Chapter 232: The Seventh Prince

Chen Feng was extremely fearful. Wang, the guard, had mentioned that he was a noble from the capital, and with his demeanor, could this person be the “mischievous” Seventh Prince?

She kept her head lowered, but her gaze still swept over the man. He was undeniably handsome, with a somewhat delicate and slender appearance, and his gaze towards her was brazen.

She then bowed slightly and said, “Sir, it must have been a misunderstanding. I don’t know that girl at all, perhaps she mistook me for someone else.”

Chen Yuhui also caught on. She could tell that this man had an extraordinary bearing, and his guards were dressed in military attire. If he truly was a noble from the capital, then even her father wouldn’t dare provoke him. She hastily added, “Yes, I mistook her for someone else. I don’t know her at all.”

The man, taken aback by Chen Feng’s response, smirked and said, “So I was meddling unnecessarily?”

Without responding, Chen Feng once again nodded respectfully and asked, “May I leave, sir?” She reasoned that this was the most bustling street in Dingzhou Prefecture, and if he was a prince, he wouldn’t cause a scene here.

The man indeed nodded and said, “You may go, young lady.”

Chen Feng, upon hearing this, bypassed him and proceeded forward.

Leading the way, Chen Feng, followed by Xue Dagui and the others, quickly reached the intersection. After finding Qingbo, Chen Feng boarded the carriage with the two servant girls, while guard Wang mounted his horse and Xue Dagui took the seat at the front of the carriage. They promptly made their way towards the Chen residence.

As she leaned back in the carriage, Chen Feng closed her eyes and mulled over the recent events. Her heart was racing, filled with fear, not only because of the man’s brazen look but also due to something else that made her even more unsettled.

It seemed that there was a faint sense of familiarity about that person. He was undoubtedly a noble from the capital, someone she had never met before. Upon further contemplation, Chen Feng started to piece things together—the man bore some resemblance to the Ninth Lord she had encountered in Sanqing County. The steward had treated the Ninth Lord with great respect, could they be related? Could the Ninth Lord possibly be the Ninth Lord?

Oh, Heavens!

At that moment, Wang, the guard, rode up to the front of the carriage and exchanged a few words with Qingbo, resulting in the carriage slowing down.

Guard Wang dismounted, handed the reins to Xue Dagui, who had also alighted from the carriage, and took a seat at the front of the carriage alongside Qingbo. In a low voice, he said, “Miss Chen, it appears that someone is tailing us.”

Chen Feng was taken aback and asked, “Is it those people from earlier?”

Guard Wang whispered, “Yes. That noble is the Seventh Prince, recently titled as the Prince of Rui. It’s said that both the Second Prince and the Seventh Prince were supposed to inspect the military today, so why has the Seventh Prince come here instead?” Pausing for a moment, he added, “It’s rumored that the Seventh Prince has a penchant for collecting beauties. There are numerous concubines in the royal palace, and he also enjoys patronizing actresses. He’s a frequent guest at many renowned establishments…”

Chen Feng’s head was buzzing as she anxiously inquired, “What should we do?”

Guard Wang replied, “He’s a prince, he wouldn’t dare snatch a woman in public. However, if we were in a remote location, it would be a different story.”

Suppressing the pounding in her chest, Chen Feng thought to herself, “I can’t go home, I can’t bring danger to Dabao.” The old monk had warned her that Dabao shouldn’t meet certain people…

Dabao!

Chen Feng pictured Dabao’s lovely face, finally recognizing where the faint sense of familiarity came from. Whether it was the Seventh Prince or the Ninth Lord, there was a similarity to Dabao. However, the resemblance between the Ninth Lord and Dabao was even stronger.

This realization terrified Chen Feng. She exclaimed, “No, don’t take me to my uncle’s house.”

The guard nodded, “I was thinking the same. Going to your uncle’s might bring trouble to the Chen family…”

“Then where should we go? We can’t just keep wandering the streets, can we?” Chen Feng asked again.

After a moment’s thought, the guard suggested, “Let’s go to the residence of our commander and see if my master has a solution.”

Chen Feng also felt that this was the safest option at the moment. Although Chu Lingxuan might not be able to confront a prince, he was the most influential person she knew. If even he couldn’t or wouldn’t help her, then she was in real trouble.

She asked, “Aren’t you worried about bringing this trouble back and being blamed by Mr. Chu?”

Guard Wang replied, “Actually, Qingbo and I were sent by my master to protect Miss Chen. If something were to happen to you, my master would blame us.”

Chen Feng, upon hearing this, was almost in tears, realizing that she might still have a chance to live. If she were to be made a concubine, she would rather stay hidden in the space forever.

Autumn and Summer, who were already pale with fear, felt relieved upon hearing that they were going to the commander’s residence.

The carriage continued towards the commander’s residence.

Upon arriving, the carriage went straight through the gates. After Chen Feng alighted, she instructed Xue Dagui to discreetly leave through the back gate and return to the Chen residence, informing Mrs. Zhang that she was fine and advising them, especially Dabao, not to leave the house and to wait for her return.

Fortunately, steward Luo, was also present. After learning about the recent events from guard Wang, he reassured Chen Feng, saying, “Don’t worry, Miss Chen. I’ll inform my master, and he will decide what to do.” He then asked, “Should we bring Dabao here?”

Chen Feng shook her head and said, “No, let him stay at my uncle’s house.” She then proceeded to the Joyful Pavilion where Miss Chu resided.

Chu Hanyan was seated on a couch, pouting as she played with a large swallow-shaped doll, looking extremely forlorn. Ah, the days without Aunt and Dabao were truly difficult.

Suddenly, she spotted Chen Feng and was overjoyed, rushing towards her. She exclaimed, “Auntie, why are you here? Where’s Dabao?”

Chen Feng smiled and lifted her up, saying, “Dabao didn’t come. Auntie came alone. Is my little Yan upset?”

Chu Hanyan pressed her face against Chen Feng’s and happily said, “No, no, I’m very happy, Auntie.”

After coaxing the little girl to sleep following lunch, Chen Feng sat in the hall lost in thought.

At that moment, Mrs. Wei entered quietly and whispered, “My father-in-law instructed me to tell you that there might be spies of the Seventh Prince near our residence. He wants you to stay here and not go anywhere until master returns.”

Chen Feng nodded. At this point, she had nowhere to go, as going anywhere would only invite trouble.

As the sun set, Chu Lingxuan, who she had long awaited, finally returned.

Chen Feng was sitting on the veranda, watching Chu Hanyan and Luo Mei play with a skipping rope. Unaware of Chen Feng’s anxiety, the two girls giggled from time to time.

When Chu Lingxuan’s tall figure appeared at the entrance of the Joyful Pavilion, Chen Feng’s nose tingled. As he hurried towards her, his deep eyes showed evident concern.

Chen Feng stood up, feeling as if the tension that had gripped her all day had finally been released. She looked up, choked with emotion, and said, “Mr. Chu, I, I…” Tears welled up uncontrollably.