Chapter 52- Your Majesty, Why Are You Sleeping Here?

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Chapter 52

Unable to hold back, Jiang Ruohua’s fist slammed into the wall!

Fortunately, the nearby palace was uninhabited and long neglected. One more strike on its crumbling structure wasn’t likely to raise any concerns.

But as she snapped back to her senses, she realized someone had approached her silently and stood nearby. Reflexively withdrawing her fist, she raised her eyes to find herself retreating a few steps. Hand clutching her chest, she gasped, “Y-you startled me…”

Her knuckles throbbed slightly. Jiang Ruohua quickly tucked her hand into her sleeve and stepped back again. The man before her was dressed in fine robes, a folding fan in his hand—though it had fallen to the ground in the moment of surprise. He bent down to retrieve it, inspecting it carefully to ensure it hadn’t been damaged.

When she recognized him, Jiang Ruohua felt a flicker of surprise. Bowing slightly, she said, “Your Highness, the Cloud Prince.”

Luo Fengming smiled faintly, his carefree demeanor evident as he opened the fan. His tone was casual, completely unbothered. “It’s nothing. This prince saw nothing, nothing at all.”

As he spoke, he stepped aside, gesturing graciously. “You must be the Miss Jiang who saved my sixth royal sister. Forgive my manners—are you heading to see her? Would you like me to arrange for someone to escort you?”

Clearly, the Cloud Prince assumed she had gotten lost in the palace and showed no interest in her earlier lapse in composure. The rumors of the ninth prince being a carefree and approachable soul seemed accurate.

“Forgive me for making a spectacle of myself before Your Highness,” Jiang Ruohua said, a hint of frustration in her tone as she quickly composed herself. “It was unbecoming behavior.”

Still, it was fortunate she had encountered Luo Fengming, a leisure-loving prince without political clout. Even so, it was essential to remain cautious. “It was wrong of me to alarm Your Highness today. Since there are no men in my family, I cannot arrange to personally visit and apologize another day. However, I ask Your Highness to accept my bow here, and later I shall send someone with gifts to express my regrets.”

Her words were deliberate—a show of humility but also a veiled warning. Jiang Ruohua wished to avoid unnecessary entanglements. While her gesture was sincere, it also conveyed that she hoped the Cloud Prince wouldn’t make an issue out of the incident.

“You’re too courteous, Miss Jiang. This prince understands,” Luo Fengming said, his smile as relaxed as ever. “After all, emotions are natural—joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness alike. Besides, you didn’t hit me, so why would I take it to heart over such a small matter?”

He fanned himself leisurely, his demeanor refined yet casual. Though he appeared carefree, it was clear he wasn’t a fool. Sometimes, not fussing over things saved far more trouble than overanalyzing them.

Indeed, Luo Fengming didn’t plan to make anything of it. After all, she would be sending an apology and gifts—accepting those would be more than enough. Using the fan to shield his face slightly, he added, “Let’s pretend we never met here today. I saw nothing.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness,” Jiang Ruohua said, bowing politely before excusing herself. “This subject will take her leave.”

Only after she had left did Luo Fengming close his fan. Watching her departing figure for a moment, he chuckled softly and strolled off as though nothing had happened.

At the next turn of the palace walls, he came across the Prince of Ying.

“My, my! Royal Brother!” Luo Fengming quickly folded his fan and feigned alarm as he rushed to help Luo Yu. “Why are you lying here of all places?”

Having just received a solid punch from Jiang Ruohua, Luo Yu was too winded to speak and, honestly, had no desire to say anything. His abdomen throbbed painfully, though the cursed system had assured him his internal organs were unharmed—Jiang Ruohua had held back.

Opening his eyes again, Luo Yu found himself staring at the male lead, Luo Fengming. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to faint again.

【The original body’s dignity is completely ruined!】

(It’s your own fault for being useless.)
【How was I supposed to know my wife would punch me mid-smile? This hurts more than a slap to the face!】

(You should’ve expected it. The moment you see the female lead, you lose all composure and can’t string a sentence together.)
【Nonsense! I was observing! It was just an unexpected event this time!】

As if he couldn’t distinguish between advancing the plot and appreciating his wife’s prowess! Of course, he knew which was more important!

Regarding the matter at hand, Luo Yu forced himself to his feet with a wobbly shake of his head. “It’s nothing. I must’ve stayed up too late last night, that’s all.”

There was no way he was going to admit he had been punched!

“Careful, Royal Brother,” Luo Fengming said, steadying him. “Let me call for a royal physician to examine you. You’ve been pushing yourself too hard lately. First, you almost missed court, and now you’ve fainted in the palace. Your health is just as important as state affairs.”

Clutching his aching stomach, Luo Yu barely managed to straighten up. The last thing he wanted was to hear this from Luo Fengming, of all people!

If Luo Yu was a workaholic striving for perfection, then Luo Fengming, as the male lead, was a covert overachiever who maintained an appearance of leisure while secretly outpacing everyone else.

“Is your stomach bothering you, Royal Brother?”

“No, it’s fine,” Luo Yu said firmly, forcing his hand away from his abdomen. If a physician examined him, it would be obvious he had been hit. Worse yet, it would quickly trace back to his wife. That would completely ruin his plans to rekindle any connection with her.

“Are you sure?” Luo Fengming’s eyes glimmered with concern. “You don’t look well. I’d feel uneasy leaving you like this.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Luo Yu insisted, forcing a smile. “What could possibly happen? I just accidentally dozed off here. No need to make a fuss and trouble Father and Mother over it.”

Please, just let me go! I’m at my limit!

Luo Fengming helped him to a nearby pavilion, seating him carefully before sitting down himself. “Are you feeling better now, Royal Brother?”

“Much better, much better,” Luo Yu said, smiling awkwardly. But his discomfort didn’t escape Luo Fengming’s discerning gaze.

This was the problem with well-written characters—they were consistent. What once seemed praiseworthy in a story now felt like a curse to Luo Yu.

If only Luo Fengming were a little dimmer, this whole ordeal could be brushed over. But no, as the male lead, Luo Fengming was a paragon of diligence and intelligence, rivaling even the most conniving antagonists!

“I’m really fine,” Luo Yu said, his tone firmer now that the pain was subsiding. Straightening his posture, he added, “By the way, wasn’t today the day you were to greet Grandmother? Don’t let me delay you and risk missing the appointed time.”

Please, I’m begging you, just leave already!

“That’s true,” Luo Fengming admitted. “But seeing you like this, I can’t help but worry.”

On the surface, Luo Fengming always displayed kindness and concern, never withholding his goodwill from anyone. Among the royal siblings, he was uniquely approachable, seemingly untouched by the harsh realities of palace intrigue.

But that was only on the surface.

“My attendants will be here shortly,” Luo Yu said, improvising a weak excuse. “I still need to pay my respects to Mother as well. Everything will be fine; you can go ahead without worry.”

Just go! If you stay any longer, I won’t have anything left to say!