Chapter 664: Chapter 664: The Pain of a Scooped Heart Ye Yiheng’s voice was very faint, “Fine, I believe you.” Leng Yu Yan’s fair wrist lifted, pulling on Ye Yiheng’s two fingers and shaking them gently as she spoke, “I want to speak a few words with Qingyu, Your Highness, please don’t mind.” Ye Yiheng remained expressionless but nodded in rare agreement. Seeing her so coquettishly cajole the blind man, Ji Qingyu suppressed the sudden surge of intense jealousy in his heart, though his face betrayed nothing, “You really act as if I’m not here, don’t you?” The joking tone hid the bitterness only he knew. “Let’s go,” Leng Yu Yan said with a smile. Ji Qingyu stepped up to follow her, “Ah Yan, what is it that you want to tell me?” Was it something she didn’t want the blind man to know? With this thought, Ji Qingyu’s lips curled in a smile. Leng Yu Yan walked leisurely by the lake, where the water shimmered as if sprinkled with shining flakes, the lotus leaves swayed gently with the wind, and many lotus flowers were already blooming. As she admired the beauty of the lake, she spoke softly, “I want to have a heart-to-heart with you.” Ji Qingyu stood beside her, adjusting his pace to match hers, trying to walk in step with her. Leng Yu Yan looked far off to where she had previously fallen into the water while picking lotus leaves and murmured, “In this affair, you always said you saw the Crown Prince as a brother and me as a friend. If you really regarded the Crown Prince as a brother, you might have helped him hide things from me, yet you also consider my interests so thoughtfully, as if you value our friendship even more than your fraternal bond with the Crown Prince.” “Is it bad that I cherish our friendship?” Ji Qingyu gazed at her profile, mesmerized. The step ring’s tassel hanging beside her ear swayed lightly, casting a shadow on her jade-like cheek. She was extremely beautiful, radiant and glorious. The more he looked at her, the more he envied Ye Yiheng. Leng Yu Yan’s eyes were clear and calm, her voice soft and gentle, “I’m not foolish. From the injury on your arm, I can more or less guess what was going through your mind during this incident. But I didn’t want to expose it, we get along so harmoniously as friends, isn’t that very nice?” Follow current novels on 𝗻𝗼𝘷𝗲𝗹•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝕟𝕖𝕥 Ji Qingyu froze at her words, “Ah Yan…” Leng Yu Yan turned to face him, “The Crown Prince is now my husband and will be the father of my children in the future. To put it heavily, I hope that you, Qingyu, will never become enemies with the Crown Prince.” Ji Qingyu’s eyes widened sharply, “How could you think that, Ah Yan? Ah Heng is my brother; among so many Princes, he and I have always had a special relationship since we were young. How could we become enemies? Now that you’re married to him, why should I harbor any feelings from the past?” Seeing Leng Yu Yan’s probing gaze fixed on him, Ji Qingyu continued, “You can mock me for being fickle or accuse me of being shallow-hearted if you like, but I once liked Hu Sisi, and now I’ve completely forgotten her, so your current worries are entirely unnecessary.” He paused before adding, “Ah Heng has only ever had you from the beginning to end, be good to him!” Only he knew how his heart bled as he spoke these words. Hu Sisi counted for nothing; Ah Yan was the only woman he ever wanted. What virtues and capabilities did Ye Yiheng, that blind man, possess to have Ah Yan? Where had he, Ji Qingyu, fallen short? A rush of metallic sweetness surged to his throat, but Ji Qingyu forced it down, laughing, “I must be the godfather to your and Ah Heng’s child.” “That’s not for me to agree to; you’ll have to ask His Highness.” Leng Yu Yan lowered her eyes, her fan-shaped lashes fluttering, displaying the shyness of a delicate woman. Her demeanor pained Ji Qingyu deep in his heart, and a bitterness he could not suppress seeped out, forcing him to place a hand over his heart, “Ah Yan, as a friend, what you said earlier really hurt me.” Seeing his expression seemed genuine, Leng Yu Yan’s face showed a trace of panic. Had she been too harsh with her words? “Do not speak of it again!” In an instant, he beamed with a warm smile, like the first rays of the morning sun, “I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now before your Crown Prince gets jealous and overturns his vinegar pot again.” Having said that, he took his leave. Leng Yu Yan watched Ji Qingyu’s retreating back and couldn’t help but doubt—had her feelings been mistaken after all? Perhaps they really were mistaken. It was only normal to have once held affection for someone and then to let go. Qingyu truly saw her as a friend, and suddenly she regretted saying those harsh words earlier. Ji Qingyu left in a hurry, greeting Ye Yiheng with only a nod before departing from the Eastern Palace without looking back, accompanied by Leng Song. Watching Ji Qingyu’s dejected figure, Ling Lang asked Ye Yiheng, “Your Highness, do you really believe what Prince Qing said?” Ye Yiheng’s voice was cold as water, “If he admitted to having designs on Yanyan, I might be somewhat convinced.” The more Ji Qingyu concealed his thoughts, the more it suggested there was something amiss. Ling Lang said, “Please enlighten me, Your Highness!” Ye Yiheng, gazing at Ji Qingyu’s back, spoke indifferently, “The woman was sent by him. Unable to find the girl from years ago, he found someone to pose as her in order to create a rift between me and Yanyan. Only, he didn’t anticipate that the girl from back then was Yanyan herself, and now, no one is in more agony than he is.” Not only did Ji Qingyu have to pretend to be at ease, but he also had to uncover the mastermind behind that woman—all without daring to show even a hint of his feelings. That was truly his most painful predicament. Ling Lang nodded, “After hearing Your Highness’s explanation, I can’t help but feel a bit of sympathy for Prince Qing.” Ye Yiheng responded blandly, “There’s nothing to sympathize with—he likely wishes for my early demise.” Most members of the Tian Family, including relatives and other connections, wished for his death as Crown Prince. Ling Lang was shocked, “Ah?” Ye Yiheng’s expression remained calm, “No need to be so alarmed.” If Ji Qingyu wanted to act, he would play along. Overhearing this, Ling Lang couldn’t help but think that once his master, the Crown Prince, set aside his emotional entanglements, he became almost eerily clever. He wondered whether it was good or bad for Princess Beilan to have married the Crown Prince? The downside was that the Crown Prince lost his clarity when caught in the whirlpool of emotions. But it seemed there might be more benefits—the poison in his body had mostly dissipated, and his eyesight was nearly restored. Most importantly, for the Crown Princess Consort’s sake, he had grown even more determined to control the world. To sum it up, the advantages far outweighed the disadvantages. Ling Lang’s expression became relaxed as he looked toward Leng Yu Yan, who still stood by the lakeshore, his eyes brimming with mirth. As long as the Crown Princess Consort and the Crown Prince remained happily united, no one would be able to shake them! At that moment, Ye Yiheng instructed, “The matter of the poisoning with the lotus leaf chicken must be thoroughly investigated.” Ling Lang asked, “Does Your Highness mean that the lotus leaf chicken wasn’t poisoned by someone sent by Prince Qing?” “He needs me to deal with the other Princes. It wouldn’t be him.” “The woman is dead, and the most direct evidence is gone. When I went to investigate the two maids from the small courtyard, both were already dead. If it wasn’t Prince Qing’s doing, then another Prince must have taken the opportunity to eliminate Your Highness and then pin the blame on Prince Qing.” “That’s exactly it. Continue with your investigation.” “Yes!” Ling Lang took his leave. Leng Yu Yan walked over slowly until she stood in front of Ye Yiheng and looked up at him, “Your Highness, Qingyu said he wants to be our child’s godfather.” “He’s dreaming,” Ye Yiheng uttered indifferently.