Chapter 301: Chapter 299: Confession in the Stable
At the side, Butler Pei smiled faintly as he lowered his head, adding, "The Crown Prince started training his limbs half a year ago, practicing for two hours each morning, forty minutes at noon, and another hour in the evening. During that period, he fell and got injured countless times, with scars on his knees, legs, and arms, but he never gave up. Until last month, he finally managed to stand up, albeit with difficulty, with the aid of physical therapy equipment. At the banquet, with so many people around, we were afraid that he would be nervous standing up, but he did it."
Jiayi felt a slight stir in her heart. Ya Chen did this to make her feel confident in him, to have more confidence in their future marriage and not to see her husband as a useless cripple, so he spent so much time on this.
For a member of the Royal Family, born and raised in luxury, able to have anything they want with a simple gesture, it was not easy at all.
In that instant, Jiayi felt somewhat guilty; Ya Chen treated her so well, yet she was just a puppet marrying him in place of Chu Xinyu.
Every word she said to him, even, was against her will, following Xuan Yu’s intentions.
But at this moment, she finally felt a sincere fondness for him.
His optimistic spirit truly moved her.
Jiayi sat side by side with Ya Chen.
The man was handsome and noble, the woman delicate and lovely; they were like a pair of exquisite figures under the clear blue sky, a delightful sight to behold.
Almost making people overlook the severe flaws of Ya Chen’s difficulty in walking and his blindness.
Behind them, a low murmur of conversation continued intermittently.
"At first, when I saw the third young miss was an illegitimate daughter, I thought she wouldn’t be able to appear in high society, but now it seems that Miss Chu and the Crown Prince are quite a match."
"Yes, they’re just like a golden boy and jade girl."
...
Just then, a commotion erupted from the seats behind the two of them.
Someone stood up and then walked down the stairs.
The Chu Family’s bodyguards exclaimed in shock: "Second young miss, where are you going—"
Chu Xinyue turned around, her face as cold as if she just came out of an ice cellar: "Horse riding!"
The bodyguard hurried to stop her: "Madam said you can’t do any strenuous exercise. It’s enough just to come and see today, your body..."
"It’s fine, I’ll just ride around casually and come right back," Chu Xinyue said decisively, unwilling to continue sitting in the stands.
The Chu Family bodyguards looked to Jiayi, hoping she might say a few words of caution.
What Chu Xinyue wanted to do was something Jiayi simply couldn’t control, nor did she want to interfere, but under the expectant gaze of the bodyguard, she could only say, "Xinyue, Daddy reminded you not to exercise today, otherwise he won’t let you out again, and your body isn’t..."
"Are you managing me now? You haven’t married into the Ya Family yet, right? Do you really think you’re already the Crown Princess?" Chu Xinyue’s pale face turned fiery with anger.
Although Chu Xinyue spoke softly, both Butler Pei and Ya Chen heard her.
The two girls were half-sisters with the same father but different mothers, and Jiayi had joined the Chu Family later, so, of course, Butler Pei and Ya Chen understood the sisters wouldn’t be very close.
But they did not expect Chu Xinyue to be so resistant to Jiayi.
Jiayi shrugged at the bodyguards, giving a "I can’t do anything about it" gesture and said no more.
Ya Chen helped Jiayi break the awkwardness: "Butler Pei, go select a horse with a gentle temperament for the Horse Trainer and ask a few Trainers to follow the second young miss in the riding grounds to prevent her from getting injured."
Hearing Ya Chen’s thoughtful arrangements, Chu Xinyue’s footsteps halted suddenly, her heart rippling slightly.
The Chu Family bodyguard knew Ya Chen was looking out for the second young miss on behalf of the third young miss, and hastily said: "Many thanks, Crown Prince."
Ya Chen said indifferently, "There’s no need. Since she is Jiayi’s sister, she will also be one of our own family members in the future. It’s only right to look after her. Butler Pei, go ahead and prepare."
Butler Pei replied, "Yes, Crown Prince," and then went to instruct the Horse Trainers.
Hearing Ya Chen’s second sentence, Chu Xinyue’s initially uplifted expression quickly fell again, and a cold sneer leaked from the corner of her mouth.
In the end, it was all for Jiayi.
She hurried past Ya Chen’s side and walked toward the equestrian field.
For a moment, Ya Chen seemed to smell a distinct scent; his face coalesced slightly, and then he started looking around.
Jiayi noticed his lapse and asked, puzzled, "What’s the matter?"
That fragrance...
Why is it so familiar?
It seemed like the scent of the perfume from the girl who sneaked into his room on the night of the banquet after he had gotten hurt.
He was born blind, but his senses of smell and hearing were much sharper than those of ordinary people.
Having smelled that fragrance once, he would never forget it.
"Jiayi, was there someone else by our side just now?" Ya Chen furrowed his brows.
"No, it was just my elder sister."
Ya Chen remained silent.
—
The stable.
Chu Xinyue changed into her riding attire, picked a horse, and was about to come out, when suddenly she heard the sound of wheels rolling over the ground in front of her.
Ya Chen, seated in his wheelchair alone, entered the stable, right in front.
At the stable entrance, the horse trainer who was waiting for her had disappeared, clearly driven off by Ya Chen.
The riding crop in Chu Xinyue’s hand loosened, almost slipping to the ground, then she gripped it again, containing her excited trembling.
She didn’t dare even fantasize that one day Ya Chen would appear before her on his own initiative.
At this moment, it was just the two of them, alone.
When the moment truly arrived, she, holding the riding crop, found herself unable to utter a word.
Ya Chen gently shook his wheelchair forward and spoke, but his tone was deep with coldness, completely at odds with his gentle and refined appearance, "That night of the banquet, the one who sneaked into my room... it was you, wasn’t it."
Chu Xinyue had guessed that he came looking for her probably because he had sensed something, but when he actually threw the question in front of her, she found herself speechless.
Although Ya Chen was blind, his heart was like a clear, pristine mirror.
Her silence was as good as a tacit admission.
Indeed, it was her who entered his room that night.
After all, she had attended the banquet that evening, and slipping in afterwards was not difficult.
A chill gathered in Ya Chen’s brow as he said, "It really was you."
The excitement Chu Xinyue had felt seconds ago upon seeing this man vanished; she clearly saw the displeasure on Ya Chen’s face.
Was he treating her like one of those malicious women who would climb into any man’s bed out of desperation or even go as far as competing with her own sister for a man?
A wave of coldness swept through Chu Xinyue’s entire body.
In the quiet surroundings, although Ya Chen couldn’t see, he could sense her breathing becoming heavier.
His brows furrowed even tighter, holding back the disgust and impatience in his tone:
"I will not dwell on this matter. I ask that you, Miss Chu, conduct yourself with dignity and abstain from such behavior. Please remember, Jiayi and I are soon to be married. Additionally, I have one request. Miss Chu, please treat Jiayi kinder from now on and refrain from speaking to her in the tone you used just now."
Having said that, Ya Chen turned his wheelchair, ready to leave.
