Chapter 202: Open Appreciation

Wei Lanying tightened her jaw and scoffed. “Do you think you’re smarter than I am, Nan Guyue? I feel sorry for you. You probably don’t know that the one who truly cares for you is Feng Baiyu. Why would he be so attentive to you if he didn’t feel anything for you? How pathetic. The right person for you is within your reach, and yet you can never take his hand. You will never have a man’s genuine love.”

Nan Guyue shot up to her feet, letting go of Wei Lanying, staring at Wei Lanying with unfocused eyes. It took a moment for her to regain her composure. She gave Wei Lanying a pointed look before walking away.

Wei Lanying’s words rang in her head even after she returned to her building. She fidgeted with a teacup in her hand. She could picture the graceful man in her mind.

Nan Guyue stared at her flat belly, muttering, Nan Guyue marveled. Jun Huang was a much better man than Qi Chen could ever be. Qi Chen might look calm and mature, but that was an illusion. Jun Huang was different. She had this innate calmness that was deeply attractive.

Still, Nan Guyue would be lying if she said she had no feelings for Qi Chen. After all, she had once given her whole heart to Qi Chen.

Mid conversation, Nan Guyue stared at Jun Huang’s face and said, “Has anyone told the gentleman that you are as handsome as the famous Pan An, or even more so?”

Jun Huang coughed and averted her gaze. Nan Guyue thought for a moment. She did have to talk to Qi Chen. “The gentleman has delivered the message. You should leave. I’ll talk to the prince.”

Nan Guyue’s promise did not smooth away the uncertainties in Jun Huang’s heart, but she didn’t say anything. She nodded and walked away.

Evening came. A servant notified Qi Chen that the princess was waiting for him for dinner. Qi Chen was pleased by the news. It would be bad if Nan Guyue kept on with the cold treatment and the emperor knew.

As someone who grew up in the royal family, however, he was not completely without suspicion. He had tried to make up to Nan Guyue to no avail. A single visit from Jun Huang, on the other hand, was enough for Nan Guyue to soften her attitude. He felt a little jealous.

When he went to Nan Guyue’s building, she was sitting at the table for him. She had lost weight, and she looked ill, which was likely to be caused by the miscarriage. He felt a pang of hurt in his heart. He walked up to her and pulled her into his arms.

Nan Guyue let out a silent laugh. If Qi Chen had held her like this the day after she lost her child, she would not be so upset with Qi Chen. Qi Chen, however, had not offered her any comfort. The embrace came too late.

Qi Chen didn’t see the pain flashing through Nan Guyue’s eyes. When he let go of her, she had put on a soft smile. She guided Qi Chen to his seat.

Dinner passed without troubles. Qi Chen kept putting food Nan Guyue liked on her plate, trying to make amends to her.

“What I want is merely for Your Highness to show me a little more trust, and to show gentleman Feng a little more trust,” said Nan Guyue. “None of us expected what happened this time. I lost my child, and gentleman Feng ended up seriously injured. If we had trusted each other, the lies would not have worked. The price we paid was high. Who knows what’s going to happen next time? I dare not to imagine.”

Nan Guyue’s eyes turned red. She started out trying to explain to Qi Chen where the problem lay, but she ended up thinking of the child who was killed in her womb. Her heart clenched painfully.

Qi Chen came to Nan Guyue’s side and smoothed a hand over her shoulder. “It’s alright,” he said gently. “Everything is alright. I will not let you be harmed again.”

Nan Guyue nodded without a word. Qi Chen murmured a few more words of comfort. Afterwards, he excused himself claiming that he had business to attend to, but in truth, he simply didn’t like it when women cried.

Nan Guyue didn’t intend to ask Qi Chen to stay, so she accepted his excuse calmly. Once Qi Chen was out of her eyesight, she wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and returned to her room.