Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Shattered Shadows, Cool Breeze

Realizing that Song Guo was still present, Ye Yiheng’s low voice ordered, “Song Guo, get out!”

Song Guo replied in acknowledgment and left the room, closing the door behind her with eyes lowered and subdued.

With the closing of the door, the cool autumn wind slipped in, lifting the eye veil held together by Leng Yu Yan and Ye Yiheng.

The plain white eye veil fluttered between their fingertips.

It swept down gently, as if it wished to listen to the desires of its owners’ hearts.

Leng Yu Yan’s grip on the eye veil tightened, “Your Highness, have you regretted it and no longer wish to cooperate with me?”

“Yes!”

Ye Yiheng released the veil. Since she had already discovered his blindness, what use was there for an eye veil?

Upon hearing this, Leng Yu Yan’s arms fell, wrapping the white eye veil around her index finger thoughtfully and then pondering a moment for a targeted solution based on what he had just said.

“Your Highness cannot see, I can be your eyes. If Your Highness trusts me, I am willing to treat your eyes. If Your Highness’ cold disease flares up, I can administer acupuncture.”

“Why do you want to terminate our cooperation so resolutely, Your Highness?”

“No reason.”

His voice was calm, his tone even, and his facial expression was without a ripple.

Only Ye Yiheng himself knew that the reason was he could not even trust himself…

He did not know how long he would live.

Before, when he bound her to him, he never deeply considered this point.

Now he had.

If he were with her, what he left behind for her would be nothing but his early demise.

He could not only fail to protect her and the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, but also make her the Crown Prince’s widow.

A Crown Prince’s widow was likely to be assassinated by his brothers.

Even if she were lucky enough to survive, bearing the title of a Crown Prince’s widow, she probably could never marry again.

Though he privately hoped she wouldn’t remarry, he didn’t wish her a life of lonely misery.

Now, he finally understood the meaning behind Elder Mrs. Zhang’s words!

Leng Yu Yan had not expected that he would be so stingy as to not even give her a single reason, dismissing her simply with ‘no reason.’

She had mustered so much courage to offer him a warm bed, did he even know?

That she had decided to marry him, did he think such a decision came easily?

Or in his eyes, was she some casual woman, shamelessly asking to marry him?

She was foolish, a woman who offered herself up willingly was not esteemed by anyone…

Especially not by the Crown Prince, who loftily regarded all beings from the clouds?

Fine, she would protect the Prince Zhenbei Mansion herself!

“Very well, as Your Highness wishes, let our cooperation end,” Leng Yu Yan’s eyes welled up with sourness, and her pride and dignity forced her to swallow back her tears, “Mountains long and rivers far, Your Highness and I shall become strangers from this point!”

As soon as she finished speaking, with a flick of her hand, the eye veil she had twirled on her fingertip drifted lazily toward him.

She didn’t want to linger a moment longer in this place and turned to run away.

Ye Yiheng stretched out his hand trying to catch it, the corner of the eye veil brushing past his fingertips, floating slowly down to the ground.

His lips curved into a self-deprecating smile. He, a blind man, couldn’t even catch a falling eye veil, how could he protect her?

He slowly crouched down, fumbling for a long time before he found the elusive veil on the ground.

His fingers, gleaming white as jade, curled and clutched the snow-white eye veil tightly in his palm.

Outside the bedroom, Song Guo, who was waiting, saw Leng Yu Yan running out and asked with concern, “Commandery Princess, what’s wrong?”

“There’s an emergency at home, I’m going back first.”

Leng Yu Yan paused just a moment in her step, feeling a stab of pain in her heart, and then left without looking back.

She didn’t know if it was because she ran too fast, but the tears that had been swirling around her eyes were blown away by the wind…

Madman, he’s just a madman!

I should feel happy, shouldn’t I? The madman will no longer come to tie me up!

Intuition told Song Guo that there had been a quarrel between His Highness and the Commandery Princess.

He hastily entered and asked cautiously, “Your Highness, why did the Commandery Princess leave in such a hurry?”

Ye Yiheng’s eyes were hollow as he stood by the window, looking at something, yet seeing nothing.

Song Guo could see the direction in which His Highness was gazing, able to see the Commandery Princess’s fleeing figure.

But His Highness couldn’t see today, could he? Otherwise, seeing the Commandery Princess running so heartbroken, His Highness would surely feel pained, right?

—

The autumn wind was cold, picking up withering leaves.

The leaves whirled and drifted without willing to fall.

A gust of wind blew, and in a moment, the leaves finally touched the ground, filled with melancholy and desolation.

The weather, which was fine earlier in the morning, now turned as the wind grew stronger, followed by the persistent autumn rain.

Leng Yu Yan lifted her face, letting the rain hit her.

Tears or rain? It was hard to tell as cold droplets slid down her cheeks.

The chill from the autumn wind and rain seeped into body and spirit, like shattered pieces of colored glass.

Wiping the water from her face, Leng Yu Yan hastened back to Prince Zhenbei Mansion on horseback.

Upon reaching the mansion, she saw the front hall crowded with many people, including palace maids and eunuchs. On closer look, she realized her grandmother and mother were conversing with the Ninth Princess.

Why had Ye Yuan come to Prince Zhenbei Mansion?

Father King and elder brother were in good health, nothing like someone who had been comatose for over twenty days. Should the truth be revealed and the Emperor become suspicious, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Leng Yu Yan set aside Ye Yiheng’s inconsistency for the time being and headed straight for her elder brother, Li Yuyue’s, courtyard.

At the moment, Li Yuyue was standing under the corridor, staring blankly at the rain curtain. Seeing his sister soaked, he quickly called a servant to hand her a towel.

Leng Yu Yan took the towel and wiped her face, “Elder brother, the Ninth Princess is in the front hall.”

“I know. I can’t hide from it. If she wants to come, then let her come.” Li Yuyue tilted his head, a frown creasing his brow, “Why are you drenched?”

“I went to the Imperial College to discuss enrollment with the Sacrificial Officer. It started raining on the way back.”

“Then you should quickly change your clothes in your room, don’t catch a cold!”

Leng Yu Yan threw the towel to the servant and pulled Li Yuyue’s sleeve to walk inside the house, “Don’t worry about me for now, elder brother. Go back to bed, and I’ll give you a few needles.”

“A few needles?”

“My hands are very quick; I assure you it won’t hurt.”

“Alright then.” Li Yuyue took off his shoes and lay down on the couch.

Leng Yu Yan took a silver needle from her sleeve pouch, heated it with flint, and swiftly pricked the top of Li Yuyue’s head and his wrists.

Just as she put away the needles, Ye Jiu arrived at Li Yuyue’s courtyard.

The voices of the servants greeting her echoed, “Greetings to Your Highness, Princess!”

Leng Yu Yan quickly put the silver needle into her sleeve pouch and reached out to tuck Li Yuyue’s blanket.

It was at this moment that a soft and beautiful voice came from the doorway.

“So the Commandery Princess is here.”

Ye Jiu sat in her wheelchair, smiling as she looked at the siblings.

Leng Yu Yan turned, “Princess, what brings you here?”

“I’ve wanted to come earlier, but my legs haven’t been well, so I’ve only managed to come today,” said Ye Jiu, her gaze drifting past Leng Yu Yan to the person lying on the bed.

Leng Yu Yan walked over and naturally pushed Ye Jiu’s wheelchair into the room, casually saying, “Elder brother has been resting these days, he’s just woken up. Please be understanding, Princess.”

Ye Jiu slightly tilted her head and patted the back of Leng Yu Yan’s hand, which was pushing the wheelchair, “You’re all wet from rushing back to see your elder brother.”

It seemed that Li Yuyue’s condition was not good.

Just like what she saw now, the normally poised and handsome Heir Lai lying on the couch gave her an inexplicable feeling of sorrow.