Rebirth of the Duke's Daughter and the Little Imperial Uncle

Chapter 105 He Yanxi's Analysis

He Mingning was somewhat downcast. She asked in a muffled voice, "Those purses must be very beautiful! It's only natural that someone as outstanding and popular as you would be so well-liked. I imagine you must have met quite a few girls over the years! I wonder if there were any that caught your eye? If so, I... I can help you find love, after all, it's not easy to meet a girl you truly like." As she spoke, her voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible, as if she were speaking only to herself.

Fan Junyu chuckled inwardly, but outwardly pretended not to have heard clearly, deliberately pressing, "Princess, what did you just say? Could you repeat it? I didn't hear you clearly." Hearing this, He Mingning panicked immediately, hurriedly raising her head and stammering, "No...nothing, I didn't say anything." Seeing this, Fan Junyu wasn't going to let her off easily, continuing to deliberately press and confirm, "Really? Princess, are you sure you didn't say anything?" He Mingning became even more nervous, quickly waving her hands and replying, "Really, really, I really didn't say anything." Seeing He Mingning's embarrassed and adorable appearance, Fan Junyu finally couldn't help but laugh out loud, then said, "Alright, since you insist so much, Princess, then forget it."

Seeing that Fan Junyu didn't press the matter further, He Mingning breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself, "Luckily, he didn't hear my mutterings just now, otherwise it would have been quite embarrassing." Thinking of this, He Mingning couldn't help but pat his chest lightly, as if trying to dispel the tension.

At the same time, Fan Junyu noticed He Mingning's relieved expression, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He said softly, "Actually, it was my younger brother who brought Xiaoxiao over to keep me company so I could get more exercise. He even told me that if I move around more, he'll study hard. Sigh, I just couldn't refuse such a cute and sensible brother, so I had to agree."

After saying this, Fan Junyu looked up at He Mingning, only to find that the other party seemed unresponsive. So, he raised his voice and called out several times, but He Mingning was completely absorbed in his own thoughts and could not hear any other sounds.

The two words "Xiao Xiao" that Fan Junyu had just uttered kept echoing in He Mingning's mind. He pondered with deep doubt, "Could this be the name of the person he likes? To catch his eye, this girl named Xiao Xiao must be exceptional. But… who would truly love a sickly person like me? Even the most outstanding man probably wouldn't want to spend his life with me." Thinking this, He Mingning's mood grew heavier, and a trace of melancholy unconsciously appeared on his face.

Fan Junyu gazed quietly at her face, which was gradually regaining its composure. After a moment of silence, he finally called out her name softly.

“He Mingning…”

The call seemed to possess a magical power, abruptly pulling He Mingning back to reality from her reverie. She blinked as if waking from a dream, then quickly replied, "Hmm, what's wrong?"

Fan Junyu frowned slightly and asked with concern, "What's wrong? Is something on your mind?"

He Mingning quickly waved his hand, explaining somewhat flusteredly, "It's nothing, really nothing! I'm sorry, I was just spacing out. What did you say to me? I didn't hear you. Could you please repeat it?"

He Mingning's cheeks flushed crimson, like ripe apples, as if ignited by flames. Her bright eyes darted around nervously, like a frightened deer, unable to meet Fan Junyu's gaze. At this moment, every subtle expression on her face was like transparent window paper, easily revealing her inner thoughts.

Fan Junyu took in all of this and couldn't help but feel secretly pleased: "Haha, it seems I guessed right this time!" He raised the corners of his mouth slightly, revealing a barely perceptible smile, and asked softly, "You didn't say anything, were you thinking about something just now?" Upon hearing this, He Mingning quickly lowered his head like an ostrich, biting his lip tightly, and remained silent.

Seeing He Mingning's reaction, Fan Junyu wasn't in a hurry. Instead, he continued slowly, "I mentioned to you earlier that I have a puppy named Xiaoxiao." As soon as he finished speaking, He Mingning, who had been silent all along, suddenly looked up as if struck by lightning, staring straight at Fan Junyu, and exclaimed in surprise, "What did you say? Xiaoxiao is your puppy?"

Faced with He Mingning's excited reaction, Fan Junyu was taken aback at first, then nodded and replied, "Yeah, that's right, what else did you think it was?" For a moment, He Mingning was speechless, stammering for a long time before finally managing to utter, "I..." However, he couldn't bring himself to say anything more.

Seeing this, Fan Junyu's eyes flashed with a sly light. He deliberately leaned closer to He Mingning and lowered his voice, saying, "Do you really think Xiaoxiao is my sweetheart?" He then observed He Mingning's expression with great interest. He Mingning's eyes became flustered again, constantly avoiding Fan Junyu's burning gaze. Although she still didn't respond, Fan Junyu understood everything from her shy and embarrassed expression—it seemed he had guessed correctly this time!

He Mingning stared intently at Fan Junyu, and seeing that he seemed to have seen through her thoughts, she solemnly said, "If you have someone you love, you can tell me honestly, and I will inform my father and request that our engagement be dissolved."

Upon hearing this, Fan Junyu's expression instantly turned solemn. He stared intently at He Mingning and asked, word by word, "Does the princess intend to annul the engagement?" Before he finished speaking, his aura seemed to suddenly turn several times colder, and even his tone of voice returned to the cold and indifferent one he had when they first met.

Seeing this, He Mingning thought to himself: It seems my guess was correct. Just then, he heard Fan Junyu say in a deep voice again: "Does the princess know what this annulment of the engagement truly means?"

He Mingning lowered his head slightly and replied in a low voice, "I am naturally aware of the implications, so you can rest assured. When I present this to my father, I will make it clear that this matter was caused by my mistake and has nothing to do with you. I will never put you in a dilemma."

Fan Junyu's lips curled up slightly, revealing a mocking smile, and he said slowly, "So, does this mean that the princess has already given her heart to someone else? If that is the case, I am willing to step aside."

Upon hearing this, He Mingning looked up in astonishment, stared directly at Fan Junyu, and shook his head repeatedly in denial: "That's not true! I grew up in a temple and rarely see anyone, so how could I have someone I admire? Besides, I'm already engaged."

After hearing this explanation, Fan Junyu's expression softened slightly, but he still pressed on, "If you have no one in your heart, why is the princess so determined to annul the engagement?" He Mingning took a deep breath and slowly said, "Because you have more and better choices. I know that our marriage was arranged since childhood, and there isn't much deep affection between us, since we've never even met. Besides, you'll inevitably meet many people here, including many women who are a good match for you. How can I bind you here just because of a verbal engagement?" At this point, He Mingning unconsciously bit her lip and then fell silent.

Upon hearing this, Fan Junyu's previously cold expression softened slightly, a faint smile appearing at the corners of his lips. He replied softly, "What would you do if I told you it was too late?" He Mingning asked with a puzzled look, "What do you mean?" Fan Junyu then explained, "Because someone else has already come to propose marriage, and to avoid any further complications, His Majesty has already issued an imperial decree to grant us the marriage. Now, everyone in the capital knows about our engagement. At this moment, do you still have any intention of breaking off the engagement?" He Mingning was stunned, speechless, and asked incredulously, "When exactly did this happen?" Fan Junyu replied calmly, "That was three years ago, right when I was appointed governor."

He Mingning's eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief, and her lips trembled slightly as she said, "How could I not know about this? How come no one came to tell me!" Her voice trembled with excitement, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists.

Looking at He Mingning's expression, Fan Junyu sighed softly and continued to explain, "Perhaps it's just that too much time has passed, so everyone has accidentally forgotten about it." He paused, his gaze remaining fixed on He Mingning's face, which was flushed red with surprise and anger, before asking, "Now that the princess knows about this matter, do you still intend to break off this engagement?"

Upon hearing this, He Mingning first shook her head vigorously, but then, as if suddenly realizing her lapse in composure, her cheeks instantly flushed crimson, as luscious as a ripe apple. At this moment, she lowered her head, her eyes flickering uncertainly, completely unsure how to handle the situation.

Just then, a servant came running over in a hurry. After approaching, the servant first bowed respectfully to Fan Junyu and He Mingning, and then said, "Young Master Fan, Princess, Miss, His Highness invites you to the dining hall for your meal."

Upon hearing this, Fan Junyu slowly turned his head, casting his gentle gaze upon He Mingning, who was standing awkwardly beside him. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and he said softly, "Let's go, Your Highness, let's go together."

Hearing Fan Junyu's words, He Mingning felt as if she had grasped a lifeline. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally calmed down slightly, and she secretly let out a long sigh of relief. Then, she raised her head, met Fan Junyu's gentle gaze, nodded slightly, and softly replied, "Okay..."

After speaking, the two walked side by side, their pace neither hurried nor slow, as if time itself had slowed down at that moment. They followed the cobblestone path slowly toward the dining hall.

Along the way, a gentle breeze, like a tender hand, softly caressed He Mingning, stirring a few strands of hair on his forehead. Those strands danced freely in the wind, like lively sprites, adding a touch of untamed freedom and ease to his already handsome face.

Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting golden rays like sharp swords that pierce through layers of green foliage, creating dappled patterns of light and shadow on the ground. These shadows shift and change shape with the wind, sometimes resembling galloping horses, sometimes soaring birds, a breathtaking spectacle.

Their figures gradually faded into the distance amidst the light and shadow. Fan Junyu stood tall and imposing; the woman beside him was gentle and charming, with graceful bearing. The image of the two walking side by side was like a beautiful painting, captivating the viewer.

Just as their figures disappeared from sight, He Yanxi and Qin Yaoyao slowly emerged from the dimly lit room. Qin Yaoyao wore a light pink silk dress, the hem fluttering in the wind like a blooming flower. Her face was as beautiful as a peach blossom, her eyebrows as delicate as distant mountains, and her beautiful eyes sparkled. At this moment, she parted her lips slightly and said in a sweet voice, "I really didn't expect that my usually cold and unsmiling nephew, Xiao Yu, would actually smile today! I think he's probably taken a liking to the eldest princess!" After speaking, she gently covered her mouth with her hand, letting out a soft, bell-like laugh.

He Yanxi stood quietly to one side, his gaze fixed on Qin Yaoyao's radiant smile, as bright as a spring flower in full bloom. She laughed so hard she almost fell over, her body trembling, as if the whole world had brightened because of her. Unconsciously, the corners of He Yanxi's own lips also involuntarily turned up slightly, revealing a barely perceptible gentle smile.

He reached out with doting eyes and gently stroked Qin Yaoyao's soft hair, then nodded slightly, expressing his agreement with certainty: "Indeed, it seems that Aning really does have some feelings for him. You know, Aning has always been timid and cowardly by nature. Given her cautious nature, she would never spend such a long time alone with a complete stranger, especially a strange man."

However, Qin Yaoyao seemed unconcerned about He Yanxi's remarks. She playfully pouted and retorted without hesitation, "Oh dear, you can't say that! After all, they're engaged, so naturally they need more time to get to know each other. So, it's perfectly reasonable for them to spend a little more time together!"