Chapter 579: Chapter 579: It Will Hurt By Itself Leng Yu Yan’s brows furrowed slightly as she muttered under her breath, “Ji Qingyu’s arrival is strange, and so are his words.” He relayed the news he had heard at the tavern to them, which meant that he was also aware of her encounter with Ye Yiheng at the tavern. It is said that every prince has his own hidden forces, and now it seems that Ji Qingyu, the Emperor’s nephew, was no exception. Ye Yiheng said in a mild voice, “Let’s not worry about him for now, let’s go find your Father King.” The two of them walked toward the courtyard together. As they passed the main hall, they could hear the robust laughter of Lai Taihong, and upon closer listening, Lai Ran’s as well. Leng Yu Yan and Ye Yiheng exchanged a glance and tacitly turned toward the main hall. Inside the hall, there were many gifts laid out. When Ye Yuan and Ji Liancheng saw Leng Yu Yan return, they greeted her with smiles. Ye Yuan chuckled, “Ah Yan, your return is timely, we were just discussing making you our adopted daughter.” “Right!” Ji Liancheng chimed in, “Ah Yan, would you like to become our daughter?” Leng Yu Yan glanced at her grandfather and father king, unsure of their stance, and so she politely smiled at Ye Yuan and his wife, “Uncle, Aunt, I just ran into Qingyu, and he left in anger…” “Though we had agreed to meet at the Prince Mansion this morning, I didn’t expect that boy to leave so abruptly after sitting down for a short while,” Ji Liancheng lowered his eyes and clenched his fists, still evidently angry, “Ah Yan, don’t mind him, that’s just his temperament.” A nearly imperceptible smile played at the corners of Ye Yiheng’s lips. The family of three from the Ji Family had come to visit the Prince Mansion, and each uncle, aunt, and Ji Qingyu likely had their own agendas. The uncle and aunt wanted to adopt Yanyan as their daughter, while Ji Qingyu was looking for a chance to meet with her. Ye Yuan suppressed the impatience in his heart, walked up to Leng Yu Yan, and took her hand, “We have a special bond, Ah Yan, I truly like you. It’s a pity I only have Qingyu. If you could become our daughter, my life would be complete.” Seeing that Leng Yu Yan did not respond, Ye Yuan turned to Ye Yiheng, “Ah Heng, please help persuade her.” Letting Ah Yan become their daughter had been Ah Heng’s idea, so he should help. To Ye Yuan’s surprise, Ye Yiheng responded indifferently, “My opinion is not important.” He had mentioned it before mainly so Ji Qingyu would give up, not anticipating Ji Qingyu’s thoughts to intensify. Once his thoughts veered off track, even as an adoptive sister, Ji Qingyu might have intentions. Without a change in expression, Leng Yu Yan withdrew her hand and performed a gesture of respect toward her elders, “To have the favor of the Eldest Princess and Marquis Jiangyang is Beilan’s fortune.” This was her way of tactfully declining. Ye Yuan’s face stiffened, and disappointment crossed his eyes. Just then, the Yun Family, supported by Ye Jiu, approached. “I disagree, I only have Mian’er as a daughter, and no one can take her away!” Ye Yuan exchanged surprised glances with Ji Liancheng, “Mian’er?” Ye Jiu quickly explained, “Uncle, Aunt, the Princess was referring to… the Commandery Princess.” “Having been away from me for three years, those years have felt like centuries to the Yun Family,” Yun passionately declared. “Don’t tell me that another pair of parents means more love; I can love my daughter by myself.” Ye Yuan could not help but rectify, but was interrupted by Ye Yiheng. “Aunt, Mian’er is Beilan.” Lai Ran rose with a smile, “Eldest Princess, Marquis Jiangyang, both of you saw that what the king and his father expressed earlier was exactly this.” This morning, when the couple had proposed adopting Yan’er as their daughter, they had been refused. The pair insisted on hearing Yan’er’s opinion and repeatedly requested them not to show any unwillingness in front of her. Ji Liancheng laughed awkwardly, “Given the circumstances, let’s talk about the adoption later. Please accept these gifts, we will take our leave now.” Ye Yuan smiled warmly yet bitterly, “Ah Yan, come visit my home when you have time.” After speaking, the couple left hand in hand. Leng Yu Yan pondered for a moment and then followed them out. At the corner outside the main hall, the three of them stopped. “Ah Yan, you’re willing, aren’t you?” Ye Yuan asked with a gentle smile filled with hope. “Uncle and Aunt, no matter what, I’ve always regarded both of you as elders,” Leng Yu Yan explained softly, “but I have already said it is inappropriate to acknowledge you formally as adoptive parents. And now, there seems to be a problem between Qingyu and me, making it even more inappropriate.” She had always treated Ji Qingyu as a friend, at least he was her first friend in the capital city after she returned. But she didn’t know when their relationship began to change. If she became the adoptive daughter of Ye Yuan and Ji Liancheng, she would inevitably frequent Marquis Jiangyang Mansion, and how then would she interact with Ji Qingyu? Ye Yiheng and Ji Qingyu were cousins and had gotten along well since childhood, and if possible, she hoped to resolve their conflicts. Even if she couldn’t, she should not be the cause of strife between the brothers. Ye Yuan and Ji Liancheng were wise men, and they understood the feelings of their son. Now, facing what Leng Yu Yan had said, both nodded in understanding. After Leng Yu Yan returned to the main hall, Ye Yiheng arranged for servants to send gifts to Mr. and Mrs. Ye. The couple refused to accept the gifts no matter what, and Ye Yiheng slowly said, “Since the adoption was unsuccessful, it wouldn’t be right for me as your son-in-law to keep these gifts.” Ji Liancheng sighed, gesturing the attendants to take the gifts back to the horse carriage. Inside the main hall, Mrs. Yun affectionately caressed Leng Yu Yan’s cheek, “My child, you are so outstanding that many people cherish you, which makes me both happy and melancholic.” Ye Jiu interjected, “Mother, why the melancholy?” Since the wedding date was set yesterday, Ye Jiu had changed how he addressed the Leng Family. Mrs. Yun didn’t hide the reason from Ye Jiu and straightforwardly said, “A woman’s beauty can lead to unnecessary troubles, and my son is so intelligent…” Mrs. Yun did not continue, genuinely fearful others might covet her daughter, an issue that wouldn’t be easily resolved from afar if they were in Beilan City. This was her most direct reason for agreeing to her daughter marrying the Crown Prince. In her view, since the Crown Prince was heir to the throne, he could protect her daughter in the future. Yet that meant her daughter would leave her, and at the mere thought, Mrs. Yun felt a hollow ache in her heart. Leng Yu Yan reached out to embrace Mrs. Yun’s shoulders, “Mother, I will definitely thrive.” Once Ye Yiheng returned to the main hall, he saw a group of women gathered together. Hearing footsteps, Leng Yu Yan looked up and said to Lai Ran, “Father, Your Highness and I need to speak with you urgently.” Lai Ran, aware of what it was about, then suggested, “Let’s go to my study.” Instructing Ye Jiu to take good care of Mrs. Yun, Lai Ran led Leng Yu Yan and Ye Yiheng to his study. After dismissing the servants in the study, Lai Ran settled into his robe and took a seat. “Your Highness, please have a seat!” he gestured, “Yan’er, you sit as well.” “Father, I’d rather stand,” said Leng Yu Yan, as she removed a slender step ring from her hair, “If Father is ready, I will proceed with the hypnosis now.” Lai Ran was visibly nervous, his hands gripping the armrests of his chair, his palms slightly sweaty. He thought to himself that he had never been this nervous even on the battlefield, his heart pounding fiercely. “Yan’er, should your father take some medicine?” “No need for medicine,” Leng Yu Yan reassured softly, squeezing the step ring in her hand, “Father, there’s no need to be nervous, the hypnosis is just like experiencing another dream.”