Lü’s concern either. If Miss Lü truly has nothing better to do, why don’t you worry about yourself"

"I... " Lü Danyue’s eyes reddened in委屈 (wrongdoing), looking at Xu Qingchen with楚楚可憐 (pitifully) and said, "Mr. Qingchen, there must be a misunderstanding. I didn’t mean that; Danyue only..."

Yun Ge poked her head out from behind Xu Qingchen and grinned at Lü Danyue, her face brimming with得意 (satisfaction). As soon as Xu Qingchen lowered his head, he saw her smiling face and chuckled softly: "So happy"

Yun Ge harrumphed a couple of times and said: "She asked what you like or dislike. I have no idea, so tell her yourself."

"Oh Do you really want me to tell her" Xu Qingchen chuckled softly as he asked.

Yun Ge was taken aback for a moment before grabbing his arm and threatening him in what she thought was a fierce manner: "Don’t tell her, or else I’ll...I’ll..."

"What will you do" Xu Qingchen smiled.

"I…" Looking into the smiling eyes of Xu Qingchen, she couldn't bring herself to say “hit you.” Yun Ge now understood why she had never dared to use her martial arts skills against him even though she was highly skilled. She just couldn’t bear to hurt him… what if something happened

Xu Qingchen’s smile grew more pronounced as he affectionately brushed back a strand of her hair and said: "Alright, I won’t tell her. But I can tell you something else—make sure you remember it."

"Mm-hmm!" Yun Ge nodded earnestly.

"Let’s go then." With his hand holding Yun Ge’s small hand, Mr. Qingchen turned and left without so much as a glance at the Lü Danyue standing on the side.

"Hey Aren’t you going to attend the banquet"

"I’ve already attended it. We’ll be leaving Guangling tomorrow; where does Yun Ge want to go"

“I want to...go to many, many fun places!” Yun Ge said excitedly.

"Then let’s go." The two guards who followed behind them glanced back at Lü Danyue left in the garden. In the moonlight, her pale-colored dress and deathly pale face looked rather eerie.

What's wrong with her Was she hit too hard

You fool! She must have been immobilized by someone.

The Lady Yun Ge looked at the small hand that was being held by the Young Master Qing Chen and then turned to look back at Lu Dan Ruo who was standing dumbfounded in the garden, feeling somewhat guilty as she lowered her head.

After leaving Guangling, the two of them traveled around, enjoying mountains and waters while treating patients. As expected, no one dared to bully her when following by Young Master Qing Chen's side. In less than two months, Yun Ge had saved more people and gained a greater reputation. Although she could not match up with Shen Yang who was called a Divine Physician, she earned the title of Fairy Doctor due to her superb medical skills as well as her beautiful appearance that resembled an immortal. The relationship between them became increasingly harmonious as time went on. Since Young Master Qing Chen himself liked traveling and enjoying nature, he naturally did not miss home.

In Ding王府 in Li City, Prince Ding faced various volumes of documents standing tall before him; his sword-like eyebrows were tightly knitted, giving off an aura of killing intent.

"Where are Young Master Qing Chen and the Lady Yun Ge now"

Inside the study, a man in gray clothes bowed his head to report, "Your Highness, Young Master Qing Chen and Miss Shen have just returned from Southern Yi. From their route, it seems they are planning to go to Xi Ling."

The Prince clenched his teeth angrily, "That means they still don't plan on coming back"

"This... It appears so..."

The Prince's handsome face turned dark. A strange light flashed in his eyes as he said, "Go! Bind him and bring him back to me! He is neglecting his duties while leading a young lady on trips around the country..." The Prince was resentful; not only could he no longer lead Ah Li on travels, but with the state just stabilizing and needing revival, he didn't even have time to spend moments alone with her!

"This... Your Highness, is it not too inappropriate" Young Master Qing Chen is his wife's cousin. If something happens due to his anger, won’t your highness be the one倒黴 When the prince gets angry, they are the ones who will suffer.

"Go! I'll explain everything to the Xu family; it’s about time that Xu Qingchen and Yun Ge get married. It's inappropriate for him to keep taking an unmarried lady on trips around." The Prince thought of a brilliant idea with just a glance. After all, Xu Qingchen should be getting married soon anyway. After marriage, he would take over the family affairs of the Xu family, and after marriage, they will have children who need to be raised and educated. All he needed was to ensure that Xu Qingchen wouldn’t run around for the next three or five years. As for afterwards... The Prince gave a light snort; it has nothing to do with him.

"I understand!"

———

Ladies, I have been busy lately and am really sorry~ Is the interlude too long-winded There is still another chapter of Yun Ge's and Young Master Qing Chen’s interlude left.posed and steady. Although the person he faced now was Emperor Mojingli of Chu, Lei Tengfeng could still meet him without showing any signs of fear or subservience. Even more impressive was his calm a...