CH 48.2

You Jin’s face became even tenser, almost wanting to take a step forward to chase after him, but he was afraid that his overly obvious worry would make Meng Huan feel uncomfortable.

He dared not move his gaze and saw Meng Huan queue at the marinated goose stall, buying half of which was wrapped in a lotus leaf. He held it in his hand while slowly walking back.

You Jin’s tense nerves eased off sharply.

“Young Master, let’s go back to the residence, shall we?” He inquired.

Meng Huan nodded. “Let’s go back.”

He held the marinated goose in the lotus leaf and walked back. You Jin was also joyful.

—This was something their prince had tasted that day and said was delicious.

—

In the residence, Lin Bozhou had already left the Hall of Government Affairs. He had already taken his evening meal because Meng Huan returned late and sat in the study, listening to Shan Xing read to him.

The book Shan Xing was reading was still <<The Three Rites Note>>, which he hadn’t finished before. However, he clearly felt that Lin Bozhou’s fingers were resting on the back of his chair, and he was unusually distracted, as if he wasn’t listening to what he was reading.

Shan Xing took a sip of his tea. “Hasn’t the princess returned yet?”

Lin Bozhou: “Only wanting to have fun.”

“Haha, then I guess he’ll be back soon after having fun. Your Highness doesn’t have to worry too much.” Shan Xing giggled, “Anyway, it was Your Highness’s initiative to let the princess leave the house, and the number of times he goes out in the future will be more often. Wouldn’t you have to worry endlessly if you worry about it every day?”

Lin Bozhou placed his fingers on the teacup, picked it up, and took a sip. His head gently leaned back against the back of the chair. His lips and the line of his nose were thin and looked somewhat heartless.

He just reclined gloomily and did not speak.

According to his usual calm and cool-headed personality, he could immediately calm down when he encountered something major, weighing the pros and cons to determine where things were going, whether they were still under control, and whether they could still be redeemed.

But now, he felt a little empty and unstable no matter how he calculated.

He turned to the servant beside him. “Go ask if the princess has returned.”

“Yes.” The servant answered and left.

Shan Xing said, “Your Highness, from this afternoon until now, you have asked eight times.”

The words were said humorously, but the corners of Lin Bozhou’s lips did not have the slightest smile. Because that person was absent in the afternoon, his chest felt heavy and depressed, his long fingers on the desk, and his whole body was vaguely diffused with low pressure.

Shan Xing also stopped joking and continued reading.

When a light footstep sounded at the door, Lin Bozhou pushed himself up slightly and turned to the source of the sound.

“I’m back!” Meng Huan held a lotus leaf bag, “Someone just told me that the prince was looking for me?”

He had just walked to the prince’s residence, and the servant happened to come to inquire at the gatehouse. Once he chatted and discovered that Lin Bozhou was looking for him, Meng Huan ran over immediately, although he was unsure why.

“Your Highness?” Meng Huan placed his hand on his arm.

The next moment, it was covered by Lin Bozhou’s hand.

His palm was cold, and the action of touching him was quick like he had been holding back for a long time.

Lin Bozhou, who had a gloomy face in front of Shan Xing and made the atmosphere horribly heavy, had a gentler, warmer voice and a spring-like smile at the corners of his lips. “Back?”

Over there, Shan Xing silently retreated.

“…… Mm.”

Somehow, Meng Huan felt that his smile was a little forced.

There was also an unconcealed sense of dryness and depression between his eyebrows.

“I took a good stroll outside, had dinner on the way, and bought you a marinated goose.” Meng Huan put down the lotus leaf bag, “Does Your Highness want to try it?”

Lin Bozhou’s wrist went up, tugging him, but he didn’t answer the question, “I’ve been waiting for Huan Huan all afternoon.”

His tone was not so calm, as if addressing himself, like a long-awaited whisper.

At that time, Meng Huan said in the restaurant that he wanted to escape and asked Xu Ruolin and Lu Nanxing to help; Lin Bozhou knew in his heart that he could do so.

If someone became his and didn’t have feelings for him, escape was their only way.

Lin Bozhou was gambling, gambling on what choice Meng Huan would make after being able to enter and leave the prince’s residence freely. If he had feelings for him, he would stay. If he didn’t have feelings for him, he would escape.

He waited for the result, but it was like falling from a high place. Although unharmed, his heart was stimulated by the residual fear. He never wanted to take a risk again, nor did he want to be afraid of Meng Huan’s leaving a second time.

He became anxious because of Meng Huan’s late return.

Meng Huan squatted and gently scratched his palm. “Waiting for me all afternoon?”

Lin Bozhou said stiffly, “You returned too late.”

Meng Huan blinked. “Your Highness promised to let me leave the residence but didn’t specify the time to return. The sun hasn’t set yet, so is it too late?”

Lin Bozhou did not speak.

Meng Huan deliberately said, “Is Your Highness unable to play……”

He actually wanted to ease the atmosphere.

But Lin Bozhou’s fingers gripped the chair handle, and his bone joints emerged distinctly; something at the end of his tone crumbled away. “Meng… Huan.”

The words were out of control and powerless.

It seemed as if he couldn’t stand to lose him and could only helplessly bear Meng Huan’s teasing.

Meng Huan was stunned and looked down.

The Lin Bozhou before him: his thin lips were pale, his eyes covered with a white veil, and his eyebrows revealed an unspeakable manic depression. And because he could not see, he displayed the wretchedness of being unable to grasp onto anything.

This was the first time Meng Huan saw him like this.

Meng Huan’s heart was calm. He sat down beside him and gently held his hand.

Lin Bozhou said, word by word, as if he was drenched in the rain, his whole body dark and soaked. “Right.”

He admitted through clenched teeth, “I can’t afford to play.”

The controlling and anxious feeling inside him was screaming with how much he wanted to drag Meng Huan back and lock him up in the prince’s residence. He genuinely felt that he was afraid of losing this person.

He admitted that he was utterly defeated in terms of feelings.

But the next second after he said these words,

“Chu~”

His lips were gently touched.