Chapter 17: Scams

Because it was related to the Prince Jing Mansion, yet different from her previous life, Wen Hao couldn't help but think of one person: the Heir of Prince Jing, Qi Shuo.

The Prince Jing family had moved next door to the General's Mansion eight years ago.

At that time, Wen Hao was eight, and Qi Shuo was eleven.

In Wen Hao's memory, this Heir of Prince Jing, whom she had known since childhood, was frail and quiet, possessing little presence among the children in the area.

Because of this, her impression of him wasn't deep; they were merely acquaintances.

Now, she had to take him seriously.

Was it her ability to speak that caused the Heir of Prince Jing to change, or did this change stem from within him?

After accompanying the Old Madam for lunch at the General's Mansion, Lady Lin did not take Wen Hao and her sister back to their own manor, but instead let them stay for an afternoon nap.

This was perhaps the benefit of being an only daughter; since Lady Lin had married into the family, not only had her private chambers remained unchanged, but after Wen Chan and Wen Hao were born, they also had their own courtyards within the General's Mansion.

Wen Hao had no intention of sleeping after returning to her room, so she instructed Baozhu: "I'm going for a walk in the garden. If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I've fallen asleep."

The garden of the General's Mansion was vast; at this season, flowers bloomed throughout the grounds and the vegetation was lush.

Few people were in the garden during the afternoon. Wen Hao walked and paused, eventually finding herself at the wall that separated her home from the Prince Jing Mansion.

She wasn't close to the Heir of Prince Jing, and after her mother had politely declined the marriage proposal from the Prince Jing Mansion, interacting with him would undoubtedly be somewhat awkward.

Wen Hao stared up at the wall for a moment, then leaped up.

Forget it; thinking too much is worse than doing too much. She would observe first and see.

The young girl was as agile as a rabbit. With a light leap, her hands gripped the top of the wall, and then she released her grip, landing back on the ground.

Leaning against the wall, she took a deep breath.

What was wrong with the Heir of Prince Jing? Why was he on the other side of the wall!

Because she had been unable to speak since childhood, Wen Hao's temperament had been smoothed out despite any impatience, but at this moment, she was a little angry.

She even suspected that the Heir of Prince Jing was doing this on purpose.

But thinking rationally, it was unlikely.

The Heir of Prince Jing couldn't foresee the future; how would he know she would be climbing the wall again at this time?

Fortunately, her reaction was fast enough that she wasn't seen.

On the other side of the wall, a youth holding a book lifted his eyes to glance at the empty top of the wall, the corners of his lips curling slightly upward.

"Heir, the afternoon sun is a bit strong. Why don't we return to the room?" the manservant Changshun advised.

"The spring sun is quite comfortable, especially with the shade of the trees." The youth didn't move, continuing to read while leaning against a rattan rocking chair.

Changshun truly found it difficult to understand the Heir's hobbies.

In such a massive Prince's Mansion, there were beautiful places everywhere; why did the Heir like to sit here to read and rest?

"Heir, please be careful that Second Miss Wen doesn't climb the wall again and fall on you." The manservant was clearly still dwelling on the "injury" the Heir had sustained that day, and he failed to notice the subtle undercurrents that had just passed.

The youth shot him a look and said indifferently, "Do not gossip. That day was merely a coincidence."

"It looked to me like Second Miss Wen is quite skilled at climbing walls..."

With her ear pressed against the wall, Wen Hao felt a bit embarrassed hearing the conversation between the master and servant.

She hadn't expected to be looked down upon by the Heir of Prince Jing's manservant.

The Heir of Prince Jing... was actually quite decent.

When no more sound came from across the wall, Wen Hao lightened her footsteps and walked to a tree not far away, skillfully climbing up.

With the leaves providing cover, she could finally observe the situation with peace of mind.

On the other side of the wall stood an osmanthus tree. The Heir of Prince Jing was sitting in a rocking chair beneath it with his eyes closed in a light nap, an open book resting quietly before him.

The spring breeze brushed the corners of the youth's robes; it was a scene of tranquility and beauty.

Wen Hao fell silent.

So, the other side of the wall was the Heir of Prince Jing's place for leisure.

The Heir's tastes were quite different from the noble young masters she had seen before.

Thinking of how the Heir of Prince Jing had developed a heart ailment at such a young age, Wen Hao felt a flicker of sympathy.

She knew how difficult it was to live without a healthy body; she had experienced it herself.

But this did not eliminate her suspicions regarding him.

If the Heir of Prince Jing had reached the point of needing to invite famous physicians, why was he able to travel far in her previous life?

Sitting on a branch, she gazed at the youth from afar, lost in thought, until she inadvertently met a pair of dark eyes.

Wen Hao nearly fell from the tree.

She had been discovered!

She tried to salvage the situation, holding onto the branch and averting her gaze as if nothing had happened, but a quick glance from the corner of her eye revealed that the youth was still looking at her.

Wen Hao sat there like a clay statue for a moment before steeling her resolve and jumping down from the tree.

On the other side of the wall, seeing Wen Hao suddenly jump down from the tree, Qi Shuo couldn't help but stand up.

The manservant Changshun was stunned by the Heir's sudden movement: "Heir, what is it?"

Qi Shuo stared at a certain spot, his tone indifferent: "It's nothing."

Last time, he sprained his ankle jumping down from the wall; this time, he jumped down from a higher tree...

"Is the Heir feeling unwell?" Seeing Qi Shuo's poor expression, Changshun looked worried.

"Stop nagging," Qi Shuo rebuked, his eyes flickering slightly. "Changshun."

"Yes, Heir, please command."

"I am a bit thirsty. Go back and bring me my usual tea set."

Changshun hurried off.

At the wall, Wen Hao poked her head out once more. Seeing that no one was left by Qi Shuo's side, she climbed over the wall and jumped down decisively.

The ground in the Prince Jing Mansion was solid, but as she watched the approaching youth, her heart felt somewhat hollow.

The Heir of Prince Jing wouldn't think she had lost her mind, would he?

On second thought, since she had already been seen, she might as well just ask clearly and get it over with.

When the youth came to a halt before her, Wen Hao regained her outward composure: "Heir."

Qi Shuo fell silent for a moment, a faint smile playing on his lips: "If Second Miss Wen has something to say, we can go over there."

Wen Hao looked in the direction he was pointing; it was a flower trellis, where the roses were fresh and green, making it a convenient place to talk.

However, the Heir of Prince Jing was perhaps a bit too calm; seeing her climb the wall to meet him, his expression remained as usual.

She tried to figure out his thoughts, but it was difficult to gauge his depth.

The two stood by the trellis, and Qi Shuo asked with a smile, "Second Miss Wen has come to visit today; I wonder if there is something on your mind?"

A visit...

Wen Hao was momentarily speechless.

She had never met someone so skilled at providing a way out for others.

"I—" Wen Hao pursed her lips and asked boldly, "When did the Heir develop a heart ailment?"

Qi Shuo was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting her to ask this.

Now that the conversation had started, she didn't have to worry about what to say next.

"I heard today that a famous physician was visiting the mansion, and I was somewhat curious."

Qi Shuo smiled faintly: "I am also somewhat curious."

"What is the Heir curious about?"

"Curious as to why Second Miss Wen is curious about this."

"I have known the Heir since childhood, and now that I can speak, I heard that you have developed a heart ailment. It is... curiosity born of concern, I suppose," Wen Hao gave her reason with a thick skin.

"So, Second Miss Wen pities me." Qi Shuo looked at her deeply.

Wen Hao steadied her mind and said without changing her expression, "The Heir is in the prime of his youth; who wouldn't find it a pity that you suffer from a heart ailment?"

"Does Second Miss Wen truly want to know?" Qi Shuo asked with a smile.

Wen Hao nodded slightly.

The youth let out a soft sigh: "I did not originally have this ailment. That day, when Second Miss Wen suddenly fell from the wall, I somehow became so frightened that I developed a heart ailment."

Wen Hao was dumbfounded.

She had frightened him into it?

She suspected the Heir of Prince Jing was trying to scam her!